ã€ŠTaken By The Mafia Lordã€‹


 Chapter 1

    ?Chapter 1: They Were Loan Sharks

    The sound of items crashing and breaking startled Arianna from her sleep. She didn¡¯t have time to groan and stretch because she was already on her feet thanks to the racketing from downstairs.

    With a frown furrowing her brows, she stared out at the wall clock, it was barely six in the morning. Arianna sighed, running her hands through her hair, hoping to God it wasn¡¯t another of udia¡¯s fit of rage.

    udia was no other than her uncle¡¯s only child and daughter ¨C the princess of the family. Thanks to the fact that she was a spoiled brat, udia never takes no for an answer. She¡¯s a bitch who thinks the world revolves around her and when she doesn¡¯t get what she wants, the girl begins an outburst. Arianna likes to call it ¡°episodes¡± because she could swear, the girl was losing it.

    And yes, Arianna¡¯s an orphan, neither does she know what her mother looks like. Her father had died from cancer when she was ten and ever since, her father¡¯s brother, her uncle, has been acting as her guardian. But then, living here was equivalent to living in hell.

    They abused her to the point it was quite a miracle she had lived up to this age under their roof. Although her uncle has neverid a finger on her since he brought her into his household, he was greatly aware of what his wife and daughter used her for ¨C a maid, a punching bag to pour out their frustration.

    Thanks to that realization, Arianna didn¡¯t bother to go downstairs. If udia was having another of her meltdowns, she would want to be as far away from her as possible. Trust her, udia was the type who hurls whatever she could get her hands on and she ¨C Arianna- wasn¡¯t a sucker for pain.

    However, Arianna hardly put her head back down on the pillow when a knock came on her door. It wasn¡¯t just a knock; it was hurried, hard, almost a bang.

    ¡°Youngdy!¡±

    .....

    She shot up to her feet, something was not right. That was the voice of their housekeeper and the only one who treats her like a human being here. For her to sound panicked means something was not right.

    ¡°Susan!¡± She opened the door at once, ¡°What¡¯s going on? I hear noises,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry miss, but you have toe down and see for yourself,¡± Susan said, already dragging her along before she could think of a response.

    They covered the flights of stairs in a hurry, rushing down the spiral staircase. With each step she took, the noise from downstairs became louder and her heart leaped in her throat. What was happening?

    Arianna didn¡¯t have to wonder for long because as soon as she made it downstairs, she saw them. A group of hooligans destroying stuff in the living room. Her heart began to pound in her chest, how had they bypassed the security?

    Moreover, gangsters don¡¯t juste into someone¡¯s home unless they are offended or do business with them? Now, which was it? What did her uncle do this time?

    A look to the left showed her aunt and daughter, udia huddled at a corner of the room shivering in fear on the sofa. They screamed in fear each time something was smashed against the wall and she was sure these troublesome-looking men did it on purpose to scare them.

    Although she was frightened, Arianna took a deep breath and stepped out. As much as she would love to mind her business in this situation, this was her home as well, plus she would be the one to bear the brunt of her aunt¡¯s anger.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± She asked.

    However, no one replied to her. In fact, it seemed her question aggravated the whole thing because the gangsters went about their destruction, behaving as if it was a mere air that spoke. One of them smashed the t-screen television with his hammer while the other broke therge flower vase.

    That attitude infuriated Arianna and she stomped her feet mentally. Rage flowed through her veins like moltenva and she spoke louder this time.

    ¡°Sec. 19-77. ¨C Entering property of another for purpose of damaging it: It shall be uwful for any person to enter thend, dwelling, outhouse, or any other building of another for the purpose of damaging such property or any of the contents thereof or in any manner to interfere with the rights of the owner, user or the upant thereof to use such property free from interference. Any person viting this section shall be guilty of a ss 1 misdemeanor!¡± she said in one breath.

    This time, she garnered the attention she wanted. The gangsters turned to her, at least half of them ¨C the rest that didn¡¯t look at first followed after the others. Their heated gaze stared at her with probing intensity and Arianna wished the ground would swallow her at this point. What person in their right mind would cause trouble with these delinquents.

    They stared at her.

    Arianna stared back.

    It was awkward.

    What was she going to say now? It was not like she prepared an opening speech for this epic moment.

    Suddenly, one of the gangsters walked out of their midst, slowly pping with a mocking smirk tilting his lips.

    ¡°Finally, awyer in her midst,¡± He said.

    Arianna lifted her head, ¡°I¡¯m not awyer but every citizen knows their rights. Now, what¡¯s the meaning of this madness? You can¡¯t juste into someone¡¯s ce and exert your dominance just because you can,¡± she couldn¡¯t even believe she was the one saying those words fearlessly. She means, look at those people, they had weapons -hammers and daggers- in their grasp ¨C and probably guns were hidden in their waistband. One of them could easily shoot her in the head or something.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, I can¡¯t,¡± the arrogant man said, ¡°But then, thew should have taught your family never to take a loan without paying back,¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna croaked, ¡°A loan?¡± her face paled. And then it dawned on her that these people weren¡¯t gangsters, to be precise, they were Loan sharks. God, this couldn¡¯t be true.

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 Chapter 2

    NEXT CHAPTER

    Chapter 2: You Would Make Beautiful Wife

    Reality hit Arianna hard, her uncle had not only taken a loan, but from loan sharks? What the hell was he thinking?

    Shock stricken, she turned to her aunt and cousin still shivering in fear, ¡°Is that true?¡± was her question, her voice barely above a whisper.

    ¡°Father put all of his money into thepany research which we hoped would have paid off by now, unfortunately, there were some dys and he had to resort to this method,¡± udia was the one who managed to speak. And God, who knew she had such a meek voice ¨C she was always yelling at her.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? You know how delicate this matter is and yet you all kept it from me?¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Why?¡± udia snorted, the usual contemptuous look crossing her features, ¡°What could you have done? Give us your trust fund?¡±

    Of course, why wouldn¡¯t they have their eyes on her trust fund? This greedy lot of people!

    .....

    Before Arianna¡¯s father had died, he set up a trust that she would control once she clocked Twenty-four. Sadly, she was twenty-three, and fortunately for her uncle and his greedy wife, she was just a year away from iming her fortune.

    Arianna¡¯s father had been a business mogul right before he died and those businesses were taken over by his brother. Upon the fact that her uncle had reaped huge benefits from her father¡¯s death, they still imed she owed them.

    ¡°You ungrateful bitch! If not for the shelter we provided, you¡¯ll be out there in the streets like a street rat!¡± her aunt would yell and hit her in the name of discipline.

    ¡°No, I only took what belonged to me! Those businesses were my fathers!¡± She would always retort

    ¡°Fine, go and take it up! Let¡¯s see how you manage it! This is why raising someone else¡¯s kid is hard nowadays, because they would grow up rude and unappreciative!¡± She would say at the top of her voice just so the neighbors could hear and tag her as a ¡°good woman¡± and she ¡°the bad ungrateful niece¡±. What a great hypocrite.

    But then their greediness grew and currently, they were awaiting her trust money so they could bill her ¨C im they raised her for years and wantpensation. She could already see through their ns.

    ¡°What an entertaining family,¡± remarked the arrogant man from earlier and he seemed to be the collector or something, ¡°As much as this has been interesting, it cannot provide our money,¡± He said.

    ¡°You assholes!¡± udia couldn¡¯t take it anymore and said in an outburst, ¡°The loan would have been paid halfway by now if you guys hadn¡¯t charged us at a ridiculously high-interest rate of forty percent per fortnight. You all are sharks in the ocean that prey on their victims!¡± She stared at them fiercely.

    Why were they called ¡°Loan sharks¡± in the first ce? Pun intended.

    The collector simply rubbed the inside of his ear with his finger as if he was bored to death, ¡°Hey,¡± he called to one of his men, ¡°Shut her up, she talks too much. My ear is beginning to hurt.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± The color left udia¡¯s face, fear finally setting in. But it was toote.

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    ¡°My daughter!¡±

    Mother and daughter both cried and struggled but the man broke them apart, suppressing udia until he sessfully gagged her mouth with a cloth.

    ¡°Now, that¡¯s better,¡± The collector smirked at udia whose scream was muffled, before turning to Arianna whose heart leaped out of her chest. Was he going to gag her as well?

    ¡°Now, let me speak to the reasonable one in the family,¡± He said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± That was unexpected.

    ¡°Your father pledged this house as coteral. Now his payment is overdue, I should collect, right?¡± he was teasing her, trying to see what her reaction would be nor did Arianna bother to clear his assumption of her being her uncle¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°Of course you should take the house, a deal is a deal,¡± Arianna replied. She was dealing with a criminal here and had to think like one.

    ¡°You ingrate!¡± her aunt fired up upon hearing herment, ¡°I should have known this is how you would reward me for raising you!¡±

    ¡°Gag her as well,¡± Mr. Collector ordered without even as much as a nce her aunt¡¯s way.

    ¡°What?!¡± the woman couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t touch me! Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m an elder!¡± yet her protest fell on deaf ears. They tied her mouth the same way they did to her daughter.

    For some strange reason, the scene made Arianna feel good. It was not every day she gets to see her uncle¡¯s family in a difiting situation. It was satisfying. This little punishment was nothingpared to the years they maltreated her.

    ¡°You know,¡± the collector brought her attention back, ¡°You could solve your family¡¯s problem easily,¡±

    ¡°What? I could?¡± her eyes shone with hope, ¡°That is possible? How?¡± she couldn¡¯t wait to hear his suggestion.

    However, Arianna narrowed her gaze at him when he reached out and grabbed her chin in a not-so-tight vice, checking her out, ¡°You¡¯re a very beautiful woman mademoiselle and our boss Big Joe is in need of a wife. You would make a beautiful bride, what do you say to that?¡± He sounded hopeful.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t understand how things could turn around that quickly. One moment she was thinking of saving her uncle¡¯s family and the next, she was being proposed to?

    ¡°No,¡± was her answer. Another firm reply, ¡°No, I¡¯m not offering myself nor my body to this Big Joe or whatever you called him. Now get your hands off me!¡± She shot him a re that would have vaporized the man on the spot if that was possible.

    ¡°You have a temper as well, spitfire, I¡¯m sure Big Joe would love that...¡± He let her go, ¡°Now, how do we get our money? My patience has run out,¡± his gaze darkened, hinting of the storm brewing if they didn¡¯t provide what he wanted.

    ¡°Give us some time,¡± Arianna pleaded.

    ¡°Time?¡± He chuckled, the mere sound sending shivers down her spine, ¡°That I don¡¯t have anymore,¡±

    ¡°Please, I¡¯ll make sure my Uncle provides the money,¡±

    The man gestured, ¡°I don¡¯t see your uncle anywhere ¨C thought he was your father by the way,¡±

    ¡°Well, you thought wrong,¡± He wasn¡¯t the first person that thought so anyway. Her uncle¡¯s family had a way with their pretense that could even fool a trickster; they assumed one happy household.

    Arianna continued, ¡°My uncle is away on a trip. He wouldn¡¯t abandon his family.¡± she hoped so, else she¡¯s toasted. It was not hard to notice the Collector had eyes for her.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The collector gave a sign and his men straightened up, the fight in them vanishing.

    The collector turned to her saying, ¡°We¡¯ll be gone but we¡¯ll be back,¡± his tone held a dark promise, ¡°Let¡¯s go, boys!¡±

    And just like that, they left the room one after the other until there wasn¡¯t a trace of them. But the ruins thaty in their wake remained. Arianna released a breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding in, the worst was over. Or so she thought.

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 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: Marcel¡¯s Wrath

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a gummy bear,

    Yes, I¡¯m a gummy bear

    Oh, I¡¯m a yummy, tummy, funny, lucky gummy bear,¡±

    A young man nonchntly sang along to the music ying out from his cellphone. He threw a piece of gummy candy into the air and caught it inside his mouth while the anguished howl of a man rang out in the hall. However, he didn¡¯t seem to mind, instead, the sound of his pain excited him; it made his blood throb.

    They were obviously in some sort of basement that was poorly illuminated while a man was tied to a chair screaming out his lungs as his torturers burnt his skin with cigarettes. An excruciating scream left the man¡¯s mouth, he felt like dying yet they wouldn¡¯t let him die.

    Why would they? Heughed inwardly. This was Marcel he was dealing with, the heartless, ruthless, psychopathic Mafia Lord of the Luciano n. A family who conducts themselves as businessmen but in reality are a bunch of killers walking around in expensive suits and dresses.

    ¡°Three times you can bite me,¡± Marcel continued with his singing amid the inhumane shriek from the tortured soul ¨C a scream even capable of waking the dead from their slumber. However, the man simply swiped at his blonde lock that had fallen across his face.

    .....

    Marcel was breathtakingly handsome ¨C even a blind man could see that ¨C the same innocuous look that has sent many to their grave. Unlike the rough but attractive features of most males, he was the opposite of that, Marcel could be described as effeminate. He looked as harmless as a dove and it was those innocent features that had made many people estimate him only to end up with a bullet in their forehead.

    Lips as red as wine, thick sexy eyshes,s and a head full of tousled blonde locks with rare grey eyes that appeared green or sometimes blue under the sunlight; Marcel was gorgeous. His jawbones angles were shaped nor did he grow a beard to rule out his delicate look. The man learned to embrace this delicate side of him and turned it into a weapon, he was a trained seducer who could get what he wanted from women and his male counterpart effortlessly.

    Tall yet proportionally lean, Marcel had the body of a professional model, that if it wasn¡¯t for unsmiling face and fierce piercing gaze, plus his fear-inspiring bodyguards, he would have been sought out by talent scouts already. However, that cute face was not to be trifled with.

    Suddenly the song ended and none yed afterward. Silence would have reigned if not for the scream of affliction from their captive.

    ¡°Are we done?¡± Marcel asked, taking off his gold-rimmed sses. He was dressed in a high-ss sophisticated suit which was a huge contrast against this kind of setting. However, no one wasining ¨C he was the boss.

    ¡°No sir, he¡¯s still not confessing,¡± One of his men answered while the man continued to wail.

    Marcel sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to do everything by myself,¡± He rose to his feet and snatched the report from the man¡¯s hands, simply ncing over it.

    With a hand in his pocket, Marcel gracefully strode over to his prisoner. His men upon noticing his arrival, stopped their torture and made space for him.

    ¡°You look good Peter,¡± Marcel gave him a casual look, his words dripping with sarcasm. The man was bloody from his head to the sole of his feet.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± Peter spoke through gritted teeth, anguish in his heart. How he wished he could rip off the man¡¯s face right now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a simple conversation, Peter, shall we? I¡¯m kind of a magnanimous man,¡± Marcel said and even without gesturing to his men, his chair was brought over.

    Marcel sat down, crossing his leg over the other without breaking his gaze with Peter who staring fiercely at him, resentment obvious in his gaze.

    Seatedfortably, Marcel began, ¡°Where are my guns, Peter?¡± A whole arsenal of weapons had been stolen by one of his own people and he wasn¡¯t happy about that.

    Peter shot him a look of disdain, ¡°Like I would tell you,¡±

    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Marcel concurred, ¡°Which is why I¡¯m currently seating here because my men are unable to get the job done,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just wasting your time. You can torture me all you want, but you¡¯re not getting a thing out of my mouth. That¡¯s a promise,¡± He was resolute.

    For a moment, Marcel didn¡¯t say a word and simply read out from the report, ¡°Peter Ivanov, thirty-five years old. No father, mother, grandmother, nearest rtives, and most of all, no girlfriend or wife...¡± Marcel lifted his face, ¡°Which means you have nothing to lose because you¡¯re not afraid of death nor do you have something that can be used against you,¡±

    Peter smirked, as if saying, ¡°I told you so, ¡±

    But Marcel was not distressed, instead, a smile curved his mouth when he announced, ¡°All except one,¡±

    Peter¡¯s face furrowed, confused by hisment.

    There was a yful yet dangerous glint in Marcel¡¯s s eyes as he snapped his fingers and a woman stepped into the basement, her heels click-cking against the floor, and in her grasp was a rare snow-white Chihuahua pressed to her chest.

    The once confident look vanished from Peter¡¯s face, reced by a trace of panic. He shifted uneasily on his seat as a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

    Marcel smirked, he was right. Everyone had a weakness. He reached out to his assistant who handed the dog over to him and took her leave.

    ¡°Aww, you cute little thing,¡± He cooed to the dog who didn¡¯t protest rather leaned into his touch.

    However, Peter was not deceived by that harmless gesture. Marcel was already making a statement by having his dog over here, it was pure ckmail.

    ¡°They said a dog is man¡¯s best friend but to some, it¡¯s family,¡± Marcel held his gaze, seeing through Peter¡¯s brave front.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t touch him!¡± He hollered with abject terror when Marcel¡¯s hands tightened around the dog¡¯s neck. He struggled against the restraints but it was bound really tight. There was no escaping this or Marcel¡¯s wrath.

    Marcel loosened his grip on the dog but his tone was taunt and his gaze dark,

    ¡°Where are my guns?¡±

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 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: Forgot About The Engagement

    ¡°Where are my guns, Peter?¡± All joviality had left Marcel¡¯s tone. Right now, his eyes were dark and emotionless, his tone so cold it could freeze over a river.

    However, Peter didn¡¯t read the signs or he was simply prepared to die.

    ¡°You should just kill me, bastard!¡± He said, yet eyed the chihuahua in Marcel¡¯s hands. Once he was dead, the bastard would have no use for the dog and would let it go. Even if he doesn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t be alive to watch Marcel end the poor creature.

    However Marcelughed, pointing at him,¡± Oh, I see what you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re trying to provoke me into finishing you off ...¡± he nced down at the Chihuahua,¡± Little doggy, daddy wants to leave you. But unfortunately, you might have to say goodbye first, ¡±

    At once, Marcel pressed the muzzle of the gun against the dogs head,

    ¡°Where should I start? The head and give you a quick death? Or the limb? Give you a slow painful death ¨C that one would be on your papa,¡±

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Peter choked as Marcel¡¯s hand curled around the trigger.

    .....

    However, Marvel didn¡¯t even nce at him, he continued hismunion with the dog who seemed to have taken a liking to him, ¡°You¡¯re a good doggy...¡± he stroked his furs, ¡°But my guns are more important!¡±

    ¡°No, wait -!¡± Peter bellowed seconds away from Marcel pulling the trigger.

    Marcel¡¯s brow raised.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth,¡± Peter quickly added, ¡°But first, you have to promise me not to hurt him, he¡¯s the only family I have left,¡±

    Marcel pulled down the gun, ¡°I don¡¯t do promises,¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the assurance you won¡¯t hurt him?!¡± Peter yelled, he was so tired of his games.

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, you don¡¯t. So you can either choose to trust me blindly and tell me where my guns are or you can keep your mouth shut and I¡¯ll end the doggy painfully and slowly right in front of you. It¡¯s your choice,¡± Marcel gave him the condition with a smiling face.

    Psychopath.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Peter agreed.

    Marcel simply gave a sign and thedy from earlier came over and took the dog from him, vanishing from sight.

    ¡°Now, talk turkey,¡± Marcel crossed his leg over the other, assuming his get down to business demeanor.

    Peter licked his bloody lips, ¡°I don¡¯t have your guns, Marcel,¡± He confessed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y me!¡± Marcel growled at him.

    Who was he fooling with that? A whole armory was gone! Although the money loss from it was nothing to him, it had a negative effect in the long run.

    If his guns be rampant in the streets, not only would his goods lose market value, but the crime rate would increase, and the authorities woulde snooping in ¨C which he wasn¡¯t ready to deal with at the moment. In one word, he had to get his weapons before it gets sold or control them after its cirction-both option was hard work right now.

    ¡°I only gave him the location of the armory,¡±

    Marcel shot up to his feet, ¡°Yeah, you gave him the address to steal my weapons and who is this he?¡±

    ¡°Elijah,¡± Peter disclosed, ¡°He¡¯s a known mercenary, all I had to do was give him the location and I get my money -¡±

    ¡°But then we caught you,¡± Marcelpleted smugly. Then, he focused the gun on him, ¡°Thanks for the info,¡±

    Peters eyes widened, ¡°No, you can¡¯t kill me,¡±

    ¡°But you were asking for it less than....¡± Marcel checked his watch, ¡± Three minutes ago,¡± Yeah, he was that observant and smart.

    ¡°I could still be useful to you. I gave them the location to your armory, I could still contact them or something and get you back your guns, Marcel,¡± He pleaded.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, Peter. Your way past your usefulness,¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t know.....¡± Peter gulped, realization set in, ¡°You knew I didn¡¯t have the guns,¡± It dawned on him.

    Marcel rubbed his jaw saying, ¡°Yeah, I had a suspicion you didn¡¯t have my guns but I needed to confirm my theory and as well continue onto my next lead ¨C thanks for your contribution,¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know Elijah as I do. He¡¯s a phantom ghost and unless he wants to be caught, you wouldn¡¯t be able to track him down,¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody I, Marcel, cannot get. Moreover, if you betrayed me once, you could betray me a second time, ¡± He pulled the trigger.

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t -¡±

    Bang!

    The bullet was sessfully scored between his eyes. A clean shot.

    Marcel tossed the gun towards one of his men who caught it swiftly, ¡°You know what to do with the body,¡±

    Peter¡¯s body would be hung in Times Square for all his enemies to see and learn. Oh don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s joking. He would be buried in a ce where no one would ever find him. See? He¡¯s that merciful for giving him a befitting burial. Other gangs would simply toss such betrayal in the ocean for the sharks to feed on.

    ¡°Sir, what should I do with this?¡± his assistant, Macy caught up with him outside, referring to the dog in her arm.

    Marcel gave the dog a nonchnt look, ¡°Take him to my ce and feed him to Samson.... ¡± he paused, as if contemting his options when the dog whimpered, giving him a sad look as if he knew his fate was sealed.

    Damn it, he hated that look.

    Marcel sighed, ¡°Just keep him in my bedroom and make sure Samson doesn¡¯t eat him. I¡¯ll think of what to do with himter,¡±

    ¡°Also, sir,¡± his assistant stopped him, ¡°You have an appointment,¡±

    Marcel halted in his step, his brows deeply furrowed in thought, ¡°I don¡¯t remember having one until now,¡±

    ¡°It was an emergency,¡±

    ¡°An appointment with who?¡±

    ¡°Your fianc¨¦e,¡±

    ¡°Oh great,¡± His mouth turned bitter. Talk about living in a nightmare.

    ¡°She has a party going on tonight and wants you in attendance,¡±

    ¡°Tell her I¡¯m busy,¡±

    ¡°She said you should forget about the engagement if you don¡¯t make it,¡± Macy told him.

    Marcel ran his hand through his already messy hair, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be there,¡± He said and left, climbing into the car already waiting for him in the driveway.

    ¡°Where do we go, Sir?¡± his chauffeur asked.

    ¡°A ce that sells strong coffee,¡±

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 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: The Girl Has Finally Lost Her Mind

    The worst wasn¡¯t over because as soon as Arianna went into her room, it was kicked open literally five minutester.

    Arianna took a deep breath knowing trouble just came knocking on her door. Even with her back turned, she didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell her that was udia, and from her heaving, she didn¡¯t sound happy at all.

    ¡°What now?¡± Arianna turned to her with a sigh. Honestly, she wasn¡¯t in the mood for udia¡¯s drama. She needed a break.

    ¡°What now?¡± udia snorted in disbelief. Did that bitch just speak to her in that manner?

    ¡°udia, I have to prepare for work,¡± Arianna said, trying to bypass her so she could get to her bathroom.

    However, as soon as she walked past udia, the girl grabbed her by the arms and whirled her around.

    ¡°You really have the guts,¡± udia fired at her.

    .....

    Arianna tucked her hair behind her ear, ¡°What now? What did I do wrong?¡±

    udiaughed hard, ¡°What you did wrong? You¡¯re asking me what you did wrong?¡±

    Before Arianna had a chance to say a word, a sharp p met her across the face. Her face whipped to the side, her cheek stinging from the assault.

    Arianna remained in that position shocked ¨C as if this was the first time udia hit her. She reached out and wiped the bloody spot at the corner of her lips.

    Her eyes shone at the sight of the blood, however, Arianna controlled herself. This wasn¡¯t the time to react, she had a job to attend to.

    ¡°You must have been so happy watching those rascals maltreat us!¡± udia yelled at her.

    ¡°Yes, I was happy, so what?¡± The words came out of her mouth before Arianna could stop it.

    ¡°What?¡± udia was dumbfounded. Clearly, she had not expected that bitch to say such words.

    Arianna went on, ¡°How is it my fault then? Was I the one who borrowed the money? Was I the one who asked your father to borrow money from a loan shark? Was I the one who asked them to gag you?! Was I -¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± udia cut her off, ¡°You must have finally lost your mind!¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve finally lost my mind!¡± Arianna retorted, staring at her straight in the eyes. She was done putting up with their bullshit! Yes, she has had enough!

    ¡°Anyone who has lived with you devils in this hell hole should have lost their minds already!¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± udia shouted and tried to p her once again, but Arianna grabbed her hand and instead, pped her on the face. Twice.

    udia saw her world swirl and she almost stumbled to the ground. The instant she recognized where she was, the girl let out a high-pitched screech that was capable of even waking the dead from the grave.

    ¡°Mother!!!¡± She howled, clutching her face.

    As expected, no sooner had she screamed, her mother rushed into the room as if she was being chased by the devil himself.

    ¡°udia!¡± the woman shrieked, rushing over to her daughter, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°She pped me?!¡± udia pointed at Arianna with tears-filled eyes, clutching one of her cheeks, ¡°Arianna pped me!¡± She howled like a kid.

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna watched a look of shock cross her aunt¡¯s features. The woman turned to her with red, wide eyes, ¡°You hit my daughter,¡±

    ¡°She hit me first, I was just defending myself,¡± Arianna told her firmly. What did the woman expect her to do? Sit still and watch her assault her? Oh please, she wasn¡¯t that same kid they maltreated because she couldn¡¯t defend herself. She has grown. She was an adult.

    ¡°You witch!¡± Her aunt bellowed like an injured beast, ¡°Why don¡¯t I just kill you today?!¡±

    And just like that, the crazy woman pounced on her, grabbing her hair with the intention of pulling out her roots. She was going to teach that witch a lesson.

    ¡°Aunty, stop it!¡± Arianna cried out, trying to loosen the woman¡¯s vice hold on her hair. Her scalp stung with sharp pains and her head throb.

    Meanwhile, udia who had been crying moments ago now had a smile on her face. She made no efforts to separate nor calm her mother, that bitch deserved whateveres to her. Who does she think she is? In this life, Arianna would always remain beneath her!

    ¡°I should stop it?! When you wanted to kill my daughter? I¡¯m just showing you how murderers are treated! They¡¯re not supposed to live!¡± the woman grabbed a fistful of Arianna¡¯s hair, increasing the pain.

    Unable to take the pain anymore, Arianna pushed at her aunt with all her strength, the woman bumped into the wall and fell.

    ¡°Aiyo!¡± her aunt screamed dramatically, ¡°You now want to kill me as well?!¡±

    ¡°How dare you hit my mother!¡± udia rushed at her.

    However, before udia could touch her, Arianna had already grabbed her baseball bat on the wall and pointed it threateningly at them.

    ¡°Touch me and I¡¯ll beat the life out of you!¡± Arianna roared a warning to them. She looked like a madwoman as her head was disheveled; her eyespletely red and wild; her body was taut with tension. Like a cornered animal, she looked ready to attack for her survival.

    udia took a step back, she was not a fool to run into danger ¨C she could feel the murderous intent reeking off of Arianna. The bitch must have lost it.

    ¡°Come on! Come and touch me!¡± Arianna dared them. This battle has been held off for a long time and right now, she is ready for war. She had endured long enough.

    None of them dared to take a foot further, instead, her aunt wailed further, ¡°I said it! This is why you shouldn¡¯t raise another person¡¯s child! They end up as ingrates!¡±

    Arianna turned a deaf ear to her aunt¡¯s hysterics, her aunt has always been a drama queen. Even though those words stabbed her, she ignored them.

    ¡°Now, get out of my room this instant!¡± She ordered them.

    ¡°Hey, Arianna! Don¡¯t be so cocky! This house belongs to us! You don¡¯t get to tell us -¡±

    udia didn¡¯t get to finish her words because Arianna swung the bat violently at them and both mother and daughter fled for their lives. That stupid girl has finally lost her mind!

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 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: Their Friendship

    ¡°Arianna, just because I covered up for you thest time doesn¡¯t mean you can take advantage of my....¡± Mimi, who had strode over to Arianna intending to give her a piece of her mind, halted in her tracks as soon as her eyesnded on her.

    ¡°Holy mother of God,¡± Mimi cursed as soon as her gazended on Arianna¡¯s face. The girl might have covered her red eyes with makeup but Mimi was her best friend and could see through the disguise.

    She grabbed Arianna and pulled her into the back room, away from the customer¡¯s eyes and the annoying boss.

    ¡°Did that witch and her daughter hurt you again?¡± Mimi asked in concern.

    Arianna simply nodded. She was mentally and physically tired to say a word; remembering what happened this morning was like a sword piercing through her heart.

    ¡°Gosh,¡± Mimi exhaled angrily through her nose and sped her face in her palm, ¡°How could they do that to this pretty face?¡±

    Arianna smiled at her, feeling better. Mimi was her best friend and one of the few people who helped keep her sane throughout her ordeal.

    .....

    They had met the first time her uncle took her to this city after her father¡¯s death. Arianna became withdrawn and quiet after her father¡¯s death and when her uncle put her in the new school, she talked to no one.

    But her silence was short-lived. Hardly had she sat down, Mimi turned to her and introduced herself, disying those perfect white teeth ¨C that still gleamed till now. As expected, Arianna ignored her, expecting her to move along like the others she snubbed, but Mimi did the opposite. She went ahead to talk about herself, her hobbies and all, that if it wasn¡¯t for the teacher¡¯s presence, the girl would have talked on.

    As soon as ss was over, Arianna left the ss without a word to Mimi but the girl persisted and followed after her, still talking. Her unappreciated discussion irritated Arianna so much, couldn¡¯t the annoying fly understand the fact she needed no one.

    And then, Arianna pushed her.

    Mimi staggered back, knocking into the lockers and drawing attention from the crowd of students in the hallway. Arianna hated their stare, she was not a circus, why were they staring at her that way?

    Then she wanted to hide away from their stare. She didn¡¯t their pity! Their sympathy! The daughter of a mogul suddenly bes an orphan! She didn¡¯t need their fakepassion! She had seen enough of that at her father¡¯s burial!

    Arianna stood, attempting to hide away from their prying eyes when she received a hard shove causing her to fall to the ground on her bum. Then she looked, it was that girl again and the crowd was cheering her on. Something snapped inside of her at that moment. It was that girl¡¯s fault, the reason the crowd were pitying her.

    Without warning and with great speed, Arianna tackled the annoying girl to the ground and they began to fight as the students cheered them on. They wed at each other, grabbed and pulled on the hairs, and shouted at their faces until the teachers arrived and separated the both of them.

    The both of them got detention which was quite a shame to Arianna since this was her first day at school. She¡¯d probably be tagged a trouble maker from now on. None of them talked to each other at detention till it was time to go home and that was where the strange part began.

    It wasn¡¯t hard for Arianna to find her uncle¡¯s ce since she had been here a couple of times before her father died. So she trekked back home with that annoying girl who she hade to know as Mimi stalking her.

    It was very annoying to Arianna because, with each step she took, Mimi took one as well; when she slows or increases her pace, Mimi does the same. It vexed her, the girl was taunting her.

    ¡°Why are you stalking me?!¡± She fired atst, unable to stand the girl anymore.

    ¡°So you can talk? I thought you were mute,¡± Mimi smirked at her and that gesture infuriated Arianna the most.

    Why was she happy? Was sheughing at her because she¡¯s an orphan?

    Arianna¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°Follow me again and I¡¯ll break your leg,¡± she threatened her.

    However, Mimi snorted, ¡°Who¡¯s following you? I live down the street and what do you mean you will break my leg? I purposely held back my strength earlier, so don¡¯t tempt me,¡± She lifted her chin in a show of dominance.

    Although Arianna was sure of her strength, she didn¡¯t want to test her luck either. Moreover, it would do her no good fighting on the street. So she ignored Mimi and went her way.

    Arianna was surprised when Mimi eventually stopped by a bungalow that was just a few blocks away from her uncle¡¯s ce. So the girl had not been bluffing as she thought.

    Mimi turned to her onest as if expecting her to say goodbye or something. Was she crazy? Why would she say goodbye to that crazy girl?

    ¡°What are you looking at now?!¡± Arianna hollered, when in reality she was the one standing and staring at her. At once, Arianna left for her ce while telling herself she did a good job by not waving goodbye.

    That night was the first time her auntid a hand on her and the beginning of her misery. When her father had been alive, her aunt treated her so well ¨C even more than her daughter udia ¨C each time they visited. Who knew that was a pretense all along and she had only been sucking up to her father. Her aunt received report of her detention and took it upon herself to discipline her.

    The next day, Arianna was ready to go to school with the painful whips fromst night only to stumble upon Mimi outside her ce and she had something in her hand.

    ¡°My mom heard about what happened and scolded me. She made me bake this as an apology. So can we be friends now?¡± was all Mimi said.

    Just a scold? Mimi sneered inside. She received a serious whipping from her aunt. Arianna wanted to avenge herself and make Mimi feel her pain. What it felt like not to have a mother nor father. But then, the offer of friendship was alluring ¨C she was tired of being lonely.

    Fine, she would ept the friendship and in the long run, have her revenge, Arianna decided as she epted the cake from Mimi. Hence, what started as a little revenge n blossomed into a wonderful friendship to date.

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 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: Your Date Is A Psychopath

    ¡°Arianna, are you justing to work by this time?!¡± hollered their boss, an annoying forty-five-year-old man with a receding hairline.

    ¡°Of course not, sir,¡± Arianna replied busying herself on the counter. Their boss was a strange man and a typical traditionalist. If one looked him in the eyes while he barked orders, he would im you¡¯re challenging his authority. Either way, if you avoided his gaze as well, he would im you¡¯re looking down on him.

    But then, there¡¯s more than one way to skin a cat, so each of his employees adapted diverse ways to deal with the man¡¯s tantrums which was how they had survived so far. However, to Arianna, if she could survive her uncle and his family of witches, there was nothing on earth she couldn¡¯t survive.

    ¡°What do you mean of course not?¡± he sneered, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m setting my eyes on you,¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± Arianna said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve been inside putting away the order ¨C boxes, and boxes of supplies and ingredients,¡± she lied through her teeth.

    As a professional liar, she added, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Mimi,¡± she tipped her head in the direction of her friend who returned with a tray she used to serve a customer.

    ¡°Yes, sir, Arianna had been here, just busy,¡± Mimi supported her best friend.

    .....

    The boss was about grumbling his disbelief, knowing Mimi was her best friend and she would naturally support her when another employee passed them saying, ¡°It¡¯s true. I saw her earlier,¡± and walked away. But not without winking at Arianna when the boss wasn¡¯t looking.

    Arianna smiled at Julian, the guy who helped her out. In here, they were like family and always had each other¡¯s back knowing their boss was a difficult man.

    Truthfully, Arianna was just five minuteste to work, nor was she a habitual offender, the boss wouldn¡¯t hear of it. All he cared about was his gains not even the welfare of his employees ¨C the man loved money so much it was almost an obsession.

    Unable to find her guilty of the usation, their boss huffed and strode away. Mimi and Arianna burst into stifledughter yetposed themselves immediately knowing their boss would be watching them; he was like a fly that lingered and bothered.

    Located in the city¡¯s bustlingmercial district, stands their sleek caf¨¦. The sculpted walls, along with a coffee bean-shaped chandelier hangs above the bar. The ceiling extends past the fa?ade, forming a covered area for outdoor seating, and installed a circr barista station d in ck marble. Hence, for those not grabbing their morning cup on their way to work, the shop has both intimate and open seating areas.

    Arianna had not chosen to work here because she loved to make coffee but because she wanted to make money ¨C she guessed that was the simrity she shared with her boss. Money lovers.

    She needed money for a lot of things, including surviving in her uncle¡¯s ce. She doesn¡¯t eat their food ¨C afraid that they might poison her ¨C and if she does eat, it must be made by Susan. She doesn¡¯t trust anyone in that household except the woman. Susan had been a motherly figure to her since the day she began to live in that hell hole.

    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Mimi rushed over to her after returning from serving another table, ¡°Guess what?!¡±

    ¡°You found your heartthrob,¡± Arianna replied without looking up, busy with her beans.

    Mimi gasped dramatically, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯ve had this exact conversation over a hundred times already,¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Arianna sighed, shaking her head sympathetically. Mimi might be hef friend but she was a hopeless romantic.

    Their store wasn¡¯t exactly the best out there but it got a decent inflow of customers, including the handsome guys who were daily nourishment to Mimi¡¯s love-struck soul. But then, even with the hundreds of handsome guys she dated, Mimi was still single ¨C none of them seem to hold her interest for long.

    ¡°Mimi, leave the poor customer alone and for your well-being as well,¡± She advised her.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Mimi pouted her lips with a look of disappointment. She said, ¡°He wants two cups of ck coffee,¡±

    ¡°Two cups of ck coffee?¡± Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed in contemtion, ¡°Who in their right mind likes nk coffee?¡± she blurted out.

    Mimi sighed, her arm propped up on the counter, ¡°I think it¡¯s manly of him,¡±

    ¡°You idiot, haven¡¯t you read that study?¡±

    Mimi frowned at her, ¡°Read what study ?¡±

    ¡°You can tell a lot about someone by the way they take their coffee,¡± Arianna said seriously.

    ¡°What nonsense are you spurting?¡± Mimi thought she must be pulling her leg once again.

    Arianna pulled her closer, saying, ¡°A study of 500 people showed that those who enjoyed bitter vors over sweet vors were more likely to reveal signs of psychopathy, narcissism, and everyday sadism. The study was tested upon participant¡¯s ratings on foods that are either sweet, salty, sour, or bitter, ¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi¡¯s brain was swirling. She didn¡¯t even understand a thing Arianna said. Moreover, that cute face she saw can¡¯t be a bad man.

    ¡°In one word, if that target is your date and he chooses a ck coffee over an indulgent, caffeinated, creamy coffee, you may want to grab yourtte and sneak out the backdoor. Word on the street is, your date is a psychopath,¡±

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 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: He Was Evil

    Marcel was so used to people tripping over his beauty that it didn¡¯t faze him when the waiter or whoever she was, almost drooled while taking his orders.

    He needed two ck coffees as darkly roasted as they came. He needed the bitterness, the way it stung reminded him of pain and the need to survive. And to survive means to desire nothing, to be free of emotions. Emotions were blinding and human ¨C and he wasn¡¯t trained to be human. His line of work was for survival, to kill or be killed.

    Marcel groaned, rubbing his temple, what¡¯s taking them so long? Where¡¯s the damn coffee? As much as he pretended not to be human, he was human and addicted to coffee as many humans out there are.

    He tapped his finger against the rippled tabletop contemting his next action. Should he wait some more or leave for the next coffee shop which was at least ten blocks away? No, he needed to think not to walk right now.

    Moreover, leaving here means he would be under massive surveince. His men were outside, blending with the crowd at strategic points and making sure there wasn¡¯t danger looming around the corner.

    But inside, he was free, no eyes to watch him except the lustful ones ¨C which he revels in. He was handsome and he knows it, so what? Why shouldn¡¯t he relish the attention?

    None of his men were here to guide him making him vulnerable to attacks ¨C that he could handle. He was skilled beyond his subordinate, enough to earn him a title and respect. And respect in thisnguage means fear. They didn¡¯t just fear him because he¡¯s his father¡¯s son, but because he¡¯s Marcel.

    .....

    Meanwhile...

    ¡°Where did you dig that nonsense from?¡± Mimi burst intoughter causing Arianna¡¯s brows to furrow in annoyance. If only they knew a certain mob boss was bing fidgety with impatience.

    ¡°I should have known than to waste my time educating a bird brain,¡± Arianna grumbled, done preparing both cups of ck coffee. There was no addedbor of adding cream or crafting designs on a drink that would go down the throat and down through the anus. End of the circle.

    However, Mimi was not affected by the insult knowing this was nothing to their normal bickering. So she said, ¡°In that case, you should go serve the psychopath then,¡±

    Mimi smirked and before Arianna could tell what she had in mind, already pushed the tray to her chest and took her hands off leaving Arianna no choice but to grab it.

    She smirked at the infuriated Arianna holding her with a re that says, ¡°You could have broken those sses,¡± and then their boss would take it off from her hard-earned sry.

    Mimi countered with a smug look that said, ¡°It didn¡¯t break, after all, did it?¡±

    With an annoyed huff, Arianna walked around out of the counter, heading to the table beside the window ¨C that was the customer, Mr psychopath.

    However, Arianna didn¡¯t have the time to brace herself against the good looks that assaulted her before she even arrived at the table. Even from afar, his handsomeness was damaging. How could someone be this good-looking? It should be illegal.

    No wonder Mimi fell in love at first sight with him. Mimi¡¯s past love interests were well, quite a sight, but then, none of them held a candle to this one. He was a lethal beauty, a mix of both sides ¨C effeminate yet manly.

    Shamelessly, Arianna¡¯s eggs cried in delight. A child with this man? Her womb would be blessed ¨C her child would be quite a sight if she took after him.

    What the hell are you thinking? Arianna internally scolded herself, recovering from the charm this stranger put on her. She had to remind herself that this stranger was the same person who ordered two cups of ck coffee to drink all by himself ¨C he was all alone. Even as a barista she was not a huge fan of such bitterness. ¡°I love my bitter ck coffee¡±, said no one ever.

    Marcel saw her before she saw him. His senses were a bit more active than the average human honed from years of training and battle. That was how he survived so far, depending on instincts. He felt her stare all along and it carried no killing intention. So he let her stare.

    His instincts warned him not to nce up but Marcel was never the one to back down from a challenge, so he nced up. And nearly whistled.

    Drop dead gorgeous was the only eptable term for her. Marcel was not a fan of red hairs but he wholeheartedly agreed that this one suited her. Perhaps, the next woman on his bed would be a redhead ¨C but definitely not this one, no matter how tempting she looked. Even for someone like him with self-control, it was hard for him to take his eyes off her ¨C but he had to. Some people just don¡¯t belong to his world.

    It wasn¡¯t until she arrived at his table that he saw her eyes clearly. The greenest of green he had seen so far, it reminded him of the forest and its tranquility. Danger! Danger! Steer clear of this one, their innocence has dragged many to the grave. Even if he gets a red hair in his bed, he would make sure she doesn¡¯t have green eyes.

    ¡°Sir, your cups of ck coffee as ordered,¡± She said to him and her voice sounded musical to his ears.

    Warning! Warning! The voice of caution sounded once again in his ears. The girl was a siren disguised as a mermaid and poised to drag him to the bottom of the sea where she drowned him and have him for dinner. His father has clearly warned him against girls like that. Their only function was to scratch his itch, not drown his mind.

    ¡°It took you long enough,¡± Marcel sounded less firm than he intended. They wasted his time, he should be scolding her, not petting her.

    Marcele on, get your head back into gear.

    Suddenly his gaze noticed her furrowed brows and it made him wonder if she was hurt by his words. If that¡¯s the case, she was weaker than he thought and he wanted nothing to do with weak people, they slowed him down. They disguise him.

    Just because he¡¯s handsome doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t be a psychopath, Arianna had to remind herself of that. She had watched enough movies and read enough books to know that. Murderer isn¡¯t written on their forehead, it¡¯s in their eyes and heart.

    ¡°Caution,¡± Marcel noticed it in her gaze and he wondered, does she know him? Not that he remembered. Only people who knew him ¨C or could read him ¨C experienced fear. What category does she fall under?

    Though people don¡¯t exhibit powers, some people are naturally repulsed by evil. Yeah, he was evil and she must be repulsed by him.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: Handsome Adonis

    Arrogant and definitely not her type, was the thought Arianna had when he finally spoke. The fact he was this handsome ¨C more good-looking than her ¨C was a stab to her woman pride. Weren¡¯t women supposed to be prettier than men?

    He must have many women drooling over his features wherever he goes, she would not be another addition to his endless list. Moreover, he was probably a one-time customer. There was no need to make him feel important.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± was her response to hisment.

    ¡°Is your customer service this poor?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, sir,¡± She tried to be nice having no clue why he was trying to stir up trouble ¨C it¡¯s enough her day started badly already.

    She watched him press a finger to his temple and rubbed there as if trying to soothe a headache. Was he not feeling fine? Why does she even care?

    ¡°Take that blood away from my sight as well,¡± he said, waving her away from him as if she was an annoying fly.

    .....

    This time, Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed into a tiny frown, ¡°What blood?¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± He heaved, ¡°You¡¯re dumb too,¡±

    It took everything in Arianna not to punch that asshole at the moment. It was not unusual to get rude and troublesome customers sometimes but this was her first time meeting one so infuriating. She made a mental image of hurling him up to his feet and punching him across that yboy face but that would result in her being fired and she couldn¡¯t afford that at the moment. She needed the money.

    So, like a professional service provider, she said, ¡°I apologize if you¡¯re not satisfied with her services rendered,¡±

    He didn¡¯t even say a word to that. Such arrogance. However, Arianna continued, ¡°Perhaps, when you¡¯re done, you can put down what aspect of our services you¡¯re not satisfied with in the feedback box over there,¡± she pointed to the small box attached to the wall leading to the entrance.

    Arianna watched his lips curl and she couldn¡¯t tell if that was a sneer or a smirk. He was unreadable.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be morefortableining to your manager,¡± he said, sipping his coffee and all the same time, holding her gaze.

    Arianna didn¡¯t back down either, she held his gaze. Is that a threat? Her eyesmunicated.

    Before Arianna coulde up with a smart retort, she caught sight of her bossing out to supervise them and sheposed herself at once. The stranger must have followed her line of sight because heughed this time.

    Asshole. He knew she couldn¡¯t do anything and there was more room to fulfill his threat.

    So Arianna bowed instead and as well put on a show for her boss who had turned in her direction, scrutinizing her action, ¡°Have a nice time here, sir,¡± she added under her breath, ¡°I hope you choke on your drink, pretty face,¡±

    As if Arianna jinxed his luck, he choked on his drink as she desired with some of them spilling down his shirt and she had to fight against the urge tough at him ¨C her boss would kill her for that.

    So she did what was expected, Arianna grabbed a tissue from the next table with,¡± Excuse me,¡± and began to help him wipe his clothes ¨C her boss would be so awed by her concern towards the customers.

    Arianna gulped when her hands identally pressed too closely to his body and felt his toned chest. This man definitely worked out a lot. She could help but wonder what he did for a living?

    Fitness instructor? No, he was too harsh, no sensible trainee would want to be under him. Although women would surely be drawn to that face. A soldier then? No, he was too pretty to be one. Oh God, Arianna shut the hell up and stay away from this stranger.

    And that was what she did.

    However, before she could move away, he whispered into her ears, the warmth from his breath almost burning her skin, ¡°People who touch me without permission gets their hands cut off,¡±

    Arianna turned and their gaze met, her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She shivered, not because of attraction, but the coldness she saw there. It was like winter season in June. But then, he blinked and the coldness vanished like it never came, reced by his smile ¨C a mask he wore.

    ¡°Like what you see?¡± He winked at her.

    Arianna gulped yet assumed a neutral expression, she took the tray and left ¨C ran for her life. Unlike what people thought of her, she had seen and done things that couldnd her jail time. And she knew that look in those eyes ¨C the look of one who had taken a life.

    Marcel smirked from his table, all he did was show her a bit of the demons hidden deep inside of him and she scampered away in fright. But then, she was interesting ¨C and lovely as well.

    He groaned as his member twitched, he wanted her ¨C like the many other girls he wanted. Don¡¯t be mistaken. He never does love. His line of work doesn¡¯t need emotion. Emotions blinds, then kill. It is a poison to his soul. One that umtes over time and then rips him from the inside out.

    So he let her be, although asionally stealing nces at the counter, searching where she went. Good girl. She was smart to run ¨C if she loved her life. She was innocent and didn¡¯t belong to the sinful side of his world. Although he felt the urge to taint her, would she still retain that innocent glint in her eyes? He doubted so.

    It didn¡¯t take long for him to finish his coffee and he stood to leave. He has stayed too safe in this safe cocoon, it was time to return to his world of demons. Marcel intentionally made his payment at the counter, going to get a nce of her once more ¨C the one who had brought a little smile to his face, even for a moment.

    But then, he was met with the otherdy, the one who wanted to imprint his face in her memory ¨C it annoyed him, surprisingly.

    ¡°Give it to her,¡± Marcel slipped some notes to her after his payment. It was a tip.

    ¡°Her?¡± She seemed surprised.

    ¡°The red hair,¡± He winked at her and she blushed. Yeah, that is it. He was sure the money would reach her hands now.

    Then he left.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Arianna winced when Mimi called her name. She was busy cleaning the dishes in the backroom ¨C and avoiding that strange dude.

    ¡°You¡¯re blessed!¡± The girl hugged her to her irritation and then brought out some notes, waving them in her face

    ¡°What is this?¡± she couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°What do you think, silly girl?¡± Mimi hit her at the back of the head.

    She hissed in pain, ¡°Hey, that -¡±

    ¡°The handsome Edonis tipped you!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was stunned. Then she rubbed the spot at her ear where Mimi touched when she hit her. Did she have a wound there? udia must have injured her there.

    ¡°Even I haven¡¯t been given a tip this much since my history of working here,¡± Mimi cried out.

    ¡°Then you can have it,¡± Arianna said indifferently while wondering why that asshole would tip her. She didn¡¯t even do anything special for him except infuriate her. Maybe he was mocking her?

    ¡°Hey, Ari!¡± Mimi was shocked by that response, ¡°How can you refuse money? Since I know you, you have never fit once rejected....¡±

    Mimi still gushed out when Arianna¡¯s phone rang and didn¡¯t get to notice the way her friend¡¯s countenance changed at that call.

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 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: His Betrothed

    Marcel dragged time as long as he could, but then, some things were unavoidable no matter how far he ran away from ra ¨C his betrothed.

    Lady ra Louise Alberta was his fianc¨¦e ¨C a choice he had no say in. It was a political marriage, one that both sides reap immense benefits from.

    ra was a blueblood, descended from a long line of royals ¨C no longer in power ¨C and adder for the Luciano n to the upper caste of the society, the beau monde.

    Luciano n might be powerful but they¡¯re all known for the wrong things ¨C the mafia. A business built on blood, death, and betrayal, a den of wolves where only the fittest survive ¨C a life he was cursed to by being the son of his father.

    How does the royal Alberta n benefit from this unholy union? Although the monarchy system has long been abolished, the Alberta n has many resources butcks one thing.

    Protection.

    Thanks to their name and power, they attract enemies, each of their heirs, an enticing conquest to be won. Hence while they protect them, the Luciano n would as well bask in their glory, their glorified legacy.

    .....

    For the first time, the Luciano n would not only be feared but envied ¨C as his father wanted. His great urge to ¡°belong¡± with the true bourgeois would be granted with their union.

    Although they were polite to each other, it was clear that there was no love lost between Marcel and ra. While ra looked down on Marcel, perceiving him as nothing less than a barbarian ¨C a stain to her would have been perfect life ¨C Marcel was disgusted with her overbearing arrogance. She perceived everyone else as below her when in reality, all she had was a title and a heritage.

    Even the thought of touching her disgusted Marcel and he had no doubt she felt the same way. But then, he wouldn¡¯t be able to prolong it, not on their wedding night. They would have to sleep with each other because his father would only rx when he has an heir from them.

    Such was the fate bestowed to Marcel, not that he had another alternative anyway. Marrying for love was not for him ¨C an impossible dream- one that would send him to the grave. His father would cast him off at the first sign of weakness. He can¡¯t be weak.

    ¡°Staying here would not dy the inevitable,¡± Macy reminded him.

    She had returned from delivering that little chihuahua ¨C he still had no idea what he to do with ¨C at his ce. Macy was his assistant and an efficient one at that ¨C including warming his bed. She was among the few people he rarely trusted and she took care of him, including his needs. It was all business and pleasure at the same time.

    However, just because they get between the sheets doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re together. Macy knows her ce and makes sure no trace of ambition springs up. It was just a job, one she willingly provided. She was not stupid to blind herself with the illusion of love because he, Marcel, was devoted to his cause ¨C and family.

    And now, his cause was getting married to the Alberta princess whether he likes it or not.

    Marcel grumbled low in his throat, he was not afraid of some proud princess rather he was wary of her. For someone who was of loyal blood, she sure ys dirty.

    Macy was the definition of perfection, with her blonde hair trimmed into a bob with no strand out of ce, sharp blue calcting eyes, and dainty lips. Right now, she tipped her head in a way that taunted him yet stayed in check as well. She knows he doesn¡¯t take lightly to disrespect.

    ¡°She said I should be here, she didn¡¯t exactly state where,¡± Marcel exploited the loophole in ra¡¯s order.

    Macy only smirked at his smartness.

    They were right outside ra¡¯s home and though they could hear the sound of music sting through the speakers, he made no move to leave. Not that the men standing guard outside would force him out for staying at thewn in his car inconspicuously. They were his men. Most of the guards who worked here were from their forces, honoring the bargain made already. All that was left was the union between their children ¨C which should be happening sometime around this year.

    Marcel didn¡¯t give a thought to his wedding preparation, his father was in charge, nor did he look forward to a happy life with that pretender with many masks.

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to stay here all night,¡± She said, yet hinted at another when she wrapped her arms around her chest, those ample blossoms teasing him with a sneak peek.

    Marcel knew what she was offering, but tonight, he preferred another variety ¨C spicer, fiery. If he was going to bed, he would need a redhead on his bed.

    ra knows what he does behind her back nor does she bother to hide hers from him as well. They owe each other no swore of loyalty nor ountability making it much easier to tolerate one another. Everything between them was purely business and one day, their bind would surely snap. That was for sure.

    ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t stay here,¡±

    Macy saw the rejectioning before Marcel could speak and for a moment he almost saw a trace of disappointment on her face, but it was gone before he could even blink. Marcel didn¡¯t care anyway, whatever Macy felt for him was her own mess to take care of.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± He said, almost stepping out of the car when she implored,

    ¡°Can Ie?¡± she added immediately, ¡°Sir?¡± upon realizing they¡¯ve gone back to being formal. Marcel might favor her, even then, there was a limit to his leniency. Marcel doesn¡¯t rule with emotion, because he doesn¡¯t have one.

    ¡°No, stay here,¡± a simplemand she didn¡¯t dare disobey. Just because she¡¯s his favorite doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s irreceable.

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 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: The King And Queen

    Alberta¡¯s lived up to their reputation, their ancestral home was a vast estate that he would live in as well when they get married. His father Daniel would make sure of it, his son bing the head of the Alberta n, that would be his dreame true.

    With such a magnificent home, they poured in a great number of resources to keep it in shape. And his fianc¨¦e ¨C even calling that made his saliva taste like alum ¨C was hosting a pool party.

    The party was organized on the east terrace and has a private garden that ra oversaw its care. Rumors had it that her father when alive loved nature and not far from the garden was the pool party being held, the pool, thetest addition to the pce.

    Surprisingly, for a boring royal, she organizes a good party. All around him, there weredies in bikinis, none of them topless ¨C guessed she was still bound to decorum.

    The women were beautiful, Marcel had no doubt they were all socialites and noble like her ¨C ra would never invite amoner here ¨C and he was not ready for their irritating grandiose, no matter how attractive they are.

    However, surprisingly, Marcel was the focus of attention. Even in a crowd, he exuded a strong sexual appeal and he didn¡¯t care. Now, where was his lovely fianc¨¦e?

    ¡°You decided toe, you never fail to surprise me,¡±

    .....

    She found him before he did.

    Marcel turned around and his gaze rove over her body. She wore a

    ruched frill bandeau bikini top that showed off her B cup breast in the middle yet maintained a bit of modesty in the bottoms ¨C not a lot of skin was shown ¨C or she was simply not confident enough to show off that dork. He smirked inwardly, he chose thetter.

    ra was well-groomed like every socialite should, but Marcel had seen better-lookingdies and he was good with maniption. Even as his gazezed around her body, he felt no spark of desire and he did not bother to hide the dissatisfaction in his gaze and she saw it ¨C because it made her angry.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m your fianc¨¦. It¡¯s my responsibility to answer your royal calls,¡± He didn¡¯t bother to hide the sarcasm in his tone.

    ¡°Very well of you, then,¡± ra was smart-mouthed as well, ¡°I pray you keep on answering that,¡± like the royal dog you are.

    She didn¡¯t need to say it, he could see it by the curl of her mouth, her sneer wasn¡¯t quite hidden.

    ¡°Why am I here?¡± Marcel finally dropped the act. He had other things to do ¨C guns to find. Not that she would understand, her disgust of him would grow if she knew what he had in mind. Quite a hypocrite she was, despising his way of life yet benefiting from his protection.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± she smirked, ¡°Are you in a hurry to return to your bed warmer?¡±

    Marcel snorted, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re more eager to return to yours over there,¡± He tipped his head in the direction of the man leaning over the canopy by the poolside and looking away as his position was discovered.

    ra hid her embarrassment with a smile, ¡°He¡¯s just a goodpany,¡±

    A goodpany indeed. Both of them knew they were ying each other and they would make a miserable pair.

    ¡°You¡¯re here because you¡¯re my fianc¨¦,¡± she finally spoke, ¡°And it¡¯s high time people knew that already, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    So, he was here for the show.

    ¡°Fine then, announce your mafia Fianc¨¦ to the whole world,¡± Marcel smirked. He knew how to get under her skin and he nned on doing just that. He would not be the only one ufortable by the end of tonight.

    The way ra gritted her teeth told Marcel she was fighting against the urge to p him. Well, good to know she knew not to cross that line. Fianc¨¦e or not, he would snap her neck in two and take on the fury of the Alberta house and his father as well ¨C and she knew that.

    His cunning fianc¨¦e adopted another method as expected, she looped her arm around his and it was Marcel¡¯s turn to clench his teeth ¨C she knew he disliked her touch.

    Thinking of which, if the both of them could endure each other, if there was even a spark between them, they would have made a formidable couple. With her cunning prowess and his strength, they would make a power couple.

    But that was clearly impossible between them. ra wanted a kingdom at her feet, Marcel was a king who would bow to no one.

    ¡°Perhaps, we should start our introduction with him over there,¡± Marcel gestured in the direction of her lover still lingering by the canopy and her nails, no, ws dug into his arms.

    He didn¡¯t mind the pain, it was little,pared to the many in his heart. He dragged her along as she put on a meaningless resistance.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Marcel said to the man who had his back turned to him.

    The man turned, pointing to his chest with a look that said, ¡°Are you speaking to me?¡±

    Marcel scoffed inwardly, this one had mediocre acting. As a gentleman, he turned to his lovely Fianc¨¦e, ¡°Care to do the honor?¡±

    ra spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°This is my friend, Luther, Luther, this is my fianc¨¦ Marcel,¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet, I¡¯m Luther,¡± the groomed gentleman extended a hand that has seen no hardbor. He was probably one of those that ran in her social circle.

    Marcel enveloped it with his hard, calloused ones, ¡°Marcel,¡±

    He shook Luther¡¯s hand with strength, not enough to break his hand. He doesn¡¯t want his lovely fianc¨¦e to think he break her lover¡¯s hand out of jealousy. If anything, he was d she didn¡¯t have her eyes on him. It made it easier to breathe.

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 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: The Life She Left Behind

    Arianna looked left and right, making sure she wasn¡¯t followed before entering the animal clinic. One might ask why she looks around suspiciously? Well, that was because this wasn¡¯t just an ordinary animal clinic.

    Although the ¡°closed¡± sign was at the entrance, she got in with ease. There was nobody present even with the door light on, but Arianna knew her boss, Ruth was around else she wouldn¡¯t have called her in the first ce.

    Walking the empty rooms of the brightly lit organized clinic, Arianna came to a door that required her biometric and she pressed her finger against the scanner. Soon, there was a beep as her identity was confirmed and the door opened, letting her in.

    Arianna came into an operating room and a furrow marked her features. She dropped her back on a desk and strode inside the room angrily, ¡°I thought I told you that I¡¯m done with this....¡± the girl trailed off when her gaze rested on the man lying on the surgical table.

    ¡°Holy mother of God,¡± She muttered, her shocked gaze taking him in.

    From the look of things, there was a shot to his abdomen and another on his shoulder and he was bleeding profusely. Although he was trying hard not to show he was in distress, she could tell he was in a lot of pain from his distorted expression.

    ¡°F*ck,¡± Arianna cursed and hurried over to his side, beginning to add pressure to his wound.

    .....

    ¡°What the fuck is Ruth doing? How can she leave you like this? Unless she left you here to bleed out and die! That crazy old woman!¡± She didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Arianna was not a medical student but she was ambidextrous and had picked on a lot of skills and read lots of books during schooling. It was by sheer luck that she found herself working in this animal clinic and Ruth, taken by her intelligence, taught her a lot of things. If only she knew the woman was not teaching her to treat animals, but humans ¨C her illegal side job.

    As you can guess already, her boss, Ruth, used the fa?ade of an animal clinic to treat criminals who are unable to go to the hospital due to the police. To be precise, they treated any wound that required thew¡¯s attention.

    How did Arianna be her partner in crime? Well, me it on that night where she forgot her property here. Arianna had intended to go get it even though it waste at night nor did she premeditate that she would bump into her boss, Ruth who stared at her with bloodied hands.

    Arianna wanted to think that she had been treating one of the animals and things went wrong. However, there was no animal scheduled for surgery nor was it an emergency, else the owners of the pet would be in the waiting room. Also, why would Ruth perform surgery all alone? She would surely need a helping hand.

    What then? Had she killed someone?

    That single thought chilled her bone and Arianna unconsciously took a step back which Ruth noticed.

    The woman then said to her, ¡°Follow me if you want your answers,¡± and began to walk in the direction of the door she had bound her workers from entering.

    A few times Arianna had seen the cleaner cleaning that room and from the mess in there, Arianna surmised that it was Ruth¡¯s practice room. After all, doctors did lots of research, right? So she never went snooping into that room until that very moment.

    At first, Arianna had thought, What if she was taking her to a secret room where she would murder her?

    So she was cautious in following the woman and kept a huge space from her in case her boss suddenly turned and struck her. But Arianna didn¡¯t have to worry for long because she was introduced to the injured man on the table and from thence henceforth, became an assistant to the criminal doctor.

    It wasn¡¯t untilter that Arianna gave up on the job, it was too risky and uwful ¨C she didn¡¯t want to go to prison if things went wrong. She could imagine the joy on the faces of her uncle¡¯s family if such a thing does happen.

    However, there was a perk to making friends with criminals as well, she gained protection, alongside learning some pretty handy skills from them.

    Truthfully, the job paid well and wasn¡¯t all that bad ¨C until something eventually happens. She had to think about her future and Arianna doesn¡¯t see her future heading down that dark junction.

    ¡°Well, that crazy old woman heard you quite well,¡± a voice said from behind.

    Lo, and behold, Arianna saw the one and only Ruthe out of another room connected to the operating room. That was their stock room and Ruthing out of there meant she had gone to find something. Unfortunately, she had nothing in her hand. This was bad.

    Unlike the fact she called her, ¡°old¡± Ruth wasn¡¯t old at all, if anything, she looked quite young for a woman at forty. Ruth had bouncy ck curls that she had put into a ponytail and wore her doctor¡¯sb coat. She had average height and always wore this smile on her face ¨C she used to deceive those ignorant of her capabilities.

    Arianna went over to her, ¡°I told you that I¡¯m done with this. I don¡¯t want any part of this life anymore. I¡¯m out!¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Ruth answered calmly as if Arianna was merely a child throwing a tantrum, ¡°I did hear you quite clearly. But unfortunately, ever since you left this life behind, I¡¯ve been understaffed and unable to find a recement like you,¡±

    ¡°That is none of my business!¡± Arianna said through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯ve been doing it all by yourself before I even arrived, you can do it tonight,¡± she reminded her.

    ¡°Unfortunately, not tonight¡¯s,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I need your help for tonight¡¯s case because my client over there is about to undergo surgery without propofol and you know I can¡¯t do that all by myself,¡± She narrated.

    Arianna winced at that realization of what was about to happen, whoever that client is was about to encounter a night full of excruciating pain.

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 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: See His Face

    The third point of view:

    ¡°This is crazy,¡± Arianna muttered to herself, clearly in a dilemma. She could leave this ce and let Ruth deal with this mess, however, the man on the table made her rethink her decision. She couldn¡¯t let him die. God, she hated this!

    ¡°Fine!¡± Arianna gave in, speaking through gritted teeth, ¡°But trust me, this should be thest time that you call me in here,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises,¡± Ruth said, infuriating her.

    ¡°Ruth!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you prefer to hear the truth than a sugar-coated lie,¡± She asked, head tilted to the side in a questioning manner.

    Another annoying feature about Ruth, she was blunt to a fault. Sometimes it¡¯s a good thing and other times, let¡¯s just say you want to sew up that mouth of hers ¨C just like now.

    .....

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to start the surgery or are you nning on bleeding out your VIP patient,¡± She changed the topic and as well, reminded the woman of the reason she was here in the first ce.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Ruth went over to the table, assembling her medical equipment.

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Arianna asked, ncing down at the man still groaning in pain, ¡°How is he even able to endure all this?¡± Arianna wondered, his wounds should hurt like hell.

    She exined, ¡°There was a little amount of morphine that I could find. It didn¡¯t do much but it was something,¡±

    She went ahead to instruct her, ¡°And now I need you to hold him still because trust me, this would hurt like a bitch,¡±

    Oh boy, here we go, Arianna prepared herself mentally for whatever she would encounter during this surgery.

    The man had a mask on his face and she wasn¡¯t surprised by that. It was a step taken by Ruth to ensure the secrecy of the patient. Any of their customers who had such a mask on only means they are a hundred times more important and dangerous than their regr customers.

    Even Ruth sometimes doesn¡¯t know their identity because some of the customers always return and since they¡¯re used to the system, wear their mask beforehand. She told Arianna that her not knowing was for her own good and the only way she could protect her.

    Thanks to all these factors, it had given Arianna enough reason to leave this kind of life behind. She loved her life and wanted to be safe. Unfortunately, the darkness could only swallow one, not save.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Arianna spoke to the man and he fixed his intense gaze on her and she gulped. He had the most beautiful electric blue eyes she had ever seen and its beauty tugged at her heart. How she¡¯d kill to have such eyes.

    ¡°W-water,¡± He cried out hoarsely.

    ¡°I know it hurts like hell but trust me, that¡¯s thest thing you need right now,¡± She tried to assure him.

    ¡°Look,¡± Arianna took his hand in hers, ¡°We¡¯re about to perform surgery on you and we don¡¯t have any anesthesia to help youbat the pain, so it¡¯s going to be ufortable,¡± She added immediately, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here. You just have to grab onto my hand if it gets really bad and always remember, I¡¯m here with you,¡± She assured him.

    The man nodded his head to tell her he understood her words and Arianna gestured to Ruth that it was time to begin.

    ¡°Alright, brace yourself, people,¡± Ruth informed them just as she poured a Saline solution over the open wound on his shoulder and the man groaned in pain, gripping Arianna¡¯s hand so tight that she almost thought he would break her bones. That was surely going to leave a bruise tomorrow and Mimi wouldn¡¯t let her off.

    Her best friend was the only person who knows what she does with Ruth and she tried to keep her in the dark as much as possible. She wouldn¡¯t want her to get hurt just because she was associated with her. That would haunt her forever if such a thing happens.

    He was really strong, Arianna had to admit. Even when Ruth made an incision in his skin with the scalpel, all he did was groan softly and that was it. He had really good endurance, Arianna thought. Well, they were criminals with strong vigor, what was she expecting?

    Arianna broke away from her thoughts and looked down only to get startled. The man was staring at her with deep fascination and it made her ufortable even though her heart skipped a beat.

    She never bothered having a boyfriend for once because it would demand her time and emotion and that she could never give to some guy who could end up breaking her heart. She couldn¡¯t afford to be mentally down, not when she had to deal with her devilish aunt and her daughter.

    Looking closer, the man was quite handsome even though he wore a mask. He has a strong jawline and his small pink pouty lips made Arianna blush ¨C she wondered what it would feel like if she kissed it.

    God! she had to get her emotions under check before she ended up jumping an innocent man. She never cared about sex until now. What in the world was wrong with her?

    Thankfully the surgery ended sessfully and Arianna could finally flex her arm. Just as she feared there were bruises around her hand and at a point he had dug his nails into her arm probably during the stitching.

    She had not felt the pain until now because her emotions were high as well. Arianna sighed, Mimi would definitely ask about the bruises and she would have to lie about it.

    ¡°Could you please keep himpany, I need to get food, I¡¯m famished,¡± Ruth told her and she just sighed once more. She had helped out in the surgery, taking care of him was nothingpared.

    The woman took her silence as a cue and left, leaving the both of them alone. Arianna stared at the man that had now been transferred to a bed with interest. He had passed out from exhaustion and pain.

    He was sleeping soundly, his chest rising and falling rhythmically and a sudden thought hit Arianna. She could look at his face, you know.

    Oh no, what the hell was she thinking? She kicked the thought away. However, like poison, the thought slowly eroded her head and all she could think about was seeing his face.

    She gulped, well, there was no one to see her. The man was deep asleep and Ruth had gone to buy stuff and wouldn¡¯t even know what she did. Moreover, it was just a peep, nothing else; she just wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

    So Arianna made up her mind and stretched her hand towards his face, nervous as hell yet determined. However, just as her hand touched the tip of the mask and was about to pull it away, a hand grabbed her.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Call Me Elijah

    Like a child caught stealing meat from his mother¡¯s pot, Arianna¡¯s heart began to pound hard when the man caught her hand. She nced down only to see the man staring back at her with blue fire in his eyes and that made her gulp, she was in deep, deep, trouble.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked her, his tone cold and distant and was a huge contrast from his once warm one during the surgery.

    What was she going to do? Arianna didn¡¯t need to be told twice, she lied immediately; it was a reflex action.

    ¡°I was trying to adjust your mask, it seems it went awry during the surgery,¡± she blushed, intentionally lowering her gaze and appearing to be timid, ¡°You¡¯re quite a handsome man,¡± Arianna hinted that she might have seen a bit of his appearance.

    The man narrowed his gaze at her, regarding Arianna intensely. A moment ago she didn¡¯t hit him as a shy woman until now. Was she acting or what? Well, he hardly knew the woman, why wonder much about her?

    If only the man had superman hearing, he would hear Arianna¡¯s heart pounding hard in her chest even though she looked calm. She had taken a huge risk by hinting that she had seen a trace of his face? What if he turns out to be a well-known mobster whose identity can¡¯t be known and ends up killing her? God! What has she gotten herself into? This was all because of Ruth, she wailed inwardly.

    Arianna pulled her hand a bit and that reminded the man that he was still awkwardly holding onto her and he released her immediately. He readjusted his mask by himself and she took that opportunity to look at him again.

    .....

    For someone who just went through surgery without any anesthesia, he was still awake and didn¡¯t even show a trace of pain or weakness. Wow, he was really strong and her type of man.

    ¡°Am I that handsome?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± she was startled by that question. It came out of nowhere and took her by surprise.

    Arianna only smiled at him politely.

    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± He still wanted a response to his question.

    ¡°Well...¡±

    ¡°Well...?¡± he cocked his brow

    ¡°You obviously know you¡¯re handsome, why do you still need to hear that from my mouth?¡± Arianna said to her own very surprise. Whoah, she must really want to die.

    ¡°It¡¯s more interesting hearing someone else confirm that,¡± He said smugly.

    Arianna rolled her eyes and finally told him what he wanted to hear, ¡°Fine, you¡¯re handsome, are you satisfied?¡±

    He smiled and that action warmed Arianna¡¯s heart, he looked less intimidating that way. Speaking of which, why was she even beginning to getfortable with him? She was supposed to stay away from him for Christ¡¯s sake. This man wasn¡¯t in her league. He was beyond her.

    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± He asked, startling her.

    Wonderful, just as she was about to keep a distance from him, he delves straightforwardly into her private life.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m entitled to tell you about my private life,¡± She answered him with a formal tone.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing private about having a boyfriend, so answer me, do you have a boyfriend, yes or no?¡± hemanded her.

    God, was hemanding her? As if she was going to make it easy for him anyway.

    She smirked and drew closer to him, ¡°Why are you so interested in my boyfriend? Do you want to be my boyfriend?¡± she teased him innocently.

    ¡°Yes, if you want me to,¡± He answered straightforwardly, leaving Arianna dumbfounded.

    ¡°W-what?¡± She stuttered, a bit dazed by his confession right now.

    ¡°I would be your boyfriend only if you¡¯re truly faithful to me,¡± He added immediately, ¡°And of course, you¡¯re single,¡±

    What the fuck, Arianna blinked her eyes twice to ensure she wasn¡¯t seeing and hearing things. How had their harmless conversation turned into this?

    Arianna was flustered, a blush creeping up her face and she cleared her throat awkwardly. What the hell was this? Does this yer think she¡¯s easy to get? Just because he¡¯s handsome doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯d fall under his spell ¨C as far as he doesn¡¯t try to seduce her. It wasn¡¯t her fault that she¡¯s a sucker for beautiful faces.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good joker,¡± sheughed nervously.

    But then, he said with all manner of seriousness, ¡°I believe I wasn¡¯t joking,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± her jaw dropped.

    He went on, ¡°I¡¯m single and don¡¯t go about wasting my sperm on unnecessary women, that means I¡¯m not a womanizer. However, as a man, I do get relief from time to time. But then, I¡¯ve never had a serious rtionship and I¡¯m suddenly interested in starting one with you,¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡± the question blurted out from her mouth.

    ¡°One, you¡¯re beautiful, and don¡¯t try saying that I¡¯m only interested in your beauty, the eyes are first attracted to the subject before the rest of the body. Secondly, you appeal to me ¨C you¡¯re kind of interesting and trust me when I say hardly had any woman interested me,¡±

    Whoah, she must be in a fairytale, Arianna wondered. What in the name of God was going on here. This all seem like some kind of drama.

    ¡°However, I live a thrilling lifestyle and I might not be that guy to bring you roses but my heart I¡¯d offer to you and all money could ever buy,¡± He enticed her.

    He lives a thrilling lifestyle? That meant he was a criminal and that was a huge turn-off for her.

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll have to decline your offer, and really, it¡¯s an honor that you even considered me that way,¡± she rejected him, respectfully.

    His gaze narrowed at her suspiciously, ¡°Why did you turn me down?¡±

    Arianna threw her hand up, ¡°I¡¯m not just ready for any rtionship and even if I do want to, how can I date someone I don¡¯t even know his name?¡±

    He suddenly smiled, ¡°That¡¯s not an issue, mydy,¡± he took her hand amid her reluctance and kissed it. He then slowly nced up at her saying,

    ¡°You can call me Elijah,¡±

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 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: Caught A Trace Of Elijah

    The third point of view:

    Marcel was getting bored to death, this was not the type of party he envisioned. Nothing was interesting about it, not to mention the fact that his fianc¨¦e fed him with the sight of her stealing nces at her lover, Luther.

    He sighed, running his hand through his hair. Of all people his father could pick out as his fianc¨¦e, it had to be this barbie doll. There was nothing about ra that turned him on because she was conceited and obsessed with her self-image. He preferred women who were a bit defiant ¨C like the girl he had met today ¨C it was fun to conquer them.

    He cursed out when he thought about that girl again; the thought of her was bing like a poison infiltrating every part of his senses. Maybe, he could see her tomorrow and check out what was so interesting about her?

    God, what was he thinking? He had to stop this before it was toote.

    ¡°Hi,¡± A voice interrupted his thoughts and he nced up to see a blonde looking at him with lustful intentions.

    Oh yeah, women ¨C except his fianc¨¦e ¨C have the hots for him. If only he desired ra just a tiny bit, their married life in the future would have been a bit endurable. Unfortunately, it was obvious that there would be no wedding night between them, he would have to get his gratification from someone. And unless his father intervened, Marcel was sure he would be raising a bastard son from another woman to carry on the legacy of the Luciano family.

    .....

    Marcel nced over the blondie and turned away. He needed a redhead, not her. So he said to her without even ncing back, ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡±

    The smile on the blonde¡¯s face vanished and she scowled at him before hissing and strode away.

    Marcel chuckled, why do women take rejection so hard? It was quite unfortunate he had even been polite.

    He snatched a champagne flute from one of the passing waiters and gulped the whole thing down before taking another from the tray as the waiter stood to serve him. If he was going to survive this party tonight, he had to be high.

    He was on hisst ss when a voice said from his side, ¡°At this rate, you¡¯d get drunk before the party ends,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at my level of endurance,¡± He answered without even looking at her.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯re my type of man,¡± she imed.

    Marcel then turned to look at thedy intent on flirting with him and a smile crossed his lips, ¡°And you my dear, is an angel sent to earth,¡± Yeah, an angel sent to cure his itching prick at the moment. Thinking about that redhead made him ufortable.

    But there was no need to suffer because stranding right in front of him was a redhead he had been desiring tonight. It seems the universe loved him so much to have answered his prayer.

    ¡°And you are quite a sweet talker,¡± She smiled, batting her eyelid at him and hugged herself such that her boobs were popping out from her bra.

    Marcel was satisfied with that gesture, he wouldn¡¯t have to struggle with this one. But then he had to be sure as he disliked pretenders, ¡°So tell me, do you y games?¡± he made use of sexual innuendo.

    ¡°Well,¡± she took a step forward, ¡°That depends on the game you y,¡± purred the redhead who he hadn¡¯t even bothered to know her name.

    ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t mind me entertaining you with a few moves. I¡¯m a good teacher,¡±

    ¡°And guess who¡¯s a good learner?¡± She flirted back, staring him from his head to the sole of his foot suggestively.

    This redhead was hotter than the one he met at the coffee shop today, there was no doubt about it. But then, she still didn¡¯t interest him the way that one had done. However, this one was good entertainment so he wouldn¡¯t turn her down.

    ¡°However, before he start our game, I want you to know that I¡¯m the fianc¨¦e to your host over there,¡± He gestured to ra who was busy schmoozing with her other guest with Luther following her from a distance. What a miserable pair.

    ¡°Oh you are?¡± was all she said.

    Marcel narrowed his gaze at her, ¡°You don¡¯t seem too disappointed,¡±

    She merely shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s just say I know that you and ra would be miserable for the rest of your life,¡± she hinted that she knew about his fiancee¡¯s affairs.

    And of course, even a stranger could see their ¨C he and ra ¨C future together. Also, ra was not even secretive about her affair.

    As if ra knew she was on his mind, she turned and their eyes met. With a smirk, Marcel took the redhead by the hand and led her away. The look ra gave him was fierce, but then, two can y at this game. She started this first and he would make sure he enjoyed it to thest.

    They got down to business as soon as they reached a secluded corner of the pce, still in the garden. Because of the party, security was loose and even if they stumbled into a scene like theirs, all they could do was curse and walk away. Thankfully the night gave them cover and Marcel had intentionally broken the light bulb that would have illuminated their activities. Oh don¡¯t worry, he would pay for that.

    It was the right choice doing this because the redhead had an exquisite mouth and she took him till he exploded. She qualified the first round and he would take her number for future pastimes.

    Their lips joined hungrily and when she had tried kissing his neck, Marcel pushed her away and growled a warning. Nobody touched his neck because that was the easiest spot to annihte him if she had been sent by an enemy gang. Yes, he took his safety quite seriously.

    Thankfully, the girl was a fast learner and they continued from where they stopped. With his pants pooled around his ankles, Marcel put on the condom he always had avable and slid into her.

    She gasped, her fingers digging into his back as he mmed into her with no mercy. Unknown to thedy, all Marcel could envision while inside of her was the red hair from the coffee shop as he punished and teased him till they were spent.

    ¡°That was awesome,¡± She said to him as he put on his pants wanting to get to know him more.

    However, Marcel¡¯s phone rang almost immediately and he picked up knowing it was his people.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°We caught a trace of Elijah,¡±

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 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Her Uncle Was Around

    Many strange things happened to Arianna today, however, the least she expected was this strange proposal. Being Elijah¡¯s girlfriend?

    To be honest, it kind of thrilled Arianna, after all, it wasn¡¯t every day that a handsome guy like him hit on her. But then, it scared her as well. What if she rejects him and he turns out to be a psychopath who stalks her to her ce and work or worse, a mafia boss who kidnaps and forcefully makes her his wife or mistress ¨C she has watched that a lot in movies. Either way, none of that sounded good.

    ¡°What do you say?¡± Elijah reminded her once again of his offer.

    Ariannaughed at him politely, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡±

    Thankfully, Ruth returned at that moment and Arianna sighed in relief, making the sign of the cross inwardly.

    She said hurriedly, ¡°See youter,¡± and without further dys, grabbed her bag and left before even Ruth could stop her.

    Once outside, Arianna released the breath she didn¡¯t know she had been holding in. That was the craziest experience she ever had. Dating a man she doesn¡¯t know? She shuddered.

    .....

    Arianna hoped Elijah or whatever he called himself doesn¡¯t take his offer seriously ande after her. Gosh, she had enough troubles on her te already.

    She stared down at her wristwatch and groaned, it was sote already that she wouldn¡¯t be able to find a taxi by this time. Damn it! The universe must be against her tonight.

    So Arianna decided to walk to the bus stop and get a ride since it was the only alternative left. Alone and bored, she got out her earbuds and put them in her ear, ying her favorite music, and started her journey.

    Arianna walked for a while, enjoying and nodding her head to the music when suddenly, she had goosebumps on her skin. What the hell?

    She stopped in her tracks at once, pulling the earbud out of her ear and surveyed her environment. Although it was quitete, there were still a few people around, however, Arianna felt she was being watched.

    Arianna turned around and scanned meticulously, nothing seemed to be out of ce. She exhaled through the nose and tilted her head contemtively, wondering if her instincts were wrong.

    Maybe it was her imagination or something, Arianna thought and put back her earbud, and continued her walk. She was no longerfortable and had to leave here.

    Thankfully, the weird sensation didn¡¯te up once again until she reached the bus stop. She sat down on the long bench and it wasn¡¯t long before the bus arrived and she boarded it.

    Arianna was very stressed up and desired to sleep more than ever. It had been a long day at the coffee shop, plus Ruth¡¯s unexpected summoning, hence when she reached home, she didn¡¯t even bother for dinner, moreover, it waste at night and would add additional weight ¨C she wasn¡¯t on a diet or something but lived a healthy lifestyle.

    So she climbed the stairs to her floor and went into her room, grateful for the fact that none of her uncle¡¯s family was awake. Dealing with udia tonight would be a death sentence.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Arianna threw herself on the bed. She had to take her bath before going to bed but then, she needed to catch her breath for a minute.

    Unfortunately, a minute rest turned into four hours rest as Arianna fell asleep unintentionally.

    When Arianna woke up in the morning, she found out that it was five in the morning and screamed in disappointment.

    ¡°Aah!¡± How could this be? She was supposed to be having a short rest, sadly, it was the next day.

    Unfortunately, it was the break of day and Arianna had to leave before the rest of the family woke and decided they wanted to torment her this morning.

    Arianna left for work sessfully and the rest of her day went well. There was no annoying customer to ruin her mood or a strange buddy offering a rtionship to her or even Elijahing for her ¨C Ruth didn¡¯t even bother her. Her day went perfectly well. Hallelujah, somebody!

    She returned home in a joyous mood only to stumble into her aunt and udia in the dining room. This time, her uncle was around and the smile on her face vanished. Wonderful!

    ¡°Hi, uncle!¡± She summoned a smile at him.

    ¡°Hi Arianna,¡± He smiled back, ¡°It¡¯s been weeks since Ist saw you,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, weeks of going into hiding and letting us deal with your debtors,¡± she said mentally.

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Arianna said instead, even though that was the opposite of what she had in mind.

    ¡°You shoulde and join us,¡± He gestured to the food on the table.

    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Arianna rejected without second thoughts, she would die from indigestion if she ate with them, ¡°I ate before returning home,¡±

    ¡°Just sit down, Arianna!¡± He ordered her, ¡°Moreover, I have something to discuss with you,¡±

    Arianna knew at that moment that it was about the loan sharks. Her aunt and daughter must have narrated the great incident to him. Fine, she had to know how he intended to go about the debt as well.

    Sitting down, her aunt and udia didn¡¯t say a word to her and one of the maids came to serve her meal. Her uncle didn¡¯t say anything until she was half into the meal.

    ¡°I heard about what happened,¡± He said out of nowhere.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Was all Arianna mumbled.

    ¡°I want to thank you so much Arianna for standing up for your family,¡±

    ¡°I know, uncle. Unfortunately, your wife and daughter have a weird way of saying thanks,¡± she retorted.

    ¡°Y-you!¡± udia wanted to rise from her seat but her mother held her back.

    ¡°Behave,¡± her aunt warned her and udia obeyed her, albeit, she sent a death re Arianna¡¯s way.

    ¡°I have found a way to settle our debts and I can say it¡¯s beneficial for all of us,¡±

    ¡°For you,¡± Arianna said, of course, in her mind. None of her uncle¡¯s actions were beneficial for her. Who knows what he did this time.

    ¡°And I also want to apologize to you,¡±

    Arianna¡¯s head jerked up, eyes narrowed at her uncle. What does he mean by that?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arianna,¡± He said, regret etched on his face.

    Arianna frowned, ¡°Sorry for what?¡± Something doesn¡¯t seem right here.

    And that was when it happened, Arianna felt disoriented. Her uncle seemed far away and she felt dizzy all of a sudden.

    ¡°What did you do to....? ¡±

    That was thest sentence she could form as she lost consciousness.

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 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: She Was One Who Could Make The Boss Happy.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking my leave,¡± Marcel informed his bride to be for the sake of formalities but the way her face distorted told him she wasn¡¯t exactly pleased with that announcement.

    The smile on ra¡¯s face while schmoozing with a guest vanished immediately and she said, ¡°Excuse me,¡± to the woman.

    Without further ado, she grabbed Marcel and began to lead him out of public view. They got behind the garden where there was less attention and with her arms wrapped around her chest, demanded,¡± What do you mean by that? Have you forgotten the real purpose of youing to the party tonight?¡±

    Marcel rubbed his jaw, his lips set in a tight grim because he was slowly losing his patience.

    ¡°Really? The purpose of meing here?¡± He sneered at her without hiding it and she only red at him.

    If ra had truly intended to introduce him to her pals, she would have done so already ¨C he has stayed long enough.

    Marcel took a deep breath, reigning in his anger. He knew if he hadn¡¯t attended the party tonight, he would have achieved a lot of things ¨C including finding Elijah.

    .....

    His jaw clenched and his hand itched to punch something, unfortunately, the only thing right in front of him was the face of his annoying fianc¨¦e. So he put his itching hand in the pocket of his pants in search of a cigarette to keep him busy instead. He doesn¡¯t hit women, however, there was always room for exception when pushed to the wall.

    ra¡¯s brows drew together when she saw the cigarette in between his fingers and she yelled, ¡°You know I don¡¯t like the smell of smoke!¡±

    She pped it out of his grip and the instant the cigarette stick dropped to the ground, stomped severely on it till it was ruined.

    And that did it!

    Marcel¡¯s eyes darkened as his anger reached the pinnacle, he reached out and grabbed her on the neck to ra¡¯s horror. It seems she had underestimated the man that was going to be her husband.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?!¡± She choked, beating his arms, and tried to loosen it but his grip was iron around her neck; he was suffocating her.

    ¡°Listen to me!¡± Marcel spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°I might be your fianc¨¦ but I¡¯m not entitled to you. If you¡¯re unhappy with this arrangement go whine to your family members about it and stop transferring your aggression on me because trust me, I¡¯m a mad dog and when I bite, I don¡¯t let go until I have a good chomp, ¡±

    ra gulped, she bet this time that Marcel was not joking. She couldn¡¯t exin it but she just hated him and showed it in every way possible. Her life had been perfect and she already saw her future with Luther until he came out of nowhere and ruined it all. As far as he took away her happiness, he won¡¯t have one as long as she lives.

    ¡°Now, I won¡¯t have to advise you to be a good girl,¡± Marcel threatened her and finally shoved her away causing her to stagger back.

    ¡°I hate you!¡± She shouted at the top of her lungs, ring at him with a deep intensity.

    ¡°Hate is a strong emotion,¡± Marcel smirked at her, ¡°If I were you, I¡¯ll go have a good time with my lover after all your time with him is limited,¡± He hinted at the fact he had a good time as well which made her grit her teeth the more.

    Marcel smirked and took his leave. Perhaps, if their marriage was this lively he would not get bored ¨C as far as she respected his boundaries. He could endure at this rate.

    It was not hard to find Macy in the car who updated him as soon as he stepped in.

    ¡°We began the search as soon as possible and so far came up with nothing. Elijah was quite good at hiding his tracks until tonight. It seems another gang employed his services and there was a breach of agreement, a fight broke out and we seeded in getting his facials on camera, ¡± she showed the picture of a man caught on a security camera.

    ¡°He had always been careful but he never premeditated the incident this night and got careless,¡± Macy exined when she saw how intent Marcel stared at the picture.

    The picture wasn¡¯t the best quality but it wasn¡¯t blurry either and was enough to hunt Elijah down that with it.

    ¡°That is not his real face,¡± Marcel said after a long time of scrutinizing the image.

    ¡°What?¡± Macy couldn¡¯t believe it

    ¡°Such a meticulous person would have prepared for the worst scenario if things went wrong,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to say he¡¯s wearing a customized face mask to deceive people?¡± Macy couldn¡¯t believe it. She thought she was close to catching the phantom thief and get praised for her hard work ¨C achieving what the others couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Exactly. But on the bright side, we¡¯ve got his physical parameters and that¡¯s enough to get to him with time,¡± He told her, ¡°Search all convenient stores and illegal hospitals, he would seek treatment since he¡¯s shot,¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Macy said, ready to issue themand to his men.

    ¡°Also, Macy?¡±

    She turned, ¡°Boss?¡±

    He smiled at her, ¡°Good job,¡±

    ¡°Thank you, boss,¡± Macy simply said, however, inwardly, she was booming with joy. At the end of the day, she was the only one who could make the boss happy.

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 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Protect Her For You

    Marcel knew something was wrong the moment he got home. The atmosphere was contaminated and he knew just one person who could do that.

    ¡°Hello father,¡± Marcel greeted him as soon as he entered his living room.

    His father had his back turned to him, staring with disdain at therge portrait of his mother. That photo hasn¡¯t been in the open until recently. If he were to suffer in the hands of ra, his father should have a taste of pain as well, right?

    He knew how much his father loathed that woman, his mother, and did well to rub that on his face. His family was somewhatplicated and dysfunctional and it was not a secret to everyone around them.

    His father, Daniel turned and before Marcel could even brace himself, a harsh p that resounded across the roomnded on his cheek. His head whipped around from the impact and Marcel remained that way for almost a minute, trying to register what just happened before he finally looked up.

    Marcel dragged his thumb across his lips to wipe away the blood before flexing his jaw saying, ¡°That is one odd way to wee your son back home. Even a mother hen does a better job at it than you,¡±

    ¡°Y-you!¡± Daniel choked, going red in the face with his hand raised in the air as if to p him again.

    .....

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything nor was he even ruffled by the gesture. Instead, a cold glint appeared in his eyes as he said, ¡°You can beat me up in other ces but my face? It is a no-go area, father,¡± He called him with heavy sarcasm. Everybody knew he treasured his face more than any other part of his body.

    The man brought down his hand with a deep breath, finally reigning in his anger. His grey ones stared into his son¡¯s lighter ones, he was full of resentment mixed with disappointment.

    The only feature his son inherited from him was his eyes, the rest was from his mother ¨C and that made him angrier. Staring at him was like staring at that woman and it vexed him.

    ¡°ra called,¡± Daniel announced.

    ¡°Of course, she did,¡± he already guessed she would make such a move. ra was nothing but an annoying bug andtely, he¡¯s been feeling a great itch to squash some insects.

    ¡°She was going to introduce you to her friends and you humiliated her!¡± Daniel said sternly.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marcel asked, wrapping his arm across his chest, ¡°How so then?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She imed I humiliated her, I need an ount of how such humiliation happened and the evidence thereof,¡± He was dead serious.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± the man roared.

    ¡°Father!¡± He retorted with the same intensity, ¡°You should know by now how petty I can be,¡±

    ¡°It seems this position of power has filled you with nothing but ideas. Don¡¯t be mistaken, Marcel, I gave you this position and I can take it away as well,¡± He threatened him.

    ¡°Ohh, I¡¯m so scared,¡± Marcel acted exaggeratedly. However, the smile vanished on his face when he asked, ¡°And give it to who? Your imbecile son?¡±

    At the mention of that, his father¡¯s face went red with anger and he raised his hand to hit him again but Marcel was much faster and grabbed his hand.

    ¡°I told you, not the face,¡± His grip on his father¡¯s hand was firm and the man couldn¡¯t pull away even as he struggled.

    Suddenly, he punched Marcel on the stomach, knocking the breath out of him and that made his son loosen his grip and he finally pulled his arm free.

    Marcel didn¡¯t show much pain, father and son staring at each other fiercely. He knew he had touched his father¡¯s sensitive area and it pleased him. He wasn¡¯t that young Marcel anymore, he was grown and capable of defending himself ¨C and his loved ones.

    ¡°Fine,¡± The man said, his chin lifted high, ¡°I guess we¡¯d call off the deal then and you would never hear from her again,¡±

    At the mention of that, Marcel¡¯s face distorted and his fists clenched by his side. He was doing all of this for his sister¡¯s sake, what was the point if he won¡¯t see her ever again.

    So he spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t going to marry ra,¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Daniel was smug, knowing he had the upper hand here, ¡°I guess old age must be catching up with me,¡±

    He took a step closer to his son, ¡°I hope I won¡¯t have to make a second journey here,¡± Daniel needed his assurance.

    ¡°There¡¯s no assurance but you should know the marriage will go ahead as nned,¡± Marcel said. He had no choice here, not if he wanted his sister to remain safe.

    His father, Daniel, patted him on the shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve made a nice decision and a huge sacrifice for our Luciano family. You won¡¯t see the benefit now but I can assure you that your legacy would forever be remembered,¡±

    Marcel only smiled politely knowing nothing good woulde out from him opening his mouth. His father¡¯s hand lingered on his shoulder and seeing no other reaction from him decided to let go and he finally left.

    The moment he left, Marcel let out a fleeting breath. He rubbed his palm down his face before turning only to stumble into his mother¡¯s picture on the wall.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything, just stared at her picture as if it was the most beautiful thing in his life.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you just rest, I¡¯ll protect her for you,¡± He said and pulled the picture down, heading into his room with it.

    He was wrong, his father doesn¡¯t deserve to see this ¨C nobody does ¨C not after what he had done to her. His mother¡¯s memory deserved to be preserved, not used like that.

    However, when he came into the room, Marcel saw a scene that made his lips twitch. Of course, he forgot about this part.

    Lo and behold, on his bed was a cute-looking chihuahua that was frozen in fear because on the floory a young well-muscled cat with a long body,rge head, and short legs. This cat was no other than the famous lion called Samson that has been hispanion since young.

    Marcel sighed upon seeing that the chihuahua had wet his bed from fear and he couldn¡¯t me Macy for doing so because his bed was the only territory Samson wouldn¡¯t cross.

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 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: Pay For This

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Arianna stirred from her sleep, her eyelids fluttering open after a little difort.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± She groaned because it seemed like her world was spinning right now. Her hand went to her head to press on the spot where she could feel a throb.

    Suddenly, it all came back to her: she was having dinner with her family when suddenly her world ckened.

    Fuck it!

    Her uncle drugged her and now the question in mind was why? Nheless, Arianna was notfortable about this especially because they had been discussing his debt and the next she was drugged. What if he sold her off?

    God, this can¡¯t be happening. What had she ever done to deserve this? Perhaps, if she had known, she would have moved into Mimi¡¯s ce and forgotten all about being a burden to her family.

    However, this was no time to regret her past actions, she had to know the kind of situation she was in and how to resolve it. So Arianna stood to her feet and looked around her room.

    .....

    The room wasvishly decorated, however, it was over the top and wasn¡¯t her taste. Almost everything was in pink and purple and it irritated her. Did they think she was some barbie doll or what?

    Alright, Arianna, calm down, this is no time to hassle over the color of your prison. Yes, this was a prison. A luxurious prison.

    Arianna went to the door and thankfully it was opened, so she peeked out first before slipping out of the room. Years of treating criminals must have rubbed off on her because the first thing she did immediately when she came into the spacious hallway was to check for cameras.

    Of course, she found them and went ahead to check their blind spot, calcting the angle and distance to not be captured in the camera. It didn¡¯t help matters that she didn¡¯t know where she was but deep down, Arianna had a disturbing feeling she was in the loan shark¡¯s territory. Sadly, if that was the case, that meant this ce was overflowing with those gangsters.

    The situation didn¡¯t look promising but Arianna refused to be disheartened. She believed in thew of attraction and as long as she remained positive, she would see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Arianna stuck to the walls since it was much harder to sight an iing figure that way than being in the open which was much easier to spot a figure.

    Everything had been going well for Arianna until suddenly she heard a racketing from behind and she knew at once they¡¯d noticed her escape.

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Arianna cursed and broke into a sprint fullying into the open. There was no need to be discreet anymore since her departure had been discovered. Right now, it was time to run for her life.

    Although she had no clue where she was or heading to, Arianna kept running and running, going past rooms after rooms when suddenly she was yanked off the ground from behind.

    She screamed her lungs out, ¡°Let me go! I said let me go!¡± Arianna struggled with the man from behind but the giggling idiot held her tighter and even took that opportunity to feel her up. That pig! She was full of anger.

    However, the disgusting pervert was the least of her problems because more voices wereing in their direction, and to prove her right, she saw a man approach them.

    ¡°We¡¯ve caught her!¡± The man announced and just when he was close to grabbing her, Arianna lifted herself and taking advantage of the man¡¯s support from behind, kicked the man in the head and he fell straight to the ground.

    ¡°You!¡± hissed the other man who grabbed her from the back. He had not expected she would manipte him like that and just as he was about to turn her around and carry her away, Arianna struck.

    She was much faster than him and head-butted him with so much momentum that made her yelp from the pain as well. Gosh, that hurts.

    Arianna and the man staggered on their feet, butpared to her, the man suffered much impact and wasn¡¯t able to coordinate his movements so she took that opportunity to escape.

    As if the universe was on her side, she came into the foyer and atst saw the door! The door of freedom!

    If Arianna had been running previously, right now, she became the sh because she added more speed knowing that her freedom was near.

    Unfortunately, as she reached the door, she was pulled back by the hair causing her to cry out in pain. And just like that, she saw her door of freedom grow further and farther as she was pulled far away from it.

    Ariannanded on the floor from the force and she red up at the men who surrounded her,ughing at her misery.

    ¡°Hey,¡± One of themughed, mockery in his gaze, ¡°She¡¯s quite a tough one,¡±

    They circled and trapped her as if she was a circus animal. But Arianna was never one to give up. With a growl, she stood up and pushed the closest to her away while another grabbed onto her arm. It was that person that she turned and bit him so hard that she almost tore off his flesh.

    ¡°Aah!¡± the man screamed as Arianna held onto his flesh like a mad dog. It was really painful.

    The others, seeing what was going on, quickly grabbed Arianna and began to pull her away from the man.

    ¡°I said let me go!¡± Arianna thrashed around as more than three hands grabbed onto her and sessfully stopped her from bing a cannibal.

    ¡°You bitch!¡± shouted the man whose hand was now bleeding and before anyone could stop her, rushed towards Arianna and pped her on the face.

    The pain tore through Arianna and her vision swirled. Her heart hardened amid the pain because as soon as she got out of here, her uncle and his family would pay for this.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: About To Be Big Joe¡¯s Wife

    ck dots filled Arianna¡¯s vision yet that didn¡¯t stop her from staring at that man with hate. God knew if her eyes were bullets, he would be long gone by now.

    Arianna was surrounded at all sides and she knew even if she managed to escape them now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it far. She was still on the floor when suddenly a path was created and someone came to stand in front of her.

    Arianna was stunned when she looked up to discover that it was no other than the collector that hade to her ce that day and everything began to make sense. She realized at that moment, her uncle had sold her off to pay off his debt.

    ¡°We meet again,¡± He said, smiling down at her.

    ¡°You!¡± Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or grateful that she met a familiar face. Thanks to him, she managed to discover what was going on.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± she asked, trying to get up to her feet to no avail. She had somehow twisted her ankle during her fall and it hurt like hell.

    Her inability to stand didn¡¯t pass the collector by and he as well discovered the bruise on her face that had formed when that asshole pped her.

    .....

    The collector scrutinized her and that made her pretty ufortable. Arianna couldn¡¯t exin it but she had a disturbing feeling that the man was interested in her. She wasn¡¯t sure but it was just an instinct.

    He turned around and stared at his men hard before asking, ¡°Who hit her?¡±

    At that question, an ufortable silence took over and even Arianna felt the bloodlust emanating from the man. Her brows furrowed, why was he making such a big deal out of this? Moreover, would he even punish his men because of her?

    ¡°I said who hit her?!¡± His voice thundered across the foyer and this time, someone amongst his men timidly raised his hand.

    Arianna looked up to confirm if he was really the one and it was as she expected. Unlike earlier when he looked confident and all, right now the man looked as if he would wet his pants anytime soon. Arianna wasn¡¯t a saint, seeing this man in that state gave her a sense of gratification ¨C he deserved it.

    However, it seemed as if this collector had a high position in this gang because the others seemed to respect him. Although she hadn¡¯t gotten the whole details, she made a mental note to get on his good side.

    ¡°I-t¡¯s me, s-sir,¡± He stuttered, ¡°The truth is that I didn¡¯t mean to hit her but the bitch was so -¡±

    Bang!

    The sound of a gunshot was heard.

    Everything happened so quickly that Arianna didn¡¯t know what was going on until she heard a reverberating bang and the heavy thud of a bodynding on the ground.

    Her eyes went wild and she wanted to scream but it got stuck in her throat. Did he just kill someone? Not even her? But one of his men? Goosebumps appeared on her skin. She had thought he would punish the man, not actually kill him.

    ¡°This!¡± The collector began to address his men, ¡°Should be a lesson to all of you not to touch what belongs to Big Joe. Am I understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± their response echoed across the room.

    ¡°Now, dismiss,¡± He said nonchntly as if they were some dolls for his services.

    Meanwhile, Arianna didn¡¯t move even when the collector leaned down and carried her off the ground. She stiffened in his arms as he began to take her back to her room, no, prison.

    ¡°You have no reason to be afraid of me,¡± he said to her, ¡°Nobody would hurt you here,¡±

    ¡°As far as I behave,¡± Arianna didn¡¯t even know when that slipped out of her mouth. Right now, it was nearly impossible to escape out of this ce without a bullet in her head ¨C he had demonstrated that.

    ¡°Why am I here?¡± she asked him as he took her back to where she had escaped from.

    ¡°I told you that you could solve your family¡¯s problems easily,¡± He smirked, ¡°Your uncle is indeed a wise man, he saw a good business opportunity,¡±

    At that moment, Arianna remembered the conversation:

    [ ¡°You know,¡± the collector brought her attention back, ¡°You could solve your family¡¯s problem easily,¡±

    [¡°What? I could?¡± her eyes shone with hope, ¡°That is possible? How?¡± she couldn¡¯t wait to hear his suggestion.

    [¡°You¡¯re a very beautiful woman, mademoiselle and our boss Big Joe is in need of a wife. You would make a beautiful bride, what do you say to that?¡±.]

    Arianna sucked in a deep breath as it all made sense to her now. udia must have been the one who thought of that and then discussed it with her mother who saw it was a huge gain. Then the both of them must have tabled their evil intentions to her uncle who always listens to the wife in the first ce. And they drugged her and sold her to them.

    Great.

    It now hit Arianna, the night she sensed she was being followed, that must have been the loan sharks checking her out. They must have been investigating her and making other ns in case n A fails. God, she was a big fool not to have sensed thising.

    ¡°I should have designed this myself,¡±

    Arianna was roused back to the present and she discovered that they were back in her room. Her barbie world prison, her nose scrunched in distaste.

    ¡°You don¡¯t hit me as someone in love with purple and pink, do you?¡± The collector didn¡¯t seem to like the room decor as well.

    ¡°Whether I like it or not, do I have a choice?¡± Arianna retorted, annoyed by his foolish concern.

    ¡°Of course, I do care,¡± He said to her, holding her gaze.

    ¡°Why?¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t help but ask. She had to confirm if her instinct was right.

    ¡°Why?¡± He leaned closer to whisper into her ears which were too intimate for her liking, ¡°Because you¡¯re about to be Big Joe¡¯s wife,¡±

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 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: Kenith Was Vital To Her n

    Arianna¡¯s face fell as soon as she heard thatment. She had been hoping to get some answers but all he did was to remind her of the situation she was in. She was doomed.

    Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and that caused him to look up but Arianna didn¡¯t care, she needed an escape right now.

    ¡°I need your help,¡±

    His brows raised and she added, ¡°Please,¡±

    The man pulled away from his hand, ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t understood the situation you are currently in. Even if you escape from here, we¡¯re going to hunt you down to the end of the earth,¡± He drew closer such that their body was almost touching, ¡°Why would I help you escape,¡±

    Of course, he was right. Why would he help her escape for Christ¡¯s sake?

    ¡°I just need a little time,¡± Arianna tried her luck and somehow hoped a miracle would happen, ¡°I have a trust fund with arge sum of money in there but it¡¯s not operational until next year. I just need more time!¡± She pleaded with him.

    .....

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t need more time,¡± He said.

    ¡°W-hat?¡± she choked.

    The collector sighed, ¡°As much as your offer is interesting, I¡¯m a businessman and time is a huge asset to me. Your uncle has used up his time and I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no room for more favors. Moreover...¡±

    He grabbed her chin and lifted it, saying ¡°Being Big Joe¡¯s wife isn¡¯t that bad,¡±

    Arianna was revulsed, not because of the way the collector held her chin delicately as if he was afraid to hurt her but the thought of Big Joe. She hadn¡¯t met their boss yet but she already has a mental profile of him.

    Big Joe was probably a rich, overweight old pervert in search of a new, young wife. When the collector mentioned wife, he didn¡¯t exactly specify wife number what? The fifth? Eighth? Tenth? God, her skin crawled.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need to watch movies to know men like that. Even if Big Joe wasn¡¯t married yet and she was the first one, this was a forced, uwful marriage.

    There was nothing like love between them. Heck! She wouldn¡¯t even be respected, after all, she was the bride he bought. She would have no pride nor peace of mind in this marriage and would have to endure till the day she managed to escape or he died. This was a nightmare.

    ¡°You would not be maltreated because you¡¯re the boss¡¯s wife,¡± The collector hinted at the harassment from earlier.

    He tilted her chin side to side checking the small bruise across her face slowly as if he was intrigued with it and that made Arianna subtly narrow her gaze at him.

    ¡°You would the absolute power after him and everyone would bow at your feet, including me. You would have the authority to do whatever you want and I¡¯ll be at your disposal,¡± He said without breaking eye contact with her.

    He was confusing her, Arianna noted. For some reason, he was suggesting something, and somehow, she hasn¡¯t fully grasped his intentions towards her. But Arianna was sure of one thing, he wanted something from her.

    Arianna stepped back immediately, creating some space between them, however, she forget her sprained ankle, and the minute she added weight to her foot, it caused her to wince.

    The collector noticed the painful expression on her face and without warning, carried her off the ground in his arms and walked over to her bed where he ced her gently before she couldin.

    The man was not done because he made a call and in the next minute, someone came in with a small tray and inside of it was an ice pack.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna realized his intention. So she stretched her hand intending to teat herself but the man simply pulled the small stool that was beside her bed and sat down before her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±Arianna asked him, ufortable with his sudden nearness again.

    ¡°Your husband would be returning home tomorrow to get a look of his wife, I have to keep you in the optimal condition else my head might be the next to roll on the ground,¡± said Mr. Collector, as she would like to call him since she doesn¡¯t know his name yet.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything else as he used the coldpress on her face and even when he drew so close their noses were almost touching, she didn¡¯t react.

    When he was done treating her face, he then lifted her leg and ced it on hisp where he used the ice pack immediately for about fifteen minutes. During that period, none of them said a word to each other and Arianna refused to be swayed by his kind act.

    For some reason, this cold gangster was being surprisingly kind to her, there has to be a catch. Either he was taken by her or he was intending to use her as a pawn in his own ns.

    Unfortunately, she had her own ns as well and that was to escape here and if using him was going to be the answer, then so be it. May the best yer win.

    Thankfully the swelling wasn¡¯t much and there was no need forpressing the ankle with an stic bandage. Her sprain would heal in a day or two as far as she doesn¡¯t move much and gets enough rest.

    ¡°You should rest now,¡± The collector said and to her surprise, tuck her in.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep since I¡¯m in a foreign environment and I might needpany,¡± She said and saw an unknown expression cross his gaze.

    However, it was gone almost as soon as it came and he resumed his calm demeanor saying, ¡°You would have to endure the loneliness till your husband returns home tomorrow,¡±

    Arianna thought she would die from a heart attack at the mention of her husband. God, this was real. She was getting married and it wasn¡¯t a man of her choice. Heck! She doesn¡¯t even want to marry yet! She still enjoyed being single.

    ¡°But then you can make do with Netflix,¡± He turned on the television and handed the remote to her.

    Arianna¡¯s mouth twitched, this wasn¡¯t funny.

    ¡°See youter,¡± He was prepared to leave when she shouted,

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    He turned with a raised brow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know your name,¡±

    He smiled politely, ¡°Kenith,¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kenith,¡± Arianna nodded, memorizing the name because she was sure as hell that he was vital to her n.

    ¡°Thank you, Kenith,¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Samson And The Chihuahua

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Marcel woke up to blinding sunlight filtering through the window. However, that was the least of his problems because right now, something or rather someone was licking his face.

    At first thought, Marcel thought it was Samson and sat up with a startle, intending to give that beast a piece of his mind, however, he was treated to a cute-looking chihuahua staring back at with adorable eyes.

    ¡°God,¡± He groaned, what kind of assault was it this early morning?

    His face was filled with drool and it pissed Marcel off. He had not a single idea about a dog¡¯s normal social behavior. At three years old, while other kids were getting dolls and toys, Marcel was already practicing how to disassemble and assemble guns.

    In one word, he has no pet aside from the lion who was still lyingzily on the ground and watching that new intruder with bad intention. To Marcel, Samson was more of apanion and guide than a pet.

    If there was anything Marcel loved so much, that was his sleep and the chihuahua had disrupted that. So without thinking, he grabbed the chihuahua off his bed and hurled him to the ground, and tucked himself in, going back to sleep.

    At the sight of the chihuahua, a malevolent glint shed in Samson¡¯s eyes and he ran his long, rough tongue across its mouth. The little chihuahua didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell him that its life was in danger and he jumped at once at the duvet but it was slippery and he couldn¡¯t get a firm hold. So it began to bark fiercely and in dognguage, begged Marcel for help.

    .....

    Marcel sighed as he heard the constant barking, what he had put himself into? He had no choice but to reach out, grabbing onto the scared chihuahua all to Samson¡¯s dissatisfaction and bringing it back to the bed.

    The instant the chihuahua found itself on the bed once again, he walked over to Marcel¡¯s andid next to him such that their sides were touching.

    At that action, Marcel didn¡¯t know whether tough. When he wished for someone on his bed, it was a human and a sexy woman at that, not a dog. Well, he would have to make do with this one.

    The chihuahua must be a fast learner because it didn¡¯t bother him until Marcel had about an hour more of rest before he rose for the day.

    The chihuahua was on his tail and Marcel couldn¡¯t take a step without the little creature by his side. Marcel knew he was scared of Samson and couldn¡¯t send the beast away because lions were territorial creatures and this has been his home since its birth. Unless Marcelmanded him, Samson was a boss of his own.

    Marcel went into hisrge bathroom where hethered the tub filled to the brim with water while the chihuahua stared.

    ¡°You do know if you were human, you¡¯d be called a pervert for looking at me that way,¡± Marcel said to the dog who barked in response.

    ¡°Yeah, I know I¡¯m handsome,¡± Marcel winked at him, running his wet hand through his blonde hair.

    The chihuahua barked once more as if he understood him.

    ¡°And I must be going crazy,¡± He added under his breath, ¡°I¡¯m now speaking to a dog of all things,¡±

    Marcel took a mouthful of breath and ducked into the water with his eyes closed. He stayed there for about five minutes and while he was underwater, the dog kept barking as if he knew he was endangering his life.

    But Marcel resurfaced with a gasp of life. This was something he did every day and wasn¡¯t scared of drowning. Each time he was underwater and close to death, he felt peaceful and at rest. But then, it wasn¡¯t time to rest forever so he had to surface each time.

    Marcel finished the rest of his shower and came out only to realize a part of the chihuahua¡¯s fur was wet and it hit him, the dog has not been bathed yet.

    He frowned at once, would he need to bathe that thing? No, there was no way on earth he was wasting his time bathing that burdensome creature. He would rather get rid of it than do that.

    Three minutester...

    Marcel was seenthering the shampoo into the fur coat of the chihuahua using his hands. Contrary to what he thought, the annoying creature wasn¡¯t standoffish nor anxious about getting bathed, making the whole work all easier.

    If only his men could see the scene of Marcel bathing the chihuahua while following instructions from his phone, they would have probablyughed at him till their belly hurt and tears escaped from their eyes.

    Marcel only cared about himself, In fact, he wasn¡¯t the one who washed Samson and had a special team for that. But then, Samson was as proud as Marcel and tended to make things difficult for the team except Marcel was beside him.

    Once the Chihuahua was fresh and clean, Marcel took it out of the tub and wrapped him up in a dry towel. ording to instructions from his phone, he gently rubbed the towel against its body to speed up the drying process.

    So while Marcel blew dry his hair, there was a chihuahua by his side to attend to as well and all this while, Samson watched their interaction.

    The big cat watched both of them with keen interest and felt threatened, not because the chihuahua was strong enough to beat him, but his position was slowly being taken over by that little pest. He had to show that little thing he was the boss here and the original family of his master. But then, this was not the right time; he had to be patient.

    Marcel was in the process of wearing thest of his clothes when a knock came on his door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± He ordered, closing up the rest of his button when Macy walked into his room.

    At her appearance, Samson raised his head only tozilyy down upon noticing that she wasn¡¯t a threat to his master.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcel asked, carrying the chihuahua he had taken a sudden liking into his arms.

    Macy announced, ¡°I¡¯ve found the clinic that treated Elijah that night,¡±

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 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Ruth¡¯s Assistant

    ¡°I¡¯ve found the clinic that treated Elijah that night,¡±

    Marcel¡¯s gaze was drawn to Macy like a ma the instant he heard that news. This news was like a light in the dark for him and how he loves good news.

    ¡°You did?¡± A satisfied smile crossed his features and he went to sit down on the couch in his room. His room was spacious and as expected held a strong masculine tone.

    Marcel enjoyed luxury and the proof of it was hisvishly decorated room. Everything in here was of the best quality ¨C including his bed that felt like sleeping on clouds.

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Macy was delighted even though she didn¡¯t show it on her face.

    ¡°Where is the clinic then?¡± Marcel asked, already formting ns for his next step. He already had a clue, the next step was to fish out his opponents.

    ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s an animal clinic,¡± Macy disclosed, ¡°While the owner parades herself as a veterinarian in the morning, at night, she takes in criminals who turn away from hospitals for treatment. Our sources confirmed that she nursed Elijah to health,¡±

    .....

    At the mention of that, Marcel¡¯s gaze narrowed as if something just hit him. His grip on the chihuahua tightened and the dog barked upon noticing the sudden change in his attitude.

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of the clinic?¡± Marcel asked, to Macy¡¯s surprise. She had expected him to ask about the owner¡¯s profile and then instruct them on their next task. She knew Marcel enough to know he always had a n B ¨C Marcel was never stranded.

    ¡°Happy Animal Co.?¡±

    Marcel groaned, rubbing his temple as if he was suddenly feeling a headache, ¡°I should have known, that bastard is much smarter than I gave him credit for,¡± he muttered under his breath.

    ¡°What is it, boss?¡± Macy asked, confusion strewn across her face.

    ¡°The clinic is owned by a woman named Ruth,¡± Marcel said, causing his assistant to nce down on the report in her arm and nce up at him with an astonished gaze.

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    Marcel finally let go of the chihuahua, he ced the dog on the couch and stood up to face Macy who hadn¡¯t bothered to sit down all this while.

    With his hand in both of his pockets, he began to narrate, ¡°Ruth Nickerson might be seen as a minor character in our world but only those with a death sentence go after her. Her husband had once been in the business and while he did the dirty deed, she was left in her safe bubble.

    ¡°Unfortunately, her husband was killed. During one of his missions, he was set up and shot. He couldn¡¯t get help on time and even when he could, Nickerson deflected getting help from the hospital because of the mandatory gunshot wounds reporting act. I guess the death of her husband must have changed her because she went into saving more criminal lives,¡±

    ¡°So in one word, she became a martyr,¡± Macy said. The only reason she hasn¡¯t heard of that woman was that the Luciano gang had their own doctors even amongst their members.

    ¡°Well, you can say that,¡± Marcel now had his hand on his jaw, brushing his thumb across his lips as if he was deep in thought.

    ¡°I guess we would have to set up a private meeting with her to know the identity of Elijah. Everything turned out much easier than we thought,¡± Macy thought so but his nextment left her stupefied.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bother,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°One of Ruth¡¯s strong traits is her confidentiality ability. No matter what, you won¡¯t be able to draw a thing out of her mouth,¡± Marcel told her.

    ¡°Then we invite her over, I don¡¯t believe you won¡¯t be able to snatch the truth from her,¡± Macy indirectly praised his ability.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± Marcel¡¯s brows were furrowed now, ¡± Ruth is a little ant that I can squash beneath my feet without a blink, however, she has too many supporters,¡± He turned to face her, ¡°As much as we are a strong n, I don¡¯t think that I can survive the whole underworlding at me. Moreover, I¡¯m in no mood to create more enemies with my guns still missing ¨C that¡¯s enough trouble on my te already,¡±

    At once Macy lowered her head as a sign of submission, she had made a mistake here ¨C and she hardly makes mistakes. Marcel¡¯s approval is like a drug to her since she craves perfection.

    ¡°Keep an eye out on the clinic, another trail would surely pop out. With us so close to him and that he knows, Elijah would be sure to make mistakes any time soon,¡± Marcel figured out. People tend to make mistakes under tension and Elijah wasn¡¯t in his best condition right now.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Macy acknowledged hismand and bowed to him. She was just about to take her leave when her gaze fell on the profile and an Idea came to her.

    ¡°There¡¯s something else,¡±

    ¡°What now?¡± yawned Marcel who had leaned down to pull his new friend, the chihuahua into his embrace.

    ¡°Ruth had an assistant,¡±

    ¡°Had?¡± He was quick to notice that little tense. That was Marcel, quick to notice even the smallest difference.

    ¡°ording to our investigation...¡± Macy said while going through the papers, ¡°She had been with Ruth until months ago, seems she quit or something. But then...¡± She smirked, ¡°She was in the clinic the day Elijah was treated and might have seen his face,¡±

    ¡°Ruth might have a tight lip but the same can¡¯t be said for her assistant,¡± Marcel saw the n was good.

    He instructed Macy,¡± Bring her to me. I would love to have an interesting conversation with her,¡±

    ¡°Of course, boss,¡± The smile returned to Macy¡¯s face unlike earlier when she failed to understand him.

    ¡°You can leave now,¡± He ordered.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Macy dly took her leave.

    As soon as she left, Marcel plopped down on the sofa with the dog in his arm, stroking its thick yet soft furs.

    ¡°And now, what should I name you?¡± He pondered.

    Then suddenly, an image of a certain redhead came into his mind and Marcel smirked, ¡°That is it, I hereby name you, Redhead,¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: The Top Of The Food Chain

    Kenith didn¡¯t fail to keep his promise of changing her room. As soon as Arianna woke up from sleep the next day, there was already an interior decorator waiting to receive her preference.

    ¡°They must have a lot of money to waste on her,¡± Arianna thought. But then why wouldn¡¯t they when they were basically a loan shark? The thought of it made her blood boil, if it wasn¡¯t for her uncle borrowing from them, she wouldn¡¯t be in this situation.

    There was nothing as annoying as being helpless to change your predicament. Her uncle took her freedom, her life! The anger was like ws digging into her heart and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t remove it... She couldn¡¯t breathe. It was just suffocating.

    Arianna decided to take advantage of the situation. Since they had the money, she should help spend it well. So Arianna went all out decorating her room. Since she was going to spend the rest of her miserable days here, she had to make sure it was liveable. She did not doubt that she would have to live with Big Joe once they got married. Remembering that made her skin crawl.

    Arianna chose a globe-trotting theme for her bedroom. It channeled the adventurous spirit of a world traveler with an eclectic mix of far-flung antiques. The bedroom gives the impression of belonging to a gentleman traveler. Since her freedom was restricted, she could at least imagine her traveling around the world. She could imagine herself being free.

    However, being free was the least of Arianna¡¯s problems right now because she was about to go meet her husband, Big Joe. Yeah, great news, right?

    The news was delivered to her by one of the men since she didn¡¯t get even a glimpse of Kenith since that night he promised to redo her room. With him absent, Arianna was more anxious and ufortable since she had ced all of her bet on him. If she was going to leave here, kenith was the one that could make that happen ¨C or at least, through manipting him.

    .....

    ¡°You look so beautiful, madam,¡±mented one of the maids who was making her hair.

    If anything wasforting about being here, it was the fact that she was treated like royalty ¨C at least after that day Kenith taught the man who assaulted her a lesson. Unlike her uncle¡¯s ce, she didn¡¯t do anything here nor did anyone abuse her physically or emotionally.

    The only annoying thing was the fact that they watched her like a hawk. Ever Since Arianna attempted to escape, they didn¡¯t trust her and she knew that. She could move along the house freely but was restricted from the outside ¨C for now. If she was going to escape here, she had to buy the trust of Big Joe and Kenith as well ¨C they were at the top of the food chain here.

    Arianna just prayed she had enough time to fulfill her ns. But for now, she needed to be shameless and act out of her character. One must do everything to survive. And she must survive.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She could only smile at the young girl.

    ¡°Gosh,¡± she squealed, ¡°Big Joe would be so awed by you, I bet you¡¯d bring him down on his knees,¡±

    Funny enough, it would have been more enduring if she had an idea of who her mystery husband was. So she could only smile nervously in response to the young girl. Arianna wondered if she knew she was being pushed into a marriage against her will. Well, even if she knew, what could she do?

    Arianna had thought of using the young maid but she had read enough movies and read enough books to know it doesn¡¯t end well for people like her ¨C the ones at the bottom of the food chain. If she does escape, they¡¯d probably murder and dump the maid¡¯s body somewhere and Arianna doesn¡¯t want that for her ¨C she can¡¯t have innocent blood on her hand. That was why she had to make use of the top shots ¨C Kenith and Big Joe. After that, they could finish off each other for all she cares.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Arianna asked.

    ¡°Cassie,¡± She answered.

    ¡°Hmmm, Cassie,¡± Arianna muttered under her breath. Although she didn¡¯t want the young maid in her ns, there were some little chores she might be able to help her with. She just hoped that her loyalty to Kenith wasn¡¯t that much.

    Arianna suspected Kenith sent her to keep an eye on her. But she didn¡¯t care, cassie was naive and easy going ¨C she was easy to manipte. God, when did she begin to think like this? However, this was all for survival.

    ¡°I have to get you into your dress, madam, it¡¯s almost time,¡± Cassie said to Arianna who stood up and went over to where her dress was hung. As much as she didn¡¯t want to meet Big Joe, Cassie was just doing her job.

    She was dressed in a long emerald green dress that had a beaded off shoulder and entuated her slim waist. Looking into the mirror, Arianna couldn¡¯t believe her appearance, she looked regal and powerful.

    Her fierce red hair cascaded down her shoulder in waves while the green dressplimented her pale skin and popped out the green in her eyes. The dress was flowy and she really look like a queen. It was quite unfortunate that she was meeting that bastard with this dress. The thought of feeling his lecherous gaze on her made her sick to the stomach.

    ¡°Who chose this dress?¡± Arianna was quick to ask. No designer had taken her measurements nor asked of her preference before this. But from the look of things, this dress was chosen with careful consideration and it was of good quality. Who knew she would get to wear a dress like this one day?

    ¡°It was sir Kenith,¡± Cassie answered innocently without seeing the way Arianna cocked a brow.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Cassie said while straightening out the dress.

    ¡°Hmmm, your sir Kenith seems to do a lot of odd jobs around here,¡± Arianna fished for gossip.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: Remember Me In Paradise

    ¡°Hmm, your sir Kenith seems to do a lot of odd jobs around here?¡±Arianna innocently said yet hinted at something Cassie failed to recognize or maybe, she did understand it.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Cassie chuckled as if what she said was funny, ¡°Our boss kenith is very social and kind. And he¡¯s loved by all the women here,¡±

    ¡°Including you?¡± Arianna said immediately, her head tilted at the young girl questioningly.

    A blush crept up Cassie¡¯s face at once, ¡°Well, I do have a crush on him but that¡¯s just all. Unlike some of the other women here, I can¡¯t delude myself into thinking that there¡¯s a possibility of having a future with him,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a smart one then. As much as fantasies are great, we have to return to reality eventually,¡± Arianna said to her. She was really liking the girl and Cassie seem kind and responsible.

    ¡°You can¡¯t really me them though, Sir Kenith is Big Joe¡¯s right-hand man and the real ma holding this ce together,¡± Cassie revealed and that made a hidden smirk cross Arianna¡¯s face. This was what she has been waiting for, information on those fooling around with her destiny.

    ¡°He¡¯s more loved than big Joe?¡± She fished for more information.

    .....

    ¡°Big Joe doesn¡¯t spend his time here all the time so it¡¯s not surprising that the others look up to Kenith since he¡¯s the one who shares Big Joe¡¯s will. In one word, he¡¯s the one who does the work around here,¡±

    Oh, so that meant while Big Joe had the power of the gang, Kenith had the power of the brotherhood. In one word, kenith was more powerful than his master who doesn¡¯t even know his influence is being cut off.

    ¡°Sir Kenith is seen as the eye of the master and the second inmand after him,¡± Cassie exined, already wrapping things up.

    ¡°Has there ever been a time he interpreted Big Joe¡¯s will wrongly? Or to be precise, manipted it for his own benefit?¡± Arianna asked, probing for more information.

    At that question, Cassie went pale in the face but she was quick to cover it up before Arianna saw it or so she thought.

    ¡°That¡¯s an unnecessary question, madam,¡± Arianna felt Cassie withdrawing to their formal rtionship with that title, ¡°But you can rest assured that Kenith is trustworthy and would never harm you nor betray your soon-to-be husband Big Joe. At least with you here, Big Joe would be able to spend more time with us,¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure,¡± Arianna sighed as she got reminded once again what her fate would be at the end of the day.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, madam?¡± Cassie noticed the change in her mood.

    ¡°You know I kind of envy you,¡± Arianna said while looking at the mirror and staring at her magnificent appearance.

    ¡°Envy me?¡± Cassie was surprised.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky enough to have a crush,¡± Arianna said with a wry smile, ¡°But I never got to have one nor even think of men. All my life I was more worried about money while other girls worried about their rtionship. The opposite sex was a distraction for me nor did I get to think about it much since I was busy trying to fight for my future and survive from my family. And now, when there¡¯s finally hope to breathe, I¡¯m sold off to marry a man I don¡¯t even know, not to think of having feelings for. I feel cheated.¡± Arianna smiled yet tears slipped from her eyes.

    She faced Cassie with her tears streaked face, ¡°It¡¯s quite scary. Even scarier than a nightmare. At least I fight my nightmares in my dreams and wake up to see them vanish into nothing, but these monsters are right in my face,¡±

    ¡°Madam....¡± Cassie felt the sorrow in her voice and felt pity for her.

    Arianna turned away immediately, ¡°Why am I even crying, I would ruin my makeup,¡± She said, trying to carefully wipe the tears away so as not to ruin her makeup only for Cassie to touch her shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯d redo the makeup and perhaps, with the waterproof ones this time,¡± Cassie said earning a smile from her.

    And so, Arianna sat down as Cassie began to work on her face once again. There was absolute silence between them until Cassie said, ¡°Truthfully speaking, it¡¯s not all bad getting married to Big Joe,¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Arianna snorted. So much for thinking the girl understood her, ¡°Perhaps, you¡¯d be a more willing participant in my ce,¡± There was sarcasm in her tone.

    ¡°You get the privilege of being his wife, that includes the money and connection, think about it,¡± Cassie said to her.

    Arianna was more than shocked. She never thought Cassie would say that to her, no, she was thinking the girl would more of suggest her getting to know Big Joe first before anything. And trust her, that bullshit logic hasnded a lot of women in hot shit ¨C only a few were able to get a responsible mate.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I¡¯m your fellow woman and we should look out for each other. I don¡¯t know what ns you have, but don¡¯t run, they would always find you wherever you go, however, bid your time. Keep your ws sheathed as long as you can and work your way into their body, mind, and soul so when the time is right, you strike!¡±

    Arianna was startled because Cassie said that end part with quite a bit of force. But what shocked her the most was that the Cassie she thought was innocent wasn¡¯t as naive as she thought.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The words left her mouth before she could stop it.

    ¡°Someone bidding her time just as you,¡± Cassie grabbed her hands together forcing her to look down on her and back up at her, ¡°I never thought I would see the light until you arrived. Use whoever you want, don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking anyone here really cares about you. You¡¯re just potent because of your usefulness and when it expires, you¡¯re as good as nothing. My only request is that you remember me in paradise, ¡± She added, ¡°Please,¡±

    Arianna was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t speak hence she only nodded her head in response.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± A wide smile full of relief spread across her face.

    However, a knock on the door startled the both of them and they broke apart knowing that it was time to leave.

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 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: Brewing War

    ¡°Ba-dum!¡± ¡°Ba-dum!¡± sounded Arianna¡¯s heart like a beating drum. Every step she took was taking her closer to her miserable fate. She was scared and wanted to run, sadly, where could she run to? They would hunt her down like a chicken on a Christmas morning about to be sacrificed for breakfast. Hence she had to be brave because she needed to survive.

    ¡°We are here,¡± said one of the men who has escorted her here. There were three of them in total and although the situation looked grand as if she was some big shot protected by her security details, Arianna knew she was nothing but a prisoner. They were not here to protect but enve her.

    At once, he went to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and pushed the huge frame open to an audience. Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground, what in the name of the lord is going on here?

    When Arianna was told she would meet Big Joe today, she thought it would be a casual meeting and not this splendid ceremony going on right now. She should have known a casual meeting wouldn¡¯t involve her wearing a magnificent evening gown. God, this was not what she wanted.

    Arianna gulped, all eyes were on her as if she was the star of the asion. Well, she was supposedly the star since she hasn¡¯t met this many people since she was kidnapped here.

    The guard cleared his throat subtly from behind and she knew that was the cue for her to get in. With her head held high and her back straightened, Arianna walked in like she was some royalty.

    She was not the only one dressed to the nines here, Arianna noticed. Women as expected craved attention and so they made sure they surpassed each other in dressing as if they werepeting for some prize at a fashion contest. Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they came to witness her engagement or to steal the show from her. Well, who knows, they might have eyes for her soon-to-be husband.

    .....

    Arianna was sure if Big Joe loses interest in the marriage thing, they would kill her first before harassing her uncle for the rest of the money. Even if they kept her alive, there was no telling what they could do to her ¨C gosh, they could even r*pe her and use her to their contentment. As Cassie said, the only reason she was standing here and well, still alive, was because of her usefulness, so she had to be on guard.

    She stood like a lost sheep in the midst of wolves and as if the universe heard her prayer, Kenith finally emerged from the crowd and came to her.

    ¡°As I thought, the dress fits you just well,¡± Heplimented her, his eyes twinkling.

    Arianna didn¡¯t know what to feel towards this man. She was mad at him for having left her standing these past days yet was relieved that he was here and at the same time was grossed out. The only way he was able to know her size must be after noticing her body and being overly familiar with a woman¡¯s body to have been able to guess her right. It made her skin crawl. This man was creepy yet he was her only anchor in this ce.

    ¡°Yes, you indeed have an eye for fashion,¡± Arianna didn¡¯t just say that to tter him. It was sincere.

    Unlike the others here, Kenith looked dashing in his red suit and some women were beginning to re at her. Seriously, women never change. However, looking this handsome, was he trying to steal the limelight from Big Joe? After the confession from Cassie, Arianna was beginning to see some hints the others weren¡¯t able to see.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kenith said and took her hand, cing a light kiss on the top of her palm.

    Arianna tried not to notice the res boring into her back. She would surely be careful tonight.

    ¡°When you said I was meeting Big Joe, you didn¡¯t tell me it would be a big celebration,¡± she went straight to her question.

    However, Kenith didn¡¯t reply immediately and instead, picked two flutes from one of the passing waiters.

    ¡°Want one?¡± he offered.

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t drink,¡± she rejected his offer without a second thought. She had to be somber tonight to make the right decision.

    ¡°It would calm your nerves and a drink won¡¯t get you drunk unless you¡¯re really light-headed,¡± He urged her.

    Well, his persuasive ability was really great because she reached out and grabbed one of the flutes, downing the drink in one go, and God, it felt good.

    ¡°Most of the people here are Big Joe¡¯s family members with their friends and business acquaintances,¡± Kenith exined.

    Oh, there was no one to help her then. Arianna had to kick away the idea of using one of them in her long run.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak to any of them,¡± Kenith said to her, causing her brows to raise.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I talk with any of them?¡± She was curious. Did he see through her n?

    ¡°You¡¯re not exactly trustable after yourst stunt and you don¡¯t want to create a bad first impression in front of your husband-to-be,¡± Kenith told her.

    Of course, he knew what she was thinking. Come to think of it, why was he looking out for her? What¡¯s his real motive?

    ¡°Where¡¯s my husband to be then? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s cowardly enough to let his second inmand wee me,¡± Arianna subtly reminded him of his ce.

    ¡°He¡¯s running a littlete and in the meantime, I¡¯ll be the one keeping youpany. With that being said, have a dance with me,¡± He didn¡¯t even offer ratherpel her to the dancing floor where other couples were dancing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good....¡± Arianna was still saying when the man wrapped his hand around her waist and took her hands and kept it on his chest. Before she could even say jack Robinson, they were already swaying on the dance floor.

    It took a while before Arianna couldpose herself and when she finally did, she knew something was not right with this man or her husband to be. She had to find a way to leave here before she became a casualty loss in this brewing war she could sense.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: The Husband Of The Year

    They waltzed across the floor as if they owned the ce. To others, they looked perfect, however, the only thing that kept Arianna going was the thought that she couldn¡¯t mess up. The butterflies in her stomach were bing much stronger and it didn¡¯t help matters that she was beginning to feel ufortable with the way Kenith¡¯s hands were roaming her body.

    At first, his hand had rested on her waist while hers were ced on his chest. However, with time it kept climbing and now his hands were tracing the curve of her back.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Arianna apologized at once when she stepped on his foot, ¡°My bad,¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± Kenith waved it off with his charming smile, ¡°I think this is the point where we end our dance,¡±

    ¡°Oh, ThankGod,¡± Arianna was so relieved she almost said that out loud.

    However, the universe must really hate her because there was a subtle change in the atmosphere and she noticed everyone turning in the direction of the door. What was going on?

    ¡°It seems Big Joe has finally arrived,¡± Kenith informed her,posing himself; he readjusted his tie and straightened out the crease in his suit from their dancing.

    .....

    ¡°Smile,¡± He told her and did so himself.

    Smile? Was that a mask everyone put on around here? But it dawned on her, her husband was finally here. Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to be filled with anticipation or dread.

    The door was opened slowly, almost dramatically and she rolled her eyes. Well, herees the husband of the year. Hopefully, tonight doesn¡¯t turn out to be her wedding night else she would have to kill herself and her dreams go to waste. Great ¨C note the sarcasm.

    And he arrived.

    ¡°You gotta be kidding me,¡± Arianna gasped in disbelief when her gaze fell on him. Whoever named him ¡°Big Joe¡± must have been making a bad joke because that joke was wasted on him.

    It wasn¡¯t until Big Joe was six feet apart from her that Arianna realized she had been staring at him too much. It now made sense why Kenith nor the staff ever talked about her husband to be in her presence. They all knew, all except her.

    May God help her soul because Big Joe was in summary, short. Yeah, the man standing in front of her was no greater than seventy centimeters tall ¨C his height stopped directly at her waist.

    Arianna felt like fainting, no, she wanted to faint, however, unlike what was portrayed in the dramas, it was hard to lose consciousness just like that.

    When Kenith said she would make a good wife, he should have asked if Big Joe ¨C no, short Joe would be a much more suitable title now ¨C would make a suitable husband for her.

    She didn¡¯t want to marry a dwarf ¨C no offense to fellow dwarf out there ¨C but everyone had choices and preferences, what they liked and hated, and Arianna had never wanted to marry a short man. Fate must be messing with her.

    No wonder Kenith has been overly nice to her, he must have pitied her. Sadly, Arianna was more angry than grateful, how dare he pity her when he was the one that put her in this situation in the first ce? She really wanted to punch him right now.

    ¡°Umm... Hello sir?¡± Arianna wasn¡¯t sure what to call him. It wasn¡¯t like they were intimate enough to use affectionate terms on him ¨C God, she¡¯d cringe doing that.

    Short Joe, no, Big Joe ¨C for respect¡¯s sake ¨C didn¡¯t answer, rather he simply snapped his fingers and his men went into action. Arianna watched as they ced a stool in front of him and then two able-bodied men lifted him, cing him on top of the stool that was strong enough to hold his weight.

    The music had stopped the moment Big Joe entered and everyone¡¯s attention was on them hence when a woman couldn¡¯t hold in theughter anymore and chuckled, everyone¡¯s gazended on her the way a camera zoomed in on an image.

    ¡°Oh,¡± The woman said, finally realizing herself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I really didn¡¯t mean it... It was just funny...¡±

    The woman was still saying when two men approached her, grabbed her by the arm, and began to lead her out as she screamed,manding them to let go.

    Arianna knew they wouldn¡¯t kill her. The woman was quite arrogant which meant she or her husband had quite an influence here hence they couldn¡¯t eliminate her easily. But then this proved that Big Joe was quite sensitive about his height and she dared not run her mouth carelessly.

    Arianna was still interested in the scene that a yelp escaped her throat when someone grabbed her chin quite painfully. Her face was turned and she saw that it was no other than her dwarf husband, Big Joe who was checking her out as if she was goods on disy.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± He said to Kenith who looked quite delighted that his boss praised him.

    Not bad? Arianna was close tobusting. Did he ssify her as not bad? How many women out there would jump at the offer of marrying him? The only reason she was here in the first ce was that her choice was taken from her. Arianna was sure she¡¯d murder this man and then end herself if he dared to touch her.

    Big Joe then announced, ¡°Why did the music stop? Come on, this is my special day, Dance! Eat! Merriment!¡± He ordered and at once, everything went back to the way it was before he arrived.

    Before her very eyes, Arianna watched as Big Joe was picked from the seat and to his feet. Her mouth almost fell open from shock, she would never get used to this.

    ¡°Now,e my bribe, let me get to know you,¡± He offered his hand to her that Arianna stared at as if it was a death trap.

    Just p his hand and run away from this hell, Arianna was tempted to do as her mind suggested. But who was she kidding, she would never escape here.

    So she took the devil¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: Baby-producing Machine

    There was a throne at the center of the hall and that was where Big Joe was headed. To think that he was a king, the man must be suffering from delusion of grandeur.

    The throne was so huge that he had to be lifted onto it by his men and then, there was a smaller yet luxurious seat by his side on the second step of the tform for her.

    Their seating spoke lots of volumes. Arianna knew in his eyes that she was lower than him and that made her quite furious. The reason why she had worked hard to get into university was to get a well-paid job so no one looked down on her and marry a partner that epts and respects her as an equal.

    ¡°You are very beautiful,¡± He pointed out and she had to fight against the urge to gag. Of course, her beauty was the only thing that he liked about her.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna still responded with a smile even though she was repulsed by hispliment.

    ¡°What are your hobbies?¡± He asked as if he was really interested to know.

    ¡°I love reading and exploring and it¡¯s wonderful that the earth has so many possibilities that one can never catch on to till their time on earth is exhausted. I want to know as much as ...¡± She was not even done speaking when he interrupted.

    .....

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a pity that none of your hobbies fit none of my needs. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d find new hobbies once we start a family,¡± He hinted at the fact that her role here was to be a child breeder.

    ¡°Take a deep breath, Arianna, do not do something stupid,¡± She tried to calm herself down.

    Arianna was so angry she wanted to scream out. It was beginning to suffocate her inside that she wished to let everything out.

    She wanted everyone here to know that she was more than a bargaining chip, a human being! Her uncle had no right to sell her off! This was against thew! She had dreams until they destroyed it! She did not want to marry big Joe but the love of her life when the timees! She was worth more than a baby-producing machine! She did not want this kind of life!

    However, even as her mouth opened, no sound was heard. Perhaps only the wild animals ¨C that were nowhere to be found here ¨C could understand the frequency of her wordless speech. It was just like she was stuck in a never-ending nightmare and there was no one to help her.

    Thankfully, Big Joe did not notice her woes nor bother her with more questions that were sure to upset her because he was busy epting words of congrattions from his guests.

    It was at that moment that her gaze somehow connected with Kenith from across the room and she could see the apology in his orbs but she was not moved by it. If anything, Arianna red at him that if eyes were bullets he would have been long dead. There was no forgiving him on this one.

    ¡°Congrattions on your new bride,¡± a woman¡¯s chirpy voice caught her attention. Arianna made up her mind not to interfere with Big Joe and couldn¡¯t wait to leave for her room however she could sense mockery from her.

    ¡°Of course, she¡¯s beautiful, perhaps even more than the others before her,¡± The woman went ahead to say and that made her brows furrow.

    Others before her? Arianna was quick to pick on those words. There were others before her? She nced up at the woman, her curious gaze begging for more details.

    ¡°Perhaps she would be smart enough not to try to escape like the others and end up dead,¡±

    ¡°Juliet!¡± Big Joe scolded her.

    The ones who tried to escape ended up dead? A chill traveled down Arianna¡¯s spine and her dreams of leaving here seemed like someone just crushed it into smithereens.

    It seems she had no choice but to adopt Cassie¡¯s suggestion, but then, would she be able to leave with her decision? Dying while escaping seems a better option than living here unfulfilled.

    So while Big shot was having a stare-off with Juliet, Arianna stood from her seat and at once, fell on the foot of his throne. There was no need to be ashamed, everyone in here tonight knew what her fate would be ¨C none of them were innocent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married to you immediately,¡± Arianna announced and she sensed the change in Big Joe¡¯s demeanor, he was mad. However, Arianna was not thwarted, she had no choice but to force his hand in front of everyone. He wouldn¡¯t harm her in public, hopefully.

    She lifted her head to meet his gaze, ¡°Give me one week, no, four days,¡± Arianna changed her mind when she saw his grim expression, ¡°I want to get to know the man that I¡¯m going to spend the rest of my life with. I have experienced a lot of shocking events in just a few days that I¡¯m still a bit lost here,¡± She hinted at them kidnapping her, ¡°And I¡¯m not going to lie, your growth restriction bothers me,¡± She put it mildly.

    Perhaps because of the way she framed his disability carefully, Big Joe wasn¡¯t as mad as she thought he would be.

    So she went on, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to run off and I¡¯ve made peace with my fate ¨C where would I run off anyway when my own family sold me off. But from what I heard from the little time here, marrying you is not that bad anyway. I would get to have power and money. So please, give me a few days to get to spend time with you,¡± Arianna said, almost out of breath. She only hoped that this was enough to buy his trust.

    A huge silence fell over the crowd as they waited for Big Joe¡¯s decision. Sadly, the man sat on his throne with an indifferent expression while Arianna was still on her knees with her head bowed.

    Suddenly, Big Joe burst intoughter that made Arianna bit her lips unsure. What now?

    ¡°I like her, she¡¯s sincere,¡± Big Joe proimed then said, ¡°Request granted,¡±

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Other Intentions

    Four days...

    The two words could barely leave Arianna¡¯s head even after the ceremony went on as if nothing happened. It dawned on her that she had just four days to escape this hell hole. Like a patient with a terminal disease, it was just four days to live and Arianna was sure as hell that she would take full advantage of it.

    It was as if Arianna became a different person after Big Joe granted her that favor. If there was anything she knew about men, it was the fact they valued their ego, and for someone like Big Joe with growth restriction, his own pride would be over the roof.

    So she had a n and it was to buy over Big Joe¡¯s trust in three days. Yeah, you heard her, right, she had just three days to buy his trust and the fourth day would be her executing her ns of running away. And the best way to win over Big Joe¡¯s trust was to stroke his ego.

    In the Bible, it was said that on Herod¡¯s birthday, Herodias¡¯ daughter, danced before the king and his guests. Her dancing pleased Herod so much that in his drunkenness he promised to give her anything she desired, up to half of his kingdom. When Salome asked her mother what she should request, she was told to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a tter. Although Herod was appalled by the request, he reluctantly agreed and had John executed by beheading in the prison.

    Big Joe craved attention and he must want to show off the fact he had an obedient beautiful wife to the world to boost his pride. Wasn¡¯t that Kenith¡¯s intention for bringing her here? Unfortunately, she would turn everything to her advantage. She, Arianna, refused to ept this kind of fate.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to retire for the night?¡± Arianna asked Big Joe, who was watching a dance performance by a group of lovely women d in little articles of clothing.

    .....

    ¡°Do you want to sleep?¡± Big Joe asked back, his gaze staring right into her.

    Arianna pulsed her lips, ¡°I would say sleep is essential for your well-being....¡± and growth, she intentionally didn¡¯t add that one seeing that he was quite sensitive to that, ¡°But then early to bed, early to rise. I have just four days to get to know you so I have to take advantage of tomorrow, don¡¯t you think so?¡± she threw back the question at him with her head tilted at the side with a smile.

    Mimi always told her that her side features were a killer and she had to test that theory now.

    Surprisingly, Big Joe looked dazed for a while as if he let down his defenses and that lit up hope inside her. As expected, men were men ¨C tall or short ¨C and they couldn¡¯t resist a woman¡¯s charm.

    ¡°A-hem,¡± He cleared his throat when he recovered from his daze, ¡°I¡¯ll have Kenith take you back then,¡±

    At the mention of Kenith, the smile on Arianna¡¯s face fell at once. That bastard!

    ¡°Must I leave with him?¡± She intentionally pouted her lips, appearing to be throwing a tantrum. Big Joe must not find out her suspicions about Kenith.

    ¡°He¡¯s the one I trust the most amongst others and he¡¯d take care of you,¡± He ended the conversation and in less than a minute, the always smug Kenith had appeared by her side.

    ¡°You called for me, boss,¡± He bowed his head with respect before his gaze flickered to Arianna who didn¡¯t bother to look at him.

    ¡°She needs rest,¡± Big Joe said so nonchntly that Arianna even began to wonder if she made any progress with him tonight. Big Joe seems so apathetic or maybe, he was pretending? Either one, she was not backing out of this challenge.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need to wait for Kenith to help her to her feet because she was already standing and before everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, leaned over the armrest of Big Joe¡¯s throne.

    At first, Kenith seemed apprehensive and wanted to make a move thinking she was about to harm the boss but to his shock, she pecked him on the side of the cheek instead, saying with a sly smile, ¡°Goodnight Big Joe,¡±

    Everyone was shocked by her move ¨C Big Joe included. He clearly didn¡¯t expect that gesture from her. Truthfully speaking, Arianna could have been a lot cheesier but there was a clear borderline between being sweet and cheesy and Big Joe was not stupid enough to fall for that.

    ¡°Goodnight Arianna,¡± Big Joe said this time and failed to fully mask the goofy smile that appeared on his face.

    Arianna wondered if he even knew that he called her by her name and names were the first step to a close rtionship.

    With a hidden smirk, Arianna turned dramatically and with grace drawing quite an attention as she retreated for the night. Unlike the first time she came in, she was now confident and proud.

    Arianna didn¡¯t speak a word to Kenith as he escorted her to her ce and it wasn¡¯t until he reached her door that she said, ¡°Thanks for your good work,¡± And tried to shut her door on him but he forced his way through.

    She was shocked by his behavior as he backed her into a wall causing her to re at him, what was he up to now?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He growled at that question.

    ¡°I should be the one asking you that question, Mr. Kenith!¡± Arianna retorted with a formal tone that made him freeze up.

    He unconsciously let go of her and Arianna was relieved. Standing to her full height, she said to him with a cold tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up with you Mr. Kenith but I think you should watch the way you behave around me. We don¡¯t want Big Joe to have the wrong impression of us, don¡¯t we?¡±

    Kenith snorted augh, ¡°So you spend just a few hours with him and you think you¡¯re now his woman?¡±

    With a deep breath, Arianna took a forward step till they were staring into each other¡¯s eyes, ¡°You tell me? Wasn¡¯t that your intention of bringing me here in the first ce or is there another reason I don¡¯t know?¡±

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 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: She Quit

    The past days have been strange for Marcel. He kept craving coffee, not exactly the one he made, the one from that store. It was not like the one made at that store was better than his own, but it must be because of a certain redhead.

    So after a meeting at the other branches with his brothers ¨C note: brother is used to refer to fellow gang members ¨C he decided to go to the coffee store.

    Unlike the other time, Marcel was carrying his dog Redhead in his arms. It was weird but he wanted to introduce the doggy redhead to the human redhead. It would be quite a union, don¡¯t you think so?

    Thankfully, the store let pets in as far as it was on a lease. But Marcel was awbreaker and simply held Redhead in his arms with no lease whatsoever.

    ¡°Sir,¡± One of the staff approached him to remind him of the pet rules, ¡°Please, we don¡¯t ept pets that.....¡±

    Marcel simply fished out his premium card and held it out for him saying, ¡°Subtract the penalty fees from here,¡±

    The staff¡¯s hand shook as he received the card from him. He stared down at the card, it was a premium card, a status symbol card only offered to high-earning big spenders. The staff gulped, what was this big shot doing in their humble store?

    .....

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other problems, do I?¡± Marcel winked at the staff with a charming smile that spread abroad his cheeks, exposing his dimples.

    The staff who stared at Marcel¡¯s expression at that moment, stood frozen. What the hell was this? Why the hell was this man trying to turn him gay?

    Gosh, how could a man be more beautiful than his girlfriend? No, no, hold yourself, you shouldn¡¯t fall for this temptation, you can¡¯t handle this kind of man. The male staff mumbled to himself as he went to call his manager because he didn¡¯t know how to deal with this situation anymore, while the person who caused the whole confusion wasfortable.

    Marcel ced Redhead on the seat next to him and sat downfortably. The dog was well behaved so he didn¡¯t have to worry about him scurrying down from his chair and running around the coffee store as he chased after him.

    Perhaps, this was why Peter loved the dog so much toy down his life for him. It made Marcel wonder, would theree a time as well where he would have toy down his life for a dog?

    No, that would never happen, Marcel was confident of that possibility never urring. The dog was merely hispanion that he would abandon at any time and any day without blinking an eye. Right now, he just wanted to introduce him to that female redhead. Maybe he should just gift the dog to her? He had a feeling she would take good care of her.

    So Marcel sat by the same window-side he chose on that day he came. It was far easier to monitor movements from the outside and inside this way in case of danger. The store must be good at dying their customers because, like that day, he sat down waiting for his... Wait a minute, did he order?

    Suddenly, a sly smile tugged his lips to the side, perhaps he could use the excuse of wanting to order coffee to see her. However, his n was brought to naught because the manager and owner of the store came to see him. Marcel¡¯s face changed at once, someone just ruined his mood.

    Sycophant.

    Marcel profiled the man in just one nce. He loved money too much and would use obsequiouspliments to gain self-serving favor from him. Good thing he was used to suckers like this and they irritated him. Or perhaps, he could be of service to him.

    ¡°Good day sir....?¡± The manager tactically inquired of his name.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± He said, thrusting his hand out for a handshake which the man took carefully as if his hand was as fragile as an egg and would break if not cautiously taken.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Manager of this little Caf¨¦,¡± He gestured around, ¡°Is there any way you¡¯re not satisfied with our services, just tell me and I¡¯ll adjust it for your wellbeing,¡± He said politely, treating Marcel like a high figure.

    ¡°Why should you change it for my well-being?¡± Marcel said, earning a confused, ¡°Huh?¡± from him.

    ¡°Everybody should be treated as equals, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Marcel saidughing.

    ¡°Of course,¡± the Manager said,ughing as well albeit awkwardly.

    What kind of weirdo was this, the manager said in his mind.

    ¡°I need two cups of ck coffee,¡± Marcel finally ordered.

    ¡°ck coffee?¡± The manager was surprised. Why would a fine young man like him want something that bitter? So he said to him, ¡°Perhaps you would need whipped cream -¡±

    ¡°I want it as ck as ites,¡± Marcel said with quiet an authority, causing the man to gulp. He nced up at the manager, ¡°Don¡¯t try to change my order the next time,¡±

    ¡°Oh, there will be a next time,¡± the Manager was exhrated. As far as Marcel woulde around once again, he doesn¡¯t mind him scolding him.

    Since the staff has gone to bring his order, Marcel found the manager¡¯s presence quite irritating. He came here to see the redhead, not him.

    ¡°What are you still doing here or do you have a habit of hovering around your customers?¡± he asked him with a raised brow.

    ¡°Oh, sorry about that, sir Marcel,¡± He quickly apologized, ¡°I just thought you would need my presence in case of -¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need your presence. You can leave now and let me enjoy my coffee in peace.....¡± Marcel trailed off when he saw the staffing along with his order.

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Marcel said to him with his brows narrowed thoughtfully, ¡°Why is he bringing my order? What happened to the redhead?¡±

    ¡°What redhead?...¡± The manager said, then it hit him, ¡°You mean Arianna?¡±

    ¡°Arianna?¡± He tested her name on his tongue and the artiction was lovely. Her name was as exotic as the rest of her. He looked up, ¡°Yes, that Arianna,¡±

    ¡°Well, she quit,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

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 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: [Bonus chapter]He Hired The Drama Queen

    ¡°What?¡±

    The news sounded like a bomb had been dropped on Marcel. He hardly got excited and now his excitement was squashed into nothing.

    He looked towards his dog that seemed disappointed by the news as well because his face fell. Redhead must be the most intelligent dog out there, he could even sense the owner¡¯s emotion?

    Then Marcel announced to the manager, ¡°Have a seat,¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± The manager was stunned, he hadn¡¯t been expecting that request from him especially after he chased him away not less than a minute ago.

    ¡°Do you see any other manager that I¡¯m speaking to at the moment?¡± He sassed at him.

    Without further ado, the Manager upied the seat. This was his chance to get this man on his side. Imagine if this man sponsored their caf¨¦, it would reap him huge benefits. He could improve and expand and be a brand name ¨C he could already see himself swimming in money.

    .....

    ¡°So why did she quit?¡± Marcel asked him.

    He was stunned, this was not the conversation he was expecting. He thought Marcel was about to talk business.

    So his face distorted as he answered, ¡°Her? I don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know, you¡¯re her employer!¡± Marcel growled at him, irritated at his nonchnce.

    I¡¯m not her keeper, the manager wanted to say yet kept shut. He had to be obedient if he wanted a favor from this man. Moreover, why was he so interested in Arianna... Could it be he ..... his eyes widened at once.

    This was not the first time he got men interested in Arianna because she¡¯s as beautiful as hell. Damn, if it wasn¡¯t the fact she was his employee, he would have gone after her as well.

    So he answered, ¡°The thing is that it was her rtive who called to announce that she won¡¯t be working anymore. She hasn¡¯te to work ever since,¡± The Manager exined and upon seeing the serious expression on Marcel¡¯s face, added, ¡°Perhaps, her best friend Mimi would be able to give you more details,¡±

    ¡°She has a best friend?¡± Marcel said, bringing the coffee to his lips.

    ¡°Yes, she works here with...What¡¯s the problem?¡± The Manger was quick to notice the way Marcel¡¯s face changed after he took the coffee.

    ¡°It tastes different,¡± Marcelined, ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s sweeter. Who made it?¡± His tone was cold and rigid.

    ¡°That should be Mimi,¡± the manager threw her under the bus without hesitation.

    Marcel chuckled, ¡°She does know how to make friends,¡± He hinted at the fact Arianna¡¯s friends was as troublesome as she was.

    In no time, Mimi was brought before Marcel and she was struck dumb by his beauty as usual.

    ¡°Are you Mimi?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi was roused to the presence by his question, ¡°Y-yes, it¡¯s me,¡±

    Marcel stared her right in the face, Mimi gulped, his eyes were so beautiful. She had to clench her clothes by her side to keep her from doing something stupid.

    ¡°Why did you add sugar to my drink or don¡¯t you respect your customer¡¯s choice?¡±

    At once, Mimi¡¯s eyes widened, how did he know? It was barely a half drop of a cube of sugar that she added into his coffee yet he detected it. Yeah, she was right, this man must be an alien.

    ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± Marcel muttered when the girl didn¡¯t reply and just kept staring at him like a moron.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mimi regained herself, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to disrespect your choice, it just unfair that a man like you haven¡¯t tasted a yummylicious coffee so I decided to give you a hint of it,¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi was puzzled by his reply. What was going on?

    Marcel looked towards the Manger that had been left out during their conversation, ¡°You said you¡¯d adjust everything to my well-being?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± The Manager leaned closer to the table, his gaze glinting with excitement as he was down for business.

    ¡°I want to buy the services of your employee, Mimi,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi was more dumbfounded than her manager. What the hell was going on here? Why does it seem like they were about to sell her away?

    At once, her manager cleared his throat, this was his opportunity to make money off her and she could see in the way he interlinked his fingers together on the table.

    ¡°Sir, I get that you¡¯re rich but Mimi is one of our hardworking staffs out here and it would be a huge loss to the store if we -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d invest in your store, what do you say?¡± Marcel said what the man has been wanting to hear all along. He knew businessmen like him, they were profit conscious.

    ¡°Of course, some changes can be made,¡± the man grinned in a way that made the hair on Mimi¡¯s body stand on edge.

    Mimi was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t know whether to be shocked at the fact that the man just imed she was a hardworking staff and yet, never praised her for once or the fact he was willing to sell her away without blinking an eye right after he praised her? He was indeed a chameleon. Yes, a chameleon!

    On the bright side, she would work for this handsome Adonis. It was a dreame true!

    Marcel turned to her, ¡°You¡¯de to my ce to sign the confidentiality documents tomorrow morning,¡± He informed her.

    However, Mimi didn¡¯t hear the confidentiality part, she was more engrossed ining to his ce part. This alien wanted her toe to his ce? What if he kidnaps her and takes her back to his as a sacrifice to their king?

    Gosh, what are you thinking, Mimi?! Get those nonsense thoughts out of your head. Or could it be..... She thought again.

    Did he like her? And wanted her to be a surrogate mother for him because she seems like the type who doesn¡¯t want to settle down with a man?

    Oh no.

    With widened eyes, Mimi turned to look at Marcel who was smiling charmingly at her from the corner of his eyes even as he drank from his cup.

    Mimi fainted at once, falling on her Manager¡¯s side who went red with frustration as he tried to wake her.

    Marcel sighed, wondering if bringing such a drama queen in his life was a good thing. God, what has he been doing so many crazy thingstely? But then, it was fun. It was almost as if his life suddenly had meaning.

    ¡°We¡¯d see then,¡± Marcel informed the manager ¨C including the unconscious Mimi.

    He picked up his well-behaved chihuahua and made his way towards the door.

    Why had he chosen to hire Mimi even though her coffee-making skill wasn¡¯t even topnotch? Well, Arianna just started a game of cat and mouse with him and he¡¯d be the one to end it.

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 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: Bachelorette Party

    So far so good, her n has been going well.

    Arianna was having the time of her life, no, more like pretending to have the best of her life with Big Joe around.

    She¡¯s managed to garner his trust enough to have her shop around the city, have Ice Creams at fancy caf¨¦s ¨C intentionally avoiding the ce where she works since she doesn¡¯t want to implicate Mimi ¨C and of course, hair salons even though Cassie likes to give her one back home. Yep, home ¨C her luxurious prison.

    Ever since that night she confronted him, Kenith has learned to keep his distance from her. Their rtionship was more formal yet tense. She couldn¡¯t exin it but there was just something about this man that unnerves her especially when he stares at her the way he is doing right now.

    Arianna was in the garden having a refreshing tea party with her husband-to-be, Big Joe. To be precise, she was feeding him a piece of cake which he took into his mouth willingly and Kenith stood at the corner watching them with that unexinable gaze. Does he have feelings for her or is he just salty that his short boss gets to have the beautiful woman he found.

    Well, that¡¯s none of her business. Today¡¯s the fourth day and thest day of her freedom becausee Saturday morning, she¡¯s married. This was the only time to make a request that would determine her future tonight and the rest of her life. It was risky but she had to try it. No sesses easily without risk.

    Arianna was wearing a sleeveless leather dress that showed off quite a cleavage and her curves. Her red hair was curled and cascaded down her shoulders and she put on lipstick looking hot and sassy. If Big Joe was to believe that she¡¯s developing feelings for him, she had to look the part. If there¡¯s anything she knows about women in love, they dressed to impress their partner ¨C and always blushed.

    .....

    So after she fed him the cake, a part of the icing stuck around his lips and she lowered her body towards him.

    ¡°Urm... You got icing on your lips,¡± She gestured using her lips.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Big Joe said and attempted to wipe it but his aim was inurate and only sessfully smeared it the more.

    She smiled at him, ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly get it off but let me help you,¡± Arianna said and then reached out, wiping off the cake and then licked it off her thumb much to Big Joe¡¯s shock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t gag! Don¡¯t throw up!¡± Arianna willed herself mentally,¡± This is just a game of seduction and you¡¯ve been doing so well, don¡¯t ruin it now,¡±

    At once, she covered her difort with a smile bright enough to blind even the sun. So when he finally looked away, she threw away the mask she was wearing.

    Truthfully speaking, Big Joe was a fine man except for the fact he was three years younger than her uncle and was short. However, Arianna knew better than to get sidetracked from her mission; she was only using him.

    Arianna kept on feeding and entertaining him until suddenly her mood plummeted and Big Joe was quick to notice it.

    ¡°What of it, Arianna?¡± He called her by her name which he was now used to. She made him sofortable around her that he lowered his guard.

    Arianna didn¡¯t talk, rather, turned the other way with her face distorted.

    ¡°Arianna, please speak to me. You know there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for you,¡± He begged for her to look at him.

    Finally, Arianna turned and there were tears in her forest green eyes which broke Big Joe¡¯s heart. He referred to her eyes as his green Jade because they reflected serenity and purity when looked into.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he inquired.

    Arianna said atst, ¡°I just realized I didn¡¯t have a bachelorette party. What kind of bride nowadays gets married without one,¡±

    At that confession, Big Joe rubbed his chin, ¡°You want a bachelorette party?¡±

    Arianna nodded her head with her lips pouted innocently.

    ¡°Sure, you can have it,¡± He agreed without hesitation.

    ¡°Yeah!!¡± Arianna was up on her feet in celebration and then she went over to dedicate pecks over his face, ¡°Thank you so much,¡±

    Big Joe was over the moon with happiness. This was the first time a woman showed him attention and wasn¡¯t interested in his money, so of course, he had to make her happy.

    ¡°What do you need for the ceremony?¡± Big Joe was ready to sponsor the event.

    ¡°Well... Urm...¡± Arianna bit on her lips nervously.

    ¡°What?¡± He urged her to speak.

    ¡°Your club?¡± She added, ¡°The richest one there is. It¡¯s a once in a lifetime event and I need to have the best night of my life,¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    Arianna was exhrated, he agreed just like that? She was expecting a bit of disagreement with her which would cause her to produce more tears to convince him. She was not a drama queen but circumstances turned her into one.

    ¡°And my sister,¡± and that request earned a look from Big Joe which made her to quickly exin, ¡°Bachelorette parties involve a smaller group of women that¡¯s more intimately connected to the bride. I would love for my sister to join in my happy celebration tonight,¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Big Joe agreed and that made Arianna release a breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding.

    Why did she invite her sister? Well, tonight deserves a little payback, don¡¯t you think so. Moreover, if she escapes, someone has to take her ce ¨C an evil grin crossed her lips at that thought.

    Arianna was not a saint and before she finally escapes, she would pay back those that harmed her in their own pocket.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Kenith would look over the procedures and organize everything there is to the party,¡± Big Joe said and then raised his chinaware.

    ¡°Cheers to our wedding tomorrow,¡±

    Arianna picked up her own ceramics and clicked it with his, ¡°Cheers to our wedding tomorrow,¡± She took a sip of the tea, her eyes glinting with mischief.

    Tonight was going to be great.

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 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: Salty Woman

    ¡°p me,¡± Mimi muttered as she found herself in the foyer of Marcel¡¯s house. Was she sure she came to the right address? Well then, someone who bought her from her boss must be rich enough to own a mansion like this, she surmised while staring at the reflective marble floor.

    The interior of the house is focused around arge central hallway serving as the main entrance area to the adjacent rooms. It flows into arge, wide staircase to the private rooms on the second floor. The whole ce was spacious, luxurious, and breathtaking, she could almost mistake here for a hotel.

    ¡°Miss. Miracle?¡± a voice said from behind and she turned around only for her gaze to rest on a woman with a blonde bob and looked posh from her head to her feet. She felt intimidated.

    ¡°Yes,¡± The girl raised her hand and added, ¡°And it¡¯s actually Mimi by the way. Miracle seems so outdated so I would request a change of name soon,¡±

    She was still bbering when the woman turned around with one singlemand, ¡°Follow me,¡±

    ¡°Well, she doesn¡¯t talk much,¡± Mimi shrugged and went after her.

    This woman was no other than Macy who was with her signature poker face and climbed up the stairs powerfully like a model who owned the stage and the audience because Mimi was having a serious case of inferiorityplex.

    .....

    ¡°Wow, how can someone look so perfect?¡± Mimi wondered, watching Macy¡¯s graceful and regnant movement with awe. So she decided to imitate Macy.

    Mimi considered her posture and aimed to make her shoulders and back as straight as possible as she let her arms dangle by her sides for bnce. While maintaining Macy¡¯s long and even strides, she stifled theughter that threatened to leave her lips. The scene was soical. God, she couldn¡¯t hold it in.

    Macy was walking straightfaced when she sensed something was wrong. The girl¡¯s movement had changed and she could no longer sight her from her peripheral view as if she was hiding behind her back.

    So Macy suddenly stopped and turned without warning only to catch frozenughter on her face and she arched her brow at her.

    Oh shit, she almost caught her, Mimi¡¯s heart was pounding in her throat. The woman suddenly looked scary. However, even with her emotionless face, Mimi still bravely asked, ¡°Is anything the matter, miss....?¡± She tactically asked for her name.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Macy said

    and that made her ¨C Mimi ¨C lips quirk.

    So the miss with the resting bitch face doesn¡¯t want them to be friends, she thought. Well then, so be it. Arianna would be her one and only friend ¨C if only she can figure out where that stupid girl took off to.

    ording to her uncle, Arianna and his wife had an altercation again, which wasn¡¯t surprising ¨C it¡¯s an everyday drama ¨C only that she ran off this time.

    Although Mimi found it suspicious at first thinking that her uncle¡¯s family might have killed her and framed it on her running away, her idiotic friend, Arianna, called her two days from a line she couldn¡¯t trace back and demanded she shouldn¡¯t search for her and that she was fine.

    Honestly, It hurt her, didn¡¯t they agree to go through the good and the bad times together? Did their friendship mean so little to her? Remembering Arianna made Mimi angry so she shifted the thought out of her head and focused on the mission ahead ¨C working for Marcel.

    She watched as Macy made a sharp turn and climbed the stairs leading to the second floor, she was unable to hold her curiosity anymore.

    ¡°Geez, what does he do with so many rooms?¡±

    ¡°None of your business and don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t need to warm his bed,¡± There was deep hostility in her tone when she said that.

    Mimi gasped in disbelief, why was that woman so salty? So irritated was Mimi by her attitude that she muttered under her breath, ¡°Hopefully you¡¯re not his girlfriend else Marcel is in so much trouble,¡±

    And Macy halted in her tracks because she heard that. She turned to Mimi with a murderous expression that made the girl go a step lower, however, Macy walked with a purposeful stride and stood before her till there was barely space between them.

    Macy leaned closer till they were staring eyeball to eyeball, ¡°It¡¯s Sir Marcel for you and if you want tost here, I suggest you watch your mouth. Do you understand?¡±

    The warning was clear to Mimi, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Macy straightened her back and resumed walking as if nothing happened.

    Mimi took a deep breath, there was trouble in paradise already. She knew from now on that she would have to avoid that salty woman.

    Thankfully, nothing else happened between them until they reached the living room where Marcel was already seated and waiting for her.

    ¡°Mimi,¡± Marcel stood up as soon as his gazended on her. He took her into a hug that made Mimi pretty conscious because that woman was staring at them.

    ¡°Hi sir Marcel,¡± Mimi said, awkwardly pulling out of his embrace. It wasn¡¯t even her first day and she was already walking on hot coals, it seems she¡¯d have to decline this job. However, the thought of her boss back at the Cafe sting her head off made her reconsider the thought.

    ¡°Come on, have a seat,¡± Marcel said, gesturing her to one of the expensive couches. Wow, does this man¡¯s breath produce money as well?

    But Mimi didn¡¯t think much because that salty woman returned with refreshments. When did she even leave in the first ce? However, that was not her concern but the issue at hand of the refreshment. There was no way she was drinking whatever it is that salty woman served. What if she poisoned hers?

    Macy served them refreshments and stood at the corner with the tray in front of her when Marcel said, ¡°It¡¯s alright Macy, you can leave now,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She was surprised. She was not going to be part of this conversation?

    ¡°Give us some privacy,¡±

    Macy was stunned, Marcel didn¡¯t want her around in this meeting? But she was always with him, what was so different now?

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± She bowed nheless knowing Marcel doesn¡¯t do so well with disobedience.

    So Macy left with an angry expression. Marcel was beginning to change and she didn¡¯t like it one bit. She felt ufortable as if someone was about to take her ce. And who the hell was that sassy bitch?

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34: Colour Me Shocked.

    Mimi was finally able to breathe after Macy left. She wondered if Marcel knew he had a tigress by his side and how are they even able to work together?

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you are here,¡± Marcel started the conversation, rousing her from her thoughts.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I exactly had a choice,¡± She blurted out the words before she could stop them. But that was the truth anyway, her boss had not even bothered to ask for her opinion when he sold off her services to him.

    Marcelughed, ¡°I like you, you¡¯re amusing,¡±

    ¡°Thank you?¡± Mimi said, feeling a bit awkward because she remembered Macy¡¯s bitchy word about being a bed warmer. As handsome and rich as Marcel might be, if he tries any funny business with her without her permission, she¡¯d bash him in the head.

    ¡°So here are the papers,¡± Marcel lifted them from off the couch where he was sitting and ced them on the ss table positioned in the middle.

    ¡°You¡¯d work exclusively for me but it¡¯s your choice to serve others. Although it would work best for me if you lived here -¡±

    .....

    ¡°Live here?!¡± Mimi shouted, an using gaze in her eyes. Could it be that Marcel was hitting on her and this was an attempt to bring her closer to him so he could make her fall for him just like they do in those romance novels? But then, she was sure he was hitting on Arianna that day. Was he a womanizer? Is that why Macy was hostile to her? Did she see her as apetition?

    ¡°It¡¯s not apulsory condition ¨C just a suggestion,¡± Marcel said with emphasis having recognized her misunderstanding, ¡°It¡¯s just that I have erratic working hours and might need a drink in the dead of the night. But don¡¯t worry, I believe that¡¯s asking too much,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think over it,¡± Mimi could only say. She was not going to lie, the idea of living in this house was quite tempting.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Marcel said, taking a sip of the drink as she went over the contract.

    Mimi went through the contract and it was quite good, especially the working hours. She had almost little to nothing to do herepared to the hours she spent standing at the caf¨¦. It just bothered her how she was going to tackle Marcel¡¯s irregr working hours. Would she have to make trips here even in the middle of the night? Well, just like he said, they would figure that one outter. However, when she came to the remuneration part, her jaw almost dropped.

    ¡°Holy mother of God, you¡¯d pay me this much? I¡¯m not even a Professional barista!¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t believe it. She felt like this ignorant rich man was just wasting his money on her. Perhaps, he had more than enough to throw away.

    ¡°You¡¯re worth more than enough,¡± Marcel assured her, ¡°Besides, you¡¯d get professional training,¡±

    ¡°Professional training?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why would you get a novice barista and hire professionals to teach her? Why don¡¯t you hire a professional instead? You have enough money to do so anyway.¡± It seemed too good to be real. What kind of buy one, get one program was this? Even her former boss wouldn¡¯t do this.

    Marcel chuckled, ¡°Trust me when I say I¡¯ve never had a bad investment,¡±

    ¡°It sounds like one to me. You don¡¯t even know me. Why would you invest in me,¡± It was quite suspicious, to be honest.

    Marcel breathed, ¡°Just say I have eyes for spotting out gold among the rubbles and don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t need my help because I know you do,¡± His eyes bore into hers and she had a hard time refuting his words.

    Marcel was right, she really needed this money. Unlike Arianna, she didn¡¯t have student loans to pay off, however, for how long was she going to rely on her parent¡¯s help. She needed cash to be established, you know? And this job seems to be the right one.

    Mimi didn¡¯t reply, rather she picked up the document and kept reading it until she got to the contract breach part. Her gaze lifted in disbelief, ¡°Where would I get this much?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t breach the contract,¡± Marcel said calmly, much more interested in his drink or so she thought because he asked, ¡°What are you going to do? Sign or leave it?¡±

    Mimi chewed the inside of her cheeks, going over her options. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and It¡¯s not like she would have any job after she rejects this one ¨C her boss would surely fire her for rejecting this offer.

    With a deep breath, Mimi picked the pen that was strapped into the document and signed the contract. And just like that, it was done.

    ¡°You forgot the confidentiality document,¡± Marcel reminded her.

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi was startled and looked down to discover there was another document, although the pages were much smaller than the ones she had signed in the contractual document. But then, she had been distracted by the thought of the money and breach of contract sum she hadn¡¯t thought of.

    Mimi picked the document and went through the pages as Marcel exined, ¡°That is to make sure you don¡¯t go spilling what goes on in this ce to others ¨C not even family members nor friends,¡±

    ¡°You speak as if you do shady stuff,¡± Mimi said without much thought while still going through the papers.

    ¡°Oh yes, I do,¡± Marcel said and that singlement made Mimi¡¯s brows shoot up.

    ¡°Rich men have kinky hobbies, ever heard of that?¡± Marcel winked at her and Mimi breathed a sigh of relief.

    She had thought he was carrying out illegal activities, who knew he just had those sort of fetishes.... a-hem. This was none of her business. But then, there goes the man of her dreams. Sigh.

    Without a second thought, Mimi picked the pen and sighed,pleting all the signatures needed on the pages of the documents.

    ¡°And you begin tomorrow officially. Have as much rest as you can today,¡± Marcel said to her with a bright smile.

    ¡°Thank you for this opportunity,¡± Mimi said, leaving the documents on the table, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave then,¡± she was already on her feet when Marcel said.

    ¡°Your friend,¡±

    She turned, ¡°What friend?¡±

    Marcel gestured, ¡°The one with the red hair?¡±

    ¡°Why? What about her?¡± Mimi asked and then got a real good look at him as a smile crossed her lips, ¡°Oh. Trust me, she¡¯s not that kind of person?¡±

    ¡°What kind of person is she?¡± Marcel didn¡¯t bother to hide his intention.

    ¡°The kind who would kick you in the forbidden spot if you tried a funny move on her. Trust me, she¡¯s not up for your kinky stuff,¡± Mimi advised him.

    ¡°You never know until you test people. There¡¯s always this darkness in us, it can be quite enthralling,¡± He tried to convince her.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite a pity you won¡¯t be able to test that out since she¡¯s left already,¡± Mimi unintentionally gave him the details he has been craving for.

    ¡°She left?¡± His gaze narrowed, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s private matters. Thanks for the job, Sir Marcel and see you tomorrow,¡± Mimi was wise enough not to give too many details of her friends to strangers.

    As soon as Mimi left, Macy was back and he wasn¡¯t even surprised when she asked, ¡°You have a barista already, why did you hire her?¡±

    ¡°Because I want to, is there any problem with that?¡± Marcel asked icily, his gaze trained on her with a warning. Macy¡¯s been a bit overbearingtely, it seems he would have to cut down her wings a little.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Macy said, lowering her gaze immediately as she sensed Marcel had reached his tolerance gauge.

    ¡°How¡¯s the progress with Ruth¡¯s assistant?¡± He moved ahead to the next matter at hand without giving attention to her upset expression.

    ¡°We have a little problem,¡± She said, drawing Marcel¡¯s attention. Why were his people experiencing lots of problemstely?

    ¡°What is it now?¡±

    ¡°Big Joe has her?¡±

    He frowned, ¡°Who¡¯s Big Joe,¡±

    ¡°The Red Giant. It¡¯s a small gang but they hold quite a lot of power due to their clubs and prosperous loan shark business,¡± Macy updated him.

    Marcel rubbed his chin, ¡°You think they have her because we want her?¡± This was not the first time gangs took away their opponent¡¯s prey.

    ¡°I hardly doubt so. Her uncle took money from them and was unable to pay up, she was collected and now has to marry Big Joe. ording to what I heard, she has a lucky fate marrying him,¡± Macy said.

    ¡°Unfortunately, that marriage can¡¯t stand, at least, until I have what I want from her ¨C I can¡¯t kidnap someone¡¯s wife, can I?¡± Marcel sighed, ¡°It seems I¡¯d have to take care of this myself. Let me see what this troublemaker looks like,¡± He ordered Macy.

    Macy at once opened a picture of Ruth¡¯s assistant on her tablet, handing it over to him. Marcel never prepared himself for the shock toe because when he saw that redhead, a gasp left his lips, ¡°Oh my, color me shocked,¡±

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 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35: Returning The Favor

    Tonight was the D-day, sadly, Arianna¡¯s confidence had zeroed down. To be honest, she didn¡¯t have any ns but instincts ¨C an instinct that Ruth might have heard of her situation and prepared an escape n.

    Unfortunately, she needed a ce that can be essed easily by all and sundry ¨C she was providing Ruth with an opportunity to bust her out. She just hoped that her instincts were right, else she¡¯s doomed.

    Arianna wore a body con sparkly sequin dress that had a deep V neck exposing quite a cleavage. It had no sleeves, just spaghetti straps, and her back was exposed. Her hair was brushed back and then pulled in a ponytail with her eye highlighted with makeup, popping out the green. In one word, Arianna looked hot and provocative ¨C and ready to party!

    The only problem she had was her entourage. It seems Big Joe didn¡¯t trust her as fully as she thought because Cassie and a few other girls ¨C she didn¡¯t know about their existence until tonight ¨C would be joining her. Big Joe imed they were there to cheer her up. Yep, she would thank him after this ¨C note the sarcasm.

    Arianna was more bothered about Cassie because she was Kenith¡¯s right-hand woman and wouldn¡¯t support her n to escape. Hence they weren¡¯t on the same team, however, nobody was changing her mind about escaping nor would anyone ruin her n.

    And did she forget the part where Kenith would be joining her as usual? Yeah, Arianna had to be strong for tonight else she might as well lose hope before her escape even begins.

    The girls added to her group were three in number ¨C Ashley, Chelsea, and Rose ¨C and honestly, they were quite fun to be with. They helped Cassie apply her makeup and there she came to know more about them. Unlike Cassie who was taken against her will, the others worked for Big Joe ¨C yeah, they were sex workers. But they were pretty fun to be with and Arianna liked them.

    .....

    They were having the time of their life when a knock sounded on the door and an unexpected guest came in causing the whole room to go deadly silent. Well, she wasn¡¯t exactly an unexpected guest.

    A predatory smile crossed Arianna¡¯s lips at the sight of her cousin udia. Her blonde cousin stood at the door unsure and Arianna could sense the anxiety in her body and that made her excited. This was going to be fun.

    ¡°Hello udia,¡± Arianna said with a big smile but that unnerved udia. She couldn¡¯t understand why she was brought here, wasn¡¯t Arianna enough payment already?

    udia was full of guilt and fear. She was the one who suggested selling Arianna off and had been delirious with Joy when the n worked. She had imagined Arianna living a miserable life here, hence it hade as a huge shocker when the collector came at their door to announce her sister needed her at her bachelorette party.

    udia knew she didn¡¯t have a choice and went quietly with the collector. However, she knew one thing for sure, Arianna called her over for vengeance. She was dead meat.

    She was still lost in thought when Arianna came over to where she stood and took her in a tight embrace, ¡°Finally, you are here. We can have some fun now,¡±

    udia swallowed deeply, she knew it. She was avenging her for all the things she did.

    Truthfully speaking, Arianna didn¡¯t have anything bad nned against udia, or did she? She just enjoyed seeing that nervousness on her face and there was nothing as much entertaining as mental torture.

    Arianna knew udia and her mother were the ones who suggested and forced her uncle to ept the idea of selling her off to the loan shark. She wouldn¡¯t want to steep low to their level but udia wouldn¡¯t have a pleasant stay here either. Was there an act of better revenge than showing off to your enemies that you¡¯re living better than they imagined?

    ¡°Hi guys, this is my wonderful cousin, udia. Please, be kind to her,¡± Arianna spoke with thick irony.

    Be kind to her, her butt!

    Everyone in this room knew her history with her uncle¡¯s family and Arianna was sure as hell that they would exact judgment on udia for her sake. That was it, she didn¡¯t even have to lift a finger ¨C others were willing to fight her war for her.

    ¡°Hi,¡± udia waved her hand, full of nervousness. She just realized she was in the den of lions.

    ¡°Hi,¡± the girls ¨C including Cassie ¨C said synchronously causing the tension in the environment to thicken. udia was the odd one here and she knew it.

    ¡°Have a seat, we¡¯d be leaving soon,¡± Arianna said, returning to the seat in front of the dresser.

    udia looked around the room and tried to sit on the edge of the bed since there were no more chairs. However, before she could rest on the spot she desired, one of the girls upied there saying, ¡°Sorry, I like it here. You can go over there,¡± Chelsea pointed to the spot where she had been sitting.

    She didn¡¯t say anything, if anything, udia had a polite smile on her face as she moved on. However, before she could sit there, Ashley had already moved to the spot, saying,¡± Oops, you¡¯rete. Just go over there,¡± She pointed to her position.

    udia didn¡¯t say anything but the veins on her forehead were proof enough that she was trying to control herself. And as she expected, Rose took the spot where she was supposed to sit, saying, ¡°Sorry, my butt just moved,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± udia lied through her teeth. She was not alright at all, however, could she take on all of them? No. So she had to be a good girl and move on.

    However, before udia could take a step forward, Rose put out her leg and tripped her. udia fell to the ground at once earning loud mockingughter from the girls.

    Arianna didn¡¯tugh yet there was no trace of sympathy on her face either. Just like her uncle, who watched as his wife and daughter maltreated her, she was doing the same. Her silence was not revenge, rather it was called ¡®returning the favor.

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 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36: Found Him First

    As soon as they were done, Arianna led her entourage ¨C including the miserable-looking udia ¨C out the door only to stumble into Kenith who seems to have been waiting outside all this while.

    Kenith¡¯s gaze roved over her body from her head to her feet and then back up again. He gulped when his gaze finallynded on Arianna¡¯s breast with an intensity that made goosebumps spread over her skin.

    At once, Ariana wrapped her arm over her chest and tilted her head to the side with a questioning brow, ¡°Well?¡±

    That look of defiance in her eyes was enough to wake Kenith from his reverie and he gestured, ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything and walked ahead, her entourage following her. Right now, she was the queen bee and walked with her head held high.

    They went outside and there on thewn was a limousine with its door opened already waiting for her to enter.

    ¡°Go in. Big Joe says his wife has to get the best treatment,¡±

    .....

    Arianna¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the ground, Big Joe prepared this for her? At once, gratitude and guilt filled Arianna. She was grateful for his devotion to uplift her status especially now her sister was here and at the same felt guilty that she would be leaving him.

    However, Arianna was no fool to be moved by the huge gesture. As much as she was this thankful to Big joe, for how long would this special treatmentst? She was taken against her freedom and would always remember that.

    Arianna finally understood whydies killed themselves over the chance to get into a limousine. It had the mostfortable seat and she could adjust them. The services were top-notch ¨C there was television and even a minibar.

    Since it wasn¡¯t the first time for the trio ¨C Chelsea, Ashley, and Rose ¨C in a limousine, they already started a party. Arianna intentionally didn¡¯t drink ¨C although she could hold her liquor a bit ¨C she needed a clear head for today¡¯s n. But for how long? Sooner orter it would seem suspicious if she doesn¡¯t drink because this was her bachelorette party.

    udia didn¡¯t say a single word along the way. She was an outcast and the trio made sure to remind her of that. Cassie was the only one who made one or two conversations with her. Arianna simply didn¡¯t care, she was having fun anyway until their car reached their destination.

    They drew quite an attention as soon as they arrived, six hot-looking girls stepping down from a limousine. Thankfully, udia had the sense to dress sensibly. Perhaps, she had dressed superior in the first ce to intimidate Arianna, she just never expected that her dear cousin was on a whole new level now.

    Arianna and her team didn¡¯t get to use the normal entrance that was filled with people trying to get inside with their tickets and stood in a file. They used a VIP entrance that led them directly to the heart of the club.

    Just as Arianna expected, the club was sting with music and full of dancing bodies. The dance floor was dimly lit, providing a sensual experience where one can dance for hours. Glossy marble floors, burnished good fittings, and chandeliers dangling from the roof, the club looked luxurious.

    However, even as they were being led to their private booth upstairs, Arianna was busy assessing the number of guards and a possible escape route, and to be honest, the situation didn¡¯t seem favorable. The only advantage she had was the crowd, she could put that to better use when the timees.

    The booth was customized for them hence everything they needed was already set and that was drinks ¨C lots of it. Chelsea didn¡¯t waste time to get the party started and the music sting from the speakers helped uplift their spirits that Arianna didn¡¯t even know when she started drinking.

    At that moment, she forgot all about udia and her family and the situation she was in ¨C getting married tomorrow to the short love of her life that she was supposed to fall in love with already as expected after the condition she gave to him.

    She just kicked all of her problems to the back of her mind and had fun. After all, today might be thest night of her life if she fails to escape and is caught by Big Joe. She would party as if there¡¯s no tomorrow.

    So when Rose grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go dance,¡± and led her downstairs to the dance floor, she didn¡¯t object at all. Dancing was exhrating as if she was riding off the problems on her shoulder and didn¡¯t get to see the special guest that made his appearance.

    Marcel¡¯s nose was puckered in distaste as soon as he came into the club. He hated the cramped dance floor because he had to rub against sweaty and lustful bodies. With the entourage he came with, it was only a matter of time before the members of the Red Giant gang discovers his identity and goes on the defense.

    Marcel wasn¡¯t exactly liked in the underworld because he¡¯s rumored to bring destruction wherever he goes. Well, you can¡¯t really me him. What can he do when he doesn¡¯t get what he wants except take it ¨C forcibly. And did he forget to add, brutally.

    He heard the girl was here for her balchorrete party and hade to take what belongs to him. There was no way he was leaving without her. And while he was looking, his gaze went upstairs and connected with a man¡¯s ¨C the second inmand to Big Joe ¨C who narrowed his gaze immediately. He didn¡¯t recognize him but Marcel knew he sensed he was no ordinary human.

    Well, there goes his peaceful negotiation. Stealing, no, borrowing ¨C that was a much better term for that ¨C the girl right under their nose and returning her when he¡¯s done was a much better option than a physical confrontation. One of them ends bloody.

    ¡°Spread out,¡± Marcel said to his men, ¡°and find the girl,¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± six of them said in unison and left.

    Marcel intentionally got lost in the crowd because he couldn¡¯t stand that man¡¯s ¨C Kenith ¨C gaze on him, continuing his search for the girl. And just like that, he found her, only that she found him first.

 Chapter 37

    37 That petty Thief

    Arianna forgot that the world existed anymore as she was high at the moment. And it was in the middle of jumping up and down, whipping her head back and front that her gaze fell on him.

    He drew her to him like a moth to a me and she couldn¡¯t take her gaze away even if she wanted. What was he even doing here?

    She saw him whisper some words to the men with him and they dispersed like wildfires. While Rose and the others were still dancing, Arianna discovered something else, the tension in the air was thick. Something didn¡¯t seem right.

    Like a psychopath immersed with his target, Arianna studied Marcel and followed his gaze even when it rested on Kenith leaning over the balustrade from upstairs. She saw everything; the way Kenith¡¯s face distorted as soon as he saw Marcel and Marcel looking away as if he didn¡¯t want to be seen.

    Just like her keen senses detected at the caf¨¦ that day, Arianna knew there was something dark and dangerous about Marcel, and now she confirmed that he was a criminal or something, she had to stay away from him..... or maybe not.

    Arianna turned fully this time. Maybe this was the sign she has been waiting for all this while. She doubted Ruth sent him to help but she based Ruth helping her out on hypothesis, what if help is noting at all? She couldn¡¯t just sit down and wait for help toe, she had to create one and this was the time she had been waiting for.

    She knew how dangerous her n was, however, it was better to die in the hands of a handsome stranger than to be in a sad marriage where she has no freedom forever.

    ¡°Arianna, where are you going?¡± Chelsea asked as soon as she made a move.

    ¡°Hook up with a sexy stranger,¡± Arianna winked at her.

    .....

    At first, there was a look of shock on Chelsea¡¯s face however it slowly changed into a naughty grin and the girl slowly resumed her dancing.

    Honestly, Arianna felt guilty. She knew the girls would be tortured about her whereabouts ¨C that is if she does escape sessfully. She just prayed they were valuable enough for Big Joe not to have them killed.

    Her cousin, udia? Arianna didn¡¯t give a fuck about that one. She made her bed, sleep on it.

    As soon as Arianna began to walk towards him, Marcel turned around and her heart skipped a beat, a soft gasp leaving her lips.

    It was almost as if she was in a speeding car that collided with a trailer, the impact knocking the breath out of her lungs ¨C and of course, she dies.

    How could someone be so good-looking?

    His gray eyes seemed to prate through her like x-rays and to be honest, it wasn¡¯t just about the looks that drew her to him. His aura was dark yet exciting like an aphrodisiac. Shit, what the hell was she even talking about?

    Arianna almost lost her confidence when their gaze connected, however, seeing his dazed expression boosted her and she sashayed over to him. However, as she walked on, her gaze somehow met with Kenith¡¯s and she understood he knew her n and as a matter of fact, was climbing down the stairs in a hurry.

    Oh no.

    Arianna hastened her steps immediately, this was no time to y beauty queen. Her life was on the line here and thankfully, the handsome stranger has not made a move yet. If anything, he was watching her with amusement.

    Marcel was fascinated, the girl he came to capture wasing to him on her own? The innocent prey offering herself willingly to the predator? This could only be a miracle.

    He kept on watching her until she stopped right in front of him. Marcel tilted his head challengingly, expecting her to be the first to speak up. However, to his greatest surprise, Arianna pulled him to her body and hugged him.

    Marcel almost reacted by instinct, ready to defend himself when she raised her hand thinking she was about to attack him. However, he didn¡¯t know what attack was more lethal at the moment, the physical or emotional attack because when Arianna hugged him, he just stiffened up.

    What the fuck was this redhead doing? Does she know that people who dared to touch his body without permission ended up dead? You do know she could be nothing but an assassin sent to lower your guards and then end you, his mind told him. Yet Marcel didn¡¯t say a word and was motionless until he heard her melodious voice whisper into his ears,

    ¡°You didn¡¯t choke on your coffee?¡±

    Laughter almost escaped his lips, she still remembered that? But before he could make aeback for hisment, Arianna vanished into the crowd. Marcel turned around and all he could see were bodies of dancing people with no trace of the girl.

    ¡°She¡¯s close, check out every entrance,¡± Marcel muttered into his inte to his men when Kenith arrived and he intentionally blocked his path.

    Kenith looked down at the man blocking his way and recognized him as the man who Arianna hugged. He looked really familiar but he couldn¡¯t tell where exactly he had seen him. But Arianna was a more important task than his identity, so he pushed past him only for the man to resist his movement.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡± Kenith red down at him.

    However, Marcel was far lost in thought because when Kenith pushed into him, he felt a certain pocket in his trouser was empty. He at once dipped his hand into his pocket and came up with nothing.

    Oh no.

    Rage filled Marcel and he was close to grabbing Kenith and demanding he give back his wallet whenmon sense told him he was not the one with the wallet. He was sure of his wallet being with him until a certain redhead hugged him.

    That redhead.

    At once Marcel¡¯s brows furrowed and his jaw ticked.

    Wait till he gets his hand on that petty thief.

 Chapter 38

    38 Eyes So Familiar

    Arianna knew they woulde for her ¨C including the handsome man she just stole from ¨C and ran hard for her life. Why had she stolen from Marcel though?

    To create a diversion. Marcel didn¡¯t look like an ordinary man and would want to have her before Kenith does. Luckily for her, Kenith was too proud and conceited and would never hand her over to him. You could only imagine what happens afterward, a fight between both men? While they¡¯re engrossed fighting it out, she would make her escape ¨C that is if she does get caught.

    Moreover, she also took his wallet to cover her expenses. If Arianna was going to survive the night and days ahead, enough to connect with Ruth ande up with a n to leave this country, she needed money. Sadly, the only thing she had on her was Big Joe¡¯s ck card which she couldn¡¯t use unless she wanted to be tracked down. But then, luck was on her side because Marcel was loaded. God bless his soul.

    Arianna wasn¡¯t stupid enough to go through the VIP entrance nor the normal one, that would be the first ce they would search for her. So that left her with one option, the emergency exit.

    Every building had one and Arianna had stolen, no, slipped a jacket from an unobserving drinker. The jacket had been spread over the top rail of the chair and the man had his back turned to her drinking with a woman by his side when Arianna passed by him and the material vanished instantly. The poor fool didn¡¯t even notice it.

    The jacket had a hood which Arianna was grateful for and so she hid her face while navigating around the club, trying to find the exit. Arianna knew the more time she spent here, the harder it would be to leave since they would have all exits blocked.

    Lucky for her while going through the small hallway assigned for staff, she saw the safety sign and floor markings that led her to the side-hinged doors.

    The door was not closed and Arianna pushed it open with a grunt and was directly led outside to her utmost joy. She could finally taste freedom. However, that joy was short-lived because an rm red straight into her ears and she knew at once she was in trouble.

    Oh no.

    .....

    Arianna didn¡¯t waste a second and sprinted into a run. The club was not located along the main road else she would have easily found a taxi that would take her away from here. So Arianna was left running across the street and dodging into alleyways for cover.

    The security rm drew Big Joe¡¯s men to the exit like bees to a honeb and even without seeing them, Arianna could hear them from her hiding ce as Kenith barked orders to find her at all cost.

    Cold chills run down Arianna¡¯s back, she didn¡¯t put all of her efforts into escaping only to be caught and dumped back into that hell hole once again. She would rather die than get captured.

    At once, Arianna bent down and tore a split in her gown to create more space for movements since she was going to battle. With the jacket that reached her thigh, she was really tempted to rip that annoying gown off her body but Arianna wasn¡¯t really confident enough to fight in a thong.

    It was while Arianna was trying to take off her heels that she felt a sudden change in the environment. She had hidden in a barely illuminated alleyway using the cover of the night and all she could see were silhouettes and right now, one was behind her.

    Arianna gulped yet didn¡¯t show signs of tension, at least she tried not to, else whoever that was behind her might sense she knew of his presence. She continued with what she was doing, taking off her shoes and that was a good n because those pointy heels were weapons.

    As soon as Arianna was up, she didn¡¯t hesitate and swung violently at him. However, that person must have premeditated her move because he dodged her blow while he grabbed her other hand. Before Arianna could find her bnce, he already grabbed her hand from behind and pushed her up against the wall.

    Arianna let out an ¡°oof¡± sound at the impact, he wasn¡¯t particrly gentle with her. Her face was pressed against the wall while the man had her hands behind her, getting rid of the heels she still stubbornly clung onto as if she still had a fighting chance.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna cried out as soon as he took her shoes, that had been herst hope. ¡°You can¡¯t take me to Big Joe, you would have to kill me to do that!¡± She hissed through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Sorry, little thief but you¡¯re not going to your darling Big Joe but my boss, Marcel whom you stole from,¡± The man snarled, taking the wallet from her pocket and showing it off to her face, confirming that she was a petty thief.

    Dread filled Arianna, how did Marcel find her so easily? Aside from that, this was not how she nned it out, he was supposed to be fighting with Kenith over her. Marcel had men with him? This was so unfair.

    ¡°Well, now you have the wallet, you can let me go, right?¡± Arianna hoped, no, begged while still in that ufortable position. Gosh, the asshole doesn¡¯t know how to treat ady.

    ¡°Sorry little thief but my boss has more dealings with you and needs one or two conversations with you,¡± He confessed and that made her brows furrow.

    One or two conversations? That doesn¡¯t sound good. She doesn¡¯t even know who Marcel was enough to have a conversation. Gee, she even told him to choke on his coffee.

    ¡°And now we leave because trust me, my boss doesn¡¯t have that much of a patience,¡± He said and was just about to turn her around when Arianna heard a thud, as if someone just dropped to the space beside them. It was followed by a grunt of pain from that man and the next, total silence.

    Arianna¡¯s heart sped up, what was going on? She turned around immediately only to see in the faint darkness that the man had fallen and there was another before her with eyes so familiar.

    ¡°You -!¡± That was thest word she had on her lips when something pierced her neck and the next thing, she was surrounded by darkness.

 Chapter 39

    39 I¡¯ll Survive

    Arianna was on a beach in Fiji, sucking down mojitos andughing in the sun. She was having the time of her life when suddenly dark clouds gathered around the sky and cast dark shadows over them.

    Soon that dark cloud materialized into a hurricane that pursued her and everyone at the beach. Arianna took off, running hard amid the shuffling crowd.

    At a point, she watched a man fall to the ground with the others stampeding him to death and that made bile rose to her throat. No, she can¡¯t die like this.

    However, as much as Arianna ran, it was not enough and soon enough the hurricane swallowed her up. Arianna found herself swirling and swirling in the spiral mess until suddenly, she found herself in a church.

    Arianna abruptly found herself in a church and a wedding gown. What the fuck? But that was the least of her problems because looking to her right was Big Joe standing on a little podium to match her height while a priest stood in front of them.

    ¡°My God, what is happening?!¡± Arianna eximed with her mouth opened with shock as she stared around the church.

    Kenith was the best man, which was pretty predictable while Cassie seems to be her chief bridesmaid with Chelsea, Rose, and Ashley as her bridesmaids.

    In the rows of seats were guests that were unfamiliar to her, although not all because there were her uncle, his wife, and daughter all staring at her with a smug smile. Arianna swore she saw Marcel as well, he waved at her with his usual annoying expression.

    Arianna could have looked around more until she heard the priest ask, ¡°Do you, Arianna, take Big Joe, to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.¡±

    .....

    Were they kidding her? Why would she marry him? She would rather die than do that. Confidently, Arianna opened her mouth to say, ¡°No,¡± but what came out of her mouth was a ¡°Yes,¡±.

    Her mouth hung open in shock. What just happened? She wanted to reject the vow, not ept it. It was almost as if she was no longer in control of her mouth.

    ¡°And now, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride,¡± the priest announced and Arianna went into full-blown panic. Oh no, this was not happening.

    Big Joe turned to her with an eager smile showing that he couldn¡¯t wait to kiss her while Arianna had a cringe. The more Big Joe¡¯s leaned down, Arianna leaned back and was prepared to flee when a chain suddenly appeared around her neck, nearly suffocating her.

    Big Joe pulled on it drawing her closer and Arianna turned around to see that everyone wasughing hysterically, most especially her uncle and his family in a way that made the hairs on her back stand on edge. Theirughter was crazy and did she forget to add, creepy.

    Arianna turned to Big Joe still pulling her closer by the chain, his mouth puckered and he was ready to kiss her. But all of a sudden, his mouth grew impossiblyrge, almost to the size of a monster, and looked ready to swallow her alive. The closer his monstrous mouth came to her, Arianna screamed.

    ¡°Hey, Arianna!¡±

    She felt someone call her name and a slight tapping on her cheeks but she was too far into the dream to wake up. Arianna continued to shout and whimper from the terror of the dream she was stuck in.

    ¡°Wake up, Arianna!¡± He barked at her, shaking her vigorously and that did the magic.

    Arianna woke up to a pair of hands holding her down and her survival instinct kicked in. Without thinking much, plus the advantageous position she was in, Arianna reached out and kneeled him right in the ce where the sun never shines.

    That move has always proved effective and it was not surprising when he rolled off her, groaning in pain and giving her time to breathe.

    While the man was trying to hold her down, it was almost as if she was drowning and needed to breathe.

    Arianna got off the bed and took a long, deep breath into her lungs, her chest heaving as if she ran a marathon. She still had no clue what was going on here nor how she got here.

    Then it hit her as she rememberedst night¡¯s encounter and those blue electrifying one.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± She gasped, ¡°Elijah!¡±

    Arianna rushed over to the bed when Elijah was on his back in the bed clutching a certain area of his body, still moaning in pain.

    ¡°Oh my God! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Arianna took off his hand, trying to ess the level of damage she had done on him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Arianna was so filled with guilt that she didn¡¯t know when she touched him down there and when she realized what she did, jerked away from him with wide eyes.

    What the fuck was wrong with her? She wished the ground could open up and swallow her whole. Arianna was so embarrassed.

    ¡°Just give me a minute, I¡¯ll survive,¡± Elijah said to her through gritted teeth. So much for trying to help her.

    Hence Arianna could only chew on her teeth helplessly as she waited for Elijah to recover from the attack she inflicted on him.

    While he was in the middle of ¡°recovering¡±, Arianna took that opportunity to observe him.

    As expected, Elijah hid his face from her again and unlike the other time where he was wearing a mask, he had face paint.

    His face was powdered and from his nose upward was the elegant painting of a Phoenix, actually its wings. It was a perfect blend of red and a golden palette with shines on it. It perfectly hid his identity without being disturbing to look at.

    Arianna actually envied him. Why were the men in her life so handsome? Well except a certain husband, Big Joe that would be pissed as hell over her disappearance.

 Chapter 40

    40 Fall Into Temptation

    ¡°You must really like me that much,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was roused from her thought by that his voice and upon turning around to meet his smug look, understood what he meant by that and went red in the face instantly. He caught her staring at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Elijah said, sitting up at once and it pleased Arianna to know that he could walk properly now. She didn¡¯t even know what to do if she had crippled the source of his future generation. She had to review her kicking instinct from now on.

    Elijah went on, ¡°You can stare all you want, I know I¡¯m handsome,¡± He smirked at her, causing her heart to skip a beat.

    The arrogance of the man, Arianna sighed.

    Honestly, she didn¡¯t like Elijah that much, although she was physically attracted to him. She means, what woman in her right mind wouldn¡¯t? Even though she hasn¡¯t seen the rest of his face, the way he stared at her with those electric blue eyes was enough to light her body up. His eyes were attractive andpelling, it was a hotbination.

    However, Arianna would be thest person to stroke his already inted ego, ¡°Well, who knows if you¡¯re indeed handsome with your face always covered,¡±

    That question prompted Elijah¡¯s brows to raise and he nced up at her, holding her gaze. They stared at each other for a while until he said confidently, ¡°You confirmed the other day at the clinic that I was handsome,¡±

    ¡°I can say anything tofort a man in pain,¡± Arianna retorted with a lift of the corner of her mouth.

    .....

    Their petty contention was fun and Arianna was enjoying every bit of it. And did she forget to add the fact that she was bing fearless ¨C she doesn¡¯t even know why he brought her here and for what purpose. Hopefully, it isn¡¯t to breed, for as much as she crushed on him, she wouldn¡¯t ept any rtionship against her wish.

    ¡°The mask I put on is to protect you, you¡¯re much safer when you don¡¯t know what I look like,¡± He finally gave her the exnation she wanted. But even at that, Arianna was not satisfied by that. She couldn¡¯t exin it, but she had this urge to want to know him better.

    ¡°You must have too many enemies,¡± Arianna said, feeling for him. She couldn¡¯t imagine living with her face hidden all the time. Yes, life was pretty much fucked up but there were many things to learn about it.

    ¡°A man always has enemies,¡± Elijah only said, his back turned to her. She wondered what was going on in that head of his right now.

    ¡°Why did you save me? Was it Ruth that sent you? I know she couldn¡¯t stand and watch something bad happen to me,¡± Arianna was sure of that.

    Ruth might be strict and mean and sometimes selfish, but she had a heart of gold. Arianna figured out that was the fa?ade she uses to chase people away in order not to get hurt just like she did when her husband died.

    ¡°No,¡± Elijah said yet added immediately, ¡°And yes,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was confused by his answer. What¡¯s he talking about now? He¡¯s puzzling.

    However, her gaze caught his sudden movement towards her and her heart elerated. Arianna gulped, and she took a step back until her back hit the wall.

    Such a clich¨¦ move, Arianna thought in her head but her body had instinctively sought the wall for protection against this enticing predator. She then nced up at him and saw the sly smirk curving his mouth and that was all it took her to back further into the wall, sadly, there was nowhere else to go.

    No, she had to leave now. The man was too hot for her to handle.

    But the instant Arianna made a move, his hand blocked her path and she quickly turned to the other side, the way one would seek ast resort. But then, as if he enjoyed seeing her in a tough spot, his hand came down at thest minute and blocked her only source of escape.

    Yep, he sessfully caged her in. Great move Arianna, her mind chided her.

    Arianna refused to meet his gaze, having a feeling that she might end up doing something she would regret ¨C like kissing him.

    ¡°Why did I rescue you?¡± Elijah asked back as if amused by the question she asked.

    Arianna kept on staring down, even when she felt the heat of his gaze on her. At this rate, he would bore a hole in her head soon. However, Arianna felt a soft touch on her skin, and her face was lifted gently to meet his charming eyes, and she released a breath she didn¡¯t know she had been holding in.

    ¡°I came back to the clinic to look for my little girlfriend and Ruth told me that you were taken by some assholes. I knew at that instant that I had to get my girl back,¡± He told her.

    Arianna¡¯s breath hitched, did he just call her his girl? That was the first time a guy ever called her that and it looked gooding from his lips.

    His lips?

    Arianna gulped when her gaze fell on his pink, luscious lips. Her heart began to pound harder and for some reason, she felt light-hearted while her legs didn¡¯t feel like her own anymore.

    Her heart pounded like some drum at a carnival when she met his gaze and they flickered down to her lips. It was as if all the air in her lungs vanished, the sexual tension between them so thick it was beginning to suffocate her.

    His arms wrapped around her waist and she was really thankful for that because her legs nearly gave out. But that gesture brought her closer to his body, especially his chest and she felt how taunt and firm his muscles were. He must really work out every day.

    Arianna made the mistake of staring into his eyes and saw the way his eyes darkened. Yes, this was the first time she has been this close with a man yet her body hummed with approval.

    His hand tracing the curve of her back sent shivers down her spine making her nipples harden, straining against the material. Arianna was d she wore a bra.

    Her breath was uneven and deep as if she was running out of oxygen, her chest heaving when Elijah leaned down. Her mouth parted slightly on its own, ready to receive him.

    Her hands that were on his chest felt mmy and Arianna stood on tiptoes to meet his lips. Her body was shivery with excitement as she wondered what he would taste like. This must be some sort of drug because her mind was hazy and disoriented. She needed him to make her better.

    Staring at Elijah with his painted face was an exquisite experience as if she was about to kiss a creature out of a storybook. However, just as their lips were about to meet, Elijah took a turn at thest minute, resting his forehead across hers instead, their lips barely inches away from touching.

    Arianna gasped, the tension heightening even as his lips hovered above hers. It was like reaching for a treasure that was far from touch and she was determined to have it. So she tried everything to feel his lips on hers but Elijah did a good job of avoiding her as if they were ying a game of cat and mouse.

    Frustrated with him ying hard to get, Arianna grind against him and he groaned and she nned to take advantage of that opportunity to kiss him but Elijah was faster.

    Just as her lips were about to connect with his, he pulled on her hair, averting her kiss and as well, exposing her neck to him. Elijah gulped, he has never seen a neck as attractive as hers.

    Then he leaned down and kissed from her corbone upward. Arianna cried out in pleasure, her hand on his chest tightening while the other wrapped around his neck, urging him closer.

    But that was it, Elijah made no other move.

    Frustrated yet stunned, Arianna was about to ask the reason he stopped, only for him to whisper into her ears, ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ve not agreed to be mine yet,¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t go -!¡± Arianna wanted to beg him but the words were only said in her head. It was as if cold water was poured over her body when he said those words and she recovered some form of rity.

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Arianna gasped, stepping away from him at once. What the hell did she do?

    Her embarrassed and guilty gaze met Elijah¡¯s but he said instead, ¡°You must be hungry? Come to the kitchen, I have something prepared for you,¡± He left as he informed her.

    But Arianna stood at that spot unmoving, still trying to process what just happened. So this was what seduction felt like? He had bewitched her.

    Arianna suddenly became afraid, she was not the kind of girl that made out with a man she barely knows. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out of here because she might fall into temptation with Elijah around her.

 Chapter 41

    41 Another Taste Of Seduction

    By the time Arianna got to the table, she was able to mask her emotions. Yes, she was a virgin but Elijah has been with other women and wouldn¡¯t make what happened between them a big deal. Yeah, she was cool with it and he would be so the same, right? Moreover, her life was pretty messed up at the moment and she wasn¡¯t about to add to it.

    She was themitment type and Elijah wasn¡¯t ready to give her one. So her answer was pretty much clear; it¡¯s a no! And to stand by her word, Arianna would make sure nothing of that nature happens between them again. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t have to share a room.

    The kitchen was spacious and neat and Arianna had an inkling he was a clean freak. She made a mental note not to leave food dropping on the floor. She wanted to make a good first impression. Don¡¯t think much, Elijah saved her life and the least she could do was to help make their stayfortable.

    Arianna hardened her heart yet that same heart betrayed her by skipping a beat when she saw him in an apron. It was tied around his neck over the shirt he was wearing and to say the sight was heartwarming was an understatement. He was husband material.

    Gosh, what the hell was she saying? Well, to be exact, she was thinking about it. You know what? Just shut up, inner mind!

    ¡°Here,¡± Elijah thankfully calmed the turmoil in her mind when he ced the food in front of her.

    Arianna was seated beside the kitchen ind and when Elijah ced the food before her, he did it from behind, leaning towards her and upying her space. Her heart pounded more as his chest touched her back, the heat of his body seeping into hers and sending shivers down her spine.

    She intentionally didn¡¯t turn around knowing she would only be lost in his gaze. Instead, Arianna focused on the food that was passed right in front of her and saw it was mushroom soup.

    In the soup, Elijah added a couple of chilies and fried them with onions and garlic for an extra warm kick. He then stirred it in greek yogurt and served it with crusty bread.

    .....

    Although the soup looked like cement, the scent was tantalizing and it stirred her stomach, not to mention the fact that she was quite hungry. Speaking of which, how long has she been asleep?

    ¡°I must have slept for a few hours, it¡¯ste outside,¡± Arianna said, staring out at the shuttered window.

    ¡°Few hours?¡± Elijahughed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arianna frowned. That littleughter from him made her seem like a fool.

    ¡°Sorry, baby girl, but you¡¯ve been sleeping for more than a day,¡± He revealed, causing her jaw to almost drop to the ground.

    If she had been sleeping for more than a day, that means her mouth..... Arianna wished the ground could open up and swallow her right this moment. She had tried to kiss Elijah with a sour mouth?

    She should have known when her mouth felt weird earlier but she didn¡¯t give it much thought because she was distracted by him. No wonder, that must have been the reason Elijah refused to kiss, the mouth odor must have been great. Good God, she wished to disappear at this moment.

    Arianna¡¯s mood plummeted that instant and although the mushroom soup tasted great, she no longer had much appetite for food anymore. Her would have been first kiss and she was traumatized already. Arianna was sure she was never kissing any male anytime soon.

    Elijah saw Arianna¡¯s crestfallen look and frowned, had he said anything wrong or maybe he shouldn¡¯t haveughed at all.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, unable to take her grimy mood anymore. He preferred her quibbling with him, it was interesting and fun.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Arianna said, giving him a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes.

    Elijah knew she was lying but he didn¡¯t say anything and let her finish her food first. There would be more room for conversations after she was done.

    To her surprise, her appetite returned and she devoured everything on her te in the twinkle of an eye. Even without her asking for more, Elijah refilled her te with another serving of the delicious soup. The mushroom soup was creamy, savory, filling, and she ate it with the bread.

    By the time Arianna was done, her stomach was bloated and she rubbed it with fascination and happiness. This was the first time she was enjoying homemade food from a stranger ¨C that was hitting on her.

    She didn¡¯t even stop to think whether the food was poisonous. But then it didn¡¯t make sense, why would he rescue her only to poison her afterward. Unless he was one of those psychopaths that kill girls when they refuse a rtionship with him.

    Well, Arianna didn¡¯t care one bit because she was so full she couldn¡¯t even move. She leaned back against her chair to catch her breath and as well, rest. The meal was quite heavy.

    ¡°I do love a woman who can eat. It¡¯s so rare to find women these days who enjoy a well-cooked meal without being afraid of their weight,¡± Elijah said jokingly while clearing her te.

    ¡°And I do love a man who can cook,¡± Arianna said with a sigh, her eyes closed in bliss, ¡°It¡¯s rare to find men these days who can sweep women off their feet with a single meal,¡± she said in contentment without thinking much.

    However, her eyes flew open when she heard, ¡°So you mean to say you love me?¡± she found herself staring straight into Elijah¡¯s gaze when she opened her eyes.

    It happened that when she dropped her head back and was enjoying the meal, that Elijah hade to stand over her. So when she opened her eyes, his eyes were the ones he saw instead.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything rather she sputtered unintelligently, unable to defend herself. She quickly stood up from the chair, dumbfounded at the sight of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t love you!¡± she was quick to say.

    But that only made Elijah arch his brows questioningly and she said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t love you....¡± Arianna paused upon reflecting on what she just said, she was the worst at exining.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you¡¯re a good man but you¡¯re not the man after my heart,¡± She put It mildly, and thankfully, it worked.

    ¡°So who¡¯s the man after your heart because I remember you telling me that you¡¯re single,¡± Elijah asked, stepping closer and crowded in on her till her back hit the ind.

    ¡°Did I forget to say that I¡¯m really thankful for the meal,¡± She said nervously, hoping to distract him but it failed miserably.

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic, Arianna. Tell me, who¡¯s the man after your heart?¡± Elijah was adamant to know. He felt jealous and surprisingly wanted to have a one on one conversation with the man who managed to make his way into her heart in the short time he left her. Yeah, trust him, just a simple conversation.

    ¡°My father,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°If you can beat my father¡¯s ce in my heart, then you can have me,¡± She stated proudly. All she had of her father were good memories and she surprisingly missed him too much today.

    Elijah was stunned by that revtion, not even in his wildest imagination had he expected that. Unfortunately, how could he beat the ce of her father in her heart? It was an impossible feat especially with the little time they spent together.

    He simply stepped back, giving her the space she wanted but not without saying, ¡°Your father must have been a wonderful man for you to love him this much. I respect him and as well jealous of him,¡±

    Tears stung Arianna¡¯s eyes and she blinked them away. It had been years but Elijah bringing him up made it seem like it was just yesterday when she lost him.

    ¡°You can sleep peacefully tonight, I would nevere into your bed, uninvited. You can sleep with the door unlocked.¡± Elijah assured her and she released the breath she had unconsciously been holding in.

    Arianna had been worried that he would do something to her in the middle of the night and she would be unable to stop him because she was at his mercy.

    However, she was hit with a stab of disappointment as well. Like a drug addict, her dark mind wanted a taste of seduction once more.

    What are you thinking this stupid girl?! Get it out of your mind, she chided herself.

    ¡°When the morninges, we would think about how to go about your issue. Just have a nice sleep tonight,¡± He said, yet added, ¡°But I¡¯m still avable if you needpany,¡± He offered her.

    Elijah pecked her on the cheeks before finally leaving. Arianna stared ahead in confusion without knowing that the outside world was burning because of her.

 Chapter 42

    42 The History Of The Wallet

    Years back.....

    A young woman sat on a bed crying and upon hearing a knock on her door, asked in a shaky voice, ¡°Who is there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, mama,¡±

    At the sound of that voice, the woman¡¯s eyes grew wide and she instantly stood up from her bed with great speed.

    Sniffing back the tears and snot, she said, ¡°Urm...Marcel baby, give me a few minutes. I¡¯m kind of indecent at the moment,¡± she lied through her teeth because she was well clothed.

    ¡°Okay, mama,¡± the young boy said patiently.

    As soon as the woman heard, she let out a breath of relief and without wasting time, went into the bathroom where she began to ssh her face with water.

    She meant to wipe away the tears but her red and puffy eyes were still a sign of her crying. Her son can¡¯t see her like this.

    At once, she grabbed her makeup kit and began to powder her face, making sure to even hide the bruise she received from him days ago.

    .....

    When she was done, the woman nced at herself through the mirror. Although the makeup was a bit exaggerated ¨C she had applied a lot in the process of covering up her ws ¨C she looked beautiful. Having spent a lot of time here, she hurriedly went to her room and opened the room for her son.

    Young Marcel was startled as soon as he saw his mother¡¯s face baked with makeup and a shadow fell upon his expression. Father made her sad again. However, in order not to worry his mother, he immediately masked his feelings by putting on a bright smile.

    ¡°Marcel, my son,¡± The woman whose name was Penelope and the mother of Marcel quickly picked her son into her arms.

    ¡°Mama, put me down! This is so embarrassing!¡± young Marcel went red in the face as his mother carried him. Thankfully, this wasn¡¯t in front of his friends else he would have died from shame.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I just like carrying my handsome son,¡± the woman teased him by dropping him on the bed where she began to attack him with tickles.

    Loudughter resonated from Marcel¡¯s mouth as he suffered from his mother¡¯s tickle attacks. Marcel sincerely looked carefree and happypared to the grim man he became inter years.

    A look at mother and son and one didn¡¯t need to guess where Marcel had gotten his great looks. He was a carbon copy of his mother except for the gray eyes he had taken from his father. Both mother and son were photogenic.

    Penelope finally gave up and they bothid down on the bed,ughing and staring at the ceiling. However, even as Penelopeughed, a tear still fell from her eyes that Marcel saw.

    He quickly wipes it away with his palm, saying softly, ¡°Please, don¡¯t cry, mama,¡±

    Penelope released a burst of chokedughter, ¡°Of course not, this is not tears. It¡¯s just water and the eyes releases it to be healthy and alive,¡±

    But of course, Marcel didn¡¯t believe her. He asked, instead, ¡°Father hit you again, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    Penelope¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Marcel. Your father loves me, he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing,¡±

    ¡°Liar, mama, my friends told me love does not hurt,¡± He didn¡¯t believe her one bit. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s seen it happen.

    Although his mother always tried to make their quarrels private, his father didn¡¯t care. One time, he had watched him p his mama in front of the servants while she was preparing breakfast.

    Marcel didn¡¯t tell anyone, not even his mother that he had been in the kitchen. His eyes fell on the chopping knife and he imagined stabbing his father over and over and over and over again till the light in his eyes had extinguished. He would have done it but mama wouldn¡¯t be happy with that, so he stopped. Mama loves his father too much.

    Penelope snorted at hisment, ¡°Young kids of today, what do you know about love?¡±

    ¡°You should divorce father,¡± Marcel said, staring her straight in the eyes.

    Penelope was dumbfounded, her eight years was too smart for his age. Yes, his smartness was a blessing and that meant he could survive in this ce ¨C survive her husband¡¯s anger ¨C but in conversations like this, it was quite a burden.

    She sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, baby,¡±

    ¡°You would be much better if you¡¯re far away from father,¡± Marcel said and that rmed Penelope, her son can¡¯t be thinking like this at this age.

    ¡°Marcel, your father can be a tough nut to crack sometimes but he¡¯s a good man,¡± She said nervously, trying to pacify him.

    ¡°Just divorce him, mama, you deserve someone better,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°And stand a chance of losing you? No, Marcel, you¡¯re the reason I¡¯ve endured so far and I can¡¯t afford to make a mistake now,¡± She pleaded with him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, mama. I read in the books and they say the courts tend to favor women when ites to custody. Moreover, you have evidence that father has been hurting you,¡± Marcel had read about thew well.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand Marcel, your father has a lot of money and influence, he would surely turn everything to his advantage,¡± Penelope said worriedly.

    ¡°Then, we get our money as well. There are many things to do and make money and I can help you with it,¡± Marcel said confidently.

    Penelope burst intoughter, her son didn¡¯t understand the amount of money she was talking about here. However, who was she to crush his spirit, so she said, ¡°Fine, we would make our money. Give me a minute,¡±

    Marcel watched with curiosity as she got off the bed and went to her drawer where she pulled out something. Penelope returned to the bed and ced something into his little hand.

    ¡°Here, take this wallet,¡±

    Young Marcel stared down at the stylish bi-fold wallet that folded in half. It was rectangr and featured a long open pocket.

    Penelope said to Marcel, ¡°Whenever you fill the empty slots with money and the wallet is fat enough, we can resume our n of leaving,¡± she promised him.

    The very promise she failed to keep because she didn¡¯t live to see it happen.

 Chapter 43

    43 How She Was Able To Steal His Wallet Right Under His Nose

    ¡°Who missed me!¡± Victor, Marcel¡¯s consigliere finally returned from his exile, no, break abroad. Since the boss himself had issued his return, he had been expecting a warm return.

    So when he arrived at the airport without a singleckey there to give him a grand gesture, he had thought perhaps that Marcel was nning a surprise party at the base. However, when he returned ¨C home sweet home- he was treated to a solemn atmosphere instead.

    Victor stood at the front door with his arms in the air awkwardly; he had made an epic entrance.

    ¡°Hey,¡± His hand fell to the side awkwardly, ¡°Why are you guys doing this to me? Who died?¡± Victor thought he returned on the funeral day of whoever died.

    He wasn¡¯t even worried about Marcel, that annoying bug can never be killed. If only Victor knew that was what Marcel thought of him as well ¨C an annoying bug. That was why Marcel sent him away, his own consigliere and core member of his organization.

    ¡°The boss is in a bad mood,¡± One of them finally answered him. Most of them were downstairs pacing up and down ufortably. Marcel being in a bad mood was not a good thing because anyone was in danger of death with a single mistake.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Victor asked, suddenly interested in this case. Marcel hardly gets riled up, it must have been intense.

    The man came close to him to whisper into his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened but from what I heard, the boss gathered a few men yesterday to get a girl,¡±

    ¡°A girl?¡± Victor frowned, did that asshole cheat on him just because he was away for a few months. Nheless, he leaned in for more gossip.

    .....

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened next,¡± the man went on, ¡°But from what I heard, it seems the girl escaped, but most of all, she stole boss¡¯ wallet,¡±

    At the mention of that wallet, Victor¡¯s face distorted at once. A grim smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, this was quite interesting. That young woman must be quite suicidal to have stolen his wallet. Even as his consigliere, he had never touched that wallet. That single wallet he had been using over the years was considered sacred to Marcel.

    One time, one of the cleaners had in the process of trying to wash his clothes, misced the wallet and had her fingers cut off. In one word, there were enough testimonies to warn anyone from touching it. Well, until now.

    ¡°Thank you for your information,¡± Victor said to the man and began to make his way upstairs. If Marcel was in a bad mood, there was one person that could change that and that was him. Hopefully.

    Marcel sat on his seat with an unreasonable expression while a man knelt before him. Macy was standing by his side without talking or moving and they had been that way for an hour now.

    ¡°So....¡± Marcel finally said a word. Although it was relieving that he finally spoke, the tension only escted. Nothing good coulde out from Marcel¡¯s mouth with his face looking like that.

    He faced the man on his knees, ¡°You¡¯re trying to tell me that you had the girl....¡± Marcel gritted his teeth, ¡°The girl that stole my wallet and you let her go?¡±

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t exactly let her go,¡± he stammered when he mistakenly looked into Marcel¡¯s eyes. This man was no other than the one who had captured Arianna that night before she was rescued by Elijah.

    ¡°I had her and was nning on bringing her when someone attacked me from behind. By the time I regained consciousness, the girl was nowhere to be found and I couldn¡¯t trace her,¡± he confessed.

    At that statement, Marcel and Macy¡¯s eyes met and the both of them came to a mutual understanding yet didn¡¯t say a word. This was the reason Marcel still had her by his side amid her shorings, they worked well like the wheels on a bicycle.

    ¡°And what should I do with this news of yours?¡± Marcel sneered, ¡°It didn¡¯t bring the girl nor my wallet, did it?¡±

    ¡°I need time, boss, please! I would surely find her and bring her back!¡± The man pleaded for a second chance, having known what Marcel¡¯s next action would be. He would st his head off.

    ¡°Really? You would bring the girl back, huh?¡± Marcel smirked. Sometimes, people¡¯s desperation was funny.

    ¡°Of course, sir, I would find her by all means,¡± the man was sure. No, he had to be confident else he¡¯s a dead man.

    ¡°Fine, you have a day,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You asked for time, didn¡¯t you? You have a day to restore what you lost,¡± Marcel told him.

    The man lifted his head, gulping. A day? What was he going to do with a day when he doesn¡¯t even have a lead on who took her? But he suspected Big Joe¡¯s men. One of them must have taken her, he would have to bring her back by all means even if it meant infiltrating the gang. Time was against him.

    ¡°Of course!¡± The ignorant man bowed his head to show his appreciation, ¡°Thank you, boss,¡± He said and left immediately to get the work done.

    ¡°He won¡¯t be able to find the girl because Elijah has her and you know that yet you sent him on that goose chase,¡± Macy pointed out, trying to understand his intention.

    ¡°The most painful death is staring death right at the face. Moreover, it¡¯s not that bad of an idea, he knows his time is ticking and human desperation can do a lot of wonders. Who knows, he might be able to find something?¡± Marcel said, itching for a smoke. It was a bad habit he incurred from his father and at times like this, the wallet was there to remind him. But not anymore.

    ¡°On the bright side, it just confirms that the girl knows Elijah and that would make our work easier for when we capture her,¡± Macy added, ¡°However, I don¡¯t understand something,¡±

    Marcel nced up at her, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a very vignt man, yet how was an ordinary girl able to go as far as stealing your wallet right under your nose?¡±

 Chapter 44

    44 Marcel¡¯s Cousin

    ¡°You¡¯re a very vignt man, yet how was an ordinary girl able to go as far as stealing your wallet right under your nose?¡±

    Marcel was stunned by that question from Macy. What had he been doing to have gotten pickpocketed by that redhead?

    Well, simple as ABC, she was a siren who had charmed him with her magic and like a fool, he had fallen under her influence. But that would not be the case the next time they would meet. He would surely pay her back for the humiliation she put him through.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Macy called, rousing him back to the presence.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my questions and you seem lost in thought. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± she was concerned about him.

    That annoyed Marcel greatly, in just one day a certain redhead had made him look helpless and useless. Maybe before he gets Elijah¡¯s identity from her, he would teach her one or two lessons that involve never messing with Marcel Luciano ever again.

    ¡°How do you think she was able to steal from me?¡± He sneered at Macy, irritated by her question, ¡°Petty thieves are like rat infestations and they always find a way to slip into the house through the pipe? Door?¡± he imed, tactically denying the truth that he had been distracted. Or the fact that Arianna was a damn good thief.

    Marcel was a very proud person and would never acknowledge the fact that he was defeated by an ordinary woman.

    .....

    Marcel went on, ¡°There¡¯s an adage that says, every day is for the thief, but one day is for the owner. All of this would be over when I finally have her in my grasp,¡± there was a devilish glint in his eyes nor did he get to see the frown on Macy¡¯s face.

    Macy couldn¡¯t understand Marcel¡¯s sudden obsession with this girl and it made her ufortable. No, she felt threatened. Call it women¡¯s instinct but she felt like someone was just about to take her ce. Or maybe she was just overthinking. Yeah, she can¡¯t do anything reckless.

    ¡°She would try to leave the country,¡± Marcel suddenly said, drawing back Macy¡¯s attention to the issue at hand.

    The girl. Again.

    ¡°Either on air or boat. I can¡¯t tell the likelihood on one over another especially now she¡¯s with that crafty Elijah. But she would go with a fake identity,¡±

    ¡°So you went me to spread your men across the airports and docks around?¡± Macy said.

    ¡°Yes, do just that. If Elijah¡¯s as smart as I think he is, he would go for smaller airports that have less strict regtions so he could sneak her out easily. For the ports, keep an eye for night journeys, it would be much better for her to leave in the dark,¡± Marcel thought over it, his hand propped on his armrest while the other rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Right now, he was mind was active as he worked on his n of retrieving the girl.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Macy added, ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Marcel repeated, his gaze roving over the room as If considering if he had missed out on something important.

    ¡°Keep an eye on Ruth,¡± He said.

    ¡°Ruth?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but think that she¡¯s in cahoots with Elijah on this one considering he was treated in her clinic weeks ago. Just watch her carefully and who knows, she might even lead us to the girl,¡±

    ¡°Alright, boss,¡± Macy agreed to his instructions.

    ¡°You may leave now,¡± Marcel waved her away, hardly taking a deep breath when another person came to bother him.

    ¡°Boss!¡± Victor shouted excitedly as soon as he came into the living room, however, something happened. Macy and Victor passed each other by without even acknowledging one another¡¯s presence.

    Marcel didn¡¯t even say a word, yet he still couldn¡¯t understand why his consigliere and assistant can¡¯t get along. This has been going on for a long time now and if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that both of them were crucial to him, he would have gotten rid of one of them or both altogether.

    Honestly, they weren¡¯t that way at first until one day, they just changed overnight. Yeah, like switched from fun, cooperative partners to cold, unresponsive frenemies.

    The only reason they even speak to each other was for work¡¯s sake, aside from that, you could never find them holding a conversation. Although it didn¡¯t affect their working ability, it pissed Marcel off sometimes to have too much negative energy in one room.

    Victor shed his usual smirk at Marcel but to Macy, he gave a cold nce. Not that Macy minded anyway, because she just lifted her head defiantly and walked away.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Marcel frowned at his sudden appearance.

    ¡°Wow, this girl must really have you wrapped around her finger that you even forgot calling me back to the city,¡± Victor smirked, causing the frown on Marcel¡¯s face to broaden. Why was everybody suddenly thinking that he was weak? It pissed him.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Marcel rolled his eyes, looking away while tapping the top of his thigh repeatedly with his finger.

    ¡°It still hurt me though, I¡¯m hardly gone for two months and you reced me already?¡± Victor whined, pouting his lips.

    Marcel red at him.

    ¡°Yeah, those sexy eyes of yours, I¡¯ve missed them,¡± Victor winked at him and this time Marcel was flustered.

    He sat up at once, ¡°One more word from you and I would send you to the desert,¡± He threatened him immediately.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Victor sighed, ¡°You¡¯re not romantic at all. I came back and you didn¡¯t even invite me, rather you¡¯re head over heels in love with another,¡±

    ¡°I am not head over heels in love with that thief. Tease me about her once again and I¡¯ll really put a bullet in your head,¡± Marcel warned him.

    ¡°Sure, you go ahead and do that. I¡¯m sure aunty would be willing to take you in as her son instead. Moreover, it¡¯s not a secret that old woman would exchange you for me if she had the opportunity,¡± Victor said confidently.

    Yes, Victor was no other than Marcel¡¯s cousin, and his mother was the only person he -Marcel- truly respected in the family. Victor¡¯s mother was the only one that treated his mother like she belonged in the Luciano family when she had been alive, thus, gained his trust from childhood.

    Although others were nothing butpanions to Marcel, Victor was the only one close to the word called, ¡°Friend¡± in his dictionary. Which was why no matter how much Marcel was vexed or teased, he could only endure or send him away ¨C just like he did two months ago. Moreover, that aunt of his was quite scary.

    In one word, Victor was the only one spared from Marcel¡¯s unpredictable wrath ¨C unless he betrays him. Betrayal? That was the only sin Marcel could never forgive.

    ¡°If you¡¯re that aggrieved, you can hold a party to celebrate your return. Just don¡¯t send any of those pussies to my bed, I¡¯ll kill any on sight,¡± He warned him.

    ¡°Gosh, you are so uptight,¡± Victorined.

    Marcel¡¯s brows raised with a warning and he stopped, yet added almost immediately, ¡°On the condition you attend,¡±

    ¡°F*ck you,¡± Marcel cursed at him.

    ¡°That would be considered incest, dear cousin,¡± Victor twisted his words.

    Marcel red at him, his anger gauge was slowly surpassing its capacity.

    ¡°Just an hour, it would be fun. Moreover, you haven¡¯t even told me why I¡¯m back upon the fact I haven¡¯t even finished establishing our rtion abroad,¡± Victor hinted at the secret mission he gave him.

    ¡°Send one of your best subordinates that can be able to keep his mouth shut to finish up what¡¯s left of it. You got a more important mission here,¡± Marcel said.

    Victor was ted, he loved going on missions especially ones from his dear cousin. It¡¯s always bound to be interesting.

    ¡°So... ¡± Victor said, leaning across to snatch his cousin¡¯s unfinished drink on the table, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± he asked while drinking the scotch.

    ¡°I want you to teach someone how to make my coffee,¡±

    At once, Victor sshed out the whisky in his mouth from shock. He gave Marcel a deadpan look, ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°I have an important guest you need to teach how to make my coffee to perfection,¡± Marcel said indifferently.

    ¡°Is this the more important mission you were talking about?¡± Victor asked him with a serious look.

    Marcel simply nodded.

    Victor stood up suddenly and began to curse in what looked like five differentbinednguages for over five minutes. By the time he was done, Victor was panting and gasping for breath.

    Marcel checked his time, ¡°Your lessons start tomorrow, you can leave now,¡±

    ¡°Marcel, you can¡¯t do this to me! First, the girl, and now, you want me to share my secret recipe with whoever that is? What would be left for me? Nothing,¡± Victorined.

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t do it,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Really?¡± His face was filled with hope. Marcel could be this merciful?

    ¡°I¡¯ll just tell aunt you¡¯re home,¡± Marcel smirked wickedly while Victor erupted into another round of profanities.

    ¡°I want to rest, take your rambling somewhere else,¡± Marcel said in a differentnguage his cousin understood.

    With a huff, Victor turned, picked up what remained of the scotch in the bottle with the tumbling, and strode away.

    Marcel smirked, that immature brat.

    Victor was still cursing as he went down the stairs only to bump into Macy. The tension was great as they stood staring at each other until his gaze fell upon her appearance and his gaze hardened. Without saying a word, Victor shoved past her and went away.

 Chapter 45

    45 Why Marcel

    Two years ago.....

    Macy hummed a tone as she stepped out of the shower, tieing her robe belt. Her hair was tied with the towel since it was wet and she went back into her room.

    She stood over her dresser, about to untie the towel when her gaze somehow connected to the mirror and she saw a figure sitting on her bed, causing her to release a yelp.

    ¡°Christ, Jesus! What the fuck, Victor!¡± She shouted, her hand over her chest as she was still reeling from the shock.

    ¡°You scared the bejesus out of me,¡± Macyined once more only to realize the person she is speaking to has not even said a word.

    ¡°Victor?¡± her brows arched questioningly and she was beginning to get ufortable with his silence. The victor she knew would always wee her with a kiss and was quite jovial. His sudden attitude made her scared a bit.

    Victor sat on her bed staring at her with deep emotionless eyes. The first three buttons of his white shirt were opened, exposing his chest while his hair was ruffled as if he had been running his hand through it.

    ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re done creeping me out, you know the door,¡± Macy couldn¡¯t understand his attitude at all. If he wasn¡¯t ready to share his problems, he should get out. She has enough problems on her te already.

    Victor finally stood up, thrusting out his long leg from on top of the bed, and began to stride in her direction. All this while, his face was readable and it made Macy anxious.

    .....

    Victor continued walking towards Macy with an expressionless face and it made her step back till her back hit the dresser. She couldn¡¯t move anymore because he caught up to her and forced her into that small space.

    They looked at each other, their breathsing in pants without saying a word to each other. Suddenly a smirk crossed Macy¡¯s lips and she ced her hand on his chest, slipping her hand into the unbuttoned shirt and caressing him while saying in a sultry voice, ¡°Is this some sort of game?¡±

    This was not the first time Victor came up with one game or the other to make their sex life enticing. That was what she liked about him, he was innovative.

    Macy continued to caress him and although Victor tried not to feel, she could sense his body reacting to her touch. She smiled inwardly, she always loved a challenge. So she nned to touch him down there when she heard, ¡°Was it also a game when you slept with my cousin?¡±

    At once, Macy stiffened and she nced up at Victor with shock in her eyes, her mouth parted. He finally discovered she slept with Marcel?

    She tried to remove her hand from beneath his shirt but Victor stopped her with a mocking smirk saying, ¡°No keep up the good work since you¡¯re so good at it,¡±

    Macy didn¡¯t remove her hand but she didn¡¯t move them either, already bracing herself for what was toe.

    ¡°Why?¡± Victor said and for a moment, Macy thought she saw pain in his eyes.

    ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s a big deal,¡± Macy said nonchntly that Victor clutched his fist by his side.

    ¡°It¡¯s a big deal to me!¡± He growled at her, the veins in his head popping out from anger.

    ¡°Why?¡± Macy retorted, ¡°Because we were sleeping together?¡±

    ¡°You were with me!¡± He yelled at her.

    ¡°Were we together?!¡± Macy asked him, her body shaking with anger, ¡°It was all for our self-gratification, Victor. Don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking it was something special!¡± She told him.

    At once, Victor took a step back and Macy finally removed her hand. The tension destroyed all traces of sexual energy that had once been in the air.

    ¡°Why?¡± Victor said in a whisper before he screamed, ¡°Why Marcel? Why my cousin of all the men you could sleep with?!¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s the one that can give me what I want!¡± Macy shouted back, her eyes wild and red. She was done epting shit from him.

    Macy took a deep breath and went on, ¡°He¡¯s the alpha wolf and every she-wolf knows what¡¯s best for her,¡±

    Victor was so shocked by that revtion that his eyes grew wide. Suddenly, he said in an icy tone, ¡°Then what was I to you?¡±

    ¡°You should know best, Victor,¡± Macy said, avoiding his gaze as she turned back to the mirror, working on the towel she used to tie her hair.

    Victor stared at his feet for over a minute and when he finally raised his head, a dark shadow had fallen over his face. The look in his eyes when she stared at the mirror once more scared Macy and before she could react, Victor already pulled her back to him by the hair.

    A scream tore from Macy¡¯s throat because he grabbed her hair quite tightly. She was pulled to his taut chest, his hand wrapping around her waist while the other went to squeeze her breast so hard tears fell from her eyes. Yet, she liked it. He knew she liked it hard.

    ¡°I guess this was always what I was good at anyway,¡± Victor said with heavy sarcasm on his unsmiling face.

    He went on, ¡°But before I leave, I guess I can say a final goodbye,¡± that was thest word he said before he got rid of her robe till she was stark naked in his arms.

    Victor grabbed his hand and began to squeeze it, earning a moan from her. They were facing the mirror thus Macy could see what he was doing to her body and it only heightened her arousal.

    He pinched her nipples quite hard and she yelped, the pain exploding into sweetness. While he touched the other breast, his hand traveled down to her slit where he discovered she was already wet for him.

    Macy gasped as he began to rub her. She then closed her thigh together with his hand there increasing the friction as his finger moved inside of her.

 Chapter 46

    46 Made Her The Bad Guy

    Note: Dark scene ahead

    ¡°I guess he didn¡¯t touch you like I¡¯m doing to you,¡± Victor murmured into her ears before kissing down her neck while working her.

    Macy moaned, feeling herself slowly reaching the edge. She didn¡¯t dare to tell him that Marcel was good as well. If not better. But both cousins were good in their own different ways and she was tempted to keep them both.

    Victor increased the pace and she whimpered, finally reaching that edge. However, Victor didn¡¯t stop and nted two fingers inside of her this time, thrusting in and out until she came undone for the second and third time.

    Macy was panting, still reeling from their hot session when she heard the sound of his belt. A smirk crossed her face, if there was anything she was good at, it was giving a blow job.

    So she turned around, helping him do his belt, and intended to pull him free when Victor suddenly turned her around and bent her over the dresser, his hand pressing her head hard against the surface.

    He whispered into her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch him, you¡¯re not worthy,¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m not worthy. So just punish me already and get it over with,¡± She breathed seductively, jutting out her behind in the air for him. Macy didn¡¯t think much of his words, believing it was all part of the game.

    Victor¡¯s hands went over her ass and then he went right into her warning drawing a scream from her throat. Macy was out of breath and she grabbed the dresser for anchor as he began to move inside of her.

    .....

    He didn¡¯t go easy on her. Victor rammed into her with great animalistic strength; she cried and whimpered and moaned altogether. It was a delicious pain.

    Her hands went around his neck from behind as she was now standing while he pounded into her. However, it seems that was not enough for Victor because he pushed her down once again, her head pressed against the surface as he mmed into her over and over again even when she reached her climax.

    Victor dominated her in every way possible and pounded into her till her fourth climax. Macy couldn¡¯t take it anymore and her legs were unable to carry her, yet he didn¡¯t stop. It wasn¡¯t until she began to cry flesh tears and plead with him to stop that he ended with her fifth climax, exploding everything inside of her.

    Nheless, it was blissful but Macy copsed on the dresser. This was the most intense sex she and Victor ever had and it was wonderful. She heard the sound of ruffling and knew he was still getting ready to leave.

    Macy bit on her lips, she can¡¯t let him go yet. Victor was precious to her as much as Marcel was important to her, she can¡¯t let either go.

    So she turned around with the hope of finding a way to appease his anger only to see him fishing some notes from his wallet.

    Macy couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when Victor dropped the huge sum of money on top of her dresser.

    Her face changed at once, ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Her fists were shaking by her side.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Victor pretended to be oblivious to her question, ¡°Or is it still not enough?¡±

    Macy reached out andnded a heavy p on his face, tears pricking her eyes. How dare he treat her like a prostitute?

    Victor touched the spot where she pped him and touched it, blinking twice. She hit him. Then he reached out without warning and grabbed her by the throat, causing her eyes to widen as he sneered, ¡°Who do you even think you are?¡±

    Macy tried to fight him but he knew her moves quite well and countered them, tightening his grip on her throat till she was choking.

    ¡°You offered your body as a whore does and we had a good time. I paid you for your services and you dared to hit me?¡± He smirked sardonically at her, ¡°Do you even know the power I wield in this family?¡±

    Macy was full of fear. It was almost as if Victor had be a different person and he had never touched her until today. He was always careful and gentle with her.

    ¡°Now, listen carefully to me,¡± Victor called for her attention and she gave it to him. Not that she had a choice anyway.

    ¡°From today onwards, we aren¡¯t friends nor acquaintances. You won¡¯t talk to me unless necessary and for work purposes, otherwise I¡¯ll summon the demons inside of me for your sake. Is that clear?¡± he asked her.

    Since Macy couldn¡¯t talk, she only nodded. Tears filled her eyes now and some dropped on Victor¡¯s hands who let go of her throat only to grab her chin.

    ¡°From now on, Macy is dead to me and you¡¯re nothing but the girl my cousin and I fucked,¡± was thest word he said before letting go of her, picking up his things.

    She began to cough hard, Victor almost crushed her windpipe and her throat was hurting badly. Macy didn¡¯t even know she wasn¡¯t breathing until Victor left her apartment.

    Macy sat on the floor, leaning against the dresser with her knees raised to her chest, and wrapped her arm around it. She didn¡¯t even realize she was shaking.

    When Victor paid attention to her, she just thought it was fun. Not to mention the fact he wanted them to keep it a secret. The next they were having sex and like every girl out there was thrilled with the attention he showered her.

    However, her eyes have always been on Marcel who didn¡¯t even pay her attention until an opportunity came and she proved her worth to him, bing his assistant. Then one day, it just happened between them.

    She and Victor had been for fun, yet why does he make her the bad one here?

 Chapter 47

    47 A Naggling Feeling Inside Of Her

    Recalling her past encounter with Victor only strengthened Macy¡¯s desire to conquer. There was no turning back now and so she resumed her journey to the second floor where she knew Marcel would be since it belonged to him.

    Marcel sat on the sofa pouring himself another drink since his cousin stole the first one when Macy came in. At first, he wanted to ask her the reason for the unsummoned visit when he noticed her aura and he knew immediately.

    Macy stood before Marcel without saying a word before her hands began to work on the buttons of her overcoat till she took it off and was in nothing but her underwear.

    She was wearing a waist bra with a high-waisted lingerie thong that entuated her waist and booty plus a silky stocking to the garter straps toplete the look. Macy was sexy and confident and not even a man with a huge appetite like Marcel could resist her.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been tense and stressedtely, I thought you should take the edge off,¡± Macy suggested to him.

    ¡°Well, what a nice offer,¡± Marcel smirked while taking a sip of his drink before dropping the tumbler on the table.

    He then rxed back against the sofa and spread his legs open saying, ¡°Have your full then,¡±

    Macy understood the gesture and although that was not entirely what she wanted from him, she had to take what was given to her. Who knows, he might eventually change his mind afterward?

    With that hope in her heart, Macy walked over to Marcel, intentionally swaying her hips, and upon reaching where he sat, got down on her knees in between his legs.

    .....

    She then bent and began to work on his belt with her teeth until she pulled it away, ncing up into Marcel¡¯s eyes to see what he was thinking. However, Marcel held her gaze and she couldn¡¯t read anything in those eyes, but she knew he was impatient for her to begin.

    With her hands, she pulled down on his pants for more essibility and then slipped her hand into his underwear, feeling the swell of his arousal. Marcel released a slow exhale feeling her expert hands working him.

    A hidden smile crossed Macy¡¯s face as she continued to touch Marcel. She shouldn¡¯t have been jealous in the first ce because, at the end of the day, no one knows Marcel better than her.

    She pulled him free from the confines of his underwear, he was huge. Macy swallowed, eager to taste him. Marcel watched her take his taunt c**k head to her lips with a gentle motion.

    His eyes shut close, releasing a small groan of approval as she took him as wide as she could into her mouth. Macy tasted the salty, slightly bitter liquid of his precum on his tip and began to suck him as hard as she could.

    Marcel moaned when she mped him so tight with her mouth it hurt, nibbling him with the edge of her teeth. She then ran her tongue around his sides before stroking his sensitive tip.

    Her hand then reached for him, running up and down his length while her mouth continued to suck him diligently. Marcel hummed with approval, Macy was the best at giving a blow job.

    Macy was filled with pride as he continued to grow in size in her mouth while he thrust his hips up to her touch, moaning. He was breathing heavily as she redoubled her pace, pumping him faster while sucking him at the same time.

    When Macy felt his frame begin to shudder, she knew he was closer to the edge and so continued to pump him faster when suddenly, Marcel¡¯s hands curved around her neck and pushed her head forward causing her to take him deeper till she swallowed all of his balls and length altogether.

    Hot tears slipped from Macy¡¯s eyes because she could feel his head so deep in her throat she gurgled repeatedly. She was choking, yet Marcel didn¡¯t stop until he exploded right into her throat and she took everything.

    Macy thought she would die until she felt fresh air once again. She coughed repeatedly, feeling pain in her throat. This was the first time Marcel had gone too far and though she was hurt, she didn¡¯t show it.

    Instead, Macy rose to her feet and walked over to him with hunger and a pleading look in her eyes, she needed him.

    He hurt her and had topensate for it, perhaps that had been the reason Macy let him use her the way he wanted earlier without protesting. She could use that to convince him.

    Marcel grabbed her waist and then snapped the flimsy material into nothing. Settling her right into his taunt arousal and she epted him without hindrance, already wet for him.

    Macy straddled him, riding him for a few moments before he took over and their brutal lovemaking began. Since Macy knew Marcel, he has never been gentle with her and she took it that way. Moreover, she loved it anyway. A strong alpha who was able to rock her world.

    A scream tore from Macy¡¯s lips as he reached her arousal but the Marcel she knew wasn¡¯t done with her. Her body shivered with anticipation as he suddenly flipped her over on the sofa, forcing her to her belly with her ass pointed in the air.

    Marcel felt her ass before he struck her hard on the bottom, ripping a shout from her lips.

    ¡°Does it hurt?!¡± Marcel growled into her ears, sending shivery pleasure down her spine. It was a sweet pain.

    ¡°No, master!¡± Macy heaved, her heart was pounding so hard in her chest right now from excitement.

    ¡°Do you like it?!¡± Marcel struck her on the bottom a second time.

    ¡°Yes, master!¡± Macy shouted.

    ¡°Would you be the good girl you¡¯ve been?!¡± He struck her the third time.

    ¡°No master!¡± She said and Marcel arched his eyebrows at her.

    Macyughed, mad with desire, ¡°I would always be the sweet little bitch you need, sir!¡±

    At once, a dark smile curled Marcel¡¯s lips to the side, ¡°Sweet little bitch you are then!¡±

    And then, Marcel pressed her head down to the armrest while his hands grabbed her hands from behind as he entered into her, buried to the hilt. Macy gasped from the mind-blowing pleasure, he was stretching her from inside out.

    He began to pound into her relentlessly and Macy could only whimper and moan. She knew Marcel was taking out his frustration on her and she epted it all. He could own her body for all she cares. She doesn¡¯t really mind as far as it was her he wanted.

    While Macy was drunk high on pleasure, Marcel had a different thought. As he grabbed her hair tight, all Marcel could see was the red hair as he fucked her savagely. He envisioned his d*ck in that petty mouth of hers, shutting her up as she took all of him.

    He would thrust into her petty cunt, f**cking her until she doesn¡¯t know where she stops and he begins. She dared steal from him? Fine, he would punish her greatly, mming into her over and over and over till she cried for him to stop.

    Macy slumped over the sofa, exhaustion washing over her as she climaxed for the nth time. Marcel was a monster, where does he get such stamina from? She was trying to catch her breath and didn¡¯t get to see the confused look on Marcel¡¯s face.

    What the fuck had he been thinking? Marcel was in so much shock that he stopped himself from achieving an erection a few seconds away. How did this happen? He had been fucking another woman while he had another in mind?

    Marcel was greatly repulsed, not because he thought of another woman, but the redhead of all people. Why her? She has been like a pest, inhibiting his thoughts and now dares interfere with his sex life as well?

    ¡°Get up and leave,¡± Macy was stunned when she heard that order from Marcel. Usually, after their lovemaking, they had some minutes to themselves to rest. Afterward, he could have her stay for more or send her away politely. She even thought she heard wrong but there was no mistaking Marcel¡¯s voice or order.

    Macy turned to him with confusion, the question unable to leave her tongue.

    ¡°Just leave, Macy. I need to be alone to organize my thoughts,¡± Marcel said, already on his feet as he wore his pants.

    ¡°O-kay?¡± Macy stammered, still confused as to what was going on. She didn¡¯t dare to ask questions in fear that he might get mad at him.

    ¡°Thanks for the effort,¡± Marcel leaned down and pecked her on the cheek before leaving for his bedroom.

    Macy touched the area where he pecked her and the turmoil in her heart calmed. Perhaps she was thinking too much? Even at that, she couldn¡¯t erase that nagging feeling in her heart that something wasn¡¯t right.

 Chapter 48

    48 Arianna Was The Scapegoat

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Big Joe asked in a low tone that did not hide the ferocity in his eyes.

    Kenith had his eyes down and head lowered after rying the news of Arianna¡¯s disappearance to the short man before him.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s gone,¡± Kenith said once more, knowing keeping silent to his question would only aggravate the whole situation.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone?¡± Big Joe repeated after him and then began tough hysterically as if he hadughed his mind.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone! What kind of fucking bullshit is that!¡± Big Joe suddenly yelled, his features distorting immediately and without warning, kicked Kenith hard in the leg since he wasn¡¯t tall enough tounch a p on his face.

    Perhaps, the inability to strike Kenith on the face added to his frustration because Big Joe kept kicking Kenith on his leg till he almost tripped.

    Kenith didn¡¯t dare toin nor move, instead, his expression was neutral and he bit the inside of his mouth to keep himself from whimpering in pain. He bit the inside of his mouth so hard that his tongue was filled with the metallic taste of blood.

    His hands were clenched by his sides, the veins in his neck popping out from anger. Was Kenith not feeling pain from those hits? Of course, he was but he had to put on a brave front. He couldn¡¯t show weakness to his subordinates and worse of all, Big Joe himself.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Big Joe howled angrily after he was done transferring his aggression on him. He raked his hands through his hair, ruffling it, and was unable to believe that he lost his beautiful bride.

    .....

    He turned to Big Joe with red eyes, ¡°So what happened? How did such a mistake happen?¡±

    ¡°I think she nned it all along and the idea of going to the club was all her ploy to escape,¡± Kenith revealed once more, Big Joe¡¯s face turned uglier.

    He took a step back as if shocked and then nced up at Kenith, ¡°You mean to tell me that she has been fooling me all along?¡±

    ¡°I believe so,¡± Kenith said.

    To be shocked was an understatement, Big Joe felt like someone just stabbed his heart with a knife. Although he had his suspicion, Arianna had won him over with her sweet smiles and care. He thought she loved him. How could she break his heart like this?

    Whatever Kenith said next, Big Joe didn¡¯t hear him ¨C it sounded distant ¨C because all that went through his mind was the revtion that Arianna fooled him. She has been ying with his emotions all this while!

    There was a murderous look on Big Joe¡¯s face as he turned to Kenith asking, ¡°So where¡¯s the bitch?! Where is she?! I need to get my hands on her so I can break her into two!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where we have a little problem,¡± Kenith said, drawing his attention.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Before Arianna escaped, I spotted Marcelo in our club,¡±

    ¡°Marcelo?¡± Big Joe was confused.

    ¡°Marcel Xavier Luciano III, the young head of the Luciano n,¡± Kenith called out his full name to jolt his memory.

    ¡°Luciano family?¡± Big Joe muttered his name with his brows furrowed, trying to recall where he had heard that name. It was oddly familiar and for some reason, bothered him.

    At once, Big Joe¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered who Marcel was and he nced up at Kenith asking in a stern voice, ¡°What is that bastard doing in my club? This is not his turf and he has no control over here!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, ¡°Kenith answered,¡± I couldn¡¯t identify him at first and just found it odd that he had his eyes on Arianna, ¡±

    ¡°Arianna?!¡± Big Joe was stunned, ¡°What for?¡± Suddenly he shivered as a thought crossed his head, ¡°Could it be that he has a thing with Arianna and he came to im her? Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯ve offended the Luciano n!¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Kenith shook his head, ¡°If Marcelo really had a history with Arianna, he would have wiped us off already for taking what belonged to him,¡±

    ¡°Then what?!¡± Big Joe asked, forgetting that he wanted to skin the life out of Arianna moments ago. Now, he was fearful of her.

    ¡°Arianna was running away from him as well. Although they met, it was briefly, and then she was on the run. Why she was running from him is what I don¡¯t understand,¡± Kenith told him.

    ¡°So who has her now?¡± Big Joe inquired as he brought out a cigarette stick and signaled to one of his men to lit it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s safe to say that Arianna wasn¡¯t as simple as we thought and she¡¯s gone,¡± Kenith answered like the royal servant she was.

    Now lit, Big Joe took a long drag from his cigarette before saying to Kenith, ¡°Reach out to Marcel, that is if he would ept an invitation from a small gang like ours,¡± Heughed sarcastically.

    ¡°However, investigate if he has Arianna and why? No matter what, she¡¯s still my bride and my payment. Let¡¯s see if we cane to an agreement,¡± Big Joe thought it over. No matter what, business was still business.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Kenith said, bowing his head and was ready to leave when Big Joe said, ¡°Also,¡±

    Kenith turned to him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess this up else I might begin to review your usefulness to me,¡± there was a note of warning in his tone.

    ¡°Of course, boss,¡± Kenith was more formal this time. He took a bow and was leaving the room when he heard the sound of gunshots and knew without a doubt that Big Joe was punishing his men that failed to capture Arianna.

    Amid the pain in his leg, Kenith kept walking properly until he got into his office and with an anguished roar, swept everything on his desk to the ground.

    Kenith screamed and tossed and kicked anything in his way till his office was a mess. How could this happen now he was closer to his n?! If only she had stayed still!

    He grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled tight, recalling the humiliation he had undergone in the hands of big Joe. How dare him?

    One might ask, how could Big Joe who had a disadvantage with his height able to lead the gang? Well, he had massive gangsters, which Kenith has been converting to his side one after the other.

    It was time that the Red Giant gang had a change of power and a capable leader at that. He was the reason their gang has been on top for the past years now and he ¨C Big Joe ¨C dared to threaten him with the position.

    All Big Joe does was to gloat around with the glory of the gang while he does all the work behind the scene. But that was over, no, all this shit would have been over if Arianna had just remained still.

    Kenith nned to use Arianna to bring Big Joe down. At first, he tried to make Arianna fall in love with him, enough to make her kill Big Joe at his suggestion with the promise they both would flee afterward to a faraway ce where no one would find them and settle down.

    However, Arianna was not as stupid as he thought and had her own ns, sticking to Big Joe¡¯s side and limiting their amount ofmunication. So he just decided to poison Big Joe and pin the murder on her on their wedding day.

    The n was perfect and Arianna was the perfect scapegoat.

    ¡®Resentful bride kidnapped from her home and forced to marry creditor, kills husband,¡¯

    No one would suspect it was all his handwork nor would theye after him. Arianna would be torn into shreds, while he as the most eligible sessor would take Big Joe¡¯s ce.

    Unfortunately, with Arianna gone, there goes his perfect scapegoat as well. All his ns would be nothing and he can¡¯t let that happen. There might never be a wless opportunity to get rid of Big Joe like this one. No matter what, Arianna muste back and resume the wedding.

    Kenith was still thinking when the door opened and Cassie came in and he didn¡¯t bother to turn around having known it was her.

    Cassie went over to Kenith and then hugged him from behind saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, my love. It would be fine,¡±

    At thatment, a soft smile softened Kenith¡¯s steel expression and he turned around to pull her into his embrace, hugging her tightly with his face resting on the crook of her neck.

    Cassie smiled, then pulled away to palm his face reassuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we would capture Arianna and the wedding would go on as we nned. I know what you¡¯re capable of, so don¡¯t let this pull you down. Moreover, I came up with the n in the first ce, I can always think of another.¡±

    Kenith breathed, taking her hands, ¡°You know this is why I love you. Smart, loving, beautiful. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Cassie smirked, ¡°Then prove it to me in a sexy way,¡± she whispered into his ears.

    Without a word, Kenith immediately kissed her and she kissed him back. Soon enough, the passion ignited and they wed at each other¡¯s clothes till it wasn¡¯t in the way of their body touching.

    He turned her around and pushed her against the desk, entering into her in one shove. And the next, the amorous sounds of moans filled the room.

 Chapter 49

    49 Leaving The Country Tomorrow

    Arianna had afortable sleep this time. There was no marrying the short man Big Joe in her dream nor the man she stole froming after her.

    If there was anything she dreamed about, it was of gorgeous blue eyes. Hence, it came as a huge shock to her when those gorgeous blue eyes stared back at her when her eyes finally opened.

    ¡°Aah!¡± Arianna screamed, falling from the bed because, in her bid toe down quickly, she had somehow tangled her legs with the sheet.

    ¡°Oof,¡± She fell on her stomach and it hurt like shit. This was not funny at all.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Elijah cursed,ing over to her side to her feet. Arianna didn¡¯t dare to reject his help and clung to him like an octopus as he lifted her back to the bed, his powerful muscles rippling with the effort.

    Carefully cing Arianna on the bed, Elijah leaned over her and that was when he made the mistake of staring into her eyes.

    Arianna gulped when her eyes connected with his and it seemed like it was just the both of them at that moment, nothing else mattered.

    Her heart pounded in her throat and she was so scared that he might hear the sound. Arianna wished she could shrink into her bed but there was no way to go anymore.

    Her gaze fell on his face and she discovered he had a different face paint this time. Arianna wondered if he somehow had apany that customized his paints because of how readily he applied them to his face. Wasn¡¯t he scared they would damage his face since he wore them excessively?

    .....

    Unlike the Phoenix wing on his face yesterday, today¡¯s painting was in white entirely and was unique. The painting covered only the bridge of his nose upward and was drawn in such a way that it looked like he wore a thin transparent mask when it was only a painting.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Arianna said to his painting, ¡°You draw them on yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± He answered without cutting contact with her gaze.

    ¡°You are insanely talented,¡± Arianna chuckled in a bid to lessen the tension between them.

    It was obvious Elijah came out of the bathroom since he carried a trace of the sandalwood-scented soap he used. Moreover, his hair was a bit wet and was sexily tousled, the curls spreading messily over his face. She was tempted to run her hand through it. Gosh, he was an epitome of manliness.

    Aside from that, Arianna was acutely aware of half of his body pressing down on hers since he sat on the edge of the bed while hovering over her. It was pretty much ufortable, his presence was messing up with her ability to think straight.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elijah said, still staring at her.

    ¡°So, you sleep with the paint on your face?¡± She inquired out of sheer curiosity.

    ¡°Of course not, I take them off at night,¡± He said to her, and Arianna¡¯s brows raised as she realized that this man slept with his face exposed.

    The fact that his room was just opposite hers tantalized her with the crazy thought of sneaking into his room to see his identity.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Elijah stopped her right there, ¡°Never take that dare as far as you¡¯re not ready to belong to me, body, mind, and soul,¡± He told her.

    A crazy thought entered Arianna¡¯s head, what if she wanted to belong to him? Think about it, she had nothing now. Her family betrayed her and she has nowhere else to go. Elijah was the only one keeping her from being discovered by Big Joe¡¯s and did she forget to add that crazy man named Marcel. Gosh, why did she bring this up?

    Arianna was still lost in thought when Elijah pulled away, rousing her. He stood to his feet just as she sat up, the attraction between them dissolving away ¨C not entirely though. Now, her brain was back and functioning to make a clear decision.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have woken you up. I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Elijah apologized to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Arianna shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to put a bell on you to alert me of your presence,¡± she joked.

    Elijahughed, staring at Arianna who stared back with a smiling expression. It was obvious that both of them were insanely attracted to each other yet were holding back for reasons best known to them.

    ¡°This,¡± Elijah said, lifting bags that he dropped by her bedside, ¡°I wanted to keep it in your bathroom before you woke yet you caught me like a cat trying to steal its owner¡¯s fish,¡± He scratched the back of his head nervously which was kind of cute in her eyes.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arianna breathed, staring at the shopping bags in disbelief. All of them must have cost a lot.

    ¡°I should pay you for...¡± Arianna said, already reaching for the wallet she stole from Marcel.

    How shameless she was to use stolen money ¨C she doesn¡¯t exactly care. Money was used for the same purpose anyway, spending!

    ¡°No, don¡¯t. Please,¡± He begged her, ¡°I¡¯m not doing all of this to coerce or manipte you into epting my proposal. You can choose to reject my offer, but please don¡¯t reject my help,¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Arianna screamed inwardly like a fangirl would when she sees her favorite celebrity crush. Elijah was her dream boyfriend.

    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± Arianna said in a calm yet appreciative tone, trying not to show she was taken by him already.

    ¡°Sure. And you shoulde down for breakfast when you¡¯re done freshening up,¡± He reminded her.

    Arianna smiled at him throughout his entire stay however the instant Elijah left, her smile fell at once. How could this happen again? She had been speaking to him with her morning breath?

    ¡°Gosh Arianna,¡± She threw herself on the bed; turning, tossing, and kicking the air. By the time she was done with her internal turmoil, Arianna decided to go through what he got her and was dumbfounded at what she saw.

    All of the clothes Elijah got her were all designers and even bare thepany¡¯s logo. She didn¡¯t even dare to imagine how much he spent on them. And to her amazement, all of them were decent.

    Arianna sighed, she had been expecting him to buy those provocative ones so she could seduce him and me it on the clothes he got her.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± She pped her head. What the hell was she thinking? As if she could even seduce him, just a look into those eyes and her legs be as weak as jelly.

    Words could not form in Arianna¡¯s mouth when she looked into the bag that contained her underwear. He got her each of every type of underwear the store had ¨C Hipster, Bikini, Boyshort, G-String, Tanga Brief, High-Cut panties. You name it.

    Arianna went red in the face and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he ordered these online or got them himself from the store. She was so embarrassed. How would she face himter?

    But no amount of cringing stopped her stomach from growling and she had no choice but to wash up and hurry down for breakfast. Arianna chose to put on a silky tank top and leggings, following the sweet smell of the pancake to the kitchen.

    ¡°You¡¯re right on time!¡± Elijah announced, his back turned to her. Gosh, how did he know she was here? She didn¡¯t even make much noise when she walked.

    He finally turned around with a te in his hand, drizzling the ever-amazing maple syrup on her pancake before passing the food over to her on the kitchen ind.

    ¡°This looks delicious,¡± Arianna was already salivating. How much she loved a man who could cook. She was seeing more than enough reason to give in to his request. What¡¯s the worst that can happen anyway?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elijah smiled at her, before cing his own food on the Ind as well.

    But to her surprise, she saw him use honey instead of maple syrup.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the syrup?¡± Arianna narrowed her gaze at him, suspiciously.

    ¡°In case you decide mine is more delicious, then we can share. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea,¡±

    ¡°S-sure,¡± that is not a good idea at all.

    Elijah sat beside her and then using the knife, cut a piece and picked it with his fork, ¡°Here, have a taste,¡±

    ¡°Urm, okay?¡± Arianna opened her mouth and took it into her mouth before chewing on it only for her eyes to widen.

    ¡°Geez! You are right! It¡¯s so good, both vors. You are so brilliant,¡± Ariannaplimented him as the both of them shared their food.

    It was the nicest breakfast Arianna has had in a long time till she noticed the sudden change in Elijah¡¯s demeanor.

    Arianna dropped her fork, ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. She might not know much about Elijah, but she knew something was bothering him now. Arianna hated that he was disturbed, Elijah was a good person.

    ¡°You would be leaving the country tomorrow,¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna¡¯s face fell at once.

 Chapter 50

    50 Define Your Desire

    That announcement dampened Arianna¡¯s countenance at once. Although she knew that she would have to leave just as he told her yesterday, she just didn¡¯t think that it would be so soon ¨C she was beginning to like this ce. Or maybe, she was beginning to like hispany a little.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Arianna said nodding her head. Suddenly the once appetizing pancake didn¡¯t look that enticing anymore. Her stomach was churning and it made her pretty much ufortable. She lost her appetite.

    ¡°Would you being along?¡± She asked and at thest moment realized how stupid that question sounded.

    Why would Elijahe with her? She was lucky enough that he helped her escape the bad guys and was risking his life to get her out of the country. Gosh, she was so stupid.

    At that question, Elijah nced up from his te, holding her gaze. He then arched a brow asking, ¡°Do you want me toe with you?¡± he threw the ball in her court.

    ¡°Would youe if I told you to?¡± Arianna challenged him and when he didn¡¯t reply, she sighed, ¡°Just forget -¡±

    ¡°I would,¡± Elijah added, ¡°If you want me to,¡±

    Arianna gulped, he means that?

    ¡°That is if you want to be mine, Arianna. That¡¯s just how much I valuemitment. When you¡¯re mine, I can even go back and forth to hell for your sake,¡± Elijah said with a manner of seriousness that she even forget how to breathe.

    .....

    ¡°So, the question is, what do you want, Arianna? Define your desire,¡± He asked her, gaze holding hers strongly.

    ¡®Yes,¡¯ that was just all she needed to say yet Arianna couldn¡¯t form the words in her mouth. There were just so many things that could go wrong.

    What if Elijah wasn¡¯t who she thought he was? For Christ¡¯s sake, she hasn¡¯t even seen the man¡¯s face. Moreover, she doesn¡¯t even know what he does for a living. But one thing was for sure, he was a criminal. A smart one at that.

    The abilities he possessed weren¡¯t something an average person had. Or maybe he¡¯s a spy or something? No, anyone associating with Ruth has nothing with thew. Ruth hated thew herself.

    Now she thought about it, Arianna wondered if he was a killer? How many lives have ended in his hands? What if the so-called feeling he has for her is nothing but an obsession?

    Elijah said he would give her choices, what if that wasn¡¯t the case and it was all a fa?ade to make her feel safe? Thinking of it, she had read a book like that where the man was obsessed with thedy and kept her away from the world in the name of protecting her. What if that was the case with her?

    ¡°You seem to be having second thoughts,¡± Elijah found out, rousing her from her thoughts.

    ¡°What time do I leave tomorrow?¡± She asked, intentionally diverting his attention from the question of leaving with her.

    ¡°Your flight leaves in the morning,¡± He said.

    ¡°Flight?¡± Arianna¡¯s face scrunched up, ¡°I thought that you would smuggle me out through a ship at night. It seems much safer than a ne ride where they could be waiting for me somewhere and snatch me right before I leave,¡±

    ¡°Exactly, leaving by ship is much safer and that makes it the first ce they would search for you. Even if they go to the airport, they would believe you went through a smaller airport since you don¡¯t have the resources and time to schedule a flight. They would also be watching those close to you to see if you¡¯re in contact, ¡±

    ¡°Mimi,¡± Arianna gasped. She had intentionally left her friend out of this for the sake of her life. Sadly, the mess she made was catching up to her girlfriend. Arianna sincerely hoped nothing happened to her Mimi.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it,¡± Arianna agreed even though she was still suspicious of him.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elijah said, stabbing at his pancake and finally asking the question he had been holding in, ¡°How did you know Marcel?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Who? Marcel? Who¡¯s Marcel?¡± Arianna wanted to be sure it was the one she knew.

    ¡°He was at the club that day and one of his men was the one holding you down when I resued you,¡± Elijah said.

    ¡°Oh, that one,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that one. How did you know him and what did you do to him that he sent men toe after you?¡± Elijah asked, pushing his meal aside and wrapping his arm across his chest, his muscles flexing from the action.

    ¡°Oh, that man? He came to my ce of work and I think I insulted him a bit. I just can¡¯t believe he¡¯s petty enough toe after me,¡± Arianna intentionally omitted the fact she stole from him. Call it instinct or something but she felt she had made a grievous mistake by stealing from him.

    ¡°Really? ¡± Elijah asked, his brows furrowed. It didn¡¯t make sense that Marcel came after her just because she insulted her. If that was the case, Marcel could have killed her already.

    But he had toe to the club himself to fish her out. Something doesn¡¯t seem right or she was lying or ignorant? He hoped thether else they¡¯re fucked up.

    It¡¯s enough that Marcel was chasing after him, he can¡¯t add Arianna to his problem. She deserved a stable life with a better partner than him.

    ¡°You must know him...¡± Arianna went on, fishing for more information, ¡°He¡¯s a bad man, right? How else would he have so manyckeys?¡±

    Elijah searched Arianna¡¯s gaze and saw the curiosity there. His gaze narrowed yet he still masked his expression and said, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a very bad person and you would do your best to stay away from him,¡± He muttered under his breath, ¡°Thankfully, you didn¡¯t steal from him,¡±

    However, Arianna heard him, and confusion mixed with anxiety zeroed in on her. It was a bad thing to steal from him? Just how bad was it? Arianna was tempted to ask him, however, she knew Elijah was smart and would find her questions suspicious, so she shut her mouth.

    Surely, he wouldn¡¯te after her because of the wallet? Marcel wasn¡¯t that petty, right? But then, she was leaving the country tomorrow and he wouldn¡¯t be able to find her anymore.

    Moreover, it was just a wallet ¨C with a bit of cash. Fine, too much cash.

    Well, when she leaves the country and settles down, she would surely pay him back. She just need the cash to sort out her financial constraints and once she worked hard, she would send the money back to him one way or the other.

    ¡°What about you? Are you a bad person?¡± Arianna finally asked the question that has been bothering her.

    ¡°Why?¡± Elijah smirked, revealing the dimples at the corner of his cheek, ¡°Are you having second thoughts about me or is it essential to make the decision you¡¯ve been battling with?¡±

    Arianna sighed, ¡°You know you do have a habit of answering questions with questions,¡±

    ¡°And you have a habit of evading my questions,¡± He smirked.

    Arianna groaned, this was not going the way she wanted it. Things had been fine between them until now.

    Suddenly, Elijah stood from his seat, and Arianna¡¯s heart raced, her gaze looking around as she searched for a weapon in case her fears about Elijah turns out to be true. Her gaze then settled on the fork beside her te and realized they could serve as a weapon if the need be. She could stab him and run off before he catches her. Arianna hoped it worked.

    With each step Elijah took, her heart pounded and Arianna thought she would have a heart attack at this rate. She slipped the fork under the table and waited for the right time just as Elijah stepped before her and then without warning, leaned towards her.

    It took Arianna all her willpower not to just jerk forward and stab him, but she knew it was not the moment, at least until he shows his intentions towards her.

    Elijah said, ¡°You asked what I do for a living?¡±

    Arianna could only nod.

    ¡°I¡¯m a mercenary,¡±

    She gulped, it was true.

    ¡°Any more questions?¡±

    ¡°Have you killed anyone?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s like a number one requirement for my job,¡± Elijah confessed, watching as her face fell.

    ¡°However,¡± He added, ¡°If itforts you, then you should know I don¡¯t kill women and children. That¡¯s my code of moral,¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ve killed innocent people?¡±

    ¡°Nobody is truly innocent, Arianna. Not me, not you. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t throw people under the bus just to escape from Big Joe?¡± He challenged.

    Arianna wet red in the face at being caught red-handed in her crimes. He was right, nobody was innocent at all.

    She nced up and continued her question,¡± What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°Honestly?¡± Elijah chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know. You might think I¡¯m crazy or something but you interest me and it makes me greedy enough to have you,¡± He said, staring her straight.

    At this point, Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to loosen her grip on the fork or to tighten her grip. The guy just said he doesn¡¯t know the reason he was crazy for her. Wasn¡¯t that a sign she should run for her life?

    Arianna was ssurprisedwhen he grabbed her chin gently, tilting her face in his direction. She stared into his electric blue eyes and was lost for words.

    ¡°You seem to have problems making decisions. Let me help you with that,¡± Elijah said, just as he pressed his lips against hers.

 Chapter 51

    51 What Charm Did she ce On This Poor Soul?

    It seemed like Arianna had been dreaming when he pressed his lips against hers. She froze up, her body unmoving until Elijah deepened the kiss and a moan left her mouth.

    Arianna was stunned, her eyes widening. This was the first time she had kissed a man on the lips ¨C the pecks she gave Big Joe didn¡¯t count at all.

    Her heart pounded in her chest with a concussive force that made it seem like she would suffer a heart attack soon. Arianna loved watching soap operas and each kissing scene had always made her crave that emotion. She wondered what it would feel like to have the lips of the love of her life on hers. Only now, she didn¡¯t know how to describe it.

    Her toes curled on itself and she felt this urgency to respond so she wrapped her hand around his neck while the other fisted his shirt, pulling him closer.

    Elijah must have seen that gesture as her permitting him because he boxed her in, his hand wrapping around her waist while he braced himself on the seat.

    Nothing mattered to Arianna at that moment except the feel of his lips on her. If she knew how exhrating kissing was, perhaps she would have dated more. Or perhaps, it felt more wonderful because it was with the right person. Was Elijah the one for her?

    Heat pooled in between her legs, Arianna took his lower lip in between her teeth and nibbled gently before sucking on it. Elijah groaned, his hand digging into his waist as she kissed him wickedly.

    However, all good things muste to an end because Arianna felt the basic need to breathe. The both of them pulled apart, their chest heaving heavily as if they had run a marathon.

    Arianna nced up and when her eyes met Elijah¡¯s, heat rushed her cheeks. Gosh, she just kissed him? Oh my God!

    .....

    ¡°Where did you learn to kiss like that when you¡¯ve never had a boyfriend?¡± He asked, his face just a mere inches away from hers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess watching romantic movies finally paid off,¡± Arianna replied breathlessly.

    ¡°Yeah, indeed. It did,¡± Elijah said, smoldering heat in his gaze that made Arianna¡¯s breath hitch in her throat.

    She took away her gaze asking, ¡°You said you were not going to touch me without consent, yet you kissed me when I didn¡¯t ask you to?¡±

    ¡°It was your punishment,¡±

    ¡°Punishment?¡± She was surprised.

    ¡°For not trusting me,¡± He exined, still staring intently at her even when she turned her face away. Did he like her face that much?

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna said, tugging her hair behind her ear. But all that did was to give Elijah a view of her sexy neck that made him gulp. Arianna was the epitome of sexiness.

    ¡°I might be many things, but my intention towards you is pure. I truly want to help you, Arianna,¡±

    Arianna sensed the sincerity in Elijah¡¯s words and that was what made her even more scared because she was slowly falling for him. He was everything she wanted in a man, except that his line of work worried her.

    She knew how the criminal world worked and it was all violence and vengeance. Ruth¡¯s husband had paid the price for it and she has seen how Ruth lived with it. Arianna was afraid to give her heart only to lose it.

    Her father who loved her, left her, Arianna wasn¡¯t sure she would take it if Elijah stirred up her world only to crush it. She can¡¯t love someone she would lose.

    Her attention was drawn when she felt the heat of Elijah¡¯s mouth on her neck and she let out a blissful sigh. It felt like home.

    Elijah continued to kiss up and down her neck, suckling on her delicate skin. It wasn¡¯t until a moan escaped her throat that she realized what she was doing and her decision.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do this,¡± Arianna apologized, getting off the seat and forcing Elijah to stand up straight as well. She put some space between them and didn¡¯t look him in the eyes, knowing that made her weak.

    ¡°Why?¡± Elijah asked her, unable to understand why she was holding back, ¡°You feel attracted to me just as I am to you. Forget about the whole damn permission thing, not when you¡¯ve been eyefucking me. Nor do you have someone in your life or do you have someone in your heart..?¡± there was a cautious look in Elijah¡¯s eyes as he realized that possibility.

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna shouted when she saw the way his gaze narrowed at her, ¡°There¡¯s no one in my heart... but you,¡± Arianna had to swallow past the lump in her throat confessing that.

    For a while, Elijah didn¡¯t say a word, he just stared at Arianna in disbelief upon that confession. An uncountable number of emotions flickered through his eyes.

    ¡°Then....¡± Elijah said, stepping towards her while she stepped backwardly. Yet he didn¡¯t stop moving until he sessfully backed her against the kitchen Ind.

    Arianna looked behind, there was no way to go and upon turning around, there was Elijah who boxed her in, looking like a predator and she was the prey.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it? Why can¡¯t you love me, Arianna?¡± Elijah finally asked the question, pressing his body up against it. He was aroused by her.

    The lump in Arianna¡¯s throat grew, what has shended herself into? She really didn¡¯t want to hurt him.

    ¡°Speak to me, please, Arianna. Your silence hurts more,¡± Elijah looked so vulnerable it made her chest constrict.

    This was crazy! Arianna screamed in her mind. This was absolutely crazy! They barely knew each other, how could he love her that much? If it wasn¡¯t the fact that this man risked his life saving her, Arianna could have sworn this was a scam.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I like you,¡± Arianna finally admitted her feelings for him, ¡°However, I¡¯m scared,¡± she said.

    ¡°Scared of what, Arianna?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? You¡¯re in constant danger because of your work,¡± Sheughed, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you look like. Not that I care about your facial appearance or something,¡± Arianna said and noticed the raise of his brow.

    Elijah was ready for a little argument or would she say, truth game especially when she rejected Big Joe because of his height. Although that¡¯s not entirely the reason ¨C they forced her against her will for Christ¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Okay, I do care about what you look like,¡± She finally said the truth, ¡°But the point is, there¡¯s going to be intimacy between us and I can¡¯t do that with a man who hides his face away from me¡±

    Elijah palmed her face, keeping her gaze on him as he spoke, ¡°I keep my face hidden from you, not because I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s for your safety, Arianna. There are many people I¡¯ve offended and they would do everything to get the picture of what I look like from you,¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of even keeping your identity from me when they would still torture me to get the truth?¡± Arianna asked, a bit of panic creeping inside of her.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only woman I¡¯ve been with, Arianna,¡±

    It seemed like someone stabbed a knife into her chest when Arianna heard that statement. Although he told her initially that he had been with other women, it didn¡¯t hurt then the way it hurt now. What was happening to her?

    ¡°They¡¯ve questioned them and found nothing rting to me. My enemies already know it¡¯s my modus operandi to keep my lovers in the dark and wouldn¡¯t even bother with you at all thinking it¡¯s the same case,¡±

    ¡°Funny but Isn¡¯t it the same case?¡± Arianna sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you look like?¡±

    ¡°You know what my eyes look like,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°My real eyes, that¡¯s what you¡¯re staring into right now,¡± Elijah said and Arianna looked up, stunned.

    Those electric blue eyes were real. And for some reason, itforted her that she was the only one who knew that. Not even the other women.

    ¡°Oh God, no,¡± Arianna suddenly groaned to his surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t this more reason why we shouldn¡¯t be together. You¡¯re a me, Elijah and I¡¯ll only get burned being with you,¡±

    ¡°Not if we leave together,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna did not hear right.

    ¡°My enemies would not be able to reach you if we leave the country together,¡± He offered her a chance to be with him.

    ¡°You must be joking,¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. It was surreal.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not, Arianna,¡± Elijah said, then sighed, ¡°I¡¯m tired of this life; I¡¯m tired of running without looking over my back. I want to rest now with the woman in front of me,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t blink, she just stood dumbfounded. She knew what he was offering and that shocked her more. He was willing to give up his life for her. What charm have you ced on this poor soul, Arianna?

    ¡°So tell me, Arianna, would you run off with me? For better, for worse?¡± He offered, stretching out his hand.

    Arianna smiled down at him and took his hand, ¡°I do,¡±

 Chapter 52

    52 Deal

    Kenith didn¡¯t like this one bit yet he had no choice. Big Joe had given him an ultimatum to find Arianna or his position was at risk. Moreover, Arianna was the key to his n, he had to find her at all costs.

    Unfortunately, the only clue to finding Arianna was to see Marcelo Luciano whether he liked it or not. They were the people he hadst seen around her.

    As soon as Kenith arrived at the club, he was stopped at the entrance where many others were waiting in line. However, he had drawn more attention because he had two of his people behind him as guards.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The bouncer stopped him.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Marcel and don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s not avable because I made my research beforeing and from my Intel, he¡¯s in here,¡±

    At thatment, the bouncer narrowed his gaze at him and observed him closely.

    Kenith smiled, then tilted his neck to the side, exposing a hint of the tattoo on his shoulder causing the bouncer to exhale noisily.

    The bouncer puffed his chest and stood up straight to increase his Size and tried to appear intimidating as he asked, ¡°What business do you have with him? Do you have an appointment?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t have one,¡± Kenith said to him.

    .....

    ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry, you have no business with Marcel,¡± the bouncer refused him entrance, turning back to resume what he was doing when Kenith said.

    ¡°I indeed have no appointment but I¡¯m sure that can be arranged once you show him this,¡± Kenith pulled out his phone, opened a picture, and handed it to him.

    The bouncer expected that what Kenith was about to show him was important stuff, whether his face distorted when he saw it was a picture of a woman. A picture of Arianna.

    ¡°Really?¡± The bouncer snorted, ¡°You think Marcel ain¡¯t got many holes to f**k?¡± he was offended.

    ¡°Trust me, this p***sy is special,¡± Kenith tried to assure him.

    ¡°Well, it better be, because if the boss rejects your visit, I¡¯ll put a bullet in between your head myself for wasting my time,¡± the bouncer threatened him, subtly showing off the gun that was strapped to his waistband, making sure no one else saw the weapon he carried.

    The threat was well received, ¡°Sure,¡± Kenith smirked confidently as the bouncer left to ry his message, another taking his ce at the entrance.

    Truthfully, Kenith was scared, not because of the threat that the bouncer gave him, but the fact that his entire n depended on Marcel¡¯s decision. Marcel¡¯s people were efficient and had to be with Arianna, she couldn¡¯t escape all by herself else he would have found her by now.

    The bouncer took a long time to return and Kenith was beginning to think that Marcel was angered by his summon and had killed the bouncer as a lesson when he finally appeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± Was the only word the bouncer said and Kenith released a breath he didn¡¯t know he had been holding in. It was sessful, Marcel would hear him out.

    ¡°Come on,¡± The bouncer said, releasing the staunch on so Kenith could walk in. However, before the two men with him coulde in, the bouncer stopped them and their faces distorted.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one permitted in,¡± The bouncer said in a gruff voice, his body poised to act if they tried to do something stupid.

    ¡°Stand down, they would do nothing to me,¡± Kenith told them before motioning to the bouncer assigned to take him to Marcel. They left.

    The club belonged to Marcel and Kenith could see the huge difference between his and theirs. It was much more luxurious, organized, and spacious. He was envious.

    They climbed up the stairs where he was led to the room having been searched thoroughly. The room had floor-to-ceiling windows and Marcel stood at the entrance, watching downstairs.

    Marcel didn¡¯t turn around even to him when he arrived, and that angered Kenith ¨C he was looking down on him. However, as angry as Kenith was, he couldn¡¯t do anything, not when he¡¯s in enemy territory and needed his help in getting to Arianna.

    So he intentionally cleared his throat to announce his presence yet that still didn¡¯t cause Marcel to turn to him.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Kenith and I¡¯m the -¡±

    ¡°How did you get to know Arianna?¡± Marcel interrupted him, finally turning to him. There was a lit cigarette stuck in between his fingers and he released the smoke into the air.

    ¡°Her father owes my boss money and was unable to pay up. I¡¯m the collector and did what my job entailed. Fortunately, I found her useful as my boss¡¯ wife. But of course, you know that,¡± Kenith saw through his n. He was double checking his facts and also testing him at the same time. If he had lied, Marcel would have canceled this meeting.

    ¡°You¡¯re smart, I like you,¡± Marcel chuckled.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you this question then, What¡¯s your rtionship with Arianna? Where is Arianna? You have her don¡¯t you?¡±

    Marcel smirked, ¡°I ask you just a question yet you ask multiple questions. Which should I answer first?¡± The situation was amusing to him.

    ¡°What is your rtionship with Arianna?¡± Kenith chose to start from there. He added with a narrowed gaze, ¡°Is she your lover?¡±

    ¡°Oh, how I wish,¡± Marcelughed, ¡°She looks like she would be fire on bed,¡±

    For some reason, those words didn¡¯t sit right with Kenith and his fist clenched. Arianna was his.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I need her for something important,¡± Marcel finally said.

    ¡°Something important?¡± Kenith was curious now. He could sense there was more to this story.

    ¡°Months ago, I had a truckload of my weapons stolen and it was all the work of a certain mercenary, the phantom ghost, Elijah,¡±

    ¡°Elijah?¡± Kenith was surprised. He had heard about the man but they never had an encounter before. Why would they anyway? They were just a small gang.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Kenith still hadn¡¯t figured out the whole picture.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s connected to Arianna and I need Arianna to get to him,¡± Marcel revealed his ns to him.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Kenith nodded as it dawned on him, ¡°You don¡¯t have Arianna either,¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t,¡± Marcel admitted, yet added, ¡°But I would soon. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re here, to strike a deal with me?¡±

    Kenith stared at Marcel, the man might be annoying and arrogant, but he was a good businessman.

    ¡°You want me to find Arianna for you?¡± Kenith figured out.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel corrected him, ¡°I want you to help me find Arianna. In simple words, I want all hands to be on deck. I can find the girl on my own but it would take time which is quickly running out. The fact that you and I haven¡¯t been able to find her so far confirms how sneaky and smart Elijah is.

    ¡°Elijah might be invisible but he¡¯s got an inexperienced woman by his side. That should slow him down until we get to him. How does that sound?¡± Marcel offered a partnership deal with him.

    ¡°And what do I get out of this? You crashed her bachelorette party, allowing her to escape? How do you solve that? My position is on the line here,¡± Kenith asked him.

    ¡°My promise that your boss¡¯ pretty little wife would be sent back to you in one piece after I¡¯m done with her,¡± Marcel promised him.

    ¡°Really? Just that?¡± Kenith didn¡¯t trust his promise one bit. If there was one thing he knew about businessmen, it was their shrewdness. Unfortunately, Marcel was both a Mafia and a businessman. He was much more lethal.

    ¡°I never go back on my promises, my word is thew here. But if you still don¡¯t trust me and are unsatisfied with my bare words, we can draw up a contract,¡± Marcel said, his brows raised.

    Kenith was tempted to go through with a contract immediately, however, this was a one-sided sword. If he trusted Marcel¡¯s words and he kept to his deal, it would open more opportunities for better dealings in the future. However, drawing up a contract ensured the deal stood; however, the foundation for truth has been shattered.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll trust your words then,¡± Kenith choose the risky way. Sometimes, the most dangerous ce was also the safest ce. His risky choice had much more benefit for the future.

    ¡°You made a wise choice, my friend,¡± Marcel smiled at him, revealing white teeth that would charm thedies amid the fact he was a smoker.

    ¡°Deal then?¡± Marcel stretched his hand which Kenith stared at warily before he took it.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Kenith epted his handshake.

    ¡°Want one?¡± Marcel offered him a cigarette that he epted and helped him light it.

    ¡°So how do we start?¡± Kenith asked.

    ¡°I search up, you search down,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Kenith was confused.

    Marcel only smiled, ¡°We are doing it the ssic way, baby,¡±

 Chapter 53

    53 She Belonged To Elijah

    ¡°Come on, stop it!¡± Arianna tried to snatch the gaming pad from Elijah.

    The both of them were having the time of their life. After acknowledging the fact they had feelings for each other, Arianna decided they took advantage of today before moving into their uncertain tomorrow.

    The first thing they had done was to bake. Elijah was a prowess in the kitchen which was quite a shame to Arianna ¨C she thought she knew how to cook best and considering the fact she¡¯s a woman. But Elijah proved her wrong, he was incredible. No, he was perfect.

    Since Arianna had a sweet tooth, they baked a lot of cookies and cakes. All of their ingredients were ordered online and Arianna still couldn¡¯t get over theughter that formed in her throat whenever the deliveries arrived ¨C they were baffled by the panting on Elijah¡¯s face.

    What a weirdo? They must think.

    Well, Arianna would have thought the same if it wasn¡¯t the fact the weirdo saved her from a miserable fate.

    They baked into the afternoon and when they were done filling their stomach with the flours, had a brief nap. Arianna still couldn¡¯t exin the warmth she felt when his arm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her up closer to his chest.

    When they woke, Elijah decided they ordered Chinese takeout for dinner and it was when they were done eating, that the gaming idea arose since they had nothing to do.

    At first, it had been interesting because Arianna had the upper hand in the game until Elijah whooped her ass with a 5:1. It was at that point that Arianna suspected Elijah must have intentionally let her win in the beginning. He let her score one point so she wouldn¡¯t feel so sore about her defeat.

    .....

    Although it was a game, Arianna couldn¡¯t help but pout. Of all the skills she had disyed today, Elijah was ten times better than her. What kind of guy was he anyway, he was supposed to let her win, right?

    ¡°I¡¯m done ying!¡± Arianna heaved, exasperated as she gave up on snatching his gamepad.

    She and Elijah were on the couch and each time she tried to reach for the pad, he would only lift it higher so she couldn¡¯t touch it. Thus, in the process of trying to grab it, Arianna didn¡¯t even know she was straddling him and when she decided to give up, Elijah stopped her.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna asked bored, and it wasn¡¯t until she felt something move beneath it that she realized what was going on.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Arianna screamed, trying to get off him but Elijah grabbed her hips and wouldn¡¯t let go.

    Arianna looked up at him with a questioning look. Yes, she was bored but until him, she didn¡¯t even have her first kiss. She was a fucking virgin for Christ¡¯s sake!

    Elijah tossed the gaming pad away with no care where it wouldnd, his gaze glued on the woman in front of him. Arianna forgot how to breathe, the way Elijah was staring at her caused some not-so-funny reactions in her body.

    His hand wrapped around her neck and he pulled her down only to crush his lips against hers. Arianna gasped loudly, the kiss made her head swirl.

    After their first kiss in the kitchen, they had not kissed fully on the mouth once again except for some silly pecks he ced on her during their baking session. Hence the intensity of his kiss this time blew her mind away.

    Unlike their first kiss, Elijah was not gentle with her this time. He tasted her like a man starved, as if he wanted to devour her, not that Arianna wasining anyway.

    A smile touched Arianna¡¯s lips as she kissed Elijah back. The feeling was exquisite and she didn¡¯t want it to stop. What was she even scared of anyway? Come tomorrow, she and Elijah were going to start a new life.

    Call her stupid but Arianna believed him. She could feel the sincerity in his words. The question that remained was if she was making the right choice?

    However, Elijah didn¡¯t need anything from her, he just wanted her because of who she was. That was the best choice she could make if you asked her.

    A moan escaped her mouth when Elijah¡¯s hands slipped into her top and rubbed over the globe of her breast. Although she was wearing a bra, it didn¡¯t stop the delicious shiver that went climbed down her spine.

    ¡°Elijah!¡± Arianna breathed his name, slowly writhing her waist as his hands dug into his hair, clutching a fistful and pulling it tight.

    Elijah groaned, his hand going down to her waist and groping her bottom as she moaned into his mouth. He rubbed her against his erection, showing her how hard he was for her while she was delirious with pleasure.

    Heat pooled in between her legs yet Elijah didn¡¯t stop until he was grinding her against his throbbing erection through his pants. Arianna¡¯s breath came in pants and her moan became louder and quicker as he controlled her movements until she was gasping,ing undone in his arms.

    Arianna limped against him, exhausted. Elijah rested his forehead against hers, their breathing in deep while sweat beaded their forehead.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Arianna breathed, still trying to catch her breath. It was wonderful.

    ¡°The magic we could create together,¡± He answered, kissing her neck and she trembled.

    ¡°Magic?¡± Arianna asked, dumbfounded.

    However, before she could get an answer to her question, Elijah pushed her down to the sofa and his lips were on her again.

    The kiss was hungry, his movements hurried as his hands traveled down to her pants, about to pull them down. Upon realizing what he was about to do, Arianna pulled away from the kiss instantly and stopped him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She gasped, ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready yet,¡±

    There was a tension-filled silence between them and Arianna took that opportunity to take in the air her lungs were deprived of moments ago. Elijah¡¯s intense stare was unsettling and for a moment she had this fear he would cancel their ns for the future if he couldn¡¯t have her.

    However, Arianna knew if Elijah truly loved her, he wouldn¡¯t force her into doing something she doesn¡¯t want. At least her brain was still functioning and hadn¡¯t been clouded with lust.

    ¡°If it¡¯s your decision, then so be it. I can wait for when you¡¯re ready,¡± He said to her relief.

    Arianna took a breath in and out. She was right, she made the right choice.

    ¡°However...¡± Elijah suddenly said, her body tensed up.

    ¡°There are many ways I can pleasure you without the union of her genitals,¡±

    ¡°Pleasure me?¡± Arianna was confused. Wouldn¡¯t it be mutual? ¡°Oh.¡± She finally got it. Just because she hasn¡¯t done it, doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t know it.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all about you tonight, not my needs, Arianna. Moreover, you¡¯re so naive with those innocent eyes of yours that I want to taint your soul, ck,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to be scared for her life or be filled with anticipation. Elijah was skilled in that area, that was for sure. What was she going to do?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Elijah was already giving her space when she grabbed him.

    ¡°Do it,¡± Arianna said with resolve. It was time to explore and It was not like she owed anyone any exnation. The Good girl Arianna was gone forever, tarnished by the wickedness of this world.

    ¡°Good decision,¡± Elijah smiled, his eyes glinting with thrill. Heughed huskily, lifting his mouth to hers once again.

    Arianna saw his eyes burn with fire as she kissed him back and she knew there was no going back after this. While Elijah still kissed her, his hand traveled down and began to pull down on her pants until they had to break away.

    Elijah pushed her up until she was leaning against the armrest and pushed the throw pillow beneath her so her hip was raised to a level he could ess.

    Arianna¡¯s heart mmed against her chest, this was crazy yet here she was, doing it. Many things could go wrong, you know.

    The instant Elijah pushed her thighs apart, Arianna stiffened.

    ¡°Hey, rx, I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± Elijah said soothingly, ¡°You are going to love every bit of this,¡± He promised her.

    His words must have been magic because Arianna found her body rxing and she was grateful for the fact she had shaved thoroughly ¨C thanks to Big Joe¡¯s wedding.

    The instant Elijah¡¯s hands slid through her opening, Arianna closed her eyes, her body humming in approval. This was what she needed ¨C she needed to unwind.

    His hand moved while he covered the sweet moans escaping her mouth with his mouth. Arianna rolled her hips against his hands as he increased his pace till a wildfire ran through her.

    However, that was nothingpared to when his face reced his fingers and Elijah worked her with his tongue to an orgasm that made her feel weightless. It was euphoric, as if all her problems in the world had vanished.

    Arianna knew at that moment she belonged to Elijah, body, mind, and soul. She was his forever and nothing woulde between them.

 Chapter 54

    54 That¡¯s My Girl

    Arianna stretched her body out on the bed like a snakeing out of its brumation. She reached for the other side of the bed and though her hand came up empty, a smile still tugged on her lips.

    Last night was... How was she going to describe it? It was just amazing! A blush crept up her face when she remembered what happened between her and Elijah. That man was out of this world.

    He brought her to a ne she never thought of reaching. Arianna had touched herself once and although it felt good, that had been the end of it. Moreover, there is no time for fun when you¡¯re living with a family that made it their life decision to torment you.

    For once, Arianna was grateful she did not date while in her uncle¡¯s house. Imagine being with someone like Elijah and her cousin udia decides to snatch him from her? Arianna knew udia would surely attempt to seduce him.

    Arianna knew Elijah was a chick ma, she just couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he would be able to escape udia¡¯s wiles if such a scenario does happen?

    Well, the man¡¯s smart, she would give him credit for that. Arianna just wondered about his self-control. Anyway, he promised to be faithful as long as she belonged to him. And here she was!

    Arianna was giddy with excitement as she rose from the bed. It felt like she was on cloud nine, no, high on drugs.

    What was this euphoric feeling? She twirled on the floor to a tune no one was ying. It was all in her head. Was this what it felt to be in love? Like you¡¯re stepping on soft fluffy clouds without falling to your death?

    Arianna could have spent more time fooling around if she didn¡¯t remember the fact her flight would be leaving in two hours. Yes, she would be leaving with Elijah.

    .....

    Elijah? That name sent butterflies in her stomach and her heart skipped a beat. Gosh, what the hell was happening to her? Arianna wondered, her hand on her chest. Something was wrong with her.

    Arianna belted out a tune in the shower, a habit she does when she has a lot on her head. This time, she was not singing because she wanted to breathe ¨C break free from the suffocation ¨C she was just happy. Genuinely happy. It was not every day she got to have peace of mind like this.

    When she was done, Arianna wore a V-neck floral dress that reached her mid-thigh. She then put on ck aviator sses and pulled on her luggage, heading downstairs only to freeze when she saw a man standing in the middle of the living room.

    He had his back turned to her and even when he noticed her appearance, he didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Elijah?¡± Arianna called out just to be sure and to draw his attention as well.

    The man finally turned but a sharp gasp escaped Arianna¡¯s mouth. It was indeed Elijah but he was standing without a mask ¨C his face was bare to her.

    ¡°H-how...?¡± Arianna could only stammer, unable toprehend what was going on.

    However, Arianna took a good look at Elijah¡¯s face and was so dumbfounded that she had to take off her sses to ensure she was seeing right.

    Although the blue of his eyes was still the same, Elijah wasn¡¯t what she expected at all. He had a slight crook in his nose as if he broke it in a fight. She must have imagined him having a strong jawline because what she saw now was a bulgy face with freckles. In one word, his appearance was ugly and appeared strange.

    ¡°Is that disappointment I see on your face?¡± Elijah said with a hint ofughter in his voice, ¡°And you said you didn¡¯t fall in love with my face ?¡± her expression amused him.

    Arianna didn¡¯t take her gaze off even as she walked towards him and that was when it hit her. Elijah was a master at disguise and this must be another one of his antics.

    ¡°That is not your real face, right?¡± She asked, unsure. It was real yet unreal.

    Elijah winked at her, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Arianna came towards him and felt it, a rush of relief overflowing her. She was not going to lie, she did care a bit about his appearance. Who doesn¡¯t?

    ¡°Seriously, can you stop scaring me like that?!¡± She hit him on the chest, feeling his tight muscles which was a huge contrast to his plump facial look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m so handsome that you would wish I hid my face with a paper bag whenever other women are around,¡± He was smug.

    ¡°You wish,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes. However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel his nose which was quite real, ¡°I¡¯ve seen stuff like these in movies. Never did I thought I would touch one in real life,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a hyper-realistic mask. It is made of silicone and covers the entire head and neck. Just like you were confused earlier, it¡¯s so realistic that most people can¡¯t tell when one is being worn,¡± Elijah exined to her.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna nodded, looking at him thoroughly. There¡¯s a lot of detail on the skin, there¡¯s a vein, there¡¯s a lot of freckles and wrinkles and individual skin pores. Elijah could have easily fooled her with this if he had worn a different eye color.

    ¡°So I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s your disguise for today?¡± She pointed out just as Elijah reached into the deep pocket of his trench coat to pull out two pairs of passports.

    Arianna took one of the passports he offered her and opened it, only to nce back up at him with a questioning look, ¡°Anita Joseph? This is fake,¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you¡¯re supposedly my wife,¡± He shed his passport at her with a grin.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little bit too old for me?¡± Arianna teased him, stepping closer.

    ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter, the inner beauty does,¡± He answered her, turning around to check his own luggage when she struck.

    With great speed, Arianna reached for his neck only for Elijah to suddenly turn around and grab her hand before she could touch him.

    ¡°Nice reflexes you got there,¡± Arianna was out of breath. She had not expected Elijah to react on time when all she wanted was to see his real face.

    ¡°We really need to start working on your trust issues,¡± Elijah said, staring at her heaving chest.

    ¡°I just want to see what you look like,¡± was her excuse.

    ¡°And I promised that you would in due time. I never fail my promises, Aria, yet you¡¯ve broken another of your promises and you need to be punished. Again,¡±

    ¡°Punish?¡± Her eyes grew wide and before Arianna could react, Elijah had already pushed her up against the pir by his side.

    He grabbed both of her hands, lifted them, and pinned them above her head, while his other hand traveled down to her waist and grabbed her bottom.

    Arianna let out a sharp breath as he continued to feel and squeeze her backside. Then his leg parted her knees as his hand slipped into her dress. He rubbed her through her panties causing a tremor to go through her.

    ¡°Elijah...¡± Arianna moaned his name, her head lulling back. He knew how to work her body like the strings of a guitar.

    Then his hand slid into her panties and through her opening. Arianna cried out in pleasure and Elijah was delighted to see that she was wet for him.

    The air thickened and was hot, Arianna felt like she was on fire as he continued to move against her. Her legs felt like jelly and it was surprising to know she was still on her feet.

    Arianna was already close to the edge when he stopped moving inside of her and her eyes flew open in rm. Was this the punishment he was talking about?

    ¡°Elijah, please....¡± Arianna cried out, moving her hips to his touch to get to the edge but he hindered her move.

    ¡°Do you need it that much?¡± He intentionally teased her.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna breathed unashamedly. Days ago, if someone had told her that she would be the one to beg a man to touch her, she would never believe it.

    Arianna was not shy but reserved nor was she a fan of public disy of affection. It all seemed superficial to her, but now, she could finally understand. When you meet the one you care about, the world could go to hell as long as you care.

    ¡°Then answer this one question,¡± He drew closer, till their bodies were pressed together, ¡°Who do you belong to?¡± Elijah asked, his gaze darkening with desire.

    Arianna mirrored his look because she was not far off either. Her eyes were hooded, with her body pulsing with need as she said, huskily, ¡°It¡¯s you, Elijah. I belong to no one else but you,¡±

    ¡°Good girl,¡± He said, resuming his touch and adding another finger inside of her.

    Arianna¡¯s breath quickened and her moans became louder when one of his fingers slightly prated her while the other rubbed circles around her clit. She didn¡¯t just orgasm, Ariannabusted, trembling violently in his arms when he finally let go.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± Elijah said, running her hand through her hair as she slumped against him, trying to catch her breath.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, very soon, we¡¯d be far away from the problem of this world,¡± He murmured, a strong glint in Elijah¡¯s eyes as he thought of their future together.

 Chapter 55

    55 Run, Elijah

    ¡°Don¡¯t show your nervousness,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was startled by his statement and that was when she looked down to discover that her hands were shaking because he ced his hands gently over it.

    ¡°Oh. thank you,¡± Arianna let out a deep breath. You couldn¡¯t me her for being nervous though, many things could go wrong today. She was using a fake passport and the man beside her was wearing a mask for freaking sake. Gosh, when did she be like this?

    ¡°I¡¯m always here with you. That¡¯s all you have to know. Moreover, the first rule of being a viin is to act like you¡¯re invincible,¡± Elijah said to her.

    ¡°Okay. Wait ¨C what?!¡± Arianna was shocked. When did she be a viin? However Elijah didn¡¯t let her think because he grabbed her face and kissed her briefly.

    ¡°I think this has just be my favorite mask,¡± He said with a smile.

    ¡°And I think we have finally arrived,¡± Arianna announced just as the driver of the limousine stepped down to open the door for her, Elijah stepping out by himself.

    How Elijah was able to pull this all up while at home with her? Arianna couldn¡¯t tell. However, she was sure of one thing, Elijah had the resources.

    ¡°Here,¡± He helped her put on the sses before producing a summer hat out of nowhere which he ced on her head.

    .....

    ¡°Hmmm, a magician as well. You¡¯re a man of many talents, Elijah,¡± Arianna teased him, hooking her arm around his as they walked into the airport.

    Arianna knew the reason for the sses and hat, it was to keep her identity a secret from others who might be snooping around. Elijah said it himself, being here was a risk itself.

    Since they had done an online check-in, Arianna and Elijah headed straight to the first-ss security checkpoint where they were attended to immediately.

    The both of them were in the departure lounge when Arianna felt the need to use the restroom.

    ¡°I would be back soon,¡± Arianna assured him and left.

    Even after she left, Elijah didn¡¯t take his eyes off, scanning for any suspicious movement and when he felt it wasfortable enough, he rxed a bit.

    It was in the process of turning back, that he mistakenly hit the purse that he got Arianna where she put her boarding stuff and other stuff that could fit in.

    It seems that Arianna did not properly zip it close before she left because the contents spilled to the ground when it fell.

    With a groan, Elijah bent and started retrieving the contents only for his gaze to fall on a wallet. His brows furrowed at once because he had seen that wallet a few times and each time she had it very close to her. But then, it was strange for Arianna to have a wallet inside a purse, right? Or maybe he was overly curious?

    Elijah, without wasting time opened the wallet and was surprised at the amount of bills in there. Since they went through first-ss, the security would not have questioned the wallet having surmised she was rich.

    In her passport, Arianna went with the identity of a wealthy wife. His wife. However, Elijah knew better, Arianna didn¡¯t have that much money.

    Even if she does have such money, why would she carelessly store it in a wallet that could be easily stolen? Moreover, Arianna wouldn¡¯t have the time to get such money since thest person she was in contact was Big Joe¡¯s people at the club. They wouldn¡¯t give that to her else she puts it to good use. Unless she stole it....

    At once, Elijah began to search the wallet thoroughly as a sudden fear took over him. His instinct was never wrong ¨C It was the same feeling that had kept him alive till now.

    And finally, that was when he saw it, a picture slid out of one of theyers of the wallet while he was still searching. It was the picture of a woman and his blood chilled at once.

    While on a mission, Elijah made itpulsory to know everything about his targets, and though, that wasn¡¯t a picture of his target, it was the mother. Having stolen from Marcel himself, Elijah knew there was one thing he cherished above every other thing. His mother¡¯s memories.

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Elijah cursed under his breath, knowing there was no other way around this. Arianna has gotten herself into deep shit and it was toote.

    Meanwhile...

    Arianna washed her hands before drying it with the tissue by her side. Done, she tossed the crumbled tissue into the wastebin.

    ¡°Nice throw,¡± She grinned at her uracy. Then stared at her reflection in her mirror, rubbing her hair that became disheveled when she removed her hat.

    When she was done, Arianna hummed a tune on her way out and hardly opened the door only to stumble into a group of men at the entrance.

    One of them stepped forward and the earlier smile vanished slowly,

    ¡°Arianna Walker?¡± he questioned her.

    ¡°Yes?¡± the confirmation slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. Arianna had forgotten she was using a fake name. She was startled out of her mind.

    But that was just the beginning of her fears because the man shed his badge across her face announcing,

    ¡°I am arresting you on suspicion of stealing and forgery. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to awyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have awyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford awyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without awyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time, ¡±

    Even when the officer went on and on about her Miranda right, Arianna didn¡¯t react. It was as if she was frozen, her feet rooted to the ground. She didn¡¯t react when the handcuffs was mmed down on her wrist, it was as if the noises faded away in her mind.

    It wasn¡¯t until they began to drag her away that the situation dawned on her and one person came to her mind.

    ¡°Elijah?!¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes widened and she turned to check for him since the toilet was located at the end of the lounge.

    But the officers wouldn¡¯t let her be, taking her move that she was still resisting arrest even though her hands were cuffed.

    ¡°I just need a minute to check something!¡± Arianna pleaded with them. She just needed to see if he was still there and maybe warn him.

    But then who was she kidding, Elijah was the smartest person she had ever seen. He must have seen theming and left already?

    However, Arianna¡¯s thought still hurt at that discovery, does it mean Elijah abandoned her? Or maybe it was toote to warn or even save her? Arianna wished it happened that way.

    ¡°Please, just a minute, no, a second. I just need to check on something and you cane with me ¨C well, it¡¯s not like I can do anything without you guys by my side,¡± Arianna appealed.

    ¡°Fine, just a second,¡± the officer said, yet leaned closer to warn her, ¡°And if you try to do anything stupid, my bullet would go through your head,¡±

    Arianna shivered, yet nodded obediently. She was scared out of her mind. God, everything was moving too fast for her to handle.

    The officers were by her side, walking her back to the departure lounge. There arose a murmuring and a lot of eyes on her yet Arianna didn¡¯t give a damn and walked with her head held straight even though all she wanted to do was to cry at a corner.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need to walk over to their seat to know that Elijah was gone. There was not even a trace of him except the purse, the only thing proving that she and Elijah had been here moments ago.

    ¡°What is that?¡± the officer asked having noticed her intense stare.

    ¡°My purse,¡± Arianna answered truthfully.

    ¡°Take it,¡± The officer said and one of them took the purse before opening it and began to go through it.

    Arianna was vexed at the invasion of her privacy, ¡°No, don¡¯t! That¡¯s my....¡± She trailed off when the other officer pulled out the wallet and asked a strange guy she hadn¡¯t noticed until now.

    ¡°Is this it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± The man answered, receiving the wallet and giving Arianna a dirty stare.

    At once, Arianna¡¯s blood ran cold as she realized what was going on, ¡°Marcel,¡± She breathed.

    Fear filled Arianna and she leaped off but the officer was quick to grab her as if he knew her n.

    ¡°Elijah!¡± Arianna screamed his name even as she was being held down. They were going to kill her. She was sure of it. The damn police were working with them!

    They were stronger but Arianna struggled fiercely till they tossed her into the van they came with after leaving the airport.

    Ariana put on quite a fight but those evil men were many and one of them forced a drugged rag against her nose. Even as she lost consciousness, thest words that departed Arianna¡¯s mouth were,

    ¡°Run, Elijah.¡±

 Chapter 56

    56 The Teacher

    Mimi was smartly dressed today and although she was anxious, she was filled with excitement as well. Today was her first day of work and she was going to meet a professional who would help her improve her coffee making skills.

    God, she couldn¡¯t wait to get started!

    Further evidence of her excitement was the fact she had arrived an hour to her working time and made breakfast.

    Truthfully, the breakfast was meant for Marcel ¨C yeah, what was wrong with trying to impress the boss? Unlike her other boss, this one was young, rich, and sexy. Mimi squealed inwardly in her mind as she imagined what she could do with that body.

    A-hem!

    The point is she was trying to get on Marcel¡¯s good side. Sadly for her, the man she was trying to impress was already gone before she arrived. So the other men she could find chomped down on the breakfast and even praised her for cooking such delicious food.

    Mimi was filled with joy, it was her first day and everyone loved her already. Everything was going just the way she wanted, however, Mimi noticed something strange here.

    For a businessman, Marcel sure had a lot of men and most of them carried weapons around. At first, it had startled and scared Mimi, but one of them exined with a kind smile that they were licensed to do so.

    Even at that, the president of their country wasn¡¯t guided by so many men that resided in Marcel¡¯s mansion. However, what could Mimi do, she had no choice but to ept the excuse they gave her.

    .....

    But there was another problem, Mimi¡¯s teacher had not shown up. It was thirty minutes past his arrival already and Mimi had gone over their equipment over five times to make sure everything was in order and to ease off the tension.

    Mimi sighed, could it be that he has forgotten their appointment, or maybe his flight was runningte. Mimi was not surprised if Marcel was flying the professional from abroad since he enjoys luxury and perfection. He would want the best.

    In Mimi¡¯s mind, she had already envisioned her teacher to be a middle-aged man with an imperial mustache. He would have a receding hairline and dressed impably in his white neat uniform.

    Mimi was still lost in her imagination when someone stumbled into the kitchen and it wasn¡¯t until his shadow fell upon her that she nce up and froze.

    Holy mother of God. p her.

    Mimi almost suffered a nose bleed when she saw that walking sex god. What was with this ce? Most of the people here were as sexy as hell. How sure was she that this wasn¡¯t a secret modeling agency? Else, how does it exin their influx of hot men?

    God, how would she concentrate on her training with all these yummylicious men around? Her training was going to be harder than she thought.

    The man had tousled brown hair as if someone had run their hand through it all night. His shirt had the top five buttons undone, giving her an ample view of his well-muscled chest. Mimi swallowed down, heat suddenly flooding her cheek, this was her type. She was doing this one.

    When his gaze connected with hers, Mimi let out a sharp gasp. It was almost as if he gazed right into her soul. This guy was the one for her.

    However, Mimi still found something familiar about his gray eyes as if he has seen it somewhere and just couldn¡¯t ce her head around it. His eyes were too familiar.

    ¡°Where is the coffee?¡± Was the one question he asked and Mimi¡¯s body went into autopilot.

    It was confirmed, the both of them were soul mates. He loved coffee, she was a coffee maker. What apatible match.

    At that moment Mimi didn¡¯t care about her teacher that was runningte nor the fact he would want a clean environment and unused utensils when he arrives. All that mattered to her at that moment was impressing this Adonis, nothing else.

    This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and guys like this are rare toe back nor was she ignorant of herpetition. She had to imprint her existence deep down in his soul so he doesn¡¯t forget about her. Mimi hoped he lived here so she could prepare him delicious coffee every day, giving her a massive headstart against her opponents ¨C that is if he¡¯s single.

    If Mimi even looked into the coffee during the preparation, one couldn¡¯t tell because she was swept up in her imagination. But she was done with the coffee in no time and served him the drink saying proudly, ¡°Your coffee is done,¡±

    Mimi didn¡¯t mind that the handsome Adonis didn¡¯t say a word of thanks to her, she was more concerned about what his reaction would be like after tasting her coffee.

    Mimi was excited, knowing that it would be a positive response, hence she was not prepared when his face distorted.

    ¡°Gosh, what is this?¡± Victor hed, pouring the rest of the drink into the sink as if it was disgusting.

    Mimi panicked, thinking she had done something wrong to the coffee since she had not been paying attention when she was preparing it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She apologized and took out another clean cup from the set, intending to prepare another drink for him.

    Thankfully, the guy didn¡¯t seem toin and even watched her prepare the coffee as if it was interesting. That made her relived yet anxious at the same time.

    Mimi was relieved that the guy was patient enough to watch her prepare another round of coffee for him and was anxious as well that she would make another mistake under his scrutiny. It was a serious matter, she can¡¯t lose her handsome Adonis!

    When she was done making another round of coffee with the pour-over coffee maker, Mimi handed the drink to him nervously. She can¡¯t fail again else she¡¯s finished. Yeah, there would be no more future between the both of them, boohoo.

    Mimi could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she intertwined her hands together as if paying for it to work.

    Unfortunately, this time, Victor didn¡¯t even take a sip, he simply brought the coffee closer to his nose. He inhaled the scent with a contemtive look and after a minute, to her very shock, he poured the contents into the sink.

    Mimi stood at that spot stupified, what just happened? It was as if that scene yed in a loop in her head and all she could see was her coffee being disposed of.

    ¡°Youngdy, listen to me... ¡± Victor was saying but Mimi was lost in a trance and didn¡¯t even move. One might even think she was frozen in time.

    Victor groaned, running his hand through his hair. This was not what he signed up for. Marcel should have never dragged him into this.

    ¡°He poured her coffee away,¡± That was the one thought in Mimi¡¯s head. The guy she was trying so hard to impress, destroyed her coffee. How dare him?!

    ¡°Look ¨C ¡±

    ¡°What do you know about coffee?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Victor was startled by that question. The girl was finally talking and moving.

    ¡°Do you think you can do anything you want just because you¡¯re handsome?¡± Mimi said through gritted teeth, anger recing the previous smile on her face.

    ¡°What?¡± Victor¡¯s brows were furrowed, ¡°Lady, what are you even talking -!¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are to judge my coffee?!¡± Mimi began to shout on top of her voice before Victor could understand the reason for her outburst.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even a barista nor am I even entitled to serve you! Yet I still made you a cup out of my magnanimous heart and you condemn my effort?! How dare you?!¡±

    Before even Victor could exin himself nor tell her he had every right to do so because he¡¯s her teacher, Mimi punched him in the face and kicked him hard in the leg. It hurt like hell and he buckled to the floor, groaning in pain.

    ¡°This is what you get for being disrespectful and the next time, you y with my efforts like this again, I mess up your pretty face!¡± Mimi pretended to punch him again only to withdraw at thest minute, confirming her threat.

    Then left.

    Victor gasped in disbelief, did Marcel say she¡¯s a coffee maker? She¡¯s nothing but a gangster! Gosh, she was the first woman aside from his mother to give him a good beating.

    Meanwhile, Mimi was striding out when she bumped into the guard that Marcel assigned to take care of her needs.

    ¡°Leaving so soon?¡± he asked

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think my teacher would be arriving today. His flight must bete,¡± Mimi exined.

    ¡°What flight?¡± The guard was dazed, ¡°And your teacher is around. I even checked up on you a while ago and saw the both of you together,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mimi was in a state of disbelief, then her blood ran cold as she connected the dots.

    No way.

    She had mentally fucked her teacher and then hit him?

 Chapter 57

    57 Bring Her To Me

    ¡°Thank you sir for your effort,¡± Marcel shook the hand of the Chief of police after they were done with their conversation.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve contributed immensely to our bureau and all we can do is to help out now you need us the most. We would put out an APB on the target and procure your family heirloom as soon as we can,¡± the chief promised him.

    ¡°Oh, thank you, Sir,¡± Marcel shook his hand humbly, ¡°And to appreciate you for your hard work, please receive this,¡± He gestured and one of the men stepped forward to drop a briefcase in front of him.

    The Chief of police appeared to be shocked, however, the greed in his eyes could not be hidden as he stared down at the case that obviously contained money. He calcted mentally how much was in there before turning to Marcel with a hesitant look.

    ¡°Seriously, you shouldn¡¯t have bothered. You have done enough for us already and yet, here you are spending more. It¡¯s really unnecessary,¡± The man said, yet looked at the briefcase with longing. What a good pretender.

    But of course, Marcel knew this yet he didn¡¯t say anything. It was expected and he was only putting on a show.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright, ¡± Marcel smiled kindly, then said,¡± You should eat and drink and take care of your drink now, after all, you don¡¯t know when you would die, ¡±

    At once, a weird silence settled in the office. Although that was meant to be a joke, the Chief of police¡¯s countenance still changed slightly.

    That joke was kind of ominous yet he didn¡¯t say anything,ughing it off instead. Although he had quite a high position in the police department, he was not a fool to go up against Marcel.

    .....

    Moreover, the reason he was in this position today was all thanks to Marcel. He had been an ordinary police lieutenant for years and even when he was due for promotion, the others would secure the spot with their connections and power and he would be left with nothing because he had nobody on his side.

    However, all of that ended when Marcel approached him one day and told him he would grant his wishes. Truthfully, he resented Marcel at first because he was amongst the few who truly knew what the Luciano family does beneath the false fa?ade of a corporation. They were a huge underbelly of corruption.

    But there was no evidence and the Luciano family was too powerful. Not to mention the fact that promotion was around the corner again and he still had no backer. The man named David knew he couldn¡¯t do this any longer. It was time for a change and if it meant joining hands with the devil, then so be it.

    So he epted Marcel¡¯s proposal and to his surprise, instead of being promoted as a police captain, he became the Chief of police instead, to everyone¡¯s shock. How had Marcel been able to do that? He didn¡¯t know nor did he care to know. He has suffered five years of neglect ¨C others upying the position where he should be.

    Just as a virgin who tasted how good sex was the first time would go back for more, David became addicted to his position that he would do anything to keep it. And that meant sulking up to Marcel and covering up the gang¡¯s mess where necessary.

    He kept Marcel¡¯s crime hidden from thew while Marcel funded his programs and wants. Yes, he was Marcel¡¯s puppet, both of them had a symbiotic rtionship.

    ¡°Yeah, I really should. After all, no one knows when he or she takes theirst breath on earth,¡±ughed David, the Chief of police. He took the joke in good part.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Marcel finally stood up, it was time to leave.¡±I¡¯ll see you after it¡¯s done,¡± He said to David while working on the buttons of his suit.

    Even though Marcel sat down for a while, there was not a trace of wrinkle on his clothing, and the material was of high quality and tailor-made for him.

    ¡°Of course, see youter,¡± The chief of police stood up with him as well, seeing that it was rude to sit while Marcel stood even though thetter didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    As soon as Marcel left his office and the door was closed, David slumped on the sofa in the middle of his office. He began to loosen the tie that made him feel suffocated.

    ¡°That rascal!¡± He cursed, getting rid of the tie entirely. How dare he order him like that? He was older than him for Christ¡¯s sake! He was tired of being used. However, his gaze fell on the briefcase and he quickly grabbed it only to pull out bundles of cash.

    ¡°Wow!¡± David eximed, eyes lighting up.

    He must have been talking nonsense! David changed his mind immediately after seeing the cash. He would continue to work for Marcel if it meant he would receive benefits like this one.

    At once, David picked up the telephone by his side and dialed a number. As soon as it was answered, he ordered,

    ¡°I need you to put out an APB.¡±

    Meanwhile.....

    The instant Marcel was out of the station, Macy was quick to ask.

    ¡°You¡¯re even going as far as putting an APB on her?¡± Marcel was making that girl feel too important and she didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°His idea, not mine,¡± Marcel waived her off.

    ¡°Yet, you allowed him,¡± There was an usation in her tone and that made Marcel halt in his step.

    With a frown in between his brows, Marcel turned to her quizzically, ¡± I really don¡¯t understand your intentions nowadays,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Macy was taken aback by his question nor did she like the tick in his jaw. He was annoyed.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m trying my best to catch Ariaana and you¡¯re supposed to be helping think of a n. However, you didn¡¯t even try at all and what you do now is to question the n I have in motion?¡± the annoyance was now evident in his tone. His jaw was clenched and his gaze was cold and narrowed down on her.

    Macy swallowed nervously, her heart pounding in her throat. This was the second time in a week Marcel was scolding her. Marcel never scolds her ¨C because she was always perfect.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Was all Macy could say with her head lowered.

    Marcel stared at her intensely before stepping forward and made her stand up straight, staring deep into her eyes.

    He then ced both hands on her shoulder and Macy looked down at that gesture, her heart missing a beat. That was a first.

    Marcel squeezed her shoulder gently before looking her straight in the eyes asking, ¡°I just realized that you¡¯re bowing your head and apologizing more than usualtely and that is not like you, Macy. What is going on with you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so obsessed with that girl, it¡¯s beginning to bother me,¡± Macy was tempted to say however she knew that would onlyplicate issues.

    Marcel was trained to be the heir of the Luciano n and he doesn¡¯t work with sentiments. Showing Marcel her vulnerable side would not gain his pity or affection, rather he would look down on her.

    The only reason Marcel took her as his assistant in the first ce was because of her capability ¨C there were a lot of other gang members veering for this position ¨C she can¡¯t fail him now. Also, Macy knew what she was getting into by letting herself develop feelings for him. Now, she had to dance to the tune of the music she yed.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m just stressed, that¡¯s all,¡± Macy replied to Marcel without breaking eye contact with him.

    ¡°You need rest then and that you would get,¡± Marcel said to her, massaging her shoulder a bit as if it would alleviate the stress before letting go.

    ¡°No!¡± Macy shouted upon realizing what Marcel meant by that. This was not the time for a break, especially not when that girl was going to be captured soon.

    However, before Macy could protest that she was fine, Marcel¡¯s phone rang and he nced across the screen only for his expression to change.

    ¡°Hello dear father,¡± That was all Macy needed to hear to know the grim reaper of hell had called.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcel said, ending the call that didn¡¯t evenst a minute.

    ¡°What does he want?¡± Macy asked, concern written over her expression.

    ¡°He wants me at his ce,¡± Marcel said with a tone that didn¡¯t seem excited at the prospect of visiting his father.

    ¡°I shoulde with -¡±

    ¡°No, return to the base and get a rest,¡± Marcel dismissed her before gging down a taxi, leaving his car to her so she would drive it back.

    Macy had no choice but to obey his order, so she drove back to the base. She hardly parked the car when her phone rang and saw it was one of the boys.

    ¡°Hello?¡± she picked up the call.

    ¡°I think we found the girl,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Macy was stunned by the news and it took her a few minutes to recover from the surprise. When she finally did, an idea hit her and her lips curled to the side in a smirk.

    She said, ¡°When you get your hands on her, bring her to me,¡±

 Chapter 58

    58 Daughter And Father-inw

    Marcel had a stoic expression on his face as he walked into his father¡¯s ce. Although he looked straight ahead, his peripheral views did all the work for him.

    He observed and mesmerized every turn and doors, noticing the newest alteration made to the house. Although Daniel was his father, Marcel had never for once slept over at his ce.

    This city was not the ce he grew up in, so there was no lingering feeling or attachment to the house. Moreover, the old man would never stay in a ce contaminated by his mother¡¯s presence.

    However, there was another reason Marcel was interested in this ce. His sister must be hidden here somewhere, he just had to find out where ande up with a n to bust her out. Sadly, his father knew that was exactly what he would do, hence he made sure to keep her further away from him.

    Chloe, Marcel¡¯s younger sister was not biologically rted to him however, she was the closest thing to a family that he had left. His mother Penelope, was unable to give birth to another child ¨C because her husband would not give her one. Yeah, what kind of husband does that? ¨C decided to adopt one to make Marcel feel less lonely.

    Marcel had no weakness except Chloe. He loved her so much that it was hard to discover that she was adopted at all. Unfortunately, his father knew that and of course, that was the only way to keep Marcel under control after he was made the new head of the Luciano n.

    So he took Chloe away and made Marcel agree to marry ra Louise Alberta to climb up the autocracydder. Of course, that didn¡¯t sit right with Marcel but what could he do? He knew that crazy man would murder Chloe without blinking an eye.

    As much as Chloe was Marcel¡¯s sister byw and his dead mother adopted her, his father Daniel didn¡¯t care. The man is a cold-blooded animal and would go to any length to get what he wants.

    Marcel understood the fact that his father hated his mother for reasons best known to him. However, what he doesn¡¯t understand is his obsession to be a noble. It just wasn¡¯t normal and he sensed there was a story behind it ¨C not that he knows of.

    .....

    His father was not exactly a fatherly figure and the only thing he grew up teaching him was not to be weak. Unfortunately, not being weak was equal to being emotionless, but his mother taught him better than that.

    Marcel mentally prepared himself to meet his father only and never expected to encounter her. It then dawned on him that this wasn¡¯t just a summoning, it¡¯s a date.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± She said, standing up abruptly to acknowledge his presence even though he didn¡¯tmand her to.

    ¡°ra,¡± Marcel responded with a tone that wasn¡¯t so pleased with his finding. For sure, he loves surprises but ra wasn¡¯t even close to the things he loves.

    ¡°You are here,¡± Marcel pointed out even though she was standing right in front of him.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± ra said and began to walk towards him which made his brows arch. What was the little witch up to now?

    However, Marcel wasn¡¯t prepared for when ra hooked her arm around his neck and tilted his head, pressing her lips against his.

    What the fuck.

    Marcel stood still like a tree as ra continued to kiss, no, abuse his lips. He had kissed a lot of women and none of them had ever tried to force a response from him the way ra did.

    There was not a trace of excitement, not to talk of affection between them. He could feel her breast pressed flush against him and his soft lips on his, but that was just all. ra was fucking hot, that was for sure, but she wasn¡¯t hot enough for him.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Marcel asked when she finally pulled away, bored out of his mind.

    ¡°Nope,¡± She said, giving him onest smooch on the lips before taking a step back as Daniel arrived. Oh, he should have known. She was putting up an act for the oldman.

    However, even with the presence of his father, Marcel didn¡¯t miss the words ra whispered into his ears.

    ¡°Do not mess this up,¡± and she turned to face Daniel with a smile that could even shame the sun.

    ¡°Father, Marcel is here,¡±

    Marcel rolled his eyes at the sudden change in her demeanor, ra was quite the actress. As if his father doesn¡¯t have the eyes to sight him.

    ¡°Yes, he is,¡± Daniel said, giving ra a warm hug. It was quite obvious that his father was taken by his would-be daughter inw.

    But then, for someone who imed she detested their upation, Marcel wondered if ra knew his father was a bigger monster than he was. Or perhaps, she was one big hypocrite.

    ¡°The way you two rte, people would think you¡¯re husband and wife instead of daughter and father-inw. Although I¡¯m not really against the both of you marrying if you change your mind on the engagement. After all, I¡¯m of age so I can¡¯t be maltreated by my evil stepmother,¡± Marcel intentionally teased them, erasing all smiles from their faces.

    Their expressions were priceless ¨C ra looked as if someone threw shit on her face while his father¡¯s was so livid, he might shapeshift into a gori soon.

    ¡°You son -!¡±

    ¡°Father!¡± ra came in front of him before Daniel could take a step forward and he stopped to Marcel¡¯s shock.

    That gesture sparked something inside of Marcel. When his mother was alive, his father never hesitated for once even when his mother stepped in front to protect him. Yet he stopped for ra ¨C someone who wasn¡¯t his wife. Someone who wasn¡¯t rted to him! Someone who doesn¡¯t deserve to get the love and affection he never gave his mother!

    As angry as Marcel was, he still tried to keep his emotions under check yet his hands couldn¡¯t stop shaking. He hated this! He hated everyone! He hated his life! He just.... missed his mother.

    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± Marcel asked with a tone so cold he could freeze over a river. Even ra was surprised at his tone, he was the one who pissed off his father ¨C Daniel should be the angry one here, not him!

    ¡°What do you think? I wanted us to have a meal as a family and what could be more exciting than breakfast with your wife,¡± Daniel already concluded their future together.

    ¡°You¡¯re being unfair on her,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°What?¡± ra asked this time, confused at the tense conversation between father and son.

    Marcelughed crazily, ¡°There would never be breakfast between us,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± ra was dumbfounded.

    But Marcel was not speaking to her this time, all of his attention was on his father and there was a crazed look in his eyes.

    He went on, ¡°Just the way you treated my mother, I¡¯ll give ra a taste of it. Then, I would love to see how you feel knowing that the girl you choose for me would never be happy while you get all you wanted. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡±

    Although ra couldn¡¯t understand what father and son were trying to get at, goosebumps still covered her arms. She was beginning to get scared.

    ra didn¡¯t know much about Marcel¡¯s mother ept the fact that his mother was never loved by his father. The both of them lived in a loveless marriage yet never divorced till she died. But it seems there was more to the story now.

    The worst part? She was about to get into a loveless marriage with Marcel as well. Would she be so miserable in the marriage that she would die early like his mother? Questions like that gave her cold feet.

    Daniel noticed ra¡¯s fears and at once red at his bastard son that was about to ruin everything.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t -¡±

    ¡°I think this is a bad time and I should leave,¡± ra said and without even waiting for approval from the father-inw she worked so hard to impress, left immediately.

    ¡°How dare you?!¡± Daniel growled like a wounded animal, stomping over to Marcel and lifted his hand to strike him.

    ¡°How many times would you grow tired of hitting me? It¡¯s getting old,¡± He added immediately, ¡°And not the face. That¡¯s the only way I see mother in me every day,¡± Marcel weakened his father with just his words.

    Daniel¡¯s hands hung in the air, the desire to hit him melting away as soon as he brought up his wife. However, there was no way he was not going to teach him respect.

    So he grabbed Marcel by his shirt and pulled him closer to the point he was almost suffocating him, ¡°The next time you pull up a stunt like this, I¡¯ll be sending your sister¡¯s pinky. How¡¯s that for a lesson?¡±

    Marcel gulped, making a mental image of the scene and his stomach churned. Chloe was too soft and fragile, she would be unable to take that amount of pain.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Daniel demanded.

    ¡°Yes father,¡± Marcel said with so much scorn in his tone and gaze.

    ¡°Now, you would go to ra¡¯s and apologize with flowers, making sure the marriage goes as nned,¡± He ordered him.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Marcel said, just as his father finally let go, shoving him back in the process, and left.

    It took Marcel a few minutes to coordinate himself enough to mask his feelings once again. But then he received a text on his phone and for a fleeting second, he was able to breathe until he remembered....

    Oh no.

 Chapter 59

    59 Better Off Dead

    Arianna woke up with a wince, her body hurt like hell as if she had been tossed around like a bag of potatoes. But that was the least of her problems because right now she couldn¡¯t see a thing and that was only because she was hooded.

    She turned left and right, struggling to pull herself free all to no avail because her hands were cuffed behind her back. It was dark and hot inside her hood, Arianna feared she might suffocate before they came to her aid.

    ¡°Let me out of here!¡± Arianna screamed muffledly. This was not the way to treat ady. It was highly inappropriate!

    Anyway, her prayers must have been given attention to because she heard the sound of approaching footsteps and calmed down immediately knowing they would free her.

    As Arianna thought, the bag was pulled away and she had to squint her eyes against the sudden sunlight that threatened to blind her.

    When she was able to see clearly, Arianna looked up only to discover a blonde-haired woman with an intimidating aura standing right in front of her with another man while two other men were standing on either side of her as if trying to make sure she didn¡¯t escape.

    For some strange reason, the blonde woman was staring at her with intensity and emotion she couldn¡¯t exactly describe. Arianna could almost say she was looking down on her.

    ¡°Who are you and what do you want from me?¡± Arianna finally summoned the courage to ask when she still wouldn¡¯t say a word to her.

    It was obvious that the woman was their superior since the other men hadn¡¯t dared to say a word. It was almost as if they were waiting for her order to act and that made Arianna confused and scared at the same time.

    .....

    She was confused in the sense that it wasn¡¯t Marcel. She had seen that man take that purse and that proved Marcel sent them to capture her. So why was this unsmiling woman the one to wee her instead? Was Marcel such a pussy he would let a woman do his dirty work?

    However, if this woman was their leader, it also meant she could do whatever she wanted to her. Arianna knew she was in trouble ¨C deep trouble.

    ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re not what I expected,¡± The woman finally spoke.

    ¡°Really?¡± Arianna tilted her head to the side, ¡°Humor me,¡±

    Macy narrowed her gaze at Arianna the instant she said those words, the bitch has some guts.

    ¡°I was expecting someone extraordinary. But I have to admit you¡¯re kind of beautiful....¡± Macy acknowledged her beauty.

    She stepped closer to Arianna and leaned closer, bracing herself on both sides of the chair before reaching out to grab Arianna¡¯s chin, examining her features the way one would do to priceless goods before auctioning them off.

    ¡°You got enthralling green eyes, is that the way you charmed him because Marcel hasn¡¯t been able to get you out of his mind and it¡¯s kind of sickening,¡± Macy sneered, her dislike of Arianna finally showing.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arianna smirked as if she was enjoying the show, ¡°Sounds like someone is jealous,¡± she took advantage of Macy¡¯s weakness at the moment.

    That reaction irked Macy so much that she reached out and struck Arianna on the face. How dare she embarrass her like this?

    Macy often prided herself on the fact that she was polished and scrupulous, having the ability to control herself even when under stress, but the reverse was the casetely. She has been making a lot of mistakes and it was all because of her! Arianna!

    Honestly, that p hurt like hell and she saw stars in her vision but Arianna had a huge pride and would not give that bitch the satisfaction of knowing she hurt her.

    ¡°Is that all you can do?¡± Arianna intentionally goaded her and got the response she needed.

    Macy forgot all about self-control, she was going to teach Arianna a lesson. She couldn¡¯t understand why the sight of Arianna pissed her off so much. This was the first time she hated someone so much on their first encounter.

    With rage distorting her features, Macy was prepared tond another p on Arianna when the girl in question jerked forward without warning and headbutted her.

    Macy let out an udylike scream as she heard the crunching of bones and sharp pain spread from her nose to the rest of her body. She broke her nose?!

    ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± Macy screamed at the other men while pinching her nose to stop the blood flow, ¡°Deal with her!¡±

    The three men stared at each other hesitantly, they were not used to beating helpless women.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± Macy screamed at them in frustration having sensed their hesitation.

    One of them objected, ¡°But ma¡¯am, she -¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten Marcel¡¯s effort in capturing her today and her role in bringing Elijah to us?¡± Macy used her authoritative tone on them and at the same time, reminding them of their mission.

    Even at that, they were still conflicted and Macy would have none of that right now. She was mad with the urge to put Arianna in her ce.

    Suddenly Ariannaughed, she had been listening to their conversation and it was beyond hrious.

    ¡°You think I know what Elijah looks like?¡± Sheughed at them once more.

    Macy kneeled beside her, ¡°It would have mattered to me initially, but now it doesn¡¯t,¡± there was a sadistic glint in Macy¡¯s eyes as she said those words while the blood from her nose dripped down, ¡°I would get the truth from you and if indeed there¡¯s nothing to get from you, I¡¯llcerate you from the inside out and send bits of you as a present to Elijah. I¡¯m sure he woulde to avenge his beloved and then, we¡¯d end him as well. That way, you won¡¯t be alone in hell!¡± she hissed out.

    ¡°You crazy woman! ¡°Arianna finally lost it and that pleased Macy. At least she knew of her weak point and that was Elijah. How splendid.

    Arianna was suddenly afraid, she doesn¡¯t want to die, but she can¡¯t summon Elijah to such a cruel fate either. He was better off without her.

    ¡°Begin the torture!¡± Macymanded, just as the other man handed her a towel that she pressed to her nose to control the bleeding.

    Her broken nose hurt like hell and would need surgery to repair yet Macy didn¡¯t care. She would go for treatments after she was done dealing with this bitch.

    When the men diapered at Macy¡¯s order, Arianna knew it couldn¡¯t be something good. At once, she tried to pull away but her legs were quickly chained to the sides of the chair while Macy pulled her back by the hair, ripping a scream from her throat.

    ¡°You sounded so brave earlier, why happened now? Cat got your tongue?¡± Macy taunted, clutching a fistful of Arianna¡¯s hair and pulled tighter.

    Tears escaped the brim of her eyes and her hands fisted by the side. Arianna yelled out, ¡°Elijah would end your life once heys his hand on you! I promise you! ¡± she was filled with so much anguish.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know,¡± Macy rolled her eyes towards heaven, ¡°Sadly, you won¡¯t be around to see it happen.¡± She said confidently, moving away just as one of the men covered her face with a canvas bag.

    Arianna was not ustrophobic, but the instant that bag covered the entirety of her head, she was close to bing one. Goosebumps broke out on her skin and she had an idea what they were about to do to her.

    Having been with criminals for a while, most of them tend to share tales with her, and that included diverse forms of torture. This was going to be messy.

    One of the men began to pour water over the bag covering her face and her breathing passages. Since she was immobilized, Arianna tried not to struggle because the real pain of waterboarding wasn¡¯t just the gagging reflex, it was the physical injuries due to struggling against restraints, but that was easier said than done.

    The sensation of drowning was so real that Arianna already imagined her in some sea where she was being beaten by the strong wave. But there was no sea or river. This was dry drowning.

    ¡°Where is Elijah and who is he?!¡± Macy asked, pulling the bag off her head.

    Arianna had to vomit the amount of water she had swallowed, her chest heaving from the oxygen deprivation. It was really painful. But on the bright side, she has not broken her bones.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± She cried out when she could finally speak, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about him and even if I were to know, I would never tell you guys!¡± Arianna was determined to die for him.

    ¡°Very well, then. I guess I have no use for you. Marcel would understand,¡± Macy concluded she was better off dead.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Arianna began to scream and fought them fiercely but she was no match for them. The bag was put over her head once again and the torture continued.

    Unlike earlier where the water is poured over her breathing passages intermittently to prevent death, they didn¡¯t stop this time. The water was poured uninterruptedly and that would only lead to death by asphyxia.

 Chapter 60

    60 Who Is RedHead?

    Elijah couldn¡¯t rx after hearing the news of Arianna¡¯s capture. So the instant he came outside, he called a taxi to take him back since Macy left with his ride. He could have called his men to drive another car over, but there was no time nor could he take one of his father¡¯s. He¡¯d rather die than do that.

    Unfortunately, the driver of the taxi drove so slow Marcel began to get fidgety on his seat. Macy was not answering his call nor could he get through to Victor. Well, he wasn¡¯t too surprised with Victor¡¯s unavability ¨C he must be buried deep in a right now.

    ¡°Can you drive any faster?!¡± Marcel grumbled, annoyed at the fact he was wasting the little time he had left.

    ¡°This is the fastest I can go without viting the speed limit,¡± the driver shot back. What kind of customer has he stumbled upon this time? He was beginning to get vexed.

    Marcel sat back in his seat yet he was notfortable. He didn¡¯t have much time, so he had to take another drastic step. He would deal with the repercussionster.

    ¡°Stop the car!¡± Marcel ordered him and thankfully the driver obeyed. Perhaps, the driver wanted him out in the first ce.

    Marcel get out and the driver got out as well, ready to receive his fees with his hand outstretched.

    But to his utmost shock, Marcel in the guise of slipping some cash into his hand, tossed him to the side as if he weighed nothing and entered the taxi.

    The driver didn¡¯t even realize what was going on, his vision was swirling and it wasn¡¯t until the sound of tires screeching against the concrete floor and the exhaust fume polluting the air that caused him to cough, did he realize the passenger had just taken off with his car.

    .....

    He got up to his feet and started to shout, ¡°Hey,e back here! Bring back my car!¡±

    Sadly, Marcel was already far gone and all thaty in his wake was the dust that made the driver cough once more.

    Marcel raced back home like a mad man. Even the patrol car that tried to pull him over gave up after they couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed. So they concluded the drunk mad man would get himself killed and they woulde to collect his corpse ¨C and that of his victimster.

    But Marcel experienced no such thing as an ident on the way, he was skilled far more than the average racer. As the leader of the Luciano n, he had gone through vigorous training and experiences a normal human would be traumatized from.

    As soon as Marcel arrived at the entrance, he didn¡¯t even wait for his identity to be confirmed since he hade in with an unknown vehicle. He got out of the car andmanded sternly, ¡°Open the gate!¡±

    Without a second thought, the men let him in and Marcel walked in without the car. His men would take care of that one.

    There was only one ce Arianna could be kept and that was the basement. He ran in that direction, while hoping to God he wasn¡¯t toote.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Arianna couldn¡¯t breathe, her nose and eyes hurt like hell. She was going to die! Never in her life did she imagine she would die this way.

    But she won¡¯t die for anything. There was Elijah, although she wasn¡¯t sure her long his feelings for her wouldst, Arianna was d he would remember her for a while. Unlike her uncle¡¯s family who would be delighted she was dead, one person would mourn her sincerely and that alone was enough.

    Elijah would surely avenge her death even though she wouldn¡¯t be there to see the smile pped off Macy¡¯s face. But death was not all that bad, she would see her father soon. It would be her and daddy together in paradise.

    So Arianna gave up.

    A cruel smile appeared on Macy¡¯s face when Arianna stopped struggling. The bitch was dead. The annoying bug would not fill Marcel¡¯s mind anymore. Once Marcel saw this, he would realize that she¡¯s right ¨C Arianna is nothing but a poison, trying to corrupt his mind.

    [Author rolls eyes, as if Marcel¡¯s not corrupted already]

    Even when Arianna didn¡¯t show signs of life anymore, Macy didn¡¯t stop and asked the men to continue drowning her. There should be no chance for resurrection.

    But that was the moment that Marcel arrived and she was struck dumb.

    This was the first time Macy had ever seen Marcel with this expression and it sent shivers down her spine. She unconsciously took a step back because she was frightened right now.

    Marcel didn¡¯t look like a sexy god of war, instead, he looked like a pissed-off demon from the pit of hell on a rampage to im as many souls as he could and doesn¡¯t care who he snatches.

    Call it instinct but Macy moved out of the way with a squeal at thest minute just as two bullet shots rent the quiet air.

    Marcel shot two of his men without blinking an eye and would have done the same to her if she hasn¡¯t moved, that realization left a bitter taste in Macy¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Release her!¡± Marcel growled in a dangerously low tone to the third man he must have intentionally left alive to free Arianna.

    There was just pure undiluted anger on Marcel¡¯s face. He looked like a beast in that form and Macy didn¡¯t dare to make a careless move in her hiding ce.

    Macy knows Marcel knew she was there but he had other priorities, intentionally saving her for thest. Anger and resentment filled Macy, what did she do so wrong? It was not like this was the first time she tortured a target without his approval. Why was he doing this to her? It was so unfair.

    As soon as the chains were off Arianna, Marcel took her from the chair and ced her on the ground in a hurry, beginning to perform Cardiopulmonary resuscitation on her.

    Seeing that Marcel was busy, the third and only surviving man decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to run for his life. He never wanted any of this, this was that crazy woman¡¯s fault.

    Marcel let him run at first, however, as soon as he took the first step on the stairs that led to the outside, he took out his gun and turned, shooting him right at the leg.

    The man screamed in pain yet still hopped on the other good foot. The door was closer now and a few more steps, he would reach the outside and call for help, he thought.

    That must have been in his imagination because Marcel shot him on the other good foot and he screamed in agonizing pain. Even at that, the man began to crawl on his arms and stomach. He must escape, the door was closer now.

    Staring at Arianna¡¯s pale face did nothing but fuel the anger inside of Marcel. So without a trace of remorse, he shot the man in the head and he stayed, dead.

    ¡°You should pray she survives else you¡¯d be next in line,¡± Marcel issued the warning to Macy and she gulped, goosebumps filling her arms. She¡¯d be crazy to go up against Marcel. She¡¯d lose, undoubtedly.

    ¡°Alright,e on!¡± Marcel urged Arianna as he pressed down on her chest with the appropriate amount of strength without crushing her lungs.

    Done with the chestpression, he gave her rescue breath before checking for her pulse since she wasn¡¯t breathing. Unfortunately, the pulse was faint, almost extinct.

    ¡°Gosh! Come on, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡± He continued with his chestpressions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die on me, Arianna!¡± He warned, angry this time, ¡°I thought you were a strong woman?! You haven¡¯t even met redhead,¡± His voice weakened at the end.

    Marcel gave her morepression knowing the danger she was in. CPR can keep oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain and other organs until emergency medical treatment can restore the normal heart rhythm. But when the heart stops, her body would no longer gets oxygen-rich blood and theck of that can cause brain damage in only a few minutes.

    Unfortunately, waterboarding torture causes brain damage from oxygen deprivation. So even if Arianna miraculously survives that, she was in danger of that.

    However, Marcel had confidence in Arianna. The girl was strong and would make it ¨C he hoped.

    ¡°Redhead has been waiting for you, Arianna, you can¡¯t let him down now! Come on Arianna!¡± He pressed down on her chest just as Arianna regained consciousness with a loud gasp as if Marcel pulled her right back from death¡¯s grasp.

    Arianna threw up the rest of the water in her lungs, coughing in the process while Marcel sat down on the floor, mentally exhausted. He did it!

    After she was able to breath, Arianna turned to Marcel with no fear and asked him, ¡°Who the hell is Redhead?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s face split into a wide smile.

 Chapter 61

    61 He Was Unbelievable

    Arianna was awoken from her sleep by a continuous lick on her face. What the hell?

    One of her eyes first opened before the other and she nced up, only to see that it was no other than a cute-looking snow-white chihuahua licking her face.

    ¡°Gosh,¡± Arianna was vexed a bit, she had been having a good dream when it woke her.

    In that dream, she was with Elijah and they actually had a life together. By having a life together, Arianna meant they had kids ¨C two kids actually, a boy and a girl ¨C and lived happily before the dog decided to lick her back to reality.

    And reality sucks.

    ¡°Where did youe from?¡± Arianna muttered, pulling the dog from her face.

    Thest thing she remembered was asking about Redhead before losing consciousness. And right now, she was attached by wires to a recording monitor alongside an Iv drip. Who knew he cared so much for her life?

    His people didn¡¯t.

    Arianna found the tag ne and read, ¡°Redhead?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Huh?¡± Her brows were furrowed.

    Wait a minute, does this mean that the Redhead Marcel wanted her to meet was a dog? What the hell was wrong with this guy? Moreover, the dog didn¡¯t even have a red spot on its body, why name it Redhead?

    This man Marcel was confusing her more and more.

    ¡°Nheless, you¡¯re a pretty little thing,¡± Arianna broke into a smile, running her hands through its furs as the dog leaned closer to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like him,¡± A voice said from behind and Arianna¡¯s hands froze at once, her back stiffening. She hasn¡¯t even heard hime in.

    She slowly lifted her gaze, her green eyes staring into teasing gray ones. Marcel looked carefree as usual with his devil may care attitude.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Arianna asked immediately, she wanted to get this over with, ¡°Because if it¡¯s about Elijah, then trust me, you¡¯re in for a loss. I would never tell you what you want to know.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to start the interrogation? I was hoping that we could at least get to know each other first of all,¡± Marcel said to her astonishment.

    What the fuck is wrong with this guy? Arianna was dumbfounded. She had thought Elijah was shameless, but that was nothingpared to Marcel¡¯s.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he sat down on the edge of the bed and that made her shift back. She didn¡¯t exactly trust him, not after what his people did to her. Marcel was a predator and she was prey.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± He asked, surprising her once again. But Arianna would not let her guard down, this was nothing but a trap.

    She knew what Marcel was nning, he wanted her toy down her defenses around him and when it seemed as if nothing would happen, he would then strike where it hurts the most.

    So Arianna snorted, ¡°As if you care?¡±

    ¡°I do care, Arianna. You would be surprised how much I care,¡± He said so softly like a whisper down her soul and she would have been entranced by its charm if she didn¡¯t know who she was dealing with.

    ¡°You¡¯re a monster, Marcel,¡± Arianna told him, quite surprised at her bravery.

    She was sitting face to face with Marcel, the man who shredded her happily ever after at the airport; the man whose people almost tortured her to death. For him to have such power and resources, Arianna finally came to the conclusion, Marcel was in the Mafia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t monsters deserve to be loved?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was stunned by that question. By the way, when did their conversation move in this direction?

    ¡°In every story and fairy tale, the good ones always have their happy ending. Why does no one write about the viins? We, the viins, are the reason the plot seems interesting in the first ce yet no one tells of our contribution nor creates our happy ending. Why¡¯s that?¡±

    By the time Marcel was through with his question, Arianna¡¯s jaw had already dropped to the ground.

    Marcel was weird, really weird.

    While she was supposed to be afraid of him, she couldn¡¯t help butpare the fact he looked like a curious school kid while talking.

    She said to him, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about? Moreover, I¡¯m not a storyteller. Perhaps, if you still want an answer to your question, you should schedule an appointment with any of the best-selling authors out there. I¡¯m sure they would your questions correctly,¡±

    Their gaze held once again and for a moment, they didn¡¯t say anything, just trying to gauge each other¡¯s reaction and intention. But something strange happened.

    Marcel suddenly bit on his lips and Arianna¡¯s gaze followed the gesture and it turned out to be a mistake.

    At first, it had been an innocent staring, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but go there. However, her gaze couldn¡¯t help but observe Marcel¡¯s lips, it was pouty and looked soft, supple, and kissable ¨C what the...

    Arianna¡¯s face burned with embarrassment upon having such improper thoughts, but when she saw the smug smile on Marcel¡¯s face as if he saw through her, she understood at once what he did.

    ¡°Get out!¡± She yelled, outraged. Her heart monitor began to beep, having sensed her heart rate increase significantly.

    ¡°Where to mydy when this is my room?¡± He smirked and the red tint in Arianna¡¯s face increased. Only that this time, it wasn¡¯t just embarrassment, she was angry.

    However, as much as Arianna wanted to hit him, she couldn¡¯t. If that evil woman could almost torture her to death, who knows what their leader, Marcel is capable of doing to her. So she bore the anger in her heart while praying Elijah was safe wherever he was.

    ¡°You should have let me die,¡± Arianna hissed and his face distorted at once as if he couldn¡¯t stand the thought of that.

    ¡°Why should I let a beautiful woman like you die, it would be a huge loss to the world,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Stop calling me that,¡± She warned him.

    ¡°Mia Be, why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± he retorted, a teasing smile on his lips.

    Arianna shut her eyes close, she didn¡¯t know which one was worse. His teasing smile or his tterings that pissed her off so much. How could someone be so irritating?

    With that anger, she shot back,

    ¡°Because you don¡¯t have the right to call me that. You kidnapped and brought me here where your people almost killed me. What gives you the right to -¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡±

    Arianna was surprised when he cut her off by pressing his finger against his lips ¨C thankfully, it wasn¡¯t her lips.

    ¡°Before you heap down the usations you¡¯re more than willing toy on me, let¡¯s go down memoryne, because if I could remember, you were the one who stole from me first,¡± He reminded her.

    ¡°Your life wouldn¡¯t have been intertwined with mine if you had kept your pretty little hands to yourself,¡± He added immediately, ¡°Although I do like your hands on me, the only disadvantage was that I didn¡¯t feel them until you were gone. Perhaps, the next time, you go a little slower. I don¡¯t really mind,¡±

    Was he flirting with her? Arianna had to blink twice to confirm what she just heard wasn¡¯t part of her imagination.

    Unlike before when she was scared, Arianna crawled closer to Marcel till they were on the same eye level, their breath mingling together.

    Arianna tilted her head, whispering into his ears, ¡°You are sick. And trust me, the only time you would feel my hands on you is me crushing your balls,¡± She threatened.

    However, Marcelughed instead, it was a deep melodious rumble in his chest, ¡°Oh honey,¡± He was back to holding her gaze and Arianna didn¡¯t back down from the challenge.

    He said, ¡°I like it hard,¡±

    Arianna¡¯s eyes widened, a blush creeping up her face, ¡°Oh my God, you¡¯re unbelievable!¡± She panicked.

    What kind of human being was he? Must everything he says allude to sex?

    Her reaction was so cute that Marcel couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. She was so innocent and there were a whole lot of things he wanted to teach her. Or maybe he just craved to paint her soul ck, only then would a monster like him get his mate.

    Mate?

    How funny?

    ¡°As much as I¡¯ve enjoyed my conversation with you, duty calls,¡± Marcel said, standing up to his feet.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving me here?¡± The question slipped off her lips unintentionally.

    Marcel smiled, ¡°You seem too eager to spend time with me,¡±

    ¡°Keep on dreaming,¡± she rolled her eyes.

    Marcel put his hands in his pocket only for his brows to furrow while Arianna looked the other way.

    ¡°The keys, Arianna,¡± He demanded.

    Arianna sighed, why did he find out so soon? She had no choice but to pull out the bunch of keys from beneath the sheet. She had slipped it from his pocket earlier when she leaned closer.

    She tossed it towards him and Marcel caught it.

    ¡°Quite a good skill you got there, it¡¯s quite unfortunate that we don¡¯t be spending much time together,¡±

    That question made Arianna turn around at once, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    But Marcel wouldn¡¯t answer her, ¡°Be a good girl and don¡¯t even attempt escaping, Arianna, I would always find you. Also, I named the dog after the color of your hair,¡± He informed her.

    ¡°Marcel!¡±

    Arianna tried to go after him only to be held back by the wires attached to her body and before she could look up, Marcel was gone.

 Chapter 62

    62 She Doesn¡¯t Have Me Charmed

    All smiles disappeared from Marcel¡¯s face as soon as he left Arianna. Although he had been smiling all this while, the truth was that all wasn¡¯t well.

    His cousin Victor was upon him as soon as he came into the room.

    ¡°How is she?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Alive and sassy,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°She still has the guts to be impudent after what she caused?¡± Victor sneered.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t ask to be tortured,¡± Marcel retorted.

    ¡°And you¡¯re still defending her? Unbelievable,¡± Victor huffed, shaking his head in disbelief before turning to face him, ¡°You killed three of our men because of her and left the gang in total unrest,¡±

    ¡°They disobeyed my orders, no one had the right toy a hand on her without my calling,¡± Marcel stood his ground.

    ¡°You heard Macy, she was only interrogating her. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the first time she got information from a target on your behalf. So what¡¯s different about this one? And please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re so taken by this girl that you killed three of our own for her, ¡± Victor asked, staring him straight in the eyes.

    .....

    And that was a challenge.

    ¡°Do I seem that weak in your eye?!¡± Marcel growled now, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes, ¡°You would take the words of a mere assistant over mine, your leader?!¡±

    Victor cautiously took a step back, having realized she had crossed the line. Marcel might not be as cruel as his father, but that doesn¡¯t undermine the fact he was brought up by a monster. Added to all the violence he has seen over the years, Marcel was lethal.

    ¡°You think that just a mere pussy would cloud my mind and judgment?!¡± He thundered at Victor who gulped.

    ¡°I knew what I saw and Macy had no intention of keeping Arianna alive and you are in quite a haste to forget that she¡¯s the key to getting to Elijah. Have you forgotten our purpose all along because I¡¯m sure as well haven¡¯t forgotten!¡±

    There was a tense silence after that speech and Victor finally nced up at him, guilt-ridden.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I doubted your intentions,¡± He apologized, ¡°I was just concerned over the welfare of the gang seeing the unrest there is now. And you know of all people knows what happens when there¡¯s unrest, cracks begin to appear in the organization. They all seem to agree that you¡¯ve lost your mind and gone on a killing spree. There are concerns that you might be worse than your father, although he never betrayed them over a woman,¡±

    Marcel practically winced over that statement. Do they think he was that easy to distract as much as Arianna was the beautiful and far most interesting woman he has seen so far? Those charming eyes of hers do not affect him. She can¡¯t bewitch him.

    ¡°I would hold a meeting and calm their horses. I acted out of character as well but I was so scared to lose the only connection I have to Elijah,¡± Marcel lied through his teeth.

    The truth was that the instant he saw the unconscious Arianna with that bag over her head, he lost it. At that moment, he had seemed like an alpha wolf who lost his mate ¨C what¡¯s with him and mate again? ¨C and entered a blood haze. He was craving for vengeance, willing to obliterate anyone that aided in the killing of his beloved.

    Beloved? Wonderful ¨C note the sarcasm.

    ¡°Then if you¡¯re going to be doing that, you need to keep Arianna away from the men,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you this as your consigliere but as your cousin and family, the killing is still fresh in their memory and one, if not more, might go after Arianna,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to tell me that they would try to harm Arianna in my territory?!¡± Marcel¡¯s anger rose, ¡°Then they shoulde, I¡¯ll put a bullet -¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡± Victor interrupted him, ¡°When does the bloodbath end? Moreover, the Luciano elders would not stand still and watch you end a legacy they¡¯ve built even before you were born. They put you here, and they have the power to remove you as well,¡±

    And his father would like that so much, there was a sour taste in Marcel¡¯s mouth as he realized that. He can¡¯t let that happen, not now Chloe was in his father¡¯s hands and he ¨C Marcel ¨C was still growing his powers.

    ¡°However, you forget one thing, Victor, it¡¯s also imperative that I instill fear inside of them, that way they would respect me,¡± Marcel told him but to his surprise, his cousin gave him a stupid look.

    ¡°Really?¡± Victor cocked his head, ¡°You really want to do it this way. In that case, why don¡¯t you go grab a book and pen and grabbed some tips from daddy while wagging your tails, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d appreciate it,¡±

    Marcel groaned, rubbing his palm down his face. Sometimes, he wished Victor wasn¡¯t family so he could hit him once.

    ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡± he asked him, leaving the ball in his court.

    Victor said, ¡°I¡¯m sure your father must have heard the news already and would be interested to know how you will handle it. As expected, he would want you to subdue the gang. Who knows he would actually be proud you shot three of your men to show your authority, but because of a woman? He would not be proud of that. But you would go the opposite way, ¡±

    ¡°Opposite way?¡±

    ¡°Appease your men,¡±

    ¡°Appease them?¡±

    ¡°The three deaths today would remind them to be on their best behavior and your appeasement would disy your magnanimity,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°And how exactly do I carry out this eer ..... appeasement?¡±

    ¡°Return Macy to her former position andpensate the family members of the ones you killed,¡±

    ¡°Hell no!¡± Marcel cursed as soon as he heard his cousin¡¯s ridiculous suggestion.

    Victor sighed.

    ¡°That is not happening!¡± Marcel stood his ground.

    Each time he heard Macy¡¯s name, all he could see now was how she stood over Arianna¡¯s limp body with a smile. She stood by and watched the light almost leave Arianna¡¯s eyes, it was not something he was going to forgive soon.

    ¡°Listen to me, Marcel, I¡¯m not a huge fan of Macy as much as you are not now, but everyone knows she¡¯s good at what she does and you having by her side would show you¡¯re still level-headed and not blinded by that witch,¡±

    Marcel could tell that the witch they were talking about was Arianna. When did his gang members be so chatty? It seems he has be too kind.

    ¡°Moreover,¡± Victor went on, ¡°Macy is not returning anytime soon since she¡¯s having her nose repaired. I have to say Arianna has quite a fire in her,¡± He found it amusing at the end.

    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± Marcel acknowledged, reminiscing the first time they met at the coffee shop. Thinking about it now, the girl has quite a potential that can be improved with training. Nope, no going there.

    ¡°Fine, Macy would stay but after a good break, however, that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯d have the same authority as before.¡±Marcel agreed.

    ¡°Fine. And Arianna?¡± he pried.

    Marcel answered, shifting on his feet, ¡°I would return her to the Redgiant as agreed after I¡¯m done getting the information I need about Elijah,¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Victor¡¯s brows arched as if he didn¡¯t believe a word he said.

    ¡°I told you....¡± Marcel¡¯s tone was filled with seriousness, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough pussies, I can¡¯t be trapped down by one,¡±

    ¡°In that case, that¡¯s good to hear, cousin,¡± Victor tapped him on the back proudly while Marcel broke into a wide grin, wallowing in the glory.

    The tension around them finally rxed and both cousins began to converse about other issues when Marcel asked, ¡°So how about Mimi? How¡¯s the lesson going?¡±

    At the mention of Mimi, Victor¡¯s face distorted at once and Marcel caught all of it.

    ¡°By the look on your face, I can tell there¡¯s a story to it,¡± He grinned.

    ¡°Gosh, don¡¯t even go there. The girl¡¯s a cavewoman. She hit me!¡±

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Marcel said, yet leaned closer, ¡°What did you do? Kiss her? Hit on her?¡±

    ¡°She says I insulted her coffee,¡±

    ¡°You did not!¡± Marcel burst intoughter.

    ¡°I did not, maybe a little? But the point is, it was all part of the lesson,¡±

    However, his cousin was busyughing at him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Arianna and Mimi must be from the same. No wonder they¡¯re best friends,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, wait ¨C what?!¡± Victor was stunned, ¡°They¡¯re best friends?! You¡¯ve been hiding this from me?!¡±

    Marcel merely shrugged.

    But his cousin narrowed his gaze at him suspiciously, ¡°You got her best friend a ridiculous job here, what are you nning, Marcel?¡±

    Marcel smirked, ¡°A little gift for our guest, Arianna. I told you, she doesn¡¯t have me charmed,¡±

    Victor shook his head, his cousin was a sly snake.

    However, Marcel must have jinxed his luck before the next they heard was the breaking of a window and something dropped to the ground.

    Marcel froze, Arianna.

 Chapter 63

    63 Beauty In Chaos

    Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or scared, however, by the time she had pulled out the wires in her body, she was, fucking mad.

    How dare he treat her like she was a child? She was a woman with god damn rights and if he was so angry about her stealing his wallet, he should send her to prison to pay for her crimes.

    But he did say they won¡¯t be spending much time together, could it be he would be sending her to prison then? No, it didn¡¯t make sense else he would have just imprisoned her in the first ce than bringing her here. Moreover, that would not solve his Elijah problem.

    It was some other ce and each passing moment she was left in the dark made her slowly lose her mind. Arianna was so used to having control of her life that living at the mercy of another didn¡¯t sit well with her.

    Even while living with her uncle, she knew what to expect at home and made adequate fortifications. But here? She was left in the dark with no source of light.

    She needed Marcel. No, she needed to see Marcel. Arianna had to know what he had in store for her else he should just kill her. She would rather die for Elijah than be a problem for him.

    But how was she going to get Marcel¡¯s attention when he saw her as below him. And a hostage.

    Or maybe she was doing it at all wrong. There was this saying, if the mountain won¡¯te to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain. Perhaps, she doesn¡¯t need to make Marcel meet her, she should make hime to seek her on his own.

    And what better way to do that than to create chaos? Arianna suddenly had an inflow of creative ideas.

    .....

    She turned to Redhead with a smile that made the dog cower back. Even the little creature could sense the evil mischief she had in mind.

    ¡°What do you say, we do a little tour, Redhead?¡± she smirked, taking the cute creature in her arm.

    As she said, Arianna did a quick tour of the room she was locked in and she had to admit, Marcel was a man of extravagance.

    The room was so spacious that two of her bedrooms could fit in here and still have more space left. What was he doing with all this space? Was he trying to invite a football team here? Well, whatever. Not that she cares.

    However, Arianna went into the bathroom and wrinkled her nose at the sight of her dress from yesterday. Now, it crossed her mind, she hadn¡¯t taken a shower since then. Eww.

    So she set Redhead down and went into the shower to bath, intentionally avoiding the tub. Bathing in the tub would waste the time she didn¡¯t have ¨C there were so many things to do.

    Arianna hurried up with her shower and thankfully, Marcel¡¯s toiletries were enough for her. How pleasant it was that she wasn¡¯t in her period yet else that would have been another burden ¨C and embarrassment.

    As soon as she was done bathing, Arianna put on one of the clean bathrobes she found in the bathroom cab. She picked a new brush as well and brushed her teeth, feeling better than before.

    Redhead strutted about her, following every step she took as if it didn¡¯t want to be away from her.

    ¡°Alright, buddy. This is where the action begins,¡± Arianna picked him from the floor and turned on the showerhead to the highest pressure when she didn¡¯t want to bath.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she adjusted the showerhead so the water hit the shower stall and that was for a reason. Arianna then opened the shower stall door, tieing it back with her clothe to a bar from outside, hence water fell to the outside while the remaining ones went down the drain. She put the retractable shower head to work as well.

    Still not that satisfied with that one, Arianna went to the bathtub and turned the tub spout without being there to supervise when the tub would be filled. Upon leaving, she opened the door as well, using a heavy container to wedge it so it doesn¡¯t close when she leaves.

    ¡°And this is just the beginning of chaos,¡± Arianna smirked at Redhead in her arms who seemed confused with his mistress¡¯ actions.

    Done with the bathroom, Arianna went into Marcel¡¯s walk-in closet which was just brilliant. As expected, the man had a high taste of fashion. And sadly, there was no dress for her. But no worries because she found a dress shirt and that solved one of her problems.

    The shirt was quite huge and rested on her lower thighs, at least it could be termed appropriate. However, her ass cheek was receiving fresh air from the outside, and asfortable as it was, she needed panties. Nor could she wear the one from yesterday. Hygiene, please.

    It was in the process of going through Marcel¡¯s wardrobe, that she came upon a red panty ¨C not one, but a dozen. It looked new with thebels on it and Arianna didn¡¯t need to guess Marcel must have nned to send it to his girlfriend.

    Girlfriend?

    Arianna was not even surprised at that revtion, Marcel was a handsome man ¨C seriously, she doesn¡¯t mean it. It¡¯s just for saying sake ¨C and would have a truckload of women throwing themselves at him. Not that she was interested, Elijah was the man for her.

    But then, here she was and she would put the panties into good use ¨C she¡¯d probably rece themter. Yeah.

    The panty was quite decent and covered a good amount of her ass cheek. It had a bow tied at both edges and was quite sexy.

    ¡°He should have bought a bra as well,¡± Arianna mourned the fact there was nothing to hide her perky nipples. Her floral dress had a built-in bra so she hasn¡¯t needed to worry about it until now.

    Nheless, she¡¯d have to endure until that bastard hears her out and provide her needs if he intends to keep her alive after this.

    Once Arianna was decent enough, she began to pull every single one of Marcel¡¯s clothes out of the hanger and toss them to the ground after which she would step on it.

    She would have preferred tearing it to pieces but she couldn¡¯t find a scissor to help do that. Arianna couldn¡¯t rip them either because his clothes were of high quality and must have cost a lot ¨C well, that makes ruing it feel much better.

    Arianna wants Marcel to bleed at the number of resources she would cost him. She can¡¯t be the only one unhappy here. She would give him a taste of it.

    She got rid of everything; his clothes for almost every asion; his uncountable number of shoes; his watches; ties. Everything! His walk-in closet looked like a burr had broken in except the fact that all of his items were secured ¨C well, some of his watches were broken ¨C and on the floor.

    Satisfied with her result, Arianna moved back to the room with a smile tugging her lips. As she intended, arge stream of water was already leaking from the bathroom into the living room. Marcel was sure as hell going to love this!

    Arianna brought down the rest of her fury in the living room. She destroyed every art piece in here ¨C useless, annoying, erotic pieces. How was that even considered art?. She opened the throw pillows, tossing the fillings around the room as if it was confetti while dering, ¡°Let there be chaos!¡±

    Who knew violence was this fulfilling? Arianna realized as she destroyed thest item in the room. The bedsheet was on the floor and she made sure to turn off all electrical appliances knowing it¡¯s bad reaction with water. As much as she was craving death, unintentional suicide was not on her list.

    ¡°And now, for the season finale,¡± Arianna announced dramatically to Redhead sitting on the bed, watching her intrigued? Curious? She couldn¡¯t tell what the dog was thinking.

    Everything Arianna did so far was to piss off Marcel, none would draw his attention until he decided to bestow him with his honorable presence. But she needed his attention quickly, which was why she had to do this.

    Marcel had locked the entrance to the veranda and the window was barred so she couldn¡¯t escape through it. But that wasn¡¯t a problem, all she needed was to make a statement.

    Right now, Arianna was holding a fire poker and she targeted the space through the bars before she hurled with all of her might, the windows sessfully crashing upon the impact.

    A smile lit up Arianna¡¯s expression as the poker fell out through the window and she started a mental countdown of when Marcel would barge in here.

    Arianna went to the bed and sat down, making Redhead stay on herp and was stroking his furs when a furious Marcel kicked the door open.

    Well, hello. Look who decided to pay a visit.

 Chapter 64

    64 Who Do You Think You Are?

    His blood ran cold.

    Whatever else Victor said, Marcel didn¡¯t hear any of it because he hurried over to the window and looked down. One couldn¡¯t imagine the relief that went through him when all he saw on the ground was the firece poker and not Arianna¡¯s body.

    He released a fleeting breath, leaning against the wall while his hand came to press on his forehead. Now he wasn¡¯t panicking, it came to his mind that the window in his room had bars while the veranda door was sealed meaning that Arianna couldn¡¯t get ess to the outside.

    But then, what the hell was she doing? She smashed his window with a fire poker for christ¡¯s sake.

    At once, Marcel pushed off the wall, nning to go check up on what she was doing only for Victor to block his path.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go there. I¡¯m sure she just wants to get your attention,¡± Victor said to him in a hurry, seeing that Marcel was not slowing down anytime soon.

    ¡°Out of the way, Victor,¡± Marcel sidestepped him as if he wasn¡¯t there in the first ce.

    ¡°This is why I hate drama queens,¡± Victor cursed under his breath yet followed after him.

    He didn¡¯t trust that Arianna girl and had to make sure she didn¡¯t ce a spell on Marcel or something.

    .....

    Victor, the guardian, followed his cousin to the third floor and upon getting to the entrance of the room, he saw Marcel freeze and that was for a good reason.

    Victor gulped when he saw that water was leaking into the passageway even with the door closed and he could only guess the disaster that Arianna created inside. Someone was in deep shit.

    Slowly, almost dramatically, Marcel unlocked the door and more water poured into the passage as soon as it was opened.

    Marcel didn¡¯t move, he stayed as still as a statue and when Victor peered over his shoulder to see the disaster Arianna created, a shocked gasp left his lips. What the fuck? Was she crazy?

    The water in the room was touching their ankle and all the ruined items in the room were beginning to float. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, one of Marcel¡¯s beloved super expensive Calvin Klein t-shirts floated along and Victor said a silent prayer for her soul.

    Perhaps, he had been worrying too much, because he was sure as hell that Marcel would kill that spoiled brat now.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Victor watched Arianna, the culprit of this disaster, seated on the bed with her leg thrown over the other while Marcel¡¯s odd yet newest pet rested on her thigh. She looked nonchnce, none of this bothered her ¨C because she created it. The nerve.

    ¡°Well, hello, look who decided to visit,¡± she purred, a victorious glint in her eyes while she stroked Redhead¡¯s furs.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say a word yet his gaze was enough to pulverize anything in his path. He just kept looking around all the properties he had lost in a twinkle of an eye. No one could tell what Marcel had in mind but it wasn¡¯t something good.

    Marcel took a step forward and it almost seemed the ground quaked in Victor¡¯s mind. He took another step and the world shook.

    Oh no, as much as he didn¡¯t like Arianna, he would not be the one to clean up what was left of her after Marcel was done with her.

    At once, he put himself in front of Marcel, a hand on his chest intending to stop him, ¡°Come on Marcel, turn around. She¡¯s not worth it,¡± He shook his head as if to prove his point.

    ¡°Leave,¡± Marcel told him.

    ¡°Marcel, listen to me -¡±

    ¡°Leave now!¡± Marcel thundered this time, his gaze so fiery when he looked into his eyes.

    Victor¡¯s hand fell and he gave Arianna one long pitiful look before he took his leave. He tried his best and Arianna¡¯s death would not be on him.

    She caused it all.

    Victor shut the door on his way out ¨C he didn¡¯t want to hear her screams when Marcel skinned her alive.

    Even when Victor left, Arianna didn¡¯t show a trace of fear ¨C or maybe she was trying hard not to, especially now his gaze was bing frightening akin to a furious beast. Her head tilted to the side mockingly; she didn¡¯t regard Marcel¡¯s presence.

    Arianna was taking a huge gamble and there were only two results in the end ¨C her death or Marcel acknowledging her right here. Fortunately, she was not afraid of her death, Elijah would be safe at least.

    ¡°You have quite the nerve!¡± Marcel roared, striding towards her with a great speed that frightened her.

    At that moment, Marcel looked like a massive lion about to pounce on his prey and as much as her instinct warned her to run, she stood her ground. She was a strong woman and would not be intimidated by that arrogant, neanderthal caveman!

    However, when Marcel came too close to her, Arianna found herself cowering back but only for a moment because Marcel pinned her to the bed by the neck while Redhead jumped off the bed and onto the nightstand with a bark. The situation looked precarious right now, the dog thought.

    ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± Marcel sneered, the rims of his eyes were red and veins were bulging from his neck and forehead.

    As much as he had enough money to rece all she had broken, some of the items were limited edition. Aside from that, this was a huge disrespect to his position.

    He was Marcelo Luciano, the only son, and heir to the Luciano n. Everyone feared and revered him, even his sister Chloe wouldn¡¯t attempt a stunt like this and go scot-free. So who does Arianna think she is? She was nothing but a conquest he won! He would teach her respect today.

    But to Marcel¡¯s surprise, she began tough ¨C even when he had his grip around her neck. She puzzles him.

    ¡°So now you got me, what are you going to do? Kill me? Oh, spank me?¡± She taunted him.

    Ariana was mocking him, Marcel realized and that didn¡¯t sit well with him. However, his eyes suddenly brightened upon herment and that was the mistake she made.

    Arianna was smug until Marcel said with a strange glint in his eyes, ¡°Good idea,¡± and it hit her.

    Her eyes widened when she realized his intention, ¡°No, no, no!¡± Arianna panicked and tried to push Marcel off her as she tried to escape but it was toote.

    Marcel was huge and stronger in the first ce so Arianna couldn¡¯t fight him off when he grabbed her by the hips and turned her around in the middle of the bed amid her fierce struggle.

    This was outrageous, she thought in her head.

    Marcel raised her on all four and with him kneeling on the bed, pushed her down by the neck such that her butt was a bit higher while the side of her face was pressed to the mattress.

    ¡°You are a crazy bastard, let me go!¡± Arianna continued to curse him even as he pulled on her legs, pushing them in between his thighs such that he straddled them and she couldn¡¯t move while he pinned her both hands beneath her stomach. In one word, hepletely incapacitated her.

    ¡°You should have known I was a crazy man when you decided to infuriate me!¡± He breathed into her ears, making sure there was no chance for her to slip through because she was a sneaky little thing.

    ¡°What kind of gentleman decides to spank ady!¡± She growled at Marcel who changed his mind, deciding a wet tie he picked from the flooded floor was much better at binding her hands.

    ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not a gentleman which you know, otherwise you would have behaved more like ady,¡± Marcel grunted, tightening the tie more than usual. It was a punishment.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Ariannained, not that the bastard cared.

    ¡°That¡¯s just the beginning,¡± Marcel promised her, a dark glint in his eyes and she shivered. What has she gotten herself into?

    Marcel then pushed her up again and this time, her butt was in the air and her hair sprawled over the bed.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this!¡± Arianna began to beg Marcel, finally understanding she was at his mercy.

    She went on, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t mean to destroy your things, it was the devil¡¯s work. Surely, you must find it in your magnanimous heart to forgive a repentant soul, right?¡±

    Marcel smirked at her devilishly, ¡°That repentance would not bring back my things you destroyed,¡±

    He pushed down his dress shirt she wore which was kind of sexy... Gosh, stop it, Marcel! Focus on the task at hand!

    However, Marcel stopped the task at hand when he saw the panties she was wearing.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Marcel breathed, and a smile that made Redhead turn the other way appeared on his face.

    ¡°Your offense keeps increasing,¡±

    Arianna released a shaky breath, this just keeps getting better.

 Chapter 65

    65 Spanking Her

    The cold air that blew over her flesh and made her shiver was all the reminder to Arianna that her butt was in the air and pointing right at Marcel.

    She was mortified to death!

    ¡°Red looks so good on your skin,¡± Marcel appreciated her sincerely even though he sounded more like a pervert right now.

    ¡°Please, let me go,¡± Arianna begged him, her face red with shame. This was improper.

    But he said, ¡°Honestly, there was a possibility of me forgiving you, but that was until you stole my panty. A bad bunny needs to be taught her ce,¡± heughed wickedly.

    Arianna began to panic, ¡°No, no, Marcel, don¡¯t you dare -!¡±

    Pah!

    Marcel pped her ass cheek with no warning and Arianna screamed, not out of pain but anguish. How dare he spank her? Even as a kid, her father had never done that for once when he was alive. Who gives Marcel the damn right then?!

    ¡°You bastard!¡± She cursed him,¡± I swear to God, the instant I make it out of here, I¡¯ll make sure you regret -!¡±

    .....

    Pah!

    Another p sounded on her bottom and Arianna let out a pained gasp this time. Marcel was a bastard, there was no gentle warm-up, he hit her hard.

    ¡°You seem to like talking,¡± Marcel said through gritted teeth as he pped a corner of her ass that was quite fleshy and it bounced.

    Arianna whimpered helplessly, each stinging p made her ass hurt and there was nothing she could do to free herself.

    Pah!

    Pah!

    Pah!

    Five more ps sounded on her ass cheeks and Arianna knew she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She was not as strong as she thought. If Marcel continued to hit her this way, she might not be able to sit with her butt for a week.

    So when Marcel hit her for the sixth time, she gave up.

    ¡°Stop please,¡± Arianna cried out, ¡°Stop it, Marcel. It hurts already. Fine, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she pleaded with him, her tears sinking into the bed where the side of her face was pressed into. She was at Marcel¡¯s mercy and only he could save her right now.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re sorry now?!¡± There was a sadistic smile on Marcel¡¯s face as he hit her butt once again.

    A sob tore from Arianna¡¯s throat as she said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. Make it stop, please. It hurts,¡±

    ¡°Did you consider that the properties you destroyed must be feeling the same if they could speak,¡± He growled, pping her ass cheeks once again.

    Arianna growled, feeling the burning need to gouge out that bastard¡¯s eyes. Does he n to kill her with spanks? Her ass must be bruising by now. Arianna began to regret ever having something to do with Marcel. The man was a psychopath.

    ¡°I told you, I would punish you so hard you would never think of disobeying me again,¡± Marcel reminded her of his promise and she trembled.

    ¡°Please,¡± Arianna begged him. She could have gotten on her knees, well, tactically, she was on her knees ¨C except her hands wouldn¡¯t be bound and she would be kowtowing.

    The sight was wicked, Marcel reasoned.

    Arianna was everything he wanted and imagined to be. The sight of her ass lifted in the air gave him a hard-on that threatened to tear down his self-control.

    The temptation was so great that Marcel had to remind himself that Arianna was the enemy and the enchantress he couldn¡¯t get involved with. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to get romantically involved with her nor was he ready to murder more of his people for her ever again.

    The first time had been out of anger and a mistake, the second time wouldn¡¯t. No, there would not be a second time.

    However, the sight of her ass d in that sexy red panty made his blood rage. He had bought that panty as a reserve since he had the habit of tearing the ones his dates wore in the heat of the moment.

    Yeah, getting rid of panties was his kink.

    So he got those for when the morning came since most of them had the habit of taking his shorts. Unfortunately, he was quite possessive of his clothes ¨C Well, he was quite possessive of a lot of things.

    Hence, to preserve his shorts, he got the panties, but he wasn¡¯t able to put them into use because Macy took over. But now, it seems the rightful owner of the panty has arrived.

    Shit!

    What the hell was he thinking? Arianna wouldn¡¯t even be here for long and she was no rightful owner! He would punish her and be done with her!

    However, the sight of that pale ass in the air was like a naughty gift to him on a cold Christmas morning. Arianna looking so submissive and sexy broke down his defenses.

    His hands moved on their own ord and before Marcel knew what he was doing, he began to rub her ass gently as if trying to soothe the raw skin and a sigh escaped her lips.

    It was a harmless move, Arianna reasoned as he caressed her butt. The raw pain she felt minutes ago had erased every sense of shame she felt in the beginning. All she wanted was thefort he¡¯s giving her now.

    ¡°You like this, huh?¡± Marcel was cocky as he continued to massage her cheeks with both hands.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Arianna agreed this time without a fight. She didn¡¯t know what he would do if she dared to annoy him once more.

    The caress was akin to cold water being poured on her after being scalded by hot water. But that calming sensation didn¡¯tst for long because Marcelnded another p on her ass cheek again and without warning.

    Arianna screamed.

    But unlike the other ps, something was different with this one because Arianna felt wetness in between her legs. What was happening to her?

    But her busy mind got to rx when Marcel caressed her cheek once again. However, like the other time, it was just for a while and he pped her ass once more.

    She gasped. In pleasure.

    A shiver went through Arianna and it wasn¡¯t from pleasure. She was terrified. Arianna dreaded to acknowledge the fact that she was beginning to like this a bit because it wasn¡¯t normal at all. This act, all of it was indecent!

    ¡°No, Marcel, stop -¡±

    She waste because he pped her bottom once again and she moaned, biting on her lips.

    An animalistic growl of approval left Marcel¡¯s lips, the realization that she was turned on by him, made his head swell with pride. Arianna was his ¨C at least for this moment.

    This was wrong, Arianna recognized. She was Elijah¡¯s girlfriend and didn¡¯t get to let another man touch her. This was a sin.

    But those thoughts in her head actually flew out of the window when Marcel¡¯s hands adjusted her hips, slipping into her, no, his dress shirt that she borrowed, not stolen.

    A delicious shiver went down her spine when his hands traced down her belly, only for them to drop to her boobs and Arianna gave in to her body¡¯s sin. Not that she would havested under this torture anyway.

    Marcel pulled her right up, her hands still tied in front of her while his both hands cupped each of her boobs with her back pressed to his chest. Then he began to work her breast and the feeling was out of this world.

    Her nipples straining so much that it looked like they¡¯ll burst out of its knotsbined with the stinging pain from her bottom gave Arianna a pleasure so primal it almost drove her crazy. It was something like never before. How was this even possible?

    Marcel pinched her nipples hard, she let out a whimper. When did pain be such a sweet aphrodisiac? She didn¡¯t know until now.

    He then released one hand while the other continued to tease until she felt a sharp sting on her ass once again and Arianna moaned. Marcel was driving her crazy ¨C and this was all wrong yet her body seemed to have a different opinion.

    Marcel released her or so she thought because he pulled her legs apart and her body trembled, having an inkling of what he was about to do and a small sensible part of her brain worked.

    ¡°Marcel... stop... ¡± Her breath was thick and her chest heaving as a result of the desire coursing through her.

    But Marcel spoke into her ears, his voice husky and thick with need, ¡°You say one thing yet your body means another,¡± And as a matter of fact, he squeezed her breast through her clothes to prove his point.

    Her thighs shook and Arianna was abashed with her discovery. This can¡¯t be true, yet her body reacted to his touch.

    When Marcel moved his hand to her slit, her frame shuddered.

    ¡°Someone is quite wet down there,¡± Marcel smirked evilly, stroking her wet fold, and her head lulled back.

    None of the sensations in the world couldpare to the ones rocking through her body right now.

    Suddenly, her eyes shut close and she was back to that night with Elijah. Arianna¡¯s reality ovepped with her imagination and it wasn¡¯t Marcel touching her any longer, but Elijah.

    Arianna arched for his touch and Elijah gave her that sly smile she knew so well, rubbing her clit at a faster pace.

    ¡°My God, Elijah!¡± She screamed, her voice strained to the maximum as the orgasm rolled through her. Neither did she realize she had called the wrong name until her partner froze from behind.

 Chapter 66

    66 I Love Him

    She was his and his alone. The sound of her moan and whimpers, the sweetest music he had ever heard as he teased and worked her. He had never experienced a feeling so intense as this one and it made his blood zing. But that was until she came undone and his fantasies shattered.

    Arianna was still relishing from the bliss of their sexual encounter that it took her a while to register that the man behind her had frozen up like the Arctic waters- unmoving and cold.

    The temperature in the room dropped drastically and she felt goosebumps on her arms. Even when he slowly pulled his finger out of her wet fold in a way that aroused delicious shivers, she didn¡¯t dare to moan. It hadn¡¯t felt intimate at all.

    If anything it seemed like someone poured cold water on her and the few minutes of intense pleasure has given way to an eternity of reality.

    Arianna didn¡¯t know what to feel anymore. For starters, she was shamed beyond the fact that she let another male touch her intimately, a male that wasn¡¯t Elijah. And on the other hand, it dawned on her that she just used Marcel and that brute wasn¡¯t going to like it one bit. She shivered violently.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± She whispered with no clue what to do anymore. Was she supposed to beg him or just shut up altogether?

    But he wouldn¡¯t talk to her yet his gaze was intense and boring a hole in her back. Sadly, there was nothing much she could do, not with her hands tied in front of her and it was a real pain trying to look over her shoulder ¨C or maybe she was just frightened to look over her shoulders with her hands untied. If he tried to kill her, she could put up quite a fight with her hands free.

    So she demanded, ¡°Untie me,¡±

    And that did it.

    .....

    Arianna let out a shriek when Marcel flipped her over to her back with great speed, his handsing to mp down on her throat as he began to choke her.

    ¡°I have never been humiliated in my twenty-six year of existence until now,¡± Marcel said in a whisper, however, his face was where his anger concentrated the most.

    He looked like a beast, his face distorted with anger; veins protruding from his neck and temple while there was a sudden wildness in his gaze that scared the hell out of her. Arianna was sure this man before her didn¡¯t have a soul.

    ¡°Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t kill you right now?!¡± He growled at her with an intensity that should have made her shut her eyes in terror and wait out his anger.

    But Arianna had a nasty temper in the first ce and snapped at him regardless of his suffocating grip on her neck. She had a voice too.

    ¡°You were the one who couldn¡¯t keep his hands to himself and I¡¯m the one who decides who I let into my mind!¡±

    And yep, she did it! Good work, Arianna.

    A cruel smile twisted Marcel¡¯s face and Arianna¡¯s heart mmed against her chest. Oh no, she panicked. What has she done? She realized when the adrenaline that fueled her emotions wore off.

    Marcel sneered, ¡°Since I¡¯ve beenbeled a pervert and used as a conduit to relish your lover¡¯s memory, I bet we could do it once more. I want to see that fire burning in your eyes so I can snuff it!¡± There was the cruel smile again.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Arianna screamed in terror once his hands reached for the button on her shirt. There was no way on earth she was letting him touch her!

    Marcel might have touched her the first time out of need, but it was not the case this time. This second round was for sports and she wasn¡¯t an object for entertainment. He intends to humiliate her the way she hurt his pride by calling another man¡¯s name when she was with him.

    Well, what was he expecting?! Elijah was the one for her ¨C he was the one in her heart. If Marcel had just let her be, it wouldn¡¯t havee to this!

    Arianna put up a tough fight, kicking him hard in the guts when he tried to grab her not caring how improper their position was or the fact her shirt had heaped around her waist revealing all that was beneath.

    All that mattered was her survival.

    Marcel was winded by that hard kick to his stomach but he had survived much worse plus the adrenaline rush didn¡¯t give him the time to register the pain. His jaw ticked and his blood pounded so hard that he didn¡¯t hear anything else, not her protesting cries because all he wanted was to teach her a lesson.

    What was so special about Arianna that got under his skin? He couldn¡¯t tell except the primal need to im her.

    Marcel had been intimate with many women yet it was nothingpared to when he was with Arianna. She pushed him! She challenged him! She made his blood stir! And he had thought himself lucky as he brought her to ecstasy until she called that name. And then anger filled him, Elijah took what was supposed to be his.

    Seeing he was undefeated, Arianna tried tounch another kick but he caught her legs and pushed them apart, wrapping it around his hips and she couldn¡¯t do any damage to him ¨C except maybe pull him flush to the molten heat through her panties.

    Arianna must have realized that as well because she stopped fighting, her eyes narrowed as she took in the precarious position they were in.

    Even while they were fighting, she didn¡¯t fail to turn him on. Arianna was really wonderful, Marcel snorted inwardly.

    Perhaps Victor was right, she was a witch that would entrance him till he was nothing but pudding in her hands and if he was smart enough, he should run.

    But he didn¡¯t.

    Living off the edge has always been his thing and Arianna seems to provide more than enough of that.

    This was a dangerous game and the both of them were dangling off the edge of a cliff, Arianna gulped when she felt his hard-on against her entrance that was sealed by her red underwear ¨C that was hardly even protection. She could feel him.

    Her legs were wrapped around his waist and she didn¡¯t know whether releasing them would make their position worse. However, the guilt returned when an image of Elijah shed in her head, and rity returned with it.

    This was all wrong.

    How would she react if she saw Elijah with a woman in the same position she and Marcel were in right now. The jealousy that wed at her chest was all the answer she needed. She couldn¡¯t even stomach the thought of it nor would Elijah if he could see them right now.

    ¡°No, stop it!¡± She told Marcel when he leaned over her. She tried to push him away with her bound hands that were in front of her.

    But Marcel growled warningly at her as if he didn¡¯t like being interrupted just before his lipsnded on her neck and he sucked on the spot between her shoulder and neck sending delicious shivers down her spine.

    ¡°Oh my... No,¡± Arianna tried not to relish the heavenly sensation. As much as she didn¡¯t like Marcel, her body liked him, way too much. She had to stop this now before her brain got muddled with lust once again.

    ¡°Marcel, please stop this!¡± She begged him, her voice much louder and firmer but the man in question wasn¡¯t listening, he was lost in his desires.

    He obviously didn¡¯t agree to her terms because he rubbed against her entrance at that moment and a throaty moan left Arianna¡¯s mouth, her back arching off the bed.

    Holy God, the feeling was exquisite and for a brief dark moment, Arianna began to wonder why she was even fighting him off in the first ce. Marcel could give her what she wanted ¨C what her body wanted ¨C and she had a feeling it was going to be worth it.

    With the demonstration from earlier, Marcel knew how to bring her to a euphoria so great she might forget her name, unlike Elijah.....

    Elijah.

    Arianna finally remembered the reason she was fighting. She was fighting because she knew he would be back for her and she wanted to be worthy of his return.

    At once, Arianna announced, ¡°I love him, Marcel. I love Elijah,¡±

    And that was all it took for Marcel to get off her with a string of curses ¨C some of thenguages he muttered, unfamiliar to her.

    With his violent profanities, he strode past the flooded room and banged the door so hard the room shook.

    Even with his absence, Arianna didn¡¯t move. Sheid on the bed crying till his staff rushed in afterward to clear the mess she had created without bothering her ¨C well, all aside Redhead whoid down beside her as ifforting her.

    She missed Elijah.

 Chapter 67

    67 He Got Nothing In Return

    Victor couldn¡¯t stop pacing up and down his room. He told himself that Arianna¡¯s well-being was none of his business and she deserved whatever came her way for pissing Marcel off yet he couldn¡¯t help but care.

    No, he didn¡¯t care for Arianna, rather for Marcel who might lose his soul and turn out to be way worse than his father if he continued this way.

    Marcel was better than his father but it didn¡¯t erase the fact that he shared his bloodline that could easily turn him into a monster. And Arianna might be that final straw.

    If Marcel couldn¡¯t endure the girl¡¯s tantrums and had her killed, what¡¯s to say he wouldn¡¯t be a tyrant.

    Victor loved his cousin so much and that was one of the reasons he worked hard to be his consigliere when he had other careers ¨C that was even crime-free ¨C to choose from.

    Not everyone in the Luciano family was in the underworld ¨C more like active. In fact, Marcel ran other legit businesses which were all but a fa?ade to keep thew from looking into the source of their ie.

    Their great-grandfather Fergus

    Luciano in search of greener pastures left his country with a determination to make a life for himself.

    But then life doesn¡¯t always go the way it¡¯s nned and Fergus was plunged into the life of crime to survive. And in the darkness, he found his ce.

    .....

    Tales had it that Fergus had been so skilled, and clever that he was able to pay off every single debt he owed his master in a few years and thus, was released. He paid for his freedom.

    Now free, Fergus took up the same path as his master seeing that ordinary life didn¡¯t fit him and there was no other thing he knew. Moreover, what better way to make money than being in a position of power.

    So he started the Luciano n and the gang grew up to be so powerful that he became on par with his master. Both gangs were quitepetitive and it became clear to everyone that a war would break out soon if nothing was done.

    And that was when his master came up with an idea to stop the impending bloodbath ¨C an alliance through marriage.

    It wasn¡¯t quite a difficult idea since his master had just a child and it was a daughter, Grace, that possessed as many deadly skills as her father. So what better man to hand his daughter over than the man he had once taken under his wings.

    On the bright side, sparks already began to fly between Grace and Fergus before he had even thought of establishing his own gang.

    So both parties were joined in union and their respective gangs were unified under one umbre.

    The Luciano n.

    With their strength, they became quite unrivaled in the underworld, at least at that time. Because just like a unique ability that watered down with each generation passed, the strength of the Luciano n withered as well, however, that doesn¡¯t make them less deadly.

    Unlike the newly formed gangs, the Luciano n had history, positions, and influence most of themcked ¨C it was like a child staring up at the face of their ancestors.

    Fergus gave birth to two sons, twins actually, Magnus ¨C the eldest ¨C and Mattia. However, it was quite unfortunate that the eldest son wanted nothing to do with his father¡¯s sinful lifestyle and refused to be his heir.

    Frustrated and angry ¨C Fergus saw Magnus¡¯ refusal of being his heir as a sign of rebellion. He was his father and deserved to be honored ¨C so he disowned him. Banishing Magnus and his seed from inheriting a thing unless he returned to his senses and took up his ce ¨C Fergus was a traditionalist who took the firstborn role seriously.

    But Magnus chose to live with his humble wife and their three children, Daniel ¨C Marcel¡¯s father and the eldest child; Carmine ¨C Victor¡¯s mother and only daughter; Albin ¨C the youngest son.

    But then, Magus¡¯ children seem to have ideas that were different from their father¡¯s when they learned their heritage ¨C they had not been conceived when their father left the n.

    They didn¡¯t live a hard life but it was not the best either and being the heirs of a powerful underworld n seemed much more appealing than themon life they lived.

    So amid their father¡¯s choice and heartbreak, they returned to their grandfather and were willing to take back the position their father had given up without a fight ¨C The throne he threw away without weighing its worth.

    Unfortunately, even though they were weed into their grandfather¡¯s arms, power had changed hands in the Luciano n and Mattia and his seed were the ruling party.

    It wasn¡¯t an easy stay because they had to prove themself through battles and bloodshed plus the fact they were stigmatized as the coward¡¯s seed.

    They said a family is a group of people rted by blood, marriage, or adoption, but to them, it was a battlefield. They were polite with each other, but it was clear that there was no love lost between both sides.

    Their unexpected return ¨C or perhaps, Mattia knew they would eventuallye back for the throne which was why he had always felt insecure and paranoid ¨C changed everything, and now, it was an out battle for the throne. Whether male or female.

    Mattia had two sons who were equally threatened by their cousin¡¯s presence. All their lives, they had in mind that one of them would have to take over their father¡¯s throne only for these strangers with a right to the throne to appear out of nowhere. They couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    Fergus lived a long life and was there to supervise the intensepetition between his grandchildren. Whatever trick they came up with, he didn¡¯t exactly care as long as they proved themself worthy and didn¡¯t harm one another. Harming a family member bore a heavy penalty, if not death.

    Amid the fact they grew up without the expert training Mattias¡¯ children experienced, Daniel, Carmine, and Albine were natural at what they did. They picked up skills quite quickly and were adept at using weapons. Their bond was so deep and tight that they depended on one another and were able to endure whatever tricks Mattias and his children threw at them.

    But then, Albine, the youngest, was the most promising amongst all three. Daniel might be the oldest and strongest, hecked finesse and was brutal.

    Fergus admired Daniel¡¯s ruthlessness but a hot-tempered person alwaysnded himself in trouble, he needed someone with the ability to manipte a situation. Hence he favored Albine which wasn¡¯t quite hard to do since the boy was loveable.

    His grandfather¡¯s partialness was easy to spot and everyone knew at that moment that Albine had won. Even Mattia had to prepare himself to give up his position for the newer generation to takeover.

    Everyone epted defeat, all except one person who saw his shorings and decided to make ast-minute alteration.

    A weekter, Albine was dead. Killed by the hands of his uncle, Mattia who was stripped of his title and banished, never to return to the n forever. Although his sons were unaffected by the punishment since they yed no role, they bore the stigma and as if their role was reversed, felt what it was like when their cousins went through the same ordeal at the beginning.

    Fergus died dayster, it seems the old man loved his grandson more than he let out. As stated in his will, he was buried right beside Albine, and even his disowned son, Magnus was restored to the family registry ¨C for Albine¡¯s sake.

    But even at that, Magnus refused to ept the inheritance left for him, he wanted nothing to do with the dirty money. He and his wife were content with the peaceful life they were living. Magnus had toe to terms with the fact he couldn¡¯t stop his children from living the life they wanted. He could only wish them happiness.

    Dayster, rumors began to spread after Carmine confronted his brother, iming and using him of manipting Albine¡¯s death. He might not have been the one who pointed the gun at Albine but he might as well have been the one who pulled that trigger.

    The news reached their father¡¯s ears and upon the fact, there was no evidence to support Carmines¡¯ im, Magnus knew what his son was capable of. There has always been darkness inside of Daniel and he finally unleashed it. On his brother. His own blood.

    Magnus died from a heart attack after that and their mother med them for her father¡¯s death ¨C Daniel to be precise ¨C and demanded never to set her eyes on him unless he wanted her dead.

    In the end, it was just Daniel and Carmine, but the bond between the both of them had snapped already. She only endured him, the intimacy between the both of them gone.

    Daniel wanted the whole world and got nothing ¨C not even the woman he loved.

 Chapter 68

    68 Send Her To The Red Giant

    ¡°Get her out of my sight this instant!¡± Marcel came roaring into the room minutester.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Victor was startled by his sudden presence, ¡°You¡¯re done. Where should I bury her remains? Make a grave here or should I just toss her body into the sea for the shark to feed on or just dump her on the roadside for the authorities to find out and notify her family for a proper burial,¡± Victor gave him options only for his cousin to give him a stupid look.

    ¡°What?¡± he couldn¡¯t understand why his cousin was giving him that look until his gaze roved over Marcel¡¯s body and discovered there was no blood on him.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Victor groaned, ¡°You strangled her for Christ¡¯s sake,¡± He thought.

    Well, that didn¡¯t surprise him since Arianna pissed off Marcel so badly that he couldn¡¯t think straight through the anger and strangled her right away.

    ¡°Your neck would be the next thing I¡¯ll strangle if you don¡¯t get on that phone and inform the Red Giant toe to take her!¡± Marcel spoke through gritted teeth, his fists clenched at his side.

    He was angry, but surprisingly, it was not at Arianna but himself. When did he begin to stoop so low as to force himself on a woman? It never happened until now.

    All through his life, Marcel never had any problems hooking up with women since they always found him first. With his greatest asset which was his face ¨C a gift from his beloved mother ¨C who could resist his charm?

    He has had his fair share of women; tall, short, slim, plumpy, dark-skinned, fair, tan, ivory, blonde, chestnut-haired, ck-haired ¨C even redheads ¨C you name it! He wasn¡¯t a casanova but he had enough women to fulfill his sexual needs when he wanted. So why was Arianna¡¯s case different?

    .....

    Why does he lose his head around her? What made her so special? Marcel told himself it was because she was innocent. He had watched and studied her reactions, and shecked the experience that even the smallest of flirting had her blushing furiously, which could only mean she hasn¡¯t done it yet ¨C which was kind of impossible to believe in this age, plus her so imed rtionship with Elijah ¨C or perhaps, she was just good at pretending. A big, bad liar.

    What does she want from him? Quite funny since Arianna was asking the same question.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill her?¡± Victor was stunned and all he got in response was his re.

    Marcel retorted, ¡°I need her out of this house this instant,¡± because she was driving him crazy.

    Aside from the fact he was horrified he almost forced herself on her, she dared to think of another man while he pleasured her. Who does that?

    And she loves Elijah? Marcel snorted at the thought of it. Why does she know about love ¨C yet he was jealous of the thought of it. Not that he would acknowledge it.

    Elijah used her like the numerous women he had in the past, can¡¯t she see that? What makes her think she¡¯s so special to Elijah? She doesn¡¯t even know what he looks like? What woman falls in love with a faceless man? She was just in love with the thought of him, with the surface level of who she thought was Elijah.

    Marcel bet those thoughts would change when she sees Elijah for who he really was. Unlike Elijah, he ¨C Marcel ¨C doesn¡¯t bother to pretend, he¡¯s already a monster and wasn¡¯t ashamed of it.

    ¡°You¡¯re handing her over to Kenith when she hasn¡¯t even told you what Elijah looks like? Our efforts might as well have been for nothing,¡± Victor grunted, he didn¡¯t like his decision.

    ¡°She knows nothing about Elijah, I can see it in her eyes. Just like his other women over the years, the asshole kept what he looked from then,¡± Marcel said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the desk in the room.

    Victor rolled his eyes,¡± What do those women even see in him? ¡±

    ¡°You should ask yourself the same question,¡± Marcel jabbed at his cousin, Victor gave him the middle figure in response.

    Marcel let out a let sigh, ¡°I feel she knows a hint about Elijah since she¡¯s so overprotective of him. She loves the bastard and wouldn¡¯t mind dying for him,¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t know if Elijah feels the same. Has the phantom ghost been shot by cupid¡¯s arrow?¡± a slow smile passed Victor¡¯s face. He found it amusing.

    ¡°This is why you want to send her back to the Red Giant gang,¡± He eximed, ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re wicked!¡±

    A smile that was almost simr to Victor¡¯s appeared on Marcel¡¯s face, only that his was more wicked and carried a predator¡¯s glint. Arianna would have been scared out of her wits if she saw it.

    ¡°The only way we can know her worth to Elijah is by sending her to the loan sharks. Elijah woulde for her and we would be ready,¡± Victor could already see through his n.

    He breathed, ¡°I must have been a fool to think you were entranced by the girl. No matter what, your eyes are always on the prize. You deserve being the n leader,¡± Victor sincerelyplimented him.

    Marcel¡¯s head swelled with pride while his blood throbbed with the thrill of the chase. Even if Arianna stirred his blood like the fires of mountainva and gave him a hard-on that was strong enough to knock him down his feet, he was dedicated to his family aka his n.

    As he said, he killed his people in the heat of the moment for her and that would be thest. A woman would not steer him off his path.

    Arianna did not belong here and was only worth her use that had a time limit. He didn¡¯t care at all what happened when she outlived her usefulness. Perhaps, she would never lose her usefulness at all.

    As she said, Arianna loved Elijah and had strong hope he would return for her. That means she would never stop searching for him even when she would be free ¨C hopefully ¨C and he ¨C Marcel ¨C had enough patience as well.

    His guns were not yet in the market which means that bastard Elijah had it safely tucked somewhere. And until he began to y games with him by releasing his weapons to the public, Marcel would wait patiently. He would see this game to the end.

    ¡°Elijah is smart, he would know it¡¯s a trap,¡± Victor pointed out the w in his n.

    ¡°And that¡¯s the point,¡± Marcel smiled.

    Victor rubbed his brows, ¡°If he truly loves Arianna, he¡¯de. However, aside from that, you¡¯re issuing Elijah a challenge and he¡¯d be a coward by turning it down,¡±

    Marcel grinned, confirming what he thought.

    Victor shook his head, ¡°Remind me never to fall on your bad side,¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t as far as you don¡¯t betray me,¡± Marcel nonchntly said but those words brought a chill on Victor followed by a tensed silence.

    Here, ¡°betrayal¡± was a sensitive word. Betraying Marcel doesn¡¯t just mean setting him up with a rival gang, even taking the side of his other cousins ¨C descendants of Mattia ¨C was a big form of betrayal, not to talk of colliding with them to steal his ¨C Marcel¡¯s ¨C spot. Cousin or not, Marcel would kill him if that happens.

    ¡°Let the girl be today,¡± Victor finally spoke after the tensed veil of silence that fell on them, ¡°Also, you¡¯ve forgotten about my party this night, I can¡¯t let ady¡¯s howl of anguish linger on my mind and torment my soul when I should be merry,¡±

    Victor knew Arianna hated those loan sharks else she wouldn¡¯t have escaped them ¨C only tond in Marcel¡¯s web. He couldn¡¯t tell if the girl was a danger ma or just had bad luck.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel conceded. It was just a night anyway, what could change anyway?

    He went ahead to warn his cousin, ¡°Just make sure she doesn¡¯te down. I don¡¯t want her anywhere near your drunk ass,¡±

    But the mischievous glint in Victor¡¯s eyes told him he might as well have been bluffing.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a night of fun and what¡¯s the definition of fun without the women and booze!¡± He tried to convince him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already arranged the women ¨C don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that. Moreover, you said it yourself, the gang members are not happy with her staying here after what happened. She¡¯s better off staying upstairs where she¡¯s tucked safely like a good girl,¡± Marcel was firm in his decision.

    Victor arched a brow at him, ¡°Really? Good girl? We saw how thest one went with your room getting flooded and you -¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Marcel¡¯s grim expression was warning enough not to finish thatment.

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm done and we can get her drunk. Who knows what secret she spews while intoxicated?¡± Victor wriggled his brows invitingly like a siren entrancing a sailor with its melodious voice only to plunge him to his death in the deep blue sea.

    Marcel knew this was a bad idea but Victor could talk the stripes off a zebra and Arianna was enough of a headache.

    May God help him.

 Chapter 69

    69 Debauchery

    Mimi paced up and down the hallway restlessly. She didn¡¯t know what to do especially after discovering that the man she hit was no other than her teacher.

    She had shamelesslye for lessons the day after and yesterday intending to apologize for her ill behavior that day but her teacher didn¡¯t even step out. And when she asked the men around, they said he was out.

    How could he be out when they had lessons? Who does that? Mimi didn¡¯t need a prophet to know that Victor ¨C as she hase to know his name ¨C was intentionally punishing her. He was bearing grudges against her.

    But then Mimi was hot-headed as well and nned not to talk to him or even initiate an apology ¨C he deserved the punch ¨C but she would be wasting Marcel¡¯s time and energy.

    Sooner orter, Marcel would require her services, and then what would she be able to present? As much as it hurt her pride, it seemed Victor was more skilled than her else Marcel wouldn¡¯t make him her teacher.

    So as much as she hated this, here she was again, trying to get his attention ¨C and forgiveness. Unfortunately, they told her again that the bastard was not around and by now, she knew it was a lie.

    Victor doesn¡¯t want to see her. But then she wants, no, she needs to see him. It was time toy down her pride for the greater price.

    ¡°Fine, I would wait for his return in his room,¡± She said to the staff who came to ry the news of Victor¡¯s absence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry miss but his room is off-limit to ¨C ¡± The man was still saying when Mimi interrupted.

    .....

    ¡°Either you get me to his room or I would get on my phone....¡± She raised it for him to see she meant business, ¡°And inform Marcel that a certain staff is obstructing my job,¡±

    At that threat, the man¡¯s eyes grew wide confirming her thought that Marcel was greatly feared. Then why had Marcel been kind to her?

    Whatever, Mimi rolled her eyes mentally. That was not what she came here for.

    ¡°Miss....¡± the man¡¯s voice was firm yet a bit shaky this time, but it was obvious he still had reservations about her threat. Apparently, Marcel was not a man that can be essed easily.

    So Mimi stepped closer to the man till they were barely inches apart, staring him straight in the eyes with intensity. She raised her hand and the man was rattled slightly, probably thinking she wanted to hit when Mimi only buttoned the first part of his shirt that was left open.

    When Mimi was done, she tilted her head only to whisper into the man¡¯s ears, ¡°You see, Marcel and I share a very special rtionship and he would be really, really, mad to learn you denied me anything,¡± she said suggestively.

    Although nothing was going on between her and Marcel, Mimi could tell that the man was sexually active with a nce. So what¡¯s bad with iming she¡¯s one of his bitches if this would get her what she wanted. Who cares what others think?

    Mimi could sense the man¡¯s wall falling but there was still a look of doubt in his eyes.

    So she added, ¡°You can ask the others, Marcel told them not to deny me anything,¡± Well that part was true to point.

    Marcel asked them to provide her with whatever she wanted and right now she wanted Victor. What¡¯s wrong with a little misinterpretation of his words?

    ¡°Fine,¡± He said atst, ¡°Whatever happens is on you,¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes towards heaven, what¡¯s the worst that can happen?

    With him leading the way, Mimi fell behind him and they began to climb up the staircase, the marbles sparkling clean and reflecting the light.

    Mimi sighed, what she would do with so much money? This was quite unfair.

    It wasn¡¯t long before they came up the second floor and she still couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Marcel was doing with so many rooms.

    She heard that some of the workers here, especially the ones on patrol, lived here. That made her more confused, she wondered if Marcel was running a voluntary organization. He was a strange man.

    ¡°Here,¡± The man stopped at a room that bore a tag saying, ¡°To all who embrace love.¡±

    Mimi¡¯s brows raised when she read that, something was definitely wrong with her teacher.

    ¡°Whatever happens is on you,¡± the man said, ready to have her assurance that she won¡¯t implicate him in whatever suicide n she has.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡± She smirked at him.

    With a look of satisfaction, the man left her while Mimi released a deep breath. Why was he trying to make it sound like Victor was scary? The man embraces love for Christ¡¯s sake ¨C as the tag on the door says.

    ¡°Well, here we go,¡± Mimi took a deep breath once more and went in.

    She went through a small passage that led to a luxurious living room. The decoration had a masculine tone but unlike Marcel¡¯s, it was subdued a bit as the room was trying to say the owner had a soft spot inside of him.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Mimi said when she noticed there was nobody inside.

    However, she heard music ying from the other room that must be his bedroom and smiled.

    That bastard!

    She knew the staff had been lying about his absence all along and now she confirmed it with her eyes, it filled her with great anger. Does he think she has nothing to do? How could he look down on her like this?

    With pure range shimmering in her veins, Mimi threw away all thoughts of forgiveness and strode into the room that had its door open.

    ¡°You son of a fucking ¨C oh my God-!¡± Mimi would have screamed further had she not quickly cupped her mouth with her hands.

    What in the name of debauchery was this?

    Mimi hardly stepped into the room when her eyes fell on the naked form of Victor as he leaned against the walk-in closet door while ady was on her knees giving him a blow job.

    It now hit Mimi, why the man was incessant on not letting her into the room, he knew this was going on. That asshole! He could have warned her but he let her see this firsthand as punishment.

    If Mimi hasn¡¯t been annoyed, she would have been able to see their clothes sprawled on the floor on her waying into the room or the sounds of their moans beginning to drown out the sexual music that was now ying.

    On the bright side, the two lovers haven¡¯t noticed her presence and Mimi took that as her cue to leave even though her eyes lingered a bit on them. She had to admit, the scene was hot.

    Intending not to make a noise since Victor¡¯s gaze was downcast, staring at the beauty working him, Mimi took a step back ¨C and it turned out to be a mistake.

    When Mimi stepped back, she searched blindly for the knob and all that did was to push the door that closed with a click, trapping her in and as well, alerting the enemy of her presence. Wonderful.

    As she expected, Victor looked up at that sound and their eyes met. A shaky exhale left her lips when she met his dark and hungry gaze. His grey ones were like a dark abyss that wanted to devour souls.

    To her shock, it turned her on.

    Mimi was quite adventurous and had once gone to a sex club with one of her dates thatsted more than a month ¨C because he was good with his tongue. And she had to admit, watching the other parties go at it was quite exciting.

    But unlike then, this was more intense because now one of the participating parties called Victor was staring right at her while he was being pleasured. It was erotic.

    Mimi couldn¡¯t help her curious mind, so her eyes ventured down, watching his well-sculpted body. She hasn¡¯t taken time to observe Victor until today and she had to say, he was God damn sexy.

    She could run her hands all day through those hard lines of his stomach while his powerful hands squeeze...

    Gosh! Mimi was jostled back to reality as if she realized she was walking down a dangerous road.

    She looked up guiltily only for her eyes to connect with Victor and she shivered, a blush creeping up her face.

    He knew.

    Victor knew what she was thinking.

    So it was not surprising when a wicked knowing smile crossed his lips.

    He was enjoying this.

    Suddenly his breath deepened and Mimi looked down to discover that his lover was now taking him faster.

    Mimi¡¯s heart skipped a beat and her core throbbed. So when Victor came with a loud groan and released inside his partner¡¯s mouth, Mimi could have sworn her back arched off the door.

 Chapter 70

    70 He Wanted Her To Watch

    She was in big trouble, Mimi realized the minute Victor came off. The glorious look on his face with his eyes shut as he threw his head back made her core clench with need. God, she had to leave now to save her sanity.

    However, the moment she tried to find her way out was when he dropped his gaze back on her and the look in his eyes stopped her right dead.

    Victor knew her ns of escaping and the warning look in his eyes dared her not to. There was no need for words between them because she could understand that dark, predatory look in his eyes.

    He wanted her to watch.

    It was her punishment.

    And this was just the beginning.

    Mimi gulped and then leaned against the door as if trying to brace herself for the journey ahead.

    She should have left when she had the chance, Mimi realized toote. How was she going to survive this? When her core was already heating up like something was cooking there. Yeah, desire was cooking and the mes were beginning to emit.

    She watched Victor pick up his lover woman in his arms and all Mimi could think about was his strength. Such powerful muscles, what they could do to her body?

    .....

    Gosh, no! She shouldn¡¯t be thinking that. It was bad for her. Bad for her body that was heating up.

    She could take her eyes off him, you know. Mimi could revolt and ruin his ns of punishing her by not staring at them but she watched. Not only out of curiosity but excitement. And who knows, she might be able to learn one or two things and improve her sexual life, she kept giving herself excuses.

    She watched as Victor ced his lover on the bed and then crawled on top of her. He hovered over her without doing anything and for a moment there, Mimi had thought he would kiss her but nothing like that happened. Instead, Victor grabbed her hips, using them to rock him through her pants.

    ¡°Holy mother of God,¡± Mimi¡¯s eyes went wide at the sheer size of his arousal. That would rip her aside if she had that inside of her.

    Stop it! She chided herself once again.

    Fine, Mimi acknowledged the fact she decided to watch but it was only for research purposes. Since Victor wanted her to watch him have sex, she had no choice but to honor his invitation. Instead of a punishment, she could turn it into a challenge and there was no way on earth, she was backing down from one.

    He was experienced enough, she would pick up one or two things and incorporate them into her love life ¨C when she finds a new boyfriend.

    Mimi was sure she was not imagining she was his lover on his bed ¨C that she was the one he was doing those wicked things to her body. No, she was not thinking that.

    She was simply learning.

    The woman¡¯s moan brought Mimi back to reality, discovering she was rocking against his member. She released a long, steady breath trying to calm her heart that was trying to jump out of her chest.

    The bed was not far from her and as if her eyesight was perfect and suddenly magnified, Mimi could swear she saw every motion; the way his lover rode her ass over his length and then back to his dickhead where she lingered, circling it for a bit before repeating the progress without touching him.

    Her throat dried up and Mimi felt wetness between her legs. Her heart thundered, she had to endure. This can¡¯t happen now. But then, what fool ys with fire and prays not to get burnt?

    In no time, Victor had tossed the flimsy leather aka the sorry excuse of an underwear that offered little covering his lover was wearing. Its main role was to seduce obviously ¨C and it was working.

    He entered her without warning and a breathless scream escaped her throat that sent shivers down Mimi¡¯s spine. Her muscles tensed, she bet his lover must be feeling the most intense and beautiful sensation right now.

    Rapture.

    His lover¡¯s face distorted in heavenly pressure as Victor pushed further in and he was deeply sheathed inside of her. Mimi released a shaky breath, that was intense ¨C and her legs were beginning to feel like jelly.

    He began to move.

    Since Victor was on top of his lover, Mimi could see the way his firm buttocks flexed with strength as he thrust into her hard.

    He dominated her in every way and all his lover could do was to grab onto the nket as he mmed into her and moan incessantly.

    Mimi could not control herself, her panties were thoroughly soaked. She should have listened to her head when it told her to run for her life, and now she had herself to me.

    The woman¡¯s lustful moans and the sound they created when Victor mmed into her was what turned Mimi on the most. She could almost visualize that the moans were hers and Victor was the one moving harder inside of her.

    Mimi gasped, she was aroused and she could only press her thighs together trying to elicit a bit of satisfaction. Even at that, it was nothingpared to the real deal going on in front of her. Victor could stretch and fill her till she forgets herst name.

    And he knew what he was doing to her because he looked up at her with that sinful smile.

    Bastard!

    He knew he was winning.

    His lover barely cried out her orgasm when he pulled out and flipped her on her stomach, making sure she was facing her ¨C Mimi ¨C directly.

    Mimi gasped, dear God, Victor wanted to bring her down on her knees ¨C the knees that could barely hold her.

    ¡°Victor...¡± She gasped his name but didn¡¯t know what to say to him. Mimi wanted him to stop before she lost it, but the dark side of her wanted to see how far he could drive her crazy. Could he topple her over the edge?

    Victor¡¯s hand curled around his lover¡¯s throat and he pulled her up such that her back was arched and she was kneeling at the same time.

    ¡°Such a wicked sight, isn¡¯t it?¡± He finally said a word after such a long time.

 Chapter 71

    71 [Bonus chapter]I Want Her Dead

    Mimi did not say a word, staring at him through hooded eyes with her chest heaving. Her core was visually grasping for some sort of contact ¨C his contact. Yet she wouldn¡¯t tell him that, her pride wouldn¡¯t let her go that far.

    Go to hell, her gaze seems to say.

    This is hell, baby, a beautiful hell, his eyes said to her in response.

    He was ying with her.

    Then Victor drops his hands on his lover¡¯s boobs, cupping each one of them in his hands and squeezed tight causing her to moan.

    The sound vibrated through Mimi, she bit her lips. It was too much. Since they were facing her, Mimi could see everything as clear as the day, the way those hands rubbed those breasts that she wished were on hers and her nipples tightened.

    ¡°You could join us, you know,¡± Victor suggested, like the devil he was.

    She could join them, Mimi caught those words. It would be a wild ride for sure. She has never had a threesome, only watched and right now, the idea was feasible.

    But then, that would be jumping right into Victor¡¯s trap. Although she stumbled upon the scene, he was the one who orchestrated it all the way. Perhaps this was the bait he organized for her from the very beginning since this was the time they should be having their lessons and he must have had an inkling she woulde searching for him.

    .....

    Mimi¡¯s blood ran cold upon figuring everything out. This was a game to him. And just like that, the arousal she felt died down the way water douses a me.

    Mimi stepped in further into the room, pping, ¡°You are a big actor and I should give you a round of apuse for almost making me a fool,¡±

    At once, Victor sighed at being found out and he let go of his lover thoroughly as he stood up shamelessly in his naked glory.

    But his lover must have not been satisfied because sheined,

    ¡°Victor, what are you -? ¡±

    ¡°Leave now,¡± Hemanded her.

    ¡°But Victor -¡±

    ¡°Leave now!¡± He thundered so loudly that even Mimi was startled.

    With a sh of pain in her gaze, his lover reluctantly got off the bed and began to gather her things but not without giving Mimi a wicked re.

    Mimi frowned, why was she staring at her that way? If she had agreed to the request, they would be having a threesome right now. That was unfair, she thought they were partners.

    They waited till thedy finished dressing up and she strode out of the room with a loud bang of the door.

    ¡°Well, that was epic,¡± Mimi said before ncing down at his huge manhood and groaned, ¡°And you should get dressed,¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Victor smirked, ¡°The sight of it annoys because you want a taste of it,¡±

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Mimi rolled her eyes, ¡°I have many ces to get a penis,¡±

    ¡°But not one like mine,¡± He grinned at her, ¡°Two people can never be the same,¡± Victor was smug.

    ¡°God, you¡¯re so full of yourself and I¡¯m not having this conversation with you naked!¡± She insisted.

    ¡°In that case, we could do something productive then,¡± He said, backing her into the wall that she wasn¡¯t far from.

    ¡°Victor, stop it,¡± Mimi gasped when his lips moved to her skin, kissing her on the spot between her shoulder and neck.

    ¡°And if I don¡¯t want to?¡± He dared her, his hands on her hips while he kissed down her throat. Mimi moaned, the feeling was exquisite.

    Victor smiled against her skin when he saw she let down her defenses. As he thought, she was easy to get.

    His lips were deadly, that was for sure. But Mimi didn¡¯t want to be only the receiver and so her hands traveled down to grab his member and stroked his head.

    He groaned in approval.

    ¡°Yes, baby,e on, you got this,¡±

    Mimi continued to stroke him, pumping against his length and Victor relished the delicious shivers until he felt a sharp pain and his eyes shot open.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Victor screamed.

    Mimi was holding his balls too tightly and she fully intended to cause him pain.

    ¡°I told you not to touch me,¡± Mimi¡¯s voice was stern and her eyes were wild. Did he take her for a fool that just jumps into any man¡¯s dick? He had to be worth it.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry. Now let go, please,¡± He begged her. The girl was crazy.

    The truth was that Victor could easily decapitate Mimi but not when his balls aka his future generation was on the line. He was close to being down on his knees already for her sake.

    But Mimi only tightened her grip and Victor groaned ¨C it definitely wasn¡¯t in pleasure. However, she was careful not to permanently damage anything ¨C she hoped?

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky enough that I¡¯m a kind bitch because the next time you pull such a stunt on me, I¡¯ll crush you till there¡¯s nothing left.¡± And to prove her point, she tightened her grip.

    Victor groaned in agony, almost to the point of crying. This was torture in the highest degree.

    And with that, Mimi took her leave. She knew she was dead after this ¨C Victor would make her life miserable ¨C but she would worry about thatter.

    No sooner had Mimi left, Victor bound for Marcel¡¯s office.

    ¡°Who -?¡± Marcel was startled when someone barged into the meeting he was having with two other members.

    ¡°Christ Jesus! Victor!¡± He cried out when he saw his cousin was in nothing.

    But Victor didn¡¯t care as he yelled, ¡°I want her dead this instant!¡±

    Marcel was confused and so were the men with him ¨C who tried not topare the size of their dick with his.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Mimi! That...! That....!¡± Victor couldn¡¯t even find the words topare that wicked witch that almost terminated him without trying hard.

    ¡°Why should I end a useful and beautiful woman that would be a great guest at your party tonight,¡±

    At thatment, Victor¡¯s head whipped up only to see the wicked smile on Marcel¡¯s lips and he realized that this was payback time.

    Damn you.

 Chapter 72

    72 Sympathy Was A Fool¡¯s Hope

    ¡°It¡¯s been two days already,¡± Big Joe announced to Kenith who was kneeling in front of him. He knew the reason why he was summoned here today and it was because of Arianna. Nothing else.

    Perhaps if Kenith knew how taken Big Joe was with Arianna, he would have kept strict surveince and never let her escape until the wedding was concluded.

    It was a good thing for Big Joe to like Arianna because it was a big boost to his n. But then, it was also a huge problem if Big Joe loses his patience and kills him. It would be a loss of his ns and his life. Well, not that

    Kenith would stand still and watch Big Joe end him.

    Without the bastard knowing, Kenith had already conquered a third of his people and eliminated the others that were too loyal to him ¨C Big Joe ¨C enough to spill his ns.

    Big Joe didn¡¯t suspect a thing thanks to the fact he concealed it well. Kenith imed they had tried to betray him and killed them in the process of trying to stop them. Big Joe believed him as usual since he has never failed his trust, well, until now Arianna slipped through his fingers.

    He was his perfect loyal dog until Arianna ruined it by escaping. The bastard Big Joe was probably thinking of ways to rece him, not that he cared anyway. Soon, he¡¯d be the one in charge of all of this ce.

    Even at that, Kenith couldn¡¯t afford a war now. He wanted his ascension to the throne to be non-violent and blood-free and that was why Arianna had to be the scapegoat. Having war on his hands meant the destruction of resources and manpower and that can¡¯t happen. If the gang was going to remain on top, he needed as many as possible to grow it ¨C every hand must be on deck.

    It was quite sad Arianna¡¯s life would have toe to an end and he would stop it if he could. But he couldn¡¯t.

    .....

    Once Big Joe¡¯s death was framed on Arianna, his brothers ¨C fellow gang members ¨C would make to exact revenge for Big Joe by torturing and ending her life.

    If he dared to interfere in her punishment, they would begin to get suspicious of him and surmise he was an aplice, after all, he was the one who benefited the most if Big Joe was dead.

    Moreover, Cassy would not ept Arianna¡¯s survival. It was enough that she was jealous of Arianna¡¯s beauty and used him of having feelings for her which he denied countless times and calmed her doubt by making sweet love to her till she was pleased.

    But the guilt was beginning to grow nor could he admit the fact that each time they made love, all he could imagine was that she was Arianna and writhing beneath him as he drove her to the edge.

    God! When did it start?! He couldn¡¯t tell but it got worse after Arianna left and his guilt only kept increasing each time he lied straight at Cassy. He lied to the face of the woman he loved.

    Does he even still love Cassy? It was hard to tell, not when Arianna poisoned his mind. Well, what man would not be taken by Arianna? She was a wildfire that entranced the heart and soul.

    The sooner she died, the better it was for him and the male poption that might go through the same ordeal he was experiencing. Just like Helen of Troy, Arianna had to die else earth might experience a much greater disaster like World War three.

    ¡°I asked you a question!¡± Big Joe repeated, rousing him out of his reverie and Kenith realized he had been moping at him like a fool, lost in his thoughts.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± He quickly mumbled an apology, clearing his throat.

    Kenith raised his gaze, saying, ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve not gotten a trance of Arianna but I believe we would get good news soon,¡±

    ¡°Good news, huh?¡± Big Joe found it funny before he narrowed his gaze at Kenith, asking, ¡°You sound confident. What makes you so sure of yourself?¡±

    ¡°I entered an alliance with Marcelo,¡± He revealed.

    ¡°You did what?!¡± One couldn¡¯t tell whether it was shock or fury that appeared on Big Joe¡¯s face as he jumped down from hisrge exquisitely designed throne.

    ¡°Marcelo was in search of Arianna as well and Ibined resources with him to widen the scope of our inquiry. He imed that he needed Arianna for a piece of essential information and once he was done with her, he would hand her over to -¡±

    Kenith didn¡¯t even finish the rest of his statement as Big Joe shouted, ¡°You fool! ¡±

    Before Kenith could even ess the situation, Big Joe had already climbed down the stairs and kicked him straight in the thighs.

    Although Big Joe was a short man, his body was as mature as an average adult man and the pains that shot through Kenith¡¯s body made him hiss out. It hurt like hell.

    ¡°You made such important decisions without my approval?!¡± Big Joe growled at him.

    ¡°You were the one who said -!¡±

    A strike on the face stunned Kenith and he looked up in shock just as Big Joe announced, ¡°Watch the way you speak to me, Kenith! Just because you¡¯re the best of my men doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not irreceable!¡±

    It was a single warning and Kenith stood down at once. He had been so angry that he didn¡¯t realize he had raised his voice against his boss.

    His pride and reluctance to serve Big Joe anymore clouded his mind and almost ruined his ns. It was worse that his rtionship with Big Joe was already on shaky grounds and if he sensed any hint of rebellion in him, the man would surely put him down.

    Realizing his mistake, Kenith bowed his head and began to kowtow repeatedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry boss, I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you,¡± He apologized sincerely ¨C he had to if he wanted to preserve his ce.

    Big Joe didn¡¯t say a word neither did Kenith stop kowtowing until the skin there broke and his forehead began to bleed.

    In a ce like this, sympathy was a fool¡¯s hope. If Big Joe had sympathy on every single debtor that came through his door with his pity story, would his business boom?

    Nope.

    Business was business.

    ¡°Stand up,¡± Big Joe finally said after a while of watching him suffer and Kenith obeyed him.

    He stood to his feet without even wiping off the blood that trailed down his forehead down to his nose.

    He stood taller than Big Joe in this position but Kenith didn¡¯t dare let a hint of contempt or resentment appear in his gaze knowing that Big Joe was staring intensely at him and studying his reaction. Big Joe hated people looking down on him because of his height.

    ¡°You would go back to Marcelo and if he has Arianna, you bring her here.¡±

    ¡°But -¡±

    Big Joe hissed at him in a warning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it but you bring me my wife and may God help you if I find a hair on her head missing, you would have me to face,¡± He warned him.

    ¡°Yes boss,¡± Kenith simply said.

    ¡°You can leave now,¡± Big Joe dismissed him with his back turned to him.

    ¡°Thank you, boss,¡± Kenith walked out of the hall without looking in the direction of his subordinates that saw his humiliation. It was a reminder to him that if he doesn¡¯t y his cards well, one of them might take his ce before his nes to fruition.

    Kenith didn¡¯t leave immediately to Marcel¡¯s ce, rather he went to his office where Cassy was already waiting with first aid.

    So she heard.

    ¡°My God,¡± Cassy gasped when she saw the blood running down his face and ran to him.

    ¡°He might as well have killed you,¡± she whispered with a pained look in her gaze. She didn¡¯t like seeing him in pain.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt as much as it looks,¡± He tried to calm her.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cassy scolded him before leading him to the desk where she made him sit.

    Cassy wrung the water out of the cloth she came with and began to wipe the blood from his face and into the basin on his desk.

    ¡°It¡¯s Arianna¡¯s fault, isn¡¯t it?¡± She pushed the me on her.

    ¡°Big Joe only wants me to find his wife,¡± Kenith said.

    ¡°You¡¯re defending her again,¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Seriously, Cassy, how many times would we have this conversation? What would I do to assure you that I love you and no one else?¡± He asked, looking her straight in the eyes trying to convey his feelings.

    He must be a fool to think that the feelings he had for Cassy couldpare to his lust for Arianna. The redhead was suitable to fill his dick but Cassy was the woman he would make his wife.

    After a moment of tense silence, Cassy let go of the subject yet she still asked, ¡°How are you going to get her back when you don¡¯t even know if Marcel has her,¡±

    Kenith sighed, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I know I should have listened to my guts when it said not to trust.....¡± He trailed off when his phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket only to discover it was Marcel¡¯s consigliere calling.

    His heart skipped a beat immediately, Kenith hoped it was good news.

 Chapter 73

    73 We Would Be Besties

    Her back arched off the bed, a stifled moan on her lips as he used his tongue to stroke up and down her clit. Arianna¡¯s breathing deepened and she panted as he increased the pace of his tongue and just when she was close toing, he stopped.

    Frustrated and angry couldn¡¯t describe how she felt when she couldn¡¯t get off and the culprit responsible for it lifted his head from between her legs, his lips kinked to the side.

    That devil, Marcel.

    ¡°You!¡± She red at him just as Marcel hovered over her, covering and pressing down on her body with his.

    Marcel chuckled, ¡°Thought you didn¡¯t want it but here you are, craving me,¡± He smirked, beginning to kiss her neck.

    Arianna threw her head back, giving him more ess to her neck as she sighed in contentment. Marcel would be the death of her. She was still enjoying the pleasure he was giving her when the door to the room was suddenly kicked open with a bang and the both of them broke apart at once.

    Arianna screamed at the shock of being discovered being in an intimate position with Marcel by an outsider. However, that scream gurgled to a halt and gave way to bewilderment when she saw who was standing at the door unmoving.

    ¡°Elijah,¡± Arianna choked out when she saw his shocked expression. All blood drained from her face, this can¡¯t be happening.

    ¡°N-no... E-Elijah...¡± She stammered, unable to make aprehensible statement. She wanted to tell him that this was all a mistake and Marcel¡¯s n to pull them apart.

    .....

    But the fire in his blue gaze stopped her short. Elijah now loathed her, he doesn¡¯t love her anymore.

    ¡°No! You have to hear me out!¡± She finally screamed when he turned to leave.

    Arianna tried to scramble down the bed but she realized she was naked and pulled on the shit to cover herself not caring that Marcel¡¯s nakedness was revealed.

    ¡°Elijah, wait!¡± She cried while going after him just as something curled around her ankles, stopping her from making another move.

    It was something out of a horror movie, Arianna looked back to discover that Marcel¡¯s hand had stretched to an abnormal length and his unnatural hand wrapped around her ankle.

    Arianna shrieked, not only out of fear but despair, she had to catch up with Elijah before it was toote. Before he finally leaves her.

    But Marcel¡¯s weird hand curled around her ankle tighter no matter how strongly she struggled and to make it worse, his other hand elongated and wrapped around her torso.

    Perhaps if it was in a fantasy movie, this ability of his would have seemed magical. But now he was separating her from the love of her life, it all seemed creepy.

    ¡°Please!¡± She cried, begging Marcel to let her go so she could meet Elijah. But he wouldn¡¯t, if anything, Marcel began tough. He released a viinous guffaw that made the hairs on her body stand on edge.

    That was how Elijah disappeared from her life once again and she was unable to stop him. Tears filled her eyes while Marcel¡¯s evilughter became louder.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Arianna told him, bringing her hands to her ears as if to block him out. She hated him; she hated him with every fiber of her being.

    He caused her Elijah.

    Every bad thing that happened to her was because of him. He was the devil that had her tied down with no way to escape.

    ¡°Just stop it!¡± She screamed with all of her might.

    Arianna woke up with a start, a small scream at the base of her throat. Sweat beaded her forehead and judging from the dryness in her throat, she figured out she has been having a bad dream.

    ¡°Thank God it was just a dream,¡± Arianna let out a shuddering breath.

    The thought of Elijah catching her right in the act with Marcel sent goosebumps down her arm. She was crazy to have let him touch her earlier and she had indulged him without thinking about the consequences.

    But that would not happen any longer, her head was clear now. She belonged to Elijah and would not dishonor him by letting Marcel touch her.

    The next time, Marcel would have to her to get to her because the feelings wouldn¡¯t be consensual. She¡¯d see if the great Marcel would stoop so low just to get a woman.

    Getting up with a grunt, Arianna realized she was still in Marcel¡¯s room and she must have cried herself to sleep. No wonder she had such nightmares. Whenever she has an ¡°eventful¡± day, it always manifests in the form of nightmares.

    The staff did a good job at cleaning up because the room looked as good as new. It didn¡¯t even look as if she wrecked anything because the properties were reced.

    Arianna snorted derisively, if he had enough money to rece them, why did he still punish her? To show her he was the big bad alpha? Or does he just like the feel of her butt?

    Her core clenched and for a moment, Arianna was taken back to that moment Marcel had his finger inside of her.

    Damn it!

    It was these shitty thoughts that led her into this mess in the first ce. She had to erase the thoughts of any form of intimacy with Marcel out of her mind ¨C because it won¡¯t happen again.

    Dusk has fallen and the fluorescent

    bulbs shone brighter. Arianna didn¡¯t bother going through the door knowing it would be locked so she decided to have a tour of her limited space.

    Apart from the bathroom, closet and the locked balcony, Arianna was shocked to discover that there was another room. In her haste to bring Marcel¡¯s ass down here earlier, she had not seen that one.

    Call it instinct but Arianna had a feeling that this room contained Marcel¡¯s secrets ¨C or a precious piece that she could steal and hurt him the same way he hurt her.

    An evil smile moved Arianna¡¯s lips to the side and she set to work immediately. And not surprising, the door was locked. That confirmed her suspicion, something precious was being kept here.

    ¡°I would have to pick the lock,¡± Arianna thought in her head as she pulled on the knob.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you,¡± A voice suddenly said and Arianna whipped around with speed, clearly startled by that unannounced presence.

    It was a man.

    And no, it wasn¡¯t Marcel ¨C to her relief.

    He shared the same gray ones with Marcel and both must be rted, however, unlike Marcel¡¯s eyes which were always filled with savagery, this one spelt mischief. She had to be careful with this one even though he appeared all innocent and cute.

    And now Arianna thought about it, he did look familiar as if she had seen him somewhere before now.

    The memory struck her.

    Oh.

    He was the one who appeared in the room with Marcel before he spanked her ass red.

    Wonderful, he was one of them.

    ¡°It was a miracle he kept you alive after wrecking his room. But that one? He would hack you to death if you dared go in there. There¡¯s so much a man can take and that door is Marcel¡¯s limit. Don¡¯t do it, your blood would be hard to clean up afterwards,¡±

    Arianna gulped down a lump at those words that sent shivers down her spine. All she could think was Marcel killing a person in the way he just described. It seemed she had forgotten she was dealing with a Mafia Lord.

    ¡°You males have a habit of popping in unannounced,¡± Arianna hinted to the fact she didn¡¯t hear his footsteps or the door creak when he came in.

    ¡°The doors are oiled regrly and it isn¡¯t exactly hard to walk stealthily and I heard....¡± His gaze roved over her body as if essing her ability, ¡°that you¡¯re good at taking things that are not given to you. It¡¯s a good skill you got there,¡±

    ¡°Thank you?¡± Arianna was slightly dazed. This was the first time that someone was telling her that stealing was a good thing.

    He went on, ¡°If you want, I can teach you how to move undiscovered and who knows, we might became besties,¡±

    ¡°Besties?¡± Arianna fought the urge to roll her eyes. Who was he kidding by giving her false hope when she clearly knew they would be shipping her away soon.

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± she rejected him, tly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can go over the offer and where is my damn manners,¡± He straightened up with a charming smile, ¡°I¡¯m Victor, cousin, and consigliere to the asshole who has not been treating you the way ady should be treated,¡±

    Arianna narrowed her gaze at Victor, she thinks she¡¯s going to like this one. How sweet it would have been if he was the crime lord, he seemed much reasonable to talk to. Who knows, with a deal or two, he would have given her the freedom she wanted.

    ¡°I¡¯m Arianna,¡± She moved to him and stretched out her hand which he took. But instead of a handshake, he instead ced a kiss on the top of her palm.

    ¡°The pleasure is mine,¡± He smiled at her through lowered brows.

    Arianna retracted her hand immediately, this one was ady¡¯s man.

    Crossing her arms across her chest to hide her breast that was missing a bra, she asked, ¡°What are you doing here? It doesn¡¯t seem like Marcel sent you here so you must be here for something. So tell me, Victor, what do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°Ady with a keen eye as well,¡± Victor mused, ¡°Now I see why Marcel¡¯s taken with you,¡±

    Taken by her? Arianna really wanted to smack that asshole on the head. Does he think this was a joke? Marcel hated her. Yet wanted her body.

    ¡°If you¡¯re here for jokes, then you should know that I¡¯m not -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m inviting you to my party downstairs tonight,¡±

    There was a short silence after Victor released the news. He was hosting a party and wanted her toe? Why? It seemed fishy.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Arianna rejected the offer without a second thought. She¡¯d be a fool to fall into another of Marcel¡¯s traps.

    Victor¡¯s face fell at once, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to,¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be the reason, mydy. Why won¡¯t youe to my party?¡± he was relentless in his pursuit for an answer.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know you nor am I interested!¡± Arianna snapped at him, irritated by his persistence. She intended to climb into bed and lift the sheet over her head when he announced,

    ¡°Marcel would be attending,¡±

 Chapter 74

    74 He Would Kill Victor Tonight

    Mimi didn¡¯t make it to the party. Apparently, the girl¡¯s temper was worse than Arianna¡¯s, or perhaps, they were the same, just with different devices. While Arianna would wreck his room while angry, Mimi almost crushed his cousin¡¯s balls.

    A smile crossed Marcel¡¯s lips at the thought of Victor¡¯s balls being crushed. Someone finally did what he¡¯s wanted to do for years ¨C beat some sense into his cousin. Marcel bet his aunt and Mimi would get along fine.

    A look around the house and it was hard to believe that this was his foyer. Victor had turned everything into a club starting from the neon lights to the uncountable women of different shapes and sizes to the music sting from the speakers and the keys of alcohol being dragged into the hall by some of his men.

    The noise made Marcel¡¯s head throb and he rubbed the area with a wince. He had not gotten the chance to get a proper sleep since yesterday he saved Arianna from getting killed.

    At first, it had been cleaning up the mess he made, and then Arianna added to his list plus Victor¡¯s dramas. Well, he couldn¡¯t sleep in his room anyway, not while she was still there.

    Not when her presence drives him into doing stupid things. Her presence was like a poison he couldn¡¯t get out of his system even when it was clear she was killing him. She was sweet poison to him.

    When was the first time he had such strong feelings like this one? That was the time when his mother adopted Chloe as his sister. When his mother had put the little girl into his arms saying, ¡°Marcel, she¡¯s yours,¡±

    He had been scared at first. What was he doing with that sweet little thing and he was older than her ¨C he had been fine without her all this while. But when her little hand fisted around his thumb and she cooed at him, Marcel knew he was a lost cause. He would do everything to protect his baby sister.

    That same emotion was stirring inside of him now. Marcel felt the urge to protect Arianna and he doesn¡¯t know why. Plus his idea of ¡°Protecting¡± was kind of misleading.

    .....

    ¡°Jesus! Just get her out of your mind!¡± He scolded himself when he wouldn¡¯t stop thinking about her.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t wait for tomorrow toe when he would finally get Arianna out of his house, sight, and mind. He would be fine for sure by then. For now, he would have to survive this torturous night. He has seen worse things, what more could pop up tonight?

    His gaze roved around for Arianna yet he couldn¡¯t find her. She was the only reason he was in Victor¡¯s crazy party in the first ce to supervise and make sure she doesn¡¯t do anything stupid ¨C and to prevent any of his men from touching a hair on her head.

    But there was no sight of her even when he got info an hour ago that she had left the room with Victor by her side. She was supposed to be in this hall already. Or maybe she escaped.

    Marcel panicked a bit when that thought came into his head but he managed to calm himself down. Victor wouldn¡¯t betray him by letting Arianna escape, not unless he wanted to sign his death certificate.

    Moreover, there was no reason for him to do that ¨C not unless she charmed his cousin with her pretty eyes and that pouty lips he imagined more than a few times wrapped around his dick.

    No, that can¡¯t be. Marcel had to tell himself he was making a big deal out of nothing. Victor might like anything that walks around in a skirt but he would never let a woman influence his decision. In fact, his cousin has never loved a woman ¨C and would never ¨C he bet.

    No woman in this world can tolerate Victor¡¯s hedonistic lifestyle nor does he believe in love. Love was a carefully constructed utopia that didn¡¯t exist and people tried to live up to its standard crafted by men.

    Marcel believed in his instincts and the ability to take care of the woman that would be his one day. Love was for cowards and babies. Real men knew what they wanted without the influence of stupid emotions and they went for it.

    There was no way Arianna would escape here without any of his people noticing. He was already trying to put up a watch for her when a hand came to wrap around him from behind.

    ¡°Hello Marcel,¡± A sultry voice whispered into his ears.

    He didn¡¯t even need to guess, Marcel already knew it was one of his acquaintances in bed. He knew of the risk of bumping into one of them here which was why he was against attending the party in the first ce. But then, here he was.

    ¡°Hello to you as well,¡± He said, having forgotten what her name was nor did he care to ask.

    ¡°You look more handsome than thest time we met,¡± She said,ing in front of him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Marcel said ndly, which was a notice for dismissal since his gaze searched searching for Arianna once again.

    But the girl must not have gotten the point because her hand rested on his chest and Marcel¡¯s eyes followed that gesture only to look up and see that she was biting on her lips.

    ¡°We could hang around once again,¡± She tried to be sexy, he scoffed inwardly.

    While she was trying hard to be seductive, Arianna didn¡¯t even need to try hard and he was already on his knees for her.

    Marcel was just about to pull her away when he noticed a suddenmotion, and it happened that the strippers had already taken their positions on stage.

    However, what made Marcel so shocked that his jaw dropped to the ground was the fact that standing in the middle of the dancers was Arianna d in May God fucking help him if he doesn¡¯t kill Victor tonight.

 Chapter 75

    75 You Don¡¯t Owe Me

    ¡°This is a bad idea,¡± Arianna muttered to herself when she found herself on stage.

    It had seemed easy when Victor nted this crazy idea in her head ¨C having vengeance on Marcel in a harmless way ¨C but now she was staring at the crowd that had all eyes on her, the confidence she mustered for the past hour faded instantly.

    Victor got her the instant he announced Marcel would be attending this party for her sake ¨C to keep an eye on her, mind you. He then deepened his bait, saying it was an opportunity to piss him off royally without getting a bullet lodged in between her head.

    Dancing with the strippers.

    Well, letting go, that was what Victor had called it. He went through her background and found out she had a thing for dancing. Marcel would be fucking mad when he sees her with the strippers and that was when Arianna knew she wanted to make hurt him.

    She wanted him to bleed just the way her heart was bleeding at the loss of her freedom ¨C and Elijah.

    Victor saw through her anger and used her, not that she cared. It might be with the wrong crowd but Arianna needed to unwind as well.

    It has been one crazy event after the other since she came here, Arianna needed a break and if her idea of fun would hurt Marcel even a scratch, then so be it.

    Why was Victor helping her? Her self acimed male bestie said it was fun and he was paying back Marcel as well ¨C by using her.

    .....

    Not that she cared anyway, the both of them were benefiting from the deal. She would have the chance to de-stress and Victor would enjoy the fun he imed it would create.

    And that led to her wearing this cool little lingerie she wouldn¡¯t have dared to own until now. The lingerie was a flouncy, pleated metallic silverm¨¦ bra with adjustable straps. It was paired with matching shorts that barely covered her ass cheeks.

    It showed quite a cleavage as well and she wore knee-length stockings like the rest of the other dancers. Arianna looked hot and sexy as hell.

    It had taken them an hour to go over the dance routine and Arianna had a great time with the girls who didn¡¯tin even after the whole routine was changed to fit her needs.

    Arianna wished there were parties like this every day so she could spend time with them. They made her miss her friend Mimi who would have helped her figure this out if she were here.

    But as much as she missed her best friend, Arianna would never pull her into this mess. Mimi was better off without her if that would keep her away from harm¡¯s way. Marcel could make her do many things against her wishes if he had Mimi ¨C because she would catch a grenade for her friend.

    If only Arianna knew that the friend she was desperately trying to protect was already a big yer in Marcel¡¯s court. Sigh.

    The nervousness didn¡¯t lessen even when they took their position on stage, waiting for the song to begin. Arianna has this horrible thought that she would mess the dance up and fail miserably. And knowing that Marcel was out there somewhere watching her made it hard to concentrate, butterflies in her belly.

    But then, somehow, her gaze traveled across the crowd that now had their attention trained on them, and her gaze connected with his.

    Arianna let out a sharp breath when she saw the way Marcel was staring at her, it was intense ¨C as if he wanted to rip her apart. Was he angry or horny? She couldn¡¯t exactly tell with the way he was devouring her with his stare.

    However, Arianna¡¯s eyes suddenly rested on a woman that had her hand on his chest and a strange iciness washed over her.

    Arianna finally realized why she had been nervous the whole time, it was because she had been wondering what Marcel would think of this? All of this? Would he even think she was sexy? A dark voice reasoned inside of her.

    She pushed away that dark thought and med it on the fact that women wanted to be beautiful and loved it when menplimented them. She loved the attention, Arianna made excuses with that.

    Unfortunately, the man who she wanted his approval was with another woman that was now caressing his chest and trying to pull his attention from her.

    Arianna shook her head in disbelief, she must have been stupid to be concerned over what he thought about her.

    She finally remembered why she agreed to this in the first ce and it was to piss him off.

    From now on, she would dance, not to impress him but because she liked it and would get every man in this room bowing to her. She would enjoy this dance because it was her body and her life, she chose what to do with it.

    So when the dance began, Arianna took her eyes off him and became a different person ¨C the other side that he hasn¡¯t gotten to know yet. The other side of her was wild, untamed, and powerful.

    When the song ¡°You don¡¯t know me,¡± by Grace began to st from the speakers, they began to sway their hips sexily.

    The stage was lit up by a blue glow that gave the dancers an ethereal feel and Arianna stood out the most because her pale skin and red hair seemed fiery under the glow.

    As the lyrics sang out,

    [You don¡¯t own me

    Don¡¯t try to change me in any way

    You don¡¯t own me

    Don¡¯t tie me down ¡¯cause I¡¯d never stay]

    Arianna grew bolder as sheunched herself on the pole and began to swing from side to side. It was obvious that she chose this song to make a statement to a certain someone.

    From her search, this song was originally recorded by Lesley Gore in 1964 and was about women being in control of their own actions, bodies, and lives. Itpletely told her situation and so she absorbed herself in it.

    After her synchronized swing with the other dancers, they continued with their routine while Arianna began to climb higher and higher up the pole, and just as the chorus, which was a high crescendo hit, Arianna made a death ¨C drop that drew astonished gasps from her audience.

    It was astonishing.

    No one made a sound entranced by the dancing queen as the song went on,

    [So just let me be myself

    That¡¯s all I ask of you

    I¡¯m young and I love to be young

    I¡¯m free and I love to be free

    To live my life the way I want

    To say and do whatever I please]

 Chapter 76

    76 Call Dibs On Her

    Music Rmendation- You Don¡¯t Own Me by grace ¨C no rap extended version.

    Marcel would have stopped her.

    If he had any faintest idea she could wreck this kind of havoc with just her body, he would have figured out Victor¡¯s n in the first ce and stopped them.

    She was like a wildfire that couldn¡¯t be tamed and would spread till everything in its path was destroyed.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Arianna. He was like a man bewitched by a witch even when the femalepany by his side did everything possible to get his focus back on her.

    He gave her just one nce and she scurried away like a fox with its tail on fire. Sometimes he didn¡¯t need words to portray his intention and thedy had seen enough of the threat in his eyes. Fortunately, she understood her body¡¯s instinct for flight and escaped while she still had the time.

    As soon as she was gone, Marcel¡¯s grave look went back to Arianna who was now dancing on the stage without a care ¨C for him. His blood pulsed with anger and he couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of her dressing or the fact every other male was staring at what was supposed to be his.

    His? Marcel snorted at that useless thought again. Everything will be over,e tomorrow.

    But his eyes couldn¡¯t stray away from her body, following every one of her movements; the sensual move of her hips, and every twist and whine she made.

    .....

    It made his groin swell especially with the little clothing she was wearing and he had no doubt that every male in this room had the same thought. And that made him angry, very, very, angry.

    He was the one who first called dibs on Arianna, no one else! They had to know that! Yet Marcel couldn¡¯t take a step forward knowing that would be the end of him. He would lose his head over her and he had to prove to his people he was in control. Arianna was not the one holding the reins here. It was him!

    And then she made that drop ¨C and his heart almost dropped with her. For a moment there, Marcel imagined a scenario where her hand slips off the metal, and she falls to her ass or braces her body with her hands only for the bones there to crack under the impact.

    He winced at the imaginary sound of her bones cracking and his body jerked forward, as if heading to the stage to catch her from falling. But before he could even take a step, Arianna made a perfect drop and he released a breath he didn¡¯t even know he had been holding. She would be the death of him

    The rhythm pulsed with heavy bass that he could feel to his bones and Marcel knew she intentionally chose that song. She was sending a message to him. Sadly, she wanted the one thing he couldn¡¯t give her.

    He might not have noticed at first but it was clear to him now that Arianna¡¯s Fate was sealed the moment they met. There was no changing it.

    Marcel felt a sudden weight on his shoulder and he turned to see that it was Victor that was resting his arm on him while he held a drink in his other grasp.

    Victor whistled and turned to meet his gaze, ¡°She¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    Marcel growled at him, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you after this,¡±

    ¡°Ohe on, we both know you¡¯re not going to do that. Moreover, you wouldn¡¯t have been treated to such an amazing sight if I hadn¡¯t orchestrated this. You should be thanking me, you know,¡± He grinned at his dear cousin before taking a sip of his drink from the stic cup.

    Marcel grumbled low in his throat, unable toe to terms with Victor¡¯s logic yet unable to refute his im either. He hated this cousin of his.

    ¡°Now I see why you are desperate to do her,¡± Victor gestured to Arianna that was now climbing down the stage gingerly, literally on all fours, with a sensuous gait that could even put Catwoman to shame. And all she did while still following the rhythm of the song.

    Marcel gulp, that was the sexiest thing a woman has ever done for him. Not that he has not seen other women pull off that move but she was just special. Everything she did was special. He wanted to own her.

    ¡°She¡¯s dripping hot,¡± Victor confirmed for him and something like a growl escaped from Marcel¡¯s throat when he saw the way his men crowded her.

    ¡°You said they hated her,¡± Marcel said with a not so pleased tone when he saw the way his men circled her and she seemed to delight in the attention.

    ¡°Guess they changed their mind,¡± Victor gave him a knowing smirk, and that pissed Marcel more.

    Victor knew this would happen and to think that Arianna was in cahoots with him. If he had known that his cousin and Arianna would make such a great team, he would have never given them both a chance to bond.

    Strange enough, his men circling Arianna like prey didn¡¯t ruin the dance, if anything it seemed like it was all part of the routine. Like a showstopper scene in a movie musical where the main cast is ying cat-and-mouse chase with her lovers.

    Except that Marcel didn¡¯t exactly like the part where one of the men put his face in between her neck and probably kissed her there while another wrapped his arm around her waist. But she shrugged them off and continued with her dance in the limited circle they created.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Victor said, calling back his attention, ¡°at this point, you might bore a hole in someone¡¯s head,¡± He mused.

    Marcel realized at that moment that his nails were digging into his palms so deeply he was close to drawing blood. Yet he couldn¡¯t rx, she was driving him crazy.

    He turned to Victor, ¡°You stop that music now!¡± Hemanded, running his hands through his hair. Marcel was close to running crazy.

    ¡°Am I crazy, this is my party. Don¡¯t forget you permitted me to do whatever I wanted. And damn...¡± Victor whispered so loudly that Marcel didn¡¯t need to guess that Arianna had performed another move that would warrant him prancing through and get her off that stage.

    He met Victor¡¯s amused gaze as he said,¡± If you¡¯re not doing her dear cousin, I¡¯ll help you with that,¡±

    Then Marcel turned around in time to see Arianna slip a scarf off the neck of one of the men while she pushed another back down to the seat with her stiletto heels that was now ced on the edge of the seat before she used the scarf to tie around the man¡¯s neck pulling him up to his feet and closer to her body while lip-syncing to the music.

    [ You don¡¯t own me]

 Chapter 77

    77 She Let Go Of The Pole And Jumped

    Arianna had never felt in control than now. She felt free and powerful like she was on top of the world especially with the way all of the men in here wanted a piece of her.

    She was the queen now and just as Arianna wanted, she sessfully brought everyone to their knees even though her body hurt like hell from that drop she made. But the adrenaline kept her going and the testosterone that saturated the room was so thick she might as well choke on it.

    But she didn¡¯t care, that was what she wanted anyway. And the DJ understood the ambiance as well because he reyed the music even when it was due to end. The crowd was high because of her and no one wanted the fun to end anytime soon.

    Arianna knew Marcel was watching and didn¡¯t give a care. This song was dedicated to him anyway, so he should watch and listen well.

    Although Arianna knew this wouldn¡¯t change his mind or the ns he has for her, she wanted him to know that she doesn¡¯t belong to him. She was her own person and may God help her if she dares find an opportunity of leaving here, she would escape without looking back. May God help her, indeed.

    So when she met his gaze over the shoulder of the man she was currently gyrating her hips against, Arianna smirked devilishly at him. She passed a message to Marcel, other men wanted her so he shouldn¡¯t treat her like shit. She deserved to be treated like ady.

    Unfortunately, if Arianna knew that act only woke the primal beast inside of Marcel she wouldn¡¯t have attempted that in the first ce.

    ¡°I would kill you,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Victor was surprised at his tone.

    .....

    Marcel turned to him with a fierce gaze, ¡°I would kill you if you dare try to do shit or even think shit about her!¡± He growled threateningly.

    ¡°Easy there, big boy,¡± Victor raised his hand in surrender, a humorous glint in his eyes, ¡°Finder¡¯s keeper, remember?¡±

    Victor was only fooling around with him, Marcel struggled to remember that because he was almost tempted to beat his cousin into a pulp when he made that statement about f*cking Arianna.

    He was the one who found Arianna first and he would be the one to decide who she sleeps with ¨C like heck, that is happening. Not now, not in a thousand years.

    ¡°She¡¯s not my type anyway,¡± Victor defended himself,¡±Arianna looks like the type that would rain fire on earth and you¡¯re more suited to douse out the me. Go on, big brother alpha, go im what¡¯s yours before those low ranking wolves get a nip,¡± he encouraged his cousin.

    What¡¯s his? Marcel felt the word ring in his head. Arianna belongs to him? Of course, she does.

    A wicked smile graced Marcel¡¯s lips as he pushed aside the first man in his path. The others upon getting the hint made an opening for Marcel the way the Red Sea was parted.

    Arianna was busy dancing and going from limb to limb when she sensed a suddenmotion and out of nowhere, Marcel appeared in front.

    At once her throat dried up and her lipsynching trailed off, almost like she went off-key.

    Marcel smirked at her, a predator¡¯s prayer before he pounced on its prey.

    Oh no.

    Even though the lyrics belted out loudly from the speakers, Arianna did no longer feel as powerful as earlier. The fight was no longer in her favor and it was time to back down. Also, she had danced enough already, it was time to call it a night.

    However, even when she climbed up the stage, Marcel gave chase as if he knew what was on her mind. The other dancers must have noticed the tension as well because their routine was no longer as perfect as before.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to end it,¡± Arianna wanted to announce but before she could say a word, Marcel¡¯s hands that felt like Iron had mped around her waist and pulled her to him.

    ¡°Dance for me,¡± He whispered into her ears.

    It was an order.

    Arianna slipped out of his grip but did not attempt to escape knowing he would have her back here in no time.

    ¡°Catch me then,¡± She said to him.

    Marcel grinned, shing his white teeth in the process. He loved this cat and mouse games.

    As soon as he reached for her, her movements proved quick and effective as she easily dodged him once more.

    Arianna chuckled, this seemed more fun than she thought.

    Now holding the pole, she circled it with a prowling gait without breaking eye contact with Marcel who was tangled in the intimate yful chase with her.

    Then she lifted herself up just as Marcel came to stand in front of her and Arianna wrapped her legs around his hips, her silver stiletto heels digging into his back. He didn¡¯t mind the pain one bit, his attention fixed entirely on the woman in front of him.

    Arianna forget how to breathe as Marcel stared deep into her eyes, feeling his pelvis against her as she rocked against him. The move was sensual and her lips couldn¡¯t help but part at his darkened gaze. She could feel his hard-on through his pants and Arianna had this naughty thought of rocking him till he was spent.

    But the crowd was watching.

    So she released her legs and pushed him away with her stiletto heel pressed firmly to his stomach. Marcel stumbled back in a daze and wanted to return so they could finish what she started but Arianna had already begun to perform the most intricate moves on the pole.

    She was amazing and for a moment, Marcel was very proud of this woman. Yeah, she was outstanding, he¡¯d give her that.

    So bewitched was Marcel by that scene that he didn¡¯t give much thought to Arianna climbing further up the pole. He thought she was about to perform another of her astonishing death-drop again.

    But just as the music neared its end, Arianna let go of the pole and jumped.

 Chapter 78

    78 Offered To Be Her Punching Bag

    His heart pounded in his chest so hard it seemed it would jump out pretty soon. When Marcel saw Arianna leap in the air, he didn¡¯t even think twice, his body just reacted on its own and he caught her safely in his arms.

    The crazy idea hade to Arianna while she climbed, what would it feel like to be weightless for one moment? Would he catch her or would he let her fall?

    ¡°You caught me,¡± Arianna whispered when she saw herself in Marcel¡¯s arms with him staring down at her with aplicated gaze.

    It proved her theory, she has a hold on Marcel.

    Marcel felt an uncountable number of emotions go through him; he wanted to yell at Arianna for making such a reckless move; at the same time he was so concerned about her, he thought of checking her body for injuries; he was relived she was okay. There were just so many emotions!

    ¡°I knew it, you¡¯re not as heartless as I thought,¡± She chuckled, rubbing her victory right at his face.

    And that did it.

    Marcel let go of her and Ariannanded right on her ass elicitingughter from the audience.

    However, unlike his men that wereughing seriously, Marcel¡¯s gaze was steel and cold. She just used him. He had been worried sick for nothing. Nor did it sit well with him that she just called him weak.

    .....

    He was not weak! Neither would a woman make him weak! And definitely not Arianna.

    So without speaking another word to her, Marcel left. He needed to be away from her and space to think ¨C to think of his next actions.

    Arianna was filled with anger and humiliation, how dare he treat him this way in front of his people? The crowd that should be cheering for her after that amazing performance was nowughing at her, all thanks to Marcel.

    That good for nothing, arrogant, piece of scumbag upying earth¡¯s oxygen for nothing! Arianna cursed in her mind.

    What she would do to him when she gets her hands on him, Arianna could only torture him in her imagination. She would onlyy a hand on Marcel when she¡¯s ready to die. For now, her life¡¯s important ¨C she¡¯s hoping for Elijah toe and save her.

    ¡°Come on,¡± One of the dancers was the one who helped her to her feet.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna was grateful for the help.

    It was while she was standing up that she heard someone p and raised her head to see it was Victor.

    At once, the other men realizing this was what they should have been doing instead ofughing at her fall released a round of deafening apuse.

    ¡°Such hypocrites,¡± Arianna snorted at the sudden attention they were giving her, however, she still smiled genuinely at Victor.

    Such a fine young man, life here would have been much better if Marcel was a little like him.

    The crowd was still pping even when Arianna left. The other dancersplimented her for the wonderful performance and her swift thinking and she thanked them in return for amodating her.

    It has been a long time since she got the opportunity to rx like this and to perform her dancing in front of the audience, it was exhrating.

    Arianna was a natural at dancing and once belonged to a dance crew, however, responsibilities, time, and financial constraints couldn¡¯t let her continue. So she kicked that dream of being a professional dancer goodbye. There were bills to pay, a crazy family to survive and now, the Mafia to escape from. Her life couldn¡¯t get any moreplicated.

    Unlike Arianna, the other dancers still had performances so she was the only one to leave and all she wanted right now was to get a rest.

    Her body ached all over, not to mention her butt ¨C big fat thanks to Marcel. It all seemed easy but pole dancing required lots of upper body strength. It involves body coordination because one don¡¯t just use one part of their body but several. So here she was with her body screaming in pain considering the fact she hadn¡¯t done this in a long time.

    Arianna hit the part of her shoulder and arm where it hurt the most. She needed a message. But where in this hell hole would she find someone respectable enough to give her one. It would have been much easier if Mimi was here.

    Kneading her shoulder and buttocks, Arianna had just entered the living room only for a scream to leave her lips because sitting on the sofa with his head lowered was Marcel.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Arianna cried out, her hands on her chest. What did she do to Marcel to have him hate her like this?

    First, it was touching her without her permission, then dropping her on the ground and now he¡¯s moved to scaring the beJesus out of her. She might die from a heart attack before Elijahes to rescue her.

    Marcel finally nced up and Arianna frowned at how worn out he looked. He was tired?

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±

    Her brows frowned, he didn¡¯t hear here in? Wasn¡¯t he good at that stealth thing? Why was he distracted?

    Well, none of her business. He disgraced her enough already.

    For once, Arianna decided not to be a good Samaritan and lifted her head straight, prepared to go into his room aka the prison he made for her only for ament to stop her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna thought she must have heard wrong because she turned around to meet his gaze.

    This time, Marcel stood up from the couch to apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dropping you earlier on the stage and I¡¯m sorry for the way that I have treated you since your stay here. I treated you like an asshole and I deserve every punch thates my way because if you want to punish me, now¡¯s your chance,¡± He willingly offered to be her punching bag.

    At once Arianna¡¯s eyes lit up, Christmas must havee early.

    And she did hit him.

 Chapter 79

    79 Escaping With Him

    Marcel was beginning to buck under the stress and it was all emotional. There was just so much going on in his head right now; he had yet to find his guns; there was his sister to rescue from his father; the gang to keep in check; and of course, yours lovely Arianna driving him crazy.

    So even when he went outside to get air into his head, it didn¡¯t help at all. There were so many distractions such as some of his members greeting him and the others that did not acknowledge his presence were busy making out and doing the deed in spots that weren¡¯t as isted as they thought.

    Marcel had not felt as emotionally detached as tonight and he needed to be alone. So he went back to his room knowing that Arianna would be busy with the dancers downstairs. For now, he just needed to collect his thoughts.

    Marcel had his head in his hands and was lost in his thoughts when a scream reached his ears. He recognized that voice as Arianna¡¯s and sighed, why was she back so soon? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be having fun with Victor?

    He lifted his head, ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply yet Marcel could see the confusion in her gaze. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t pity he saw in there because he hated that.

    Instead, Arianna lifted her head high and was about to leave him. The thought of her leaving him all alone scared him for a sec and he just spat out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She didn¡¯t believe it.

    Wonderful Marcel, what have you done?

    .....

    Even at that, Marcel thought he could try a different approach. Honestly, he was tired of fighting with her. He just needed a moment of internal peace tonight.

    So he apologized properly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dropping you earlier on the stage and I¡¯m sorry for the way that I have treated you since your stay here. I treated you like an asshole and I deserve every punch thates my way because if you want to punish me, now¡¯s your chance,¡±

    Marcel knew how much she loathed him; he saw it in her eyes. The fierce need to hurt him was always there and perhaps, it was the need for vengeance that kept her going.

    And this was him making penance for all he did to her ¨C she get a chance to hit him to her satisfaction.

    And she did it.

    Marcel let out an ¡°Oof¡± sound when her small fist connected with his stomach yet it knocked the breath out of him.

    ¡°Christ Jesus! Did you go for boxing sses?¡± Heined because it hurt.

    ¡°No, but this is my umted grievance speaking!¡± Arianna said, her chest heaving. She had put all of her strength into that punch?

    Why wouldn¡¯t she when the heavens just answered her prayers and she got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hit Marcel?

    What if it turned out that Marcel was merely joking with her and she just hit her? A voice reasoned in her head.

    No, Marcel¡¯s words carry a lot of weight around here nor was he jovial. If there was anyone that could do such a thing, Arianna would dly point out Victor. He was more of the trickster here.

    She gave him a second punch saying, ¡°That¡¯s for spanking me on the ass. You don¡¯t get to do that, you¡¯re not my papa,¡±

    ¡°Duly noted,¡± Marcel acknowledged, trying to catch his breath from the second blow he suffered. This woman should be a heavyweight champion, what was she doing here?

    Arianna drew her hand back, prepared to throw the third and final punch.

    ¡°This one is for dropping me,¡± Arianna choose to punch him in the face this time but before her small fist could even touch the skin there, Marcel caught her fist.

    She nced up to see a ring intensity there, he growled warningly, ¡°Not the face,¡±

    He let go of her hand and Arianna let it fall to her side limply. She had seen the ferocity in his eyes as if shemitted a great crime when she tried to hit him there. Why was he so protective of his face? It seemed he treasured it over every part of his body? And there had to be a reason why.

    Arianna didn¡¯t bother to continue with thest punch considering the tensed silence that fell over them after he stopped her from aiming for his face. So she headed for her room.

    But at the door, Arianna watched out of the corner of her eyes and noticed the way he plopped down on the sofa. Marcel wasn¡¯t just exhausted physically, he was tired mentally as well.

    Arianna frowned, what happened? Was she the one who made him this way? But he admitted that everything was his fault and even made up for it by letting her hit him. However, Arianna had to admit, she did make things hard for him as well.

    She groaned, mentally banging her head against the wall. Arianna hated this. She hated to feel guilty. And she was going to regret this.

    Without a second thought, Arianna turned around and went over to where Marcel was seated, staring into nothing.

    She took his hand and tugged at it, rousing him from wherever his mind had traveled.

    ¡°What?¡± He murmured groggily, ¡°You still want to hit me?¡±

    Arianna rolled her eyes towards heaven, ¡°Oh please, I¡¯m not a gangster. Now up on your feet,¡± She helped him stand.

    ¡°What now?¡± Marcel was slightly dazed and still thought she was out for revenge.

    ¡°We run,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel blinked at her statement.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why should we run? Is there trouble -¡±

    ¡°God! You ask too many questions!¡± Arianna sighed exasperatedly and pulled him along as she broke into a sprint.

    Marcel being shocked was an understatement. He thought Arianna was about to put him through another of her revenge n but right now, they had run out of the room, down the stairs and she was leading him past the party ground and outside.

    Huh, was she escaping with him?

 Chapter 80

    80 She Tricked Him

    She was not running away with him, Marcel discovered ¨C to his disappointment. He couldn¡¯t understand himself these days, no, to be precise, ever since Arianna came into his life.

    It was stupid to think that Arianna would run off with him in the first ce. There was no way on earth he would leave the Luciano n for a few hours or days of pleasure with her, however, the thought still ttered him. Sadly, Arianna would never escape with him.

    Arianna just wanted him to take a breather. They were not fleeing to some utopia or whatever. Even if she were, she would never consider him, it was Elijah for her. Marcel was even surprised she was being this gracious to him after what he did to her ¨C and would do.

    Her idea of running was hrious yet it helped. The cool night breeze stinging his face as he ran made his head clearer and he had to concentrate on his breathing so it didn¡¯t give him the time to think about other things like his problems. It was a good distraction.

    At first, Marcel had fallen in line beside Arianna, matching her pace even though he was much faster. But he felt a surge of excitement and wanted to drive himself to the edge, plus the fact he was tactically testing Arianna¡¯s stamina.

    So he went ahead of her, running with all of his might knowing he would tire out easily. But that was what Marcel wanted, the burnout. The point where there is nothing inside of him, just emptiness.

    His mansion was a sprawling estate so Marcel didn¡¯t have to worry about space and pushed himself harder.

    If anything, this run allowed Arianna to tour around the premises; she had been held hostage for the past two days.

    She had not been to the outside, just confined in Marcel¡¯s little room and she came to discover that Marcel¡¯s house was not the only building here but it was the biggest and grandest so far. There were few others, mostly carriage houses and she didn¡¯t need to guess what was being done or who lived there.

    .....

    However, if there¡¯s anything Arianna discovered from the run, it was that escaping here would need thoroughly thought nning and aplice. She can¡¯t do this alone; she needed someone from the inside who knew how to get in and out easily.

    Arianna returned to the present when she found that Marcel had run so far ahead, his view became indistinct.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± She cursed out.

    She brought him out here to get some air, not for him to subject her to this kind of torture. She wasn¡¯t out of shape for crying out loud.

    But then, a sudden thought came into her head, since Marcel was far away, why don¡¯t she snoop around? More like, escape?

    Arianna gulped, this was a good idea that would lead to her death. Sooner orter, Marcel would discover that she wasn¡¯t with him and would hunt her down.

    But there was no prize without a risk. As much as there were a lot of guards, most of them were dead ass drunk from the party while the rest were you know, doing it with their dates ¨C and they weren¡¯t even secretive about that.

    Arianna heard moansing from a corner when she and Marcel were running past there earlier. Even at that, the men now liked her, stunned by her performance tonight. Moreover, she was still in her costume, who would think she wanted to escape?

    With her heart pounding, Arianna knew her freedom was worth the risk. She had to take it.

    The night was cold and with the speed he ran at, the breeze tossed his hair. Marcel heaved and wheezed as he ran further until he came to a sudden halt as if he remembered something.

    Marcel turned around sharply and noticed the stillness in the air. He was far away from his mansion hence the music from the party couldn¡¯t be heard. But what annoyed Marcel the most was that he couldn¡¯t catch a sign of Arianna.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± She tricked him!

    Marcel turned around, running back with great speed. Arianna was trying to escape and it was all his fault.

    Heid his guard down and she took advantage of it. The first time he showed her his vulnerable side, she manipted it to her advantage.

    Marcelughed coldly, Arianna needed to be apuded. She was a great actress and maniptor. Funny enough, he was the one crowned with the title of a maniptor. The great maniptor Marcel fell victim to the novice maniptor, Arianna. Victor would be thrilled to hear this.

    His lungs burned but Marcel didn¡¯t slow down one bit, all that filled his head was the thought of Arianna vanishing and never to be seen again. It frightened him.

    Security wasx today thanks to Victor¡¯s party and Arianna must know that since she was the one who drove them high with her stunning performance.

    Shit! Shit! Shit!

    The panic grew inside of Marcel. So far he doesn¡¯t know what Elijah looks like, what if he¡¯s sneaked in among his men and somehow the both of them nned this. What if right now he¡¯s gotten to Arianna and the both couples made it to the exit?

    Damn it!

    So many ¡°What if¡± filled Marcel¡¯s head and he ran faster with the amount of adrenaline coursing through him. It pushed him further even though his legs were beginning to protest. He ran a record-breaking speed the world genius records would have been proud of if they were here to see.

    And there she was.

    Marcel came to a stop when he saw her in front of the Meadow. She was crouched down, taking a sniff of a flower when she turned upon sensing his presence.

    She attempted to escape.

    Marcel could see that through the brief panic that shed in her eyes. Right now Arianna looked like a trapped animal and trapped prey had the best of survival instincts.

    Marcel was sure Arianna changed her mind at thest minute.

    Good for her.

 Chapter 81

    81 Marcel Was Beginning To Scare Her

    Arianna ran the fastest she had ever done in her life, pushing away shrubs in her path and standing up each time she tripped over roots.

    She needed to get away from Marcel, but was it worth it? The question suddenly hit her and she stopped.

    Looking down, she was dressed in the costume that made her look no different than a hooker. Even if she escaped from here, she didn¡¯t know the neighborhood at all, and anyone who attempted to help her could in the end be working for Marcel and drag her back to this hell hole.

    Aside from that, how would she survive the cold with this flimsy material on her body? In her haste to escape, she might die on the streets, her dreams forever gone and short-lived.

    Finally, let¡¯s say she sessfully escaped, what life does she have left? She can¡¯t go back to her uncle¡¯s family. They would chase her out and willingly hand her over to Big Joe before he evenes to capture her.

    Mimi would hide her ¨C without a doubt ¨C but that would put her in danger and she can¡¯t afford to put her best friend into this.

    For the first time, Arianna realized she was alone. Even Elijah left her, what more can she hold on to? Her life? What was its worth?

    To her chagrin, the closest thing to a family, no, apanion, was Marcel and his underbelly of corruption. He put a roof over her head, food to eat ¨C speaking of food, she hadn¡¯t taken anything throughout today.

    Although she loathed him, Marcel was the only beacon of light she had now. And she can¡¯t lose that ¨C especially when hees back and discovers she¡¯s gone.

    .....

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Arianna gasped and retraced her steps immediately.

    Marcel can¡¯t know she tried to escape else the little bit of trust she had managed to build between them this night would vanish to nothing and their rtionship returns to level zero. Back to the first stage when they couldn¡¯t stand the sight of each other.

    Arianna didn¡¯t know how deep into the Meadow she had marched on till now. She kept praying that somehow Marcel doesn¡¯t realize she was missing until she makes it out on time.

    Her lungs burnt and she thirst for water, Arianna didn¡¯t give up. Her life was on the line here. How stupid could she have been to think that she could leave here safely without internal or external help?

    Perhaps God was on her side because she made it out and to her relief, Marcel had not arrived or so she thought, because she saw his figure in the distance and he was running.

    ¡°Father Lord,¡± Her heart skipped a beat as she bent down and covered traces of her stepping into the Meadow.

    Arianna at once bent and pretended to be examining a pretty flower. Even though she looked calm and collected, her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would jump out of her chest.

    She couldn¡¯t betray her emotions else he would figure her out in one nce. Marcel was smart and cautious and her absence must have already given him the idea that she escaped. She had to be smart about this situation.

    As soon as she felt his presence, Arianna looked up and feigned surprise at his sudden arrival. However, his dark gaze still made her heart skip a beat, her hands felt mmy.

    You can do this, Arianna willed herself. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, neither can Marcel read your mind so he doesn¡¯t know you thought of escaping.

    With a smile on her face, Arianna took a step forward, ¡°You took off all of a sudden. I couldn¡¯t keep up with your speed and I decided to wait for your return here. And here you are,¡± Surprise! she added mentally.

    Arianna chuckled at the end of her exnation to ease the tension his presence brought along but Marcel didn¡¯t respond nor did his gloomy expression rx a bit and that made her ufortable.

    The way his gaze bored into her seemed as if he was looking deep into her soul, searching for answers about her escape.

    No way, she would not admit to escaping. He would have to force the answer out of her mouth if he needed it badly. For now, she would be ignorant ¨C shamelessly ignorant.

    ¡°Marcel?¡± Arianna called out his name, her brows furrowed as if she was confused.

    Then she sighed, ¡°Look, if you¡¯re angry with me that I couldn¡¯t catch up with you, then I¡¯m sorry. But you can¡¯t expect me to be as nimble as you are on your feet. I brought you here to loosen up, to get some air into your head because you seem like you needed it, not for you to put me through some sort of rigorous ¨C Ahh!¡±

    A scream left Arianna¡¯s lips when he suddenly came in front of her with three angry strides. The fear in her eyes was visible, what now? She did not run off in the end yet why was he looking at her like shemitted a heinous crime.

    ¡°Marcel?¡± She called his name carefully, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Arianna swear Marcel¡¯s mood swings were beginning to scare her. Anyway, she brought this on herself. She should have let him be even when it looked like the weight of the world was killing him. He was not worth it. It was not worth the pain.

    Then his hand went to her hair and clutched a fistful of it, a startled gasp left her lips.

    His hold was not as painful as she thought it would be, however, she knew he could cause her pain if he gripped a little harder and that was why she did not dare to speak. Arianna didn¡¯t want to offend him.

    However, her neck that was tilted to the side was beginning to hurt. So she said almost breathlessly, ¡°Marcel please,¡± Her gaze pleading.

    He looked at her with that apathetic face and before she could even guess it, his lips came down on her neck.

    Oh no.

 Chapter 82

    82 The Challenge

    She was a good pretender, a perfect liar, and an actress. Marcel bet she didn¡¯t even have to think twice about her excuse, it just flowed out of her mouth freely.

    So he grabbed her hair, intending to show her that no one makes a fool out of him. He should show her pain. He was Marcel for Christ¡¯s sake ¨C yet what would mama think of him?

    That thought hit Marcel like a brick to the head, what would his mother think if she saw the way he treated Arianna? She would be disappointed that was for sure.

    But then, she was dead and he gave no fuck. If his mother had been so concerned about what he would turn out to be, she shouldn¡¯t have left him. No, she shouldn¡¯t have brought him into this world in the first ce.

    Then he looked into Arianna¡¯s green eyes, those warm, cautious orbs that were curious of his ns for her. His gaze then moved to her lips, that wicked thing that poured the lies she told him.

    If Arianna was going to lie to him, she should have wiped the dirt on her knees where she had probably fallen while escaping through the meadow. Marcel smirked, he was not a Mafia lord for nothing.

    His gaze finallynded on her fair slender skin that had teased him all night. So he lowered his head and kissed her on the spot between her shoulder and neck.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± Arianna gasped his name, eyes widening from surprise and bliss.

    Her frame shuddered and he forced her neck further back so he could kiss down from her jaw.

    .....

    She gasped from the attention he was giving her body because Marcel sure took his time. He used his tongue to trace her pulse from her jaw down to the corbone and when he found her sweet point, he sucked there.

    Arianna moaned. And froze afterward.

    ¡°No,¡± it turned out to be more of a whisper than a firmmand. She had taken a stand that Marcel would not touch her anymore ¨C at least without her permission.

    But the male was not listening to her because he was still nipping her tender flesh and though it sent pleasant shocks to her body, she needed him to stop.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna pushed on his chest this time to show she was serious.

    Marcel didn¡¯t want to, he didn¡¯t want to stop at all, but then his mother¡¯s voice came to his head again, ¡°Be a good boy Marcel,¡±

    He moved away with a groan as if he just made the toughest decision. Arianna¡¯s refusal was nothing to him, Marcel knew if he just grabbed and squeezed her ass a bit, taking her lips in a firm kiss, Arianna would forget why she was even refusing him in the first ce. Yeah, he was that good with a woman¡¯s body.

    But here he was, making little sacrifices.

    Arianna was honestly surprised when Marcel stopped, she was nning on putting up a fight but he made it easy for the both of them.

    ¡°What now?¡± He growled, their body pressed closer.

    She took a step back.

    ¡°We should set some boundaries between us. I might be your prisoner but I have my rights and one of them involves you not touching me like that. We are not romantically involved nor am I one of your sluts, so you don¡¯t get to do that! It¡¯s against thew and my fundamental right as a human,¡± Arianna told him.

    ¡°Is that the reason for the whole drama?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was confused by his question.

    ¡°That dance earlier, the ¡®you don¡¯t own me thing¡¯ that was for me, wasn¡¯t it? You were trying to send a message to me, weren¡¯t you?¡± Marcel demanded an answer.

    Marcel had an intimidating aura yet Arianna refused to be scared. If she doesn¡¯t stand up to him, it would bete in the future.

    ¡°Yes,¡± She said boldly, holding his gaze, ¡± And I hope the message reached home,¡±

    ¡°Of course, it did, Crystal clear. However....¡± Marcel took a step forward and hooked his arm around her waist, grinding her hips against his hard-on to show her what she was doing to him.

    He went on, ¡°But someone keeps forgetting that I¡¯m not a gentleman and I do what I like,¡±

    Arianna bared her teeth at him, producing a hiss.

    ¡°Cute kitty,¡± He mocked, infuriating her the more.

    Arianna red at him intensely. He should have his fun now but one day, she would hurt him where it hurts most.

    ¡°However for the sake of fairness plus the fact that someone thinks I¡¯m head over heels in love with her just because I spanked her butt a few times, let her get off my fingers and kissed her neck,¡± He added withughter, ¡°We haven¡¯t even had our first kiss yet,¡±

    She blushed at his crude words before scowling at him, the nerve of him to joke around. And when did she even think he liked her ¨C maybe a little. In her imagination. Whatever.

    ¡°I would respect your boundaries and would not initiate any sexual intimacy with you without your consent, however, the same rule applies to me,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was stunned by the announcement.

    Marcel leaned closer and whispered into her ears, ¡°In one word, what I¡¯m trying to say is that if you want to kiss me, honey, you¡¯d have to beg for it,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna shouted, astounded. Her eyes were wide, why would she want to kiss him?

    She glowered at him, ¡°I think you would that advice more. Between the both of us, you are the one that has been unable to keep his hands to himself,¡±

    But Marcel retorted, ¡°Says the one who has been eyefucking me since the day we met,¡±

    Arianna gritted her teeth, angered.

    ¡°We¡¯d see who buckles in first,¡± she challenged him.

    ¡°Ooh,¡± Marcelughed, ¡°I like where this is heading,¡± He said and then slowly ran his tongue sexily over his lower lips before biting on it gently and Arianna noticed every move.

    Her breath deepened until she looked up to see the amusement in his eyes. Marcel was confident at winning this battle.

    ¡°You asshole!¡± She pushed him away with all of her might so he could trip and fall to his butt. Sadly, none of that happened.

    ¡°God, this is so funny. It¡¯s just so sad, you would be leaving tomorrow,¡±

    And of course, leave it to Marcel to ruin the mood.

 Chapter 83

    83 Thirst For Revenge

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s toast to the growth of our n!¡± One of them shouted, raising his cup, and was ready to dere the toast.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Another person agreed and was up on his feet immediately as if supporting his brother¡¯s decision.

    Soon, a series of ¡°Yes, we should,¡± Filled the restaurant as a group of able-bodied men rose to their feet in agreement.

    ¡°To the progress of our n!¡± The first man dered with vigor and the rest of them echoed his statement with their sses raised before gulping down the whole thing.

    These people were no other than lower-ss members of the Luciano gang who were not invited to the party going on at Marcel¡¯s ce but decided to have a good time somewhere else.

    They had rented out the whole restaurant so one came to interrupt their fun. Almost immediately, as if on cue, the door to the restaurant was opened and women in skimpy and tight dresses sashayed in.

    ¡°They¡¯re finally here!¡± A man announced with almost tears in his eyes.

    He had been waiting for the women all night ¨C they were the big highlight of the gathering. May God bless their boss¡¯ assistant, sir Victor for his magnanimous heart and great insight into what they needed to perform better.

    There were enough women for all the men in there that some even got to share two. One could say that Victor almost emptied all the brothels in the state just for just this special asion. Hehe, they were surely going to have fun tonight.

    .....

    Hence, while they were lost in the fun, they didn¡¯t get to notice the mysterious figure that made it to one of the cars parked right outside the restaurant.

    The figure¡¯s electronic blue eyes shone in the dark with intelligence and a great thirst for vengeance. His movements on the ground were swift and nimble as if he were a cat.

    Crouched down in the dark and away from prying eyes, he hacked the door and had it open in no time. Once inside, he fiddled with the car¡¯s brake and as soon as he was done moved to the other car. This he did until the cars, all except the buses belonging to the hired prostitutes had been tinkered with.

    Satisfied with his handwork, he got out of the shadow and walked across the road, pretending to be a normal pedestrian. However, he made sure he was captured on the camera as if he was trying to im responsibility for the ident that would no doubt happenter.

    He was sending a message to Marcel and if he was smart enough, he would understand it. There was a chilled look in the man¡¯s eyes as he looked straight at the camera, smirked, and then took off into the dark.

    Back in the restaurant, things were beginning to get a little bit heated. Some of the women were dancing in the little flimsy things they wore to entertain their guests while others poured out drinks.

    A certain man who happened to be their leader, and was the one that organized the gathering in this location epted the drink his date handed to him. Unlike some of his men, he had three women by his side and he savored the attention they gave him.

    One of them massaged his shoulder from behind while the other poured out the drink for him and thest touched him in ces children shouldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°You naughty girl, you must be eager for me to take you home!¡± He chuckled, cing his hand on thedy¡¯s thigh. And yes thedy only gave him a coy smile, but the way she bit on her lips was enough to give him an answer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± He said, getting off the leather chair.

    ¡°This is where we call it a night!¡± The Man announced to his subordinates who echoed a ¡°Yes, boss!¡±

    ¡°This old man here needs a rest,¡± He grinned sheepishly, holding onto the waist of the woman on his sides.

    His menughed, getting the message.

    But one of them emerged from the crowd, saying, ¡°Sir, how can you drive by yourself, you don¡¯t need to do this. You should let this lowly subordinate bring you home,¡± He ttered him.

    The man was no other than a bootlicker who wanted to get on the boss¡¯ good side so he could climb up the rank in the organization. He needed a promotion by all means even if it meant throwing away his pride.

    ¡°No,¡± the boss shook his head, ¡°I already called a designated driver who would take me home safely. Didn¡¯t you drink?¡± he questioned him.

    ¡°Of course, sir!¡± The man joked immediately, ¡°But I can handle my alcohol, sir,¡± He went ahead to demonstrate his soberness by jumping high in the air and doing a series of exercises.

    ¡°Moreover,¡± He added and went close to the leader, whispering into his ears, ¡°What if our rival gang decides to take advantage of this opportunity and strike when your guards are down, my assistance and skills woulde in handy,¡± He assured him.

    The leader looked him straight in the eyes and thought it over for a moment before saying, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go then,¡±

    The man punched a blow in the air mentally, rejoicing over the fact he got to drive their leader while his brothers stared on in jealousy.

    They should have been shameless enough to take advantage of the chance to get close to the leader. But there was no use crying over spilled milk.

    Outside, the man got the door opened for his leader with both of his dates. The leader left thest one at the restaurant seeing that two was enough for him.

    He was so zealous to please his boss that he didn¡¯t notice anything strange about the car even when he started it, not that the night helped anyway.

    He took off.

    The leader sat at the back of the car with his women who now actively resumed their job of pleasuring him. The man was so aroused that he couldn¡¯t wait to get to his ce, so he announced,

    ¡°Go faster!¡±

    And the driver obeyed as expected.

    He went faster.

 Chapter 84

    84 The Spoiled Brat

    Marcel noticed the way the environment changed as soon as those words left his mouth. She stiffened and there was a brief look of panic in her eyes making her look like a scared animal in the lion¡¯s den.

    Marcel felt a guilty pang hit him in the chest, they had been having a good time until he ruined it. But then, it was the truth, no matter what happens tonight, he would hand her over to the Red Giant tomorrow.

    But no matter how right Marcel thought he was, none of that could erase her haunted look from his mind, it stirred up his protective instincts.

    He had to leave here before he does something stupid.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in, you¡¯ve spent enough time here already,¡± He told her, reaching for her arm to drag her inside knowing that she would resist him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Arianna refused him as he predicted, nudging out of his grip when he tried to touch her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me!¡± He warned her, a low growl in his throat.

    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to!¡± She snapped back at him, ¡°Can¡¯t I get a little alone time where you don¡¯t have to hover and bother me and I won¡¯t have to think about your existence. Don¡¯t my feelings and freedom mean a thing to you? I just want to be alone, don¡¯t you get it?¡±

    ¡°And let you be where you can escape?!¡± Marcel threw his head back andughed, ¡°In your dreams.¡±

    .....

    ¡°I didn¡¯t escape when you ran ahead,¡± Arianna told him a half lie and Marcel gave her a look that made her shift uneasily on her feet. He still suspects her.

    Marcel took a step forward but Arianna didn¡¯t move back. She was going to stand her ground ¨C even though his look was so frightening she wanted to hide under the sheet.

    Arianna bet Marcel does that scary look thing on purpose to push her into submission. But she would not be thwarted. Marcel met his match this time.

    Marcel stared at Arianna with hidden curiosity, she was supposed to be cowering away in fear but here she was standing up to him as if he was nothing but a bully.

    It had taken him years to master this look; to make someone cower under his authority with just a gaze. He reeked of dominance and killing intent yet this little bunny stood her ground. Could it be bravely or stupidness?

    But Marcel couldn¡¯t let this happen, he had to teach Arianna her ce and position in this organization before his people picked this up as some sort of weakness on his part.

    So Marcel smiled cruelly, like those ones he saw his father give his mother whenever she tried to undermine his authority.

    ¡°You would get inside like the good girl you are this instant!¡± Hemanded.

    Themand boomed in her head, raising her hairs on edge, and Arianna was almost forced to obey but there was a little voice inside of her, waiting to be heard.

    ¡°No!¡± She said,

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was startled.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go in,¡±

    ¡°Arianna!¡± He said her name through gritted teeth, already at the end of his limits.

    Without even expecting it, Arianna pushed him hard on the chest and Marcel stumbled back, surprised by the move ¨C and agitated as well.

    But when Marcel looked up, more than ready to haul the drama queen on his shoulder and take her back to the room, he was surprised to see tears running down her face.

    Dear God, he froze. Crying women frightened him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it!¡± Arianna screamed at his face, unable to control her fluctuating emotions anymore, ¡°I feel suffocated!¡±

    She shouted, beating her chest hard repeatedly while Marcel stared at her dumbfounded. What was he going to do? He just stood there, staring at her like a moron.

    ¡°Whenever I¡¯m within those four corners, it feels like the walls are caving in, and then there¡¯s limited space. It¡¯s choking! I don¡¯t feel alive! Outside feels better! Yet you keep on forcing me inside? What do you want me to do there?!¡± She used him, the tears falling quickly.

    Marcel tried to speak but he was tongue-tied. What could he say anyway? Nor did Arianna could give him a chance to speak.

    Arianna wanted him to say something but his silence only made the anger inside of her grow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know a thing about Elijah and I get that stealing from you wasn¡¯t the best thing to do but what do you want me to do? I wanted to survive! Life has been unfair to me! How much more do you want me to suffer, Marcel?!¡±

    Life was unfair to him as well! Life was fucking unfair to everyone, Marcel wanted to tell her. But before he could even open his mouth to say that, Arianna had already thrown herself on the ground.

    What the hell? Marcel was more shocked than ever. What the hell was thisdy doing, that is if he could even consider her ady right now.

    Arianna was sprawled out on the floor in an unceremonious manner, not that the stupid rag she wore hid much of her womanly bits anyhow.

    ¡°Please, get up!¡± Marcel told her, appalled by the scene. He hated crying women the most; it was just irritating to see. And Arianna never hit him as a crybaby until now.

    If only Marcel knew Arianna was a spoiled brat when her father was still alive. Some traits were hard to outgrow.

    ¡°Leave me alone! Just let me die here!¡± Arianna cried harder, thrashing around on the ground.

    ¡°Just get the hell off the -¡± Marcel in his haste to pull her up got kicked in the guts and he went red in the face while his eyes grew wide from the pain.

    But Arianna kept crying without even noticing Marcel was in pain.

    Marcel was so filled with anger he saw red. He wanted to skin her alive but seeing her crying made him helpless but the pain in his stomach was something else. Why was he even entertaining her whims?

    At once he yelled at her, ¡°Fine, die there. I don¡¯t fucking care! I don¡¯t give a damn what happens to your stubborn ass!¡±

    He then strode away, determined not to look back or even care anymore. Arianna can go to hell as long as he cares.

    Yet Marcel didn¡¯t take even ten steps before he turned around. God, he hated this.

    And thanks to this, she would be leaving at the first break of sunlight for the sake of his sanity.

 Chapter 85

    85 How To Comfort A Crying Woman

    Arianna wanted to cry alone. She needed to let out the feelings of frustration and helplessness that had been guing her. In just two weeks, her life has been turned upside down in a way she never expected nor did she see iting.

    Why her? Was she the only girl out there and yet life decided to deal specifically with her. The persecution was too great on her. What did she do so wrong? All her life, she had tried to always be good and kind to people? Was this a punishment? Punishment for what? Why was she being punished?

    Arianna wallowed in sorrow and didn¡¯t notice that Marcel was back to the spot where he had been standing previously. Sheid on the ground, bringing her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around herself, looking so tiny and vulnerable.

    Marcel¡¯s heart throbbed at the sight of Arianna lying in that fragile position. Wasn¡¯t she affected by the cold? She wasn¡¯t even putting on much clothing?

    He stood there with no clue on what to do. Thest time he tried to help her, he received a kick to the stomach, neither was he ready to go through such again. Well, Arianna had calmed down a bit anyway.

    Marcel scratched his brows with no clue what to do. This was why he enjoyed hooking up and only invited maturedies into his bed. They knew what they were getting into and there was no hope for future rtionships and emotional entanglement.

    He doesn¡¯t do emotions hence the fact that Arianna was stirring him up drove him crazy. As the current Mafia lord of the Luciano n, he was in a perilous position where he had nothing but enemies surrounding him ¨C even his own father.

    He had no friends, just sharks ready to gobble him up once he made a mistake. Even though Victor was on his side now, who knows about tomorrow?

    That was why he couldn¡¯t trust anybody. Even his dear cousin doesn¡¯t have all of his trust. In this line of work, he doesn¡¯t need anyone having his back, Marcel wants them at the front where he can see them before they stab him.

    .....

    So he couldn¡¯t show anyone his vulnerable side. His subordinates would only follow a capable leader and that was the image he had to show them even if he was dying inside. His irrefutable authority and the ability to defend the n.

    There was no room for emotions; crying, murmuring or fainting. Any sign of weakness could be used against him by his enemies and that involves the choice of his partner.

    He was never going to marry for love, not that he knows what that word means anyway. Any woman he would marry would be to build the strength of the Luciano n that depreciated over the years.

    Even at that, ra was not his choice. He would have to look for another member of the upper ss other than her ¨C when he gets his sister back.

    Hence Marcel was going against everything he believed in by amodating Arianna¡¯s whims. The old Marcel would have already tossed her into one of the prisons and extracted the truth out of her mouth through extreme means ¨C just like Macy did. But then, here he was being patient with her for reasons he doesn¡¯t understand.

    Marcel sighed, perhaps tonight he would let his walls down a little. She would be gone tomorrow and he would go back to being the cold and scary Overlord people were used to. Tomorrow was not far away; it would be midnight soon.

    Thinking about it now, Marcel realized he had been all but hospitable to her. Arianna was just tossed into their world without any foreboding or anchor. She was all alone ¨C just like she had always been since her father died.

    She was just like him, all alone.

    When Marcel¡¯s mother died, it was just him and his father who were more interested in raising an heir than a son. Daniel had been all about preserving the spot, their rightful position from his brother¡¯s children. His cousins.

    Marcel¡¯s adopted sister Chloe was the reason he held on tight. She was the one who fueled his determination to remove Daniel from their lives which he seeded by taking his father¡¯s spot even before it was time to abdicate.

    His father might im he was the one who put him there but Marcel knew very much he was the one that gave him no choice but to retire early.

    So his father¡¯s vengeance was taking Chloe from him, knowing how much he loved and valued her. Marcel ended whatever ns his father had by taking over his position earlier than expected, and so the man came up with another n to help him aplish his dreams.

    His father Daniel was as stubborn as a bull and that was the same trait Marcel inherited from him.

    Two stubborn bulls. Who would surrender and bow, and who would win the fight?

    No one was watching, Marcel noticed as he decided to continue with his n tonight. Be gentle to her ¨C he prayed.

    Marcel sat down on the floor beside the crying Arianna. Now what? He thought about the next step. The only thing he knew aboutfort was through physical contact and Arianna was against it at the moment. A kick to the stomach was a good reminder.

    Unable toe up with a solution after his minutes of thinking, Marcel decided to try other means. He picked up his phone and logged into the browser and typed, ¡°How tofort a crying woman?¡±

    The result came up immediately thanks to his speedy inte and Marcel began to go through the results only for his face to scrunch up.

    Most of the results he got were, ¡°How to cheer up your girlfriend and deep love messages for her,¡±

    ¡°What the fuck,¡± He breathed out, going through results after results. And yes, he eventually got a few articles that hit the question he asked, Marcel was not ted by their answers.

    There was no way he was doing those things the forums suggested.

    One of them said, ¡°Offer her your presence,¡±

    Well, here he was.

 Chapter 86

    86 He Had A Soft Side

    Unfortunately, Arianna doesn¡¯t want his presence. So the suggestion was clearly useless to him.

    Another said, [Assess the situation]

    There was no need to assess the situation in this case when he was the one responsible for her tears. Could this get any better?

    [Comfort her]

    How in the world was he going to do that?

    [Be a good listener!]

    She wasn¡¯t even talking! Even if they did, Marcel was sure it would lead straight to another argument ¨C that he wasn¡¯t ready for.

    [ Don¡¯t tell her not to cry]

    That was exactly what he was dying to do. Marcel was really ufortable and the worst part, he couldn¡¯t leave her alone for his own good. What kind of situation was this?

    .....

    In the end, Marcel gave up on the ideas from the inte. They were not helping him ¨C or perhaps, he was too proud to even consider it. Why should he be the one tofort Arianna when she decided to cry in the first ce.

    Marcel snorted and looked away, refusing to look at her figure on the floor. And it didn¡¯t help matters that Arianna had her back turned to him. She wanted to prove that she was headstrong, so be it! He would just keep an eye on her making sure she doesn¡¯t try to escape.

    Arianna had already stopped wailing and all that left her lips was stifled sobs that shook her body. It was sobs that Marcel pretended not to hear, letting her be.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know how long went by but a cold breeze wheezed by and he saw Arianna shiver and that made him see red.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die on me!¡± He cursed as he stood up, taking off his polo shirt and ced it on her body.

    Yet it seemed that the clothing was not enough, so he said, ¡°This is it, we¡¯re going inside!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna whimpered.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± He called through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Please,¡± She begged with her back still turned to him, ¡°Just a little more time outside,¡±

    Marcel was quiet for a moment before he said to her, ¡°Sit up then,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she squeaked, turning to peer at him over her shoulder.

    ¡°If you want to lie here like a stray cat, then you would have to wear my clothe properly,¡± He told her.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Arianna sat up immediately and tried to pull the polo but Marcel snatched it from her.

    ¡°Hands up,¡± Hemanded her.

    Arianna blinked, staring at him as if he suddenly grew two heads, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fight me over this, Arianna. I¡¯m honestly tired of it. So just be a good girl and raise your hands,¡± for daddy, his dirty mindpleted for him.

    ¡°Stupid!¡± Marcel scolded his mind that could convert even the purest of actions into a raunchy one. He really needed holy water for thorough cleansing in the house of the Lord.

    Arianna was tired as well and didn¡¯t even realize she had stopped crying until she raised her hand so Marcel could slip the polo over her head and through the arms.

    Honestly speaking, she felt better after crying. It was almost as if a weight was lifted off her chest and she could breathe better now. Her head was much clearer, and all she needed now was rest.

    When Marcel was done, Arianna took over the role of pushing down the polo down her thighs where it stopped.

    Truth be told, she was very cold earlier but she didn¡¯t want to say it out else Marcel insists on dragging her ass inside. So she decided to endure ¨C until he decided to be a gentleman for once.

    After she was done, Arianna nced up and found Marcel staring at her as well.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± The words left her lips before she could even stop it.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± He gave her a gruff answer and that was all the reminder Arianna needed to mind her business.

    Thanks to his harsh tone, she thought he was back to his cold-hearted and aloof personality, so sheid down on thewn once again with her back turned to him without knowing that Marcel was just struggling to control himself.

    It had taken Marcel everything not to stare down at her cleavage while he put that polo on her. He must be a sucker for pain. He knew how much his body reacted to Arianna yet he kept getting closer to her.

    He noticed her shiver out of the corner of his eyes and said, ¡°You¡¯re still cold?¡±

    Arianna bit on her lips before answering, ¡°A little?¡±

    Whatever else Marcel muttered, Arianna couldn¡¯t understand because he spoke it in a foreignnguage. But what she felt next was a warm and strong body next to her while his arm encircled her waist, pulling her close to his chest till they were literally spooning.

    Her eyes grew wide while a shocked gasp left her lips, ¡°What are you doing? We said no -¡±

    ¡°Either this or we¡¯re going inside,¡± He added immediately, ¡°You can¡¯t be wearing my clothe and expect me to die from the cold,¡± Marcelined.

    Arianna pouted, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to give me your clothe,¡± while ying with her fingers. Their position was really awkward yet rxing. It was hard to believe that this was the same Marcel from moments ago. So he did have a soft side.

    ¡°Just enjoy the prace for once, Arianna,¡± Marcel released a deep warm breath that hit her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

    Marcel pretended not to have noticed her reaction and said, ¡°I never thought my field could be soft andfortable until now. I should apuse you for finding me a good hobby,¡±

    ¡°You are going to repeat this tomorrow?¡± She asked, purely out of curiosity.

    ¡°If I have the time? Yes. But unlike you, I woulde with a mat,¡±

    Arianna chuckled and Marcel liked that.

    She shouldugh more often, he didn¡¯t say it out though.

    ¡°You should sleep now,¡± He told her, tightening his hold around her waist so his hands doesn¡¯t go somewhere else.

    ¡°Sleep? What if we really sleep and die from extreme cold?¡± She was stunned.

    ¡°This is not winter, Arianna and we¡¯re sharing body heat. Nheless, even if we die this way, I¡¯m sure hell would not be able to contain the both of us,¡± he said. They would continue their battles down there.

    She didn¡¯t say anything afterward and Marcel appreciated the silence especially now he was fighting his sexual desires.

    Marcel knew Arianna would not resist him if he wanted to take things a little further especially now she¡¯s emotionally drained. But he was respecting her decision. He was trying tofort her.

    So while Arianna fell asleep feeling warm and protected, Marcel was battling a face full of hair, a dead arm, and an awkward boner.

 Chapter 87

    87 He Almost Fed Her Dirty Water

    This changes nothing between them, Marcel thought even as Ariannay asleep in his arms as he carried her into her, no, his room.

    Where was he going to sleep tonight?

    Don¡¯t get him wrong, Marcel had a lot of empty rooms but he preferred this one to others because of the resources he put in while decorating it. His bed especially was so soft that one would think he or she was floating on clouds while lying on it.

    Don¡¯t stare at him that way, it¡¯s his money and he decides what to do with it?

    Even as Marcel came into the house, he made sure to look out for his men ¨C he didn¡¯t want them to misunderstand him carrying Arianna. But then since when did he begin to care about what his subordinates would say?

    This was not the first time he had ady in his arms in their presence ¨C usually, his dates would hook their hand around his arm and not him ¨C Marcel ¨C carrying them off their feet into his room.

    His men would think he was taking her to bed. Surely, it wasn¡¯t a crime to take his enemy to bed, right? Except that in the past, it was all a pretense and he ¨C Marcel ¨C would end his enemies life on the bed before they even think of undressing him.

    Whatever! Marcel thought as he carried Arianna into the house. If they had a problem with him carrying Arianna, they shoulde to him ¨C and he would increase their workload.

    But then Marcel was worrying over nothing because most of the men he met inside were dead drunk while the others were so drunk, they couldn¡¯t even recognize him.

    .....

    Marcel sighed, they were all a goner if an enemy gang decided to attack at this moment ¨C all thanks to Victor. Tsk Tsk. The great Luciano n, his ass!

    However, his brows couldn¡¯t help but furrow when he saw the stains on his rug, the walls, broken vases, and a few ruined items. Even a woman¡¯s panty was hanging on the chandelier. His precious chandelier?!

    Oh no.

    Veins almost burst out from Marcel¡¯s head as he gritted his teeth. That imperial neossical eighteen-light chandelier was from Russia¡¯s Pavlovsk Pce, specifically from Empress Maria Feodorovna¡¯s bedroom, and cost him Eight hundreds fifteen thousand and twenty-five dors!

    How could they do this to his precious? Marcel was close to tears.

    At once, a scary look entered Marcel¡¯s eyes, he would make sure that Victor pays for every dime that was ruined tonight. Those cost him money! Money! How could they do this to his precious mansion?

    Marcel was not stingy or frugal with his resources, he was just possessive and protective of his things, especially the beautiful ones. This was why when Arianna had ruined his rooms, he was almost tempted to kill her.

    But then Victor would be the one he was killing tomorrow. He knew his nature yet refused to control his wild men. Until tomorrow, an evil smirk tugged his lips to the side.

    Perhaps due to the terrifying glint in his eyes, his men that were still on their feet and patrolling the area avoided Marcel and didn¡¯t make ament nor look twice about the sleeping Arianna in his arms. And they were quite lucky because Marcel was in the mood to bite someone¡¯s head off.

    When Marcel reached his living room, he ced Arianna gently on the bed as if he was scared to wake her up. And true to his words, he was scared that she would wake and continue crying from where she stopped especially when she sees herself in this room. The thought of those tears sent shivers down his spine, he wouldn¡¯t want to experience that ever again.

    Now what?

    Marcel wondered as he stood in front of the bed staring at her sleeping figure.

    He wanted his bed back.

    Marcel was not used to sleeping on the couches nor were the other beds as soft as his own. It was while he was thinking of his next option that he noticed the smudges on Arianna¡¯s body.

    That stupid woman didn¡¯t even take a bath before going to bed after throwing herself on thewn. How could someone be this careless? Marcel began to wonder how she has lived over the years. No wonder she keeps attracting trouble wherever she goes.

    Marcel sighed and then went to his bathroom where he grabbed a stic basin, filled it with water, added a little liquid soap, and returned to the room with a towel.

    He sat down, cing the bowel on the nightstand. His gaze roved over Arianna as if scanning the state of her body and deciding where to begin.

    When Marcel was done with his ¡°X-ray¡±, he dipped the towel into the water, wring it, and took Arianna¡¯s hands where he began to wipe off the dirt.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that at his age and position that he was still taking care of a grown woman, even Chloe wasn¡¯t as careless as this one.

    In fact, Marcel began to wonder why he was doing this in the first ce. Why should he be taking care of a grown-ass woman ¨C who wasn¡¯t even aware of the favors he was bestowing on her.

    [AN: Well, nobody asked you to, good Samaritan. So shut up and do the task well!]

    Marcel continued to grumble as he wiped off the dirt till he reached her face. He changed the waters a couple of times and now, he was using a clean one for her face.

    He traced down the dirt on her nose with the towel only for a few drops of water to slip out and wanted to trail down into her mouth.

    Oh no!

    Marcel panicked, and with lightning speed, used his hand to smear the water across her cheeks before it even touched her mouth.

    That was close, Marcel released a sigh of relief. He almost fed her dirty water in the process of doing good.

    Wonderful Marcel. Good Job. He chided himself.

    However, Marcel¡¯s hand mistakenly touched her lips and electric current passed through his body.

 Chapter 88

    88 Arianna Was Kissing Him In A Dream

    What just happened?

    Marcel wondered even as he withdrew his hand with lightning speed, cing it on his chest as if he was electrocuted and now scared for his life.

    What the hell, Marcel thought as he stared hard at Arianna and would have bored a hole in her forehead with that kind of intensity, if it was possible.

    What did that witch do to him now? Marcel was still thinking when she stirred. But instead of waking up, Arianna scratched her neck, muttering some iprehensible words as if she was having a dream.

    However, Marcel was not concerned with any of those because his eyes were fixed on her lips; watching the way it puckered up.

    Marcel gulped, her lips were tempting.

    Oh no.

    He looked away at once with lightning speed.

    What the hell, Marcel? What is wrong with you? Why are you so obsessed with someone else¡¯s lips?

    .....

    ¡°Get a grip of yourself!¡± Marcel muttered, pping his cheeks as

    If that would restart his brain and bring back his senses.

    Why was he staring at her lips? He wasn¡¯t even a pervert? No, Arianna was gradually turning him into a pervert! He was thinking of a woman¡¯s lips while she was asleep. No, this has to stop.

    At once, Marcel turned around and picked up the towel this time and wrong it so hard so that an incident like earlier wouldn¡¯t ur.

    Even as he wiped Arianna¡¯s face, Marcel wasn¡¯t looking at her this time ¨C he was looking away from temptation. But he wiped her cheeks a little too hard and a whimper left Arianna¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± He apologized, knowing he wasn¡¯t supposed to hurt her, not to think of waking her from her sleep.

    But doing that brought him face to face with her lips again and Marcel¡¯s heart began to pound hard. Why was she doing this to him? Marcel was close to tears.

    Maybe he should just kiss her and get it over with? An evil thought came into his head.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Marcel shook his head. There was no way on earth he was taking advantage of a sleeping woman. That was the lowest he could ever go.

    Yet he couldn¡¯t erase the images of her lips from his mind. Maybe his mind was right, he just needed to kiss her and get it over with. His body must be reacting this way because he had been intimate with her and hadn¡¯t tasted her lips. Yes, that must be it!

    Just as he spanked her and was good to go ¨C he thinks. He would kiss her and regain his sanity. And what better time to do it if not now that she was asleep. He would kiss her and she wouldn¡¯t even know what happened while he goes back to being himself. Case closed. Everything returns to normal.

    Moreover, Arianna was the one that caused this. If she hadn¡¯t gotten dirty, he wouldn¡¯t have cleaned her and led to this.

    But as much as Marcel tried to justify his actions and pushed the me on Arianna, it still felt sleazy.

    Fine, it would be a quick kiss. He would barely ce his lips on her and be done with it before the twinkle of an eye. He wouldn¡¯t even feel a thing. Yeah, it wasn¡¯t perverted at all, just a test.

    Marcel leaned over, making sure his body was not touching or pressing down on hers for fear of being discovered. He supported himself on his arms until he was face to face with her.

    Marcel looked down and gulped, this is it. The moment he has been waiting for has arrived in one... two... three.

    The Mafia Lord Marcel was already closing down on his prize only for Arianna¡¯s eyes to pop open and he halted his ns the way one m on his brake before an ident. His heart almost jumped out of his chest.

    This is it, he¡¯s finished.

    He knew there was a reason one should never listen to the voice of the devil and this was one of it.

    Marcel knew his life was over at that moment, Arianna had specifically warned him not to initiate any sort of intimacy with her ¨C and he broke that rule. It would be a miracle if she doesn¡¯t crush his balls like her friend almost did to Victor.

    Arianna didn¡¯t react, Marcel noted. Her beautiful forest green eyes just kept staring back at him and he could see how beautiful they were, up close.

    Damn you, Marcel, you¡¯re still thinking of how beautiful her eyes are when you¡¯re about to bebeled a pervert!

    It wasn¡¯t until Arianna blinked that Marcel said, ¡°I can exin -! ¡±

    ¡°Is this a dream?¡± She interrupted him.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Marcel was stunned by that question.

    It wasn¡¯t until Marcel looked into her eyes and discovered she was a bit hazy that he found out she still had sleep in her eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a dream,¡± Marcel shamelessly affirmed so he wouldn¡¯t be caught. He even prayed she forgets this dream when she wakes.

    ¡°Good then,¡± Arianna murmured.

    Marcel wasn¡¯t surprised by herment. Arianna must be relieved she didn¡¯t just catch him trying to kiss her, he thought. Very good then.

    Hence it came as a big shock to Marcel when her hand suddenly curled around his neck and she brought his face down to hers, nting her lips firmly against his.

    What the hell? Marcel was as stiff as a rock even when her lips moved against his.

    What was going on? Was he dreaming? He asked himself this time.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t understand a thing, why was Arianna kissing him? All sorts of questions ran through his mind and he even thought this wasn¡¯t real until Arianna moaned into his mouth.

    IT. WAS. FUCKING. REAL.

    ARIANNA WAS KISSING HIM IN A DREAM.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know whether to be relieved, angry or ted?

    He was relieved that he would no longer bebeled a pervert since she was the one that initiated the kiss. Marcel would shamelessly me her if the need arises.

    But he was angry at the same time that she had the nerve to kiss him only in a dream. What happened to real life?

    However, Marcel was still honored because she thought he appeared in her dream. She was dreaming of him? Why did he feel so happy about it?

    Marcel was roused back to reality when she deepened the kiss and he realized how soft her lips were. His mind swarmed with desire, the kiss was much better than he thought.

 Chapter 89

    89 His Wicked ns

    Arianna was having one of her weird dreams again. She was sofortable on her back that when she felt a certain heat, she opened her eyes and there was Marcel.

    The bulb cast a halo around him or perhaps it was her eyes ying tricks on her but he looked ethereal and out of this world.

    ¡°Is this a dream?¡± She thought but the question came out loud.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a dream,¡± He answered her.

    No wonder, Arianna thought. It seemed surreal. Marcel wouldn¡¯t look this calm, soft and innocent in real life.

    Although Marcel was more of a pretty boy, he had a hint of rugged features and was scary ¨C when he wants to be. Marcel was very handsome and had an effeminate beauty that made him more lethal than the average male out there.

    When he wasn¡¯t scowling or frowning ¨C which he does all the time ¨C he had this ingenous vibe that misleads people ¨C only for them to end up dead in the twinkle of an eye.

    Just like Mimi had not suspected him the first day they met, they would have taken him as an innocent stranger, until hemunicated with her and she saw the demons hiding in those eyes.

    And right now, Arianna was staring at that same innocent face in her groggy state. Marcel would be a whole lot more approachable if he had this kind of expression every day.

    .....

    And it was while she was checking him out that her gaze fell on his lips. How could a man¡¯s lips be so naturally luscious? The women poption would be so jealous.

    For the first time, Arianna was in control of her dream and she had a feeling it wasn¡¯t going to turn out to be a nightmare.

    ¡°Good then,¡± Arianna muttered and then pulled Marcel to her as she kissed him.

    The shock on Marcel¡¯s face was so strong that she could have bet that this was reality and not a dream. But she was soon lost in the moment to think about it.

    Arianna had to press down firmly on his lips before she was granted ess and God, his lips were soft and smooth. It seems that Marcel made good use of his lip palm, unlike Elijah whose lips were chapped, although she was soon caught up in the desires of her body to think about that then.

    Arianna didn¡¯t want topare between both men, but Marcel had very plump, soft lips that she kissed even though he wasn¡¯t responsive. No wonder, this was a dream.

    He tasted faintly of alcohol that he must have consumed at the party... At the party? No this was a dream. Arianna choose to believe that even when she deepened the kiss, a moan left her lips.

    And at that moment, Marcel took over as if he finally woke from his slumber. He crushed his lips against her, kissing her so deeply that Arianna couldn¡¯t breathe anymore.

    Well, it did not matter because this was a dream and even if she died here because she was robbed of breath, she would revive in real life. In fact, death was all she needed to wake up.

    But then, Arianna didn¡¯t want to wake up. At least until this sweet moment was over, then she can return to the cruel world. Until then, she would remain in this utopia where Marcel was a pleasant gentleman and right now, was liting dark desires inside of her.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± Arianna moaned his name, her hand digging into his hair.

    Hearing Arianna moan his name sent a red-hot rush of need echoing through Marcel. He felt proud that he had pushed all thoughts of Elijah out of her head. He has conquered back what was his.

    He used his tongue to gently caress the edges of her lips and Arianna groaned, arching her back off the bed slightly. The actions caused tingles down her spine and it made her toes curl in pleasure, a slight purr in her throat.

    That sexy sound turned Marcel on and he didn¡¯t care if she thought this was a dream or not, he rocked his hips against her, greedily devouring the moans that left her lips as a result of it.

    Her body was on fire; every blood in Arianna¡¯s veins seemed as if it had turned into molten fire and she wanted more. At once, Arianna wrapped her legs around his hips and pushed him further against her now wet core, her lips covering his in a passionate kiss.

    Marcel groaned, this woman would be the death of him. At once, his hands grabbed her naked thighs because the polo that she wore was bundled around her waist thanks to her earlier movements.

    Arianna was in a hurry; her hands pulled on his scalp even as she kissed him while her other hand caressed his bare chest, making him tremble. Marcel knew he was not going tost in this state, so he decided to settle her needs first.

    He broke away from her and then reaching down, his finger slipped into her flimsy yet sexy underwear. Marcel definitely would have loved to rip that thing apart ¨C the underwear his men had watched her dance in ¨C but this wasn¡¯t the time. She still thought this was a dream.

    Marcel knew if he was going to have her, she would be clearly awake to see the wicked things he does to her body. He just had to wait patiently for the right time.

    But then waiting patiently meant she was going to have to stay here.

    At once, he took a deep breath, maybe she doesn¡¯t have to go so soon. Tomorrow, he would call the Red Giant and ask them to wait a few more days. He wasn¡¯t done with her.

    A devilish smile crossed Marcel¡¯s lips as he thought of his ns. By the time he had his way with Arianna, whether Elijahes for her or not or she eventually settles down with Big Joe ¨C which was still under probability ¨C he would imprint himself so deep inside of her that she would never be able to forget him.

    Marcel decided, he was going to own Arianna, body, mind, and soul.

 Chapter 90

    90 Things Would Work Out Somehow

    This was no longer a dream, Arianna sensed it when everything was bing too realistic. However, she didn¡¯t have the time to ask because Marcel had already begun to wreck havoc on her body.

    A gasp tore from her lips when he slid his fingers through her core. Arianna moaned at that gesture, her hand now digging into Marcel¡¯s arm.

    Her moan was loud and throaty, which made him swell. He could feel how wet she was down there and she grew wetter with each stroke of her clit. She was all wet for him.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± She practically begged him to quench the fire inside of her because he was running his fingers through her opening teasingly.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes were dark with desire in his gaze so smoldering that Arianna couldn¡¯t bear to look at him.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± Hemanded, rubbing his thumb through her as she arched her hips instinctively.

    ¡°Take that gaze away and I¡¯ll leave you hanging,¡± He threatened her, intentionally teasing her again to prove his point.

    She looked dazed and there was a flush in her cheeks. Her looks were sexy and Marcel wanted to see what she looks like when he makes here.

    Arianna bit on her lips and it was the slight sting that told her this was reality and she was very much awake.

    .....

    ¡°You broke your -¡± She tried to use him but that was the moment Marcel decided to add another finger, she gasped from the pration instead.

    Marcel smirked, ¡°Says the one who kissed me first,¡±

    Arianna went red in the face, ¡°I thought it was a dream!¡± She defended herself. The harmless fun she had thought to engage in turned out to be reality. How was she going to solve this?

    Marcel¡¯s smirk only grew at that moment, ¡°I see someone¡¯s cowardly enough to break her promise only in a dream unlike me who bravely takes what he wants in reality,¡± He didn¡¯t let out the part where he was the one that attempted to kiss her first.

    Just like earlier, Arianna found out that each time she tried to defend herself, he wouldunch an attack with his fingers against her body, and this time, her hips rocked against the gentle sliding of his hands.

    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t close your eyes. I want you to look at me,¡± Hemanded when her eyes had instinctively shut close. It was better to feel everything with the eyes closed and he was taking away that option from her. As always.

    ¡°Yes, that is it. Good girl,¡± Marcelplimented her just as she kept her eyes trained on him knowing what punishment awaited her if she does otherwise.

    His gaze was smoldering and he stared into her eyes as he began to move faster, her core clenching around his fingers.

    Marcel noted with delight the breathy whimper that began to leave her mouth as he increased his pace. Her eyes were wild with shock and astonishment mixed with pleasure as he moved so fast that all she could do was grab into him.

    Then Arianna screamed and bucked hard as ecstasy crashed over her. It was the most beautiful sight Marcel had ever seen and he watched as she let go of him, falling back to the bed exhausted.

    She was heaving, her chest falling up and down with each move. He was almost tempted to take up from where he stopped but he knew she needed the rest.

    Moreover, what¡¯s the rush? He still has the next few days and the best kind of turn-on was to build anticipation. He would keep teasing her to the point she bes a willing partner without hard work.

    Pleased with his ns, Marcel leaned down and took her lips in a kiss once again. Arianna didn¡¯t fight back as he delved his tongue into her mouth, demanding her obedience. The kiss was also a preview of what was toe in the following days.

    Marcel kissed her passionately and Arianna responded, cing her hand against his chest. He devoured her mouth and dominated her in every way possible as if he had the right to her and Arianna was honestly too tired and fulfilled to fight back.

    When they pulled back, Marcel ordered her, ¡°Now, you are going to close your eyes and pretend this never happened. It was all a dream, you get me?¡±

    Arianna nodded, it wasn¡¯t hard to get that part done. Marcel touching her had left her boneless and exhausted that all she wanted to do was toy down and go back to her once beautiful sleep. Also, her body was more rxed now as if Marcel had helped loosened her tensed muscles.

    It would surely be a long sleep.

    She closed her eyes and before Marcel could say, ¡°Jack Robin¡± the lovely woman before him was already sound asleep.

    Marcel felt a little guilty upon seeing her tired state but he pushed that emotion to the back of his mind. Thoughts like that were dangerous. If there was anyone who enjoyed this encounter, it was Arianna ¨C he touched her and she liked it.

    He carefully untangled herself from her and went to the bathroom to finish his business. He had satisfied Arianna at his own cost.

    But even as Marcel came from touching himself in the bathroom, the feeling couldn¡¯t bepared to when he watched Arianna reach her orgasm. She looked sexy and there was a glow around her that pleased him ¨C he made her feel that way.

    Marcel took a shower before leaving the rooms entirely. As far as Arianna remained on his bed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself. So he went to spend time with his Lion Samson who was still brooding over the fact his position was now upied by Arianna.

    ¡°Hey, buddy. I know you¡¯re mad at me, I¡¯m sorry, bute on, we can do good with some changes, right?¡± He said hopefully to Samson who threw his face the other way. He was not interested.

    But Marcel was not discouraged, he still doesn¡¯t know what the hell he¡¯s doing but he was sure things would work out somehow.

    If only he knew tomorrow often has its own ns.

 Chapter 91

    91 Arianna Would Be His Mistress

    Kenith couldn¡¯t wait for the day to break so he could get Arianna back. He hadn¡¯t even slept properly the night before as he was counting down how many hours were left before morning.

    Before everybody else could wake up, he was already done and ready to leave. He was ready to bring Arianna home.

    But then, it was too early, and even as a gangster, he knew one or two things about manners. He can¡¯t go and collect Arianna without the other party giving him the cue; the Luciano n was highly respected.

    Kenith spent the morning restlessly. He couldn¡¯t wait to get this over with. He hasn¡¯t informed Big Joe that Arianna would be returning today else the man wouldn¡¯t have left for his trip already.

    He knew Big Joe was anxious for Arianna¡¯s return, just as he was. The man had given him time to find Arianna and not a particr date hence it wouldn¡¯t be counted as a crime unto him that he didn¡¯t inform him of her return before his travel.

    It was good anyway, he would deal with Arianna today before Big Joe returned. That way he would have her under his control and make sure things goes ording to ns. The wedding must happen whether she likes it or not. Nothing and no one would get to stand in the way of his ns.

    Kenith was in his office mentally reviewing his ns when someone knocked on his door and he let him in.

    ¡°Brother Kenith, you need to see this,¡± One of his subordinates said, his phone in his hand as if he was watching something interesting.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, facing him.

    .....

    The subordinate didn¡¯t say anything else, he just quietly handed the phone that was ying a video to Kenith.

    Upon looking down at the screen, Kenith found out the video was paused, so he pressed y and positioned himself on his seat, wondering what the fellow wanted him to see.

    Not less than a minute into the video, Kenith¡¯s brows furrowed and his countenance changed as he stared hard at the screen.

    His eyes must be deceiving him, Kenith thought as he stared at the video of someone who seems to look like Arianna pole dancing.

    Kenith had to squint his eyes at the screen to make sure he was seeing clearly, but there was no mistaking that red hair that seemed fiery under the blue glow of the stage.

    Although the stage wasn¡¯t exactly bright due to the colored party lights, whosoever recorded and posted this video online captured Arianna well and Kenith had known her long enough that he could recognize her at a nce.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Kenith didn¡¯t even know when the question slipped out of his mouth because he was shocked by the video.

    ¡°Someone posted that videost night and it has gone viral, making rounds on the inte. Everyone¡¯s wondering about the mystery girl. But then I recognized her at a nce which was why I had to bring it to you. ¡± Answered the subordinate proudly.

    He was lucky enough to be the first to bring this information to the collector. Who knows, he might get favored and be promoted soon?

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Kenith was more shocked out of his mind. Arianna was half-naked and dancing in what looked like a club yet didn¡¯t seem like one. He could almost say it was a house party.

    He didn¡¯t know which was worse, Arianna, his boss would-be wife was shamelessly dancing in front of other men or the fact that Big Joe would kill her if he sees this video. Sadly, a dead Arianna wasn¡¯t useful to his n.

    Kenith wouldn¡¯t be spared either, Big Joe would pin everything on his head and im it¡¯s as a result of his ipetence. All these things wouldn¡¯t have happened if he had kept a close eye on Arianna.

    He would be killed on a whim and if Big Joe¡¯s in a good mood, only demotion woulde his own. Either way, none of the oues was good for him. Big Joe can¡¯t see this video.

    ¡°I made a little investigation...¡± The subordinate began to exin, taking Kenith¡¯s silence as confusion, ¡°And I found out that Victor, Marcel¡¯s consigliere had a partyst night and Arianna turned out to be a good entertainer,¡± He said.

    Although Kenith heard what the young man said, however, his gaze was concentrated on the scene of Arianna holding herself up on the pole while her legs were wrapped around Marcel¡¯s hips, rocking him.

    Kenith couldn¡¯t exin it but he felt white-hot anger rush at him and he grabbed the phone so tight he could have crushed it if it wasn¡¯t durable. How dare she do that?! Doesn¡¯t she know who she belongs to?

    Who does she belong to? Big Joe, of course! Yet Kenith couldn¡¯t imagine the both of them together. The thought of Arianna and Big Joe together vexed Kenith so much he thought he was going crazy.

    Big Joe doesn¡¯t deserve a young, vibrant woman like that. He would only kill her spirit. Arianna was a wild fire and only those who understood her spirit could tame her.

    Maybe Arianna doesn¡¯t have to die, Kenith began to reconsider. She was too beautiful to be wasted anyway. He could have a good use for her when he ascends.

    Yes, as his mistress.

    Cassie would be mad at first but she woulde to understand and he would not give her a reason to doubt the affection he has for her. There was just something enthralling about Arianna, they had a connection and she would do a good job as his mistress.

    Thinking about it now, if he was able to keep Arianna alive after Big Joe¡¯s death and he takes over the gang, he was entitled to Big Joe¡¯s widow as well. Everything that belongs to Big Joe belongs to him ¨C including his wife.

    At once a wicked smile spread across Kenith¡¯s face as he thought of his ns, however, it vanished when he saw the video of Arianna and Marcel together.

    The hatred he felt for Big Joe was nothingpared to what he felt upon seeing the both of them together in this video.

 Chapter 92

    92 Capture Their Boss¡¯ Runaway Wife

    The intimacy between Marcel and Arianna filled Kenith with rage. When he had questioned Marcel about his rtionship with Arianna, he imed nothing was going on between them. But then, this doesn¡¯t look like nothing.

    Nor did Marcel have the right to touch her. Just because he was the prince of the Luciano n doesn¡¯t mean he could have any woman he wanted. Kenith swore he would surely get Arianna back and then, there would be a change in his ns.

    ¡°I need you to do something for me,¡± Kenith said to the young man and one should see the way his face lit up. He knew instantly he was in Kenith¡¯s good grace ¨C his promotion was sure.

    ¡°Of course, anything for you, sir!¡± He announced, almost saluting him in the process.

    ¡°How many of our brothers have seen this video?¡± Kenith asked.

    The man scratched his head, ¡°I can¡¯t really tell since I came to you as soon as I recognized Arianna, so I guess not much, or they are too blind to recognize our boss¡¯ future wife,¡± He surmised.

    ¡°Good then,¡± Kenith nodded in relief, ¡°I want you to look into as many as our men have seen the video and pass the information around, ¡®not a word of it to Big Joe¡¯ you get it?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Sir Kenith,¡± He answered.

    Big Joe rarely had an online presence, so Kenith was sure that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the video ¨C unless someone told him. Keeping it away from Big Joe until the wedding would work ¨C until his leadership wouldn¡¯t be needed anymore.

    .....

    ¡°And make them understand that anyone who goes against my orders would have me to contend with,¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± the man received the message obediently.

    ¡°You can leave now,¡± Kenith dismissed him.

    ¡°Okay, sir,¡± the man said and turned to go and obey his instructions until he remembered his phone was in Kenith¡¯s hands.

    He turned and gestured, ¡°Urm... Sir.... that...¡±

    Kenith nced down and reluctantly handed the phone to him. He wanted to watch the video from the beginning until he remembered it was on the inte and he could find it readily.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± The young man said to Kenith who now had an unsmiling face.

    The subordinate tilted his head to the side unsure, did he do something wrong? He hasn¡¯t even said anything except to affirm his messages.

    He was thinking about that when he opened the door only to bump into Cassie that wanted toe in as well.

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± He apologized to the woman who simply gave him a warm smile and went in.

    The man turned to nce at the woman onest time, he should have known. His suspicion was right, Sir Kenith and Cassie had something going on.

    Kenith heard the slightmotion at the door and looked up to see it was Cassie and a smile reced the worry lines on his face.

    She had beening to his office more often than usual and although his people knew they were together, he wanted to keep their rtionship a secret ¨C till he was the boss ¨C for good measure.

    However, Kenith wouldn¡¯t tell her nor stop her froming to his office. Cassie was quite sensitive about his actions and he didn¡¯t want things to escte especially now she was conscious of Arianna.

    Kenith didn¡¯t know how to tell her about the slight adjustment in his ns, not that she knows much of it anyway, although she yed a huge role in it.

    Cassie¡¯s role had been to buy Arianna¡¯s trust and have her depend on Kenith which had been going well until she escaped. Now, he doesn¡¯t know what she thinks of him anymore. For now, they would keep up the act till the wedding day.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Cassie asked immediately, gesturing to the young man that left his office in a hurry. It was the first time she was seeing his face in his office having known Kenith¡¯s people.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Kenith stood and came in front of his desk, smiling up at her, ¡°Come here,¡± He opened his arms, intentionally changing the topic, ¡°You must have had a good sleepst night,¡±

    Cassie walked into his arms and he embraced her, she felt safe.

    ¡°I did, but it would have been much better if you were there beside me,¡± She pouted her lips, looking a bit annoyed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kenith apologized, ¡°But you just have to endure and soon enough, we can be together as much as we want without hiding from anybody,¡± He kissed her on the forehead.

    Kenith knew Big Joe would not do anything to Cassie, however, considering their rocky rtionship at the moment, he wouldn¡¯t want to take any chances. After all, Big Joe might decide to use her as leverage to make him get Arianna back if Marcel fails to keep up his promise. Until he took over the gang, his rtionship with Cassie was safer hidden.

    ¡°You are getting Arianna today, right?¡± Cassie asked all of a sudden and she felt him stiffen slightly since she was embracing him tightly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± He answered, trying to put the nerves, ¡°But I¡¯m waiting for a sign from Marcel toe over,¡± Victor had only told him he would have Arianna today and didn¡¯t give him further information.

    ¡°However, If I still don¡¯t get any news from them till noon, I¡¯ll have to go there and knows what¡¯s...¡± Kenith didn¡¯t finish the rest of his words because his phone rang.

    He picked it up from his desk and was ted to see that it was Marcel calling. But he intentionally hid his excitement and said with a calm tone, ¡°Hello,¡±

    ¡°Come and get her out of my sight,¡±

    Those were the only words Marcel said and hang up on him before Kenith could even understand what was going on.

    ¡°H-hello? Hello?¡±

    But the call was ended already.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Cassie was quick to ask having witnessed the brief yet tense exchange.

    ¡°It¡¯s Marcel, he¡¯s given me the cue toe over,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news, right?!¡± She was ted.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Kenith said, trying to match her excitement but inwardly, he was thinking hard.

    The way Marcel had informed him toe over was abrupt and suspicious. Did something happen? Or did he be bored of Arianna so quickly? After all, he heard Marcel never does rtionship.

    A smile of unbelief mixed with mockery tugged Kenith¡¯s lips to the sound. Who knew how Arianna must be feeling at the moment?

    Truthfully speaking, Kenith didn¡¯t have many feelings for Arianna but like most of the men out there, he was attracted to the new doll aka Arianna while keeping his precious doll aka Cassie in the dark and by his side as a means of indemnity if things go wrong.

    One of the reasons he had been attracted to Arianna was because of her innocent, the girl was so naive it was cute. But then, it must have all been an act considering what she did with Marcel. They must have had a wild night.

    Although Kenith was mad Marcel had her before him, Arianna was left for him now. He was sure Marcel would not interfere with her matters having gotten what he wanted.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Cassie roused him from his thought by cupping his cheek, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± she looked at him in concern.

    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± Kenith smiled brightly at her and then kissed her once more on the forehead before picking up his phone to inform his men to prepare.

    It was time to capture their boss¡¯ runaway wife.

 Chapter 93

    93 [Bonus chapter]Victor Infiltrated Her Dream

    Mimi found herself staring out at an empty stage. How the hell did shee here and what is the name of the lord was she doing here? She wondered.

    Before she could think further, a powerful spotlight that made her shade her eyes from the re appeared and when the intensity decreased, she looked up to discover that Victor was suddenly standing there.

    He struck a pose like those male strippers at a club and was bare from head to toe except for the towel hung loosely around his waist. She had a feeling what he was about to do.

    Strip dance.

    Slow sensual music began to y from God knows where and he began to whine his waist to the rhythm. What the fuck?

    The scene was freaky in the sense that there was no one else but her in this ce. There was just something forbidding about it, like that feeling you get in a horror movie.

    Mimi found out this was a theater and while Victor was performing on the stage, she looked down to discover she was in the judge¡¯s seat and even had a scorecard in her grip as if she was going to rate his performance after he was done.

    ¡°Oh, God!¡± Mimi gasped and dropped the scorecards, startled. What the hell was going on?

    She tried to stand up but she couldn¡¯t as her butt was glued to the seat. Oh no, this can¡¯t be happening.

    .....

    Her attention was moved back to Victor who seemed to have reached the climax of his performance and his hands were moving down to the towel on his waist.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± she gulped, knowing what time it was. He was going to strip!

    As if he was trying to build anticipation, Victor reached slowly for the towel, teasing her when she wanted this to be over.

    Then, he let the towel drop.

    Mimi shut her eyes because she didn¡¯t want to see him naked. It was a shocking sight! However, she couldn¡¯t close her eyes forever especially now the arena had gone eerily quiet.

    Fine, this is it! Why should she be scared anyway? It wasn¡¯t like this was the first time she saw him naked? She even watched him have sex for christ¡¯s sake.

    So Mimi bravely opened her eyes and scanned Victor who had gone creepily still. Yet her eyes couldn¡¯t help but scan down his body, since he wanted her to watch, why shouldn¡¯t she ept the invitation. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t the only man she had seen naked ¨C she had seen everything that was to see in a man¡¯s body.

    But when her eyes fell upon his biological structure, Mimi¡¯s eyes widened and a strangled scream left her mouth.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± She cried out, horrified.

    It was quite a terrifying scene because Victor was missing his private part as if it had been cut off since the stub he had left was bleeding. Mimi was so frightened that sweat formed on her forehead. This had to be a nightmare.

    However, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, Mimi suddenly felt something slimy in her grasp and she turned around slowly with dread, only to see that Victor¡¯s missing member was pulsing in her hand.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Mimi screamed in horror, tossing away the member that fell on the floor while she stumbled away in fear. This was not happening? Mommy, she was so scared!

    But she bumped into Victor that appeared out of nowhere and tears filled her eyes.

    ¡°Please let me go,¡± She pleaded with him.

    But Victor simply showed off his mischievous smile and then raised his hand for her to see that it held the pulsing member she was sure she had tossed away.

    He said, ¡°You said the next time I pulled a stunt like that, you¡¯d crush me till there¡¯s nothing left,¡± Victor reminded her of her promise.

    ¡°I did it once again,¡± He hinted at the strip dancing, ¡°But to save you the energy, I cut it off myself and now it¡¯s left for you to crush it like you said you would,¡± Victor added with a creepy smile, ¡°With your teeth,¡±

    Oh God, Mimi went pale, her eyes widening to the size of the moon. This can¡¯t be happening. She tried to run, but it seemed like her feet were stuck to the ground and she couldn¡¯t make a move.

    Victor¡¯s creepyughter increased and he announced, ¡°Say Ahh,¡± bringing his throbbing member to her mouth that opened on its ord without her willing it.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Mimi shouted, shaking her head vigorously. She didn¡¯t want to do this. What was she? A cannibal? Of all things to eat, why his member?

    And just as Victor attempted to put it into her mouth, Mimi woke up from her nightmare with a scream.

    She leaned out of the bed gagging and gasping as if she could see herself swallowing that disgusting thing until she realized that everything had been a dream.

    A bad dream.

    ¡°That asshole!¡± Mimi shouted upon realizing it had been a dream all this while. She felt cheated on as if Victor had yed a prank on her in the spiritual realm.

    ¡°How dare he?!¡± Mimi was so filled with anger that she jumped down from the bed and pulled on her bedsheet.

    She imagined the sheet as Victor and began to hit it on the bed severely, yelling, ¡°Who do you think you are? You dare to infiltrate my dreams as well? Is this payback, huh? Let¡¯s see how you survive this then!¡±

    Mimi continued to hit the bedsheet aka imaginary Victor on the bed and when it seemed like it wasn¡¯t enough, she dumped it on the floor and started to jump on it.

    ¡°Die! Die! Die! Die you pest! How dare you give me a nightmare?! Who do you think you are?¡± She kicked the sheet hard imagining that it was Victor and he was groaning in pain.

    And while she was doing that, the door to her room clicked open and her mother came in.

    ¡°Mimi baby, what is wrong?¡± Her mother asked, having heard her voice from outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, momma,¡± Mimi replied, standing straight and slightly out of breath, ¡°I¡¯m just working out, that¡¯s all,¡±

    ¡°Exercising?¡± her mother¡¯s brows were furrowed in thought, It had almost seemed like she was cursing somebody.

    ¡°If you say so then, breakfast is ready, don¡¯t keep us waiting,¡± the woman announced.

    ¡°Sure mommy,¡± Mimi smiled at her and as soon as the door was closed, the smile fell from her face and turned into a full scowl.

    ¡°You asshole!¡± She picked the bedsheet and went to her bathtub where she turned the tab and began to drown Victor ¨C in her imagination.

    Mimi needed to do this to relieve the anger, else she might kill Victor today when she sees him.

    Sometimes a little madness was a decent therapy.

 Chapter 94

    94 Get Married Before The End Of The Year

    ¡°Morning dad,¡± Mimi greeted her father who was already seated at the dining table before her.

    ¡°Morning my beautiful daughter,¡± the man said with a bright expression, lowering the newspaper he had been reading to get a glimpse of his daughter.

    It was quite obvious that Mimi took after the father with her blonde hair and honey eyes. The only thing she inherited from her mother was her great temper.

    And speaking of her mother, the woman arrived with a frown.

    ¡°I told you no reading of papers at the dining,¡± The woman set the bowl of food at the table before snatching the papers from her husband who grumbled.

    Mimiughed at the little morning drama, her parents were the best couple she had ever seen out there.

    Since she was young, Mimi had never seen her father raise a finger on her mother, and even when they had quarrels, they settled it in their privacy and out of earshot. Her family was a peaceful one.

    The love between them was so obvious that oftentimes Arianna had told her he envied her. Her friend Arianna had only grown up with her father before he died, hence she couldn¡¯t understand the love between parents. Even her uncle and his wife were not an example of a loving couple.

    As an only child, Mimi¡¯s parents treasured and treated her as if she was fragile. That was the reason Mimi had not moved out to live alone as a grown-up. They loved her too much.

    .....

    Honestly, their overprotectiveness can be quite annoying at times which was why Mimi broke out of the bondage at all cost ¨C she doesn¡¯t have to inform them of her every move anymore. But that doesn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t still obedient to their orders.

    Compared to her father, her mother was stricter and her words were most times the final verdict in the house. Sometimes Mimi couldn¡¯t help but wonder how her father was able to live under her. But things worked out between them nheless.

    Each time Mimi stared at them, she knew that was the kind of future she wanted as well. She would fall in love with a guy that treasures her and would even go to the end of the world for her.

    They would have ten children ¨C yeah, that was her n. As an only child, Mimi understood how lonely it could be. That was even the more reason she and Arianna stuck together like glue; they understood what it felt to be lonely. She would give birth to so many children till her eggs were finished.

    After her parents were done with their childish banters, they all settled down and were eating breakfast when her father noticed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not rushing,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi was confused.

    ¡°Usually, you are always in a hurry to eat so you don¡¯t make itte to work,¡± Her father reminded her.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mimi said, ¡°About that, I changed jobs already,¡±

    ¡°You did?¡± Her mother was now interested and Mimi gulped down saliva. She was the reason why Mimi had not disclosed the news in the first ce. Let¡¯s just say in this house, there was no room for secrets.

    ¡°Yes, I did. A week ago? I think?¡±

    ¡°A week?!¡± Both mother and father shouted, ¡°And you didn¡¯t care to inform us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a job. I¡¯m still a barista, just in a different setting,¡± she exined to her best.

    ¡°In a different setting such as.....?¡± her mother¡¯s brows were raised which was equivalent to ¡®we need more information, honey¡¯.

    Mimi groaned inwardly, ¡°I work privately this time. My employer bought me off from my former boss and unlike the other job, I have more free time on my hands to do what I want,¡± she exined.

    But her father groaned, ¡°Instead of wasting time like this, why note to my -¡±

    ¡°Daddy,¡± Mimi cut him off before the end of his sentence.

    Mimi was from a middle-ss family and while her father had a small factory she could manage, she preferred to live carefreely. So unlike Arianna who had to work in the coffee shop because she needed the money, Mimi did it because it was enjoyable and interesting.

    ¡°A-hem,¡± the man intentionally cleared his throat and looked away having noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere.

    Thest time they had this kind of conversation, Mimi left the house for nearly a month and he didn¡¯t want a repeat of that. He nearly missed his daughter to death during that period.

    ¡°So what¡¯s your new working ce like?¡± her mother inquired.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really call it a working ce, I would say he just hired my services,¡±

    ¡°He?¡± her mother only heard that word.

    Here we go, Mimi rolled her eyes towards heaven. She was not ready for this conversation.

    ¡°Mom, he¡¯s off-limits. Moreover, we don¡¯t even meet that much since I¡¯m still under training,¡± she tried to clear the misunderstanding only to pique her father¡¯s interest.

    ¡°Training?¡± the man had a suspicious look.

    ¡°My new boss has a special way of taking his coffee and I have to master the skill of making it without mistake. But then, his cousin is helping me with that,¡± she tried to put Victor in a positive light as much as she wanted to badmouth him. But Mimi might as well quit her job if her parents dares to hear what transpired between her and Victor.

    ¡°His cousin?¡± her mother¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°You mean the same boss has a cousin?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my teacher,¡± Mimi said innocently.

    ¡°Why is he your teacher? Why can¡¯t your boss hire his cousin if he loves his coffee so much? Why you?¡± her father asked.

    ¡°Is the cousin more handsome than your boss? No, are they both unmarried?¡± her mother was madly curious.

    And just like that, Mimi found herself bombarded by questions from both of her parents at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯m ufortable with your new job¡±

    ¡°Between your boss and his cousin, who do you feel morefortable with?¡±

    ¡°What does your boss do for a living?¡±

    ¡°Is your boss an only child?¡±

    And Mimi wasn¡¯t able to take it in anymore.

    ¡°Mom! Dad! Stop it!¡± She screamed at them.

    ¡°That startled me!¡± Her mother eximed, hand on her chest.

    ¡°I get a new job, you both should be congratting me not killing me with questions,¡± She cried out.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Her parents shouted, faking their enthusiasm when all they needed was answers to their questions.

    Mimi simply sighed, at this rate, she would get married before the end of the year.

 Chapter 95

    95 The Scream From Downstairs

    Mimi intentionally decided to go to workte today knowing that Victor would be in bed as usual. She knew about the partyst night since that Marcel had invited her over.

    But she declined his offer knowing the tense rtionship between her and Victor. Knowing his kind of personality, Mimi was sure that he would try to exact vengeance on her but she was not scared. Moreover, she got Marcel on her side.

    If she doesn¡¯t learn faster, she would put the whole of the me on him and Marcel must know of his cousin¡¯s tendencies. In one word, she was covered.

    She had already dressed up to leave and made it downstairs only for her mother to appear in her way suddenly, startling her.

    ¡°Mother!¡± She eximed, trying to calm her racing heart.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I was just trying to be done with it before you left,¡± She said.

    ¡°Huh? Done with what?¡± Mimi was confused by her statement only for her mother to lift a food sk and all blood drained from her face. God, this can¡¯t be happening.

    ¡°No, no, mother -¡±

    ¡°You should give this to your teacher first and then tomorrow I can prepare another one for your boss,¡± Shemanded amid Mimi¡¯s plea.

    .....

    ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t do this,¡± Mimi refused, trying to return the sk into her mother¡¯s arms but the woman only pushed it back to her chest.

    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t do it?¡± She frowned at her attitude, ¡°Moreover, this is not the first time I sent food to friends and neighbors,¡±

    ¡°This is my teacher for Christ¡¯s sake. Moreover, I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t eat this kind of food. They are so rich that they hire professional cooks to make their meal,¡±

    ¡°Then exin to them that it was prepared by me with love, care, and attention. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been long that they eat food prepared with a mother¡¯s affection,¡± The woman was so proud of her handwork.

    She could not beat this woman in an argument, it became clear to Mimi and so she gave in. Her mother was the most stubborn person she had ever seen ¨C with Arianna taking the second position, says the kettle calling the pot ck.

    ¡°Fine, I would do it but don¡¯t me me when he doesn¡¯t ept the food,¡± Mimi reminded her of the possibility of that happening.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Her mother agreed to her relief.

    Good then.

    In that case, instead of throwing away the food her mother cooked with so much love, when Mimi arrives at Marcel¡¯s ce, she would give the food to one of the guards she¡¯s familiar with. But then, her mother had other ns.

    ¡°When he finishes the food, don¡¯t forget to make him thank me properly over a phone call,¡± her mother added and Mimi felt like crying.

    For sure, she could set the call up as well but what was the use when her mother founds out she lied eventually.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Mimi agreed knowing there was no way she could refuse Victor the food now. Gosh, she hated this!

    Mimi boarded the arranged taxi that brings her back and forth to Marcel¡¯s ce on a routine. As developed as Marcel¡¯s neighborhood was, it was hard to grab public transport there.

    She could almost say that everyone in that vicinity owned a car because there was not a trace of a taxi nor a bus and she would have to leave the street entirely to get a ride.

    It was quite annoying to be honest because most of the taxi drivers refused toe to the district for reasons best known to them. She had to triple the amount she paid on a normal basis just to hire this particr driver before he agreed to take her.

    She wondered what they were so scared of. Yes, it was true that the houses here were intimidating and Marcel¡¯s mansion alone covered hectares ofnd ¨C plus his men carried about weapons they were licensed to for protection. But that was all. It was not like they would shoot an innocent citizen on sight, right?

    Mimi noticed something was off in the atmosphere before she even stepped foot in the mansion. The guards stood a lot straighter, their faces grim as if they were mourning or something. The tension was great and suffocating. Mimi was sure that something happened.

    They even searched her ¨C it was a first ¨C and had to inspect her food sk before she was granted ess into the house. As expected, Victor was not present in their working ce aka the kitchen for their lessons.

    Mimi decided to wait in the living room as she does on other days, however, the awkward silence and the vignt look of the men guarding the ce made her pretty much ufortable. They were staring at her like a suspect, and that made her brows furrow. What was going on?

    Unable to stand the awkwardness anymore, Mimi decided the lion¡¯s den aka Victor¡¯s room was pretty much cozier than here ¨C she just hoped he wasn¡¯t having sex again.

    He must be sleeping, Mimi thought. She would have to drag his ass down here ¨C and try not to kill him. Once the lesson¡¯s over, she¡¯d leave as fast as her feet can take her. She didn¡¯t like today¡¯s atmosphere at all.

    Unlike thest time, nobody stopped her from entering Victor¡¯s room and only gave her curious looks.

    So she burst into the room.

    ¡°Seriously, what time is -!¡±

    Mimi stopped short at the scene before her.

    ¡°Holy mother of God!¡± Mimi eximed at the scene of limbs mixed in a mess of bodies. The girls on his bed were much, about eight of them. Don¡¯t tell her that Victor did it with all of themst night. If that was the case, his stamina was terrifying.

    Almost immediately, one of the sleeping girls stirred awake and struggled to separate from the others. When she finally sat up, the girl yawned and stretched her body before her gaze fell on Mimi.

    She grinned, ¡°If you¡¯reing to join us now, you¡¯rete,¡±

    ¡°J-join y-you?¡± Mimi stammered, traumatized by the scene. Why would she join them? This was too much even for her.

    But the girl asked her, ¡°Where is Victor?¡±

    Good question, where was Victor?

    As if they somehow conjured his presence, Victor appeared from his walk-in closet, all dressed up. His gaze immediately fell on Mimi and his face changed. For good or bad? She couldn¡¯t tell.

    However, Mimi heard a scream from downstairs and it was so familiar that her ears perked up while the hairs on her body stood on edge.

    No way, how was that possible?

 Chapter 96

    96 It Had To Go Well

    The sun rays sneaking through the curtains woke Arianna from her sleep. Her body had recovered the deprived rest it needed.

    She couldn¡¯t tell how long her eyes were shut, but there was no doubt that had been the best sleep she had gotten since she arrived here. There was no nightmare like the previous nights, just a hot, sizzling.... dream?

    Arianna instantly sat up with a baffled expression. That was a dream, right? Or perhaps, she had a dream inside a dream? This was not the first time she experienced such aplicated dream.

    ¡°No way,¡± Arianna shook her head unsure, her hand going to touch her lips where she vividly remembered the feel of Marcel¡¯s lips on her. It felt soft and super real now that she was relishing the dream.

    Then her memory moved to when Marcel slipped his finger inside of her and her breath hitched. Arianna gulped down saliva because she felt a little sore down there while remembering every single detail of the encounter.

    Arianna groaned, holding her head with her hand when she recalled another important detail.

    [Now, you are going to close your eyes and pretend this never happened. It was all a dream, you get me?]

    But then, it was not a dream.

    ¡°Oh God,¡± Arianna cried out, pulling at her hair. She wanted to die, no, she deserved to die. How could she do this after her resolve in the same night?!

    .....

    Yes, Arianna couldn¡¯t deny the fact that she was sexually attracted to Marcel, but she had to own a firm control over it. Going forth between Elijah and Marcel made her feel like a slut. She can¡¯t be in love with two men nor could what she had with Elijahpare to the lust she felt for Marcel.

    Although Elijah left her, Arianna would never regret the little time with him. Even if Elijah didn¡¯t like her as much as she liked him, he was the first man to show her what a good rtionship should look like.

    With Elijah, she wanted a future but with Marcel, it was just sexual gratification ¨C they wanted to satisfy their flesh. She understood the pattern; she was his new fling and until he -Marcel- finally has his way with her, she¡¯d lose her fascination.

    But Arianna couldn¡¯t understand the fact he let gost night. Yesterday... A-hem, when they had been ¡°busy¡±, Marcel had every opportunity to sleep with her since her defenses were down. Why didn¡¯t he? Why did he stop?

    In that state, Arianna was sure they would have gone to the end yet he held himself back. Why? Was this a game and he was building anticipation? Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to be scared or thrilled.

    Almost immediately, the door to her room was opened and a female staff walked in with a shopping bag.

    ¡°You are awake,¡± She said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna said, a bit of color in her cheeks as she tugged the polo shirt down her thighs. She didn¡¯t need to guess what was going on in that woman¡¯s head.

    No, everyone in this house must think Marcel banged her already. After all, what was she? She was nothing but a hostage and had no right here. They must see her as a pretty decoration for Marcel to use whenever he pleased. She hated this.

    That realization chased every stupid thought out of Arianna¡¯s head. She now knew her ce in this hell hole and all she would ever be ¨C if she doesn¡¯t escape. There was no future here.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Arianna asked, putting up a fake smile amid her shame. She hoped to God that it wasn¡¯t one of Marcel¡¯s lovers who hade to mock and gloat about her situation. Arianna was in the mood to spill some blood ¨C if that was the case. Her resentment has reached her limit.

    ¡°Oh, this,¡± The woman said and walked further into the room to drop the bag on the bed, ¡°Boss had me shop some clothes for you. I hope you don¡¯t mind if the clothes don¡¯t exactly fit,¡± she said.

    Arianna¡¯s brow quirked, ¡°Marcel did?¡± she only heard that part of the story.

    ¡°He said you should dress up quickly as well,¡±

    ¡°Quickly?¡± Arianna pointed out until she remembered that Marcel once announced she wouldn¡¯t be staying here for long.

    At once, her blood ran cold. Arianna had been so distracted by their little quarrels and intimacy that she forget that same man had other ns for her.

    ¡°Where is he taking me?¡± Arianna asked the girl, hoping that she would give her a hint at least. You know, help out a fellowdy thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not -¡±

    ¡°Please!¡± Arianna cut her off,ing to grab her hand, ¡°You have to help me out,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± thedy snatched back her hand, running off before Arianna could even stop her.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Arianna cursed with a great sigh. What was she going to do? Committing suicide was now out of the question ¨C she didn¡¯t want to die anymore. Why should she give up on her life that easily? There are so many people in the hospital wishing for the free air she¡¯s breathing. Life was precious!

    Perhaps, she was making a huge deal out of nothing. Marcel made it clear that this was a trap for Elijah. Perhaps, this was going to be an exchange like she sees in the movies; her life for the weapons.

    Who knows Elijah must be somewhere ready with Marvel¡¯s weapon and waiting for her arrival.

    She peeped into the bag, the clothes were fine. Marcel must be dressing her up to hand her over to Elijah. That must be the reason why, Arianna held on to that hope.

    With no other choice left, she went into the bathroom where she freshened up and put on the flowered blouse and pants Marcel got her. She put her hair in a ponytail, Arianna needed her hair out of the way if the exchange calls for a fight.

    Now she thought about it, would the exchange even go sessfully. What if Marcel goes back on his promise of giving her to Elijah after he returns the weapon. She knew Elijah, he was a just and honorable mercenary, unlike the sly Marcel.

    No, she had to think positively; everything would go well.

    It had to go well.

 Chapter 97

    97 She Needs To See Marcel

    Steaming hot breakfast was waiting for Arianna when she made it out of the bathroom.

    ¡°Enjoy your meal,¡± A different staff member said to her and left before Arianna could even understand what was going on. Why was everyone avoiding her? They couldn¡¯t even look her in the eyes.

    It was highly suspicious.

    Was something in her face? Arianna even checked her forehead just to be sure.

    Although the nerves were beginning to wear on her, she had not eaten sincest night so her appetite was stirred. Aside from that, Arianna had to be ready for action if things go wrong during the exchange ¨C and that can¡¯t happen on an empty stomach. What if she faints from dizziness?

    Hence she dug into the meal and ate everything without a single remainder. She didn¡¯t even realize she had a huge appetite until now.

    Done, Ariannay back down on her bed to rest. She had eaten so much that she couldn¡¯t even stand. Gosh, her stomach was full.

    Staring at the ceiling, Arianna tried not to think about the journey ahead because she was honestly scared. What if her thoughts of Marcel giving her to Elijah in exchange for his guns was wrong and Marcel was selling her off instead ¨C just like her family did.

    No, Arianna refused to think about that scenario. She had been shielded in Marcel¡¯s mansion for so long that she had forgotten about Big Joe and his crew. Were they still searching for her or had they given up already?

    .....

    She had no choice but to push the matter to the back of her mind. At a moment like this, she had to have faith. Arianna wanted to believe that there was more to Marcel than he shows and the gentle side he revealed to herst night does really exist because.... she was tired of trusting people anymore.

    Arianna really hoped that Marcel was different ¨C she was putting thest of her hope on him. This was thest time she was going to believe in humanity.

    It was a long time before the staff came into the room to clear the utensils and with her, came two guards as well. Arianna¡¯s stomach clenched, this was it.

    ¡°You have toe with us, Miss,¡± One of them said and she stood up without protest.

    But her sight was active, searching for a trace of Marcel. If the exchange was truly going to hold today, Marcel would be present. So where was he?

    Arianna didn¡¯t find Marcel even when they passed the living room, so she surmised he was waiting for her in one of the rooms downstairs. However, when they headed in the direction of the foyer, that was when she knew something was off.

    ¡°Where is Marcel?¡± She asked, stopping abruptly on thest flights of stairs.

    ¡°Move it,¡± The other guard gruffed, applying pressure on her back which was a signal for her to continue moving but Arianna stood her ground.

    ¡°I need to see Marcel!¡± Her voice was firm and she tried to push past them but they blocked her path with their burly and intimidating bodies. They didn¡¯t even budge.

    ¡°It was Marcel¡¯s order to get you downstairs,¡± said the first man that seemed a lot nicer than his other partner.

    ¡°Is that so? Where is Marcel then? Is he downstairs? I bet not. Let me see him now!¡± Arianna shouted at them. This was so frustrating! Why wouldn¡¯t they let her see Marcel?

    ¡°I need to see Marcel! He needs to make that order in front of me?!¡± She said.

    ¡°Really?¡± The other guard snorted, ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± He nudged her on the chest and his partner stood in the way with a warning,

    ¡°Stop it, Samuel,¡±

    ¡°Why should I?¡± The man named Samuel asked, full of disbelief.

    He went on, ¡°Who does she think she is? Just because she shared the boss¡¯ bed, she now thinks she¡¯s special? After what happenedst night, we should be putting a bullet in her head!¡±

    Tears stung Arianna¡¯s eyes and she had never been embarrassed in her entire life. They all think she was a slut. Still, her ears couldn¡¯t help but pick up on the information the man dropped.

    She asked, ¡°What happenedst night? Did something happen?¡±

    But the men turned in her direction immediately with a look that made her gulp. It almost seemed like she wasn¡¯t supposed to know about that.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± the kind one said with no smile.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna shook her head vigorously, ¡°I need to speak with Marcel even if for a minute!¡±

    Without warning, the second guard named Samuel scooped Arianna and threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.

    ¡°No! Let me down! I need to see Marcel! Get me, Marcel, this instant! I want to see that asshole!¡± She was screaming, beating Samuel on the back yet it didn¡¯t hurt him one bit.

    They didn¡¯t slow down until they reached the luxurious foyer where they dropped her on the ground and Arianna was sincerely hurt by the gesture.

    After the dancest night, she thought they were good. But then she must be a fool to think she could buy over their loyalty from Marcel with just a dance.

    Angered, she stood up only to notice that they acknowledged someone¡¯s presence. Thinking that it was Marcel, Arianna turned around with great speed only to suffer the shock of her life.

    Blood drained entirely from her face and it seemed like Arianna would faint very soon as she came face to face with Kenith.

    Her heart skipped a beat and it began to pound so hard she thought it would leap out of her chest.

    ¡°Y-you!¡± A startled gasp left her mouth.

    ¡°Hello Arianna, I believe you had a good time here,¡± Kenith¡¯s smile revealed the rest of the message he didn¡¯t say, ¡®because you won¡¯t be getting that luxury anymore¡¯

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna shook her head and then turned to run back into the house with a great speed only to be stopped by Marcel¡¯s men as if they knew her mind.

    Oh God, this had to be a nightmare. Someone, please tell her that she was still stuck in a dream.

 Chapter 98

    98 [Bonus chapter]He Broke Her First

    Music rmendation: Freya _Ridings ¨C lost without you

    ¡ª¨C

    It all now made sense to Arianna what Marcel meant when he said he was setting a trap for Elijah.

    She had thought he would try to take him out during the exchange deal, but her premonition was wrong ¨C because there was no trade happening at all.

    Marcel was handing her over to her enemies and the moment Elijah tried to rescue her, he would apprehend him.

    So while she had been cozy with Marcel, the young asshole had been busy nning her value and Elijah¡¯s capture. He manipted and fooled her!

    Arianna felt dirty.

    No wonder Marcel couldn¡¯te down and look her in the eyes while handing her over to Big Joe. He knew what he did.

    But at the same time, Arianna wished to see him so she could plead for her life. She can¡¯t return to Big Joe. The man would not only kill her, but he would also crush her spirit. She can¡¯t go back there.

    .....

    So even while the guards tried to stop her, Arianna shouted and pleaded for Marcel with urgency. He had to save her; he was her only source of hope right now.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She screamed with all of her might, tears freely running down her cheeks, ¡°Please, Marcel! Don¡¯t do this to me!¡± She begged.

    ¡°Get her!¡± Kenith ordered the men beside him seeing that Arianna was causing a ruckus that had attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Arianna screamed when the guards let go of her only for Kenith¡¯s people to grab onto her.

    She turned and headbutted into the one by her right with all of her strength before punching in the other one in the guts.

    As petite as Arianna was, the adrenaline rush has given her great strength and bravery. She had to fight for her survival!

    Thanks to her unexpected attack, Arianna managed to slip through them. However, instead of going straight at the guards that were ready to capture her, she broke into a sprint in the other direction. Thus, it became a chase.

    They all knew her intention and it was to see Marcel. And from the way they guarded the staircase, it became clear to Arianna that Marcel was upstairs. She just had to bypass them and go up, but that was easier said than done.

    For once Arianna was thankful that the foyer was spacious and she was able to spread out and easily slip through the men that wanted to catch her. Arianna knew the moment they closed in on her, she was finished because she couldn¡¯t fight them off.

    So far her ns of dodging them seem to be seeding until Arianna heard a familiar voice that shouldn¡¯t be here, called her and she looked up.

    ¡°Mimi?¡±

    That moment of distraction cost her because one of the men lunged at her from behind, tackling her to the floor.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± She could hear her best friend¡¯s shock as she was pressed to the ground and a pair of handcuffs mmed down on her wrists while another pair of hands helped to hoist her to her feet.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Arianna called out, their eyes connecting with the same look of confusion and despair in there.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Mimi tried toe to her rescue but Victor grabbed onto her.

    Arianna was more than scared now, she was terrified. What was Mimi doing here? How did she get here? What was going on here, she couldn¡¯t understand anymore?

    She had intentionally kept Mimi in the dark to avoid this kind of scenario yet all of her precautions were for nothing.

    Did Marcel bring her here? If that was the case then he was a bigger monster than she thought! To think that she ever felt pity for him.

    Arianna knew if anything happened to Mimi, she would never forgive Marcel, not in this life or the next toe! The fact that she had been attracted to that devil made her skin crawl.

    ¡°Marcel?!¡± Arianna went back to calling his name when one of Kenith¡¯s men carried her over his shoulder.

    What¡¯s with them picking her up like a sack of potatoes? She has dignity, you know! Not to mention that the position hurt like hell.

    ¡°I hate you, Marcel!¡± Arianna cursed at the top of her voice as they took her away. She cursed ever meeting him and prayed he died a slow, painful death. She hated him! She hated every bit of him! How could he betray her like this?

    ¡°Arianna!¡± She heard her friends calling her once again and her attention shifted to her.

    ¡°Mimi,¡± Arianna cried out, stretching her hand as if she could reach her that way when it was clearly impossible.

    The sight of Victor holding back Mimi was thest thing she saw before they walked through the door.

    Outside, she took onest look at the mansion, and by chance, her eyes caught a familiar figure by the window.

    Her eyes widened and hope red inside of her, ¡°Marcel,¡± She whispered. She had to get to him.

    When Kenith¡¯s men dumped her in the backseat of their car, Arianna was swift enough to kick the man away, giving her an opening to escape.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna called him, running with all of her might that her lungs hurt while her arms were cuffed to her back like some criminal.

    But the men were much faster than her this time that they caught up to her. Arianna fought back fiercely and that got her a p in the face that made her so dizzy she fell to the ground.

    Even on the floor, Arianna didn¡¯t take her eyes off the window, calling his name desperately toe to her rescue. Only he could save her now.

    But he didn¡¯te.

    Marcel didn¡¯t save her even when they pressed that drugged rag against her nose, trying to render her unconscious. He stood watching as she prayed for an angel to save her.

    That was when Arianna knew she had been wrong all this time. Marcel was not an angel, but the devil that came to steal, kill and destroy.

    And he broke her first.

    No, all of them were just the same, Arianna thought as darkness took over.

 Chapter 99

    99 Its Elijah

    Marcel thought there was a future between them. No, he made the mistake of thinking that there would be one. He went to bed with various ns on how to keep Arianna by his side.

    He knew it was selfish but then, he had never been a good person from the very beginning. Taking care of the Red Giant was not an issue since they were just a minor gang, but the problem was Elijah. Even as a one-man team, he¡¯s caused enough trouble for him.

    Getting his guns was a priority before it escted. He might have the chief of police on a leash but the mayor of the city would do everything to rid the streets of guns and drugs to gain good public opinion for his next tenure.

    But Marcel pushed those thoughts to the back of his head as he fell asleep. He will think of a solution tomorrow. So he slept on the couch that was in his office even though hisfortable bed was not far away.

    There was an option of sharing a bed with Arianna but Marcel knew himself well, there¡¯s no way that is not going down. He wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his hands to himself.

    Thus, he slept off with a satisfied smile on his face knowing that she slept peacefully on his bed. Tomorrow would be a better day, he thought.

    Sadly, he was awakened by a phone call quite early in the morning and the call was a nuisance, considering he sleptte. He barely caught a wink.

    Who dared to call him by this time of the morning? Marcel had been prepared to give the caller a piece of his mind only to notice it was the chief of police.

    Why was the man calling him this early? Marcel honestly wanted to ignore the call but something bugged him so he picked up only to receive the bad news.

    .....

    There had been an ident.

    The only thing Marcel remembered after the call was him going to Victor¡¯s room and pulling him out from the tangle of women he was buried under.

    He didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the scene before him, it was not a secret that Victor had a hedonistic lifestyle neither was it his business. Every one of them had their own demons to face and there was no one to judge them.

    Marcel went to the ident scene, or would he say, one of them. There were a total of three idents yesterday and all of them involved the members of his gang.

    In summary, Marcel lost five peoplest night while six were Injured. Out of the dead, one of them had been his caporegime (captain); three of them were his Soldatos (soldiers); thest one had been a woman from the escort agency.

    As expected, the ident was supposed to draw attention but after finding out it involved the members of the Luciano n, the incident was silenced.

    However, nothing can be hidden under the sun, hence even if the news manages to slip, every fact and number of casualties would be manipted and changed. The incident would be med on drunk driving since the victims had been intoxicated before taking off.

    Thankfully the incident had happened at night when there was less movement and no loss of innocent lives, which would have been more problematic.

    ¡°Although the investigation is still ongoing, the testimony from the survivor ims that it was brake failure. One moment they were driving and the next they couldn¡¯t stop. Before they could do a thing, it was toote,¡± said the team leader that the Chief of police directed him to.

    But Marcel kept looking around as if he coulde up with evidence the police currently working on the scene hadn¡¯t seen.

    ¡°Three incidents in one night and all as a result of a brake failure,¡± Victor mused, shaking his head, ¡°Sounds fishy. Who did we offend this time?¡±

    ¡°More like who did I offend?¡± Marcel said, then turned to the team leader, ¡°Have you checked the surveince camera around the restaurant. If something was done to the cars, it should be during that period,¡±

    ¡°Ah, not yet but I have footage. We concentrated more on the scenes of the idents,¡± the detective said, fishing out his cellphone.

    He went through several folders in his file before opening one and handed the phone to Marcel, saying, ¡°That¡¯s a two-hour duration video. I was hoping to look into it when I returned to the station,¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the time frame?¡± Marcel asked, he didn¡¯t care how long the videosted.

    ¡°The camera captures the surroundings and features the moment the first car drove in till thest that left the restaurant that night. I made sure my men brought the best resolution,¡± the detective tried to please them with his services.

    But Marcel was not in the mood to appreciate his bootlicking, he simply yed the video while Victor leaned towards him to get a good view of the video.

    Marcel fast-forwarded the beginning knowing that the perpetrator must have waited for everyone to arrive and settle before he struck. And it was in the process of forwarding it that he caught a blur and he stopped immediately.

    His suspicions were right, Marcel confirmed as he observed the suspect¡¯s silhouette as he moved deftly from car to car, manipting the brakes while his ignorant men were inside the building, drunk out of their senses.

    No matter how hard he squinted, Marcel couldn¡¯t make out the identity of the assant since it waste and the damn bastard knew how to manipte the camera angle as if knowing he would be watchedter.

    However, what pissed Marcel was the fact that the assant stepped right into the camera after he was done, his face showing and iming responsibility for what happened.

    ¡°That damn bastard!¡± Victor was furious, ¡°Who is that and what gang does he work for because I swear to God if I don¡¯t -¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Elijah,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter 100

    100 It Was For Her Good

    ¡°What?!¡± It almost seemed as if a stone hit Victor hard in the head when he heard that. He looked at Marcel to see if he was joking but the unsmiling face told him all he needed to know.

    ¡°He¡¯s sending a message to me,¡± Marcel told him.

    Victor rubbed his temple, ¡°What does he want...?¡± he remembered, ¡°Arianna. It¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Marcel merely nodded.

    ¡°In that case, we should take Arianna and torture her, that would send our message to him as well,¡±

    ¡°That is not going to happen,¡± Marcel growled, going against the idea immediately. He couldn¡¯t even stomach the idea of Arianna being tortured, not to talk of watching it on camera.

    ¡°You¡¯re against it?Why?¡± Victor huffed, ¡°Because she¡¯s special after you¡¯ve fucked her?!¡±

    Marcel¡¯s eyes reflected guilt for a moment, then hardened as he warned Victor, ¡°Stop it,¡±

    ¡°What? Stop it? What¡¯s wrong with torturing the little bitch, huh? It has always been our modus operandi? Or have you fallen for her? Tell me, Marcel!¡± Victor asked, staring him straight in the eyes. His back was rigid and straight, his lips trembling a bit from anger.

    .....

    ¡°Stop spouting such nonsense!¡± Marcel raised his voice on him.

    ¡°Oh God,¡± Victorughed sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re protecting her,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not protecting- !¡±

    ¡°We lost four of our people all thanks to her!¡± Victor screamed at his face, ¡°Ever since that girl appeared, she¡¯s been nothing but trouble! First, you kill for her, and now this! Gosh, Marcel, you of all people should know how dangerous emotions is for you!¡±

    At once, Marcel grabbed Victor by the shirt and hitched him up, ¡°And you of all people should know how to control your emotions. Torturing Arianna would do nothing but bring trouble for us. Elijah has only her to lose but I have everything to lose!¡± he screamed into his face drawing the attention of the policemen working on the scene of the ident. But they all looked away, pretending not to be interested in their quarrel.

    ¡°We can torture Mimi then, Arianna can cry watching that and we can send the footage to Elijah,¡± Victor still had a lot of ideas on how to get back at Elijah.

    Although he wasn¡¯t close to the men who died, they were one of their own and the Luciano n was good at protecting their people.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Marcel shook him as if that would bring back his senses, ¡°We would go ording to ns and I promise you the instant we get our hands on Elijah, you can pour down your rage on him,¡±

    It took time for Victor to ept that suggestion, nheless, he was beneath Marcel in authority and had to obey.

    ¡°Fine. So what do we do now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sticking to the ns,¡± Marcel said as he picked up his phone and called Kenith.

    The instant the call was answered, Marcel said, ¡°Come and get her out of my sight,¡± hanging up before the man could even say a word.

    After the call was done, Marcel met with the detective and gave instructions to keep the case under wraps. Even if it leaked, they knew how to handle it.

    It was eight in the morning by the time they returned to the base and Marcel didn¡¯t dare to go into his room knowing that Arianna was there. He didn¡¯t know how to face her with the guilt in his heart.

    Marcel was burdened by his sense of duty towards the gang and his urge to protect Arianna. His people died because of her, he shouldn¡¯t care ¨C and yes he didn¡¯t care ¨C but he couldn¡¯t stand to watch her get hurt. Not while he had the power to stop it.

    Even while he ryed the news to his soldiers, he didn¡¯t dare to go into details of the ident and he saw the look of disappointment in Victor¡¯s eyes. If not done that way, Marcel was sure that Arianna would be assassinated right under his nose.

    Some of his men had been friends with the ones who died and they would surely want to avenge them, feasting on the weaker prey aka Arianna. So he had to get her out of here as soon as possible before they figured it out or Victor ran his mouth. His cousin was angry now.

    Hence it came as a huge relief when he peered through the windowter on and discovered that members of the Red Gang had arrived to take her.

    Soon, she¡¯d be far away from here and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her ass anymore.

    Marcel thought so until he heard her scream and his heart lurched. It took him everything not to run out of the office he locked himself in and rescue her.

    ¡°Marcel!¡±

    ¡°I need to speak to Marcel!¡±

    He heard the desperation in her voice yet he hardened his heart. This was for her good, moreover, he warned her on time ¨C it woulde to this in the end.

    Marcel never knew he would have such self-control to block out a girl¡¯s cry. He always found crying and tantrums annoying, but with each scream from Arianna, it seemed to squeeze his heart, causing him pain.

    Why was he feeling this way? Arianna¡¯s fate was none of his business. They had an ill fate and it was his responsibility to put the needs of the n above any other. He had sworn to protect it and one little redhead would not make him go against it.

    Thus, Marcel made up his mind until she was dragged outside and he was staring out the window. Call it coincidence, but their eyes managed to meet from that distance and his heart skipped a beat.

    Marcel watched as she fought furiously trying to reach him, his name never leaving from her mouth. Yet, he stood in his office, unmoving. He was doing the right thing.

    However, his eyes widened when he saw one of them p Arianna causing his fist to clench immediately. How dare they?!

    But he didn¡¯t do a thing, no, he couldn¡¯t. Marcel stood watching as they overpowered and drugged Arianna yet she never stopped calling for him as if he was her messiah until she lost consciousness.

    ¡°It was the right thing to do,¡± Marcel kept on telling himself even when he felt a lump in his throat and a hollow feeling in his chest.

    He felt empty.

 Chapter 101

    101 Be A Cannibal

    Arianna knew even before she awoke that there was trouble in the air. So when she sat up to see Kenith leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and staring straight at her, she gulped fearfully.

    How long has she been out and has he been watching her all along? It was creepy.

    ¡°It¡¯s high time already,¡± Kenith hinted at her waking up. He pushed his body off the wall and stood straight, hands in his pocket asking, ¡°Did you have a nice sleep?¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything yet the re she gave him was enough to put a bullet through his head if that was possible.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t get to look at me that way like I¡¯m the bad guy here!¡± He pointed at her, ¡°I gave you everything! I made youfortable here! Made you feel at home and yet what did you repay me with? You took off!¡±

    ¡°This is not my home!¡± Arianna retorted, raising her voice at him, ¡°This is not my home and would never be my home! So you take me back where I¡¯m supposed to be!¡±

    At once Kenith stomped over to her side yet Arianna refused to be intimidated. They can do their worst, she¡¯s no longer scared of them. What more can they do to her anyway? Beat her? Torture her? Well, Marcel already did a good job of crushing her spirit.

    Arianna never took off her gaze even when Kenith leaned towards her and grabbed her chin quite tightly, causing her pain.

    ¡°You have no right to order me,¡± Kenith hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°I have been nice to you since the day you came here and I deserve a little respect from you,¡± He was annoyed by that disdain in her eyes.

    .....

    ¡°Point of correction,¡± Arianna said firmly, ¡°I didn¡¯te here on my own, you were the one who took me here, neither did I ask you to be nice to me because it never made a difference anyway,¡± She spat.

    No, Kenith¡¯s kindness did make a difference but Arianna was so angry and frustrated she didn¡¯t care anymore. They could beat her ¨C she needed the pain anyway. Arianna needed to be reminded why she should have never been involved with people like this ¨C with people like Elijah and Marcel.

    She must have been stupid to think that her life would be peaceful after messing with danger. Nobody puts their hand in the me and expects not to be burned. She yed with fire and has been scorched down to her soul.

    At once, Kenith released his grip and began tough. Heughed so hard that he fell back on the bed and stood up again as theughter faded, reced by a cold, murderous look in his eyes that sent goosebumps down her arm.

    Without warning, Kenith grabbed her chin once again with a force that made her wince, her eyes watering. Arianna didn¡¯t want to cry but the pain was too much; he was hurting her.

    ¡°So I¡¯m the bad guy now and Marcel¡¯s what? Your messiah?¡± Kenithughed, however, the crinkles around his eyes were so sardonic Arianna was beginning to fear for her life. He looked like a psychopath.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re hurting me,¡± Arianna managed to speak above the pain. It almost seemed like he wanted to crush her jaw.

    However, Kenith didn¡¯t even look like he was listening because he went on with his usation, ¡°I¡¯m the bad guy because I decided to give you a good life with Big Joe and Marcel who does nothing for you, you open your legs for him?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Arianna cried out. The trees were freely flowing down her cheeks now.

    As if God finally heard her prayers, he released her jaw but he moved to her scalp instead. Kenith clutched a fistful of her hair, tangling his hand with it, and pushed up her face so he was looking down into it.

    Arianna didn¡¯t know which one was worse now, the jaw or the hair. Her scalp was tingling in pain and her hand moved to his grip in her hair, trying to loosen it. At this rate, she would suffer massive hair loss.

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about Marcel?¡±

    ¡°Nothing!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Kenith screamed at her face, ¡°I know that you slept with him. Why do you think he¡¯s done with you already?¡±

    Arianna wanted to defend herself badly. Do people assume that just because she was pretty and pursued greatly by men, she let every one of them into her pants?

    But what was the use? No matter what she said now, Kenith was already biased against her and why should she even exin herself to him? It was none of his business.

    ¡°So what?¡± She challenged him.

    ¡°What?¡± Kenith was confused.

    ¡°I slept with Marcel and I¡¯m his slut as you say, what has that got to do with you?¡± Arianna told him, her swollen red eyes boring into his with intensity, ¡°I don¡¯t owe anyone but Big Joe an exnation!¡± She was not scared of death anymore. They could do whatever they wanted with her.

    After that outburst, a tensed silence reigned between them until an unsettling smile appeared on Kenith¡¯s face, ¡°In that case, why not be my slut as well?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± All color drained from Arianna¡¯s face and she didn¡¯t have time to brace herself before Kenith pulled her down by the neck and kissed her.

    What the hell?

    There was nothing romantic nor electrifying about the kiss, just Kenith¡¯s primal need to dominate her. At once, her eyes flew open and Arianna ced both of her hands on his shoulder, trying to push him away.

    Unfortunately, Kenith was all male and powerful and the more she tried to push him away, the further it made him excited because he saw her gesture as her trying to y hard to get. In his twisted mind, he thought she wanted this as well.

    But when his tongue moved inside her mouth, Arianna bit his tongue so hard she might as well have be a cannibal.

 Chapter 102

    102 Big Joe Was Her SuperHero

    Sensitive Scene Ahead....

    Arianna biting on Kenith¡¯s tongue made me jerk away from her as if he was electrocuted. His expression was livid; he never expected she would go to the extent of trying to bite his tongue. The pain was much and his tongue felt numb.

    ¡°You bitch!¡± He roared, pping her across the face. The pain from the p was so great that Arianna saw stars.

    ¡°Fine, since you want it this way then,¡± Kenith totally lost it.

    Arianna hardly recovered from the p only to feel Kenith¡¯s hands on her body trying to take her blouse off.

    Her eyes widened, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± She screamed, trying to kick him away but he grabbed her legs and straddled her.

    ¡°I gave you an option yet you threw it away. Now you don¡¯t get one anymore!¡± He growled, trying to strip her.

    But Arianna fought him back fiercely; she would rather die than let him have her.

    ¡°Big Joe would never forgive you for this!¡± She threatened Kenith, hoping that would stop him.

    .....

    But Kenithughed at her instead, ¡°Big Joe?¡± He scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s so far away that he wouldn¡¯t know what happens to you. And don¡¯t even think you can tell on me?¡± He told her as if knowing what was on her mind.

    Kenith stopped yanking on her cloth that Arianna held so tight, however, he leaned closer so that his breath was hitting her face and said, ¡°Big Joe would take your head off first after he sees your pole dancing video,¡±

    Arianna was stunned, how did he know about the dance? Then it hit her, anyone could have taken the video that night.

    And that slight distraction was all Kenith needed as he ripped her blouse apart. Arianna screamed and tried to put her hands in the way but he snatched them and pinned them above her head.

    ¡°What a beautiful sight,¡± Kenith licked across his lower lipssciviously.

    Arianna was in nothing except for her bra and pants. Thankfully Marcel had not gotten her a dress or skirt else who knows how far Kenith would have gone with her by now.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this¡± Arianna begged him, tears filling her eyes. She never thought Kenith was this kind of person, he had been so kind to her. Previously.

    ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t say the same thing when Marcel had you beneath him,¡± He smirked at her.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong!¡± Arianna began to exin herself desperately, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with Marcel! Please believe me!¡±

    ¡°Really? Marcel didn¡¯t touch you? You didn¡¯t do anything with him?¡± he asked her, brows raised.

    At that question, Arianna gulped slightly and he noticed her nervousness that she covered up immediately.

    She shook her head, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t touch -¡±

    ¡°Of all things, I hate lies the most,¡± Kenith saw through her story and Arianna turned to the side, screaming at once.

    ¡°Help me! Somebody help me!¡±

    ¡°Close that damn mouth!¡± Kenith pped her once more before stuffing her ruined dress in her mouth so she doesn¡¯t scream anymore.

    ¡°I tried to make this moment enjoyable for the both of us but you are one stubborn bitch,¡± Kenith said while undoing his belt.

    Arianna felt so helpless, what was she going to do? She knew nothing good woulde out from being in this ce but she never imagined being r*ped of all things. She was supposed to be married off for crying out loud. Who would save her now? Everyone had abandoned her.

    Kenith was no longer thinking with his brains anymore. He was more excited about trying to have carnal knowledge of the woman before him that when the first knock came on the door, he pushed it to the back of his mind as nothing.

    He was just about to pull his arousal out of his underwear when the second knock came and that annoyed him.

    ¡°Get the fuck out of here, I¡¯m busy!¡± He shouted at whoever was on the door thinking that it was one of his men.

    Kenith focused back on Arianna who seems to be interested at the door thinking she was about to be rescued.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, nobody would disobey my order. Nobody ising for you, Arianna,¡± He gave her a devilish smile, her eyes widening as his hand slipped to his arousal just as the door was kicked open.

    The both of them turned to the source of the disturbance; Kenith was enraged at who dared to disturb him; Arianna hoped she was about to be rescued.

    The big, burly man that stepped out first was unfamiliar to Arianna although she could see a trance of doubt in Kenith¡¯s expression. But another man as burly as the first one stepped in as well and Arianna was even beginning to wonder if by chance Kenith had invited them to join him until the third boy, no, a man entered and Arianna cried tears of Joy.

    Who knew that one day, Big Joe would turn out to be her superhero. He was her superhero! Oh, Thank God!

    One should see the look on Kenith¡¯s face, it was soical that Arianna had the crazy thought of converting it into a meme. However, the severity of her situation dawned on her and she understood that she was in aprising position and Kenith might quickly turn the tide around ¨C even though she was the victim here ¨C if she doesn¡¯t react now.

    Arianna began to scream but because she was gagged, all the sounds that came out of her mouth were muffled. However, she didn¡¯t give a care.

    She continued to protest fiercely, fresh tears that were capable of melting even the coldest heart flowing down her cheeks. She would not let Kenith go scot-free for this.

    All that Big Joe saw when he came in was the scene of his fianc¨¦e protesting while his second inmand tried to have his way with her. His face distorted at once, ¡°Y-you!¡±

    Kenith was so shocked by the unexpected arrival of Big Joe that he didn¡¯t react until the man screamed at him. How was this possible? Big Joe was supposed to be away!

 Chapter 103

    103 His Baby Girl Arianna

    Everything was happening too fast for Kenith to understand. He had been sure that Big Joe was on his way to his travel ¨C he even saw him out. So what happened?

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Arianna broke free from his sp, screaming like a chicken being executed on a Christmas morning before kicking him right on the stomach. And all of this took him by surprise.

    As soon as Arianna kicked Kenith away from her, she jumped from the bed and ran to Big Joe, throwing herself on him but making sure at the same time, she didn¡¯t push him to the ground having the advantage of height there.

    But surprisingly, Big Joe was stronger than he looked and the man caught her by the waist before she could fall to the ground. So Arianna knelt by his side instead.

    ¡°Save me!¡± She cried out, rubbing her palms together, ¡°I¡¯m so scared! Please save me, husband,¡±

    Husband?!

    Even Kenith¡¯s head jerked in her direction at the mention of that title. Although Arianna was indeed frightened by what happened, she had added a bit of acting into the whole thing.

    Big Joe trusted her and she broke it by running away. What were the chances he would believe she didn¡¯t have a thing with his second inmand? None! He doesn¡¯t trust her anymore. So she had to buy him over in this limited time before Kenith strikes.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, husband,¡± She continued to cry, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have run away but your baby girl Arianna was so scared!¡±

    .....

    At the mention of ¡°baby girl,¡± Kenith almost spat blood while Big Joe went red in the face. Even while they had been together, he had not called her sweet names, using her real name instead. But now, ¡°Baby girl¡± doesn¡¯t sound so bad.

    Arianna didn¡¯t care if she woulde to regret these wordster but if being shameless would save her life now, then so be it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have anybody by my side and developed cold feet before our wedding. I deserve your correction but if having him me is your idea of punishment, please reconsider. I¡¯m so scared. Please forgive me!¡± She begged Big Joe frantically and at the same time, pushed all the me to Kenith.

    Well, all the me was on Kenith anyway. She didn¡¯t ask to be assaulted! He deserved whatever came his way.

    It was at that moment that Kenith realized what Arianna was doing, she was erasing every loophole for him to manipte; he could not implicate her.

    ¡°B-boss,¡± Kenith stuttered. He was now scared and his mind was running a thousand miles per minute trying to think of a n to save his head.

    Kenith had not thought in his wildest dream that Big Joe would walk in on them so he didn¡¯te up with a counter n in that scenario. In one word, he was like a child caught red-handed by the mother stealing meat from the pot of soup.

    He scratched the back of his head, ¡°Boss, I can exin -¡±

    But Arianna wouldn¡¯t give him the chance to turn the tide and wailed louder such that Big Joe¡¯s attention shifted from him and went back to her again.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Big Joe. Please forgive Arianna, just don¡¯t hurt me anymore,¡± she tactically reminded Big Joe of Kenith attempting to assault her sexually.

    It seemed that those words inmed the anger in Big Joe¡¯s heart because he turned to Kenith with a livid expression and he knew at that moment that he was finished.

    ¡°Get him out of my sight!¡± Big Joe ordered the men with him, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with himter,¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Both men chorused and strode over to Kenith who tried to outrun them. He wanted to reach Big Joe and exin himself.

    ¡°Boss, please listen to me -!¡± Kenith was snatched off his feet by the burly men before he could evene five meters from Big Joe.

    ¡°Just hear me out! Arianna is bewitching you!¡± He shouted.

    Unfortunately, Arianna used that opportunity to cry the loudest so his words were drowned out by her weepings. But then, even if he heard them, Big Joe was more interested in his wife.

    While Kenith was being dragged away, Arianna turned in his direction and smirked wickedly.

    Checkmate.

    ¡°Enjoy!¡± She mouthed the words to Kenith that caused him to be enraged. Sadly, no matter how much Kenith struggled, he could not break free from their tight vice.

    Themotion attracted members of the gang who wondered what was going on only to see their acting boss being dragged away like a criminal ¨C and one of them was Cassie.

    The door was closed from behind and Big Joe led his ¡°wife¡± Arianna who hadn¡¯t stopped ¡°shaking¡± from the ¡°trauma¡±.

    His heart melted at the sight of her pale face and trembling lips. He would deal with Kenithter for daring to touch what belonged to him!

    ¡°Wait here, I should get you something to -¡± He said, climbing down the bed.

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna stopped him at once, grabbing his hand as if she didn¡¯t want him to leave, ¡°Please don¡¯t go, just stay with me,¡± She begged him.

    ¡°No problem,¡± Big Joe gave up on the idea of getting her a drink to calm her nerves.

    He sat on the bed while Ariannaid her head on his thigh, stretching her legs out on the bed. They didn¡¯t say a thing to each other except for the sound of her sniffles.

    ¡°He said you were not going toe for me,¡± Arianna finally spoke up, ¡°That you traveled and would not even know what happened,¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Big Joe affirmed, running his hand through her hair and strangely enough, Arianna didn¡¯t feel revolted by his touch. Perhaps, she just needed someone tofort him.

    ¡°I needed to leave for a business trip,¡±

    ¡°Why did you return then?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was surprised by hisment. She lifted her face to look at him, asking, ¡°How did you know to return then?¡±

    He smiled, ¡°Someone called to inform me you¡¯d be returning today,¡±

    ¡°Someone did....¡± Arianna trailed off as she thought over the revtion. It couldn¡¯t be...

 Chapter 104

    104 Who Was The Better Man

    ¡°Have you sent flowers and message ra that she would apany me to the funeral service today,¡± Marcel said while working on his silver cuffs.

    He was dressed impably in his ck suit for the event. Although he didn¡¯t dress to impress, Marcel had a good structure plus his drop-dead gorgeous face. His features weresting in one¡¯s memory even at a first meeting.

    Even when Marcel didn¡¯t put any effort, he looked dashingpared to when he cleaned up nicely. However, for such a handsome face, his expression was stoic, giving him a strict and imposing aura. With this impression, he would not be taken for granted wherever he went.

    ¡°Yes, I did, sir. ¡± The man answered him.

    This was an errand Macy would have taken care of if she had been around but until she recovered from her ¡°broken nose¡± her position would be upied by Samuel.

    Samuel was no other than the soldier that had dragged Arianna out of the room and handed her over to Kenith per Marcel¡¯s instructions.

    There was a moment of silence between them as Marcel checked himself through the mirror until he was satisfied with his appearance.

    ¡°And what about the other errand?¡± Marcel asked, pushing back a stubborn strand.

    ¡°Other errand?¡± Samuel was confused until Marcel¡¯s cold gaze cut straight at him through the mirror and he was startled.

    .....

    That hostile gaze from Marcel jump-started Samuel¡¯s memory and he remembered at once.

    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, then cleared his throat, ¡°Of course, I did sir,¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± Marcel said, finally releasing the breath he had been holding in. Since Big Joe has been informed of Arianna¡¯s return, her life would be guaranteed. For now.

    Call it male instinct or his farsightedness, Marcel was able to sense that Kenith didn¡¯t have good intentions towards Arianna.

    Well, it was not hard to figure out since Arianna was a pretty girl and the beautiful ones were usually a beacon for bad men ¨C including him. Yeah, he was not calling the pot ck.

    ¡°But there is something else, ¡°Samuel suddenly said and that made Marcel turn with a deep furrow on his face.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcel felt the ring on his finger, he had a bad vibe.

    ¡°Big Joe was already on his way home before I could send the news,¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Marcel was interested now.

    ¡°ording to my Intel, it seems that he got the news of Arianna¡¯s return before he was informed by our people,¡± Samuel murmured while swallowing a lump as he saw the way Marcel¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°Then who ryed the news if not from our side because I¡¯m sure as hell that Kenith kept his mouth sealed?!¡±

    ¡°That is the problem, sir,¡± Samuel said meekly, his head lowered, ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡±

    But Marcel knew and that made his blood boil.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± Marcel kicked the air, seething with anger. He worked his ties, and after loosening it ¨C because it gave him a suffocating sensation ¨C he tossed it to the ground and stamped on it hard.

    Elijah! Elijah! Elijah!

    Why was that bastard always a step ahead of him?!

    It made Marcel furious! No matter what ns he made, it seemed like Elijah was already ten steps ahead.

    And now, it was no longer a battle of his guns or Arianna, it was a battle ofpetence! Who was the better man?

    Marcel had always deemed himself worthy and capable of his position and ability but Elijah has proved that otherwise by beating him two times in a row. He stepped on his honor and he had to get that back.

    Marcel was determined to prove himself better than Elijah, not only for his gratification but for his legacy as well ¨C and to show Arianna that he was a better option.

    Although releasing that information to Big Joe was not to win points but who knows? Arianna might reconsider when she hears that ¨C as selfish as that sounds. Unfortunately, that won¡¯t be happening anymore since Elijah stole his glory.

    ¡°Boss, are you alright?¡± Samuel couldn¡¯t help but ask when he saw how red Marcel was in the face.

    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Marcel ordered him and the man was more than willing to leave the room. In situations like this, it was better to leave Marcel to battle with his demons all by himself.

    Feeling suffocated again, Marcel opened the top three buttons of his shirt while taking deep breaths just as his door was pushed open and someone walked in without even a knock for privacy¡¯s sake. And of course, he didn¡¯t need to guess who that was.

    Marcel turned to re at Victor who stopped in his tracks only to give him a look over.

    ¡°That is so not fair,¡± Victorined, shaking his head, ¡°I was going for that concept now it would only look like I was copying you. I¡¯m not a copycat, you know.¡± He gestured at Marcel¡¯s shirt left open at the neck.

    Looking at Victor got Marcel further agitated, his cousin was like a nagging wife. Some days it felt like he was really married to him.

    Victor noticed the unsmiling look on Marcel¡¯s face and didn¡¯t bother him anymore knowing one thing could keep his cousin that way.

    Arianna.

    Nor was he ready to start another argument with Marcel. The girl was a sensitive topic for both of them.

    ¡°You are really going to get it from your father today,¡± Victor brought up another serious topic to clear the tension.

    ¡°I know,¡± Marcel said, looking everywhere but at his cousin. He was still pissed off by the fact he wouldn¡¯t support his ns, ¡°Why do you think I¡¯ming with ra?¡±

    Victor chuckled, ¡°You are going to use her as a shield,¡±

    ¡°And to wee her to the hell she¡¯s getting into,¡± Marcel said.

    Victor smiled, ¡°At least your head is back in the game,¡±

    Marcel stiffened, knowing what Victor was insinuating yet he didn¡¯t say anything. Some matters were better left the way it was.

    ¡°So what about Mimi?¡± Victor brought her matter up waiting for a response from his dear cousin who only said,

    ¡°That¡¯s your business to figure out, not mine,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 105

    105 Dealing With A Mad Woman

    Mimi knew that was Arianna from the first scream. Even if she was dead, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize her best friend¡¯s voice. Hence she nned toe to her rescue only to be held back by that asshole.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She red at Victor who grabbed her by the arm.

    ¡°I should be the one asking the question. Where are you going?¡± He asked innocently yet staring into his eyes gave Mimi suspicions she couldn¡¯t chase off.

    ¡°That¡¯s Arianna down there, isn¡¯t it?¡± She asked seriously.

    There was a sh of guilt on his face for 0.1 seconds.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, that¡¯s not Arianna,¡± Heughed, awkwardly.

    All blood drained from Mimi¡¯s face, she hasn¡¯t told Victor about Arianna. Until now. How then did he know about her? The fears in her heart grew.

    Mimi tactically stared down at his grasp on her arm, testing his strength. She studied Victor¡¯s bodynguage, he was on hyper-alert and would catch her if she escaped.

    So Mimi rxed, ¡°You¡¯re right, that can¡¯t be Arianna,¡± Sheughed, ¡°What would be Arianna be doing here?¡±

    .....

    Victor smiled at her as well as if he understood her. Unfortunately, she was not a fool.

    Mimi beat her head, ¡°I must be hearing things now,¡± she turned to him, ¡°But most of all, I¡¯m curious about how you came to know about Arianna,¡± She was not smiling anymore.

    The smiles on Victor¡¯s face died off as well because he was caught off guard and that was the opening Mimi needed ¨C that moment of distraction.

    She broke free and took off like the sh and all that was left in her wake was nothing but dust. Victor barely recovered from the shock only to curse, ¡°Damn it,¡± he went after her.

    ¡°Arianna, I¡¯m here! Arianna!¡± Mimi kept screaming as she made it downstairs only to see that her best friend was ying a game of chase with four men.

    Her throat constricted, it was really Arianna. What was she doing here? Was she working here as well? Mimi hoped that way, but the scene told her otherwise and that was what scared her more. She had this feeling that Arianna was in danger ¨C and she had to help her.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Mimi called to her attention so she could help out.

    It worked because their eyes connected and she could see the shock that spread across her friend¡¯s expression.

    But calling her was a mistake.

    Mimi saw when one of the men lurched at Arianna and wanted to warn her, it was toote. Arianna was tackled to the ground and she was helpless to stop it. No, she could help her by fighting those assholes off.

    That was Mimi¡¯s n and took the first step only for a hand to mp around her arm again and turned her around to who ....?

    Mimi nched upon seeing Victor¡¯s dark gaze, a shiver running down her spine. Since when did he be this scary?

    So she struggled to free herself, her friend was in trouble and she had to escape here. There was something odd about this ce.

    However, her struggles were for nothing because Victor wouldn¡¯t let her be.

    ¡°Let me go asshole!¡± She cried out, striving fiercely with him. But all her pushes were for nothing because he was immovable and as tough as a rock.

    Despair filled Mimi, she turned in the other direction, screaming her friend¡¯s name, ¡°Arianna!¡± She stretched her hand as if trying to reach her but they were far away from each other.

    And just like that, Mimi watched as her friend was taken away by a group of unknown people while Marcel¡¯s soldiers stood watching and did nothing.

    Mimi lost all feeling in her legs and sank to the ground, bringing Victor down with her. She didn¡¯t react for a moment going over the whole scene in her mind while in shock.

    She had been resentful towards Arianna since the day she called to inform her that she wasfortable wherever she was and she ¨C Mimi- shouldn¡¯t look for her.

    Although it wasn¡¯t like Arianna¡¯s character, Mimi imagined she took off with some rich dude she hooked up with without informing her. It was stupid but she had been too angry over her betrayal then.

    The both of them were friends and promised to tell each other everything but Arianna disappeared without notice until that very call. She had been too hurt to think straight until now.

    Now she thought about it, it seems that Arianna was trying to protect her from something, more like people.

    And it was that realization that brought Mimi back to the present only to realize that Victor was by her side. Revolted, she pushed him away with her all of her might that Victor hit his head at the edge of the steel handrails since he was right behind the stairs.

    Even at that, he didn¡¯t hiss nor wince, not that Mimi noticed anyway. She was back on her feet and pretty hysterical.

    ¡°You!¡± she stormed over to Samuel and his partner. Her eyes were furious and her stance was in battle mode. Mimi didn¡¯t care about the consequences of her actions at this moment. All she needed was an exnation.

    ¡°What the hell were you doing?!¡± She pushed him hard on the chest, Samuel stumbling back from the unexpected force, ¡°You were there! You did nothing! You were supposed to help her!¡±

    ¡°Mimi, calm down!¡± Said Samuel¡¯s partner. They were familiar with her since she has beening over the past week.

    ¡°No, you! Don¡¯t tell me to calm down! You don¡¯t get to tell me to calm down! You don¡¯t have the right! Absolutely not!¡± Mimi was in so much anguish, she poked the man on the chest furiously.

    Unfortunately, Samuel had a temper and was pissed off by her attitude, he roared at her,¡± You don¡¯t get to speak to us in this ¨C !¡±

    Samuel didn¡¯t get to finish the rest of hisment because Mimi grabbed him by the shirt to everyone¡¯s surprise. Even Samuel was stunned, this was the first time he got to deal with a madwoman.

    ¡°Mimi, calm down,¡± Victor came up behind Mimi only to receive a jab from her ankle in the jaw. He almost cried out in pain.

    ¡°Bring back Arianna this instant!¡± Mimi was serious as hell as she hitched Samuel by the shirt.

    ¡°Mimi calm -¡± His partner tried to say only to receive a death re from Mimi. Her eyes were so murderous that he shut it instantly. Rest in peace, Samuel.

    Samuel didn¡¯t know what to do. If he was going to release himself, he would have to use blunt force and he wasn¡¯t into hitting women.

    He was still contemting his next move only for Victor to sneak up behind her again. But this time, Victor was smart enough not to touch her and without warning, hit the pressure point on Mimi¡¯s neck, causing her to pass out instantly.

    Mimi slumped on Samuel¡¯s body but he quickly pushed her towards Victor ¨C as if she was poison- who had no choice but to catch her else she hits the ground.

    ¡°That was romantic?¡± Samuel teased him.

    Victor red at him.

 Chapter 106

    106 Business With Elijah

    A man was walking down the street, however, his movements were pretty suspicious because he kept looking over his shoulder as if he was trying to discern if he was being followed.

    He continued his lookout; walking the streets in circles two times and after confirming that he wasn¡¯t being followed, branched off into an alleyway that led him into an upleted building.

    This man was no other than Jeremy, the young man who had shown that video to Kenith earlier in the day. If one took a good look at him now, you would notice that he looked flushed and kept pacing up and down the building anxiously.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t heing?¡± He murmured, irritably. Jeremy had bloodshot eyes and he kept scratching his arms as if it was itching him.

    ¡°Pleasee,¡± Jeremy was in the middle of a breakdown and his gaze roved over the ce trying to confirm if he was indeed in the right ce.

    Almost immediately, a man stepped out of the shadows. This man was no other than Elijah who had been hiding and observing Jeremy and his surroundings, trying to see if the idiot had betrayed him or attracted unnecessary attention.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Elijah announced his presence and Jeremy turned to him, his gaze lighting up as if he had seen his messiah.

    However, his mood changed at the same time and he raised his voice on Elijah, ¡°You kept me waiting,¡±

    Elijah raised his brows in question, his expression suddenly dark, ¡°That was disrespectful,¡±

    .....

    At once, Jeremy gulped and lowered his head in fear knowing what Elijah was capable of. However, the craving inside of him needed to be satisfied so he said meekly instead, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, it¡¯s just that I cannot endure anymore. I need it now,¡± He pleaded desperately.

    ¡°Sure, you would get it,¡± Elijah said and as if he was teasing him, lifted a small waterproof pouch that was full of a white substance.

    The instant Jeremy saw it, his eyes widened and he literally salivated the way dogs do.

    He didn¡¯t even know when he took a step forward only for Elijah to stop him in his tracks.

    ¡°A-ah, you are not getting this until I get what I want,¡± He told him.

    Jeremy growled at him, ¡°But I already informed Big Joe of Arianna¡¯s return as you wanted! What else again?!¡± He didn¡¯t mean to shout but he couldn¡¯t help it. He could barely concentrate and had to hold his palm because of the tremors.

    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Elijah wanted more updates.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any,¡± Jeremy said but he was a bad liar seeing he couldn¡¯t look Elijah in the eyes, or perhaps, it was his addictions acting up.

    Elijah chuckled, fishing for information, ¡°Oh, we both know you know more than you¡¯re letting out,¡±

    Jeremy had a miserable look, he said, ¡°Fine, there¡¯s more but it¡¯s not worth it. You already know all that it¡¯s to know, It¡¯s just that Kenith... I think he¡¯s having a secret rtionship with one of the girls there. I found out this morning, ¡°he confessed.

    ¡°Kenith and a girl,¡± Elijah murmured, deep in thought. He didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Well, he would never have a good feeling about all of this until Arianna was back with him.

    It was a failure on his part not to have protected her properly, however, if she had been truthful with him from the beginning, he would havee up with a better life. How was he to know that Marcel was interested in her as well?

    By now, they should be having a family, however, all of that was gone with the wind.

    But Elijah was not discouraged, he promised to give Arianna a better life and he would do that. Once she¡¯s back, he would give her the kingdom she deserved. Arianna would be his queen and he would treat her well.

    Elijah knew it was much better to get Arianna out when she¡¯s with the Red Giant than in Marcel¡¯s territory especially when he¡¯s expecting him. It would be a battle to the death, unfortunately, he wanted to live ¨C live with Arianna.

    Nor did Elijah trust Marcel around his woman. He knew what kind of man Marcel was and his ability and Elijah wasn¡¯t so confident Arianna would be able to fight off his charms. He had to get her out as soon as possible.

    ¡°I want you to do something for me,¡± Elijah told him.

    ¡°After you give me what I asked for,¡± Jeremy insisted, nose ring. It was a miracle he hadn¡¯t lurched at Elijah and snatched the drugs from him. He was close to doing just that.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Elijah said and tossed the pouch towards him that Jeremy caught and tore open with rapid speed as if his life depended on it.

    He poured some of the substance into the palm of his hand and began to snort it.

    Elijah didn¡¯t do anything, he simply stood there and took in the scene with his arms wrapped across his chest. This was the reason why he was confident Jeremy wouldn¡¯t betray him until he was done with him.

    Drug addicts valued their stuff more than loyalty and fortunately, he was his supplier. The asshole tried stopping it without proper care ¨C he would be demoted from the gang if they had a clue he suffered substance abuse.

    Gangs were all known for the bad stuff, however, they had no use for a wild card that brings them nothing but liabilities. Did he forget to mention that the young man was wallowing in debts from gambling as well?

    To keep up with his lifestyle, he had sold practically everything to purchase the substances that gave him the high he needed. Elijah found him and decided his value ¨C just the same way he would dispose of him when he outlived his use.

    It took a few moments but when Jeremy looked up, he was like apletely different person. He was smiling now and full of life.

    He said to Elijah, ¡°You said something about an errand,¡±

    Elijah smiled back, ¡°Let¡¯s do business, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 107

    107 Allergic To Poverty

    ¡°Young miss,¡±

    ra was interrupted from her work by one of the staff.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, looking away from herptop for a split second.

    ¡°Luther is here,¡±

    ¡°Luther is here?!¡± She shrieked, her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this now?!¡± ra shrieked, jerking up from her bed immediately, and rushed to the mirror where she began to examine her appearance.

    The woman smiled at the Young Miss attitude yet didn¡¯t say anything.

    ra began to run her hand through her hair, trying to smoothen it but it still wasn¡¯t enough for her. She turned to the staff at once, ¡°Keep himpany, I¡¯ll be down in a jiffy,¡±

    The staff didn¡¯t need to be told what to do because this wasn¡¯t the first time ra was excited at Luther¡¯s visit. She simply bowed and left.

    .....

    ¡°Gosh, there¡¯s no more time,¡± ra panicked as she rushed into the bathroom where she washed her face in the sink, then hurried back to her room.

    Seated in front of her dresser, ra touched a light makeup on her face before running ab through her hair. After confirming her dress wasn¡¯t rumbled or inappropriate, she popped a breath mint in her mouth and left her room.

    ra strutted down the stairs and went into the receiving room where Luther was waiting for him with a bouquet of flowers.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she waved at him shyly, a blush creeping up her face and God knew if Marcel had been here to view this scene, he would have vomited blood.

    Each time he and ra met, it always ended up in fights and she has never looked at him softly for once ¨C just the way she was staring at Luther right now.

    ra took Marcel as a monster. Sadly, monsters and humans have no rtionship whatsoever. In one word, she loathed him.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Luther replied with a charming smile before handing the flower to her, ¡°A beautiful flower for a beautifuldy,¡±

    That quote was so clich¨¦ yet she loved it. Unlike her roguish fianc¨¦, Luther was a gentleman and her type. He was handsome, kind, romantic, and caring. Luther was the type of man every woman out there wished for, ra thought.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, taking the flowers from him.

    ra handed it over to the staff from earlier and thenmanded the rest of them, ¡°You can leave us now,¡±

    Immediately, they all left without further ado and ra and Luther were able to rx and have their conversation without their annoying presence.

    In this household, privacy was a luxury they couldn¡¯t afford. Their lives were always in the open because of their status in society.

    ¡°You look beautiful today,¡± Luther added, ¡°Not that you don¡¯t always look beautiful anyway but you¡¯re amazing, ra,¡± He breathed.

    ra blushed once more, tugging her brown hair to the back of her ear. Her mission of making Luther notice her was fulfilled. It¡¯s wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t appreciate her but ra loved the attention.

    ¡°Stop it, you tter me!¡± She became coy, beating him on the chest yfully.

    Luther shifted to her side on the couch till their bodies were touching and faced her saying, ¡°I missed you,¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± ra affirmed.

    Luther had traveled abroad for a business trip a week ago so they haven¡¯t had the opportunity to see each other.

    The both of them didn¡¯t say anything else after that but the attraction between them conveyed all unspoken words. Luther then took her hands and intertwined them with his own.

    ¡°We should get married,¡± He suddenly said and ra¡¯s face went nk.

    ¡°Luther -¡±

    ¡°We love each other, why can¡¯t we be together?!¡± He was vexed by her response, ¡°Why must I be your hidden lover? He¡¯s not even worth it?! Marcel doesn¡¯t even treat you -¡±

    ¡°Luther,¡± ra called him immediately, cupping his cheeks with both of her hands as she tried to calm him.

    ¡°You know that I can¡¯t,¡± she told him, her eyes pleading for him to understand.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you, huh?¡± Luther retorted, ¡°If it¡¯s about keeping you safe, I know that I¡¯m not as powerful as Marcel but I promise to never let harme to you,¡± He promised her, holding her smaller hand on his face tightly as if he was afraid that she would let go.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Luther,¡± ra said, ¡°There¡¯s a lot at stake here and it¡¯s not a decision I made on my own. My mother, she would never agree to break off the engagement,¡±

    ¡°Then we run away together,¡± Luther suggested to ra¡¯s horror.

    She couldn¡¯t even imagine a life outside the one she¡¯s living right now. Having grown up with a silver spoon, ra had never experienced hardship even for one day and can¡¯t live miserably; she¡¯s allergic to poverty.

    Luther must have suspected her line of thought because he said, ¡°I can stash away enough cash and then we would build our lives far away from everyone in the way of our rtionship,¡±

    He thought his n was brilliant, however, ra¡¯s backsh to his n was quick and sharp.

    ¡°Then what about my life here?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I have a future here, Luther, and I can¡¯t just throw it away like that?!¡±

    And he doesn¡¯t have one?

    ¡°What about my mother? She¡¯s has only me left and me running away would do nothing but break her heart. I can¡¯t do that to her, Luther. Moreover, you don¡¯t know the kind of Marcel is, no matter where we run to, he would always find us,¡±

    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do then?!¡± Luther raised his voice on her for the first time, pulling away from her, angry, ¡°I can¡¯t keep living like this!¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± She stood up as well and turned him to her, cing her hands on his shoulder, ¡°We would think of something, Luther. We would surely ovee this, okay?¡±

    Luther looked at her and had no choice but to calm down. He loved her and would do everything to make her happy. The attraction between them pulsed and he leaned towards her, tilting his head in the process and was ready to kiss her when someone intruded on their privacy.

    ra turned around to see who had disturbed their peace only for her face to fall. It was Marcel¡¯s people and she was sure this couldn¡¯t be good.

 Chapter 108

    108 She Wasn¡¯t Prettier Than His Chihuahua

    There wasn¡¯t a smile on ra¡¯s face as she applied thest touch of lipstick to her already dark red lips. She had been having the best time of her life with Luther only for Marcel¡¯s people toe and disrupt it.

    ra snorted, he even had the nerve to send her flowers. As if that would win her over to his side, she scoffed.

    All they told her was for her to get prepared because she was escorting Marcel to a funeral. ra didn¡¯t know who died ¨C although she wished it had been Marcel- she had a feeling that her father-inw, Daniel, would be there. Marcel alwayses looking for her because he needed her to deal with him. The man surprisingly likes her.

    Truthfully speaking, after herst encounter at his ce, ra was now scared of that man. No, she was scared of all of them. If Daniel had treated histe wife badly, who knows how Marcel would treat her? He even promised to give her a living hell at theirst meeting.

    But then, ra knew her case would be different. For sure, Marcel would never love them and they¡¯ve already discussed their boundaries in their so-called marriage, but, ra would never be maltreated.

    Unlike Marcel¡¯s mother who was a nobody and had no backbone to support and shield her against Daniel¡¯s often violent outburst of anger, ra was an Alberta and though her family wasn¡¯t as powerful as the Luciano, they were influential and could pose enough damage while going head-on with them in a war.

    In one word, ra was secured as far as she doesn¡¯t let Marcel be the patriarch of the family when they get married ¨C and that would never be as far as she was alive. He would never inherit the family¡¯s riches.

    And for the flowers he sent, she already had the staff get rid of them. Who knows what he did to it? Even he didn¡¯t do anything to it, just the mere thought of seeing those flowers that reminded her of him, did nothing but anger her the more. She didn¡¯t need his mockery of an apology.

    As someone who grew up with wealth, ra¡¯s beauty was unblemished. However, she put more attention into her dressing today, not because she was trying to show off to Marcel and get his attention, not that he wouldpliment her anyway.

    .....

    But she was a public figure and can¡¯t look bad on camera. She didn¡¯t know where the service would be held and if there would be the presence of the media ¨C she highly doubted that ¨C but it was worth it to prepare for the rainy days.

    Moreover, her look and bodynguage was the only weapon she had. Just a look at her and one could tell she¡¯s a noblewoman and can¡¯t be messed with. Also, those low lives ¨C Marcel and his gang ¨C had to know they were dealing with a member of the upper ss.

    So ra threw more attention to her face and her blue eyes by teasing her roots and gathering her brown hair back into a sleek and straight ponytail. The style was the perfectbination of volume and sleekness.

    She then wore a long-sleeved ck body con dress with fur trims,plete with silver embellished leather heeled sandals. ra left her throat bare showing off those attractive corbones but wore matching stone studded danglers andpleted it with her dark aviator sses.

    In the end, ra injected extra elegance into her style like a fashion pro. On her way down, she kept receiving praises from her staff who imed she looked like a goddess.

    ra was pleased with the praise, which meant the purpose of her dressing up this way was working. So she walked with her head held up to thewn where Marcel¡¯s ride was already waiting for her.

    The chauffeur got out and held the door open for her and even before she got into that car, ra sensed Marcel¡¯s gaze on her.

    It got so intense that even after she was seatedfortably, Marcel still hasn¡¯t taken his eyes off her, and the worst part? She couldn¡¯t tell if he was blown away by her beauty like the others or scorning her inwardly.

    ra sighed, taking her sses, ¡°You can just tell me I look pretty than boring a hole in my head,¡± She was proud of her handwork.

    ¡°How would the family of the deceased perceive your condolences when you look like you just stepped out of a fashion magazine?¡± Marcel dropped the question that left her stunned.

    ¡°What?¡± ra couldn¡¯t understand what he meant by that and when she finally did, she rolled her eyes towards heaven. What was she even expecting from him anyway? That he would notice her?

    ¡°That¡¯s their cup of tea, it¡¯s not my fault that I¡¯m wealthy,¡± She said, looking away.

    It wasn¡¯t even a minute and the tension between them had already begun to stretch. She was right, he was not even worth her attention. Not that she needed his attention anyway.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and only shook his head with a sigh. He was not against her dressing up well ¨C he was wearing a suit ¨C but it was over the top. It was just a simple condolence visit to the family of the deceased, nobody was going there to show off. He was going topensate the family of his men that died as a result of Elijah¡¯s vendetta.

    The main funeral was for the Caporegime he lost. Soon enough, another member would be promoted to take his ce, yet it was a big loss and other members of the gang would be present to pay their respects.

    A Caporegime is the head of a branch of the gang whomands a crew of soldiers and reports directly to Marcel, the boss.

    ¡°Nheless, you¡¯re pretty,¡±

    ra¡¯s head whipped around so fast she almost snapped her head when she heard that.

    She turned to Marcel with shock, ¡°Did you just say something? I thought I heard you say I¡¯m pretty,¡±

    However, Marcel¡¯s response to her question was to pick the magazine by his side and flip it open. ra must be out of her mind to think he would say that twice. She wasn¡¯t even prettier than Redhead, his chihuahua.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Note ¨C The typical structure within the Mafia is usually as follows; The Boss of all bosses; the underboss, second inmand; consigliere, the adviser to the boss of a crime family; Caporegime, known as a captain; Soldato ¨C Also known as a soldier, is the lowest level of mobster or gangster; Associate ¨C a person who is not a soldier in a crime family, but works for them and shares in the execution of and profits from the criminal enterprise.

 Chapter 109

    109 Thank Her In Person

    Mimi woke up with a wince, her neck, no, the whole of her body hurt like hell. Why does she feel like a truck hit her, then knock her aside to the concrete road before running her over once again? What the hell happened?

    As if she jinxed her luck, the memories of the day came back and her eyes widened at once. Arianna was taken by those bad guys? Oh no!

    Mimi tried standing up but the pain in her body couldn¡¯t even let her lift her head. What was going on?

    If only Mimi knew that out of resentment, because Marcel kept Victor from attending the funeral with him ¨C which he was supposed to as his consigliere ¨C Victor had presented Mimi on a tter of gold to Samson.

    But then Samson must have found Mimi unappealing because he only kicked and moved her body while sniffing. Unfortunately for Mimi, the rolling from side to side meant she bumped into things ¨C and walls.

    So when Samson didn¡¯t ¡°eat¡± Mimi, Victor had no choice but to take her away, else they be best of buddies and she steals Samson¡¯s attention from Marcel. Trust him, his cousin was quite petty sometimes and that involved sharing the things he liked.

    With a deep groan, Mimi finally lifted herself only to discover she couldn¡¯t move her hands because it was cuffed to the headboard.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Her eyes were filled with puzzlement and slight fear. Who chained her to the bed? She hoped it wasn¡¯t some kinky maniac? And her fears increased the more because there was only one kinky manic in this ce ¨C and the room was all too familiar.

    As if she conjured his presence, the door clicked open and her worst nightmare walked in with a goofy smile on his face.

    .....

    Of course, what was she expecting? It was exactly as she thought!

    Victor.

    ¡°How do you feel, love? Was the sleep adequate?¡± He asked her casually as if they were the best of buddies and he didn¡¯t knock her out earlier.

    Mimi red at Victor so intensely that if eyes were bullets, his body, soul, and spirit would have been killed all at once. She hated him so much that she would gouge out his eyes if her hands were not restrained.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t stare at me that way love, it breaks my heart,¡± He said dramatically, a hand on his chest.

    Mimi gave him a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes, ¡°What do you think, love? I¡¯m only admiring your handsomeness. So why don¡¯t you unchain my hands and we can have a proper conversation,¡± She said charmingly, lifting her hands for him to consider her offer.

    Victor smiled down at her, ¡°I see what you¡¯re doing,¡± He pointed at her, shaking his head in amusement.

    He then pulled the seat on his side closer to the bed and was about to sit down when Mimi without warning, lifted herself on her arm and tried to kick him on the head.

    However, Victor who had already witnessed her violent nature firsthand was prepared and caught her leg with a scowl.

    Uh-oh, Mimi gulped down a huge lump in her throat.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we for once try to have a proper conversation like civilized humans and not beast, woman!¡± Victor hissed through gritted teeth.

    He was tired of her always hitting him and why was he even taking that shit from her. He was Victor for christ¡¯s sake!

    ¡°Sure, let go of my leg then and I would consider,¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯m stupid,¡± He retorted, knowing what she was capable of doing.

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s see who gets tired then,¡± Mimi said with a devilish smile and positioned herself properly on the bed. Thankfully, she was in pants so herdy parts were not exposed in that awkward pose.

    The girl was crazy, that was the first thought that came to Victor¡¯s head when he saw the way she adjusted her position andid back on the bed. He took a deep breath, Marcel would surely pay for this!

    There was an intense staredown between Victor and Mimi, the both of them looking like wrestlers on the ring as they observed their opponent¡¯s moves. His grip on her ankle slowly loosened and Victor was still contemting whether this was the right choice when he finally let go.

    But like a viper, Mimi struck once again but Victor was faster because this was a trap and she fell right into it.

    ¡°Hit me once again and I¡¯ll swear you won¡¯t be able to walk with your leg ever again,¡± He threatened her.

    Mimi gawked at Victor, was he serious? However, his dark and apathetic look made her realize he wasn¡¯t joking at all. So when he released her leg once more, she didn¡¯t fight back and let him be. But the death re she gave him made a big statement.

    Victor sat by the bedside with his arms wrapped across his chest. He stared at that gangster woman on his bed wondering what to do with her? He didn¡¯t return home to be a babysitter.

    He knew how much he was missing out by being at home while Marcel went to the funeral service. Although it was just the death of a Caporegime, most of his family members would be there due to the rareness of the incident.

    Marcel would have to go through a lot of questioning and bacsh from family members and he ¨C Victor ¨C wouldn¡¯t be there to defend or help him out. Not to mention the fact that his other cousins would be there as well.

    The stupid Marcel would rather take on their annoying cousins all by himself and let him deal with a woman? The realization of it pissed Victor off so much.

    Their family was nothing but a sea of predators waiting to rip each other apart when the time calls for it. It wasn¡¯t that Victor didn¡¯t have a thing for leadership, he preferred his head on his shoulder and would rather live a carefree life than one under constant danger.

    However, because he loved Marcel too much, he decided to help him out and share his burden by bing his consigliere. That way he could help in building his regime and look out for him as well.

    ¡°So what are you going to do now? Kill me?¡± Mimi said after a long time of silence, rousing him from his thoughts.

    Call it instincts, but Mimi always felt there was something shady going on here, she just didn¡¯t have the evidence to prove it. But now it was all true and they seem to be a gang or something.

    Mimi became scared, what did Arianna get herself into this time? She knew about her dealing with Ruth back at the clinic and had advised her to give up on that lifestyle which she finally did. But just when Mimi thought it was all over, this came up?

    What was Arianna even doing here? How did she get involved with Marcel and the others? Didn¡¯t Arianna say she was having the time of her life during that phone call?

    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be abroad with her rich mystery boyfriend? Damn it! That stupid girl! Thinking about Arianna¡¯s predicament gave Mimi nothing but a headache.

    Victor looked at her and sneered, ¡°You think I haven¡¯t tried that?¡± He sighed.

    Mimi paled at once, ¡°Y-you tried to kill me?¡± she stuttered. How could he? She thought they were friends?

    ¡°Unfortunately, the predator thought you were more of a friend than lunch,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t understand a thing he said. What was he even talking about?

    However, before Victor could reply to her, his leg mistakenly hit something and he looked down.

    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, lifting the food sk Mimi dropped earlier when she left his room. Victor had picked it up after the whole drama and forgotten about it until now.

    ¡°Smells yummy,¡± He said, opening the sk and that was when Mimi turned around to see that it was the food ¨C her mother indeed prepared for him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!¡± She shouted.

    ¡°Why?¡± Victor was amused, ¡°It¡¯s food and I¡¯m a foodie,¡± He grinned at her.

    At that moment, Victor looked so innocent that Mimi would have thought he was ordinary if she hadn¡¯t witnessed the incident in the morning. Everyone here was wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing.

    To even think that she made friends with some of them during the past week who did nothing but watch as Arianna was dragged away by those men. They did nothing to help her!.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to eat that anymore!¡± Mimi lounged at him only for the chains to pull her back, ¡°To think my mother put her all to prepare this for an asshole like you!¡±

    But to her surprise, Victor asked instantly, ¡°You mean to tell me that your mother specially prepared this for me?¡± His gaze lit up like Christmas.

    Why was he looking at her like that? She didn¡¯t like that feeling.

    Heughed, ¡°Then I have to thank her in person,¡±

    At once Mimi paled.

    This can¡¯t be happening.

 Chapter 110

    110 Suffering From Bipr Disorder

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Mimi screamed as that asshole called Victor threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing and headed downstairs.

    An argument started between them the moment he suggested visiting her mother to show his appreciation for the food. But Mimi was strictly against it, why would she bring that thug into her home? Was she crazy?

    What if he decides to kill her parents to shut her mouth? Mimi suddenly became scared, she wasn¡¯t ready to lose her parents yet. Boohoo, why does she have to go through this? Life has been going well for her until now! Who jinxed her luck?!

    ¡°Stop moving around so I don¡¯t trip and fall!¡± Victor chided her since he was wobbling down the stairs because she was thrashing about.

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem!¡± Mimi shouted back, ¡°I hope you fall and break your neck and die!¡± She cursed him.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Victor retorted, ring at her, ¡°Who do you think would first break his or her neck in this situation?¡± He told her.

    Mimi¡¯s brows furrowed in deep thought, ¡°Me?¡± she finally realized she would suffer the most injury if they were to fall.

    Victor gave her a viinous smile. One point to him!

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Mimi said abruptly, ¡°I would simply use your body to break my fall!¡± Sheughed evilly and continued where she stopped.

    .....

    Mimi iled around fiercely, determined to give Victor a hard time till he gave up. He could kill her, but nobody was touching her parents!

    Victor couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he must have wrecked a country in his past life to inherit this kind of trouble.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± He reached out and spanked her hard on the butt and it proved to be effective because Mimi stilled like calm waters instantly.

    What just happened? Mimi went into shock. Did he just spank her? Oh my God! How dare he?

    However, before Mimi would rain down threats and profanities on him, Victor said, ¡°Make one move and I promise to spank you in front of your mother when we arrive,¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Mimi went red with rage.

    But Victor turned to her with a devilish smile, ¡°You bet?¡±

    At once shivers ran down Mimi¡¯s spine, he really meant it. Mimi knew at that moment that she had been defeated. If Victor really spanked her in front of her mother... Oh God, she didn¡¯t even want to think about it.

    Mimi¡¯s hand hung limply on Marcel¡¯s shoulder as if her life was finished. Her hands swung from every one of his movements while her eyes focused on the floor almost made her dizzy. She looked like a depressed person.

    However, it was while she looked absent-minded that her eyes managed to fall on Victor¡¯s behind. She looked down properly, nice ass he got there.

    As if that was not enough, the memory of that day she walked in on him having sex shed in her head. She remembered his well-shaped yet firm bottom, the way it constricted and rippled with strength when he thrust into his lover.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Mimi screamed out of nowhere. That was too much information her mind just fed her.

    ¡°Gosh, you scared me! What is it?¡± Victor couldn¡¯t understand her especially now she became more aggressive than earlier.

    ¡°Put me down! Put me down! Down! Down! I¡¯ll walk by myself!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Victor was surprised by the unexpected offer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk by myself! Please, just put me down. I promise,¡± Mimi pleaded with him. She needed to get her mind out of the gutter and staring down at his ass wasn¡¯t helping matters.

    Although he was reluctant to trust her word, Victor still put her down and the instant her feet touched the floor, Mimi covered her face with her palm.

    Victor was surprised, what¡¯s up with this strange woman?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Mimi gestured with her hand, using the other to cover her face to the best of her ability before covering it with both of them once more.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Victor snorted, ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡±

    Before he could even put his hand on her back to guide her since she had her face covered, Mimi already walked ahead.

    Victor shook his head with a deep breath, the girl never fails to surprise him. As much as she was a pain in the ass, she was surprisingly an interestingpany. He would never get bored with her around.

    Although Mimi could see through the space in her fingers, her vision was still limited in the foyer and she ended up bumping into a stool one of the staff must have forgotten. She hissed out in pain, releasing a string of curses.

    ¡°Just open your damn eyes!¡± Victor shouted at her from behind.

    Mimi turned swiftly with her face still closed, ¡°Why are you yelling at me?! It¡¯s my face and I choose what to do with it!¡± With that, she turned with a huff.

    However, in the process of turning, her hand mistakenly hit the flower vase on the table that was beside her and it fell.

    Mimi was startled, what was going on?

    But that was the end of Victor¡¯s patience, he went over and ced his hand on her shoulder and she stiffened immediately.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Mimi stammered. Since her sense of sight was suppressed, her sense of touch was amplified and Mimi was super aware of his hands on her shoulder. It did funny things to her body.

    ¡°Since you have no sense of direction, let me be your GPS,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    But Victor already began to steer her in the path she was supposed to follow and he didn¡¯t stop even when they came outside until she was safely seated in the car.

    Wait a minute....That was when it hit Mimi that they were still heading to her ce.

    Seriously!

    She was stupid! She should have taken that opportunity to run away. But then, run to where?

    Perhaps, because the anger from earlier had returned, Mimi did not hide her face anymore. So when Victor got in as well, she was boldly looking him in the face.

    ¡°Now, that was fun, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Victor joked, expecting a reply from Mimi but all she did was to give him a dirty look before turning the other way.

    Victor was stunned. He tilted his head unsure, Mimi must be suffering from bipr disorder.

 Chapter 111

    111 Who Broke Your Heart

    The ride to Mimi¡¯s ce was awkwardly silent. After he was snubbed, Victor didn¡¯t bother to strike up a conversation with her anymore. He had his damn pride as well.

    Unlike him, Mimi¡¯s mind was all over the ce. She couldn¡¯t let Victor meet her mother. She couldn¡¯t tell what he had in mind and that scared her most. If only there was a way to escape this.

    Looking outside the window, a n suddenly came to Mimi¡¯s mind. What if she jumped out of the car?

    No! It was dangerous jumping out of a moving car. She could get injured and what if a car from behind crushes her to death.

    However, the road was surprisingly empty which meant there were few chances of getting killed by an oing car.

    So Mimi began to put her n into action, her gaze moved to Victor who was busy watching something on his tablet. It was perfect, he was distracted!

    She slowly shifted on her seat, inching closer to the door. Then her fingers began to travel, climbing higher and higher until they reached the handle, her heart racing. And just as the door was about to ¨C

    ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised how much faster a bullet can pierce those hands,¡± a grave voice said from behind and Mimi turned to see that Victor was looking at her and in his grip was a gun?!

    Fear gripped Mimi instantly. The other time Victor threatened her, he had not been carrying a weapon, but now? He was deadly serious and the gun was evidence of that.

    .....

    Like a meekmb, Mimi quickly went back to his side with a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes. Their body did not touch but she was far away from the door now.

    Earlier, Mimi had been insistent on dying in ce of her parents but now she stared death in the face. She wasn¡¯t so confident anymore.

    As much as Mimi dreaded it, they still arrived at her ce and she noticed every move Victor made ¨C including the way he hid the gun in the waistband of his pants.

    Thinking about it now, Mimi recalled the number of times she hit Victor and realized she had been ying with death all along. Victor would have killed her and she would visit thend of the dead without even knowing the reason for her death. Wonderful.

    ¡°Now sweetheart,¡± Victor pulled her to his side after she emerged out of the car, ¡°You would be a good girl by not calling the police or drawing unnecessary attention, understood?¡±

    Mimi nodded like a robot.

    Victor turned her towards him and began to move her hair from her face like a caring boyfriend, ¡°You should smile more, I like it when you¡¯re all lively and chatty, it suits your personality, or do you want your mother to discover that something is amiss?¡±

    Mimi went rigid, realizing the threat beneath those words, ¡°Of course not,¡± She tried to smile.

    ¡°Of course, that is it,¡± Victor recognized her effort to smile. He caressed her face, and strangely, it sent tingles down her body.

    Good tingles.

    Mimi gulped, this was not a good sign. She was not attracted to Victor; it was just her body¡¯s natural response to a man touching her. She was not and would never be a fan of Stockholm syndrome.

    ¡°Do your best to be natural,¡± Victor went on with his threat, ¡°Because the moment you tell her about us or she bes suspicious, I would have no choice but to put a bullet between her head,¡±

    Mimi blinked, gulping down a lump. She had no doubt that Victor meant every single word he said.

    ¡°And truly,¡± He said, lifting her chin with the barest of touch till their gaze were on the same level, ¡°There¡¯s no bad blood between us. I like you actually,¡±

    Mimi was startled by that confession, he liked her? How was that possible? All they did was fight! And she didn¡¯t even like him ¨C especially not now she found out what he does for a living. Mimi didn¡¯t want to be faster than her shadow, so she let him finish first.

    He went on, ¡°You¡¯re fun to be with and I think we¡¯re going to make the best of friends. However....¡± his gaze darkened, ¡°My familyes first and any threat to that would have to be eliminated,¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Mimi said with a voice that didn¡¯t seem like her own. The severity of the situation finally dawned on her.

    But to her shock, his once grim expression spread into a bright one as he announced, ¡°Shall we go then?¡± He opened his arm for her to take.

    ¡°No,¡±

    His expression changed.

    Oh boy.

    Mimi quickly said with a gesture, ¡°I mean this would create a misunderstanding, I have a matchmaker mom who¡¯s quick toe to conclusion,¡± She exined to him.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. She can think whatever she wants, the both of us know the truth,¡± He said casually.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fine by me,¡± Mimi was firm.

    But Victor was insistent on teasing her, ¡°Why? Am I not boyfriend material?¡±

    Mimi gave him a deadpanned look and would have retorted as usual but she kept her mouth shut. She still doesn¡¯t trust that Victor wouldn¡¯t kill her if she disrespects him again.

    ¡°Fine,e on,¡± He said, cing a hand on her shoulder casually as if they were the best of buddies.

    Mimi let him be this time. Pushing him away would only put her on his bad side. She wanted to live.

    ¡°It¡¯s good you don¡¯t have feelings for me anyway,¡± Victor said and she looked at him doubtingly.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t do love,¡± He grinned at her and never expected the question that came from her mouth.

    ¡°Who broke your heart?¡±

    The smile on Victor¡¯s face froze and he stopped mid-way because he was caught unaware. He turned to Mimi who felt like she was being suffocated by the intense look in his eyes.

    ¡°You ask too much question,¡± His cheerful personality was gone in the twinkle of an eye.

    Mimi shivered. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Victor suffered from bipr disorder because his mood swings were rampant.

 Chapter 112

    112 The Caring Young Man

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± Was the first word Mimi muttered to her mother the instant the door was opened.

    Mimi noticed every single detail; the way her mother¡¯s gaze moved to rest on the figure beside her and when it widened in joy. Mimi didn¡¯t need to guess what she was thinking. The matchmaker side of her has been awoken. In full.

    ¡°And this is my boss,¡± Mimi had no choice but to exin when her mother wouldn¡¯t stop gawking at him. He wasn¡¯t even that handsome.

    Mimi turned to Victor, ¡°This is my mother, teacher, and mom, this is my teacher,¡± She intentionally omitted his name.

    Mimi wanted this encounter to be as short and formal as possible. Neither does she want her mother to form any close ties with Victor. He¡¯s in the gang for christ¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Hi, Mimi¡¯s beautiful mother, I¡¯m Victor,¡± He said so smoothly while taking her mother¡¯s hand and pressed a kiss to it that made Mimi¡¯s jaw almost drop to the ground.

    No, no, no, her mother can¡¯t fall for his charms!

    ¡°Oh, my,¡± Her mother giggled, obviously pleased by his gesture, ¡°I¡¯m Mimi¡¯s mother but you can call me Hannah,¡± She told him in between a giggle.

    Oh boy, this was not happening.

    .....

    Mimi knew that if her mother let you call her by her name, that meant she liked you. And that pissed her.

    Why can¡¯t this woman see beyond Victor¡¯s charming exterior?! Weren¡¯t mothers with the extraordinary ability to discern the good boys from the bad ones? What¡¯s wrong with her momma?

    ¡°Thank you, Hannah,¡± Victor reciprocates the gesture with a bright smile that could even shame the sun. Suddenly, Mimi felt like the third party here so she broke the spell immediately.

    ¡°Mom, my teacher Victor just wanted to thank you for the meal you made him,¡± She moved to the purpose of theiring here.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Hannah was reminded that her errand was sessful, ¡°You really enjoyed it?¡± her gaze was hopeful.

    ¡°Of course, I enjoyed the food so immensely that I couldn¡¯t contain myself and had toe in person to thank you,¡± Victor said enthusiastically.

    Such a sweet talker, Mimi was already making mental faces at him. He fooled her mother so perfectly.

    Honestly, Mimi didn¡¯t me her mother much. Victor would have been able to fool her as well if she didn¡¯t know him on a personal basis. He was a good pretender.

    ¡°However,¡± Victor went on, ¡°If I had known from the beginning you were the one who prepared the meal, I wouldn¡¯t have eaten,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Mimi noticed the way her mother¡¯s face fell and she turned to Victor with a warning look. What the hell was he doing?

    ¡°I mean, a beautiful woman like you shouldn¡¯t be allowed into the kitchen. What if you hurt yourself preparing food for amoner like me?¡± He ttered her.

    ¡°Seriously,e on,¡± Mimi watched as her mother cupped her mouth in the middle ofughing. She wondered if they still knew they were standing in the doorway and she¡¯s existing?

    However, her eyes widened when she saw her mother hit Victor on the shoulder yfully and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that! You¡¯re not amoner. You¡¯re so funny!¡± Sheughed once more.

    This had to stop now!

    But before Mimi could make a move, Victor suggested, ¡°So why don¡¯t you leave the cooking for your lovely daughter, Mimi, I¡¯m sure she inherited your cooking prowess, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    It took a minute for Mimi to realize that question was for her and when she did, the girl said confidently, ¡°Of course!¡±

    Although Mimi looked cool, the moment she turned towards Victor, her face was so grave and hostile, unlike Victor¡¯s teasing ones. He knew what he was doing!

    Why would she make him food? Was she his mother? Sister? girlfriend? Maid? Cook? She would be crazy to try that.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, my daughter is a great cook, however, her skills cannot bepared to a mother¡¯s taste,¡± Hannah was insistent.

    ¡°No, I insist,¡± Victor said, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to eat your food knowing I suffered an elderly woman. You see I respect mothers the most,¡± Victor proimed, hands on his chest like a righteous preacher.

    ¡°And you make it sound like you¡¯re entitled to our food every day,¡± Mimi mumbled with the corner of her mouth. But they heard it perfectly.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Hannah chided her daughter yfully, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, she¡¯s stressed up from work and where are my manners, you shoulde in,¡± her mother finally remembered.

    Mimi was about to reject the offer but Victor was faster.

    ¡°No,¡± he opposed the idea to her surprise and relief. Mimi thought Victor was determined to make her life as miserable as possible.

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring anything on my way to thank you for the meal because I wanted to get your daughter home safely. I can¡¯t impose again,¡± He said.

    ¡°No problem, Son, I don¡¯t care about the gifts. I prepared the meal from my heart, so don¡¯t mind that ande in for tea -¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± Mimi stepped in, ¡°He¡¯s a busy man and has things to attend to,¡± she said, pretending not to have heard the word, ¡°Son. ¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± She directed that question to Victor.

    ¡°Yes, Hannah,¡± Victor said and Mimi released the breath she didn¡¯t know she had been holding in. The asshole decided to be useful for once.

    ¡°In that case, it can¡¯t be helped then,¡± Her mother finally gave up, her mood dampened. But her eyes lit up out of nowhere and Mimi knew that was not a good sign.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you escort him to his car, then, Mimi?¡± Her mother was up to her tricks once again.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± Victor said immediately like a gentleman ¨C that he wasn¡¯t -, ¡°Mimi needs rest. It was a tough day at work today.¡±

    Indeed, it was tough today.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a caring young man,¡± Her mother swooned.

    A caring young man, her ass! Mimi wondered what her mother would do if she knew the young man she was swooning over had a gun with me.

    Victor turned to her with his signature move, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at work tomorrow then, Mimi. We have a lot to work on,¡±

    Of course, they had a lot to work on, like the reason they had Arianna and the reason Marcel had her -Mimi- work for him. Of course, after what happened, she was not stupid to think that all of it was a mere mistake. Something was going on here.

    Until Victor¡¯s car left theirwn, her mother kept waving at him. And as soon as the atmosphere was calm, Mama Hannah turned to her with her signature gossipy expression.

    God, she can¡¯t do this, Mimi cried out.

 Chapter 113

    113 He Has Never Lost A Battle

    The sound of a man moaning in pain was heard as he received punches after punches. This man was no other than Kenith who was getting a beating from Big Joe¡¯s soldiers per his instruction.

    The room was more of a prison although it was spacious and empty save the chair Kenith was sitting on while he was being tortured and the table a few distances from it.

    There were body bags packed at a corner and had dried blood stains on them ¨C It was quite obvious that it had been used to transport some bodies. While on a rack on the corner of the wall hung devices of torture that hadn¡¯t been used on Kenith, yet.

    They finally stopped hitting Kenith who inhaled deeply as if trying to catch his breath. If one took a good look at Kenith, they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him anymore because his face was swollen and he had a ck eye.

    His lips were split and blood trailed down his temple. In one word, Kenith didn¡¯t look too good; his appearance was miserable. One of the soldiers reached for the table and picked a rag which he used to wipe his hand free of Kenith¡¯s blood.

    Almost immediately, the iron door leading to the cell rattled and Big Joe came in. Although Big Joe was overshadowed by his personal guards due to their massive height, one still couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge his authoritative aura.

    Yes, he was short, Big Joe was still the leader of this gang and all leaders are recognized and honored whenever they are. Hence the moment he arrived, even the soldiers, as big and burly as they are, bowed their heads as a sign of respect.

    ¡°Boss,¡±

    Kenith lifted his head at that title knowing only one person would be addressed in that manner. The corner of his lips stretched into a smile, herees the boss.

    .....

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± He said.

    Big Joe stopped right in front of him and without even saying a word, the guard beside him immediately set a chair for him to sit on.

    The man sat down majestically, throwing his leg over the door. With his arms wrapped across his chest, he took a good nce at Kenith who stared back at him as well.

    Unlike the other times when Kenith treated Big Joe with respect, there was nothing but disdain in his gaze. He no longer hid the deep resentment he had for Big Joe. It was even amazing how he was able tost under his leadership for so long when he detested the man.

    ¡°How could you do this?¡± Big Joe said, his voice almost cracking. There was a pained look on his face as he said, ¡°I trusted you, brother,¡±

    Although it has been hours, he still hadn¡¯t gotten over the betrayal. It was hard to forget the scene of his trusted second inmand trying to have his way with his woman; the scene kept ying in a loop in his head.

    At the mention of the title ¡°brother¡±, Kenith gulped down a lump in his throat, pressing his toes together. He couldn¡¯t look Big Joe straight in the eyes because of the amount of guilt pressing down on his chest.

    They were not just brothers, they were more than brothers. Closer than even blood brothers could ever be. Where did things go wrong?

    Although Big Joe was the first to begin this journey, Kenith had joined him not long after and the both of them decided to build this kingdom together. So where did things begin to change?

    Was it when Kenith realized his capabilities? That he deserved to be more than just the underdog?

    Big Joe might be the one with the resources but Kenith was the one who built this gang from scratch.

    The administration and smooth running of the gang were all his doing yet he wasn¡¯t recognized for the handwork and all he could be was second inmand to the man who did nothing but contribute resources.

    Kenith put his best to grow this gang and all of it, for a man who didn¡¯t deserve the position? He should be the one apuded! He should be the one getting the recognition and not Big Joe! So no, he was not sorry for his n of rebellion ¨C that Big Joe is yet to know.

    ¡°If there has been anyone that I believe would never betray me, that would be you, Kenith! Yet, you do this! Why?!¡± Big Joe asked, full of emotions.

    But Kenith had nothing to say, he was caught red-handed in the act. What then does Big Joe want him to say anyway? To acknowledge his sins and beg for his mercy? Sorry, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to bow down to someone undeserving.

    ¡°Why her? Big Joe went on to ask when he got nothing but silence as an answer. His voice was firm and he was staring at Kenith who raised his head at that question, ¡°You were the one who brought her to me. You could have had her if you were that interested!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the devil¡¯s handwork,¡± Kenith finally spoke up, ¡°Would you forgive me and move on like nothing happened if I said that was the case?¡±

    ¡°In the end, you don¡¯t even have any remorse,¡± Big Joe shook his head in disappointment. He never knew Kenith could be this kind of person. No wonder, they said there was no brother in the jungle.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother, but your woman acted like a slut and I had no choice but to treat her as one,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Big Joe¡¯s eyes narrowed at him suspiciously at thatment.

    Kenith smiled, he had thrown the bait and the unsuspecting prey has been hooked.

    ¡°Your woman had a scandalous dance with Marcel the night before and I dare not to guess what happened afterward,¡± He hinted at them surely having sex.

    Kenith was pleased with Big Joe¡¯s expression. The man was obviously troubled by his revtion. After all, Arianna was his chosen bride and the video was quite viral, what would his partners think when they saw that?

    They would surely think he had a loose bride and his reputation would be smeared. In this line of work, the women were nothing but devices to augment their status. Big Joe¡¯s partners would think he wasn¡¯t man enough to put his wife into submission. Added to the fact he has a high disadvantage with his height.

    Arianna thought she won but he, Kenith, has never once lost a battle!

 Chapter 114

    114 His Judgement

    An awkward silence reigned in the cell after Kenith¡¯s revtion and he was delighted with the result. Arianna thought she yed smart and won, but he would turn the tide against her. She would not go scot-free for this.

    Of course, Kenith was very furious because his pride as a man was crushed during this incident. Not only did he fail to sleep with Arianna but he lost his position of power in the gang and respect.

    He didn¡¯t dare to think what his subordinates must be thinking of him. Who knows who took over his position? Now he wanted nothing but to hurt the bitch that put him in this predicament.

    Big Joe sighed heavily, ¡°In the end, you¡¯re still trying to drive a wedge between Arianna and me,¡± He looked at Kenith with an unsmiling face, ¡°Do you like her that much?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Kenith was surprised by that question. This was not the reaction he was expecting from Big Joe, by now he should be furious at the shocking discovery. What was going on?

    Kenith shifted ufortably on his seat, ¡°What are you talking about, boss?¡± Something was off.

    ¡°Arianna already told me all about the video,¡±

    At once Kenith¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Why would Arianna tell him that when it would only be detrimental to her. What was she thinking? She must be eager to die!

    Big Joe went on, ¡°She told me it was all Marcel¡¯s idea and they forced her to dance else she faced being tortured,¡± Big Joe told him.

    .....

    Kenith¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the ground from the revtion. He had not seen thating. Who knew Arianna was such a good liar and a smart strategist? He had underestimated her ability and nned to use the video as his trump card to reverse everything in his favor.

    If that little bitch hadn¡¯t ruined his n, Kenith was confident he could manipte Big Joe enough to have him released. It was brothers before pussies.

    Big Joe trusted him with his life and he knew everything concerning him; he knew which button to y and set himself free.

    Sadly, that was no longer possible. Kenith thought to use the trust Big Joe previously had for him but that was no longer possible because Arianna was slowly taking his ce in Big Joe¡¯s life.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying to you!¡± Kenith quickly said.

    ¡°And that was exactly what Arianna said you would do. Try to use her of lying.¡± Big Joe disclosed to his horror.

    Kenithid back on his chair exhausted to the bones, Arianna was more lethal than he thought. She covered every loophole that he could have exploited. Arianna was using his circumstance to buy over Big Joe¡¯s trust ¨C the trust the man once had for him. Damn it!

    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you that she¡¯s lying to you!¡± Kenith stood by his word, ¡°She¡¯s using you for Christ¡¯s sake, can¡¯t you see it?!¡± He lurched forward and tried to grab Big Joe so he could make him see sense here.

    However, before he could even take a step forward, one of the soldiers punched him in the stomach causing him to groan, stumbling back to his seat.

    They didn¡¯t have to say it out, this was the sign he shouldn¡¯t step one foot near Big Joe while talking. He knew it quite well because he had once been a torturer as well.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying to me?¡± Big Joe scoffed, ¡°You mean to tell me that a defenseless and fragile woman like Arianna would be able to refuse Marcel¡¯s order to entertain him?¡± He cocked a brow at him questioningly.

    ¡°Not if she wanted -¡±

    Big Joe didn¡¯t let him finish his excuse and added, ¡°Come to think of it, if I were to me anybody for all of this mess, it should be you for losing her and letting her fall into Marcel¡¯s hands in the first ce.¡±

    Kenith felt a throb in his head and it was all because his situation was not looking good. Big Joe had so many doubts about him right now and the more it increased, the less trust the man had for him. And the lesser opportunity for him to leave this ce sooner.

    He tried to speak but no words coulde out from his mouth. Kenith wasn¡¯t just mentally exhausted, he was physically drained as well. His ckeye was red and swollen and he could barely open them because it caused him so much pain.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kenith apologized atst with a deep exhale.

    He figured out that since he wasn¡¯t able to use Big Joe¡¯s trust anymore, he might as well concede to the crimes. As much as Big Joe wasn¡¯t smart as he is, that doesn¡¯t mean he was stupid. Big Joe was a keen businessman.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what came over me and I did what I did. In fact....¡± Kenith fell on his knees at once, ¡°Forgive me for being irresponsible and failing your trust! Forgive me my brother, friend, and boss,¡± He finally remembered his ce in this organization and Big Joe¡¯s supremacy.

    When the situation doesn¡¯t look too good and the evidence stacked high against you, one had to take a step back and admit the sins, begging for forgiveness. Remorse was a intense emotion and a big game-changer.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t cast me away yet, boss! We¡¯ve been together for long and you know that. Remember my sacrifices and strive to grow this gang. We promised to do it together, do you recall?¡± Kenith intentionally went down memorynes.

    This was a ploy to elicit pity and as well prove that a rtionship of yesterday was stronger than a rtionship of today that was weak, unsure, and shaky.

    Kenith plopped down to his knees began to knowtow several times notwithstanding the pain in his body. If he needed to bow his head to be back to his spot, then so be It!

    ¡°Forgive me boss for I¡¯m sorry. In your anger, have mercy and do not forsake me like this,¡± He pleaded exaggeratedly

    But Big Joe only straightened his back and lifted his head saying, ¡°Of course, I consider our rtionship, why do you think you¡¯re still alive?¡±

    That was a good sign, Kenith thought. But he was faster than his shadow.

    ¡°However, you touched my woman and would bear the consequences for it. Your life would be spared but you would be stripped of your title and position in this gang and take on the necessary punishment for your action. Until my wedding is over, you would spend your time here in deep sober reflection,¡± Big Joe passed on his judgment.

 Chapter 115

    115 Cassie Had Other ns -Arianna never knew acting could be this exhausting. Big Joe was not a stupid man so she had to be more scrupulous and natural at pulling off that borate hoax.

    Kenith would strike her back, Arianna was sure of that, especially with the murderous look she saw him give her right before he was taken away by Big Joe¡¯s position.

    She didn¡¯t need to be told what she just cost Kenith ¨C his position of power and reputation. If Kenith was crazy enough to want to force himself on her just because he was jealous of Marcel, what would he do now when she caused him everything.

    Arianna understood the repercussion of what happened. She was Big Joe¡¯s chosen bride and the man walked in on the scene of his second-inmand trying to have her. It was definitely a death sentence.

    She tried to put herself in that same situation. If by chance she loved Big Joe ¨C which was highly impossible ¨C and she saw anotherdy on top of her man, Arianna was sure she would rain down hell that day.

    Yeah, she was a possessive person when ites to the people she holds dear to her. Because she would go even to the end of the world for them, she expected them to be loyal to her.

    Arianna was quick to secure her position ¨C and life ¨C knowing that the only threat Kenith holds over was the video.

    He said it himself, Big Joe would not take it lightly when he sees that. So she decided to confess before someone did ¨C namely Kenith ¨C and reconstruct the whole thing to his favor and cause Big Joe to act on falsehoods or iplete information against her.

    Aside from that, admitting to being in the wrong makes a significant difference, and burying it would only make things so much worse when the truth surfaces. Yes, admitting it was quite risky and might cost her her life but the sooner she owns it, the less drama she would face and be free of fear; Kenith wouldn¡¯t be able to ckmail her.

    .....

    Although Arianna confessed about the video, she might have told a little lie to her ¡°future husband¡± like telling him that Marcel forced her to dance.

    She just prayed that Marcel doesn¡¯t burst her ns if Big Joe calls to confirm that ¨C she highly doubted that anyway. Big Joe was currently not a big fan of Marcel.

    Although technically, that wasn¡¯t really a lie since Victor didn¡¯t exactly give her a choice to decline the dance. So yeah, she¡¯s not lying.

    Her confessing the dance was a huge gamble and the consequence was death. But then, who knew a little tears and perfect plot armor was able to convince Big Joe to let her head stay on her shoulder, for now.

    He told her to have a nice rest but Arianna knew this matter was far from solved. Kenith told her that the video was a huge p to Big Joe¡¯s face and the fact he left her alive meant there was an iing punishment.

    Thanks to that, Arianna wasn¡¯t able to rx, her mind was all over the ce as she thought of what Big Joe might do to her. He would definitely try to put her in her ce to prove to his people that she was beneath him and not a wild wife.

    Arianna didn¡¯t dare to think of escaping, in fact, she did not doubt that the door was locked, plus the battalion of soldiers he ced outside to keep her guarded. Even a fly, no, a mosquito wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this room.

    And it was in the process of thinking that Arianna¡¯s mind moved back to the issue of Elijah helping her out by bringing Big Joe home on time.

    There was no way on earth that was Marcel¡¯s doing. The asshole literally gave her away on a tter of gold to Big Joe. Why would he rescue her from the ws of the monster that almost took her forcefully?

    She was a fool to have been caught up in the moment with Marcel. In the end, it was Elijah who truly cared about her and while she was ying around with the asshole, Elijah had been working on a way to get her out of here. She simply didn¡¯t deserve him! She was stupid! A stupid woman!

    Arianna was hitting her head, chiding herself when her door clicked open and someone came in with a tray of food and she recognized that woman as Cassie.

    She froze.

    Arianna¡¯s mouth was open yet no words coulde out as she stared at Cassie who looked no different from the time shest saw her.

    Honestly, Arianna had mixed thoughts concerning Cassie; she was guilty and wary of her at the same time. Arianna was guilty in the sense that she had promised to make life better for Cassie when she got the opportunity, however, the first thing she did was to escape here alone, leaving her behind and forgetting all about her promise. Not that she could have done much anyway in the precarious position she had been with no money, resources, and power.

    But Arianna was wary of her at the same time because the girl was a huge fan of Kenith who was taken away to God knows where ¨C probably a ce of torture ¨C because of her.

    However, Arianna didn¡¯t regret her choice, she would do the same thing over and over again if Kenith were to try such a thing again.

    The tension between them heightened and pulsed and it wasn¡¯t until Cassie said, ¡°Hi,¡± that Arianna realized she had spoken to her.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was startled, ¡°Oh, hi,¡± She waved at her with a nervous smile. Gosh, this was awkward, she mumbled in her mind.

    ¡°I was instructed to bring food to you,¡± Cassie said in a gentle tone.

    She had her kind and innocent look as usual and that made Arianna¡¯s chest tighten with guilt. Even when she ¨C Arianna ¨C failed her, she didn¡¯t bring it up. It was rare to find people with such a spirit.

    ¡°Oh, that, over here,¡± Arianna directed her to ce the tray on top of the row of treasure chest boxes beside her bed. Her room was designed with a globe-trotting theme and looked like an adventure hub.

    As soon as she was done, Arianna didn¡¯t look her in the face and hoped her easy-going nature was enough to make her leave this room without asking her questions. However, Cassie had other ns.

    ¡°I heard what happened with Sir Kenith,¡±

 Chapter 116

    116 Cassie Had Other ns -Arianna remained motionless for about a minute and only blinked her eye when she was unable to stare at the fixed spot for long.

    ¡°Oh, that?¡± She scratched the back of her nervously. Kenith was a matter she wouldn¡¯t want to bring up especially not after the trauma she went through in his hands.

    Although she was rescued on time, that was still a traumatic experience that she wouldn¡¯t want to experience ever in her life.

    Yes, Marcel had pretty much done almost the same thing to her ¨C her opinion was not respected ¨C at least she had sexual feelings for him and the kiss and touching had been consensual.

    Also, Arianna did not know Marcel that well but she was sure he wouldn¡¯t force himself on her simply because he was jealous. That was the lowest the son of a biscuit ¨C namely Marcel ¨C would go. He would likely spank her if that was the case.

    At once Arianna felt a rush of desire when she remembered the spanking scene and she quickly squeezed her eyes close to shut out the feelings. She was revolted, how could her body still respond in this manner after what Marcel did to her.

    If there was anyone she should be thinking of, that should be Elijah, not that asshole Marcel. These feelings were not normal anymore. Arianna even began to wonder if she developed Stockholm syndrome.

    ¡°Madam, are you okay?¡±

    Arianna heard that voice of concern and opened her eyes at once. She then realized that closing her eyes might have given Cassie the wrong impression that she was in pain.

    .....

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± She quickly responded, sitting down on the edge of the bed while rubbing her hands down her arm as if she was cold.

    ¡°Do you need anything else or....¡± Cassie added slowly, ¡°do you need someone by your side to keep youpany?¡±

    Arianna nced up at Cassie, she knew what the young girl was offering but for some reason, her instincts were telling her that this was wrong. She and Cassie had not been that close from the start, not to talk about now there was some distance between them the past few weeks, and Arianna was not the type to open up to people easily.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± She quickly responded with a nod.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Cassie said slowly and Arianna could see a trace of disappointment in her eyes that made her more guilty. Arianna didn¡¯t like the look on her face but then, she won¡¯t put herself in a tight corner to please others. Everyone had the freedom of privacy and she was not talkative.

    Arianna was sure Cassie was about to leave and nearly let out a deep sigh of relief only for the young woman to suddenly said, ¡°About Sir Kenith -¡±

    ¡°I would really not like to talk about that,¡± Arianna cut her off abruptly with a cold tone. The response was like a reflex action because the words left her mouth before she could even think of them.

    It wasn¡¯t until Cassie gulped down that Arianna realized she must be scowling right now. At once, she rxed her face and rubbed her temple, ¡°Look I just had one hell of a day and really do need a rest,¡± she said apologetically.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Cassie tried to put a smile on her face but she failed at it, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you now to have that rest,¡±

    She walked over to the doorknob and grabbed it when Arianna suddenly called her, ¡°Cassie!¡±

    She turned.

    Arianna took a deep breath, mustering enough courage to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t keep my promise to you and I¡¯m sorry that I left you. Can you forgive me, please?¡± else she wouldn¡¯t have a peaceful sleep and would be tormented by the manifestations of her guilt in a dream.

    Cassie smiled at her kindly, ¡°It¡¯s alright, you were just trying to survive the same way I needed to. Also, I¡¯m the one who should be sorry for putting too much responsibility on you when you¡¯re just as unsure and scared as I am,¡± She said.

    Arianna felt a suffocating weight leave her chest, Cassie was really nice. She didn¡¯t deserve this kind of person and wanted to do something for her in return to make up for her failed promise.

    She proposed,¡± Maybe we can talk tomorrow. All girls, just the both of us,¡±

    But thinking about it now, she wondered what they would even discuss. Arianna knew there was nowhere on earth she would open up to someone else the way she did to her best friend, Mimi. Plus the fact Cassie¡¯s connection to Kenith made itplicated.

    However, when she saw the way Cassie¡¯s face brightened up, Arianna knew she would make it work somehow. There should be some things to do to catch fun here, right?

    ¡°That would be nice?¡± Cassie shrugged happily.

    ¡°It¡¯s a deal then,¡± Arianna was happy that she managed to put a smile on her face.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Cassie said before taking her leave.

    Arianna fell back on her back, satisfied. On the bright side, that was one less person to feel awkward around here. No matter what, she needed someone to be able to talk to freely else she would die from boredom.

    However, unknown to her, the moment Cassie left the room, the smile on her face died off. What remained on her expression was coldness and a venomous fury she was able to contain without letting it show until now.

    How dare she pretend to be righteous? Cassie was surprised how she had been able to coordinate herself when all she wanted at that moment was to w Arianna¡¯s eyes out. She hated those eyes! At least if they were out, there was no way she would be able to charm men into dropping her pants for her.

    Cassie had been working with the other staff at the kitchen when the news spread like wildfire, ¡°Sir Kenith tried to sleep with their boss¡¯ wife,¡±

    It came as a huge shock to her that she had dropped everything she was doing and hurried off to confirm what she heard only to stumble upon the scene of her beloved being taken away as their gaze connected.

 Chapter 117

    117 Cassie Had Other ns -The guilt on Kenith¡¯s face was all the evidence Cassie needed to confirm if he hadmitted the crime or not. It was like in the movies when slow-motion is activated, although it had been for a fleeting moment, the way their gaze connected and the deep remorse on his face, her heart constricted.

    It was as if a knife went through her heart and she was unable to breathe as she confirmed the truth. He betrayed her! He told her nothing was going on between Arianna and him and yet this appears? Kenith fooled herpletely.

    No, she needed to speak with him. Cassie wanted him to look her deep in the eyes and confess his sins, however, that was impossible right now. With what happened, security was tight and Big Joe would find it suspicious if he found reports that she visited him. So if she was going to see Kenith tonight, it had to be done secretly ¨C and with help.

    Cassie branched into another corner of the hallway and although it looked like she wanted to pick up the tes that the male assholes had dropped around carelessly, she was searching for something, or maybe, somebody.

    She was well aware of the cameras and made sure to do nothing to elicit suspicion, especially now pressure was high in the gang.

    So when she entered a certain room, she quickly wrote down a note and paste it on a hidden corner of the room where she was sure he would get the message and others wouldn¡¯t be able to see it and left immediately.

    Satisfied with her effort, Cassie went back to her duty post. It was a good thing that most people didn¡¯t know she was in a rtionship with Kenith because all her colleagues could discuss throughout the day was the incident.

    As women were big gossips, every one of them was quick to add their own version of what happened. They tried to drag her into the conversation but Cassie tactically extracted and pretended to be a listener instead with a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes. She was always a quiet person so the gossip didn¡¯t give much thought to her silence even though she was seething inside.

    Trust women and their ability to exaggerate everything, her colleagues became an investigative panel that try to sort out who was at fault in the incident. As expected, most of the mesnded on her boyfriend Kenith who they imed couldn¡¯t control his urges that he almost jumped his boss¡¯ wife.

    .....

    ¡°It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault that Big Joe¡¯s wife is pretty!¡± Theyughed it off exuberantly, turning the whole thing into a caricature.

    Cassie knew how much control she had to summon to keep herself from grabbing the nearest knife from the rack and slit their throats open. She would stab them over and over till their voices were silenced forever and theirughter became a pained scream.

    No, Cassie had to rouse herself from the gory thought in her head and excused herself from duty with the im that she was not feeling well. As soon as Cassie entered her small living quarter, she threw herself down on the bed and cried hard.

    However, the cold chill in her eyes afterward was disturbing. All of this was Arianna¡¯s fault, she tightened her hands into a fist. Everything was going well until she appeared. How she wished she could disappear.

    Although she was tired, Cassie did not catch a wink as she waited patiently for a response to her message, and not long at midnight, the answer came with a knock on her door.

    ¡°We should go now,¡± The man said to her and Cassie wasted no effort, she followed him immediately.

    This man was no other than one of Kenith¡¯s own people so she had no problem trusting him. Even on their way, there were people on patrol duty while the rest of them were asleep, they didn¡¯t give much thought to them.

    Cassie stared at the cameras ahead with worry but since the man walked with confidence, she guessed there was nothing to worry about. They must have done something to it.

    Not long after, they found themselves in the lower part of the house and the man directed her to a certain cell with instructions, ¡°I was able to buy off just five minutes, so whatever you n on doing, just know that your time is limited,¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Cassie was grateful for the opportunity and left quickly knowing that her time was running out.

    It was night already and because this was a detached section of the building, there was limited visibility yet Cassie was able to identify Kenith on the floor at just a nce.

    He must have sensed her presence as well because he jerked up to his feet with a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Cassie!¡± He rushed to the gate and through the bars reached for her with longing.

    Although Cassie let him touch her face, there was still resentment in her heart as she spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°How could you?¡± her eyes teared up.

    Kenith swallowed, guilt stabbing him in the chest as he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to,¡±

    But those words only made her angry, ¡°You promised me! You told me nothing was going on even when I sensed it!¡± She was a woman with instincts and knew when her man¡¯s attention shifted.

    ¡°And nothing was wrong, Arianna was the one who seduced me,¡± He shifted the me to her immediately.

    ¡°What?!¡± Cassie was stunned, it seemed like someone just sent a shocking revtion to her.

    ¡°You should know by now I would never betray you,¡± He used her feelings for him to get away from the me.

    ¡°And this is why there¡¯s now a shift in the n,¡± He gave her a little information, tactically changing the conversation.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Cassie was astounded at the news yet ted at the same time. Kenith was finally letting her in on the ns.

    Kenith said, ¡°We can¡¯t let Big Joe and Arianna get married,¡±

    Cassie was stunned by the news neither did the both of them notice the pair of eyes watching them from the shadows.

 Chapter 118

    118 You Deserve Someone Better

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for your loss, ma¡¯am, your son was a nice man,¡±

    ra already had those words burned into her head. This was the fourth home she visited alongside Marcel to console the families of the victims who lost their sons in the incident.

    To say that she was bored was an understatement, ra hated all of this. Most of the houses they visited were located in the rundown section of the city and It was safe to say that this was the most terrible day of her life.

    Although her mother Diana was a well-known phnthropist, ra didn¡¯t share the same passion. While her mother would be out there caring for the needy ¨C that never ceased ¨C she would rather have a tea party with friends that were on the same socialdder with her or work on her designs.

    ra was a fashion designer and though she wasn¡¯t world-famous yet, her brands were doing well. She had the connection and resources, all she needed was the right inspiration and in a matter of time, da-da! She would be a global sensation.

    Thanks to that, ra was used to runways, cameras, and dinners with executives, not a dirty, smelly, cramped house that her living room as a whole was bigger than. How could people even survive here? She would die here if she were to stay more than an hour. Hence, she began to pray for Marcel to finish up much quicker.

    ¡°I know nothing can rece your son but I want you to know that he¡¯d be forever cherished in our hearts,¡± Marcel consoled the family of the victim while trying not to be distracted by ra¡¯s squirming on the sofa.

    ¡°For his boss, you are a very kind person,¡± The mother of the victim said, holding Marcel¡¯s hands. She was middle-aged and her hands were already showing signs of wrinkles yet he didn¡¯t mind and squeezed it gently in response.

    Marcel shook his head in denial, ¡°No, I¡¯m not kind. If your son hadn¡¯t gone to that gathering he would still be with you.¡°He took the me for the incident even though all of that had been Victor¡¯s idea.

    .....

    However, Marcel was a leader and a good leader takes responsibility for problems, crises, and missteps, and did not shirk from decisions. He then makes a n to fix it, execute that n, and move on.

    He was the one who gave Victor the order to organize the party and as well gave the other members a day out to have fun. Unfortunately, that day out had turned out to be a disaster and marked some of their deaths.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t me yourself for what happened. God knows why he took my son this early,¡± The mother of the deceased said to him.

    Unlike the other families they visited, this particr one already lost their father and the son that died was the breadwinner of the family. It was a family of five ¨C three boys and two girls ¨C that had been reduced to four with the death of their brother.

    Some of the families out there don¡¯t even know what their sons do for a living except the fact it¡¯s a lucrative job. However, aside from controlling several underground enterprises, the Luciano family ran several sessful legitimate businesses. How do you think they keep the public eye from them and cover up their nefarious activities?

    Hence, just like this woman who thought her son had been an ordinary bodyguard who died in an ident after a work gathering, most of the other families were in the same situation because each member of the gang swore to secrecy.

    Marcel was just about to reply to the woman when the younger sister to the deceased suddenly spoke up and the question was directed to ra.

    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± The young girl asked and that was when Marcel knew that ra¡¯s fidgeting around had been found out.

    God, no.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± ra shouted louder than usual, she was startled at being discovered. She added instead, ¡°I just need a word with Marcel,¡±

    At thatment, Marcel turned around with a confused look, wondering what ra was about to talk about.

    But ra beckoned him toe closer and when he did, hesitantly, she drew close and whispered into her ears, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take it anymore, the stench of this house is killing my olfactory system,¡± She hinted that the ce was smelling.

    At once, Marcel¡¯s face changed into a cold fury, was she kidding him? But for the sake of the people with them, he buried his anger and whispered back to ra,¡± If you can¡¯t take it, get the hell out of here!¡± He hissed through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Thank God,¡± ra was more than relieved when he said that. Not caring about his reputation nor the people she might hurt with that gesture, ra pinched her nose to limit the smell.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t do -¡± Marcel was still whispering when ra stood up and hurried out of the ce as if the devil was on her heels. And he was sure as hell that everyone had seen that.

    He was the stupid one to have brought ra with him, he should have directly sent her to the funeral while he ran this errand alone. For once, he thought she would be useful to his cause.

    Marcel swallowed down a lump of shame and then turned to the family with a nervous smile, ¡°Don¡¯t put much thought into her action, she had a recent surgery on the nose due to an infection and hasn¡¯t fully recovered,¡± He lied through his teeth just to save his face and that of the family.

    Whether the family believed him or not, they didn¡¯t show it and continued with the conversation from where they stopped.

    Marcel would have left earlier but because of ra¡¯s actions, he stayed much longer so it doesn¡¯t look like he thought that their ce smelled. Honestly speaking, the ce didn¡¯t smell as ra exaggerated, hygiene was just not the best but Marcel could live through it.

    Finally, after Marcel offered them an envelope full of money and promised to support their son¡¯s burial, he took his leave but the woman insisted on seeing him out.

    And it was when they reached the entrance that the woman suddenly stopped and said, ¡°You do know you deserve someone better,¡±

    Marcel¡¯s gaze lifted and their eyes connected. She knew.

 Chapter 119

    119 A Bunch Of Lowlives

    ¡°What took you so long? I¡¯ve been practically waiting here for hours!¡± ra whirled upon Marcel as soon as he made it into the street. Her face was flush and she was boiling with anger.

    Her heels were beginning to hurt her for going around in it and standing for a long time. ra would have gone back to the car if she could, however, it was packed quite far from here due to the unpleasant nature of the road.

    The roads here are crumbling because they are poorly maintained and in a state of disrepair. Thanks to that, the potholes are numerous, leading drivers to swerve around them, putting themselves and those in other vehicles at risk. No, some of the section

    have deteriorated so badly they are impassable

    Gosh, people that live here must be animals! A normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to endure this level of hardship, imed ra, the princess.

    Note the sarcasm.

    However, that was not even why ra was angry in the first ce. While Marcel had been away, she was left all alone outside and was treated to the scrutinizing eyes of the strangers in this slum.

    ra finally was able to sense that she had overdressed for this kind of ce because anyone that saw her turned to look at her even for the fourth time, admiration plus envy on their faces. They knew she was rich.

    At first, ra had wallowed in the attention, standing with her spine straight and her head lifted to show her dominance but the onlookers perceived that as arrogance, and the bold ones in the street ¨C aka jobless women in her view ¨C started to talk about her with their friends while passing by.

    .....

    Yet that didn¡¯t move ra, they were all jealous of her and she didn¡¯t give a damn. It was not her fault that they were born poor. They should have asked God to send them to a better family while in the womb.

    But ra¡¯s pomposity reduced drastically when a group of young men passed her by. Their leering stares made her skin crawl and she suddenly wished she hade with pepper spray to teach them a lesson. But she didn¡¯t ¨C because Marcel was expected to protect her. Unfortunately, Marcel was nowhere to be found. That asshole!

    ¡°Damn, she¡¯s hot,¡± One of them whistled and looked her over in such a way that made her want to shield her body even though her clothes were intact.

    Because they were standing in front of her in the narrow street, others in the neighborhood were interested in the drama instead of helping her out. She even saw one person pull out her phone to video her as if they were expecting some kind of drama to happen. What kind of ce was this?

    There was no doubt that the video would go viral if such a thing were to happen and she needed to protect her reputation. She couldn¡¯t allow any drama of any sort.

    So ra said to the one who made the pass at her, ¡°How much would it take for you to mind your business and pretend you never saw me?¡±

    ¡°Ooh,¡± another jeered from behind, ¡°Bitch must have some spine,¡±

    ra wondered what was funny because they all burst into a chorus ofughter. And thatughter was meant to mock her but ra had a thick skin and would not let a bunch of lowlives have the best of her.

    The one in front said with amusement, ¡°You must have enough money, miss?¡± Amusement twinkling in his gaze.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± ra admitted with a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, ¡°Yes, I have more than enough that you have probably never touched in your life,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The young man felt insulted by thement.

    As if that was not enough, ra opened her purse and began to pull a bunch of neat high currency notes, and when she felt it was enough ¨C considering their status ¨C she stepped forward and put the money in the guy¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You should have a meal with it at a five-star restaurant, after all, who knows if you would get this opportunity of a lifetime again,¡± she sneered, closing his hand around the notes.

    ¡°You!¡± The young man growled with anger, his eyes wild and red. He lurched towards ra to teach her a lesson but his friends quickly stepped in and held him back having recognized that she was a powerful person.

    ¡°Sure,e at me then,¡± ra taunted the guy who struggled with his friends all to no avail, ¡°Lay a hand on me and Let¡¯s see if your family would be able to survive the night,¡±

    Thatment made the young man stop as he finally realized the threat she was and the fact he would not be able to defeat her without putting himself in danger.

    He didn¡¯t do anything else and just stared hard at her nor did ra cower under the intensity of his gaze. She had sat at the table with great men and women, his low self didn¡¯t scare her at all.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go men!¡± His mate urged him and without further ado, the young man left but not without throwing the money at ra¡¯s face.

    ra gasped in disbelief, the nerve of him. However, she had to move away quickly because out of nowhere, a bunch of children rushed in her direction and began to pick the money as if their life depended on it.

    ¡°Gosh, this ce is crazy,¡± ra cried once she was away from the crazy kids and closer to the house that Marcel was currently in. What was he even doing there?!

    Hence when Marcel finally emerged, she decided to give him a taste of what she experienced while he was inside schmoozing.

    Marcel only red at her as usual, ¡°Don¡¯t even start with me because I¡¯m one step away from throttling you!¡± He growled a warning to her.

    ¡°Oh really?¡± ra scoffed, ¡°And you think you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t want to throttle someone?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not having this conversation with you in the open,¡± Marcel dismissed her, having noticed people¡¯s gaze on them. He walked ahead.

    ¡°I would have said the same but after the trauma I went through here, I don¡¯t think I care anymore!¡± ra was hot on Marcel¡¯s heels and was just about to overtake him when she missed a step in her heels.

    A trace of panic crossed ra¡¯s face as she began to fall and closed her eyes, trying to brace herself only to feel a strong arm around her waist.

 Chapter 120

    120 Get Your Own Ride

    ra saw herself falling and squeezed her eyes shut, already prepared for the shame that came with the fall while hoping to God that nobody records this scene. It would traumatize her for the rest of her life.

    But when a minute passed and she didn¡¯t fall and could only feel a strong hook around her waist, ra knew instinctively that something happened. Surprisingly, that hook around her waist felt fleshy yet muscr and firm.

    Muscr and firm?

    At once, her eyes popped open only to stare straight into Marcel¡¯s face. ra was stunned, he was the one who saved her?

    Unlike the other times where ra would have gotten out of Marcel¡¯s arms, ridden with disgust and cursing him for trying to touch her, she just gaped at him.

    ra couldn¡¯t exin it but she began to notice details about Marcel she hadn¡¯t seen till now like the way his hair was sexily tousled and some of it had fallen over his eyes when he tried to catch her. Then his eyes? It was the most beautiful and maic gray eyes she had ever seen.

    And ra couldn¡¯t tell if it was the lightning or adrenaline but she closely observed his gray eyes changing color to a hue of blue. She had heard that a change in the size of the pupilspresses certain colors resulting in a different but temporary hue shift in the eye color. It was amazing.

    But most of all, ra could feel the strength in his arms and she began to wonder why she never noticed her fianc¨¦ was more muscr than Luther ¨C she loved her man strong. With those arms rippling with strength, she could only imagine what he could do with her on the...

    ra stepped back from him as if she was burned and Marcel was not even bothered by the gesture. This was not the first time he was treated to such a treatment even after saving her ass.

    .....

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me again?!¡± She warned him with using fingers as if he tried to take advantage of her.

    As if, Marcel rolled his eyes towards heaven. Why wasn¡¯t he even surprised?

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± He said with sarcasm.

    But to his surprise, she went red in the face. He snorted, so she knew how to be embarrassed?

    However, unknown to Marcel, ra was not red with shame, rather she was blushing. Marcel reminding her of the fall only brought back the crazy thoughts in her head.

    While everything happened in less than a minute, it seemed like an hour to ra considering how she was able to notice everything about him.

    God, this was crazy, ra thought as she gave Marcel a suspicious look. How sure was she that he hadn¡¯t done something to her during the fall? Why would she suddenly start thinking of him if that wasn¡¯t the case? She battled with her mind.

    Marcel was surprised when ra zoned out, it was a first. Previously, she would stomp away while cursing him in a situation like this. So why was she just standing there, staring at him that way? It was creepy, to be honest.

    So he cautiously waved his hand in front of her face, ¡°Hello? ra?¡±

    ra was startled back to reality only to see Marcel¡¯s face right in front of her again. She shrieked and took a step back and stepped into a small hole. She wobbled and almost fell only for Marcel to catch her, again.

    ¡°Get your hands off me!¡± ra was livid as she pushed him away from her with a great force that If Marcel didn¡¯t have enough stamina, he would have fallen to his ass.

    ¡°Well, suit yourself!¡± Marcel said, done with her annoying mood swings. Since she was fine on her own, he had no business looking out for her. Marcel decided as he went ahead, leaving her behind in her miserable heels.

    By the time ra got to the car, she was huffing and sweating. However she was pissed off at Marcel, how could he leave her behind?

    Staring at Marcel as he entered the car without even opening the door for her reminded her of the asshole he was. Of course, she hated him! That was the answer to the question ravaging her mind.

    She didn¡¯t like him one bit, the asshole must have tried to seduce her for his gain. It clicked, the reason he had her prepare for these ¡± condolence visits¡± when he never even called her for once after that altercation at his father¡¯s ce.

    Was this the tactics he wanted to employ, to make her fall for her to please his father? raughed inwardly, he was a big dreamer! Luther was the man she loved and even if they -she and Marcel- eventually marry, he would never win her heart. She bet her inheritance was his target. That power-hungry gangster!

    While thinking about how Marcel nned on seducing her, Marcel in question was thinking of how to tackle his household enemies at the funeral service and get rid of ra as well.

    There was no doubt that everybody would be there to question his administration. This was their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gnaw on him like vultures on a carcass.

    For once, Marcel began to wonder if it had been a mistake not bringing Victor along to aid him, however, he knew how easily riled Victor was by their other cousins. He was here to ount for his murdered men, not to start a fight ¨C even though they would bring it to his doorstep.

    Out of the corner of his eyes, Marcel watched as ra began to take off her heels, massaging her feet that must be throbbing.

    ¡°If you want, I could get you a t shoe across the way?¡± He offered her help seeing how exhausted she was. Marcel might not like her but it was in his nature to care for women ¨C the way his mother cared for him.

    ¡°And why would you do that for me?¡± She retorted.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Did I ask for it?¡±

    Marcel was flustered, he was only trying to help. He wasn¡¯t a monster as she imagined him to be, ¡°No, you didn¡¯t but I -¡±

    ra interrupted him, ¡°If you think those little gestures would change my mind, then you better shove it up your ass. I don¡¯t need your help, save it!¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Marcel nodded after she was done, his lips set in a thin line. Someone would have to fend for herself from now on. He suddenly pulled up at the corner of the road without warning.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± ra was surprised by the abrupt stop, this didn¡¯t look like the venue.

    ¡°Get out!¡± Marcel said in a tone so cold it froze her over.

    ¡°What?¡± She croaked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need me driving you because I decided to shove the favor up my ass. Now get your own ride,¡±

    ra¡¯s face lost color. Somebody should tell her that he was kidding her.

 Chapter 121

    121 Meeting His Cousin

    All thanks to ra, the main funeral service was over before Marcel could arrive. Even when he reached the burial scene, the coffin was already being lowered into the ground and he had to push his way to the front.

    Unlike the other families of the victims, this one was quite aware of her husband¡¯s activities and that was why the burial was graced by mostly members of the gang with a few family members. Everyone was dressed in ck as he was and just when Marcel was close to standing in front, one of the men resisted him crossing over.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± The man said and turned to re at who had tried passing through him only to get the shock of his life.

    ¡°B-boss,¡± He stammered, having recognized Marcel.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know the man and guessed he was from a lower-ranking member of the gang. He was not obliged to know every member of his gang, especially those at the bottom of the structure, it was the captain¡¯s responsibility except that such a person was rmended. He could see the fear in the man¡¯s eyes when he finally recognized him.

    ¡°B-boss,¡± The man choked.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything, he simply pulled him to the side and passed through. It was not customary for him to be at the graveside however, Marcel needed to pay hisst respect to his Caporegime who died as a result of his ipetence.

    He was now standing right beside the victim¡¯s family who had already begun to scatter soil onto the coffee in the ground while the choir sang.

    It was a very beautiful yet sad song that tugged at the heartstrings of people at the scene. They sang about meeting at a better ce called heaven but Marcel smiled inwardly, he was sure people like them would rot in hell.

    .....

    Why would God ept their souls when they¡¯ve done so many sins like taking a life, neither were they ready to change? Just like Marcel who was born into the Mafia, other members would never leave because they have no clue what to do or go.

    The Mafia is the only thing Marcel has ever known since he was born. His Dreams? He doesn¡¯t have a thing like that. Having his own dreams was a privilege he would never be able to acquire and having hope he would find that was a slow poison that would do nothing but lead to his death.

    Just like his father and fathers before him, Marcel¡¯s responsibility would be to grow the Luciano mob and he was sure as hell his seed would continue the task from where he stopped until their influence and activities were thoroughly abolished ¨C which he highly doubted. Darkness can only be subdued but can never be erased. Even if he¡¯s convicted and imprisoned, the next generation would carry on from where he stopped.

    Aside from that, even if Marcel wanted out of the Mafia, he couldn¡¯t since he was buried waist-deep in their activities. He was his father¡¯s heir and current leader of the Luciano n, and he knew how much sacrifice his father had made to put him there even though he ascended earlier.

    Also, you might leave the Mafia, but the Mafia would never leave you. If his father ¨C and other family members ¨C aka his other cousins ¨C doesn¡¯t kill him for betraying the family (and his cousins would do that solely to make sure he has no chance of reiming his position) Marcel was sure his rival gangs would do the job.

    He has so many enemies that he can¡¯t give up now unless he wants a death sentence. In one word, there was no backing out of the Luciano family and he could only move forward.

    As expected, his father attended the burial and was standing directly across from him. They stared at each other for a brief second and Marcel could tell the displeasure on his face; he was not happy with all of this.

    If he was younger, Marcel was sure he would receive a good beating for failing to prevent this kind of disaster from happening. As if he had any control over death, he snorted.

    In no time the burial was over and the funeral reception was held at the victim¡¯s home, right in their garden to amodate the many guests that attended. Thete captain made a lot of associates hence there were many people in attendance.

    Even though it was a funeral reception, some of the guests used that opportunity to socialize and Marcel heard fellow gang members already making bets on suitable recements.

    But Marcel didn¡¯t join them and went ahead to the living room where the wife and her children were receiving guests one after the other while other family rtions kept the guests entertained outside, serving food and drinks.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Marcel was quick to offer his condolences to the older woman.

    The woman looked him over and recognized him right away. She bowed her head humbly, ¡°I¡¯m more thankful you attended his funeral when he¡¯s just an ordinary Captain,¡± She said, having full knowledge of her husband¡¯s line of work.

    ¡°He contributed immensely to our family and I would guarantee his life would not be in vain,¡± Marcel promised to catch the killer.

    ¡°No, we all knew the risks when he decided to work for your family, so just let it be. Also, he was not that righteous either,¡± She knew about her husband¡¯s affairs and he often used his job as an excuse for it. Perhaps he deserved what came his way and she was free to live a happier life without his tyranny.

    Marcel was just about to say something when his phone beeped with a massage. He would have ignored it but knowing it could be something important ¨C with Elijah still on the loose, who knows what he would do next ¨C Marcel read it immediately. And regretted it.

    ra was here.

    That he was surprised was an understatement, Marcel waspletely dumbfounded. Judging from ra¡¯s pompous personality, he had predicted that she would return home from anger after he abandoned and humiliated her on the highway but that seems not to be the case. What was she doing here? What does she have in mind? Marcel was sure it couldn¡¯t be anything good.

    Marcel had to excuse himself and went back outside where he began to search for ra in the crowd. He couldn¡¯t find her and was about to give up, thinking it was a prank only to see her, discussing heartily with his other cousin.

    Damn it.

 Chapter 122

    122 Kiss Her

    Arthur wasn¡¯t exactly his cousin, but a second cousin since they share a great-grandparent, Fergus.

    There was a very good reason Marcel avoided his second cousins, although it¡¯s been years since the first incident involving their grandparents, both sides have never gotten along. And Marcel had to admit, his father contributed to that.

    After Mattia was banished from the family for killing Albine ¨C his would have been uncle if he was still alive ¨C his sons were not cast away with him since they knew nothing about his crime.

    Hatred, they say is contagious and his father had made sure they didn¡¯tmunicate with Mattias¡¯ descendants, treating them as nothing less than an enemy, widening the gap between the family.

    Now, a family that is supposed to stand together views each other as nothing butpetitors that need to be wiped off.

    Unlike Marcel¡¯s side of the family that had fewer males, Mattias¡¯ grandchildren were numerous and had a total of seven heirs of which two had died from an illness leaving them to a number of five ¨C three boys and two girls. So yeah, Marcel had a total of five enemies to deal with.

    Sexism and male chauvinism weremon in the Mafia since the females are mostly never considered for the boss position- especially with the presence of other male siblings ¨C even if they possess great skills, due to the belief they would be married off in the future. And the Luciano n would never let their hard work cannot fall into the hands of a strange man.

    Hence Marcel didn¡¯t count the females as much threat to his position, focusing on his male rivalry instead. Thanks to him being ¡°outnumbered¡±, his father Daniel tried getting another son, and let¡¯s just say it didn¡¯t work out well. The boy was born with a disability and died years ago.

    Scorched by that traumatic experience, Daniel never thought of producing another seed, afraid that it would turn out as the second one. He was afraid that his reputation would be smeared if the news were to spread that he produced a second imbecile son.

    .....

    But that meant his father turned his full attention on Marcel, making sure he didn¡¯t make any mistake, until now. Daniel would do everything in his power to make sure authority never left their lineage again ¨C even at the expense of his son¡¯s happiness.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± ra squealed upon noticing his presence and to his surprise, ran up to him and looped her hand around his arm. His gaze narrowed at that gesture, what was she doing?

    ¡°Just the man I was looking for, my dearest cousin,¡± Arthur said, walking up to them.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I am not here to entertain you,¡± Marcel was not in the mood for pleasantries.

    Amongst his second cousins, Arthur was the most annoying andpetitive as well. Having ascended as the boss, there was a need for the Underboss who would be the second inmand of the family. The underboss is usually first in line to be acting boss if the boss is imprisoned, and is also frequently seen as a logical sessor.

    So far Victor has been performing both roles and soon, Marcel would be expected to appoint one and Arthur already saw himself as a likely candidate.

    Unfortunately, there was no other male on their side of the family to take up that role and Marcel was not stupid enough to let the enemies into his chambers. If Arthur were to be an underboss, who knows he ¨C Marcel ¨C might die from an ¡°ident¡± one day and Arthur bes the boss.

    No wonder his father wanted to marry him off as soon as possible to ra to produce an heir ¨C and achieve his obsession of bing of noble descent.

    ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t be like this, dear cousin,¡± Arthur said yfully, cing his hand on his shoulder but Marcel¡¯s gaze was so murderous that he removed his hand quickly. It was so awkward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Marcel ordered ra, wanting to leave whether she wanted it or not, only for his annoying cousin to block his way.

    ¡°What now?¡± His tone held a warning.

    ¡°Why are you leaving so quickly? Come on, you didn¡¯t even introduce me to my sister-inw?¡±

    At the mention of sister-inw, Marcel turned sharply to ra, ¡°You told him?¡±

    ra rolled her eyes, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? We¡¯d be getting married soon, why hide it?¡± she tightened her hand around him as if trying to show off her possession.

    ¡°Exactly, sister-inw¡¯s mind and I work together. If the both of you are together, why won¡¯t you show her off unless...¡± He trailed off insinuatingly.

    ¡°Unless what?¡± Marcel was on the defense, taking a step towards him threateningly. Although Marcel was tall, Arthur wasnky and towered over him yet he was not intimidated. He was confident of taking out his cousin easily if a fight were to ur.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so uptight, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a crime to be in an arranged marriage, after all, our great grandparents were in one and it turned out to be sessful. You would eventually learn to love her, that is if you don¡¯t like her already, right? Wait a minute, tell me you like her?¡± Arthur tried to empathize with him but Marcel knew he was having fun with this.

    ¡°Who says he doesn¡¯t like me?¡± ra was offended by thatment, ¡°I¡¯m going to be his wife, why won¡¯t he like me?¡± She loved to be the center of attraction and didn¡¯t like this unfavorable light.

    ¡°Then prove it,¡± Arthur demanded.

    ¡°Prove what?¡± Marcel growled.

    ¡°Kiss her,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They say a kiss can express sentiments of love, let¡¯s see how much you like her,¡± Arthur demanded.

    Marcel scowled at that idiot, he knew this was a challenge from his cousin but then, he hated people putting him in a tight spot the most and leaving him with no option.

    He pulled free from ra and took another step, saying to Arthur, ¡°I do not need to prove myself to you because you¡¯re not worth one bit of my attention.¡±

    Done, Marcel turned and said to ra, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± trying to pull her along.

    But she pped his hand away and said in an outburst, ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re not man enough to do it because you¡¯re afraid of losing your heart to me once we kissed!¡±

 Chapter 123

    123 He Was Sorry

    Thatment was a huge p on his face. Everything ra has done to him, Marcel was able to endure and move on but he had never felt this insulted until now.

    As someone who had been with many women and could boast of his ability to bring a woman to orgasm, it was a huge blow to his pride. Plus men were egotistical creatures, not to mention that Arthur currently smirking at him irked him, greatly.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Marcel asked in a dangerously low tone. His fists were clutched by the side which was the only sign of anger he showed because his expression was apathetic; he waspletely void of emotion.

    Marcel was angry, ra could see that, considering that she couldn¡¯t tell what was going on in his mind with his nk face. However, she knows him well enough to know that below that calm demeanor, there was a burning inferno.

    ra was supposed to be scared, but what gave her confidence was the fact that Marcel wouldn¡¯t be able to harm her, not in the open and not with his father¡¯s around. Yeah, he still has a leash around his neck.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the truth?¡± ra retorted, ¡°You¡¯re just scared of losing your heart to me. If you believe otherwise, then kiss me, and let¡¯s see,¡± She was confident.

    It had to make sense, why he was always intent on noting close to her. ra knew there was no woman in his life and if it wasn¡¯t for the fact she was betrothed to him, Marcel would likely never get married. He would simply get an heir from a baby mama and be done with women!

    That must be why he hates her, ra thought. She¡¯s in love with Luther when she¡¯s supposed to be his fianc¨¦e. ra heard men were possessive with their things whether they liked it or not. No wonder Marcel loathes her, because he can never win her heart nor does he know what it is like to be in love. Quite a pathetic life he lived so far.

    If only he was half as refined as Luther, ra would have considered giving him a chance. Even at that, the thought of having two men ¨C Luther and Marcel ¨C veer for her attention thrilled her. It wouldn¡¯t be bad if that were to happen. After all, Marcel would be her husband in the future and she would have no choice but to dump Luther.

    .....

    Marcel in question narrowed his gaze at ra, scrutinizing her thoroughly. If it wasn¡¯t that the both of them were like Cat and mouse, he would have thought ra was desperate for his affection. However, she loathed him and doesn¡¯t bother to hide it, so this must be a sincere challenge ¨C a challenge that would have thrilled him if she was Arianna.

    Damn.

    Remembering Arianna did nothing but fill him with guilt once more. However, Marcel had to remind himself that he did his job of protecting his family and it was for her protection as well. There was nothing to feel responsible for, it happened the way it should be in the first ce.

    ¡°Dear cousin,¡± He heard Arthur¡¯s mocking voice once again, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re this much scared of a kiss. Just think of it as giving us a good show,¡± He chuckled.

    Although their little drama did not gather a crowd, people¡¯s eyes and whispers were already on them and they were now interested in the oue.

    Fine, they wanted a good show, he would give them one. Marcel decided as he stomped over to ra who straightened up immediately. She was confident of beating him in that kiss; she would bring him down to his knees.

    This was really happening, ra couldn¡¯t help but be thrilled. Never did she think that she would anticipate Marcel¡¯s kiss ¨C she was always disgusted by the mere sight of him. What changed?

    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, as soon as Marcel came close, he reached out and grabbed a fistful of ra¡¯s hair forcing her head to the side while a pained whimper left her lips. She almost cried.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Even Arthur was dumbfounded by the scene. He was expecting a sweet kiss that he could use to make jest of Marcelter, not an assault in broad daylight. What was his cousin even thinking? Doesn¡¯t he know the family ra is from?

    But it seems Marcel had more surprises for them because he crushed his lips against ra¡¯s who stood still like a pole. Her eyes were wide and she was as rigid as Marcel who was beginning to wonder what he was doing.

    There was no way he could go through with this kiss nor could he stop either. This was not the first time he kissed women he didn¡¯t have feelings for, not that he¡¯s ever had feelings for anyone, but then, it had been lust-driven.

    The women he had been with had been there to fulfill his carnal needs, but ra, he felt absolutely nothing for her. Not even a hint of lust. He didn¡¯t see her as a woman. If the both of them were stuck on an ind for the rest of their life, Marcel was sure he would be a monk than be with her.

    No matter what, Men were naturally drawn to a woman¡¯s body but all Marcel could remember even as his lips were pressed against her was the humiliation she put him through. It turned him off barely three seconds to the kiss. Marcel was stuck in a dilemma and didn¡¯t know what to do until an image of Arianna shed in his head and that came with an idea ¨C a pretty lousy yet practical idea.

    Marcel conjured Arianna, using her form to rece ra that he pressed his lips against, and the passion ignited. It was as if Marcel forgot all of this was in his head because he kissed the so thought Arianna with fervor as if he was rying the words he couldn¡¯t tell her.

    He was sorry.

 Chapter 124

    124 A Young Girl With My Father

    ra stood as frozen as an ice fish, her brain seem to have malfunctioned the moment Marcel pressed his lips against hers. She did not see iting.

    Her mind had been wrapped around the pain in her scalp where he grabbed her hair tightly and was cursing him mentally only for him to kiss her suddenly.

    ra didn¡¯t react even though her eyes were open and witnessed when Marcel¡¯s eyes shut close. Like magic, the pain in her scalp became numb the same moment the kiss deepened and her lips parted. If anything the pain gave birth to a bliss that made her body shudder.

    It was a kiss like never before and had her toes curling even before she could respond to him. ra couldn¡¯t count the number of times she and Luther kissed but it couldn¡¯tpare to this one right here. This kiss was on a higher level and it made her begin to see Marcel in another light.

    Marcel was a damn good kisser and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was what she had been missing out on all this time? If she had been weing to Marcel, would their rtionship have blossomed into something beautiful? Many questions ran through her mind.

    But Luther.....

    ra didn¡¯t have time to think about her other lover because Marcel plunged his tongue into hers, owning her mouth. Because he was a gangster, she always thought Marcel would be brutal and uncultivated in bed but the way his tongue stroked her gently was shocking. ra didn¡¯t know he was capable of such softness.

    He dominated the kiss and ra could almost say he yawned for her. It was confusing because he never showed her such emotion. Most of the times Marcel was always ring or scowling at her, he never looked at her with tenderness, or was she mistaken here?

    Whatever, ra pushed the matter to the back of her mind. It was the both of them that matters right now.

    .....

    Marcel was still kissing her, quite wickedly and she forgot the need for oxygen. His hand traveled down to her butt and squeezed tight causing the moan building in her lungs to be captured in his hungry mouth.

    He froze.

    But ra didn¡¯t care about his rigidity and continued to kiss him, she needed more from him. ra was trembling with a need that made her feel boneless. She did not doubt that she would have taken things further if they were in the confines of privacy.

    But Marcel broke his mouth off her, leaving her breathing heavily, as her eyes opened slowly. Her core throbbed and she was needy for another doze of him. However, ra saw the appalling look on Marcel¡¯s face and the haze cleared away immediately. Yet when she blinked, the look on his face was gone as if it was never there in the first ce.

    The moan felt different and that was the cue that woke him from the delusion he was into. And the red hair he thought he saw gradually metamorphosed into a brte; the enchanting green eyes into familiar blues ones.

    ra.

    The memories came back and Marcel realized he had been kissing ra all along? There was a look of horror on his face, however, when he found out they hadpany, he quickly hid his emotions.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arthur whispered, he was the first one to speak, ¡°That was more intense than I thought. The both of you are definitely on fire,¡±

    ra blushed at thatment and she didn¡¯t even know why. Her heart was beating fast and to her embarrassment, she was aroused.

    Almost immediately, someone came out from the crowd pping and Marcel discovered it was no one but his father. The man¡¯s smile was so broad as if he made him proud. Like a domino effect, the rest of the people began to p as well like they were congratting some newlywed.

    You gotta be kidding him, right? Really? Kissing ra was something worthy of praise and not his hard work? Marcel couldn¡¯t help but get offended. He felt very cheap.

    ¡°I knew I could count on you to make the right decision,¡± His father Daniel said, patting him on the shoulder and adding immediately, ¡°You should take her home, we can reschedule the meeting to another day. I¡¯m sure my daughter-inw is tired already,¡±

    ra smiled coyly, lifting her hand to her mouth, ¡°You tter, me,¡± She added jovially, ¡°Father,¡±

    The both of themughed without even noticing Marcel whose mind was far away from them.

    Marcel was furious. In the end, no matter what he did, his need was not seen, just his worth. He had to swallow down the lump in his throat to be able to breathe.

    Why was he even feeling this way? It wasn¡¯t like this was the first time to be disappointed by his father? He just wished.... just wished... who was he kidding? Wishing was a fool¡¯s hope.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Marcel interrupted the father and daughter who had be best buddies while conversing. He didn¡¯t even wait for them to respond and was on his way already.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father, I¡¯ll pay you a visit the next time,¡± ra assured him, forgetting all about the drama that happened thest time she was there.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll rather you spend time with my son. You see Marcel has nobody except me by his side ever since his mother died, I want you to take over that role,¡± Daniel told her.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make sure your son is happy, you can trust me,¡± ra promised him. She could feel it, something changed between her and Marcel and it was for good.

    Perhaps, she should give him a chance. The both of them together doesn¡¯t seem like a bad idea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, father,¡± ra waved at Daniel and had to catch up to Marcel on thewn where his car was parked. He was opening the door to the driver¡¯s seat when he noticed her and suddenly asked a question that made her halt in her step.

    ¡°How many times have you been to my father¡¯s ce?¡±

    She frowned, why was he asking her that of all questions? Nheless, she answered, ¡°Thrice?¡±

    ¡°In one of your visits, have you ever spotted a young girl with my father?¡±

    ¡°Young girl? What young girl? Who¡¯s the young girl? Is your father getting married to the young girl?¡± She bombarded Marcel with questions instead.

    Marcel gave her a dirty for thatst question. He had been meaning to ask if she noticed his sister in his father¡¯s ce since she was a frequent visitor. But ra was obviously dumb.

    He simply shook his head and was about to get into his car only to see her reaching for the doorknob on the passenger side.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He scowled.

    ra was confused, ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking me home?¡±

    ¡°Why would I? Am I crazy? Was I the one who drove you here? Who made me your driver? Did you ask for a favor?¡± He peppered her with questions as well.

    ra was struck dumb, he still haven¡¯t forgotten about their quarrel on their waying? Thus, she forgot that Marcel was as grudgeful as a ten-year-old. She took a taxi toe here for Christ¡¯s sake. It was embarrassing.

    She was flustered, ¡°B-but your father said.... and the kiss-?¡±

    ¡°What kiss?!¡± Marcel didn¡¯t let her finish her question and took it right out of her mind.

    He stepped out of the car once more and hovered over ra as he made it clear to her, ¡°That kiss was a challenge you started and I finished, so don¡¯t even think it changes anything between us,¡±

 Chapter 125

    125 Marry Him

    Arianna didn¡¯t have a nightmarest night, no, she didn¡¯t even have a dream. However, she woke up quite early and was on tenterhooks.

    Her head was finally cleared from the events of yesterday and she had the opportunity to think. Now, how was she going to get herself out of this predicament? She can¡¯t keep on deceiving Big Joe and pretending to be interested in being his faithful wife in the future.

    However, it wasn¡¯t that bad marrying Big Joe, right? She means,pared to Marcel, he¡¯s been good to her.

    No!!

    Arianna shook the useless thought out of her head. What the hell was she thinking? She had to force herself to remember why she should never get married to Big Joe in the first ce.

    Number one, she wasn¡¯t ready for marriage. Arianna was not against those getting into marriage early, however, she needed breathing space. She has heard how tough being married is and enjoyed her singlehood a bit before being tied into such bondage. Moreover, she would rather experience hell with the man she loved and Big Joe wasn¡¯t that.

    For sure the man was kind and all but those feelings were null. Arianna saw him as a brother she never had and that my friend is not enough for marriage! Unfortunately, the man she loves was nowhere to be found, preferring to act in the shadows.

    Arianna sighed, rubbing her temple. She still had high hope of Elijahing for her, but what if her hope was useless. She once heard a saying,

    ¡°Hope is a slow poison. It¡¯s not just destined to kill you, it would torture your soul in installments, make you hallucinate that everything is going to be all right, and finally leaves you at the dead end.¡±

    .....

    Arianna prayed she didn¡¯t end up that way; she hoped that the wedding would be stopped somehow and Elijah sweeps her away to their safe haven where they establish their family. Now, that sure sounds like a poison invading her mind.

    Burying her face into the mattress, Arianna groaned. What was she going to do then?! Her situation was so frustrating, and she just kept moving back and forth between troubles. She needed a break for Christ¡¯s sake. She needed to sort out everything; It was overwhelming. F*ck!

    After releasing her frustration on the bed, Arianna went directly to her bathroom to have her bath and cool her head that was racing with a million thoughts per minute.

    Her bathroom was stocked with more than enough toiletries and she had no doubt that was Kenith¡¯s handwork. The products were not as many as it was the first time she was taken here and she had a feeling Kenith must have done that to ensure she doesn¡¯t escape here again using toiletries as an excuse. He was covering all grounds and exploiting the loopholes she could have used.

    Smart Asshole.

    For some reason, knowing that Kenith must have purchased the

    shampoo, dental floss, deodorant, soap and lots of them grossed her out. Arianna felt goosebumps on her arm and rubbed them together while looking around the bathroom to make sure she was truly alone.

    At first, she wanted to make use of the shower, however, Arianna had this useless imagination where Kenith returned and sneaked up on her in the shower stall and she was powerless to stop him as he had his way with...

    No! Arianna shook her head, that was impossible and can¡¯t happen. She was just thinking nonsense. Even at that, she didn¡¯t cross the shower stall and preferred to use the tub instead ¨C thank God for that.

    Although it was not asfortable and luxurious as the bathtub at Marcel¡¯s ce, it was still something ¨C and she could see anyoneing at her without sneaking up from behind. And why did she have to remember Marcel at a time like this? Her mood just got ruined.

    Arianna threw her head back and enjoyed her bath. She ran the hot water faucet and it felt warm against her body, soothing and rxing those muscles. All she needed toplete the experience was music, but then, she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she held a phone in her hand. She didn¡¯t even know where her own phone was. Probably lost.

    This was one of the reasons she can¡¯t get involved with these people. All the Mafia did was to take and not give; she had no freedom; no cellphone; no future; and no family.

    Now she thought about family, Arianna couldn¡¯t help but remember a tune her father used to y for her when she was younger. Feeling nostalgic all of a sudden, she began to whistle the tune.

    Her father had been so used to that song, she couldn¡¯t help but master it. One day, she remembered asking him, ¡°Daddy, where did you learn that tune?¡±

    Arianna recalled the way her father smiled, ¡°It belongs to your mother,¡±

    ¡°My mother?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡±

    ¡°But you said mommy is dead,¡±

    ¡°Yes. But then, this was the song I used to win your mother¡¯s heart,¡± He grinned at her.

    Her little self looked up to her father with disbelief, ¡°You made mommy fall for you with a song?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Arianna shook her head, ¡°That¡¯sme,¡±

    ¡°What isme about it, my little Arianna?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to sing this song to my crush and he¡¯d like me?¡± She hardly believed him.

    ¡°Of course, he would ¨C wait a minute, you have a crush?¡± Her father said and her little self realized her mistake at thest minute.

    Uh-oh

    ¡°Nope,¡± She quickly said, turning the other way.

    ¡°Arianna?¡± her father pressed for more information.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± She fidgeted with her fingers, looking at him innocently while fluttering hershes at him.

    ¡°God,¡± Her father threw his head back andughed, ¡°You are so cute and in trouble?¡± he leaned closer, ¡°So tell who is this lucky guy?¡±

    Little Arianna scratched her hair awkwardly, ¡°I just met him yesterday,¡±

    ¡°You met him yesterday and you decided you like him?¡± Her father was bewildered.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Why?¡± He asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s cute,¡± Was Little Arianna¡¯s reply.

    Her father blinked, taken aback by her confession, ¡°He¡¯s cute? That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°A-ha,¡± Arianna nodded confidently, ¡°You know I like cute things,¡±

    Her father¡¯s jaw fell, who knows what he thought of at that moment. She wished she had the opportunity to ask him that.

    Then little Arianna remembered and added in a hurry, ¡°Oh! He has these amazing eyes...¡± She drew a circle in the air, ¡± It¡¯s beautiful. I like staring into it, I feel like I could get lost in there. Daddy, do you think I should marry him?¡±

 Chapter 126

    126 The Mysterious Crush

    Thinking about her ridiculous proposal now, Arianna could imagine how shocked her father must have been by that. Imagine your seven-year-old daughter telling you she wanted to get married to her crush? She was quite bold as a kid. But all that ended after her father died and she crawled into a shell of her own.

    ¡°Arianna, what are you talking about?¡± asked her father, still flustered by her announcement.

    She pouted, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, since I don¡¯t have a mom, I could just get married to my crush and be my own mom, and then when the timees, we¡¯d have our babies,¡± she figured everything out.

    Her father went pale in the face, ¡°How could you think of such a thing, my Ari? Look around you, do you see any of your mates that are married?¡±

    She shrugged, ¡°No,¡±

    ¡°Then why would you think of such, Arianna,¡± He breathed.

    ¡°You said It¡¯s unique to be different. The fact that I think this way means that I¡¯m special and special people do great things. I could go down in history as the youngest married child!¡± She was so enthusiastic without knowing that underage marriage was banned and her father would be arrested for supporting such.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arianna, if you¡¯re so desperate to have a mother, I¡¯ll get married and you would have a new mother,¡± He thought it was the best idea.

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna rejected it right away. As a kid, she watched Cindere and heard tales of what people in her same situation experienced whenever one of the parents got married. If her father got married, his attention would shift to her new mother and the siblings they would make.

    .....

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get married, I only want you,¡± She rejected the proposal without thinking twice.

    ¡°But you said -¡±

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t get married!¡± She gave up on the idea, hugging her father, ¡°It would just be the both of us...¡±

    Her father smiled too early because she added, ¡°And my crush,¡±

    The way the smile on her father¡¯s face fell was soical. He didn¡¯t see that oneing and must feel jealous of her mysterious crush.

    So he pried cautiously, ¡°Tell me about your crush, when would I get to see him?¡± her father was hungry to know more.

    ¡°Soon,¡± She replied, ¡°For the moment, he doesn¡¯t trust anybody except meing close to him else you would scare him and he would run off again,¡±

    There was a look of confusion on the man¡¯s face, why does his daughter¡¯s crush sound like a bird. How else would a human run off when he gets too close? Only birds do that. He looked at Arianna in concern and then sighed, perhaps crushing on birds was way better than boys. He couldn¡¯t imagine chasing off boys around his daughter at this age.

    ¡°Alright baby girl,¡± Her father carried her into hisps on the sofa thinking that it was over.

    Unfortunately, the bird her father thought she was crushing on was indeed a human boy nor did he realize she was the reason for the sudden missing food and fruits in the refrigerator and not because he was developing memory loss. Her poor father, maybe she shouldn¡¯t have lied to him about stealing those foods. But it had been for her crush.

    Back to the present, Arianna tried to remember what her crush looked like but the memory was hazy as if it had eroded with time. That wasn¡¯t surprising, she was just a kid when they met, and just like the wind, he was gone as soon as he came.

    If only her father knew she did propose to him in the end ¨C yeah, she was quite stubborn as a kid ¨C and he told her it was stupid yet asked her to return the next day for an answer. Sadly, when she returned to their usual spot as told, he was gone.

    Her young self didn¡¯t believe it at first and waited and waited for him all to no avail. Then she held onto hope, thinking that he couldn¡¯t make it or something. So she followed through that same route on her way back from school and yet, he was not there.

    Arianna knew she repeated that pattern over and over again and when a month went by without a whiff of him, she knew he was gone and was nevering back. And so was her proposal.

    Perhaps, that disappointment must have traumatized her as a kid which was why she never had much interest in the opposite sex ¨C her uncle¡¯s matter put aside.

    Now, the same pattern is repeating. Elijah, the one she loved left her without fulfilling his promise and she was holding onto the sane hope she did as a kid. What was she going to do? Give up? Should she learn from the first lesson?

    Or maybe she should just give up? Why not simply be done with this life? What was the point of living anyway? There was nobody to live for? The thought came into Arianna¡¯s head and she saw the truth in it and decided to sumb to it.

    She was in a situation where she didn¡¯t see a way out except to marry a man she didn¡¯t want to. Arianna nced down at the tub, this was the easiest way to die without someone stopping her. Big Joe would not let her die if he knew what was on her mind.

    Arianna let go of her hands on the edges of the tub and she repositioned herself in such a way that her head had enough space to go into the water.

    She took a long gulp, mustering the courage to go ahead with her task. And then with her mind made up, Arianna submerged her headpletely in the water.

    The sensation was suffocating and she felt the frantic need to breathe but she willed her mind already and was resolute on not rising to the surface for air. She forced her mind to believe that soon it would end and she would be finally free. Free of all problems.

    At a point in her voluntary drowning, Arianna thought she saw her father reaching for her in the waters and she gave him her hand just as thest bubble left her mouth.

 Chapter 127

    127 God Made Her Drown

    *This chapter is sponsored by GaGold. Thanks for promoting this book with your castle reward!

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Arianna found herself on a beach and instinctively looked to the side to notice her father by her side. She smiled, knowing she was right to have taken his hand.

    Her father was dressed entirely in a white outfit and when she looked down, she was wearing a flowing white dress as well.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± She screamed and ran into his open arms. Arianna felt like she was back to being a kid once again and relished the feelings. It was a dreame true.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± He whispered back, running his hands through her hair while she pressed her face to his neck.

    ¡°I missed you, daddy. I missed you so, so, so much,¡± She confessed, hugging him tighter as if he would vanish if she dared to let go. Arianna didn¡¯t want to be separated from him ever again.

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± The man admitted and kissed her face out of happiness. They remained that way for a while until Arianna finally let go of him yet held onto his hand. She was not letting go of him this time. A life without her father was not worth it. He was her light.

    ¡°You know you have to let go now,¡± Her father said, looking down at their intertwined hands.

    .....

    ¡°Why?¡± Arianna was suddenly scared, having a hint where this conversation was going.

    ¡°It is not the time for you to be here, Arianna,¡± He told her, a pained look on his face.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Arianna shook her head fervently, ¡°No, I¡¯m not letting go of you, father. I can¡¯t do this without you! I¡¯m all alone!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not alone, Arianna. You know that I¡¯m always with you,¡± He told Arianna who had tears running down her cheeks. She was not strong enough for this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care... I just want to be with you! Can¡¯t I do that?!¡± Arianna became wide-eyed when she felt a strange wind begin to blow, sweeping up sands and clouds of dust with it and making it hard to see.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this,¡± Arianna pleaded with him when she felt her father grow distant even though their hands were still together. But she knew it was only a matter of time before that touch vanished as well.

    ¡°Be strong, my little Ari,¡± Was thest word her father said to her before his hand slipped right through hers and they got separated.

    ¡°Nooo!¡± Arianna screamed, as she was pulled somewhere. Someone was calling her name in the distance and it beckoned to her.

    Suddenly, something hard pushed down on her chest and Arianna woke up with a loud gasp, before turning to the side and vomitingrge amounts of water.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± She heard a furious voice behind her and nced down to discover that the person who had brought her back to life was no one else but Cassie.

    ¡°The next time you want to kill yourself, do it when I¡¯m not around and likely to be suspected of your suicide!¡± She yelled at her

    But Arianna was not moved by her scolding. She sat up instead, not caring about her naked form, and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why did you rescue me? Huh? Why?! You should have just let me die!¡± Arianna said in an outburst, yelling right at Cassie¡¯s face. However, what she received as a response was a p to the face.

    The intensity of the p whipped her face to the side, and Arianna had to sweep her wet hair away from her eyes to be able to see.

    Her lips turned up in a sneer, ¡°Is that all you can do?¡±

    Pah!

    Another pnded on her cheeks.

    The p was quite painful and that was what she needed. Arianna needed the pain to be able to feel alive; she needed to feel something else above the hurt. Something intense ¨C and deserving.

    She turned to Cassie again, ¡°Is that -¡±

    Pah!

    Pah!

    Cassiended two more ps on her face making it a total of four. She then gripped Arianna¡¯s shoulder and shook her hard, ¡°Get a grip of yourself, you spoiled bitch! Do you think that you¡¯re the only one going through shit right now? So what? You kill yourself and it ends? No, that makes you nothing less than a coward who is unable to make do with what¡¯s left of her life. You think marrying Big Joe is that horrible? Other women are being trafficked, r*ped against their choice, and is used as sex worker, but you didn¡¯t go through such. So be grateful for once and suck it up!¡± She shouted at her.

    Arianna was speechless after that speech and like a wake-up call, she wondered how she became this way? She was usually a strong person.

    ¡°God, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Arianna apologized, feeling stupid for her behavior. She wiped off her face with her palm saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean tond you -¡±

    ¡°Save it. I just hope this doesn¡¯t repeat itself once again,¡± Cassie told her before dropping the bathrobe on her body and left for the room.

    She must be angry, Arianna felt guilty for putting her in distress without knowing that Cassie almost left her to drown.

    Cassie came to her room, as usual, to check up on her only to find out that her bed was empty. Knowing that Arianna wouldn¡¯t be able to escape with the amount of security outside her room, she decided to check in other ces only to discover that the bathroom door was standing ajar.

    She opened a bit only to stumble upon Arianna the moment she submerged her head in the water and though she almost screamed, shocked at the scene, Cassie changed her mind the next minute.

    Truthfully, Cassie liked Arianna from the beginning but after she got in the way of her rtionship, she changed her mind about her. And then when the incident with Kenith happened, she loathed Ariannapletely. Arianna was a good pretender who appeared to be frail yet was full of all manner of imagination.

    Cassie was so consumed by her jealousy that she wished Arianna would die somehow and God answered her prayer by making her drown.

 Chapter 128

    128 Time To Meet Your Husband

    Cassie watched her thrash around on the bathtub and honestly, she admired Arianna¡¯s courage to go through with her n of suicide. Although she was surprised what might have triggered that decision, nheless, everything worked in her favor or so she thought.

    It wasn¡¯t until Cassie realized that Big Joe would be angry if anything were to happen to Arianna and that she would be the first suspect in this case, made her finally make a move. Even if it were a suicide, Big Joe wouldn¡¯t believe her and would use her as a scapegoat to appease his anger ¨C Ariannamitting suicide days before her marriage was a big p to his face and a huge stain on his reputation.

    So Cassie went into action immediately, pulling her naked form out from the tub and began to perform emergency

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation on her. For over a minute when Arianna didn¡¯t respond, Cassie was scared that she was really dead and was nning on raising an rm when she suddenly came to life.

    Now she ¨C Cassie- thought about it, she should have raised an rm in the first ce instead of taking a risk of bringing her to life ¨C it was beneficial to her anyway. If Big Joe somehow hears that Arianna tried tomit suicide, she can¡¯t tell what he would do to Arianna. But it definitely won¡¯t be good.

    For once, It would be nice to see Arianna in some kind of pain to satisfy the anguish in her heart, but Cassie can¡¯t do that anymore because the both of them are the only ones with the idea of her attempted suicide and Arianna would suspect her if the news were to leak. For her own reasons, Cassie had to keep on with the front of a good person.

    Arianna went to the edge of her bed and sat down, already covered in her bathrobe while a towel hung from her head. The color was slowly returning to her pale skin while her eyes were red and slightly swollen. In one word, she looked like a cat that had been beaten down by the rain.

    ¡°Do you need me to get you anything?¡± Cassie asked her, ¡°A hot cocoa, tea, or coffee would help you recover quicker,¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Arianna quickly rejected her offer. Honestly, she needed a cup of coffee to boost her body after this ordeal, however, she has imposed on Cassie enough already. Not to mention the fact that she just witnessed her trying tomit suicide. It was embarrassing.

    .....

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Arianna felt the morning air from the window hit her and she shivered. She needed that coffee.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± She still lied through her teeth. Maybe after Cassie left, she would get another person to make her a coffee. Yeah, who? The guards outside her door? Good luck with that.

    ¡°What are you doing here, anyway?¡± Arianna asked her while hoping it wasn¡¯t for that conversation she promised her. After what happened, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to anyone. Arianna just needed time alone to be able to coordinate her thoughts.

    ¡°I wanted to check up on you. I noticed you didn¡¯t have anything to eat since yesterday and wanted to make you one,¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna said, taken aback by the discovery. She didn¡¯t even realize she hadn¡¯t taken anything since yesterday. It was almost as if her stomach went into lockdown and she didn¡¯t feel hungry ¨C and that has been happening a lot recently, no, ever since she was taken from her uncle¡¯s ce.

    Looking down at her body, Arianna realized how frail she lookedpared to her former robust self. She must have lost quite some weight because her cheekbones were more prominent than ever; her corbone deepened; even with the sleep she had, there were still dark circles around her eyes; her red hair lost its shine. She looked like a shadow of herself.

    Even though she had been maltreated in her uncle¡¯s ce, it only made her stronger. None of thatpared to what she was going through here, both physically and mentally. Neither was it making her stronger, it was breaking her.

    ¡°I should get you something to eat then,¡± Cassie told her.

    But Arianna shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating,¡± she doesn¡¯t even know what to feel anymore.

    ¡°You have to eat somehow else you starve to death if this continues,¡± Cassie said, already heading to the door only to bump into someone at the entrance. He must have been preparing to knock on the door before it was opened by her.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Cassie asked straightforwardly, knowing he worked here.

    ¡°Big Joe request for her presence,¡±

    Arianna who was inside the room, upon hearing that statement, tensed up immediately. She nced at the door but Cassie was in the way so she couldn¡¯t get a nce of who that was.

    ¡°What for?¡± Cassie asked and Arianna had to give it to her, she was really bold. She was beginning to like her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t answer to you,¡± the man said gruffly, irritated that someone beneath his rank -and a woman at that ¨C was questioning him. He tried to get into the room but Cassie blocked his way. He red at her, she cocked a brow at him in response.

    ¡°Where did you think you¡¯re heading to? Haven¡¯t you heard that Big Joe forbids males from entering this room after the incident yesterday?¡± She said to him.

    Arianna was surprised by thement, Big Joe put up a rule like that? If that was the case, she might be able to make something work and get out of here.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of such a rule, so move away,¡± He tried to get in but Cassie blocked him once again.

    His nostrils red, this time he was at his wit¡¯s end. Hemanded her, ¡°Move!¡±

    But Cassie stood her ground, ¡°Perhaps if you would tell me why she¡¯s needed, I would be able to prepare her, but if you don¡¯t want that, you can go in and I can freely inform Big Joe that you took a step inside this room after his rule,¡± She emphasized on ¡°rule¡± making sure he got the point.

    After that, there was a minute of silence between them both and an intense stare-off before the man gave in.

    ¡°Fine,¡± He sighed, women were a pest, ¡°Big Joe wants to have breakfast with her,¡±

    Cassie gave her a charming smile, ¡°Now, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡± she went on, ¡°I¡¯ll have her prepared and ready for breakfast in a jiffy,¡± She shut the door right in his face before he could protest.

    She spun to Arianna dramatically, ¡°It¡¯s time to meet your husband,¡±

 Chapter 129

    129 Step Into Hell

    ¡°I don¡¯t really like this,¡± Ariannained, wiggling in the dress like a fish out of water.

    After Big Joe announced his ns of having breakfast with her, ra took over the role of dressing her up for the asion. And she came up with the idea of dressing cute yet sexy for her husband to be (so she reminds her constantly). Arianna was going to be sick.

    Currently, she was wearing a floral V-neck Midi dress. The deep neck showed off a lot of cleavages than she usually would. Arianna bet Big Joe would concentrate more on her breast than the food on the table ¨C and she didn¡¯t like it, one bit.

    Arianna was a reserved person and hardly showed skin in her dressing ¨C that was more of Mimi¡¯s style. Not to mention that she was quite conscious of her body, especially now she lost weight. She must look like a skeleton. She cringed at the thought of looking at a mirror.

    ¡°Stop doing that,¡± Cassie pped her hand away when she tugged at the neckline again as if trying to pull it together to cover her exposed cleavage. This was highly inappropriate.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wear this,¡± Arianna shook her head, resolute in her decision, ¡°I need a decent cloth that I¡¯m mostfortable in,¡±

    ¡°Well, sorry but you don¡¯t have room forfort right now,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Cassie turned her to her, cing both hands on her shoulder as they faced each other, ¡°I believe I¡¯ve been here longer than you, and I can only tell you right now that you¡¯re in trouble,¡±

    .....

    At the mention of ¡°trouble,¡± Arianna¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed a lump down her throat.

    ¡°T-trouble,¡± She choked, confused at the same time, ¡°Why am I in trouble? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did not do anything wrong, yet, you did.¡± Cassie hinted at the past and it finally dawned on Arianna. As she feared, Big Joe was going to punish her for running away. Her heart rate increased, she¡¯s dead.

    Cassie went on, ¡°You¡¯re Big Joe¡¯s bride yet you took off before your wedding was even scheduled, that¡¯s as good as giving him the middle finger. Your attitude is fiery and if left unchecked could escte into an inferno in the future. Moreover, in the Mafia, women are meant to be below the men and that is what he¡¯s going to do... Put you in your ce, ¡±

    A sense of dread washed over Arianna when she heard Cassie say those words. Although she had thought of the possibility of that happening, having someone else confirm that only heightened the fear in her heart. What was she going to do now?

    She looked down and gestured, ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of this? If he¡¯s intent on putting me in my ce, I might as well wear sackcloth to my execution. That would definitely fit the theme,¡±

    ¡°He would not kill you, I¡¯m sure of that. You¡¯re his bride and would do everything to keep you alive else that¡¯s a bad investment. However, don¡¯t lower your guard because I¡¯m sure he would strike where it hurts the most,¡± Cassie advised her.

    To Arianna¡¯s surprise, Cassie ced both hands on her cheeks and cupped them. If she wasn¡¯t such a high fan of Kenith, Arianna would have thought she has a crush on her.

    ¡°You¡¯re dressed to kill. What man in his right senses wouldy a hand on a beautiful woman like you?¡± She smiled knowingly.

    Oh, so that was the n. Dazzle Big Joe with her ¡°great¡± beauty that he forgets to punish her. Yeah, great n. Extremely great n.

    This was the worst n ever!!!!!

    But Cassie continued, ¡°You¡¯re a woman, it¡¯s innate. Charm him with your wiles and I believe I don¡¯t need to teach you how to bewitch a man since you¡¯re so good at it,¡± she patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna blinked twice as she swallowed the information Cassie just fed her. Although her advice was quite helpful, it sounded offensive at the same time and she was just about to ask Cassie what she meant by that when a knock sounded on the door and distracted her.

    The question skipped her mind.

    ¡°Coming!¡± Cassie shouted and then turned to Arianna whose heart was now beating faster than before. It was time to step into hell.

    ¡°You have to go,¡± Cassie told her and for thest time, looked her over in case of a malfunction before opening the door to let her the guard Big Joe sent over, in.

    As Arianna thought, the first ce the man¡¯s gazended was on her breast and she turned to Cassie with a look that says, ¡°Told ya¡±

    Cassie merely shrugged, innocently.

    Irritated by his ogling, Arianna pulled her red hair that Cassie curled earlier to her front. She made her red curls rest on her chest, covering her cleavage a bit and at the same time, roused the man from his ¡°inspection¡±.

    Arianna glowered at him and the man rubbed his nose, embarrassed that he had been caught in the process of staring.

    He cleared his throat, ¡°Sorry,¡±

    ¡°Get me out of here,¡± Was all Arianna said with amanding tone and a frowning face. She wished she could throw him a punch in the face.

    However, before Arianna left, she turned to Cassie and said properly with a slight bow of her head, ¡°Thank you,¡±

    It seems she was wrong to judge Cassie, she was a good person and different from everybody else here. But Kenith had been the same as her in the beginning until he showed his true color, an inner voice reasoned inside of her. But Arianna pushed it away, this was not the time for it.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Cassie grinned sheepishly, ¡°Moreover, working with you excused me from duty and that sure is a big favor,¡± She said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I¡¯m back,¡± Arianna said, knowing she would have enough stories for their conversationter in the day ¨C depending on what Big Joe¡¯s nning and if she returns alive.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Cassie replied, beginning to wave as the guard showed her the way out.

    As soon as Arianna was out of the room, the smile on Cassie¡¯s face died off and she scoffed derisively. She hoped Arianna died there.

    It was not a long walk and Arianna did her best to master the number of rooms and turns they made incase an opportunity arises to leave this hellhole ¨C if she survives today.

    Her heart kept bumping hard and fast having known what she was about to face, her death. Arianna bet he was taking her to a dungeon where she would be tortured for her disobedience. But when she arrived at her destination and was weed to a room, her jaw dropped.

    What is this?

 Chapter 130

    130 The Great Husband

    The room Arianna entered was spacious with ckwood flooring and enough lightning to illuminate all corners. It wasn¡¯t magnificent yet plush, however, what captured her attention was the long rectangr table.

    There were about ten people seated down on it with a hot feast served right in front of them. And no matter how much she stared at them Arianna had no clue who they were and all were immactely dressed in suits. Not to mention that they were all males, no females. Not even a femalepany apanied them. Not one.

    Arianna was the only female gender in the room and she had never felt like an outcast, an odd number in her entire life until now. It was her against the men.

    All eyes were on her upon her arrival and she felt like running away, as fast as her feet could take her. But her body didn¡¯tply with her mind; Arianna stood frozen like a fish.

    Looking to the right, she finally saw Big Joe seated adjacent to his guests and at that moment their eyes connected. He was on his throne-like seat again and Arianna could tell that the simpler, smaller seat beside him was meant for her ¨C he was seeding in announcing her status was below him.

    Perhaps, because of the way Big Joe was struck dumb and his gaze grew hooded, Arianna gained a bit of confidence. As scary as the man was, at the end of the day, he was still a man with raging hormones and no different from the others. She just had to tread wisely and cautiously. She can only y her cards well if her head¡¯s still on her shoulder.

    ¡°Big Joe,¡± Arianna said his name huskily, now walking with a swagger and trying not to dwell on the eyes of the other men in the room resting on her body. Oh please, who was she kidding? It was on her chest.

    Cassie was right, this dress definitely called for attention and she needed Big Joe¡¯s attention on her, now more than ever. If there¡¯s anything she¡¯s learned from being with these crime families over the week, it¡¯s the fact that an object is deemed useless when it loses value and is subsequently discarded. There was no room for liability here.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Big Joe called her, his expression brightening. He gestured to her to take the seat beside him and Arianna could see the pride on his face. It wasn¡¯t that Big Joe was proud of her but he was showing her off to his guests as if she was an object of decoration. She wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if that was his intention of marrying her. He wanted a beautiful wife, like her. Sadly, Arianna needed a man she could look into his eyes while talking to.

    .....

    Giving off the impression of a submissive wife ¨C she didn¡¯t want to cause more trouble than she already has ¨C Arianna obediently went around the table and sat on his left-hand side ¨C he didn¡¯t even have his men pull out a seat for her since he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna said, nheless trying to befortable and putting on a mask of ease when in reality her stomach was churning and she hated this unexpected limelight.

    It was quite obvious to Arianna that she would be humiliated before leaving here since Big Joe had already started the party with hisck of chivalry. Arianna couldn¡¯t help but scoff inwardly, all of this for what? To prove to his associate that he was in control? A tyrant who bends his so thought lover to his will?

    Arianna thought Big Joe was different since he treated her kindly from the start and had always been attentive to her needs, but it seems she was mistaken. Just like ants are lured into a trap with sugar, it was a sugar-coated n to lower her defenses. All of them were the same! That misogynistic thinking vexed her greatly. When would men ever learn?

    No sooner had she sat down, Big Joe announced to his guest, ¡°I called you all today to have breakfast with me and my wife-to-be, my sweet Arianna.¡±

    Although Big Joe didn¡¯t look the part of a leader physically, there was still an air of authority that surrounded him. It was a trait that most people currently at the table had and Arianna bet they were leaders of their respective local gangs.

    ¡°Our wedding would take ce this weekend and I hope this meal strengthens our bond....,¡±

    At that announcement, Arianna¡¯s head whipped up to Big Joe. Her eyes were wild and full of confusion. Whatever else Big Joe said, she couldn¡¯t hear because she was dwelling on the information he just released.

    Their wedding was this weekend? Why didn¡¯t she know of this until now? If that was the case, this meant she was three days away from marrying Big Joe. How could he leave her in the dark?

    So many questions ran through her head. Knowing the date to her wedding was fixed and fast approaching did nothing but fuel her desire to escape here.

    And Big Joe must have seen through that which was why he kept her in the dark. She had escaped the first time, why wouldn¡¯t she the second time? That was why she had no clue the date of her wedding until now? What a great husband she had!

    If Arianna was shocked by the sudden revtion, she didn¡¯t show many reactions because it hit her that Big Joe must be watching and reading her.

    So although her eyes were wide at first, it slowly gave way to a blush creeping up her cheeks as if she was suddenly shy of being in the public eye ¨C and that gesture seemed to have satisfied Big Joe. He didn¡¯t know she watched him out of the corner of her eyes as well.

    He said to her, ¡°You should introduce yourself to them. They should know I have a beautiful woman by my side, you¡¯re my greatest asset, Arianna,¡± He said, showing off those white teeth that made her suddenly shiver.

    All this while, she had thought Big Joe was the easiest chip to handle in this game but it turned out he was the king, the most shrewd yer in this game of pretense.

 Chapter 131

    131 Use As A Scapegoat

    Arianna felt disgusted with herself as she smiled and tried to introduce herself to men who simply were indifferent to her ¨C probably thinking she wasn¡¯t worth their attention ¨C or stared at hersciviously. If this was just the beginning of her humiliation, she wondered what else Big Joe had in store for her.

    Even at that, Arianna stood tall, carrying herself with finesse. No matter what they do to her today, they won¡¯t get the opportunity to crush her spirit. She made the mistake of going down the dark route of depression and suicide, it won¡¯t happen anymore. Her life was worth more than any asshole of a husband trying to shame her!

    For once Arianna was grateful she had not initiated an act of intimacy with Big Joe else she would be disgusted with herself now. He doesn¡¯t deserve her one bit.

    The barest sign of affection she had shown Big Joe was a peck on the cheek and that happened way before she escaped. Now, he would have to kill her first if he thought he was entitled to her body on their wedding night ¨C if she fails to escape.

    Arianna was highly relieved when Big Joe took over from her and announced to everyone to dig into their meal. While his guests went all in, she didn¡¯t eat immediately.

    From what Arianna learned so far, it was obvious that Big Joe wouldn¡¯t kill her else he wouldn¡¯t put a date for their wedding. Hence, this meal wouldn¡¯t be herst breakfast, however, that doesn¡¯t guarantee she was safe either. She could feel it, the man had something else nned. Something to teach her not to make the same stupid mistake of escaping him.

    ¡°You should eat,¡± Big Joe roused her from her thoughts. She turned to him as he said, ¡°The meal was prepared with the freshest of ingredients, I¡¯m sure you would love it,¡± He lifted his spoon, taking a sip of his soup.

    But the food wasn¡¯t her problem, in fact, Arianna¡¯s stomach was locked and she had no desire for food. But Arianna had to eat something else, it would look weird for the guest nor would Big Joe be happy about it. Who knows what he would do to her next?

    While the other guests conversed with each other, Arianna and Big Joe were the weirdest couple because they didn¡¯t say a word to one another.

    .....

    As if from mutual understanding, the both of them focused more on their food until the door was opened and one of his soldiers came in to whisper something into his ear.

    The way the soldier stared at her right before he leaned to whisper the secrets into Big Joe told Arianna that something was up. She watched their interaction with suspicion and knew without a doubt that this involved her. Her stomach did a backflip, what was it this time?

    Arianna saw the soldier give her onest look before he left with a smirk that infuriated her.

    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Arianna asked, breaking her code of silence. No, she wasn¡¯t just asking, she was demanding an answer. Her utensils ttered against the te louder than usual from irritation. She hated being kept in the dark and being a puppet in his games.

    ¡°You would know soon,¡± Was all he told her, his attention returning to his meal.

    As Big Joe promised, not long after, Arianna watched as a big table with custom-made straps was wheeled into the room.

    Arianna felt uneasy, her brows furrowing as she thought of what Big Joe nned to do with that. A shiver climbed down her spine upon knowing that it can¡¯t be anything good.

    As soon as the men who brought in the table left, Big Joe picked his ss and clinked on it several times with his spoon trying to bring order into the room. Arianna was not the only one curious about the table and its purpose in this gathering this morning; his guests wanted to know.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all must be wondering about that object of fascination,¡± He referred to the table. Big Joe was seated on his throne like a king as he spoke, ¡°You can be rest assured that none of you would end up there as it is reserved for one special person,¡±

    This is it, Arianna gulped down a lump lodged in her throat. This was what she had been talking about, the punishment Big Joe reserved for her. Her hands were shaking beneath the table and she was scared out of her mind yet she had to put on a calm demeanor.

    ¡°Whatever Big Joe nned, she would survive it,¡± She chanted inwardly, gathering strength from it.

    ¡°Days ago, I¡¯m sure you all here must have heard that my fianc¨¦e Arianna here took off.¡± He gestured to Arianna who now was as pale as a vampire. She¡¯s finished. She was about to be punished for running off. In public. How cruel could he be?

    ¡°But I can assure you that my Arianna didn¡¯t mean to run away, she was deceived by another,¡±

    It happened that Arianna who had her head lowered immediately jerked up, ¡°Huh?¡± She stared at Big Joe as if he suddenly developed two heads. What was he talking about?

    ¡°I looked into the matter and realized that someone tried to sabotage my happiness, no, our happiness,¡± He tried to pull off the image that he and Arianna were a perfect couple dwelling in peace and harmony.

    He went on, ¡°But do not fret, I already got my hands on the suspect and today, you, my guests, would witness her getting her deserved punishment,¡±

    Big Joe turned to the door,manding both men standing guard there, ¡°Bring her in,¡±

    Honestly, Arianna didn¡¯t understand what was going on anymore. She was relieved yet anxious at the same time. What Big Joe had fed the guests werepletely lies yet she was relieved she wouldn¡¯t be punished in front of them ¨C she would be humiliated to death.

    But at the same time, she was tense. Whatever Big Joe would try to do was to teach her a lesson for trying to escape him. So who then did he use as a scapegoat? It had to be someone close to her ¨C and that was her greatest fear.

    The door opened.....

 Chapter 132

    132 Punished For Her Crime With Ten Lashes

    Oh no.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she caught her cousin udia being dragged into the room amid her protest. What the hell was going on here?

    ¡°Let me go you, bastards!¡± She screamed on top of her voice, thrashing around but her strength could notpare to the two men holding her down on both sides.

    ¡°udia,¡± Arianna whispered. As if the

    the air carried her words, her cousin turned around at that and their eyes connected at that moment.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna was about to rise from her seat when Big Joe gave her a meaningful look and she knew she was supposed to stay put. Any disobedience on her part would only make her punishment worse.

    ¡°Arianna?¡± udia recognized her at that moment, shock sprawled across her face. However, to her surprise, that look distorted into fury and she hissed, ¡°You! You are the person responsible for this!¡±

    ¡°C-udia,¡± Arianna choked. When Cassie told her Big Joe would likely use someone close to her, Arianna had thought of Mimi and hoped that she was far away from them ¨C held hostage by Marcel, thankfully and prayed the asshole doesn¡¯t give her up as he did to her.

    Never did she imagine in her wildest dream that it would be udia, it just didn¡¯t cross her mind or she just never saw it happening, after all, udia and her parents were the ones who gave her up to Big Joe. Who knew Big Joe would turn his back against them?

    .....

    The same way they sold her, had they stood and watched helplessly as Big Joe¡¯s men took udia away? Had her aunt cried hard for her daughter? Had she felt even half the pain she ¨C Arianna ¨C felt when they gave her up to the gang? Did her heartbreak even just a little? Arianna sure hoped it did. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of gratification now her uncle¡¯s family was being bitten in the ass by karma.

    Even at that, Arianna felt guilty that udia was being punished for crimes she did notmit. She ran away on her own, no one pushed her into doing it. She needed her freedom.

    Well, you wouldn¡¯t have been in this situation either if her parents hadn¡¯t sold you off, a dark part of her mind spoke. Arianna shouldn¡¯t me herself for what was happening. Well, not that udia agreed because she was still throwing usations at her at the top of her voice.

    ¡°This is all your doing! Why would I help you escape?! Am I crazy?! No, I bet you were the one who told all this lie so you could finally have your revenge on me like you¡¯ve always wanted, bitch!¡± udia screamed on top of her voice and Big Joe had to rub the inside of his ear.

    Feeling irritated, he signaled to his men,¡± Do something about her mouth, ¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡±

    The order was effective immediately, udia was gagged with a rag and all that was left of her ravings were muffled sounds that weren¡¯t much of a fuss anymore.

    Big Joe said, ¡°As you all can witness, the perpetrator of the crime that has led to a few instabilities in my rtionship has beenprehended,¡±

    Arianna wanted to roll her eyes, when did the both of them ever have a rtionship? She couldn¡¯t tell if Big Joe was simply being dramatic or in stupid. She would choose the first. He has revealed to her that he intentionally yed her games from the start. Now, it was her turn to dance along to his tune.

    ¡°The usations are true and my fianc¨¦e can testify to that, isn¡¯t that true, Arianna?¡±

    Arianna was so shocked by that question that she became dumb. Big Joe was not going easy on her this time.

    ¡°Arianna?¡± Big Joe pressed for an answer.

    ¡°I ¨C I... uh...¡± Arianna didn¡¯t know what to say. This was wrong and she was never the type to use someone falsely. She looked up to udia and saw the fury plus plea in her eyes. Arianna could imagine her saying, ¡°Bitch, just say the truth,¡±

    She took her gaze away and turned to Big Joe who looked confident she wouldn¡¯t turn him down ¨C else there would be hell to pay.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Arianna conceded to the im and one should see the mask of rage on udia¡¯s face. She let out an inhumane scream that was drowned out by the gag but one could see how aggressive she became because she tried to lurch at Arianna only to be pinned down by Big Joe¡¯s people.

    Arianna could tell udia was currently cursing her to death and honestly, she felt dirty by the act but it was the only way out; she did this to ensure their life.

    This was a trap and Arianna had no choice but to save Big Joe¡¯s face in front of his partners even if that meant lying against her family and proving her loyalty to him. That way, she had proven to be a loyal wife in the future.

    If Arianna had gone contrary to his expectation, she wasn¡¯t even sure her life, not to talk of udia¡¯s, would be safe after this. Big Joe was giving her a chance to be the submissive wife she was supposed to be at the expense of udia¡¯s dignity.

    And let¡¯s be honest, Arianna knew udia would have done the same to her in a heartbeat if she was in her shoes. All of this wouldn¡¯t have happened anyway if her parents hadn¡¯t been greedy and selfish. So yeah, she refused to be med for what was happening or for defending herself. They were the ones who set everything in motion and the wheels have turned against them.

    ¡°With my fianc¨¦e having confirmed my words...¡± Big Joe said proudly and Arianna felt like throwing up. She yed right into his hands, ¡°She would be punished for her crimes with tenshes of a cane!¡±

    Arianna gasped at first until she thought over it and discovered udia would be able to survive the tenshes. On the bright side, it wasn¡¯t thirtyshes.

    However, Arianna must have rejoiced too soon because the soldier from earlier walked back in with a wicked-looking whip, not a cane.

    Goosebumps climbed her arms at once, what was happening. This was not what they just agreed on....

 Chapter 133

    133 Who Left The Note

    Arianna has heard of whips with small pieces of metal or bones at the top used to cause disfigurement or serious trauma for the victim like ripping pieces of flesh from the body and though the bullwhip in the guard¡¯s grasp ¨C made with braided leather- wasn¡¯t like that, she still couldn¡¯t help but panic.

    She could see that udia was scared as well; her lips were trembling, beads of sweat on her forehead, and of course, the fear in her eyes.

    If that whipnded on udia¡¯s body, in addition to causing her pain, she might approach a state of hypovolemic shock due to loss of blood. And as much as her cousin was a bitch, Arianna couldn¡¯t lose her.

    She turned to Big Joe hurriedly, speaking with a hushed tone, ¡°You said it was a cane, that doesn¡¯t look like one,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any scene, just sit back and enjoy the show,¡± Was all Big Joe said to her, causing her hands to fist with anger.

    Enjoy what show? The freak show? As much as she loathed udia, Arianna would rather exert her revenge on her by herself than let someone else make a public show of it.

    Arianna was sure she would never forget her cousin¡¯s terrified scream in a hurry as she watched helplessly as udia was forced onto the table and ced on her stomach.

    The straps were put in ce, restraining udia from moving around while the soldier who would execute the whipping stood over her with a sadist grin on his face.

    Arianna marked his face, she would definitely hunt him down after this was over. udia was hers to handle, no other person. He would pay for that. Yes, it was true he was doing his job but the asshole loved every bit of it especially when he spanked udia hard on the ass building anticipation.

    .....

    The guard wasn¡¯t the only asshole in the room, most of the guestsughed at that gesture while Big Joe wore an indifferent mask, busy eating his meal unaffected by what was going on. He didn¡¯t care that the woman he was humiliating was the cousin to the woman he nned to marry. That confirmed her thoughts, she would not have a say in this marriage.

    Arianna looked around, this wasn¡¯t the type of life she wanted to be part of. Although gangs were known for the wrong things, these sets of people were heartless. Even Marcel wouldn¡¯t treat ady this way. Well, what does she know about Marcel anyway? She thought she knew Big Joe and this happened.

    When the firstshnded on udia¡¯s back and she screamed in pain, Arianna did not look. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned the other way, unwilling to watch her cousin¡¯s disgrace. udia was not a circus animal or a source of entertainment to the guests yet Big Joe made it that way ¨C and it was all because of her. Because of what she did.

    She tried to tune out every opinion there. The cheering jeers from the guests made her clutch her palms so tight it turned pale and trembled with rage. Their misogyny was so irritating that she was tempted to just pick up her knife and stab every male being in here.

    But Arianna knew before she made even one kill, she would be shot down. She cleared her thoughts instead and sought that inner peace.

    Ariana imagined she was away from this ce and everything was perfect. She aplished her dreams and was married to the love of her life. The only problem with her imagination was that she couldn¡¯t exactly conjure the face of the love of her life which was quite disturbing because the name was right at the tip of her tongue.

    It wasn¡¯t until Arianna felt total silence that she finally opened her eyes to see that the whipping session was over and all eyes were on her. But she didn¡¯t care about them, her gaze resting on udia who thankfully was not bleeding. She didn¡¯t know if she would be able to bear the grief if udia died from this ¨C she let her die.

    Don¡¯t get her wrong, Arianna still very much hated udia and her family for what they did to her, but at the end of the day, they were still family. It was family against the world. They were supposed to be united and fight against their enemies. Well, here they are. Divided and in pain.

    ¡°Since we are all done here, I¡¯ll be taking my leave,¡± Arianna announced and it was quite obvious that Big Joe was not pleased with her dismissal.

    He was the one who invited her to breakfast, she could not leave without him asking her to.

    Big Joe was just about to stop her when Arianna interrupted him by cing a kiss on his cheeks unexpectedly and his jaw dropped. He didn¡¯t see that oneing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter,¡± She disarmed him with her charming smile. Arianna leaned towards Big Joe making sure her cleavage was in full disy and the man was unable to think properly while staring at it.

    The guests who had been waiting for Big Joe¡¯s reaction were stunned when he simply said, ¡°Sure,¡± granting her request right away. At that moment, they became skeptical of who held the power here, Arianna or Big Joe.

    Yet none of them dared to say a word, especially not after the whipping scene minutes ago. They didn¡¯t want to push the leader of the Red Giant to the wall.

    udia was being released from the table when Arianna took her leave and was relieved. They wouldn¡¯t do anything to her behind her again. Even at that, Arianna didn¡¯t dare to look at her. Some things were better left that way. udia and her parents were the ones who started this, they should clean it up.

    The guards from earlier were the ones to escort her back to her room and as soon as the door was shut close, Arianna rushed to the bathroom where she leaned over the toilet and began to throw up every single thing she had eaten.

    She felt sick to the stomach during the whipping and it was only by willpower that she didn¡¯t throw up at the scene. The experience in that room made her sick to the stomach.

    When she was done, Arianna leaned against the wall wondering what to do. This wasn¡¯t just punishment for running away, Big Joe was giving her a warning. If she ran away again this time, he would end her family to teach her a lesson. The whipping today had only been an appetizer.

    If that was the case, her escape n was as good as useless. She can¡¯t let Big Joe murder udia and her parents, and though they brought everything happening upon themselves, they were the closest thing to a family she had left.

    Exhausted, troubled, and unable toe up with a solution, Arianna went toy down on her bed only to stumble upon a small note there.

    ¡°What?¡± Her brows furrowed and she slowly picked the paper with suspicion. There were just three words written on it but when she read it again, her eyes grew wide in understanding.

    ¡°HANG IN THERE .¡±

    No way, it can¡¯t be....

    Arianna sprinted to the door to go investigate who had left her the note but the guards had locked her in as usual.

    Damn it!

 Chapter 134

    134 His First Kill

    Marcel had not been able to sleep a winkst night and was up before the first crow of the morning. He had a few cases of insomnia and tonight seems to be one of those days.

    Most times it always took him drugs to go to sleep but when Arianna had been around, it was like she had been his special concoction. Her presence was distracting and all he needed was for her to royally piss him off and he¡¯d go to bed annoyed, his demons pushed to the back of his mind.

    It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t sleep but his sleep was usually plunged with nightmares of his troubling childhood and most times, his first kill. Why was his first kill so significant?

    His first kill was his debut as a ¡°made man¡± and Marcel aplished that while he was merely thirteen years of age. It was a Mafia initiation ritual to be a made man before being weed as a member of the gang. While a novice would follow the custom of pricking fingers to draw blood and taking an oath of loyalty to the Luciano family, Marcel had not done any of those since he was royalty himself ¨C the son of the Boss of the Luciano family.

    Marcel only had to aplish his first kill. A made person was supposed to make a kill that was approved by the leadership of his family, else retaliatory hits would be made, possibly inciting a war. And his father Daniel had been the one to approve his own kill, overseeing the whole process, after all, he wanted to see what his son was capable of.

    His first kill had been an Associate. Now an Associate is not a member of the Mafia, but works for a crime family nheless. And this particr Associate had provoked his father by brokering a deal between two other gangs that had been detrimental for the Luciano family and he had to be eliminated. And yeah, no one else but his one and only son, was the man for the job.

    His five ft two thirteen-year-old son had to go against a six ft one older man and his father Daniel was not bothered at all, if anything he was filled with anticipation. Marcel had been trained from young and though he couldn¡¯t be termed a professional as of then, his excellent marksmanship and ability to assemble a gun in seconds was definitely praiseworthy.

    His mother might have been useless to his father but she gave him the best gift in the form of a talented son. No wonder his father had not been able to send her away as he wanted because he ¨C Marcel ¨C had been defensive of her and Daniel knew better than to turn his son into an enemy. Marcel was his only son and child, losing him would be the end of everything. Everything he was doing was for him, so he says.

    As his heir and son, Marcel usually followed his father to several meetings ¨C and executions. He knew what was expected of him and was left to figure out how to do it. He had the Associate stalked and went over his schedule and of which most times, he was usually nked by guards until he saw an opening.

    .....

    The Associate had a date with his daughter in an amusement park and his daughter made it known to him that she didn¡¯t like the guards that followed him around. To please his daughter, he had them stay far away from him such that his daughter couldn¡¯t see them while performing their duty.

    Marcel recognized that the guards would be the problem and searched for a way to get rid of them. It was one thing to kill your target and it was another toe back alive and his father apparently gave an S-rated Mission to a child. Until now, Marcel still wondered what was going on in that mad man¡¯s head when he did that, what if something happened to him?

    Marcel was to prove himself hence external forces were not permitted. Although he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his father Daniel would have gone out of the way to help him if things had gone wrong. Daniel was an unpredictable mad man so Marcel couldn¡¯t exactly answer that.

    But on D-day, the poption of the park did him a good favor. It was difficult for the guards to keep up with the crowd¡¯s enthusiasm and keep an eye as well on the Associate dragged away by his overzealous daughter. Marcel watched them in the shadows and no one suspected him, after all, it waspletely normal for a thirteen-year-old with a silencer gun to urately take out an adult man, right?

    The opportunity came when the Associate went to get an ice cream cone from a vendor and Marcel made his move. Little Marcel intended to leave as soon as he came once he fulfilled his mission.

    However, when he intentionally bumped into the Associate and before the man could apologize, he released two shots swiftly into his body, intending to disappear before raising suspicion. But Marcel stopped short at the sight of his daughter.

    His eyes connected with his daughter¡¯s and Marcel saw her watch him hide the gun into the inside of his jacket and for a moment none of them said a word until the man slumped and her gaze moved to her father before she released an ear-piercing scream.

    Marcel was gone before the girl could look back and identify him as the killer. But even as he ran, he couldn¡¯t outrun the guilt that filled his heart. His father had celebrated his kill and his men praised him as a prodigy but that was the day he saw himself as a monster.

    His father taught him to kill without regrets but the regret of his first kill was forever etched in his soul and he couldn¡¯t cleanse it no matter how hard he tried. He only knew there was a section in hell reserved for people like him where he would rot forever.

 Chapter 135

    135 All She Needed Was Time

    Macy woke up with a startle, it was the first time in a long time she was having that kind of nightmare. But then, it was a long time since she forgot about her revenge as well.

    She had never been able to forget that morning; the day her father was killed. When one talked about murders, it had to be done by the big, evil men or women but Macy had seen it all; a little boy killed her father.

    Macy remembered the startle in his eyes when she stumbled upon him hiding the gun in the inside of his jacket and she had been fascinated, thinking it was a toy gun until she saw the blood spot on her father¡¯s body as he slumped to the ground.

    The scream that left her mouth had been full of shock and pain as she realized at that moment she just lost her father and the changes it would bring to her life.

    Macy remembered telling the authorities what she had seen but of course, no one believed her or maybe they had been paid off to never consider her as a witness. She had been in shock and saw things that weren¡¯t real, was what they imed. But then, what she saw was real.

    All that changed when a man that imed to be her father¡¯s business associate visited her and not only did he believe her, he even gave her a picture and a name.

    ¡°Marcelo Luciano,¡± Macy muttered as she stared hard at the picture of the young boy she had seen that day.

    The burden was finally lifted off her shoulder; she had not dreamt that scene that day as she was being told and there was finally a chance to seek vengeance for her father.

    The picture of the boy must have been taken unaware because he was looking away from the camera, even at that, there was not a smile on his facepared to the panicky look he had on the day he killed her father. Had he realized it was a mistake to have taken her father¡¯s life at thest minute? Nheless, she wasing for him.

    .....

    Having been given a new purpose, Macy left to settle down with her divorced mother in another country and there she bided her time until she was ready. Macy had not just spent her time abroad living the best of her life like tomorrow doesn¡¯t exist. She had been preparing to end Marcel¡¯s life.

    Macy studied Marcel and the Luciano family, thinking of the best way to make them pay for what they did to her father and as well, picking up skills that were essential for her goal.

    When she finally returned to the country, she used a forged identity ¨C one that would never be discovered as long as she lived ¨C knowing that if she had gone to the Luciano Family with her current identity, they would figure out her intentions right away and kill her right away even before she steps at their porch.

    She got acquainted with a member of the lower hierarchy of the Luciano family, and got the opportunity of carrying out simple tasks for the family. But Macy knew she couldn¡¯t do this forever, not if she wanted to get close to Marcel and aplish her revenge as soon as possible. At this rate, it might take her forever.

    So Macy came up with an extreme n, one that involved making use of another target close to Marcel, Victor. She put a hit on him and when it was time for the attack, vo! She just happened to be there at the right time to help rescue him and just like that, the connection was established.

    Thanks to Victor and ¡°her rescue¡±, her rank in the gang was increased right away and she was skillful enough for it ¨C her preparations all those years finally paid off. She went from being an associate ¨C the same job her father had taken that got him killed ¨C to a member of the Luciano family taking their Oath and all. Their tattoo on her skin felt like a betrayal against her father¡¯s memory but she knew this was essential for her n.

    Even at that, Macy was not satisfied with her progress; she needed to get within Marcel¡¯s breathing space to be able to end him. And then, as if the heavens were on her side, an opportunity came and she took advantage of it. With her n finallying into ce, she dumped Victor, wait ¨C no, Victor did her the favor first.

    But then, life was quite funny because even when Macy finally got all she needed to exact her revenge, she couldn¡¯t do it. After all, she was in love with him. She sympathized with her father¡¯s killer.

    After living with Marcel for a while, she finally understood why Marcel finally did it and it wasn¡¯t like her father was innocent either. As she grew up, Macy discovered the shady deals her father was involved with, even more lethal and illegal than the ones the Luciano family was involved with. No wonder her mother left him. Her father was not the superhero she made him out to be.

    Even at that, she wanted to fulfill all righteousness and that was to avenge her father. Hence one day, she drugged Marcel without him or any member of the n noticing, after all, it wasn¡¯t weird for her to be with him indoors. Then she pointed the gun at his head and even with the sheer amount of time on her hands, Macy was unable to pull the trigger.

    But the same could not be said for now as Macy stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her nose was almostpletely healed and soon, she would be back at work again. Yet she was unable to forget the fact that Marcel almost killed her for a girl he hardly even knows when she gave up her own revenge for him.

    Getting his affection was the only thread Macy had been hanging on to after she forsook her revenge, but now that the thread has been cut off, Macy was left with nothing but her revenge.

    And unlike thest time, she would not kill him but hit him where it hurts the most so his heart breaks a thousand pieces the same way her heart did when he pointed that gun at her head for Arianna¡¯s sake.

    All she needed was time.

 Chapter 136

    136 Elijah Didn¡¯t Have A P*ssy

    Unable to stand the tie anymore, Marcel slipped it out of his neck and was just about to toss it to God knows where when his phone beeped with a message. He picked up the phone thinking it was from one of the hundreds of men under hismand only to find otherwise. It was the coordinates for the meeting; he just received the location.

    Why was he texted the locations an hour to the meeting? Well, the location had to be discreet in case they had enemy spies who might try to take them out using this opportunity. Imagine if their meeting ce was bombed? That would be killing two birds with one stone: the entire Luciano family would be wiped out.

    ¡°Right on time,¡± Marcel muttered as soon as the door to his room was opened and a figure walked in. He didn¡¯t need to turn or look at the mirror in front of him to know who that was. Everyone had distinct footsteps and he had a habit of mastering it. It saved his life a few times.

    ¡°Boss,¡± Samuel acknowledged his presence.

    ¡°Get the car ready, the location has been sent....¡± Marcel hesitated a moment as if he was trying to remember something, ¡°And tell Victor I¡¯m leaving without him if he continues to spend time dressing up like ady,¡±

    ¡°Aye, boss,¡± Samuel said, speaking instructions in lowered tone into the wiredms in his ear. He was dressed in a suit just as the other soldiers that would being with him on this journey.

    Marcel abandoned the suit and chose to wear a charcoal ck fitted turtleneck top with its corresponding pants, finalizing his look with a burgundy red coat since the weather was cold today. With his blonde hair gelled back, Marcel looked particrly ssy ¨C and of course warm- with the coat giving a minimalistic look with the buttons hidden under a doubleyered set of buttonholes.

    ¡°Done boss,¡± Samuel informed him as soon as he was done with the errand.

    Marcel barely mumbled a response, checking his appearance in the mirror, and was satisfied with what he saw. He was sick and tired of suits, not to mention that everyone else would be dressed in the same manner.

    .....

    ¡°What about the other errand?¡± He asked nonchntly, at least, he attempted to be. Matters regarding Arianna were quite touchy for him ¨C and his soldiers as well. He knew Samuel won¡¯t go around spewing his matters but men talked and he didn¡¯t want to seem like he was obsessed with the girl. Gosh, when did he begin to care about what people said about him ¨C well, until Arianna.

    ¡°Good as a person could be, at least that¡¯s what my sources said,¡± Samuel replied, a bit disgruntled. Having learned the first time, he didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell him the other errand involved that girl.

    ¡°And did that source happen to know if Big Joeid a hand on her?¡± Marcel finally turned to him, eyeball to eyeball while fixing his watch on his wrist. There was a warning in his gaze, reminding Samuel of his ce in this organization and how receable he was.

    Getting the point, Samuel stood straighter and with a professional tone, answered, ¡°She was able to hold her own,¡±

    Marcel was not surprised by that news yet he was relieved at the same time. If there was one woman capable of surviving the fiercest of ces, it was Arianna. He admired her fighting spirit ¨C and stubbornness. His only problem with her was that she trusted easily and he would have to correct that... What the fuck was he saying? They would have no reason to meet after he got his hands on Elijah.

    ¡°And Elijah? Did you do as I said?¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss. We have strict surveince on the gang and so far, we haven¡¯t spotted a new face,¡± Samuel said.

    Since Elijah was good at masquerading himself, Marcel was of the opinion he had already infiltrated the Red Giant Gang with a false identity which was how he was able to get his information easily. Or he had an insider that helped him on the outside. It had to be one of those.

    ¡°The neers are a month older nor have we suspected any suspicious activity from his goons,¡±

    Marcel was disappointed by that answer. He refused to believe that there was no way he couldn¡¯t get his hands on one man. Left alone, he would chase Elijah to the end of the world but he had other Elijah non-rted problems that required his attention as well. The well-being of the organization was his priority.

    ¡°However....¡±

    At the mention of ¡°however,¡± Marcel¡¯s expression lit up with anticipation for a positive report.

    ¡°There¡¯s been tension in the gangtely after Kenith¡¯s imprisonment,¡± Samuel disclosed.

    ¡°Tension like...?¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling there might a revolt in the gang very soon,¡±

    ¡°You feel?¡±

    ¡°My sources say there have been secret meetingste at night and all involved were people loyal to Kenith. I would have thought they would break him out from his imprisonment already but they¡¯re dying which could only mean one thing,¡±

    ¡°Power is changing hands soon,¡± Marcel said, dark amusement in his gaze. This is what happens when you¡¯re not capable enough to lead a band of criminals under you. Instead, Big Joe had let a capable dog take the lead for a long time, and now, the dog hase to bite the owner. He was still musing over the fact when it hit him.

    ¡°That is it!¡± Marcel shouted suddenly.

    ¡°That is what!¡± Samuel was surprised at the boss¡¯ sudden burst of inspiration.

    ¡°Kenith would strike on their wedding day and Elijah must know this as well because that¡¯s the same time he intends to get Arianna out... Oh my God,¡± Marcel gasped as he thought of something and Samuel could only look on in confusion. What was his boss rambling about?

    ¡°I thought I had the upper hand here but Elijah has been the master nner all along. He foresaw this happening and nned the events leading to this moment ¨C the attacks on my men, me sending Arianna away to the only ce he could get her out easily. I thought I was setting a trap for him by sending Arianna away, but he was the one who yed me... ¡±

    There was a sudden fire in Marcel¡¯s eyes, one that was capable enough of ravaging anything in his path. He smirked, ¡°Fine, he wants to y this game, I¡¯m in, ¡±

    He turned to Samuel, ¡°Send as many men as possible, fortify the Red Giants territory and get me an invitation to the wedding, I would love to see how Elijah gets through that,¡± Marcel looked like he had gone crazy as he gave that order.

    His eyes were wild and held a dark promise for what was to befall Elijah. There were only a few people who could get him this excited without a bullet lodged in their head already. Marcel got a worthy opponent and it would be fun to take him down.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Samuel answered, knowing that any disobedience on his part at that moment would result in death. Marcel was far gone from the realm of mercy right now and it was in his best interest to behave. He just prayed Elijah ran as far as he could else he¡¯s a dead man.

    ¡°Who said I dressed like a woman!¡± The tension in the room vanished the way ss shatters on impact with a hard surface as soon as Victor trudged into the room, fuming.

    He approached his cousin wagging a finger at him, ¡°How could you ruin my reputation like ¨C wait a minute, what¡¯s with the annoying pressure here?¡± Victor noticed at thest minute.

    When no one answered him, Victor was about toment on that when he took in Marcel¡¯s appearance and gasped, ¡°No way, this psychic connection has to end now!¡± He referred to Marcel who was dressed in the same manner as he was. Well, not exactly but almost.

    While Marcel was donning a ck turtleneck top, Victor chose navel blue instead and his coat was a silver color and yes, it was the same make.

    Marcel rolled his eyes, he was not ready for his cousin¡¯s drama this morning. He had a family of sharks to face ¨C and conquer. So he simply picked his gloves and as if on cue, Samuel announced, ¡°Boss, the car is ready,¡±

    Without even a word to his cousin, Marcel was about to leave when Victortched onto his arms ¨C as he feared.

    ¡°Get off,¡± He tried to pull free of him all to no avail.

    ¡°Why are you being so somber this morning?¡± Victorically mimicked a woman¡¯s voice.

    Marcel rubbed his temple with his free hand, already contemting on ways to dump Victor to his auntter in the day ¨C he still hadn¡¯t told the moron his mother eventually made it.

    ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t make your coffee, darling?¡± Victor continued to torture him, ¡°Don¡¯t me me, my student didn¡¯t make it today. me her instead,¡± He hinted at Mimi, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯d hunt her downter in the day,¡±

    Marcel sighed, ¡°Let the poor girl rest, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s still trying to wrap her head around all of this,¡± He said, knowing how Victor enjoyed the thrill of the chase like a fucking psychopath.

    If only Victor could focus that energy on Elijah, he would be highly relieved. Sadly, Elijah didn¡¯t have two mounds on his chest and a p*ssy.

 Chapter 137

    137 Violence Isn¡¯t The Answer

    Marcel was able to get a breathing space, at least, after Victor moved his attention to his phone, probably chatting with one of histest love interests. He just prayed his cousin wasn¡¯t nning to throw another because thest one lowered his defenses and led to the death of not one, but more than a few of his men. He won¡¯t let that happen again.

    It was a thirty minute or so drive when they arrived at the hotel restaurant. Thanks to their VIP reservation, they had their own exclusive entrance to the hotel and when he stepped out, Marcel could already see a few of his rtives had arrived with their cars lined up.

    As expected, men and women in tailored suits dressed impably like they were about to attend an international conference meeting instead of a family meeting. Marcel wondered what was with Mafia families and their love for suits?

    If one stared at this scene, they would think it was an important gathering of big-shot businessmen and women with their entourage. If only they knew it was a conglomerate of criminals. A crime family dressed in the finest designer Suits, about to maim him to the cross.

    The only thing differentiating them from the security doing their duty was the wire-rimmed devices behind their ear used as a form ofmunication through which they spoke orders to other members and their cautious demeanor.

    Security was very tight today, after all, the biggest yers in the Luciano family were in attendance today. As confident as Elijah was at infiltrating a location, he would die before he thought of sneaking in here, not even a mosquito could get into this restaurant.

    ¡°Shit, the whole of them is here!¡± Victor eximed when he saw his rtives who arrived before them, ¡°I never even knew I had an extended family until now,¡± He hinted at the fact he didn¡¯t get along with his rtives that much.

    ¡°A dead meat dropped, why won¡¯t the vultures circle around?¡± Marcel said, observing his rtives indifferently, not even bothered by their presence as if they were nothing less than flies in his eyes.

    None of them noticed his presence as well since they were heading inside the hotel with their fellows while conversing heartily and he was grateful for that because he didn¡¯t need those foxes ttering him with their sugary yet venomous tongue. All of them were a bunch of good pretenders.

    .....

    But one person did notice him. Or rather his consigliere.

    ¡°Victor,¡± Marcel finally heard a voice that brought a smile to his face. Finally, here she was.

    And while Marcel was relieved by that voice, Victor on the other hand felt a different sense of dread. It couldn¡¯t be what he was thinking, right? He had investigated hering and his sources imed she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it....unless she had ast-minute change of mind.

    Victor gulped, turning slowly and as he feared, it was his mother. He smiled nervously, ¡°Mama?¡±

    It seems men here tend to take after their mothers in terms of look ¨C at least from their side of their family ¨C because Victor was a replica of his mother with the brown hair and gray eyes, the other little attributes like the shape of his nose and lips were obviously from his father.

    And while Victor might be the only son, he had two other sisters who wanted nothing to do with the family¡¯s dirty business hence their presence was hardly seen or even noticed. And just like today, they weren¡¯t in attendance just like his mother would have been until she changed her mind at thest minute.

    Although she held a big position in the organization, unlike in the past, Carmine wasn¡¯t as active anymore and it all began after her brother, Albine died. Let¡¯s just say after that time, she and her brother Daniel don¡¯t get along over the years. Carmine chose to remain silent, onlying out in important events just like today.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± His aunt was already on Victor before Marcel could even blink, ¡°This is why they say you should never give birth to a male child because they never belong to you,¡± She said while pulling his ears.

    ¡°Ahh-that hurts mother!¡± Victor cried out in pain, that woman was about to pull his ear off.

    ¡°It hurts, right?¡±The woman sneered,

    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m pulling it in the first ce if not to cause you pain?!¡± She added more pressure to his ear.

    ¡°Victor¡¯s mother,¡± Victor called his own mother calmly, scared to agitate her else she pulls his ear further, ¡°Let¡¯s calm down and solve this the right way, violence isn¡¯t the answer,¡±

    ¡°Oh really? I guess you should have remembered that when you decided to leave your family in the dark about your return!¡± She scolded him.

    As the only son in the family who was in constant danger because of the nature of the job, they couldn¡¯t help but worry for him. Unlike his siblings, Victor was the only one who decided to be part of the Mafia against his mother¡¯s wishes. Well, it wasn¡¯t that surprising since he always followed Marcel around a lot as a kid, hence no matter what his mother did to stop his growing interest, he was always back in the base to be with his cousin.

    Their affection for each other was unrivaled from young and Carmine gave up on trying to change his mind. Perhaps he took after her thoroughly because just like him, she had been fascinated with the Mafia as well, until it took someone it wasn¡¯t supposed to.

    So she stopped, taking a backseat from all of their activities. Carmine would have given up entirely if not for her son. Since Victor wanted that lifestyle, she had to be there to protect him in case things didn¡¯t go well. What kind of mother would she be if she can¡¯t protect her son? She lost Albine, she wouldn¡¯t lose her son Victor too.

    Victor was still crying in pain when an idea formed in his head and he turned, shouting, ¡°Dad?!¡±

    His mother turned in the direction as well, wondering why her husband would be here ¨C he was totally non-mafia ¨C but it was that moment of distraction that Victor needed to make his escape.

    ¡°You unfilial son!¡± Carmine shouted after she discovered she had been tricked and went after Victor who ran into the lobby as if the devil was on his heels.

 Chapter 138

    138 Wee To His family

    Marcel shook his head at the drama going on between mother and son; they were hrious. Victor and his mother were by far the most normal people in this organization and Marcel was not going to lie, he sometimes wished he could get into his cousin¡¯s shoes. You know, to see what it is like toe from a loving home where your opinion mattered and your feelings are considered. They seemed so happy ¨C he wanted that too.

    The smile was still on his lips when someone suddenly stood in front of him. Because Marcel had been distracted, he hadn¡¯t noticed hering and only caught her figure from the corner of his eyes at thest minute.

    ¡°If this isn¡¯t our very own Marcel,¡± She smirked, showing off sparkling white teeth and an odd amusement in her eyes that could almost be mistaken as mockery.

    ¡°Cindy,¡± He breathed upon seeing his other cousin ¨C one of his second cousins.

    The girl was young, eighteen-year-old Marcel guessed ¨C he wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood to keep tabs on his rtives ¨C and she kept a minimal affiliation with the family business because she was a celebrity. Cindy was more engrossed in using the family¡¯s name and resources to boost her career ¨C which meant nobody crossed her because of her background.

    Perhaps because of her family¡¯s influence, Cindy was a trouble ma and was by no means remorseful for her scandals ¨C that neveres to the limelight ¨C because her cousins were there to clean up her mess. So yeah, in one word, you could call her a spoiled brat.

    Standing at five foot eight, Cindy was quite tall with her long professionally dyed rainbow-colored hair tied up in two scrunchies. The half-up pigtails gave her a perky double ponytail effect coupled with her doll face made her look super yful, especially with pieces of hair left out around the face.

    With her make-up face and a little star tattoo at the corner of her eyes, Cindy had one hundred dors bills manicured onto her finger looking much like the pop star she was. And yeah, those dor bills are very much real because they were ripped and then ced on the stic nails before they were painted by her nail technician. The girl was a big show-off and Marcel was the least ddened by herpany.

    ¡°You look very good, the boss position treating you well?¡± She inquired, her eyes lit up with curiosity.

    .....

    ¡°Why?¡± Marcel nced down at her, donning his indifferent mask once again. He could not show his emotions, that was the number one rule of being a boss, ¡°You want a taste of my position? Just say it, who knows I might be magnanimous enough to let you rule for a day,¡± He appeared to be joking when he wasn¡¯t. Two can y this game.

    ¡°Nah...¡± Cindy cooed, cing the tip of her pointed nails at the base of his throat and Marcel didn¡¯t react even though he knew she could hurt him if she dared to sink them a little bit deeper enough to break the skin.

    From a distance, Marcel could see the way his security details stiffened and were about to make a move when he gestured to them with his eyes to stay still. He could handle this.

    In the hands of an enemy, that single nail was an effective weapon and positioned at the throat which was quite a vulnerable part of the body, Marcel wondered if his ostentatious cousin knew the message she was trying to pass across?

    Her grandfather had killed his uncle, Albine, was she trying to do the same? Marcel guessed she didn¡¯t know that since the girl was an airhead anyway.

    Cindy went on, this time dragging the nail down to his chest, scratching against the fabric of his top, ¡°I prefer to sit back and watch the work being done, however, if you¡¯re still feeling magnanimous enough, my brother would do a good work,¡± and by brother, she meant Gabriel ¨C another of his cousin andpetition.

    ¡°So what do you say to that?¡± She actually looked hopeful, finally taking her ws of a nail off him.

    Marcel smiled at her, however, before she could detect his next move, he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her head back earning a surprised squeal from her and as well drawing attention to them.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Cindy¡¯s eyes were now wild with a hint of fear in them.

    ¡°I guess your parents didn¡¯t teach you how to respect your elders, let me give you a little lesson on that,¡± Marcel¡¯s expression held a dark promise and before Cindy could cry for help, he flicked her on the forehead with his finger.

    Just a single flick and Cindy screamed as if a knife was being held to her throat yet Marcel didn¡¯t care nor did anyone dare to interrupt him. As long as he didn¡¯t kill her, even Cindy¡¯s bodyguard wouldn¡¯t interfere because Marcel held the sovereign authority as the boss.

    Even with all his position, she wasn¡¯t scared enough to touch him, Marcel scoffed in his mind as he continued to punish her. It wasn¡¯t until Cindy was a crying mess and her forehead was a deep shade of red that Marcel finally let her go.

    ¡°Mummy!¡± Cindy shouted at the top of her voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± A voice boomed from behind and a stern-looking female appeared, striding towards Cindy.

    She was wearing a two-piece suit that framed her figure in all the right ces looking formal yet sharp with her hair gelled back and her bag by her side.

    That was no other than Adele, the elder sister to Cindy and a rtive to Marcel as well. But unlike the others, she was an illegitimate child.

    Upon reaching Cindy, Adelended a p that whipped her head to the side, saying in a stretched tone, ¡°You should be lucky he didn¡¯t give you worse punishment for disrespecting him!¡± She scolded her.

    However, Cindy looked up with animosity and when Marcel had been expecting a fight, Cindy simply shove past her ¨C pushing Adele out of the way ¨C swearing.

    Even after the huge show, Adele stood still, without a trace of emotion on her face and when it was obvious that Cindy had left, she bowed her head in apology.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that, please forgive her ¡±

    Without waiting for his response, she had already turned on her heel, heading into the lobby.

    Marcel simply watched her till she was out of sight and let out a deep breath.

    Wee to his family.

 Chapter 139

    139 You Are In Trouble

    If there was anyone that interested Marcel amongst his second cousins, that would be Adele.

    It wasn¡¯t umon for the male in the family to have mistresses while the wives pretended to be oblivious to it, however, they made sureplications aka a child didn¡¯t arise from their affairs.

    But his uncle Benjamin had failed at that and there came about the birth of Adele. And while he should have sent her away to avoid conflict in the future, Benjamin cared much about the number of his children ¨C that would go up against them. So Adele stayed especially after he lost two of his sons.

    It was obvious that Adele went through hell in the hands of Benjamin¡¯s wife especially after she gave birth to her long-awaited daughter, Cindy, two years after she arrived in the family. And while others in her situation would break and give up from the maltreatment, Adele stood tall and prevailed. Now she¡¯s a core member of the organization.

    With a driven, hard-working, and no-nonsense personality, it was obvious that Adele¡¯s efforts in the organization were underrated and she was prejudiced on the grounds of being a female and a half-blood.

    But Marcel didn¡¯t dare to interrupt, for women as diligent as Adele, they preferred to make it on their own and he wasn¡¯t about to divulge into his cousins affairs anyway. It was equivalent to stepping into a ho¡¯s nest.

    There was a change in the atmosphere the moment Marcel entered the hall but after a nce or two his way, everyone went back to their conversation. But this time their conversation was measured and careful as if they didn¡¯t want to say something that would be detrimental to themter.

    Marcel could feel uncountable eyes on him yet he looked rxed and showed no fact he was bothered even when he knew the meeting today was all about him. He instead chose the opportunity to scan the hall, trying to see who he was up against.

    After his careful countdown, there were a total of twenty of his family members in attendance today, and out of which, he had two on his side ¨C Victor and his mother. He hoped.

    .....

    In this line of work, there was no permanent friend nor enemy and it was better to be prepared for a little backstabbing so it doesn¡¯t hurt much when it ys out. Hence Marcel concluded that he was all alone; it was a battle he had to fight by himself. If reinforcement came, glory be to God.

    Marcel located his uncles, Benjamin and Robert, the sons of Mattia who murdered Albine and was cast away from the family line. While Benjamin fathered Gabriel, Adele, Cindy (plus his twote sons), Robert was the proud father of Arthur and Lance. Out of the two brothers, Robert was the most confident that he would return the rulership to their side of the family with the help of his son, Arthur. He was proud of him.

    And speaking of Arthur, Marcel¡¯s gaze rested on the scene of the young man bullying his younger brother without anyone noticing. It was no secret news to Marcel that Arthur and Lance were in intensepetition with one another.

    While Arthur effortlessly gained his father¡¯s attention and approval, Lance was trapped under his elder brother¡¯s shadow. No matter what he did, Arthur does it better or has done it already. It was quite frustrating.

    Marcel did not know what they were discussing but he saw the way Arthur suddenly held Lance, his head trapped in his arm. While it might seem like a yful grapple amongst brothers, Marcel very well saw Arthur p his brother¡¯s cheek trice condescendingly. Lance was red in the face with embarrassment and tried to break free but Arthur held tighter whileughing.

    Arthur would have continued with his act if his eyes hadn¡¯t traveled across the room and as if he sensed Marcel watching him, their eyes connected and his face broke into a grin; the way a predator animal would when he senses a prey. Except that he was mistaken, because Marcel was sure that no matter the circumstance that he was the predator and Arthur was nothing but a scavenger.

    With one final drumming of his fingers on his brother¡¯s head, Arthur finally let go of Lance who was filled with indignation especially after discovering that Marcel had seen what happened. It was obvious that if they weren¡¯t in such a public setting, he would have tackled his brother to the ground and begun a fight for all it¡¯s worth, since he was going to lose anyway. But it doesn¡¯t hurt to try.

    Watching that scene Marcel was thankful that he didn¡¯t have a sibling. Well, he did have one he loved ¨C that was taken by his father ¨C and it¡¯s a female. Get the point.

    Arthur came over to where he stood with that arrogant smirk ying at the corner of his lips, ¡°I should leave it up to you to always be different from the others,¡± He referred to Marcel looking conversative in his dressingpared to them looking refined in their suits.

    ¡°Ahh...¡± Marcel breathed, ¡°Sorry, but I tend not to follow the ignorant crowd,¡± He sassed.

    There was a split in Arthur¡¯s face at once, annoyance creeping up. Marcel sighed inwardly, when it came to exchanging words, why does the idiot always bother him when he knows he would be defended in the end.

    ¡°Fine, be smug all you want, we all know how today is going to end anyway,¡± He finally came off with his pretense.

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Marcel surprisingly concurred, ¡°Inded in a den of wolves. But we would see who the alpha wolf is in the end.¡± His smugness returned.

    ¡°And I¡¯m his beta,¡± Victor came out of nowhere, draping his hand around Marcel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I suggest you get your ass moving, you lowly omega,¡± He made an act of growling at Arthur in a threatening manner.

    Arthur¡¯s nostrils red, ¡°We¡¯d see!¡± He promised yet walked with his tail in between his legs.

    Marcel and Victor had smiling faces the entire time Arthur walked away and the minute he was gone, it dropped.

    Victor said at once, ¡°You are in trouble,¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Marcel concurred.

 Chapter 140

    140 Support For A Member In Need

    Victor walked with Marcel by his side, scanning their surrounding like a thief scouting his target, ensuring there was no one eavesdropping on their conversation as he revealed, ¡°I spoke with my mother and -¡±

    ¡°You actually spoke with your mother?¡± Marcel interrupted him, brows raised in interest, ¡°I actually thought she was beating you the entire time,¡± Heughed, all by himself.

    Victor halted in his step, giving him a deadpanned look.

    ¡°Sorry. Continue.¡± Marcel decided to be serious.

    Victor resumed the conversation immediately as if someone had pressed the y button on him, ¡°She said they are going to pressure you into choosing an underboss today,¡±

    There was no change in Marcel¡¯s expression at that disclosure. He didn¡¯t even blink, ¡°Thought that much,¡±

    Unlike him, Arthur does not exactly hide his emotions well and there was only one good reason why his cousin could be that happy: he sensed his promotion.

    In his dream.

    One might ask why was everyone so desperate for the position of underboss?

    .....

    While the underboss is usually first in line to be acting boss if the boss is imprisoned, or dead, and is also frequently seen as a logical sessor, he¡¯s also the second inmand of the family. He would often run the day-to-day responsibilities of the family or oversee its most lucrative rackets. As well as gets a percentage of the family¡¯s ie from the boss¡¯s cut. So yeah, it was a lucrative position of power.

    Victor stopped walking and after one or two nces over his shoulder, he asked Marcel in a lowered tone, ¡°And now you know, please tell me you have a n,¡± he hoped.

    His cousin always has a n B for everything which was why he had been able to maintain this seat without the support of his father. Daniel still hasn¡¯t forgiven him for overthrowing him when his time wasn¡¯t due.

    Marcel was by far the youngest boss after his own father, Daniel. The only reason Daniel had ruled at a young age was that there was no one else suitable for the position: Albine was killed by Mattia and cast out, while his father Magnus rejected the offer, leaving him as the only eligible candidate. Sadly, Carmine was a female and ineligible for the position while other capable males remained.

    Marcel stepped closer to say, ¡°I¡¯m happy to announce to you my dear consigliere that I have not a single n up here,¡± He pointed to his head.

    Victor¡¯s facepalmed, he didn¡¯t know whether to feel pity for Marcel who was about to go through a tough battle, or to feel miserable for himself who had no solution as his consigliere. He doesn¡¯t deserve this position.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one on our side of the family to hand over the position to, neither are my sisters interested in the organization, lest we could have used one of them to buy time till wee up with a solution,¡± Victor sighed, running his hand through his hair.

    Suddenly, he grabbed Marcel¡¯s hand saying, ¡°Come on, we should meet my mother ande up with a countermeasure,¡± Victor hardly took a step when a loud clinking sound came from a microphone, snatching everyone¡¯s attention.

    It was toote.

    Everyone turned to the sight of Daniel standing on the podium with a flute filled with drink and a spoon in hand ¨C the noise must have been produced when he hit it ¨C as he announced, ¡°Settle down, everybody,¡±

    It was an order no one could disobey. If Marcel was the boss, Daniel was the patriarch of the family and if there was anyone they feared greatly in the family, it was him.

    The conference seating arrangement was used in the hall, one that offers a long, rectangr table for all of them to sit facing each other. Since Daniel had called for the meeting, he sat at the head of the table as the patriarch while Carmine, Benjamin, Robert, and older family members nked him on both sides before Marcel and the others followed suit in the middle till the rest of the suits were taken and everyone seated.

    Daniel as the head was the one that stood up and thanked the family members for heeding the invitation and attending the meeting. He went back to the history of the family; giving a few words of exaltation, charging family members to promote peace and unity, and h h nobody really cared about. Right now, they were waiting for that moment ¨C the moment they swallowed Marcel whole.

    ¡°Finally....¡± Everyone held their breath knowing that the appointed time had arrived, ¡°We would move to the issue of the day and the reason for this gathering,¡±

    Some readjusted in the seat; a few leaned closer as if they couldn¡¯t wait to strike; while the rest already had a satisfied look on their face confident of winning. All in all, Marcel sat unfazed nor bothered, and a few others who saw hisfort state took that as arrogance. They sneered, let¡¯s see how long hests.

    ¡°We all heard of the news that made the rounds this week and our men were involved in a series of idents in which we lost some good men to the cold hands of death and a few injured. Now I would like our boss and current leader of the Luciano family to give us an exnation as to what happened?¡± He gestured to Marcel as he took his seat having done his part.

    When Marcel stood to his feet, there was not even an apuse to acknowledge his position of power except an awkward one from Victor yet he didn¡¯t care. If anything, he could see everyone¡¯s true colors now and a few already had their fangs out, ready to tear their razor-shaped teeth into his flesh.

    ¡°First of all, I would like to thank every single member of my family that made it their goal to attend this meeting today. It shows that we are bound by love and can¡¯t wait to show our undying support for a member in need,¡± Marcel used sarcasm so obvious that even the dumbest person in the room could read beneath the lines.

    He rubbed their pretense on their faces and a few of them began to squirm ufortably on their seats while a few looked away, embarrassed at their sin being called out but the brazen ones were undaunted. They had a mission today and there was no turning back until they got what they wanted.

 Chapter 141

    141 The Apple Doesn¡¯t Fall Far From The Tree

    ¡°About the ident,¡± Marcel began and the hall went so silent that if a pin had dropped that moment, it would have nked loudly across, ¡°It was purely an ident and I¡¯m working my best to see that all sides are settled with no hitch,¡± Was all Marcel said and sat down, and apparently, it wasn¡¯t enough for everyone in the room.

    ¡°What do you mean it was purely an ident!¡± Lance was the first to speak up, looking livid, ¡°Is that the attitude of a responsible leader? How is that an ident when it¡¯s obvious that the brakes in the car were tampered with by that mercenary?!¡±

    There was a hum of approval from some of the members but Marcel remained unruffled, asking instead, ¡°And how did you know the brakes in the cars were tempered? And what do you mean by that mercenary? I never released that part of the information to any of you,¡±he asked seriously.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Lance was taken aback by the question. He had been so impatient tond the first strike so that his father would be proud of him that he hadn¡¯t thought about that part before speaking in the first ce and now, he had no answer. Even if he had, Marcel¡¯s intimidation made him forget all.

    Lance then looked between the members in front of him trying to seek help but they looked away like they didn¡¯t know him at all or understood what he wanted from them.

    Victor stifled a burst ofughter, did they think Marcel would let them win this battle without a fight?

    Marcel went on, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been surveilling my activities because I¡¯m sure as hell would kill you if that turns out to be true,¡± his expression was cold and nk as he promised him that.

    Cold sweat formed on Lance¡¯s face and his palm became mmy as he thought of what to say. He heard Daniel killed his own brother, who knows what his son Marcel would do to him, just a mere second cousin? After all, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree.

    Lance couldn¡¯t even look his father in the eyes from where he sat knowing that the man must be utterly disappointed in him.

    .....

    He began to stutter, ¡°I-I-¡±

    ¡°Like you said earlier... ¡± Arthur cut in and Lance released a breath he didn¡¯t know he had been holding in. For once, he didn¡¯t hate his brother for stealing the moment; he saved his life, ¡°We were concerned about you as your family members and did some investigations, that was how we came about the information,¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot about your gushing love for me,¡± No oneughed at Marcel¡¯s great mild sarcastic, dry humor.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that you hid such great information from us,¡± Gabrielnded his own strike with the opportunity.

    But Marcel retorted with a scowl, ¡°Mind you, I¡¯m your boss, not your subordinate,¡± He warned.

    ¡°Maybe, that¡¯s the problem,¡± said Benjamin¡¯s wife, ¡°We don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re stillpetent for this position,¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Marcel rxed against his seat, arms folded across his chest, ¡°Are you?¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply to that but her partner in crime and supporter, Robert¡¯s wife said, ¡°From our reports, a shipment of weapons was stolen right under your nose by the same mercenary who tampered with the brakes on the car?¡±

    There was a shocked gasp from them as soon as that information was disclosed or they pretended to be ¨C they were quite good actors and actresses. And just like that, everyone in the room found solid ground to begin to throw mes on Marcel, highlighting his weakness and ipetencies.

    Marcel in question didn¡¯t say a thing, he just watched them one after the other, marking their faces and thinking of the suitable gift to give them once this was over.

    It wasn¡¯t until theirints became a racket that Adele, who hasn¡¯t spoken a word since the meeting began, suddenly shouted, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± banging her hand on the desk with enough force to silence everyone instantly.

    ¡°You spineless cowards!¡± She roared, the veins in her head nearly popping out from anger.

    ¡°What?!¡± Lance jerked up, offended, ¡°You bitch! Who did you just call -!¡± But Victor who was beside the idiot simply tugged on his clothes and pulled him back down on his seat as if he had no worth.

    Lance turned to re at him but Victor spoke up first, ¡°Let thedy speak first, manners,¡± He ¨C Victor ¨C patted him on the cheek and Lance didn¡¯t dare to retaliate with Marcel watching him. He remained still.

    Adele continued when everyone settled, ¡°I did note here for this! If you are all so intent on removing Marcel, our current boss, then do that and stop beating around the bush!¡± She thundered, her voice carrying authority, and Marcel smiled from where he was. That was easier said than done, why does she think they were chipping at him like women?

    ¡°Yes, do that!¡± Cindy agreed immediately after Adele, ¡°I can¡¯t wait for my brother to take over!¡± She said out loud to everyone¡¯s hearing.

    Adele gave her a warning look and she retorted, ¡°What?! Isn¡¯t everyone entitled to their opinion? You¡¯ve said yours, now¡¯s mine, so don¡¯t look at me that way,¡± Cindy said brusquely, ying with the ends of her hair without a care.

    And that particr hair, Marcel stared at it a little too long, some ideas forming in his head.

    Finally, Daniel stood up from his seat to speak, and order descended into the hall without him asking for it. That was how much they feared him.

    ¡°We¡¯ve all heard your opinions and I¡¯m on the stand....¡± Not ¡°we¡±, everyone understood Daniel¡¯s tyranny, ¡°That Marcel is not going anyway, not just because he¡¯s my son but the fact that there has been a noticeable change in our family since he seized power....¡±

    Marcel took a deep breath, the old man never forgets to point that out.

    ¡°He tripled our ie and the fact that you all live fine today is out of my son¡¯s sweat and sacrifice!¡± Daniel reminded them of that and one could see the ufortable look on their faces knowing that he was right yet they wouldn¡¯t admit it.

    Marcel was trying to figure out his father when his phone beeped with a message and he nced down at it before turning to Victor having known that it was from him.

    His cousin gestured at him to open the message and he did, only to see,

    [Dude, I¡¯m confused, is your father on our side or not?]

 Chapter 142

    142 Who Is The Capable One Here

    Was his father on his side? Only a fool would believe that just because he was the son of the devil, he would receive special treatment? But no, the devil doesn¡¯t care about blood rtionships because his objective was to condition him to perfection; till he had no ws and was a great legacy to behold.

    [Don¡¯t be deceived, he¡¯s on no one¡¯s side] Marcel sent the message to Victor who opened it right away.

    In no time, another message beeped into his phone a few seconds after Victor was done with his typing.

    [ You think he knows their n and would support them? Damn, what¡¯s the point of having an overpowered father]

    Marcel smiled at Victor¡¯s sense of humor, he typed,

    [That overpowered father was humiliated by his only son when he snatched his throne. Daniel would do anything, even if it means siding with his enemies or facilitating their ns just to make me frustrated ande begging on my knees for his help. In one word, O. M. O. I¡¯m on my own.]

    Victor would have continued typing had Daniel not announced, ¡°However, all this wouldn¡¯t have happened if Marcel had been more careful and had a helper by his side. For this reason, he would be choosing an underboss right now and here,¡±

    At that announcement, there was a murmur from the crowd. This was a suggestion that they had been waiting to bring up at the right time, hence Daniel of all people bringing that up when he clearly knew the result would be unfavorable for his son only made them uneasy and anxious. What was that old hag nning?

    ¡°Does anyone object to this suggestion?¡± Daniel asked as a precaution before the election began else one ims partiality.

    .....

    He turned to Marcel when no one from his sideined, ¡°Do you object to this move? If you do, give us a solid reason why you shouldn¡¯t have an underboss and I¡¯d review that with mypanions here,¡± He hinted to the elder family members by his side.

    And just like that, Daniel took over the ns they carefully plotted over the week for this very moment. They didn¡¯t know whether tough or just cry in despair.

    ¡°Of course, not!¡± Marcel said to Victor¡¯s shock. What was that idiot talking about? Marcel should have rejected the notion now he had the opportunity especially when he knew he had no solution to the underboss problem.....

    Unless he did. That sly cousin of his!

    Marcel continued, ¡°The idea of me having an underboss has long been overdue and I think now¡¯s the perfect time to choose my second inmand with eligible candidates all gathered around me,¡±

    None of them noticed the dark glint in Marcel¡¯s eyes, he was having the time of his life. Instead, they all stood straighter trying to appear professional and might as well have carried a tag on their head that says, ¡°Choose Me, Marcel,¡±

    At the same time, they forgot that this was the same young man that they tried to nail to the cross. They didn¡¯t know the side of Marcel that spells, ¡°Grudgeful¡±

    And trust Marcel, the master of deception, there was not a trace of emotion on his face to suggest he was aggrieved and smiled widely at the eligible candidates before him as if all sins were forgiven.

    ¡°You should remember to choose the best,¡± Uncle Robert guided him like the wise sage he was, ¡°It¡¯s the strongest and fittest that matters in our world,¡±

    Howical.

    But Marcel knew he was low-key rmending and reminding him that his son, Arthur, was the only choice he had.

    As if.

    He was Marcel Luciano, a born leader, no one takes away his choice for him. Hence when Marcel pointed at his choice of an underboss, it seemed as if the moon crashed into the earth because a loud, ¡°What?!¡± Full of disbelief echoed across the hall.

    Marcel¡¯s choice was no other than Adele, who didn¡¯t even realize what was going on until all eyes ¨C full of hatred and contempt ¨C rested on her and she looked up to Marcel¡¯s finger directed at her.

    ¡°Me?¡± She pointed at her chest, dumbfounded.

    ¡°That is outrageous!¡± Robert was the first to speak out in outrage, shooting up to his feet in mere seconds. No one else measured up to his son.

    ¡°What is outrageous about it?¡± Marcel asked him.

    ¡°She is a girl!¡± Benjamin was the second to express his outrage, standing to his feet as well that one would almost think he was almost supporting Robert.

    Well, that wouldn¡¯t be surprising since the both of them were brothers and quite close to each other. However, there would be a crack in that rtionship if his useless ¨C as he imed ¨C daughter was to be the underboss while Robert¡¯s capable son, Arthur gained nothing.

    Marcel knew the game he was ying.

    ¡°She¡¯s a girl? So what?¡± Marcel arched a brow at him, ¡°She¡¯s your daughter, shouldn¡¯t you be happy?¡± His words made Benjamin ufortable since the man couldn¡¯t exactly rejoice in the presence of his fuming brother, Robert.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ept this!¡± Arthur was the next to oppose his choice.

    ¡°Give me a reason, don¡¯t just reject my choice because you¡¯re a sore loser,¡± Marcel sighed, tired of their displeasure.

    Arthur had never felt humiliated in his entire life than this moment. He can¡¯t take this unmerited defeat lying this, so he protested, ¡°You can¡¯t just choose an underboss on a whim. An underboss is your second inmand and must be capable enough to carry out the family activities and so far, I¡¯m the best candidate!¡±

    ¡°Says who?!¡± Marcel suddenly boomed, standing to his feet with fiery intensity in his gaze.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arthur was surprised by that confession.

    ¡°You¡¯re so conceited and carried away by your pride that you don¡¯t realize when you fell behind. Thisdy here!¡± Marcel pointed at Adele who sat with a serene expression even though she was the center of attention. A normal person would have been squirming from the intensity. But not Adele.

    ¡°She has produced twice your effort and nobody knows nor acknowledges that, why? Because she¡¯s a woman? If you think it¡¯s a lie, then you can go through the assessment report and investigate it,¡±

    This time Arthur didn¡¯t say a word, struck with heavy disbelief and Marcel stood a little taller, ¡°So tell me now, Arthur, who¡¯s the capable one here?¡±

 Chapter 143

    143 Put A Target On Her

    With Marcel¡¯s concise yet uncanny high persuasive ability, he was able to turn the tide in his favor and sessfully imed Adele as his underboss.

    For such a high position, there was no congrattory message given to Adele, if anything, the atmosphere was bleak as if someone died yet Adele didn¡¯t care. That was one of the reasons Marcel liked her, the girl had backbone ¨C he needed no scaredy-cat. ra was enough problems already.

    With anger capable of tearing through the heavens, his dear uncle Robert left, more like strode out of the hall. No sooner had he left, his sons followed suit almost, and just like that, the meeting was dismissed.

    Marcel was the one to offer congrattion to her with his hand stretched which she enveloped firmly, ¡°I hope to have a good working rtionship with you,¡± He meant every word he said.

    ¡°I should thank you for giving me the opportunity to work to my fullest potential,¡± Adele said to him, her heart full of gratitude.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you deserve the honors and not some cocky bastard,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t bother to hide his dislike for her cousin. If they were going to start working closely together, it¡¯s time she learned his likes and dislikes.

    ¡°I know but I still want to thank you,¡± Adele added at thest minute, ¡°Sir,¡± showing her respect and as well hinting she knew her ce in the organization, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you did for me¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t worry about that,¡± He pulled his hand away, ¡°Report to my office when you¡¯re free for a small congrattory party and you can resume your work officially,¡± Marcel told her before he turned to leave, only for his gaze to connect with his father¡¯s.

    Marcel was weary of him and he simply put his hand into the pocket of his pants with a sigh as his father walked up to him and stopped at his front.

    .....

    ¡°No matter how much you deny it, my blood runs fluidly through your veins. You are just like me, Marcel,¡± The man pronounced proudly.

    ¡°Old age must really be getting to your head that you have nothing else to do but to y a game of chess with the family members,¡± Marcel retorted, unamused by hisment. He was nothing like him.

    Daniel was not offended by his son¡¯sment ¨C at least he didn¡¯t look the part ¨C however, he asked, ¡°So now you stole your opponent¡¯s Rook, what do you n to do with it? As much as you can use her to sweep the entire board, this particr Rook could evolve into the Queen in the future and bite the hand that feeds it,¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, after all, I would soon marry the woman you made avable for me and produce the King who can never be taken off the board,¡±

    And while both father and son were speaking in chessnguage, Adele made it out of the elevator and just stepped into the hotel lobby when someone pulled her into a corner without warning.

    ¡°W-what....?¡±

    It was her brother. Correction, half-brother.

    ¡°Gabriel?¡± Adele was surprised by the gesture. Looking around she wondered if they were being followed which exins why he pulled her into a secluded corner. Or he just needed privacy.

    Having recovered from the surprise, Adele calmed her emotions, asking with her arms folded across her chest,

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    She and this particr brother of hers, no, all of them didn¡¯t have the best rtionship.

    Adele could already guess why he sought her out but she didn¡¯t rush to a conclusion; she gave him the benefit of the doubt.

    ¡°When did you and Marcel begin to see?¡± He asked her.

    Just as Adele thought, her brother thought she and Marcel had a previous rtionship which was why he made her underboss. Everyone knew Marcel¡¯s side of the family and theirs don¡¯t get along well and for good reasons. The feud between both sides of the family would probably never end until the Luciano crime family was annihted forever.

    ¡°Never,¡± Came her reply and she was about to leave when he pulled her back again.

    ¡°You should reject that position,¡±

    As soon as he said that, it seemed like someone threw shit on Adele¡¯s face, and the mask she had been donning finally cracked, revealing a pissed-off face.

    She cocked a brow, ¡°And why should I do that? Because I¡¯m a girl?¡±

    ¡°Adele...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not changing my mind, not now, not ever. So you can shove your request up your ass!¡± She said through gritted teeth, hands clutched at both sides till her knuckles were white. Nothing would change her mind, not after her years of working unfulfilled.

    She could remember the implicit and sexistment her superordinates used on her and the prejudice she suffered all because she worked in a field popted by men. Even some of her subordinates did it too but they usually talked behind her back since she was quick to put them in her ce. Now luck finally shined on her, she would never let go of the opportunity.

    ¡°This position is not a blessing but a curse! All Marcel did was to put a target on you and Arthur would never give up until he has what he wants,¡± For a moment there, her so-called brother was honestly scared for her.

    But Adeleughed cynically, ¡°Then he shoulde then,¡± She said, ¡°I am not scared of bullies just the way I was never scared of you and your family throughout the years. We¡¯d just see who the better opponent is,¡± Adele was fearless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± Gabriel left unsatisfied that she hasn¡¯t taken his advice. She would change her mind eventually with time.

    Meanwhile, after a hard time persuading his mother that he woulde to visit, Victor was finally free to leave with Marcel and he threw his arms casually across his cousin¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Take those hands off me or you die,¡± Marcel warned him, but as usual Victor did whatever pleased him, and instead, he drew Marcel closer to his side.

    He pouted, aggrieved, ¡°You kill me just because I ce my hands on your shoulder yet you let those foxes trample over you like that,¡±

    Marcel stopped and turned to him, ¡°And who said anything about them leaving freely?¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Victor was confused until the mirth in Marcel¡¯s eyes held a dark promise.

    Victor smiled in understanding, he was so going to love this.

 Chapter 144

    144 No One Would Miss Her

    Robert¡¯s living room was a mess because he wrecked every single property he couldy his hands on in an outburst. His wife stood at the side shaking and unsure of what to do while his both sons stood in front of him without daring to even breathe.

    This was the first time Arthur saw his father this angry and those eyes that usually held adoration for him were filled with nothing but searing fury and indignation. Arthur was scared because this rage was reserved for him and he didn¡¯t know what to do. He failed him.

    ¡°Everything was going perfectly until he ruined it all!¡± Robert screamed with all of his might, shaking with agitation such that his wife began to worry he¡¯d suffer a heart attack especially after he began to heave from the energy he exhausted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± He shouted at her when she attempted to calm him and the woman flinched, taking a step back. She couldn¡¯t leave nor stay.

    His cold gaze then rested on Arthur who flinched and looked away, scared to meet his gaze.

    ¡°Coward!¡± He lunged at his son, giving Arthur a punch that sent him to the ground while his mother screamed in horror.

    ¡°Honey! What are you doing?!¡± The woman tried to interfere but Robert pushed her away without a care where she fell, hitching Arthur up by the cor instead.

    ¡°What were you doing when that bitch gained the upper hand?! What have you been doing? ying around? Is that how I trained you?!¡± He yelled at his son¡¯s face.

    Lance stood behind his brother and for the first time, he wasn¡¯t the one being scolded and beaten. He couldn¡¯t help but watch and as well relieve the scene of his older brother being on the receiving end of his father¡¯s anger.

    .....

    Although he knew the old man would eventually get to him, this scene was much more satisfying and he was already used to the beatings. It was no big deal; he could take it. The look on his brother¡¯s face was simply priceless, he couldn¡¯t miss that.

    ¡°Now everything is ruined because of you!¡± Robert pushed him on the chest and Arthur staggered back a little from the force yet stood at that point, head lowered.

    Robert ran his hand through his hair before he fixed wild, bloodshot eyes at them, ¡°You know what? Get out of my sight, the whole of you! Get out of my sight at this moment!¡±

    He was saved, thank God. Lance couldn¡¯t help but praise the Lord inwardly. For the first time, his brother was punished while he was left unscathed.

    Even his mother didn¡¯t dare to remain there after her husband gave the order to be left alone. She scurried off into the safety of one of the guestrooms instead of the bedroom, afraid that he would release the rest of his anger on her if he were to find her there.

    Lance chose to go into his room else his brother carries over his aggression on him, deciding to bully him to feel better.

    Arthur in question left the house to blow off some steam. He got into his sports car, raced to his favorite club, and upon arrival, tossed the keys to the valet without a care whether he caught it or not. He went in.

    Arthur had a n in mind and it wasn¡¯t to party so the moment he had taken enough of his whiskey neat, he secured his target. A busty blonde that filled out in all the right ces, not that he cared anyway because all he needed right now was to teach a bitch her ce.

    So when he led her to the back of the club, they wasted no time in getting down to business. She must have been deceived by his kind features because the next minute, Arthur was pounding away at her furiously. He used her in every possible way and for a very long time that he only let go of her when he had enough of her cries and she was beginning to bleed.

    Done, Arthur tossed huge sums of bills on her and left, feeling elevated than ever. Adele was just like every other pussy out there, she was nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. Thankfully, she was an illegitimate child of the family ¨C no one would miss her much if she were to die in an unfortunate ident. A sadistic grin lifted the corner of his lips as he went over the n in his head.

    However, it came as a huge surprise to Arthur when he came out of the club to discover that his super expensive and favorite car wasn¡¯t parked where it was supposed to.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± He started after the Valet who began to exin in a hurry before he reached him, having experienced Arthur¡¯s temper first hand.

    ¡°There was no more space Arthur! I was trying to tell you that but you just stormed into the club and I couldn¡¯t find you afterward. But I swear, nothing happened to it!¡± The young man raised his hand when Arthur grabbed him by thepel of his uniform.

    He wanted to, but Arthur couldn¡¯ty a hand on him not with the crowd staring at him. So he pushed him away instead, saying in a gruff voice, ¡°Where¡¯s my car?¡±

    The frightened young man pointed across the road before dropping his keys in his palms carefully which Arthur snatched quickly and left without his payment, not that the valet wasining. He still wanted to live.

    Thene was empty so Arthur walked across freely. He pressed the remote start button twice, and themps shed in response as the car started. Arthur was a few meters away from reaching his car when it suddenly blew up without warning, the force of the explosion striking him back to the ground with the breath knocked out of him.

    Even when he was on the floor with his consciousness slowly slipping away, Arthur knew there was only one person capable of pulling this off effectively.

    Marcel.

 Chapter 145

    145 Marcel

    Even when he was in his room, Lance was so excited that he couldn¡¯t go to bed immediately. He yed the scene of his father punching Arthur in the face over and over again in his head and he burst into satisfiedughter. Heughed so hard that he bent over because his stomach was beginning to hurt. The look on his brother¡¯s face was one he would never forget easily in his entire life.

    But seriously, he should have captured it on camera! Lanceughed once more hysterically. By the time he was done with hisugher mania, he decided it was time for bed.

    But Lance didn¡¯t go to bed immediately, instead, he went into his closet and pulled out a stuffed animal. It was a 4.5 feet white teddy bear and on other days while he wouldn¡¯t bear to even look at the teddy, today was special.

    As kids, Arthur was his father¡¯s favorite while he ¨C Lance ¨C was more loved by his mother and she spoiled him rotten. While Arthur would apany their father to the shooting range, Lance spent time with his mother at tea parties with her colleagues, shopping, and other activities that didn¡¯t require vigorous training. One could say that their mother treated him like the daughter she never had.

    Hence while Arthur possessed strength and athleticism, Lance was second best and was brainy in other areas like fashion which his father considered useless and feminine. What could it contribute to their organization?

    They could dress and look less the gauche image people have of them? Not that his father cared.

    Thanks to his father¡¯s constant berating, Lance spent all of his time trying to improve and impress him. However, all of his efforts might as well have been for nothing because Arthur was always the best in his eyes.

    Lance learned to live under-recognized, however, he had a habit that stuck out the most ¨C his love for teddies. Lance couldn¡¯t go to bed without a soft cuddly bear by his side and one could guess what happened when his brother Arthur found out about his strange habit.

    His brother called him a pussy and thanks to the neverending bullying, Lance had to forget his love for the toys until tonight.

    .....

    So tonight, he would lean into his effeminate side and be the innocent young boy he once was. The boy that had no burdens on his shoulder; the boy that didn¡¯t have to impress anyone to show how special he was.

    And just like that, Lance went to bed with a smile on his face. He had a feeling that he would have the best dream tonight.

    ¡°Sweet dream, Lance,¡± He whispered to himself as he turned off the light before his eyelids fluttered close.

    It must have been in the middle of the night but Lance felt like someone intruded into his room, not to mention something felt sticky and wet against his skin and it made him ufortable.

    Turning on themp by his side, Lance barely lifted his head when he spotted something out of the corner of his eyes and jerked upright. However, Lance¡¯s eyes widened when he saw a knife sticking out of Teddy¡¯s chest with a part of its armcerated.

    But that wasn¡¯t the end of it, Lance realized that his white teddy was stained with a red liquid.... blood? No way, that can¡¯t be, he gulped down the lump in his throat.

    And with chilling apprehension, Lance slowly lifted his hands to his face only to scream in horror, scurrying away from the bed that was stained with blood.

    He reached for the door but it wouldn¡¯t open no matter how much he pulled and that made him panic the more. Staring back at his room, Lance could see the word ¡°teddy¡± written with blood on his wall.

    ¡°Oh no, this can¡¯t be happening,¡± Lance breathed, still trying the door handle that refused to work. All of this looked like something out of a horror movie. Lance began to hyperventte; his breathing out in deep, fast pants and even when he lost consciousness, the only thing he could remember was Marcel¡¯s promise to kill him.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Cindy hummed a tone as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Donebing her hair, she ran her hand through it cheerfully. Out of the whole of her body, Cindy treasured her hair the most and she did everything to maintain it ensuring it was lively and shiny.

    Pouting and posing in the front of the mirror, Cindy took more shots on her phone before she decided to call it a night. Putting on her sleeping eye mask, sheid back on her bed with a feeling that tomorrow would be better.

    While asleep, Cindy could have sworn she felt hands on her body but she couldn¡¯t wake no matter how hard she tried. So she assumed it must have been a dream and sank further into thefort of her bed.

    When the morning came, Cindy pulled off the mask and just stared at the ceiling wondering what to do with her day. However, she somehow felt a strange throbbing on her head and rubbed her hand over her scalp only to freeze.

    Oh no.

    Cindy jumped from the bed with recording breaking speed as she rushed to glimpse of herself in the mirror and what she saw there ripped a scream of horror from her mouth.

    ¡°Oh my God! What is this?!¡± She screamed, feeling her scalp as if trying to search for her missing hair because right now, Cindy was bald. It wasn¡¯t even a buzzcut, rather her hair was shoved so thoroughly that she might as well have be a monk.

    It wasn¡¯t until she looked back that Cindy found her hair or the remains on the bed where it was scattered thoroughly as if trying to make a statement. Cindy didn¡¯t need to guess who had done that.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She screamed till her voice became hoarse.

    ___________

    The constant ringing of her phone bothered Adele so much that she simply turned it off. She knew who was calling; it was that family. Honestly, she was beginning to doubt if she would be able to handle this job.

    Adele knew her family had ideas already ¨C they were thinking of using her to usurp the throne from Marcel. However, they were in for a loss because there was no way on earth she would be their puppet.

    Their war was their business and no one would ruin her future because of the feud between family members ¨C they should settle that on their own.

    On the bright side, Adele had nothing nor anyone they could use against her. Hence she couldn¡¯t be coerced or threatened to give up her position. She loved where she was at the moment, so yeah, they could bring it on. Adele was prepared to face them head-on.

    Unable to settle down, Adele went to the poolside where she paced up and down with the numerous thoughts roaming in her head. She owned the apartment hence it wasmon for her ce to be this quiet. However, Adele was skilled and would have detected someone sneaking up on her, but it was toote when she did.

    She was pushed into the pool.

    Expecting for the attacker to strangle her in the water, Adele had been prepared to attack, however, nothing. Yeah, that was it; the assassin didn¡¯t try to drown her in the water or end her when she climbed up to the edge. Whoever that was just vanished as if he was never there in the first ce.

    It wasn¡¯t until she coughed up the rest of the water in her lungs that Adele noticed the little note beside her with a word on it.

    [Loyalty]

    Adele¡¯s gaze narrowed, Marcel.

    _______________

    ¡°She¡¯s not answering my call!¡± Benjamin¡¯s wife yelled out when she couldn¡¯t connect to Adele. How dare that bitch cast her aside like this?!

    ¡°This is why you shouldn¡¯t raise another person¡¯s child! After what we did for her, she treats us this way?! If only you hadn¡¯t....¡± She trailed off when her husband hissed and she shut her mouth. However, the anger in her eyes simmering in her heart was still burning.

    ¡°Just let the girl be,¡± Benjamin told her, ¡°I¡¯m sure with time she woulde to her senses. Moreover, we should be happy that the role fell on her side of the family,¡± He said, covering his wife¡¯s palm with his and she blushed immediately.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± the wife said with a giggle, pping his hands away when his touch became sensual, ¡°We are in the living room where anyone could see us!¡±

    ¡°Ohe on,¡± Benjamin was still persuading her when one of the guards suddenly came in and stood in front of them.

    The both of them looked confused knowing they hadn¡¯t called anyone over.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Benjamin asked, having a feeling that something wasn¡¯t right when without warning, the guard suddenly pointed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

 Chapter 146

    146 A Promise Of Revenge

    Marcel was not a pushover that they could treat however they wanted and go scot-free. And he made sure they knew that tonight.

    When Marcel took over from his father, they had been respectful since that wasn¡¯t an easy feat to achieve ¨C no one was stupid enough to cross Daniel. However, unlike his father, Marcel was calm and generous and their regard for him vanished in no time; they forgot that the son of a monster is also a monster.

    Marcel gave them the illusion of being soft, weak, and lenient, but now, it was time to take back that privilege he had given freely. It was time to be who he truly was, Marcelo Luciano, the ruthless heir.

    So he struck.

    The attack was not just a warning, Marcel exploited their weaknesses, thereby proving that he could bring them down in the twinkle of an eye should they be a hindrance anymore.

    The arrogant bastard Arthur had been involved in a fire ident when he was young and Marcel did well to recreate the event for him. But the next time, it wouldn¡¯t be an incident, but an ident. He should watch out.

    For Lance, Marcel merely rehearsed his threat of killing him. The next time, it wouldn¡¯t just be Teddy getting a stab in the heart but the owner of the teddy, Marcel hoped his message was well received.

    As for Cindy, she needed a little taming. Kids these days don¡¯t know how to speak to an elder and Marcel was best at discipline and breaking habits. If she could treasure her hair that much, he bet the next time they met, she would have grown up to be a respectful youngdy with a bald head. See? Who said he wasn¡¯t contributing to society?

    And Adele?

    .....

    Truthfully, Marcel had no bad blood with her, he liked her actually. However, she was from the side of the family he didn¡¯t exactly trust and as much as she was a half-blood and bore resentment against the people that raised her, it was still not enough. People could still get ideas with time and Marcel had to uproot that thought forever before it grew deep enough to be executed.

    So he simply invited her for a swim ¨C and didn¡¯t attempt to drown her the way her half-siblings did. Adele had a phobia for pools yet she had a pool constructed in her home. What a strong woman.

    And for his uncle, Benjamin, and his wife, let¡¯s just say the loss of a child is considered the single worst stressor a person can go through. But since they lost two already, they should be able to endure another, right?

    It wasn¡¯t exactly hard to find broken criminals tired of living. So after a satisfactorypensation ¨C that would be sent to his family after his death ¨C Marcel sent him their way. He hoped his uncle and his wife enjoyed his present ¨C it wasn¡¯t every day you get to watch a good bloody show.

    And the others.....

    Robert was hardly able to contain his anger when his phone began to ring. At first, he ignored it seeing that he wasn¡¯t in the best mood, but the incessant ringing annoyed him the more and he picked the phone from the ground where he tossed it earlier in a fit of anger, intending to silence it only to see his brother¡¯s name sh across the screen.

    A sneer crossed his lips, what was Benjamin calling to do? For sure he was not about to rub his victory in his face, right?

    Nheless, he answered the call while bracing himself and barely said, ¡°Hello?¡± when he heard his brother¡¯s panicky voicee from the other end.

    ¡°R-Robert,¡± He choked.

    Robert stood a little straight, something wasn¡¯t right here. His brother seemed to be scared and that was strange.

    ¡°What is going on?¡±

    ¡°I-I....M-m-an... k-k¡± he kept stuttering over his words and Robert was unable to understand a thing.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ming over,¡± He decided and ended the call.

    Without informing any member of the household of his whereabouts, Robert went to the garage where he picked one of his armored cars and drove off.

    Numerous thoughts filled his head as he thought of what could make his brother that scared. Thanks to the distraction, Robert was unable to see that he was being trailed and it wasn¡¯t until one of the cars overtook him that he was able to stop at thest minute.

    Robert stepped on the brake and came to an abrupt stop, his heart pounding loud in his throat. Looking out through the mirror, he spotted at least five men stepping out of their rides with guns in their hands and they opened an overwhelming long-range fire at him.

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Robert cursed and dropped down just as a hail of bullets rained down on his car.

    During the whole assault, Robert didn¡¯t dare to lift his head, scrunched down in his driver¡¯s seat. For once, he was grateful to have made the right decision by trusting his instinct.

    On his way here, Robert had the good sense to make use of his bulletproof car. Although Benjamin was his brother, what if this was a trap?

    If he died, his brother wouldn¡¯t have any drawback ¨C in the form of him ¨C to use his daughter to usurp Marcel¡¯s position.

    Robertughed coldly, to think that he had been nning to settle his brother¡¯s children in a good position in the organization when his son Arthur bes the underboss and their n of eliminating Marcel is realized. This is why they said, ¡®there¡¯s no brother in the jungle¡¯. If he survived this, Robert promised to make Benjamin back for this low move.

    And God answered his prayer, after a few minutes of endless shooting, his attackers left when their bullets were unable to prate the car, although it left dents and proof of the horror he went through.

    It took Robertplete fifteen minutes to confirm that his attackers had left and he was safe. Even when he made it outside, he couldn¡¯t stop shaking while his gaze froze over with the promise of revenge.

    Benjamin would pay for this.

 Chapter 147

    147 Revenge Was Best Served Tasty And Bountiful

    Robert thought he left unnoticed, however, his wife noticed when he left. And with his absence, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    She must have been crazy to have married that man in the first ce, but then, what woman in her right mind would reject a man with money. And honestly, Robert hasn¡¯t been like that in the beginning.

    When they had met, he was very sweet, loving, and kind, although she knew he had anger management issues and witnessed it, not once not twice.

    Yet she thought that with time he would change, but that remained a Piper¡¯s dream. Robert¡¯s anger only grew with his unhealthy resolve to unseat Daniel and his heir from the boss position. And her once loving husband turned into someone she couldn¡¯t recognize anymore. So here they are stuck in a loveless marriage ¨C and she couldn¡¯t let go of Robert because of the benefits and the risks with it.

    Robert¡¯s wife strolled the house to further confirm her husband was truly gone before she was able to rx. Now, she could finally sleep in peace knowing her husband would be back tomorrow. With their kind of family¡¯s business, it wasn¡¯t umon for her husband to leave in the middle of the night.

    The woman went back to her room and hardly put her head on her pillow when her phone lit up. She looked down to find out she had a message from an unknown number.

    Curious yet tensed ¨C with what happened today ¨C she slowly opened the message only to see,

    [I know what you didst summer]

    At once, her heart skipped a beat as she thought over the possibilities of what the sender was trying to imply. What had she done... Oh no, it couldn¡¯t be...

    .....

    To confirm her fears, another message popped into her phone instantly. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she opened it cautiously, and upon seeing the picture disyed widely on her screen, the woman jerked up to her feet.

    ¡°H-how.... did,¡± Her body began to shake in fear and she looked around the room as if trying to locate where the sender was hiding.

    Her heart rate increased drastically as she stared live at the picture of her and her young lover together? How was this possible? She thought she had been so meticulous with her activities that even the guards with her weren¡¯t aware of her affair.

    It was during her vacation two years ago that she got involved with her young lover by chance. However, a mistakemitted twice bes a decision and that decision gave birth to a sizzling affair she had done a good job of hiding until now.

    ¡°No, no... please!¡± She sobbed out knowing it would be the end of her if Robert gets knowledge of this.

    So she quickly typed, [What do you want from me? I¡¯ll give you anything, just name your price], She was practically begging. Anything just to keep his or her mouth closed, she didn¡¯t exactly care at the moment.

    [What do I want?]

    Was the sender¡¯s question.

    [Yes, just say a word and I¡¯ll grant it immediately]

    This time, as if the sender was ying games with her, he was gone for almost five minutes before the message finally came into her phone.

    [I don¡¯t need anything from you, I¡¯m just a concerned member of the society who stumbled upon the information]

    And for some reason, that reply hit home and that was what she connected the dots together and she gasped in shock.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She breathed, her hands and lips trembling in fear. She was a goner, that little bastard would ruin her for what it was worth. It was a stupid move to stand against him earlier today. She regretted her decisions now.

    As if Marcel could sense her despair and relished her misery, what seemed like hundreds of photos of her affair rushed into her phone all at once causing it to chime with the notification incessantly for over two minutes while she screamed in a panic.

    What was she going to do?

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Gabriel was chilling with his friends at thest-minute party he organized at his ce. And by friends, he meant some spoiled brats that may or may not be in the same category with him. All that mattered was that they knew how to have a good time.

    There was no restriction in the party as many of the men with him could be seen snuffing drugs while the rest of them abused alcohol as thedies cheered. There was no restriction and anyone could do whatever they wanted without fear ¨C they were covered.

    Or so Gabriel thought, because the next minute when the police raided his apartment for drug offenses, he was dumbfounded. It wasn¡¯t enough that he was feeling shitty after his half-sister snatched a position that should have been his in the first ce, now this?

    What puzzled Gabriel the most was that they had a warrant with them and that alone was impossible! How had they even gotten past his front door in the first ce without his men warning him off?

    He was a Luciano and his family had the police or drug force, or whatever they called themselves, in their hands! How dare they arrest him?!

    Unless this was a setup!

    It hit him at once, Marcel!

    ¡°No, let me go this instant!¡± Gabrielmanded the officer who mmed down the pair of cuffs on his wrists.

    ¡°You have the right to remain silent or whatever you say -¡±

    ¡°Spare me that bullshit! Do you know who I am?! I am Gabriel Luciano! My family would chew you alive after they hear of this!¡± He screamed at their faces, trying to threaten them.

    ¡°Take him away,¡± The officer in charge didn¡¯t seem to care as he pushed him away to be handled by the other officer.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Gabriel screamed as he was being dragged away by two strong officers. He can¡¯t sleep in jail tonight, that was his worst nightmaree true!

    But he couldn¡¯t help himself out not when Marcel orchestrated all of this. Revenge was best served tasty and bountiful.

 Chapter 148

    148 Being Useful For Marcel

    For once, as he went through the videos fromst night, Victor was grateful that he was on Marcel¡¯s side. With every mission sent, their soldiers always provided evidence to prove it¡¯s sess, and today, it was video evidence that he watched over and over with wonder.

    They were in the middle of a family meeting, how did Marcel have the time to organize all of this in a few hours. And he did it without consulting him.

    The only logical exnation was that Marcel had been counting their sins and nning their execution at the meeting when they had been persecuting him and thought they were winning. Gosh, his cousin was scary. Well, that was as expected from Daniel¡¯s son.

    Victor took his eyes off the screen and turned them on his cousin who was typing down on his phone, probably giving out orders to his men. How he was able to keep their hundreds of men in check was still baffling.

    Although that was the reason for the Caporegimes to handle things on the lower level and now he¡¯s got an underboss, the responsibility would be fair on him. But knowing who Marcel was, Victor knew the emergence of an underboss would not change his schedule. Just a slip and he¡¯s given his enemies the upper hand, Marcel would always say.

    This was the time to be more alert than ever.

    ¡°Is there something on my face? You would bore a hole in my head if you keep staring at me like that. Above all, its awkward.¡± Marcel said and all this while, without lifting his head while typing away.

    Victor was on top of the desk right in front of Marcel who was seatedfortably in his swivel chair with his leg over the other. Victor scooted over to him on the desk such that their thighs were touching and that finally made Marcel look up at him with a questioning brow.

    If they weren¡¯t blood rted, Marcel would have thought Victor was in love with him. But then the boy had been clingy from young as well.

    .....

    ¡°Have I ever told you that I love you, right?¡± Victor said, his eyes gleaming with expectations of a positive answer from Marcel.

    Marcel blinked twice, taken aback by the awkwardness of the question until he realized it wasn¡¯t what he was thinking.

    He sighed, finally putting down the device in his hand, ¡°If you¡¯re worried that I¡¯m sending the soldiers after you, you don¡¯t need to worry. I don¡¯t need proof of your overwhelming love, it¡¯s disturbing already,¡± He pushed Victor¡¯s thigh away so it doesn¡¯t touch him anymore.

    Unfortunately, his cousin was like a pest, the more you killed them ¨C or in his case, the more you pushed him away ¨C they always came back ¨C and stronger.

    As he expected, Victor drew closer and this time, he captured his thighs with his so he was straddling Marcel¡¯s, trying to keep his attention on him.

    Marcel stared down at the gesture with creased brows and tried to free his thighs but Victor wouldn¡¯t let go and grabbed on tighter like a fucking crab.

    ¡°What do you want now?!¡± Marcel was exasperated. Sometimes he wondered if Victor was a baby and he was his babysitter because it sure as hell felt like one.

    ¡°Adele did nothing wrong yet you punished her,¡± Victor used him, ¡°I¡¯m your consigliere and yet ran out of ideas on how to help you out yesterday. What if you go all Daniel-like on me and decide to groom me to perfection using extreme methods?¡± He feared. Never forget the saying, the apple never falls far from the tree.

    Marcel was dumbfounded, he gave Victor a stupid look, ¡°You were worried about that?¡±

    ¡°Do you me me? Adele was innocent -¡±

    ¡°Yet her family isn¡¯t,¡± Marcel interrupted him with a tone of finality. As if his cousin ever listened.

    Victor shook his head, ¡°If you¡¯re worried she¡¯d join forces with them, you of all people should know that they don¡¯t get along,¡±

    ¡°No matter what, their blood runs through her veins. I hate my father but that doesn¡¯t mean I want him dead, that¡¯s how deep family rtions run,¡± Marcel said to him.

    ¡°Even at that, punishing her just because her father -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Victor, I didn¡¯t punish her,¡± Marcel imed not to be wrong, which totally didn¡¯t make sense after what he did.

    He frowned at him, ¡°But you had her pushed suddenly into the pool when you knew her phobia forrge pool of water,¡±

    ¡°I was just taking insurance against the future. It takes less than a second for a thought to be nted in the head... ¡± Marcel gestured to his chest, ¡°And a minute or hours for the thought to grow deep in the heart. And finally, days, months, or years to execute. I was just trying to squash that thought from thriving in her heart. She should thank me for setting her priority straight,¡± Marcel said with a casual shrug of his shoulder.

    ¡°And threatening your underboss before she even took over her role is the best way to go about her loyalty?¡± Victor was close to face-palming. He should have known his cousin was the worst at social rtionships.

    Marcel rxed against his seat, ¡°You woulde to realize that people react better to actions than words. Why do we need to cut some fingers during interrogations when the offenders should have just told the truth in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± Marcel told him, ¡°You were the one who gave me the idea of choosing her for underboss,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Victor stilled at once, blinking twice to confirm he heard right. He pointed to his chest, ¡°I did?¡±

    ¡°And I quote, ¡®There¡¯s no one on our side of the family to hand over the position to, neither are my sisters interested in the organization, lest we could have used one of them to buy time till wee up with a solution,¡¯ Marcel stated perfectly every single word Victor uttered yesterday.

    At once, Victor¡¯s face scrunched up, ¡°Show off,¡± He kicked Marcel away such that the swivel seat wheeled him backward. A smug smile pulled the corner of Marcel¡¯s lips, It wasn¡¯t his fault he was a smart-ass.

    Still yet, a grin still decorated Victor¡¯s face, ¡°My idea, huh?¡± He was useful after all.

    And speaking about usefulness, Victor had been upied with yesterday¡¯s drama; he forgot that a certain apprentice didn¡¯t report for training. Well, it was time to be useful for Marcel once more, you know, training up the next generation of coffee makers.

 Chapter 149

    149 You¡¯ve Come To The Wrong ce

    Mimi might not have called the police but she was highly tempted to, especially in the middle of the night when the slightest noise would send her bolting upwards only to realize that her windows were locked and there was no one in her room.

    Just her.

    She remembered going back to bed with a deep sigh. If someone had told her that her seemingly mundane life would be shattered in a twinkle of an eye, she would never believe it.

    The worst part was that Mimi didn¡¯t know which was shocking, the fact her best friend Arianna was involved with the Mafia or that Marcel ¨C the man she even crushed on ¨C was a mob leader and he employed her to be his what again? His coffee maker?

    She should have known, the truth was staring right at her face. Mimi should have found it suspicious when Marcel chose her out of the many baristas serving at her former workce. He knew what he had been doing.

    He just walked up to her and contracted her services with a mouth-watering payment and what? And men! Did she feel like the chosen one? If only Mimi knew she was being led like a sheep to the ughter, perhaps she would have opted out when she still had the time.

    But it was toote, she was already contracted to them, and even without them being the Mafia, Mimi knew she couldn¡¯t breach the contract; she didn¡¯t have thepensation fee What has she gotten herself into?

    She should have known there was something off about them when the security at the mansion was intense and crawling with guards that carried rifles that should be prohibited. Or perhaps, Mimi knew inwardly but she needed proof and now, the truth pped her harshly on the face iming Arianna as its victim.

    The most annoying thing was that her parents were oblivious to what was going on, especially her dense mother who went ahead to prepare another meal for Victor. Was she kidding her?

    .....

    But she had other ns, Mimi feigned sick and didn¡¯t have to deliver the food to Victor nor report for duty. And as much as her mother wanted her to settle down ¨C because she was the only child ¨C her health mattered to her first.

    Mimi didn¡¯t even care to send a text to the soldier named Samuel that she befriended. She was still mad at him and everyone else who stood still and did nothing as Arianna was carried away by men she had no idea about.

    Mimi didn¡¯t step out of the house even after her parents left for work. She stood beside the window of her room monitoring movements from the outside and checking to see if Victor had really kept eyes on her as he promised.

    At the end of the day, Mimi didn¡¯t catch sight of anybody which could only mean Victor lied to her or the people he hired were damn good at hiding their presence.

    But Mimi didn¡¯t waste the day, she spent it nning her next step. For sure Marcel and Victor ¨C that is if they cared ¨C would be pissed about her absence, but they could spare a day or two of break. Surely, they must know she needed a pause to take in all of this.

    At the moment, her priority was finding Arianna or knowing the events that led up to this to be able to solve it and the first person that came to mind was Ruth.

    Mimi called the clinic only to be informed that the woman was away and would be back the next day ¨C which meant another day of absence at work. Not that she cared anyway, they might as well go to hell.

    So here was Mimi on her way to the clinic as scheduled. She managed to fool her mother with the excuse of her sickness once again but Mimi could tell her mother was beginning to suspect that she was lying. Not that she called her out on it.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Mimi waved at the woman she saw at the front desk upon stepping into the animal clinic.

    ¡°Hello?¡± The woman said, ¡°How may I help you?¡± Her gaze scrutinized her intensely like a detective.

    ¡°I have an appointment with Ruth,¡±

    ¡°A sec then,¡± She said and made a telephone call that barelysted a minute.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± She said and Mimi obeyed without hesitation.

    As expected of a clinic, the whole ce was sparkling clean and as they walked on, Mimi was able to see some activities through the visible ss walls like one of the doctors weighing a cat, another drawing blood from a dog, and many others until they reached their destination.

    ¡°Here,¡± The woman pressed a button that produced a ringing sound before she opened the door and Mimi was able to go in.

    Mimi spotted the woman in her whiteb coat scribbling away on a paper and Ruth didn¡¯t even look up when she told her, ¡°Sit,¡±

    Mimi sat down, while looking around the clean, cool, and cozy office. It was then that Ruth finally lifted her head, putting the documents aside, and gave her the full attention she needed.

    ¡°You said you had something important to discuss with me,¡± The older woman said, intertwining her hands that she rested on top of her desk. She was ready for their conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s about Arianna,¡±

    And when Mimi said that, she briefly witnessed the sh of emotion on her face before she resumed her collected manner.

    ¡°And what about Arianna?¡± Ruth pretended to be clueless.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Mimi told her without taking her gaze off her.

    ¡°Of course, I know about Arianna, she once worked at my clinic, so I don¡¯t understand what else -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me, Ruth,¡± Mimi interrupted her sternly, ¡°I¡¯m Arianna¡¯s best friend and I know what goes down in this clinic when the nightes,¡±

    Ruth arched a brow at her, ¡°And why exactly are you telling me this?¡±

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t give a fuck what you do behind closed doors ¨C it¡¯s your clinic, not mine. I just want to know about Arianna¡¯s whereabouts,¡± Mimi confessed to her and the reply she got from the woman was not what she expected at all.

    ¡°Then you¡¯vee to the wrong ce,¡±

 Chapter 150

    150 Wait And Pray For Arianna

    You know the thing about hope, when it shatters, you¡¯re broken from the inside and out. That was how Mimi felt when Ruth gave her an answer that was contrary to what she expected from her.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Mimi shook her head in disbelief.

    ¡°Arianna is not here,¡± Ruth told her.

    ¡°But you must surely know where she is or the men who took her,¡± Mimi still hoped.

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Ruth said and it was then that Mimi realized she was way behind the current happening.

    ¡°Then tell me what you know,¡± Mimi told her and saw the unsure look on the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°Please,¡± Mimi begged, reaching out to grab the woman¡¯s hand, ¡°Arianna might be a friend but she¡¯s more than a sister to me and I can¡¯t lose my family. I understand the need for confidentiality and you can be rest assured that whatever you tell me won¡¯t leave this room,¡± She added,¡± I swear on my life, ¡±

    Ruth didn¡¯t say a word, she just stared intently at Mimi, and seeing that the girl was sincere and deadly serious, she had no choice but to give in.

    ¡°Fine,¡±

    .....

    Mimi was finally able to release the breath she was having, a relieved expression on her seat. She let go of her hand and readjusted in her seat so she could befortable as Ruth narrated what happened.

    Ruth started, ¡°It all began when Red Riding Hood fell for the wolf....¡±

    And at that, Mimi¡¯s brows furrowed, no one told her she was supposed to understand the woman¡¯s riddles. Ruth must have sensed her confusion as well because she cleared her throat and started from the beginning.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been against Arianna having romantic rtionships with my clients judging from the nature of their jobs and most of them don¡¯t have the best character,¡± Ruth stared deep into Mimi¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°I took Arianna as my daughter and would not let harme her way. But I failed her this time,¡±

    Mimi gulped, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I might have unintentionally exposed Arianna to danger. My client A has a dispute with the leader of a rival gang B -¡±

    ¡°Does the leader of the gang happen to be called Marcel,¡±

    Ruth¡¯s gaze widened slightly confirming Mimi¡¯s suspicion.

    ¡°As I thought,¡±

    ¡°How did you....?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that Arianna is not the only one in a deep level shit,¡± Mimi didn¡¯t mean for it toe out as a joke but it sure did. Considering how grim everything¡¯s beentely, a little humor wouldn¡¯t be bad.

    Ruth went on, ¡°However, the feud wasn¡¯t the first load that dipped the scale, rather her uncle¡¯s family that sold her off to a loan shark,¡±

    When Mimi heard that, she jerked up to her feet, cursing and punching the air. She was so angry. She should have known those disgusting family members were up to no good and had been lying to her all this while. How could they do that? Sell her?! Arianna was family!

    Ruth didn¡¯t bother to calm down nor stop Mimi from expressing her anger. As a doctor, well, an animal doctor, she knew the adverse effects of holding in pent-up emotions. So she patiently waited for Mimi and when she was done, went on with her story.

    This time Ruth told Mimi how she contacted her Client A aka Elijah ¨C already taken by the lovely damsel ¨C to help her burst out Arianna from the Red Giant¡¯s territory and how the ns of getting her out of the country went down the drain when the rival party B aka Marcel came after them.

    ¡°So that was what happened?¡± Mimi murmured after Ruth was done with her story. She was exhausted mentally and worried as well, who knows what Arianna was going through and she wasn¡¯t there to provide support. She felt stupid and powerless.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand something, why would Marcel send Arianna back to the loan shark? He should have rescued her already now he had her,¡± Mimi still found it hard to believe that Marcel was that kind of person. He looked so kind and handsome ¨C go to hell, handsomeness!

    Mimi remembered clearly, back at the coffee shop, she had been so taken by Marcel¡¯s handsomeness that she sent Arianna over to his table to confirm it. Mimi med herself for all of this. Who knows if Arianna and Marcel hadn¡¯t met that day, perhaps all of this would have been avoided.

    If she hadn¡¯t made the both of them meet, Marcel wouldn¡¯t have known Arianna and she wouldn¡¯t have signed up to be his barista. Mimi now clearly understood her role at Marcel¡¯s ce. She was nothing but coteral ¨C Marcel would use her to keep Arianna in check. In the end, she ended up being a liability to Arianna; she was ashamed.

    ¡°He¡¯s setting a trap for my Client A and he needs Arianna to achieve that. Moreover, the end goal of every mob is to acquire profit and power, and sorry but Arianna is not much of an asset. What would it profit them going to war with the Red Giant and losing resources?¡± Ruth told her the sheer truth.

    The woman was smart, Mimi had to give her that. And although this conversation had opened her eyes and let her see things clearly, it didn¡¯t help her solve her problem, Arianna.

    ¡°I need to get to Arianna, at least know she¡¯s okay, ¡± Mimi told her but the woman shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t help you with that. I¡¯m nothing but a doctor and there are lines I cannot cross. I stand on neutral ground and can¡¯t be caught in the crossfire. The only thing you can do for Arianna right now is to wait and pray,¡± Ruth said and with silentmand, brought the conversation to an end.

    ¡°Then give me something!¡± Mimi insisted, getting to her feet, ¡°I¡¯m not stood enough to go on a suicide mission, but I need to hear from her! I have to try, at least!¡±

    There was a brief silence before Ruth said, ¡°There¡¯s a club downtown members of the Red Giant gang are known to frequent. Who knows, some loose mouth might speak to you. You surely don¡¯t need me to teach you how to work your charm on a man as well, right?¡±

    ¡°No thanks. The address is enough, I guess?¡± Mimi was grateful as the woman bent to pen down the address on a little note.

    Ruth handed the paper to Mimi who tried to take it but she tugged at it to get her attention, ¡°I must warn you, this is highly risky.¡±

 Chapter 151

    151 A Spy For The Government

    Ruth might have given her ideas but Mimi had other ns and it sure was as risky as hell. But then, this was for Arianna; she would do anything to get her back.

    Right now, Mimi was dressed in what could be described as a slutty dress. With half of her thighs exposed and her boobs almost popping out of the dress, Mimi attracted attention ¨C which she wanted. However, that attention was reserved for a different set of people. Mimi set her eyes on men from the Red Giant gang.

    To hide her identity, she was wearing a short straight bob wig with t Bangs, her face coated in thickyers of makeup that Mimi swore even her mother wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize her if they happened to cross path ¨C although her mother would have a lot of questions to answer if she bumped into her in this club without her father by her side.

    All in all, it was a good thing. So if her crazy n failed, they wouldn¡¯t be able to trace her back to her ce.

    Many men approached her and though she fancied them for a moment, it was all a ploy to check out the red gang tattoo on their neck and if it wasn¡¯t there, she rejected their advances tly.

    Mimi met some members of the gang as she wanted, however, they were not suited for the n she had in mind. Either they were too big and brawny, taller, or came on too strong ¨C or they reeked of sex and alcohol.

    Eww.

    With the negative results so far, Mimi was close to giving up. Maybe Ruth was right, she indeed needed a crash course on how to work her charm around a man. But it would be a sub-topic: How to run your charm on a gangster. Yeah, she still was in the mood to joke about.

    ¡°What is a beautiful woman like you doing all alone?¡± A voice said from behind and Mimi turned with a weary sigh, a rejection already on the tip of her tongue only for her to freeze.

    .....

    My oh my, here was her target.

    He was a head taller than her but unlike the other huge-looking gang members, this one was normal. She could take him out. Or try to take him out. Mimi hoped it wouldn¡¯t get to that. Yeah, her crazy n was still in motion.

    Her eyes brightened at once and she propped up her chin on the bar top, Mimi turned her flirty mode on.

    She shed him a sexy smile, ¡°Who knows? I might have been waiting for a man like you,¡± She batted her eyelids at him.

    He smiled back, probably thinking he won her over. What a fool. If only he knew he was prey right now, he would be running with his tails in between his legs.

    ¡°Charlie,¡± He said, stretching his hand for a handshake.

    ¡°Belle,¡± Mimi was surprised at the ease at which she lied. Gosh, now she thought about it, she could be a spy for the government and y different roles like in the movies. That would be so cool. Be serious for once, Mimi! She scolded herself mentally.

    Mimi took his hands, caressing the top of his palm knowingly with her thumb, giving him the green light. However, Mimi couldn¡¯t help but notice the way the Red Giant tattoo at the side of his neck flexed with his movement.

    For people with the name ¡°Giant¡±, Mimi had been expecting their tattoo to be that of a majestic giant or something close to that. But then, it was a mere detailed red sun.

    Their name, ¡°Red Giant,¡± was referring to the universe. A red giant, the dying star in the final stages of ster evolution. Once at the red giant stage, a star might stay that way for up to a billion years. Quite poetic if you asked her.

    ¡°Can I buy you a drink?¡± He offered, already preparing to call over the bartender.

    ¡°No!¡± Mimi shouted a little too loud, almost blowing her cover. She needed a clear head to be able to carry out her ns tonight.

    Seeing the look on Charlie¡¯s face after startling him with her response, Mimiughed awkwardly and then leaned closer to him such that her hands were beginning to climb up his thigh.

    Mimi whispered low in his ear, ¡°I need something hot and intense,¡± she stopped her movements on his thighs just inches away from reaching his little brother. May God help her today.

    He grinned having gotten her point.

    ¡°So what do you say we get out of here? I need toy my head on a bed, my ce, your ce? Your call?¡± Mimi¡¯s voice was intentionally breathless, dripping sex appeal and she could tell it was working with the way Charlie¡¯s eyes dted. Take that Ruth!

    However, it was risky putting out her ce as an option, but there are risks to be taken if you want something done. And men like him, Mimi already could tell his answer.

    ¡°My ce then,¡± He added, ¡± If you wish,¡± trying to appear like a gentleman by giving her an option.

    An option, her butt! The current tent in his pants was speaking opposite words. He was not giving her an option, he was luring her and thankfully, that was what Mimi wanted.

    ¡°Of course, I wish to,¡± Mimi broke into a wide grin, revealing white teeth that might as well look like shark¡¯s teeth with her leering expression, not that the fool by her side realized the danger he was in.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± He helped Mimi down from the barstool using that opportunity to wrap his hands around her waist.

    ¡°Hands to yourself, mister!¡± Mimi was tempted to say, however, she kept her calm. Soon it will be over.

    During the drive to his ce, Mimi was more vignt than ever nor did the fool in his haste to reach his ce notice her nerves were all over the ce.

    Mimi made sure they were not being followed, and after making sure her purse was in ce, cleared her voice and said, ¡°Stop the car,¡±

 Chapter 152

    152 The Purple-haired Witch

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can wait any longer,¡± Mimi gave her date, Charlie, the permission he longed for after he pulled up at the corner of the road.

    On the bright side, it was night and there were little to no cars passing by to interrupt what she had in mind. Gosh, she might even go to prison if all of this goes wrong ¨C that is if he doesn¡¯t kill her first.

    It was time to begin.

    He pounced on her.

    Or maybe not.

    Mimi might have underestimated Charlie¡¯s interest in her, or rather his urge to have her. Before the words werepletely out of her mouth, he had switched to her side of her seat, his body pressing down on her as he smooched her.

    Because Charlie had her face in his palm as he kissed her, Mimi could not exactly see her purse by her side and had to search blindly for it only toe up with nothing.

    That was when the panic set in.

    Oh no.

    .....

    It can¡¯t be.

    Mimi realized at thest minute that the purse must have fallen off her side in Charlie¡¯s haste to have sexual rtions with her.

    Oh no, Mimi realized at that moment that she was doomed. She couldn¡¯t reach for the purse that was currently on the car¡¯s floor with the way Charlie wasn¡¯t giving her a breathing space.

    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± He murmured against her neck sending shivers that weren¡¯t so pleasant down her spine while his hands groped her breast.

    Mimi realized she was running out of time. This n might really backfire on her and she might end up having, ¡®wham, bam, thank you ma¡¯am¡¯ with a man she didn¡¯t exactly know and liked!

    With thest of her strength, Mimi managed to push him away and she could see the look of confusion and slight suspicion that yed across Charlie¡¯s face at that gesture.

    Now, the camouge.

    Mimi quickly covered it up with a smile, saying in a sensual voice that almost made her sick in the stomach, ¡°No need to rush, we¡¯ve got all the time in the world, pretty boy,¡±

    He tried to lean closer once again but she pushed him back, her painted fingers digging into his biceps.

    The car was small and had limited space so it felt cramped with Charlie hovering over her, his back pressed against the windshield.

    It was torture for his height but she didn¡¯t exactly care. Mimi was here with a purpose and she had to y this game carefully.

    Mimi slipped her hands into his shirt and began to trace down his stomach muscles sensually. His muscles flexed beneath her touch and she saw the way his gaze grew hooded.

    Yes, that was it, the distraction.

    So when he groaned and yed right into her touch, Mimi was busy with the other hand, tactically searching for the purse.

    And just when she found it, Mimi realized the contents of the purse were empty. That was when it hit her, she had opened the zip earlier for easier ess to the device for when the time was right. So when the purse fell, the contents slipped across the floor.

    Damn it, Mimi cursed inwardly. Fate seems to be testing her patience.

    Yet, Mimi didn¡¯t give up hope and continued to search blindly for the device as she kept Charlie distracted. Luck finally smiled at her when she touched the butt of the gun and was just about to grab it when something happened.

    Mimi couldn¡¯t exactly tell, all she knew was that Charlie yanked on her hair, and the next, he was pressing his protruding erection through his pants against her face. He wanted her to take him.

    Oh, this shit was getting real.

    And she did it.

    Mimi grazed her teeth across his evidence and he groaned, his head lulling back in pleasure and that was all the chance she needed.

    She swept down with lightning speed and picked the stun gun. Before Charlie could even realize what was going on, Mimi shocked him into submission with sixteen million volts. He passed out on top of her, getting the wind knocked out of her.

    ¡°Great,¡± Mimi groaned, pushing him to the side which wasn¡¯t of much help since there was little space in the car.

    After she spent a little while trying to catch her breath, Mimi finally left the car after pulling the unconscious Charlie to the passenger side of the seat ¨C the ce she previously sat. Mimi took the driver position and drove off to her destination.

    This was her n all along, kidnap and torture a member of the Red Giant for information on Arianna. As expected, it was risky but it was worth it. After Arianna was home safe and sound, she would slowly torture her for all she went through.

    Mimi did not experience any hitch in her n until she sessfully made it to the warehouse, her destination. It belonged to a candle factory that stopped production years ago and the dpidated warehouse was long forgotten ¨C until it became useful to her tonight.

    This was what she spent the rest of the day nning. There was a truck behind she packed beforehand that carried her supplies ¨C equipment that would aid in her torture, hopefully.

    But it was more work dragging Charlie inside the warehouse than she thought because he weighed much more than he looked. Mimi groaned and grunted and cried until she reached the inside of the empty warehouse that still carried a smell of syrup.

    It was another hard work cing Charlie on the seat, using the ropes she came with to tie him up. After searching and making sure he wasn¡¯t with any weapon he could use to harm her, Mimi waited for him to awake.

    Minutester, Charlie woke groggily, the memories in his head a bit hazy. But when he looked up to find himself bound with a purple-haired witch sitting in front of him with her legs crossed, the memories came rushing back to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Mimi smiled wickedly, ¡°Let¡¯s begin, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 153

    153 I Pity The Man That Marries You

    There was no word spoken as Charlie and Mimi stared at each other, observing their stance like opponents on a battlefield waiting for who would make the first move.

    ¡°I should have known,¡± Charlie sighed, breaking the silence, ¡°There was something weird about you and I was a fool not to have noticed it,¡±

    ¡°Yes, you were quite the fool,¡± Mimi affirmed, quite proud of herself. She sessfully kidnapped a gangster ¨C yeah! Her parents would be so proud of her.

    He leaned exhaustively against the seat knowing he was defeated, ¡°So tell me who sent you?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi was surprised by the question.

    ¡°Was it Hank? I know I owe the old bastard some money but seriously sending someone to take me out, and a woman of all things? It¡¯s pretty low of him. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± he asked her.

    Mimi frowned, does he consider a low being? She said with her lips drawn into a tight line, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so and no one sent me, I¡¯m all on my own,¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Charlie¡¯s brows knitted together, finding it hard to believe her until understanding dawned on him, ¡°You¡¯re on a solo mission or not....¡± His smile grew ¨C ascivious one, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were into this, baby girl?¡±

    His grin grew as he opened his legs enough to make a statement, ¡°So what are you going to do about this?¡± He pointed at his member that was beginning to form a tent in his pants.

    .....

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi was confused, until it hit that he thought they were into some kinky role y. She cringed, then strode over to him tond a punch on his face, screaming, ¡°Nothing! So get your mind off the gutter!¡±

    She then slightly winced, that punch hurt like hell. Nobody told her interrogations were this difficult ¨C the movies made it look so easy.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Charlie said, his head snapping to the side from the impact. However, he turned it to her saying with deep observation, ¡°You strike quite well, however, your skills are rustic which could only mean that you¡¯ve been out of the game for a while or this is your first time,¡± He smirked, ¡°I¡¯ll choose thetter. Do you even know what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t and that makes me more lethal. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Mimi smirked devilishly, picking the gun she stole, no, took from him.

    Charlie¡¯s jaw flexed, he was beginning to understand a tad bit the situation he was in.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± He almost hissed out.

    Mimi¡¯s eyes brightened as if they were finally talking business, ¡°Information on a girl named Arianna,¡±

    ¡°There are many Arianna¡¯s out there,¡± was his excuse.

    ¡°Oh, you would know this one... ¡± Mimi smiled coldly, ¡°Considering her uncle owned your gang debt and you guys decided the best way to get payment was to buy her. Like literally bought her!¡± Remembering that pissed her off.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t....¡± He frowned as the dots connected in his head, ¡°You mean Boss wife?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Mimi¡¯s face fell, ¡°What do you mean by Boss wife?¡±

    Charlie snorted as if he was enjoying this show knowing she strives for the information and he was the one holding the book of knowledge here.

    ¡°Simple as short, if that woman is truly your friend, then congrattions, you¡¯re invited to a wedding party this weekend. Sorry though, I don¡¯t have the invitation with me,¡± He poked fun at her misery.

    ¡°This is not funny!¡± Mimi yelled in anguish, hitting him on the face with the butt of her gun. How dare he catch fun with Arianna¡¯s future? It was sickening.

    ¡°Damn it, woman,¡± Charlie groaned, wincing in pain at the sudden bump that appeared at the corner of his eyes, ¡°You are so violent. I pity for the man that marries you in the future,¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m more than thankful that that man won¡¯t be you,¡± Mimi said sternly before shemanded him, ¡°You would help me makemunications with my friend,¡±

    And Charlieughably looked at her, ¡°And why would I do that?¡±

    She hit him once again.

    He groaned.

    ¡°Because just as you said, my skill is rusty and my hands are quite unstable,¡± Mimi hinted at killing him and calling it a mistake.

    This time, Charlie¡¯s eyes shed and his jaw tightened until he felt the muscles tick. He was running out of patience.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help you,¡± He conceded easily to Mimi¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°Really?¡± Mimi still looked him over in suspicion.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want and the key for my freedom?¡± He snarled at her.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right,¡± Mimi finally saw sense in his words, however, some things didn¡¯t add up, so she asked, ¡°And how exactly am I going to speak to my friend?¡± she suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Phones of course, unless you¡¯re asking for death bying into our territory,¡± Said Charlie gleefully.

    ¡°No, no way,¡± Mimi¡¯s stance became rigid and she lifted the gun at him, ¡°You think I¡¯m a fool? You¡¯re going to call your fellow members on me,¡±

    ¡°You would be the one holding the phone, why would I do that when you have a gun to my head?¡± he imed.

    ¡°Not if you speak in some code or something?¡± Mimi said, having watched enough spy movies to know they always had a secret code or something for when they¡¯re in trouble.

    Charlie sighed exhaustedly, ¡°Listen here, you¡¯re the one with the power,¡± He made a shame of struggling to show he was powerless, ¡°You end the call when you feel something¡¯s off. But then, I¡¯m not the one desperate to hear from a friend,¡± He was enjoying this.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Mimi gave in, gritting her teeth, ¡°Where¡¯s the phone?¡±

    Charlie shrugged with pulsed lips, ¡°I¡¯m not the one who emptied my pocket,¡± she took everything on him.

    Mimi sighed and then turned as her gaze searched for the bag where she had dumped her equipment and the rest of his properties that she hadn¡¯t felt useful, as of then.

    She found it at the corner.

    Unknown to Mimi as she squatted down to go through the contents of the bag and find the phone she had dumped carelessly, she didn¡¯t know that this was all a distraction. Charlie had found a way to undo the knot she poorly tied him and was on his feet in no time.

    He picked and stretched the rope in his hand with malicious intent, slithering over to her like a lithe cat without making a single noise so she didn¡¯t notice him. And it was the moment he came up behind her that Mimi finally sensed him and turned with eyes wide in shock.

    Charlie smiled sadistically and was about to gird her throat with the rope to choke her to death when a shot rang out and he didn¡¯t feel death until he was dead.

    ¡°She was too slow,¡± was the thought in Mimi¡¯s head as she found herself unable to react in time. She just stood still like a moron with her eyes closed waiting for her end until she heard a loud bang and liquid sshed across her face.

    At first, Mimi thought her gun went off identally but it was lying idle on the floor. Then her eyes opened just as Charlie¡¯s body fell to her surprise, only to reveal Victor standing behind him in his crazy glory, a gun in his hand still emitting smoke that he blew away dramatically.

    Oh boy.

    His gaze then rested on her, his gray curious eyes taking her appearance in and he whistled low in his throat,

    ¡°Damn, love, you look good,¡±

    Was he kidding her?

 Chapter 154

    154 Stepped In To Save The Night

    For over a minute, Mimi stood at that spot, her feet rooted to the ground as her brain was unable to keep up with what just happened. Everything went too fast; one moment Charlie was looming over her with malicious intent and the next, Victor took him down.

    Oh.

    Victor?

    Mimi looked up to see Victoring towards her and as much as she wanted to take a step back, her feet were unable to obey hermands. It wasn¡¯t long before he was standing before her without doing anything ¨C they just stared at each other like morons.

    Suddenly, he reached towards her and Mimi instinctively shut her eyes thinking he was about to hit her or something for skipping work the past few days.

    Honestly, Victor didn¡¯t look like the type that could hurt women, judging from the way he ¡°loved¡± them, however, Mimi thought she knew everything about them until the truth of them being Mafians was revealed to her. So yeah, she knows nothing about him anymore.

    Indeed, Mimi felt Victor¡¯s hands on her cheeks, but instead of hurting her, he was caressing her cheeks, or so she thought.

    Mimi first opened an eye before the other, only to see that Victor had rubbed off a red spot from her cheek with his thumb only to bring it to his mouth. That was when Mimi realized that it was blood.

    Oh no.

    .....

    At first, curiosity was in his gaze when he brought the thumb to his mouth, only for his expression to distort in the next seconds and a cringe on his face as he spat out, ¡°Gosh, that¡¯s not ketchup,¡±

    Mimi was horrified as she stared at Victor, was something wrong with his head? Of course, it was blood, why would he think it was ketchup when he was the one that shot him in the first ce?!

    That was when it finally dawned on Mimi that she had a dead body by her side.

    ¡°Oh my God! Oh my God!¡± She panicked, realizing a life was just wasted right in front of her. A mother¡¯s son died because of her carelessness.

    Mimi turned to Victor with a look of despair mixed with horror, ¡°You just killed him!¡± gesturing to the corpse that had a hole in the middle of its head, blood spilling out profusely.

    Victor looked down at the body she was pointing at and blinked twice before turning to her with a nk stare, ¡°And?¡± He didn¡¯t look bothered one bit as if it was a normal thing.

    ¡°And?¡± Mimi threw her head back and didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m doomed.¡± she concluded.

    Mimiughed hysterically, beginning to pace back and forth restlessly while trying hard not to stare at the corpse that had its eyes still open.

    Charlie¡¯s eyes were focused at a spot ¨C at her ¨C without the light in them. Mimi knew this image of him wouldn¡¯t leave her mind anytime soon. It would haunt her for the rest of her life.

    She bit her fingers nervously still walking back and forth saying, ¡°The police are going toe after me, they would arrest and charge me for kidnapping and -¡±

    ¡°You would be surprised at how much the police aren¡¯t interested in cases that involve gang members. It¡¯s probably a murdermitted by a rival gang, they would think.¡±

    ¡°Only that the murder wasmitted by you and I would be charged as an aplice,¡± Mimi told him pointedly.

    ¡°Sorry sweetheart but I didn¡¯tmit murder,¡±

    Mimi red at him, ¡°And you did what exactly?¡±

    ¡°Self defense, love,¡± Victor said with an air of righteousness, ¡°I just witnessed the rascal trying to end a pretty damsel¡¯s life and like a knight in shining armors stepped in to save the night,¡± He added, ¡°And thedy.¡±

    But Mimi refuted that im, ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re no knight in shining armor, you¡¯re just a criminal,¡± she said through gritted teeth.

    Victor snortedughter, ¡°Says the righteous, innocent-looking citizen who justmitted the crime of kidnapping that eventually led to murder,¡±

    Mimi gulped upon the realization that she was the one who led Charlie to his death. Victor might have pulled the trigger but she was the one who really killed him.

    Victor took a step closer until they were staring into each other¡¯s eyes, their breaths mingling together, ¡°It¡¯s funny how much you abhor our lifestyle yet adopted the same methods of the dark side when you needed your problem solved. Proves the saying there¡¯s just a thin line between good and bad,¡± He rubbed her hypocrisy at her face.

    She was a bad person, after all, Mimi thought. In her haste to save her friend, she hasn¡¯t thought of other people and the consequences of her actions, now a person was dead because of her.

    A tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another on the other cheek, but Victor was quick to wipe them away, ¡°If it makes you feel better then you should know that everybody makes mistakes. Moreover, Charlie had to die anyway, if there¡¯s anything to note about people like us, it¡¯s the fact we are driven by vengeance. He would havee after you and trust me, you won¡¯t have anything left after that ¨C including your beloved parents.¡±

    A shiver went down Mimi¡¯s spine at the thought of losing her parents because of her stupid mistake. She looked at Charlie, now she thought about it, he was a bad person and she just did the world a favor by getting rid of him.

    ¡°And you can rx, I¡¯ve destroyed every piece of evidence that could be traced back to you when his body is found,¡± He said to her.

    Mimi¡¯s head jerked up, surprised at Victor¡¯s show of kindness. However, her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously, ¡°Why would you do that? Would I need to pay you back in any form? My body?¡±

    Victor sighed, ¡°You think too much,¡± However, a sleazy smile soon formed on his lips, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a catch,¡±

    Mimi knew it, nothing can ever be free from Victor. It was give and take. But for the sake of her family, she would do it.

    So taking a deep breath, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Victor gave her that crazy smile that could only mean nothing good cane out of this.

    He said, ¡°Your mother¡¯s food,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 155

    155 His Sanctuary

    Mimi was taken aback by that request, that was the least of what she expected ¨C and was way easy.

    ¡°Okay?¡± She gave in, thanking whoever was responsible for the changes in him.

    ¡°That¡¯s a deal then!¡± Victor was enthusiastic and he threw his hands around her shoulder, drawing her to his side, ¡°Let¡¯s go, love,¡±

    Mimi was stunned, Victor¡¯s mood swings were kind of weird to keep up with and his arms around her shoulder were awkward. Don¡¯t get her wrong, it didn¡¯t feel perverse or even intimate, it almost felt as if he was treating her like a dude?

    Mimi couldn¡¯t tell whether she was relieved or offended? For sure, it was a relief that the kinky bastard didn¡¯t have his eyes on her plus the fact he was part of the Mafia ¨C and she wanted nothing to do with them. But then, what woman doesn¡¯t crave attention andpliments? How could he think of her as a man? He just destroyed her pride!

    They made it outside where Mimi saw another car that must belong to him and Victor opened the door for her before she could and that made her eyebrows rise. Hmmm, who knew he was a gentleman ¨C when he wanted to be.

    ¡°Thank you?¡± Mimi said to him.

    ¡°Do not mention,¡± He smiled at her, ¡°I have two sisters and they taught me manners,¡± He added under his breath, ¡°Whether I liked it or not,¡±

    Mimi got into the car as Victor closed it before he walked back around to get into the driver¡¯s seat and entered the car. In no time, they were driving to her ce and Mimi had to admit, with what she had done, she felt at ease with Victor by her side.

    .....

    If it wasn¡¯t for him tracking her down, she would have been dead already. Neither was he judging her for her choice. Heck, he hadn¡¯t even questioned why she did all of this in the first ce.

    ¡°Thank you for saving my ungrateful ass,¡± Mimi said to him atst.

    He momentarily took his eyes off the road to reply, ¡°Thank God you know you¡¯re ungrateful,¡± He winked, ¡°You are wee,¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes, that charm wasn¡¯t going to work on her ¨C although he looked kind of cute. Get that thought off your mind, Mimi! He¡¯s mafia for Christ¡¯s sake!

    However, Mimi couldn¡¯t help but observe him. Victor had a bright personality like a ray of sunshine that brightens the sky after a storm, however, there was something uncanny about it.

    She couldn¡¯t exin it but it felt like a misced emotion? Take for example, in a funeral where everyone was crying or in a somber mood, Victor could be the only one smiling.

    Mimi surmised people like them masked their emotions, but Victor, it wasn¡¯t just a mask that could be taken offter in hisfort. He wore them constantly. Or maybe she was just thinking nonsense. Yep, probably.

    ¡°With the way you¡¯re staring at me, please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for me?¡± He joked again.

    ¡°Why do you like smiling?¡± she blurted out the question instead of quibbling with him as usual.

    Mimi could swear there was a sh of emotion in his eyes but it was gone almost immediately and she was left wondering what emotion she saw there.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I smile? The world is fucked up already and the least I can do is be happy,¡± He gave her a reply that felt generic and didn¡¯t answer her question.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not what -¡±

    ¡°You ask too many questions,¡± He said, his tone taunt and a scowl on his face.

    Mimi didn¡¯t say a word.

    However, Victor¡¯s expression brightened instantly as he said, ¡°Did I smile then?¡±

    Mimi realized he had been trying to prove her wrong with the above drama. She merely shook her head nor did she mention to him that his lips twitched much during his show of annoyance as if he was fighting not to smile.

    Thankfully, there were no more questions after that and Victor focused on the road nor did Mimi get to see the way his hand shook around the wheel. She was too observant, Victor thought as he looked ahead, afraid that if he turned around she would point out something rted to his past ¨C he wasn¡¯t ready to open up now and not to her of all people.

    ¡°This is not the way to my ce,¡± Mimi sat upright immediately after the turn he took.

    ¡°Are you seriously considering going home in that state?¡± His gaze roved over her, ¡°You might as well tell your parents you killed someone,¡±

    That was when Mimi looked down to discover that there were noticeable specks of blood on her clothes, body, and face ¨C Crazy Victor didn¡¯t lick all of them off.

    ¡°Whose fault is that?¡± Mimi wanted to retort yet bit back the words before they could leave her mouth knowing everything that happened was her fault. She just couldn¡¯t understand why Victor was always able to spark a reaction in her. She hardly gave men attention unless the ones she found attractive.

    ¡°I just need to wash them off,¡± Mimi said, trying to wipe the dried blood on her.

    ¡°Then catch a cold after you get yourself wet?¡± He pointed out how stupid the n was. He chuckled, ¡°And that is if someone doesn¡¯t report you first,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ste, it¡¯s hard to see,¡± Mimi argued.

    ¡°I can see everything,¡± Victor said, his gaze taking her in such a way that made her cross her chest with her hands protectively. Mimi couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had X-ray eyes.

    ¡°Fine, you have made your point, now eyes on the road, Sunshine,¡± Mimi called him and his brows arched.

    ¡°Sunshine?¡±

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t?¡± He grinned, exposing all thirty-two sparkling teeth, ¡°It¡¯s the first time someone gave me a name that suits my personality and doesn¡¯t sound cringeworthy,¡± He seemed relieved.

    ¡°What¡¯s the worst they¡¯ve ever called you?¡± Mimi was curious to know. Strange enough, she was beginning to like hispany.

    ¡°Lollipop,¡± He said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± He confirmed.

    Mimi pulsed her lips, she didn¡¯t even want to hear the story behind that name because she already had an idea ¨C and was close to cringing.

    It then hit her, ¡°Where are we even going?¡±

    ¡°My ce,¡± He said without thinking.

    She groaned, ¡°Of course, the mansion,¡± The one ce she was trying to avoid.

    ¡°No, like my ce, my own sanctuary where people cannot disturb me.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Wait ¨C what?! Your ...?¡± Her face distorted at once.

    Oh no.

 Chapter 156

    156 You¡¯ve Seen Me Naked Before

    Nothing is going to happen, Mimi kept telling herself that. But no matter how many times she tried to assure her mind, it still didn¡¯t stop it from conjuring different scenes of how the night would end up.

    Come on, Mimi, he¡¯s a Casanova and a Mafia, both traits are a lethal dosage for you and your sex life notwithstanding that he¡¯s good-looking. Yeah, she had to admit, Victor was sexy, but so was Marcel!

    While Marcel is sexy in a dark and brooding way, Victor was er.... what could she term it? Yummy? He was like a piece of candy -sweet and nice- she could just sink her teeth into and take a chuck of.....

    Alright, hold those teeth,dy! We are not taking a chunk of anybody ¨C even if he¡¯s as hot as hell. I¡¯m not some vampire for crying out loud, Mimi battled with her mind.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi was startled when someone touched her on the shoulder and turned in time for Victor to announce, ¡°We¡¯re home,¡±

    ¡°Home¡± not, ¡°here,¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t help but notice his choice of words. But it sounded warm anyway. So she stepped out of the car after they drove into thewn.

    It was a modern loft house and though it wasn¡¯t as spacious as the mansion back at the base, this one was nice andfortable. There was no sight of any guard holding rifles that could end a person¡¯s life if released mistakenly, nobody else was present, just them. Mimi felt more at ease that way.

    As expected as a loft-style apartment, it was characterized by an abundance of open space, very high ceilings, raw brick walls, exposed beams and pipes, and a cement floor. Although the decoration looked simple, Mimi knew most of the designs were expensive. If there was anything she learned about Marcel and Victor, it was the fact they liked fine things.

    Mimi loved the open space and though it was alreadyte at night, she looked at the wide and high windows, imagining the natural sunlight that would fill it in the daytime.

    .....

    ¡°Come on,¡± Victor tugged at her hand.

    ¡°What?¡± She noticed his hand.

    ¡°There¡¯s still time to admire my house, but now you need to take your bath and look like the Mimi I know,¡± He said.

    That was when Mimi looked down to discover that she was still in the dress ¨C she wished she wasn¡¯t wearing right now.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mimi took off the wig and let her natural hair fall over her shoulder, using some to cover her spilling cleavage ¨C a gesture Victor noticed.

    The intensity of Victor¡¯s gaze made her nipples tauten and strain against the dress, he was almost turning her on with that smoldering heat in his eyes. His gaze had followed her actions earlier and now, it was resting on her breast ¨C that she unknowingly brought attention to.

    Mimi didn¡¯t dare to breathe carelessly, afraid that the soft rising and falling of her chest would only make things worse. But for how long would she hold her breath? Or maybe she just didn¡¯t want to destroy the moment?

    Mimi felt her hand being squeezed as if he was trying to control himself or something, and when she looked up, Victor was back to his former self. Or not?

    ¡°How many men saw you in this outfit?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi was taken aback by the question. She never saw iting.

    ¡°How many men stared at you because of this dress?¡±

    ¡°Uncountable,¡± Mimi answered.

    Wait a minute, why was she even answering this stupid question? Why was the number of men who saw her in the dress got to do with him?

    ¡°Then you should burn it after this, the dress is contaminated,¡± He said and without even waiting for her response, pulled her up the metal stairs.

    Calm monochrome paint colors were used in Victor¡¯s bedroom with a panoramic window. The bathroom was adjacent to the bedroom and was merely separated by a ss partition.

    Sweet.

    ¡°Here,¡± He said, picking out a neat towel from his wardrobe, ¡°The toiletries are in the bathroom,¡±

    Mimi stared at the towel, ¡°You keep this ce clean yourself?¡±

    ¡°I have people who take care of here,¡± Victor told her in a strained voice as he reached for something else.

    No wonder, Mimi thought. She hadn¡¯t seen a speck of dust on her way in and had been thinking how that was possible. Not that Victor didn¡¯t seem like a domestic type, but how did he find the time to do that with his job as a mafia or whatever he does?

    ¡°And you can make do with this,¡± He pulled out a baby pink long striped pajamas made of satin for her to take.

    Mimi epted the Pajamas from him but not without a furrow on her brows, ¡°Now, who does this belong to?¡±

    She already bet it was from one of his many, many, ex or current girlfriends. Mimi was not a fan of wearing people¡¯s clothes nor did she dare to imagine what they might have done in it.

    God help her.

    ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mimi seemed to have heard wrong.

    ¡°I say it¡¯s mine,¡± Victor said, opening the wardrobe door further to reveal several pj¡¯s but of different designs and the same color, pink.

    Her brows raised, ¡°Pink, huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Victor shrugged casually, ¡°I like to be in touch with my inner child. Besides there¡¯s no rule that states the color pink is confined to the feminine gender only,¡± He argued.

    ¡°I bet your sex would argue with that,¡± Mimiughed ¨C like sincerelyughed. Victor was so full of surprises and who knew he was this fun to be with?

    He made a face at her.

    ¡°Fine, be in touch with your inner self as much as you like? Who can you stop you anyway,¡± Sheughed for a while before an awkward silence fell upon them once again.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have your bath,¡± He titled his head in the direction of the bathroom.

    ¡°Oh, yes -¡±

    ¡°Unless you want me to join you?¡± He sounded hopeful.

    And he had to ruin the moment.

    The expression on Mimi¡¯s face froze and Victor sensed it because he¡¯s rephrased his offer.

    ¡°Or you can just give me an innocent strip show. You¡¯ve seen me naked before anyway,¡±

    And that was a memory Mimi didn¡¯t want to remember.

 Chapter 157

    157 You Make Good Food

    Mimi understood what Victor was offering her and honestly, it was quite tempting. Whenst did someone clean the cobwebs down there? A month? Two months? She couldn¡¯t exactly remember thest time she had sex.

    And one thing was for sure, Sex with Victor was going to be an unforgettable experience. The guy knows what he¡¯s doing for christ¡¯s sake ¨C she watched him in the middle of one.

    Like the devil entrancing Eve with the forbidden apple, Victor stepped closer to her till their bodies were touching and their breaths mingled. He bent to whisper into her ears, ¡°I remember the way you stared at me that day,¡±

    Mimi gulped yet made no other move.

    Victor then drew back only for his hand to graze her arm, caressing her skin in a longzy trail till he got to her neck and slightly brushed his hand across her cor bone.

    Mimi¡¯s breath hitched, he was good at what he was doing. But there was one thing she had never crossed in her life, rtionships between employer and employee. It¡¯s usually sweet in the beginning yet gets sour in the end when everything falls apart. So no, she can¡¯t eat this candy, no matter how yummylicious he looked.

    Mimi fisted her hands and summoned enough courage to look him in the eyes ¨C without blushing ¨C saying, ¡°So it¡¯s trade by barter now, huh? You see mine, I see yours? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still this childish?¡±

    At once the confidence drained from Victor and his morale zeroed down. His charms failed on her?

    When he didn¡¯t talk, Mimi went on, ¡°Fine, you can join me,¡±

    .....

    Victor¡¯s eyes brightened in surprise and triumph only for her to add, ¡°If you¡¯re ready to lose the source of your future generation,¡±

    His face fell, was she kidding him? She was back to being violent?

    With a victorious grin, Mimi was prepared to leave when Victor shouted from behind, ¡°You know, you should be scared, after all, I¡¯m the Mafia¡¯s consigliere, remember? ¡±

    Mimi halted in her steps immediately and Victor smiled thinking that his threat was well received. But to his surprise, she looked over her shoulder saying, ¡°Says the one in touch with his inner child,¡± Mimi left before he could think of aeback; She just scored against him.

    While in the bathroom, Mimi kept looking over her shoulder, trying to confirm that the conceited Casanova doesn¡¯t sneak up on her in the bathroom and have his way with...

    No, Victor was not that kind of person. Moreover, she knew men like that, they don¡¯t chase after their target, they make their targete to them.

    In that case, tonight would be great.

    When Mimi finally came out of the bathroom, Victor was lounging on the bed, dressed in his own pink organic cotton pajamas.

    ¡°And what¡¯s this?¡± Mimi could already tell what he would say next. Like she said, tonight would be great.

    ¡°With that using look in your eyes, what do you think? There¡¯s just one bed in the house and I¡¯m not sleeping on the couch, neither are you ¨C my mother taught me to treat a woman better. So get used to sharing,¡±

    ¡°How many girls have you gotten into this bed with this tactic....¡± Mimi asked, folding her arms across her chest defensively.

    ¡°None,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°None of them but you. However, I¡¯m currently testing it out on you and it¡¯s not working,¡± He said.

    Sometimes, Victor was sincere to a fault, and how much Mimi wished it was a lie because if it wasn¡¯t, that means Victor was treating her specially and she didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± She stood her ground, shaking her head stubbornly. This might all be an orchestrated n and lies so he could get into her pants. And as much as Victor didn¡¯t look like the kind of person to lie on this, men were men.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first woman that has been here ¨C well, except the cleaners ¨C but you¡¯re the first guest at my humble abode,¡± He gestured wide to his ce,¡± And while I could easily convert one of the many spaces to another bedroom, I enjoy my privacy so much I don¡¯t need visitors,¡± He exined.

    ¡°Then why me?¡± Mimi asked almost immediately, ¡°You said you don¡¯t invite others here? Why did you invite me then?¡±

    ¡°Because you give me good food,¡±

    Mimi blinked, taken aback by that statement. Was he being serious?

    ¡°The way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach. I had to protect the source of my food even if that means shielding you in my secret abode,¡±

    Victor was not normal, Mimi concluded. He was doing all this just so he doesn¡¯t lose his food source? Did he like food that much? Or does he just love her mother¡¯s food too much?

    ¡°Fine,¡± Mimi gave in after thinking it over, ¡°I would share the bed with you on the promise you won¡¯t try anything with me,¡±

    ¡°Cross my heart,¡± He gestured with his hands.

    Yeah, that was the problem. That heart.

    Mimi climbed into the bed and for someone who wanted to dwell alone in his secret abode, Victor¡¯s bed could host a family of six; it was extremelyrge.

    What was going on in his mind when he got it? On the bright side, it meant there was enough space to keep away from each other.

    Lying with her back turned to him, Mimi tried to fall asleep but she couldn¡¯t. Maybe it was because this was a foreign environment ¨C or the handsome candy behind her ¨C that made it hard to sleep.

    She then asked him, ¡°How do you even know where to find me? I was careful not to get followed by your men you imed you ced around me,¡±

    At first, when she didn¡¯t get a reply, Mimi thought he was asleep and turned the other way to confirm only to meet his gaze fixed intently on her.

    Mimi knew this was a trap.

    Without warning, Victor pulled her to him as she squealed in surprise.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her face was tomato red. Mimi was flustered.

    ¡°I would sleep faster with your soft body pressed to mine and don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s an innocent gesture ¨C I won¡¯t touch you improperly,¡± He said, snuggling up to her.

    ¡°Now, this feels cozy,¡± He sighed, blissfully.

    Mimi was confused and didn¡¯t know what to do. Push him away or just endure? But she had to admit, the position felt good ¨C if she could only get her mind out of the gutter.

    Well, he said this was an innocent gesture and as far as he doesn¡¯t try anything funny, she would let him be. So the both of them justid snuggled next to each other, her back pressing against the muscles of her stomach with her butt lighting brushing against his crotch ¨C that was thankfully limp. Amen.

    ¡°Regarding your question,¡± He said with a voice that turned husky with sleep. God, could he not sound any hotter.

    ¡°I ced no one at your ce,¡± He confessed.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t. Victor merely scared her. She should have known.

    ¡°But I have eyes and ears in the city and it was when I went to your ce to get my food that I discovered a little bunny left its hole,¡± He spoke through a yawn before his eyelid drooped.

    Did hee to her ce to eat? Mimi was in a state of disbelief. There was no better foodie than Victor. At least, the food saved her life.

    A smile pulled Mimi¡¯s to the side before she slowly gave in to sleep.

 Chapter 158

    158 A Princess Without A Kingdom

    For some reason, ra didn¡¯t pick Luther¡¯s calls today. She has not been herself ever since that visit with Marcel ¨C and of course the resentment was still there. Marcel humiliated and left her behind, she should have done something.

    Something like what? Report him to his father?

    ra sighed, she can¡¯t keep giving Daniel the impression that their rtionship was failing. This was an agreement between their both families and the me for failure of their rtionship would be distributed between she and Marcel equitably.

    Moreover, it was quite childish reporting every single maltreatment Marcel gave to her instead of settling it out with him. Sooner orter, Daniel would eventually get tired of herints.

    The thoughts were still running through her head when a knock came on her door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± ra said, her hand on her waist while she tossed the phone she had switched off on her bed with annoyance. Luther had bad timing.

    ¡°Young miss,¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± ra didn¡¯t bother to hide the annoyance in her tone and the staff knew well to avoid her when she was in a bad mood.

    ¡°Your mother is back,¡±

    .....

    Finally, some good news.

    ra didn¡¯t even wait for the rest of the news and rushed downstairs to wee her mother that hasn¡¯t been home for a while now. This woman ought to end this phnthropist work and spend more time with her! Not that she would listen to her anyway.

    Nheless, she still weed the woman with wide arms, hugging her so tight she almost siphoned all of the oxygen in her lungs. Yet Diana didn¡¯t mind, hugging her precious daughter back lovingly.

    With her chin pressed on her mother¡¯s shoulder, ra was able to see the retreating guards. They were all Marcel¡¯s men and professionally trained to keep her mother safe. Not that they didn¡¯t have their own security details, but Marcel¡¯s unorthodox ways of keeping them safer was better.

    Even in the upper-ss society, as pristine as they imed to be, some still have dealings with the underworld in exchange for protection. Thew was weak and never to be trusted. Officers of thew were too big headed because of their uniform and fail to notice their shorings until it¡¯s toote unlike thewbreakers who are much alert and always look over their shoulder. So yeah, thetter was better.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d to be home,¡± Diana took her daughter¡¯s face in her hand and admired her features.

    ¡°Me too,¡± ra affirmed, letting her mother feel her face.

    If it wasn¡¯t the fact that Diana was obviously older, one would have thought Diana and ra were sisters if they stepped out on the streets; ra was a split image of her mother.

    Even at that, Diana wasn¡¯t that older since she had married at the age of twenty and gave birth to her daughter not long after. There were few visible wrinkles on her face thanks to the intense care and attention she gives to skin and her general in body.

    The woman took a good look at her daughter who would have be the ruling princess if the monarchy system hadn¡¯t been long abolished. Now, she was just a princess without a kingdom.

    But that didn¡¯t matter, they would still keep up with their practices and live the part. Preserve their legacy and keep the royal bloodline going.

    ra was more than happy to help her mother settle down and not long after, the both of them were catching up on the time lost between them when the question came up.

    ¡°How¡¯s your rtionship with Marcel going?¡±

    ra froze; she stood still like a frozen ocean.

    Although ra had anticipated that question, after all, their parents were the one that decided on the engagement, she still wasn¡¯t prepared to face it.

    ¡°Just....¡± She pulsed, ¡°so-so?¡± she shrugged.

    ¡°Why do I feel like I should be concerned about that?¡± Diana said, sitting up from the bed where she and her daughterid facing each other to process the situation.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be concerned about?¡± ra dismissed her concerns, propping up on her arm.

    ¡°ra?¡± Her mother¡¯s lips were set in a thin line with that stern look and she knew she couldn¡¯t get out of this one.

    ra sat up at once.

    ¡°Fine,¡± She threw her hands up, ¡°I hate Marcel ! I can¡¯t stand the sight of him! He¡¯s everything I hate! He¡¯s ungracious! Arrogant! Vulgar! For God¡¯s sake, he¡¯s a criminal mother....!¡± She scooted closer to her mother trying to make her point.

    ¡°Sometimes when he looks at me with this dead, emotionless set of eyes, I feel my heart jump into my throat. I¡¯m frightened, mother. I can¡¯t help but think he¡¯s a monster and like a sheep to the ughter, you¡¯re sending me to my death!¡± ra finally said her mind, letting out the words and concerns she held back over the months since their engagement was settled. She felt better after saying those.

    Her mother didn¡¯t speak after that, seemingly pondering over her words and ra was grateful that she was finally seeing in her perspective. Yes, they needed Luciano family¡¯s protection but ra believed her mother treasured her more than anything else; She was her only child. In one word, this arranged marriage was not going to work.

    ¡°Now, I see where the problem is...¡± Diana finally spoke up, nodding her head.

    ¡°W-what? What is it?¡± ra was suddenly not liking where this was going. She just needed her mother to give the order and the engagement ends. Luther can protect her well enough.

    ¡°You have a glorified image of a prefect partner and Marcel doesn¡¯t fit in that criteria,¡± Diana said, holding her daughter¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± ra argued, ¡°I just don¡¯t love him,¡±

    ¡°Your father and I never loved each other as well,¡± Diana suddenly confessed and ra was struck dumb.

    ¡°No.... no way,¡± She didn¡¯t want to believe it because her parents had lived so beautifully well their love was obvious.

    ra ran her hand through her hair and licked her lower tongue, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me -¡±

    ¡°It was an arranged marriage as well,¡±

 Chapter 159

    159 His Nightmare

    ¡°Achoo!¡± Marcel coughed for the third time wondering who was bath mouthing him. He bet it was Victor, that cousin of his had a big mouth.

    Right now, Marcel was seated all alone in his room looking over the picture of his mother. Sadly, Victor wasn¡¯t here to annoy and keep his attention so he was left to the demons in his head.

    But then, unlike other days, the memories of his mother today were a weed distraction so he doesn¡¯t lean into the other disturbing thought in his head ¨C the thought of Arianna.

    Who knew there woulde a day when he would happily ept his mother¡¯s thought over a stranger¡¯s own ¨C thinking about his mother brought nothing but a feeling of unpleasantness.

    While memory of his mother was a constant ache in his heart, thinking about Arianna was Iike a two-edged sword piercing into his heart relentlessly.

    [He betrayed her!]

    Well, he did what he had to do to protect her! That was the least he could do without overstepping the line.

    Marcel argued with his mind; there was a war going on inside of his head.

    [Arianna would never forgive him]

    .....

    That was expected. Moreover, he had a long line of enemies waiting to drag him down to hell if given the opportunity. So forgiveness? That was an excessive luxury for him.

    [She would hate him for the rest of her life]

    Hate is a strong word and Arianna can only hate someone she sees. After he got Elijah and this was over, he was sending her far away where he can¡¯t even find her. He couldn¡¯t have her by his side; Arianna was too much distraction.

    But then the thought of Arianna moving far away had his heart racing. He still craved to know her ¨C which was a very bad idea. Nor was this the first time he had to do something against his wish. Arianna¡¯s departure would not break him.

    And it was all for good anyway because Marcel knew Arianna wouldn¡¯t even be able to look him in the face after he kills Elijah. Yeah, he would kill the love of her life, would she still see him as nothing less than a monster after that?

    Marcel was roused from his thought when something or to be precise, Redhead jumped onto hisp, followed by a roar from Samson.

    Marcel picked the fragile thing into his arms with a sigh, he still couldn¡¯t understand the sibling rivalry between Redhead and Samson. A few times he has seen Redhead try to establish some sort of contact with Samson only to be chased away with his mighty roar.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind Samson,¡± Marcel ran his hand through the puppy¡¯s fur affectionately, ¡°He doesn¡¯t realize what he has until he loses it,¡±

    As if the lion could understand what he was saying, it yawned with its wide mouth and Marcel felt insulted. Yeah, that beast was definitely insulting him.

    Marcel ignored it and simply turned his attention to the chihuahua who took over the duty of looking his face ¨C and that again made Samson growl. He was usually the one licking Marcel. Periodically.

    ¡°Just learn to share, dude, and stop being grumpy,¡± Marcel added, ¡°Moreover, his kisses are much softer than yours,¡± He grinned.

    As much as it looked appealing and cool on television, having a lion lick your face isn¡¯t exactly ¡®painless¡¯.

    Their tongues are rough and covered in spines that help them hunt and devour their prey. Those spines are sharp and face backward, almost like a barb, so even a lick or two could cause serious injury. Knowing that, Marcel hardly offers his face ¨C he detests injuries there ¨C offering his arm instead.

    ¡°In the end, you would be the only connection between the both of us after she leaves,¡± Marcel hinted at the fact he named him after Arianna.

    ¡°The only evidence she existed,¡± he murmured absentmindedly, scratching its belly. On the bright side, he would have something to remember her by.

    Almost immediately, his phone rang and Marcel picked it up only to receive a piece of news he wasn¡¯t exactly pleased with from his men.

    He stood up to check his window, lifting the blinds and seeing howte it was, wondered why she was at his ce at this time of the night. Nheless, he had a visitor to attend to.

    Marcel was just about to tell them to escort her up when he remembered the presence of the lion. As if Samson knew he was on his mind, their gaze connected but Samson was the first to throw his face the other way. Marcel rolled his eyes towards heaven, that lion was definitely on his period!

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll see her downstairs then,¡± Marcel decided.

    If ra were toe to his ce and see Samson, he didn¡¯t even want to imagine it. But Marcel was sure of one thing, he would be the one driving the unconscious drama queen back to her ce.

    Since he was bare, Marcel got to his closet and picked a top that he wore over his head before pulling it down his body. He didn¡¯t bother looking over the mirror to know how he looked. There were people he bothered to look presentable for and ra wasn¡¯t one of them.

    Marcel was about to leave when he felt like he was forgetting something and it wasn¡¯t until Redhead purred that he remembered him. Samson has already lifted his head, Marcel had no doubt the beast would have begun his bullying as soon as he left.

    ¡°Sorry buddy, but I can¡¯t spend my fortune recing destroyed properties out of your jealousy,¡± Marcel picked the chihuahua else they began another round of ¡°chase¡± in his room.

    Samson growled.

    ¡°I love you too,¡± He blew an air kiss to the lion before leaving, making sure the door was properly locked.

    On his way down, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but wonder the intention behind raing here this night and each timeing up with nothing. They couldn¡¯t even stand the sight of each other, so why was she here?

    Marcel spotted her from thest stair before he arrived and as soon as ra saw him, she stood at first, then started towards him while he stared, puzzled.

    As if Redhead knew what would happen, the puppy jumped out of his arms right before ra threw herself on him and hugged him.

    Marcel stood at the spot, struck speechlessly. What was going on? But before he could ask the question, ra pulled away and announced happily, ¡°Let¡¯s date properly, this time,¡±

    Marcel blinked. Thrice.

    And that, my friend, just became a nightmare.

 Chapter 160

    160 A Threat In Her Life

    No one knew about the note and Arianna knew that because she hid it away. Maybe it was a good thing the door was locked else it would seem suspicious asking who had left the note. Also, there was no doubt Elijah wanted her to be discreet about it.

    That note was definitely from Elijah; she knew how he operated. He was the only man whose actions were unpredictable, unlike Marcel who liked to leave a signature behind.

    Moreover, why would Marcel help her when he was the one that put her here? It was obvious what side he was on. Obviously. She would be a fool to expect a change of heart from him ¨C she couldn¡¯t afford such hope anymore.

    However, the thought that Elijah was close to her gave Arianna courage and peace of mind she hasn¡¯t experienced ever since she came here. This was a sign ¨C a big one ¨C that he was getting her out of here. She just had to be patient and y her cards well so she doesn¡¯t get in the way of his ns.

    Arianna could finally see the light in the dark.

    Soon.

    Just a little more time and she¡¯d be free.

    So when Cassie ambled into her room to announce that her cousin udia was fine and had been sent home, she merely nodded. Unlike earlier when she had been feeling emotional, Elijah¡¯s note cleared her head and she didn¡¯t have to feel vulnerable and deserted any longer.

    Cassie noticed the changes and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    .....

    At that question, Arianna took her eyes off the wide screen of the television ¨C at least Big Joe had it subscribed to Netflix. Something to keep her attention while cooped up in the room all day.

    ¡°What?¡± She asked Cassie, giving her all of the attention and noticing for the first time, how sensitive the young woman was to her mood changes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but you seem kind of different?... ¡± Her brows knitted together as she tried to find the words, ¡°Kind of better? You look like someone whose load was taken off her shoulder,¡± She hit the point.

    Well, Arianna did feel like a load was finally taken off her shoulder, not that she was going to tell Cassie that. As much as Cassie has been helpful throughout her stay here, she was one of Kenith¡¯s people and she can¡¯t entrust that revtion to her. Elijah¡¯s life and her survival were on the line here. So she decided to y the evasive game with her.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. it. is,¡± Cassie said one after the other, getting into bed with her, ¡°I¡¯m just curious what brought on the changes or if I should be concerned about -¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t try tomit suicide anymore, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about,¡± Arianna cut her off after getting her point. The thought alone that she had attempted suicide shamed her.

    Had she died, she probably wouldn¡¯t have known that Elijah was battling to get her out. She shouldn¡¯t have given up that easily.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen people who went through such phases and after their unexpected burst of happiness, decided on taking their life the next day,¡± Cassie was concerned.

    ¡°Like I said,¡± Arianna¡¯s voice was serious this time, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m fine. You asked why I looked relieved? Because I stopped caring. I¡¯ve made peace with whatever happens next,¡± She finalized.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Cassie gave up on the issue when she discovered how ufortable it was bing.

    The both of them justy on the bed staring at the movie ying until Cassie announced, ¡°Your designer would be here tomorrow. You have to choose a wedding dress,¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Arianna murmured.

    ¡°A good or a bad ¡®wonderful¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Both?¡± Arianna turned to her with a lopsided grin, ¡°At least it would be fun, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Cassie folded her arm andid her head on it, facing Arianna with an arched brow, ¡°Are you offering I be your chief bridesmaid?¡± There was slight humor in her tone.

    But that wasn¡¯t funny to Arianna because she just remembered her promise to Mimi that she would be the chief bridesmaid at her wedding.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna agreed, contrary to her wishes.

    She was sorry to Mimi for breaking that promise but she was better off without her. She can¡¯t drag Mimi into danger all because of a wedding she wasn¡¯t even interested in ¨C and doubted would even hold. Elijah would rescue her for sure.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Cassie squealed and engulfed her in a hug that almost crushed her lungs, ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m so happy,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nothing. Now, you can let go of my lungs,¡± Arianna was finally able to breathe after she let go.

    Seeing the smile on Cassie¡¯s face made her feel fulfilled, at least she made someone happy. All she had done to Mimitely was to bring her sorrows and put her in danger. Arianna hoped for the sake of whatever they shared that Marcel kept her safe. That was herst wish for Mimi, her friend that was worth more than a sister.

    Yes, Arianna and Cassieid down on the bed watching whatever was ying on the screen but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight tension between them and she knew it was because of Kenith. It was obvious that Cassie needed an answer that she denied her days ago.

    With a deep sigh, Arianna finally said, ¡°Look, about Kenith -¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Cassie took the words out of her mouth without hearing what she had to say. Perhaps, if she heard Arianna¡¯s side of the story, she would have been able to spot the truth from the lies her boyfriend fed her and the deadly event in the future wouldn¡¯t have urred.

    ¡°What¡¯s already done is done and he¡¯s stupid to have forced himself on you,¡± She said forfort¡¯s sake because the truth was that Cassie had already made up her mind to eliminate Arianna. As long as Arianna remained here, she would always be a threat to her happiness. She had to remove the weed now before it choked up the nts.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna said without suspecting a thing.

 Chapter 161

    161 Needed Back Home

    In a dimly lit room, a certain man sat, looking over a game of chess that he yed all by himself. There was a calcting look in the man¡¯s gaze as he knocked down the opponent¡¯s Rook before he leaned back to coordinate his next move. And that was when he sensed it, the slight ripple in the air.

    Quick as lightning, he pulled out the gun no one noticed he had by his side until he was pointing it at the figure that had infiltrated his ce.

    ¡°Your highness,¡± the intruder said, his hands raised in surrender to prove he wasn¡¯t a threat.

    The man holding the gun was no other than Elijah and at the mention of ¡°your highness,¡± the cold look in his blue eyes turned into one of annoyance.

    ¡°How did you find me?¡± His tone was guttural as he hid the gun in his waistband for easy ess. As much as he was familiar with this uninvited guest, you never know when you might need it.

    ¡°I would always find you,¡± He evaded his question and that was annoying as hell.

    Everyone in the organization was like that time and he didn¡¯t need to guess who they learned from. At this rate, he would have to check if there was a tracker in his body he wasn¡¯t aware of.

    ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯te all the way here for a pleasant pastime,¡± Elijah said, heading to the bar where he poured himself a ss of whisky neat.

    Elijah gestured with his ss, asking if he needed one until he saw the way the man was geared up like he was on a mission, a mask covering his face, ¡°I guess not,¡± he gobbled down his drink. Alone.

    .....

    ¡°You¡¯re needed back home,¡± The man announced.

    ¡°Nope. Hard pass,¡± Elijah rejected the offer without blinking an eye. He expected it anyway, with the way he was all dressed up ¨C he was here to drag him back.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a request,¡± The man said firmly, ¡°An irrevocable order from the head,¡±

    Elijah smiled down at his drink, ¡°I guess brother dearest is bored already. Isn¡¯t his precious wife giving him enough love and attention, what does he want with me?¡±

    ¡°That is a question you would have to ask him when you get there,¡± The man said, taking a step just as Elijah warned him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take a step forward else you would have to take me out of here dead,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± He grinned, a dark glint in his eyes, ¡°Your brother says that works as well,¡± his stance poised for a fight. It¡¯s been a long time since they spared. He wondered if his skills improved over time or if the prince simplyzed around all this while.

    Elijah understood the threat lingering in the air and did his best to dispel it, ¡°I can¡¯t leave now, I have a lot of things to do here,¡±

    ¡°He knew you would say that but it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he dismissed his im.

    ¡°Of course, typical of my brother to think my work here is child¡¯s y,¡± Elijah clicked his tongue and just without warning, pulled out his gun and fired at the man.

    But his brother¡¯s right-hand man was with great moves as well and dodged the bullets as quickly as he fired, taking cover behind the couch.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this!¡± Elijah said, hiding in a corner. This was not in his ns and was a major interruption if not handled properly.

    ¡°Well, guess who¡¯s in the mood to y,¡± The man said,ing out of his hiding ce.

    Elijah fired incessantly but the man was flexible and deft on his feet that he was able to dodge all the bullets that came at him and one should know that Elijah was a clean shot ¨C he never missed.

    Before long he ran out of bullets and didn¡¯t have the time to refill and that had been the man¡¯s intention all along, leading him in circles until his weapon was exhausted.

    Elijah had no choice but to dump his weapon and defend himself as the man charged at him. It was a tough battle because both of them seemed to mirror each other¡¯s moves. The man swung out a fist, Elijah caught it, he swung another, he caught it as well and they both pushed against each other, battling for strength.

    The man tried to kick Elijah in the gut but he was quick to block that and attempted to headbutt him instead. But the man saw through it and angled his body in such a way that Elijah missed his mark in mere seconds.

    But that opening cost Elijah because the man slipped free and using his hand, bashed his head against the wall. Elijah saw double vision and they were finally free of each other.

    ¡°That was cheating, teacher.¡± Elijah groaned, shaking his head to rid the ck dots dancing around his vision.

    ¡°This was no duel,¡± His teacher reproved him, stepping forward, ¡°Do you concede or do you want me to beat you up and bundle you back home?¡±

    Using his strength to push himself into a kneeling position, Elijah said,¡± I need time,¡±

    ¡°That, you don¡¯t have,¡± his teacher retorted.

    ¡°I have to rescue her!¡± Elijah shouted.

    His teacher paused, his brow then arched, ¡°It¡¯s about a girl all this while?¡± he suddenly grinned, ¡°You should have said so. Wait a minute ¨C you said you need to rescue her? Is she in trouble? How do I help?¡±

    Elijah climbed up to his feet with a heave, ¡°You are not helping, I¡¯ll handle my mess on my own,¡± He didn¡¯t need an extra hand to mess things up.

    ¡°So who¡¯s this lucky girl?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Elijah scratched his nose, ¡°About that....¡± He suddenly grinned malevolently, ¡°You said it¡¯s not a duel,¡±

    With an ominous feeling that made his hair stand on edge, his teacher hardly looked down before millions of volts went through his body and he dropped to the ground twitching from the shock.

    ¡°You got yourself a nice student, teacher,¡± Elijah muttered just before he went in to grab his things to look for another one of his safe houses to stay.

    Unlike what his teacher thought, this wasn¡¯t just about the girl anymore, this was a challenge to his dignity and reputation and he wasn¡¯t going to back out of it.

    May the best man win.

 Chapter 162

    162 [Bonus chapter]Bathe You

    This chapter is courtesy of GaGold. Thank you for your magnanimous gift!

    ________

    Mimi felt a dead weight around her waist when she finally stirred from sleep and the heated breath hitting her neck told her the position she was in as the memories of the night returned.

    ¡°Wonderful¡± She groaned, trying to move out of the snuggle but Victor was like an iron fortress and no matter how much she pushed, she couldn¡¯t break free.

    If anything, he groaned as if in protest and pulled her closer till her body was pressed flush against him and she noticed someone was experiencing morning wood.

    ¡°Oh no, no, no!¡± Her mind was beginning to panic especially when she felt the tent graze her from behind. She wasn¡¯t ready for an early morning stimtion and definitely not from him.

    Unlikest night where she was an emotional mess, Mimi¡¯s head was clear now and she could make good decisions ¨C like not pouncing on the good-looking devil lying behind her.

    Mimi was still thinking shit when she felt a hand grope her breast and her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

    ¡°You little...!¡± Mimi was close to bursting out in anger ¨C he promised this was an innocent gesture ¨C when she heard him murmur sleepily, ¡°So soft...¡±

    .....

    Mimi was dumbfounded, did he think her breast was a bread that he could squeeze into whatever he wanted? Gosh, she had never felt this vited.

    Victor must have sensed his life was in danger because he finally stopped kneading that ¡°bread¡±.

    Mimi didn¡¯t react, she just patiently waited while controlling her bloodlust and the moment when his arms feltx, she managed to slip out of his embrace, using the pillow as a recement. And the unsuspecting Victor brought it closer to his side.

    Seeing that movement of bringing the pillow closer to his side, Mimi guessed he didn¡¯t intend to touch her indecently and must have been sleepy or something. So her anger towards him lessened and she decided to wash up and leave before he woke, hopefully.

    ¡°Phew,¡± Mimi breathed in relief, moments after she soaked in the tub. The shower would have offered a quick bath and she¡¯d be able to get out of Victor¡¯s hair but the thought of rxing in the tub was much more tempting ¨C and sweet.

    ¡°Damn, life is good,¡± Mimi sighed, throwing her head back as the hot water soothed her tired body.

    But then, life would be much better with Arianna by her side. The nst night was a flop, at least, not a total flop ¨C she got to know about Arianna¡¯s well-being.

    Her intention at first had been to know how Arianna was doing but like every human out there, she was no longer satisfied with the result. She needed to burst Arianna out and having learned from the n gone wrong yesterday, she¡¯d have to be very careful this time. But before that, she had a family to ¡°visit¡±.

    Mimi was still thinking when the partition was slid open ¨C it had no lock ¨C and in came Victor, the unexpected house owner. Mimi panicked immediately, she bet that asshole did it on purpose to see her naked ¨C like he wanted to yesterday.

    But those using thoughts skipped her mind the instant she looked up and froze. Holy shit.

    She must be dreaming, Mimi thought as she stared up at the man dripping with sexual appeal. Victor trudged into the bathroom while rubbing his eye from sleep, and Mimi could only mutter, ¡°Wow,¡± she was spellbound.

    He was dangerously sexy with that rolled out of bed look ¨C his brown curls were tousled and fell across his furrowed brow as he stood sleepy and frowning. There was a hint of a five o¡¯clock shadow across his strong jaw and Mimi had no doubt he was equally lethal-looking with a beard.

    But the most shocking part of it was that he abandoned his top and was only in his pajama shorts. Mimi suffered a nosebleed as her gaze fell on the ridges of his toned stomach, that was proof of him working out ¨C even though she has never witnessed him during one. To her, Victor always seemed to be ying around and having a good time. But the evidence was here, his firm muscles.

    This time around, her gaze focused on the deep V of his stomach and traveled down to the soft swirls of hair below his navel that trailed down till the waistband of his pajamas stopped the good show. Damn.

    Was that disappointment, she sensed? God, something was wrong with her.

    ¡°There, you are!¡± Victor awakened her from her thoughts and that was when Mimi finally realized she had been trying to hide her nakedness from him.

    ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed, attempting to use the soap sud to cover her woman bits as much as possible. Not that Victor minded because he ambled over to her and squatted down, cing his chin on the rim of the bathtub with that grin that left her confused. Why does he make all this look innocent?

    Damn, what kind of psychopath was she involved with?

    ¡°I thought the rabbit left the hole again,¡± He wriggled his brows at her, seeming to be in a good mood.

    Mimi¡¯s mouth hung open but she quicklyposed herself and frowned at him, ¡°What¡¯s up with this intrusion? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m bathing?¡±

    ¡°I know,¡±

    He said so bluntly as if it didn¡¯t matter. God, could she call this behavior being dense or simply shamelessness?

    ¡°And?¡± her scowl intensified.

    Victor looked at her, ¡°Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden and were naked yet they didn¡¯t know. Only when you realize you¡¯re naked, then you¡¯re truly naked,¡±

    What kind of bullshit logic is that?

    Okay, this is it. She¡¯s done with him. Mimi was sure she couldn¡¯t deal with his craziness anymore.

    Trying to prove to him that she cares little about his presence, Mimi simply rxed back. Since he was awake, there was no need to hurry and leave. She might as well use this opportunity to luxuriate as much as she wants in the bath.

    But that was until Victor announced, ¡°Do you want me to bath you?¡±

    ¡°GET OUT!!!!!!¡±

 Chapter 163

    163 Perks To Being Friends With Victor

    ¡°You¡¯re mad at me,¡± Victor pointed out when Mimi wouldn¡¯t talk to him and instead was busy putting on her heels so she could leave.

    ¡°Good thing you noticed,¡± Mimi shot back, searching for where the hell she had dropped her pursest night. She was sure she arrived here with it.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry for what I said in the bathroom. I just wanted to help,¡± He added, ¡°You look like you needed help,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I needed help bathing,¡± She scowled at him. Does he even know how stupid he sounds right now?

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Victor apologized, ¡°I just wanted to be your friend,¡± He scratched his head, ¡°You¡¯re kind of fun to be with,¡± and to tease ¨C Victor intentionally didn¡¯t add that part seeing how angry she was with him already.

    Mimi paused upon hearing that statement, he wanted to be friends with her? No, she would not be deceived with such a im.

    ¡°Your idea of friendship is misleading and I¡¯m not ready to be friends with someone who stood still and did nothing while my best friend was taken by some assholes,¡± Mimi told him the gospel truth.

    ¡°Arianna had to go,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°In that case, forget about your good gesture of friendship as well,¡± Mimi sneered, giving up on the purse.

    .....

    Right now, she needed to get out of here. Matters regarding Arianna were sensitive and she didn¡¯t want to get in any more arguments with Victor considering he¡¯s her superordinate at work. She hated an awkward working environment.

    Mimi was already walking towards the door when he announced, ¡°Arianna would be back,¡±

    She whirled around at once, eyes wide, ¡°What did you just say?¡± She was desperate for the news.

    ¡°Arianna would be back soon,¡± He said.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Mimi didn¡¯t believe him.

    ¡°I know you risked your life because of her yesterday and I can¡¯t go into details with you but this is all a ruse, we need her for something and once it¡¯s achieved, she¡¯d be back. Unharmed.¡± That was the least Victor could tell and hoped she doesn¡¯t do anything stupid again.

    Mimi found it hard to believe but Victor hardly lies, she noticed it about him. Maybe, having him as a friend wasn¡¯t that bad and through him, she could get updates on Arianna¡¯s condition.

    ¡°So let¡¯s say I agree to be your friend, what¡¯s it all about?¡± She added immediately, ¡°I don¡¯t do boy-friends,¡±

    Being friends with the opposite sex was great and all until one falls for the other and when the feeling is not reciprocated, it turns awkward. So yep, she can¡¯t deal with such drama.

    ¡°All you just have to do is be there for me....¡± He smiled, ¡°And of course, give me all your yummy foods,¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes, she bet that was the main reason he wanted to be friends with her ¨C to ensure he never runs out of food favors. Other reasons were secondary.

    ¡°Okay?¡± That doesn¡¯t sound so bad considering she had an ulterior motive for being friends with him as well. Moreover, Victor was the kind of guy she could never date ¨C for good reasons.

    Mimi was a jealous lover and would never share her man with anyone else. But Victor seems not to be a fan of monogamy. So she¡¯s on the safe sound.

    Victor clicked his fingers, ¡°Also, there are perks to being friends with me,¡±

    That was for sure, why does he think she considered the offer? Mimi said in her mind.

    ¡°For example, tomemorate the beginning of this friendship that would never die, you can ask for a favor and I¡¯ll have it done immediately.¡± He was smug and confident. Mimi envisioned the golden aura of greatness surrounding him.

    ¡°A favor,¡± Mimi mused.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Victor agreed, ¡°Just one favor,¡±

    Mimi thought over it, tapping her finger against her lips until a light bulb shone in her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got one favor to ask then,¡± An evil grin appeared on her face...

    _______

    ¡°This is all your fault!¡± Mama udia heaped all of the me on her husband because of her daughter¡¯s condition.

    udia hasn¡¯t stopped crying since yesterday and thanks to the pain on her bum, she could not sit and had to lie on her belly all day long. This was the first time, her baby girl cried so much and she was unable to help soothe her pain. As a mother, it hurt that she was incapable of alleviating her child¡¯s agony.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Papa udia took off his sses in anger, unable to stand his wife¡¯s nagging anymore.

    ¡°What do you think I meant by that?!¡± She made a face at him, ¡°All of this wouldn¡¯t have happened if you had managed thepany better and hadn¡¯t borrowed from loan sharks, then we wouldn¡¯t be in this condition!¡± Mama udia shouted at him.

    There was no ounce of her respect in her tone anymore because, in her view, her husband was nothing but a worthless man. Gone was the love and adoration she once had for him.

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Papa udia retorted, fury in his gaze because his respect as the man of the house was no longer there. Heughed sarcastically, ¡°And who was busy spending the money that should have been used to resolve the debt, you worthless woman?!¡±

    ¡°You are the worthless man!¡± She shot back at him, tempers ring, ¡°If you had been sensible enough, we would have Arianna on our side and hope on the money from her trust fund!¡±

    ¡°And whose idea was it to hand Arianna over to that gang! It was all of your idea, you daughter of Jezebel!¡±

    ¡°How dare you call me that?!¡± Mama udianded a sharp p on her husband¡¯s face.

    But Papa udia was tired of his wife¡¯s abuse because hended two ps on her face and that drew a shocked scream from her mouth. She never expected that her docile husband wouldy a hand on her.

    ¡°Honey -¡± Mama udia¡¯s eyes watered at once. Did he hit her?

    But Papa udia was obviously not done because he shouted, ¡°I¡¯m done with this marriage! I¡¯m sick and tired of you -!¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish the rest of his statement because a series of shots rent the air and the both of them dropped to the ground, scared for their lives.

    Out of nowhere, two men dressed thoroughly in ck broke in and while one held a gun to their heads, the other went up and in no time appeared with an unconscious udia on his shoulder.

    ¡°udia!¡± Mama udia screamed in horror. What were those bastards nning to do with her daughter? She had to save her child.

    But she couldn¡¯t even react with that barrel at her head and only watched helplessly as those men made away with her daughter.

    _______

    Note: This was posted after publishing and won¡¯t be added to the coin changes.

    A short Drama ¨C irrelevant to the plot.

    In Mimi¡¯s home....

    Mimi¡¯s father : es into the kitchen] I smell something nice [ He tries to reach for the te of chicken]

    Hannah, Mimi¡¯s mother: [Frowns and ps his hand away] No touching! It¡¯s off-limits to you.

    Mimi¡¯s father: [cries internally at the mistreatment]Why? Who does it belong to? I¡¯ve never seen you cook this much?

    Hannah: Its victors¡¯ food

    Mimi¡¯s father: Who¡¯s Victor?

    Hannah: [Looks at him in shock] Don¡¯t you know about Victor?

    Mimi¡¯s father: [Looks confused] Should I know about him?

    Hannah:[positions herself to give the full gossip] Of course, Victor is our son ¨C

    Mimi : [Sprints into the kitchen like the sh and stuff her mother¡¯s mouth with the chicken before she could spill the beans. She turns to her father with awkwardughter] You can go rx daddy, I¡¯ll make you yours [ res at her mother who turns her face the other way innocently]

    Mimi¡¯s father : [Looks confused yet obeys his daughter¡¯s request. He hardly sat down when the doorbell rings] Who¡¯s that? [He goes to the door]

    The voice from outside: Victor.

 Chapter 164

    164 The Power Couples

    ¡°Thanks for this grand opportunity of working closely with you,¡± Adele expressed her gratitude to Marcel just as they clinked their sses before they took a swig of their drink simultaneously.

    Adele¡¯s face scrunched up a bit from the incredibly strong drink, Marcel must be a cultured man to not even react to the hard stuff.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, you deserve the position. I¡¯m sure you are going to do a good job here,¡± Marcel told her, pouring himself another round.

    And this my dear, was the little party he organized for her, just a drink between the both of them. Perhaps, Victor would have been a weedpany ¨C if he knew where the hell he was. Sometimes, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was the boss or a babysitter because Victor sure made him feel thetter.

    A tense silence fell on the both of them afterward and Marcel didn¡¯t need to be told the reason for this demureness.

    ¡°You know,¡± Adele started, her ss hanging from her fingers, ¡°That warning was really unnecessary,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, it was just a forewarning,¡± He hinted that there was no bad blood between them.

    Adele blinked, taken aback by the fact Marcel had gone straight to the point by admitting his involvement in the attack. Most people she knew would beat around the bush and y games with her ¨C wasting both her time and theirs ¨C before admitting their crimes. She had to admit, Marcel got her respect.

    ¡°You chose me as your underboss in the first ce, you supposedly had a bit of trust in me to have made such a move in the first ce,¡± She argued with him.

    .....

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Marcel conceded to the fact, surprising her so much that she blinked.

    ¡°T-then why?...¡±

    ¡°I was just solidifying the trust, making sure it doesn¡¯t go awry in the future,¡± Marcel said with a half-grin that left her more restless than amused. Who knows what the guy was thinking now? Who knows whether there will be more tests in the future?

    Adele took a good look at Marcel, finally understanding why her side of the family had taken him and his position for granted. Marcel looked like aid-back guy when he was not hiding his expression and that trait was hardly found in boss leaders.

    Most of the Mafia bosses intend to instill fear the instant they take over rulership, however, what Marcel instilled in them was awe and amusement when he snatched power from his father.

    She remembered how happy her so-called father Benjamin had been when he heard that, hoping that father and son tore each other apart so he could take over from there ¨C everyone knew how much Daniel loved power.

    Thinking Marcel didn¡¯t have it in him and was instead basking in the legacy of ¡°daddy dearest,¡±. Who knows, the news of Marcel having Daniel give up his position might as well have been a ruse ¨C he wanted to take advantage of people¡¯s fear for his father.

    Marcel might have helped their pomposity because he never let any of them or their people near him, filling important roles with people that he trusted instead. It made him seem weak and scared.

    Thanks to that, theyid down their defenses and he ¨C Marcel- yed them like pawns on a chessboard ¨C using that opportunity to seek out his enemies, deadweight, and assets ¨C until he struck. The lesson learned? Never look down on a fool because he might just be a green snake in a green grass.

    And maybe that move was a good thing because members of the family would be cautious about hurting her, after all, Marcel chose her.

    Eat that bitches!

    Marcel shot up to his feet and Adele watched the way he went to his desk to pull out something from one of the drawers and covered the distance between them confidently.

    Her brows raised questioningly he forwarded the box towards her, saying, ¡°Let bygones be bygones,¡±

    Adele stared down at the box with a narrowed gaze even as she received it, ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Open it,¡± He said, leaning against his desk with arms wrapped across his chest.

    ¡°Just open it,¡±

    And she did, only to see a Louis Mo Meteoris watch which was one of the rarest watches ever. Not only are there just four watches in total, but each watch contains a real piece of moon rock! Seems someone researched about her and her love for watches.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Adele was touched by the gesture even though she knew this was a bride. How cool it would have been if he were her brother instead.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Marcel said even as he reached on his desk to pull out a folder while Adele pocketed the gift in her bag.

    ¡°Here,¡± Marcel handed the folder to her and looked at it with curious eyes. Damn her if she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to please Marcel and get on his good grace.

    Adele didn¡¯t ask further questions and went through it even as Marcel said, ¡°You must have heard about my stolen shipment,¡±

    ¡°Yep, our family made it clear in my head,¡± Adele nodded, going through the information.

    ¡°I need you to study that case and focus on it for now. Use every resource at your disposal and find me my weapons....¡± He muttered under his breath, ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel the time is running out,¡±

    ¡°Just that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Just that,¡± Marcel concluded.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Adele said and stood to her feet, knowing the party hade to an end, ¡°I¡¯ll be out of your hair then,¡± picking her bag.

    ¡°Thank you once again, Adele, it¡¯s an honor to make your acquaintance,¡± Marcel stretched his hand for a handshake.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor working with you, as well,¡± Adele took his hand and before long was heading towards the door only for it to swing open before she could make contact with it.

    It was Victor. Her annoying Cousin.

    ¡°Hi,¡± He waved at her with that signature grin he was trained to wear all the time. Sometimes Adele wondered if that incident had given way to his yful nature or if he was simply prey to it.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± She said and stepped out.

    As soon as she left, Victor turned to Marcel, pointing in her direction, ¡°I like her, she seems fun,¡±

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Marcel didn¡¯t entertain him.

    Victor announced, ¡°Having fun with my new evil bestie,¡±

    ¡°Does that have to do with the fact that four of my mercenaries were dispatched on a mission I have no clue about and the fact Arianna¡¯s cousin is currently in my dungeon?¡± Marcel asked pointedly.

    Victor shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t me me, Mimi just wanted the family to feel half of what your beloved Arianna went through in the hands of the loan sharks. I had no choice but to provide amodation. ¡±

    And for once, Marcel couldn¡¯t agree more. Although, he was slightly fearful of Victor and Mimi¡¯s power couples. Who knows who they would kidnap next?

 Chapter 165

    165 Consummate Their Marriage

    No matter how much Arianna braced herself for what was toe, it still didn¡¯t beat the reality that she was getting married to that loan shark that kidnapped her.

    As Cassie had notified her, the designer was the first person to grace her prison aka her living room, first thing in the morning ¨C everything had to be rushed with the fast-approaching wedding.

    And as much as she hated this wedding or the thought of it, Arianna had been so cooped up in her room all day that discussing a different issue ¨C aside from watching Netflix and talking with Cassie ¨C captured her interest immediately.

    Arianna hated this wedding ¨C that was true ¨C but since she was going to be a bride ¨C against her wish ¨C why not look the part? She would be the most beautiful forced bride. She¡¯d look so stunning that other young women out there would wish to be in her shoes. And how much she wanted them to be in her shoes.

    Cold, cold, world.

    She went over the numerous magazines and brochures the designer came with and atst, settled on a ruffle wedding dress. There was nothing subtle about the frothy, cascading ruffle skirt, and a frilly cor. Fitted all the way down to just above the knees, it would hug her curves and highlight the smallest part of her body ¨C her waist.

    Arianna could already picture herself turning head in that dress. That was the one, she concluded as she pointed at the design. Although she wondered how the designer would go about the wedding dress when there were just two days to her wedding.

    But that was until she heard that the dress had been pre-ordered already and all she had to do was to make a choice. Once chosen, the dress would be altered to her measurements, and Vo! Her wedding dress was ready.

    Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to be saddened or ddened by the news. She had been hoping somehow to use the dress as an excuse to dy the wedding. But it seems Big Joe thought ahead of her already. Good, the short man wasn¡¯t dumb after all.

    .....

    The dress cost a ton and Arianna wondered who he sold or drained their life force and future to be able to afford that. Arianna was angry and disgusted; she wanted nothing to do with that dirty money.

    By the time Arianna was done with the meeting, her stomach was rumbling in protest. She was as hungry as hell and no one had sent breakfast to her.

    Cassie was nowhere to be found ¨C she was usually the one who served her ¨C and Arianna had already made peace with getting starved until an invitation was extended to her ¨C Big Joe wanted her for breakfast.

    Who knew what he had in mind again? Arianna was weary of his presence. Thest time they had breakfast, he whipped her cousin in front of his associates for entertainment and punishment for her actions. Who knew who he would whip this time? Her aunt? Although she was honestly thrilled by that scene. But the point is, her family was not for sports.

    Arianna didn¡¯t bother to dress chic as she had done the previous day, rather she put on a pair offortable clothes and followed the underlings he sent to escort her to the destination.

    Their destination was the garden and this time Big Joe was all alone with enough feast on the table in front of him that could feed a lot of people.

    Even as the outside feltfortable and there were no prying eyes except his guards keeping an eye on them, Arianna couldn¡¯t let her guard down. Who knew what he was nning to do to her?

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± There was a proud look on Big Joe¡¯s face when he spotted her. Sometimes Arianna couldn¡¯t help but think Big Joe was not marrying her because he liked her but to keep up with appearances.

    Arianna knew she was beautiful ¨C at least people told her that ¨C and she had no doubt Big Joe saw the same thing in her. So yeah, she was going to do a good job of looking good at his side and not as an equal.

    She was already scared of this dreary future. Arianna prayed whatever n Elijah was hatching, he worked fast because she was slowly losing hope. Time was against them.

    ¡°Goodmorning,¡± Arianna responded in a nd tone. Since Big Joe decided to show her the other side of him, she was not going to pretend she appreciated hispany as well.

    ¡°I hoped you slept well?¡± He pushed on even though it was quite obvious that Arianna wasn¡¯t interested in the conversation.

    ¡°Who would sleep well in my condition?¡± Arianna retorted, busying herself by smearing Jam on her bread. Big Joe was the one who pissed her off, not the food; she was having her full.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this fiesty,¡± Big Joe was amused by her temper. Her fit of anger was interesting and cute.

    ¡°Disrupt my breakfast once again and I¡¯ll show you the other sides to me,¡± Arianna warned him with a deep scowl. She wanted to hurt him badly, till he bled red. Gosh, she was beginning to think like them. It seems a few moments with the dark side was beginning to corrupt her soul.

    Thankfully, Big Joe didn¡¯t bother her any longer and Arianna ate as much as she could until she pushed back the seat with a squeak and stood up, saying, ¡°Thanks for the meal, I¡¯ll be going back to my room now,¡± disdain dripped from her words.

    ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep this up for forever,¡± Big Joe told her.

    The way his knife cut into his meat, looking so calm and nonchnt pissed Arianna off so much. While her inside was a boiling cauldron, someone was having the time of his life.

    ¡°Try me,¡± Arianna sneered, eyes fiery with bottled rage. She needed that rage to keep on boiling, to remind herself why she hated this ce and the asshole in the first ce.

    Having the upper hand in this conversation, Arianna was about to leave with that sense of satisfaction when Big Joe announced to her horror, ¡°Whether you like me or not, you do know we would have to consummate our marriage,¡±

 Chapter 166

    166 What Cassie Did

    Arianna didn¡¯t know how she made it back to her prison but she rushed into the toilet and emptied every single thing she ate.

    God, she had to stop throwing up her food considering they were hard toe by without her husband¡¯s order.

    The name, ¡°husband¡± filled Arianna with dread and made her skin crawl upon remembering the conversation they had outside.

    Consummating their marriage on their wedding night? Arianna felt bugs all over her body. Even trying to conjure Big Joe¡¯s hands on her body filled her with so much revulsion that she threw up a second time.

    Was he kidding her? She would rather kill him and end her life afterward than let himy a hand on her. That greedy,scivious son of a biscuit!

    Arianna didn¡¯t have an ounce of feelings for Big Joe nor did she even see him as a brother. She must have been a fool to even think he had a bit of goodness in him and would treat her with respect. He and Kenith were just the same kind of person. They were all the same!

    By the time Arianna was able to rinse out the vomit in her mouth and ssh her face with water, she found another note waiting on her bed.

    Eagerly picking it, Arianna read out, [Stay still. Do not make any move]

    Was Elijah kidding her? She shouldn¡¯t do anything and leave her fate to him? And what¡¯s with the game of hide and seek? If he could sneak in a note here, why can¡¯t he burst her out?!

    .....

    Arianna was frustrated, she just wanted all of this to be over already. If she had known it would turn out this bad, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with Elijah. No, she wouldn¡¯t have answered Ruth¡¯s call for assistance? All of this started with her!

    If she hadn¡¯t epted to help her, she wouldn¡¯t have seen Elijah that night and Marcel wouldn¡¯t be after her for his identity. But then, all of this started with her uncle¡¯s family selling her off to Big Joe.

    Arianna groaned, there were just so many events leading to this point. It was almost as if fate already designed her future to turn out this way. What did she do so wrong?

    A knock came on the door, startling Arianna who immediately tore the note into pieces and flushed it down the toilet just as the second knock came.

    The door was locked from outside which meant that whoever was about toe in wasn¡¯t Big Joe¡¯sckeys but a guest. Who was it this time? Her cake decorator? The catering service? She was honestly tired of all this. Thest thing Arianna needed was getting reminded of her impending dark future ¨C if Elijah doesn¡¯t get her out of here.

    So she didn¡¯t answer and simply climbed into bed, her silence should convey her message. And that worked because the knocking on the door stopped or so she thought because the next minute, the door swung open.

    With an annoyed huff, Arianna pulled the sheet on her away, ¡°What part of my silence do you not....¡±

    ¡°Understand?¡± said one of the three women standing at the entrance of her door.

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Her jaw almost dropped to the ground. How was this possible?

    Standing in front of Arianna were the three femalepanions from before ¨C Chelsea, Ashley, and Rose. However, her joy of seeing them didn¡¯tst because she remembered how she used and abandoned them on the night of her escape. Who knew what Big Joe did to them?

    Her throat felt clogged and Arianna just stood at the spot staring awkwardly as they stared back. She didn¡¯t know what to say to them ¨C or she could start by apologizing.

    However, before the words could leave her mouth, Chelsea already strode over to Arianna and pulled her onto a tight hug that knocked the breath out of her lungs.

    ¡°Oh honey,¡± that was all the young woman said but Arianna could feel thepassion in her tone, and her heart melted at once. Chelsea understood what she was feeling.

    At that moment, she wasn¡¯t alone anymore and they showed proof of that when the three of them covered her small frame in a group hug. Tears slipped down Arianna¡¯s cheeks, touched by their level of concern. She left them that night yet they still cared for her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry... I-I didn¡¯t mean to -¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, baby girl,¡± Rose said, kissing away the tears on her cheeks, ¡°Anyone of us in your shoes would have done the same, except we learned the hard way it was stupid running from Big Joe,¡±

    Arianna knew there was a story behind that statement yet she didn¡¯t pry into it knowing the girls would tell her if they wanted to.

    ¡°How did you girls find out I¡¯m here? Big Joe did a good job of hiding me this time?¡± Arianna asked momentster after they¡¯d settled down.

    Arianna was lying in the middle of the bed with Rose and Ashley on either side of her while Chelsea sat up against the headboard.

    ¡°Well, we have our ways,¡±

    And by ways, Arianna knew it was from one of the men here. It was not hidden what the girls did for a living nor was she judging them for a lifestyle they had no choice over. Sometimes circumstances mold you into someone you didn¡¯t want to be.

    ¡°And they let you in like that?¡± Arianna found it hard to believe that Big Joe granted them freedom.

    ¡°Well,¡± Chelsea said this time, ¡°We pulled some strings. Moreover, it was not hard to do that when we told them we¡¯re part of your bridesmaid,¡±

    ¡°Oh God, you didn¡¯t!¡± Arianna chuckled at their boldness. How could they make her dreary wedding interesting?

    ¡°Tell me you don¡¯t mind us being your bridesmaid,¡± Ashley pleaded.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind,¡±

    ¡°Yeah!!¡± The trio of them rejoiced like kids whose mom just fed them candy. The mood in the room was lightened and she didn¡¯t even realize when a smile crossed her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be your chief bridesmaid!¡± Rose was the first to say.

    ¡°No, me!¡± Chelsea said.

    ¡°No, only moi!¡± Ashley demanded the role.

    ¡°Sorry, guys, but that role is taken already,¡±

    The way their head whipped around to her simultaneously almost gave Arianna a heart attack. They looked serious.

    ¡°Who did you give the role to?!¡±

    ¡°Who stole my position?!¡±

    ¡°Who took my ce?!¡±

    ¡°Cassie?¡± Arianna wanted to hide from the intensity of their re.

    ¡°Which of the Cassie... oh..¡± Realization dawned on her however Rose¡¯s face turned into one of disgust and Arianna noticed that.

    ¡°Why? What is it?¡± Arianna could sense there was a story behind that.

    Ashley rolled her eyes, ¡°You probably didn¡¯t know what Cassie did after you escaped, else you wouldn¡¯t have done that?¡±

    No, she didn¡¯t.

    And Arianna was curious as hell to know.

 Chapter 167

    167 Heap The me On Them

    [shback]

    After Arianna¡¯s escape from the club:

    The girls knew real fear after they were bundled to Big Joe¡¯s office first thing in the morning. They still haven¡¯t wrapped their heads around the events ofst night.

    One moment they had been having fun with Arianna until she decided to step down to the dance floor where they didn¡¯t hear from her again. Even without the news of Arianna¡¯s escape being released, they all knew something happened with the way Big Joe¡¯sckeys filled the club, conducting an unexpected search.

    They had no clue on what to do if not to sit at a corner and wait until they were rounded up by his underlings who didn¡¯t take them home directly, rather they were tied up and spent the night in a dark, cold room.

    They couldn¡¯t tell which one was more annoying, udia¡¯s sniffles ¨C Big Joe didn¡¯t spare her as well notwithstanding she was Arianna¡¯s cousin- throughout the night or the fact they were in a mess they had no clue about.

    Hence it came as a relief when they were finally out in the open, but in Big Joe¡¯s presence? Nah, that was their worst nightmare.

    They were almost shivering with Big Joe in the same room with them ¨C the man was seated on the throne while they were on their knees. Beneath the barely suppressed anger in his eyes, there was another emotion in there ¨C disdain. They were mere flies in his sight.

    udia was the first to speak up, apparently, that one loved her life too much and she wasn¡¯t ashamed to show it.

    .....

    ¡°Sir, why are you doing this?¡± udia walked over on her knees to Kenith who was as usual standing beside Big Joe and was close to grabbing his legs had the security details with him not blocked her.

    She said, ¡°We are business partners, or have you forgotten that? How could you treat me in this manner?!¡± udia dared to scold him, believing he was the leader here, and didn¡¯t get to see the slight twitch at the corner of Big Joe¡¯s eyes. Apparently, she never expected the snack-sized man to be the leader of the gang and that ¡°Big Joe¡± was just the moniker he ¨C Kenith ¨C used.

    It seems Big Joe didn¡¯t take it well at being ignored in a situation where his presence should be recognized the most. And to think, his second inmand took the glory that should be his.

    Kenith must have noticed his irritation as well because he shifted ufortably on his feet without saying a word to udia. Even the girls didn¡¯t say a word, trying toprehend what was going on here. udia was recklessly sassy for their liking, didn¡¯t she understand the situation they were in?

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you go all shy on me now,¡± udia mistook his uneasiness as embarrassment, ¡°We had an agreement ¨C my sister, for the cancetion of our debt and this is how you treat me after thepletion of the deal?¡±

    There was a long pause as if she was waiting for her words to sink in and when she didn¡¯t get a response, was about to judge him once again when Big Joe who remained silent all this while, spoke up,¡± She speaks too much,¡± in a bored drawl.

    His underlings didn¡¯t wait to ask what he meant by that because they went into action immediately, showing that this wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯ve done something like this.

    udia¡¯s eyes widened, what the hell was going on? Why were they taking the orders of that shorty? Moreover, what¡¯s with them always gagging her? Was this a kinky fondness or what?!

    But she didn¡¯t get the opportunity to ask her questions because they tied her mouth with the rag so tight that it hurt and herints were nothing but annoying muffles.

    ¡°One more sound from you and I¡¯ll st your head off,¡± Big Joe warned her with enough menace in his tone that made the hairs on her nape stand on edge.

    As short as he was, udia was finally able to notice the authority and it finally dawned on her his identity when Kenith called him, ¡°Boss?¡±

    ¡°Boss?¡± udia¡¯s eyes widened in shock at first before morphing into dark delight. If this man was the boss, then this meant that this short man was Arianna¡¯s husband?!

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± She was close to bursting intoughter but udia knew without a doubt that the man would fulfill his threat of putting that bullet in her head if she dared let out a little sound as a snicker. People like that were quite sensitive about their height and the way it affected their self-esteem.

    So as stupid as udia was, she didn¡¯t want to court death.

    ¡°So this was the ones with her before she took off?¡± Big Joe questioned Kenith who slightly nodded.

    The girls didn¡¯t need to be told that the person he was referring to was Arianna and knew at once they were in deep trouble.

    Big Joe turned his attention to them,

    ¡°So tell me then, what happened?¡±

    However, before any of the girls ¨C that wasn¡¯t gagged ¨C had the chance of relying on the incident, Cassie already jumped on the opportunity to save her ass.

    ¡°I really have no idea what¡¯s going on, Boss, you should believe me. I might have been with Arianna all this while but she never entertained the thought of taking off until they came along. Don¡¯t you find it suspicious as well?¡± She heaped the me on the rest of them.

    Rose, Ashley, Chelsea¡¯s ¨C and the one that was gagged ¨C eyes widened at once, what was happening here? Why was Cassie holding them responsible for something they had no clue about?

    But their disbelief increased the more when Kenith chipped in, ¡°I can vouch for Cassie as well, she has been with us for years and wouldn¡¯t do anything as irresponsible as giving your wife the idea of running off?¡±

    And they would? Heck, they didn¡¯t even know who Arianna was until yesterday.

    Chelsea was the one to speak up, ¡°Boss, we wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. We only did what you ordered us to do, help Arianna have fun. Why would we help someone as important as your wife escape at our peril? Who does that?¡±

 Chapter 168

    168 Being Careful

    So Cassie threw them under the bus, Arianna learnt from the story. No wonder the girl wasn¡¯t as pissed as she thought she would be at her when she returned.

    Cassie came out unscathed.

    ¡°Even at that, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s to me here. My running away put all of you in a difficult spot,¡± Arianna acknowledged her fault, ¡°Not everyone is as brave as you are and that might as well have been Cassie¡¯s own way of ensuring her survival, ¡±

    ¡°Yeah, real low way of survival,¡± Ashley sneered, ¡°You¡¯re too kind for your good,¡± She told her, ¡°No matter what kind of trouble I¡¯m in, I would never betray my innocent friends to save my ass. That¡¯s lesson 101 on the friendship booklet,¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± The other girls supported and from their tone, it was obvious they held sheer disdain for Cassie¡¯s action.

    But Arianna was not quick to judge the youngdy. Now she thought about the issue, it became clear to her why Cassie had been working usually hard to please her. Cassie was trying to pay for what she did. At least she shows remorse ¨C that¡¯s a good sign of repentance.

    ¡°You know, what makes me pretty mad is the fact Kenith saved her head, leaving us to the wolves,¡± Chelsea chuckled mirthlessly, ¡°I guess that rumor about them isn¡¯t far-off,¡±

    And that piqued Arianna¡¯s interest because her brows grew higher and her ears perked up. She was not a gossip but Arianna knew whatever information the girls were about to release was crucial.

    She turned to Chelsea, trying not to seem all fixated on the issue, ¡°What rumor?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Rumors about the two of them together,¡± Ashley was the one who answered from behind, drawing her attention to her. Sometimes the way they spoke and worked in unison as if they had psychic powers scared her. They weren¡¯t even twins.

    But the secret was out and it was so heavy that it actually sounded like bells were ringing in Arianna¡¯s head. For a minute, she didn¡¯t say a word, just stared up at nothing and tried to digest what they just fed her.

    Kenith and Cassie were a couple? She found it hard to believe. There was nothing to suggest the two were remotely interested in one another so thinking about it made Arianna feel like she had just been yed. There was an ufortable feeling in the bit of her that grew worse with each passing minute.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Arianna breathed out, her voice weak from the intensity of the shock she just received, ¡°She¡¯s just merely one of his people....¡±

    And now she mentioned it with her mouth, Arianna felt incredibly stupid. Oh God, the ufortable feeling in the pit of her belly increased and that was because of her discovery.

    If Kenith was Cassie¡¯s boyfriend and she ¨C Arianna ¨C had him put in the dungeon on the count of rape, yet Cassie still didn¡¯t me her? That only meant she didn¡¯t love the guy and was overly stupid or she was a good pretender and was biding her time to strike back at her.

    Arianna chose thetter.

    It was as if the scale covering her eyes finally fell and she was able to see the truth in front of her. Cassie had the patience of a panther and the will of a tigress, those two virtues were important assets for a woman out for payback.

    They said hell hath no fury for a woman scorned and Arianna could rte with that because she would do everything to avenge Elijah if anything were to him ¨C notwithstanding he wasn¡¯t even righteous. So yeah, she guessed, Cassie would want a chunk of her body notwithstanding her boyfriend was in the wrong for trying to r*pe her.

    Arianna didn¡¯t believe Cassie would have a change of heart and stop pursuing after her because she learned from her uncle¡¯s family. When you love someone sometimes, the line between wrong and right bes blurry and you be a reflection of that person. It¡¯s your loved ones before others ¨C So yeah, Cassie definitely chose Kenith before her.

    ¡°No wonder,¡± Rose said, ¡°I always thought she got off easily on a lot of things here. Not to mention that arrogant look in her eyes as if the rest of us are mere ants in her sight. Who knew she was dating the boss¡¯ right hand man?¡±

    She rolled her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you had her boyfriend locked up, now she won¡¯t have .....¡± Rose trailed off, a sudden emotion in her gaze as if she just realized what Arianna stumbled upon.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Rose whistled low in her throat, ¡°Bitch won¡¯t be pleased by that,¡± She turned to Arianna questioningly, ¡°How are the both of you able to get along after you had her boyfriend locked up and demoted?¡±

    She added almost immediately, ¡°Not that it¡¯s your fault ¨C you didn¡¯t ask Kenith to behave like an animal. But no matter how much I like you, I¡¯ll be pissed as hell serving you if that were to happen to me,¡± The woman said truthfully.

    That was exactly the problem, Arianna didn¡¯t know how Cassie felt because she never knew in the first ce that she and Kenith were an item until now. It was shocking how people could hide their emotions for a long time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this feeling,¡± Chelsea said, ¡°What if she harms you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, If Cassie wanted to harm her, I think she should have done it already before Arianna discovered the truth. Certain killers like telling the victims the reason for their death moments before they end them,¡± Ashley opined.

    ¡°Or maybe you guys are taking this too far,¡± Arianna looked up at them seriously, ¡°Maybe her form of revenge is just a prank or something,¡± She wanted to believe Cassie was reasonable and not just love struck.

    She went on, ¡°Why would Cassie go to the extent of ending my life knowing Big Joe would hunt her down afterward. That n is suicidal and the Cassie I know values her life so much she was willing to throw you guys under the bus to preserve it.¡± Arianna pointed out.

    There was a small pause as the girls thought over her words and saw she was right. No matter how much Cassie hated Arianna, she would not touch a hair on her for the fear of Big Joe.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Chelsea nodded her head, ¡°But you have to be careful from now on because there are many ways to end one¡¯s life without going physical,¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t need to be told twice because unlike before when she would have epted death, Elijah was busting her out.

    She had to live!

 Chapter 169

    169 The Tie Trauma

    ¡°Sir, everything is as nned,¡± Samuel said to Marcel who was working on his tie.

    Today was D-day ¨C the day when Arianna finally gets married to the love of her life and Marcel couldn¡¯t even understand why he was being so irritated and sarcastic right now.

    It was his n all along and now it wasing to fruition, it annoyed the hell out of him. There was no way that marriage was going to work, especially not with Arianna in the picture.

    If Elijah loved Arianna as much as she loved him, then he ¨C Elijah ¨C would definitely disrupt the wedding by busting her out ¨C and that was what Marcel was waiting for. It would be like killing two birds with one stone, not only would he end the marriage between Big Joe and Arianna, he would also have Elijah in his palms. It was a big win-win situation for him.

    But the n was a two-edged sword as well if Elijah doesn¡¯t show up. Not only would he lose sight of Elijah but Arianna would be miserable married to the short leader of the Red Giant gang.

    Although Marcel highly doubted that with the revolt brewing thickly in the air. He wondered how the asshole could think of marriage when he hadn¡¯t purged his organization and had many swords pointing at his back. Was the fool that taken by Arianna ¨C the thought of that pissed Marcel off for reasons he couldn¡¯t tell.

    Fine, maybe he cared for Arianna more than he admitted but that was only because he didn¡¯t want such a miserable fate for her. He knew men like Big Joe and they could never fully appreciate women like Arianna. They would only break her till she¡¯s just a shadow of herself. He had to save her from such fate and send her far away afterward for a better life.

    Marcel could not delude himself into thinking something would happen between him and Arianna. Arianna loves Elijah and he¡¯s going to end the asshole when he gets his hand on him. So yeah, their fate is an ill one. The both of them can¡¯t happen at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Marcel slipped the tie out of his neck and tossed it away. No matter how many times he tries to get over that trauma, it just doesn¡¯t work.

    .....

    He hadn¡¯t hated wearing ties at first until he made a stupid mistake once and his opponent ¨C who was a woman with a tititing figure ¨C nearly ended his life by asphyxiation.

    Years back, when Marcel hasn¡¯t taken over the boss position. He undertook a mission under his father¡¯s instruction and when he had all but forgotten it, they came back for vengeance. And their form of vengeance was sending a female assassin after him.

    Marcel was not going to lie, he had been a bit reckless and big-headed then. He had been over highly confident of his abilities and didn¡¯t think anyone could get to him.

    It was a wedding ceremony of one of their partners and Marcel attended to represent his father who couldn¡¯t make it. But then, the event got boring pretty soon with the love and adoration showered on the bride and groom.

    Maybe it was just jealousy speaking because he knew he couldn¡¯t have a future like that one. His parent¡¯s miserable marriage told him enough.

    Marcel had been looking for the nearest exit door when he saw her and then his lower body started thinking instead of his brains. His mood was down already, why couldn¡¯t he have a little fun? He thought. With that magnificent backside and ample boobs, he was going to enjoy every worth of his time.

    It was not hard to convince her with his blessed face from his mother and the honey tongue he¡¯s honed over the years. Any girl he wanted, he got them.

    Marcel had mistaken her as one of the wedding guests, nothing about her spoke assassin. Moreover, what kind of assassin would track him down to a wedding just to end him? Well, an assassin that wanted to im the bounty ¨C he had no idea of ¨C on his head.

    The wedding was held in the hotel¡¯s hall so it wasn¡¯t that hard to find a room. The funny part was that they had sex, like f*cking amazing sex that lowered his guardpletely. Not to mention the alcohol at the party did help to dull his senses.

    And it was while she was riding him that she slipped the tie around his neck. At first, Marcel didn¡¯t give it much thought when it was a slight tug thinking she was into the BDSM activity. Marcel wasn¡¯t into such stuff but he could handle the woman being in dominance for a while and a little pain. The feeling was euphoric.

    It worked well ¨C a little pain and a little pleasure ¨C until shit went down real quick. Marcel thought she was simply going up the pain gauge ¨C even though he was beginning to suffocate ¨C until he saw the sinister glint in her eyes.

    Those were the eyes of a killer.

    A hunter.

    The alcohol dulled his reflexes that he couldn¡¯t fight her off with all of his strength and his weapons were far from him. He fell right into a trap set by the mother fucker.

    Even when he struggled for life, she still rode him hard, getting off on his distress.

    Fucking psychopath.

    The only thought that crossed Marcel¡¯s mind at that moment was that he was going to die while having sex. That wasn¡¯t even how he imagined his glorious end.

    Seconds from leaving this earth, by sheer luck, he touched the pen he used to write down his address for her on the nightstand. To think he wanted her for a second time.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t tell the expression on her face; the blissful look of pleasure as she hit her orgasm while strangling him, or the look of horror as Marcel stabbed into her neck with the pointy end of the pen over and over as her blood spilled over him.

 Chapter 170

    170 Keeping Victor Safe

    One would think that after such a traumatic sexual experience, Marcel would be celibate. But no, his little brother was overpowered and all he developed was a revulsion to ties.

    After that experience, he covered up the dead body as usual and went on a hunt on the gang that put the bounty on his head.

    The biggest mistake they made was to keep him alive and now, nothing held him back as he ughtered every one of them till the price on him vanished as if it never existed.

    Thanks to that experience, Marcel made a name for himself in their world and no one dared to put a bounty on him ever since then. His father¡¯s training might have been vicious, but they sure came in handy in the end.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Marcel finally turned away from the window, erasing the thoughts from his head. It wasn¡¯t time to dwindle in the past but focus on the mission at hand. He couldn¡¯t mess it up.

    His family member wouldy low for a while thanks to his ¡°presents¡± but while scheming this time, they would be more cautious and brutal. He couldn¡¯t give them a reason to win over him.

    While Marcel was about to give instructions, his cousin bust into his office in his furious glory, saying, ¡°And why exactly wouldn¡¯t I be joining this mission?¡± Victor was pissed as he expected.

    ¡°Are you questioning my orders?¡± Marcel barely spared a look at him.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Victor didn¡¯t care, ¡°Why?¡±

    .....

    ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten that I answer to no one, my orders are final. You are noting with me,¡± Marcel¡¯s tone was firm and conclusively, not that Victor ever listened.

    Victor took a step closer, ¡°Listen, if you are doing this is to keep me safe, then you of all people should know how capable I am. I¡¯m not better than you but I¡¯m more skilled than Samuel here,¡± He pointed at the temporary assistant still at the corner and who kept a neutral expression.

    But the truth? He wanted a dual between the both of them to ascertain who was better. Sadly, this wasn¡¯t the time for it.

    Yes, he was doing this to protect him, not that Marcel would acknowledge that because it would only give Victor the leverage to try to change his mind. As much as he had everything in control, everything could still go wrong starting from the Red Giant gang.

    They gave him an invitation to the wedding not because he was invited, but because he ¡°demanded¡± one.

    Big Joe doesn¡¯t want him there ¨C that was as clear as the day ¨C considering his ¡°rtionship¡± with Arianna before he released her to them. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the man found his attendance suspicious and put some ¡°measures¡± in ce. Marcel fights better when he has no one to worry about.

    Not to talk of Elijah.

    He would be a fool to think that Elijah has no idea of the ns he has in store for him. Elijah was a smart man and could tell that this wedding ceremony is nothing but a trap mapped out exclusively for him. Big Joe and the others were only pawns setting the n in motion and only a man mad would walk into it unprepared.

    Elijah was no mad man.

    So no, Victor was noting along with him. There were only two people that mattered to Marcel in this life and that was Victor and his sister, Chloe. Elijah was too smart, what if he changes course and decides to use Victor to get what he wants? Marcel wasn¡¯t sure he would be able to take it if his cousin ended up as a casualty loss in this war.

    It surely can¡¯t happen.

    He promised Carmine, his aunt and Victor¡¯s mother that he would protect her son notwithstanding how reckless and entric he could be sometimes. Moreover, everything that happened to Victor in the past was because of him and he would spend the rest of his life atoning for that.

    ¡°Why should I be concerned about you? Are you a kid?¡± Marcel rolled his eyes, pretending not to care.

    ¡°Who knows? You¡¯ve shown your motherly affection uncountable times,¡± Victor¡¯sment earned a re from Marcel.

    Marcel simply rubbed his forehead, then went ahead to say, ¡°You are staying back here with reasons. While I¡¯m out here, I need someone to take care of things in here and you¡¯re the only one I can trust to do that,¡±

    It pretty much sounded like an excuse to Victor but he didn¡¯t say anything. When you pushed Marcel to the end sometimes, he coulde up with extreme measures ¨C all done Daniel-style ¨C and he didn¡¯t want to experience that.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Victor sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll y home alone as usual while you have all the fun out there. Fucking consigliere I am,¡± He cursed in disappointment.

    And he would have cursed more had a knock note on the door and Victor went to open it only to see an unexpected face and the irritation on his face gave way to dark pleasure. At least, he won¡¯t be the only one suffering today.

    ¡°Hi,¡± ra waved at him enthusiastically.

    Victor didn¡¯t turn around to see the color drained off Marcel¡¯s face upon hearing that voice.

    ¡°Hi, my lovelydy,¡± He took her hand and weed her in, ¡°Your shining knight is over there,¡± he directed her at Marcel who was already ring daggers at him.

    Even when ra was in front of him, Marcel didn¡¯t bother to put on a happy expression for the sake of courtesy.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Was his weing statement.

    ¡°You know I did hate your grumpy look in the past but now, I find it quite interesting. You¡¯re sexy when you frown,¡± She flirted with him.

    A reaction didn¡¯t evene from Marcel but rather from Victor who nearly choked on his saliva. When did their rtionship turn sickly sweet? He liked it better when they fought.

 Chapter 171

    171 I Don¡¯t Have A Heart

    What brought on this sudden change? Marcel had a sick feeling it had to do with that kiss. There were two categories of women in his life ¨C the ones who loved him and the ones who lusted after him.

    Marcel had a feeling ra graduated from the region of ¡°hate¡± and into the department of ¡°lust¡± and he was the ¡°catalyst¡± responsible for that elerated development.

    The atmosphere in the room became awkward and Victor was the first to see himself out, ¡°I¡¯ll see you two lovebirdster,¡±

    Marcel glowered at him.

    He scampered away for safety.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave as well,¡± Samuel said.

    ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Marcel thundered at him. He didn¡¯t want to be left with this woman. Ever since ra made that love confession, he was scared of her.

    He was notfortable with the sudden attention ra was giving him and the both of them being alone ¨C where anything could happen ¨C was thest thing he wanted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the car ready!¡± Samuel announced and fled away like the sh before even Marcel could stop him.

    .....

    ¡°You-!¡± Marcel was dumbfounded. He was red in the face with both embarrassment and anger. Those two unfaithful brethren! He should just sack them after this is over.

    Left with no choice but to face his fate all alone, Marcel turned to ra with a resigned sigh. He must be paying for all of the sins hemitted; this was karma.

    A pleased smile formed on ra¡¯s lips when everyone evacuated the room. At least they weren¡¯t as dumb as she thought. It seems being epted as the future madam wouldn¡¯t be as hard as she thought.

    ¡°Now, you have the privacy to say all you want to?¡± Marcel gestured to his office that was devoid of human presence.

    ¡°Who said I was here to talk?¡± ra said with a mischievous smirk and then in three steps, ambled over to Marcel, hitched him closer by the cor, and pressed her lips against his.

    His lips were still as gentle yet firm as she remembered and when she kissed him fully, it felt good. Unlike Luther, whose lips were most times chapped, Marcel¡¯s were smooth as if he had exfoliated the dead skins making his lips look healthier ¨C and yummy.

    If only Marcel knew what she was thinking at that moment, he could have run away with his tails in between his lips. How could his lips be yummy? Cannibal mode suspected.

    However, even as she kissed him, it was unsatisfactory and it was because something was missing. The passion. Even though she kissed him, Marcel stood as still as a tree; he was unaffected. Or maybe, he was trying hard to be unaffected.

    ra missed that feeling. She remembered that day he kissed her as if she truly mattered. Almost as if he was scared of losing her ¨C that kiss had conveyed too many messages. But then, she couldn¡¯t see the sign of it now. Why wasn¡¯t Marcel making a move on her when she was literally throwing herself on him? She was confused.

    So she kissed him harder and even rubbed her pelvis against his to elicit a reaction but all he did was to pull her away. They broke apart at once.

    ra looked up at anywhere else but him, her chest heaving from theck of oxygen. She then faced him, ¡± You know, I¡¯m going to get your heart one day,¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Marcel told her, straightening his shirt she had crumbled up in the process of kissing him.

    ra frowned, ¡°Are you in love with someone else?¡± It suddenly crossed her mind. That had to be the reason Marcel was being indifferent to her.

    Marcel halted his actions, his brows raised, ¡°No.¡± was all he said. No further exnation.

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°Why what?¡±

    ¡°Why have you been cold to me? I¡¯m trying my absolute best to win your heart?¡±

    Marcelughed mirthlessly, ¡°That¡¯s the problem, I don¡¯t exactly have a heart,¡± He tried to leave but she stood in his way.

    ¡°Why do I find that hard to believe?¡± ra spoke, her words almost a whisper as she looked into his eyes as if trying to search for an answer that could help her understand him.

    Without warning, Marcel whirled her around and backed her into the wall, pinning both of her hands above her head. Not that she wasining, that was extremely sexy. Thinking she finally got him in the mood, ra anticipated his next move. She bet her expectations would be met.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Marcel asked, his voice incredibly low and sexy.

    ¡°Everything,¡± She wanted to say but couldn¡¯t find the voice to speak. Marcel was turning her on.

    ¡°Is it sex?¡± And as he said those words, his hands traveled into her gown and began to trail up her skin.

    It wasn¡¯t his hands that turned her on, rather the intensity in Marcel¡¯s eyes. The boldness in them as his hands traveled further up without breaking his gaze. He was confident in himself and that alone boosted his sex appeal.

    Her breath hitched and her body shivered in delight as his hand traveled close to her heat, just a little more..... He stopped.

    And it came as a major disappointment when he suddenly stopped. If her hands weren¡¯t restrained, she would have made him finish what he started.

    ¡°Or have you be bored of Luther, you¡¯ve turned your sight on me? I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re that much of an attention seeker?¡± he said cruelly.

    Whatever excitement ra felt for Marcel vanished as soon as he said those words. At once, the adoration she had for him turned into resentment. She struggled to be free and Marcel let her be.

    But as soon as her hands were free, shended a p on his face, ¡°How could you?!¡±

    Marcel saw that ping yet made no efforts to stop her. Maybe he did deserve that one.

    ¡°How could you think that low of me?!¡± She cried out, feeling wronged. She went on, feeling strong bitterness in her heart, ¡°I even gave up the man I loved just to make this work and this is how you treat me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Maybe you should go back to him,¡±

 Chapter 172

    172 Be With The Lesser Evil

    The tension in the room was so thick that one could slice at it with a knife. ra went rigid the instant Marcel made that statement and she nched.

    ¡°And what¡¯s the endgame?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°We will be with whoever we like, what happens to our kid then?¡±

    At the mention of a kid, all colors drained from his face. Sometimes, Marcel forgets that the sole aim of marrying ra was to get a hair that would take his ce if anything were to happen to him. And now, he thought about it, he felt stupid for having made that statement.

    ¡°What kind of family are we going to present to our child, Marcel? You of all people should answer that correctly,¡±

    And she was fucking right, he could answer better havinge from a troubled one. As much as Marcel disliked ra, he couldn¡¯t let his child grow up in a loveless marriage. His child can¡¯t go through the same thing he encountered.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t love me, at least try to encourage the future I¡¯m trying to build for us. Don¡¯t make me look like a fool,¡± The tears ra had been trying to hold back, finally broke free.

    ¡°I¡¯m so tired of fighting with you,¡± ra threw herself on him and hugged him tight while Marcel stood frozen like the north pole.

    .....

    He didn¡¯t know what to do nor did he push ra away as she cried on his body. This was his fault.

    ra was right, whether he liked it or not, the both of them would have to build a family together. Even if he manages to get Chloe back, he can¡¯t just break the engagement now, the decision was above him.

    Even if he and ra eventually broke off their engagement, he would still end up in an arranged marriage. His marital life is nothing more than a pawn in the politics to promote their family or between leading ns.

    The devil you knew is better than the angel you have not seen. Marcel would rather be with ra whom he knows her tendencies already than another woman from enemy ns.

    Sometimes, an arrangement like that ends up in bloodshed when the woman with an ulterior motive betrays her husband for her family. Marcel would rather be with the lesser evil, ra.

    It was not like he was going to marry for love in the first ce ¨C he doesn¡¯t even know what that means. All that mattered to Marcel was giving his child a better family and since ra was interested in creating one as well, he might as well give her a chance.

    Moreover, it would end his obsession for Arianna ¨C he eventually came back to the subject he was avoiding. After today¡¯s mission goes sessful, Arianna would be sent far away and he would settle down with ra and make a family.

    Arianna would no longer be here to distract him or make him do stupid things- like killing one of his own for her. He would forget all about her and the fact she ever existed, focusing on his future. ra was not a bad choice anyway. Maybe?

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s give it a try,¡± He finally said and one should see the expression on ra¡¯s face when she finally lifted her head.

    ¡°W-what?¡± She choked, a big look of unbelief on her face. She must have heard wrong.

    A small furrow appeared on Marcel¡¯s face, he doesn¡¯t like repeating himself and certainly not on sensitive matters like this one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try and create a good family for our child,¡± He said once again, a little bit louder this time.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± ra gushed, pulling away from his body.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!¡± She screamed and then hugged him once more. But this time she was full of Joy.

    Still hugging Marcel, ra looked up, chin resting on his body, saying, ¡°I promise you, you¡¯re not going to regret this decision,¡±

    Marcel sure hoped so because he was beginning to have this sickening feeling in his belly he just made a big mistake.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± ra was still in high spirit because she stood on her toes and smooched him on the lips. Marcel tried to look happy for her sake else she releases those tears that scares the hell out of him.

    ¡°I have to leave,¡± He looked down at his watch for emphasis.

    ¡°Call me when you¡¯re back,¡±

    Never.

    ¡°Sure,¡± He betrayed the true answer in his heart.

    Since he was leaving, the both of them walked out together and ra was the one that intertwined their hands with a coy smile that didn¡¯t even stir his heart. It was going to be hard getting used to the fact they were now together.

    Victor was lounging on the couch in the living room when they arrived and his gaze first rested on their joined hands before his brows raised and even without asking, Marcel already knew the question.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even ask,¡± Marcel¡¯s ufortable demeanor supplied the answer without speaking.

    ¡°The both of you look good together,¡± Victor had never been insincere until now.

    ra smiled at thepliment ¨C as she thought ¨C only Marcel understood the irony there.

    ¡°See you then,¡± Marcel was more than happy to dump her with Victor. Maybe, with time, he would get used to her, Marcel kept telling himself.

    As soon as Marcel left, only Victor and ra remained in the living room. He went back to reading his magazine when she interrupted him, ¡°Hi, Vic,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Victor,¡± He added, ¡°We¡¯re not close enough to give me a nickname,¡±

    ra blinked, the smile on her mouth froze. She thought they were friends. Further, she had been so happy with Marcel epting their rtionship that she thought it would be the same with everyone else. It seems winning them over wouldn¡¯t be as easy as she thought.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Sheughed to ease the awkwardness that fell over them afterward.

    Silence fell over them once more until ra felt parched, she tried her luck once again.

    ¡°Hi Victor, can I get a ss of -¡±

    ¡°This is not your first time here, in one word, you¡¯re not a guest. So find your way around,¡± He said bluntly, moving his attention back to his magazine.

    He added almost immediately, ¡°And has anyone ever told you it¡¯s quite rude to interrupt a person while reading,¡±

    And that was all ra needed to leave the mansion in the next minute.

 Chapter 173

    173 Her Wedding Day

    It¡¯s her wedding day.

    Yeah?!

    Today was a hubbub of activities that even though Arianna wanted to drift away to a wondend in her head, she couldn¡¯t. There was always one or two people around to congratte her on her wedding day or work on her appearance.

    Arianna had been washed, scrubbed ¨C that was one of the most embarrassing episodes of her life ¨C shaved ¨C yeah, that was the second most embarrassing moment ¨C till she was as good as new.

    Big Joe did not let her redo her bachelorette party judging from how thest one ended in disaster because she took advantage of it and plotted her escape. Apparently, Big Joe was not taking any chances with her. But then, Arianna was not the type to give up easily.

    The closest thing to a bachelorette party she gotst night was getting wasted. Her now new best friends ¨C Ashley, Rose, and Chelsea ¨C were quite resourceful and managed to sneak in some booze. Even Cassie surprised them by getting snacks to go along with it and made sure they weren¡¯t interrupted for the rest of the night.

    They tarried into the night; partying hard and having the time of their life only to wake up this morning with a terrible hangover ¨C She even forgot about her wedding day.

    So you can imagine how murderous Arianna felt when she was dumped into the bathtub by women who she had no clue about with their hands roaming all over her body and in ces she dared not mention.

    They waxed and shaved all hairy spots on her body till Arianna felt freshly plucked like a Christmas turkey. She felt raw, clean ¨C and vited. Those hands on her body earlier would forever traumatize her, not to mention how mortified she was.

    .....

    Big Joe never discussed this with her; he certainly doesn¡¯t understand the word, ¡°boundaries¡±. Arianna was as pissed as hell because she had a disturbing feeling where all of this was heading to. He certainly hadn¡¯t given up on their idea of a wedding night. She would make sure to disappoint him greatly.

    ¡°Elijah, where are you? What are you nning?¡± Arianna was beginning to get anxious and agitated. She even began to question trusting Elijah¡¯s words, how sure was she that he even knows today was her wedding day? What if he got caught up with some things? Was she having false hope?

    ¡°Oh my God, you look so beautiful!¡± Someone said, bringing Arianna back to the present.

    As she thought, it was one of the guests that hade to see Big Joe¡¯s wife. Most of them that visited her did so to satisfy their curiosity while some pitied her and the rest came to scorn her.

    Just as Arianna thought, it was a miserable fate marrying Big Joe and some of the jealous, arrogant women shamelessly rubbed that knowledge in her face. Not that she minded, Arianna hardly knows who they are, so why should she care what they said?

    However, this particr woman, Arianna knows her, at least, she recognized her from the day she officially met Big Joe as her husband.

    ¡°Thank you, Juliet,¡± Arianna added no title or whatsoever, calling her by the name and that made the woman lift her brow. Apparently, the woman was expecting some form of respect from the bride to be, thinking she was some pushover.

    Sadly, Arianna was not in the mood to give her one. Moreover, Juliet was just a guest in the wedding today while she was Big Joe¡¯s wife ¨C she had the authority ¨C and today was her ¨C dreaded ¨C wedding. So yeah, she had more power here.

    At once, Juliet covered the irritation that slightly furrowed her brows with a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes, ¡°You look so dazzling today that it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re excited about this wedding. I¡¯m sure you couldn¡¯t wait for the morning toe so you could be married to the love of your life, Big Joe,¡±

    Arianna might have kept a neutral expression but her clenched fists betrayed her feelings. Was thisdybug trying to anger her to death or something?

    What does she mean by the love of her life, Big Joe? Arianna was so pissed off that she bit the inside of her mouth to keep herself from sassing back.

    Some people willingly ask for a death sentence, why can¡¯t they just mind their business?

    Arianna could tell nothing went on between Juliet and Big Joe ¨C they were just business partners. But this wasn¡¯t the first time that Arianna had met women that liked to be in control ¨C including other people¡¯s households when given the chance.

    Unfortunately, she met her match.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Arianna retorted, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be in a hurry to marry a man with many resources at his disposal? Wouldn¡¯t you do the same if you were poor and in my shoes,¡± Arianna tried to make her voice as innocent as possible but her three friends and bridesmaids in the room with her were not ignorant of the power tussle between them.

    Juliet was taken aback by her unusual answers, it seems Arianna was smarter than she appeared to be. Her n of using the young woman was not going to be as smooth as she thought. She thought to withdraw immediately before she created animosity between the both of them. If that happened, it would be harder to get her on her sideter.

    ¡°Have a nice day,¡± Juliet deflected Arianna¡¯s question, saying instead, ¡°Indeed, you look beautiful. Congrattions on your wedding day,¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna tried to be as cordial as possible. All she wanted to do was to hurl off this wedding dress and run as far as she could. As if that was possible. Big Joe had men outside those doors that would incapacitate her before she even took a step.

    And with that, the ambitious woman finally left the room and Arianna was able to breathe. She was tired of those pretentious bitches and their indirect insults.

    ¡°Rose, please lock the door and tell the other interested well-wishers that the bride-to-be is not in the mood for their Felicitation,¡± Arianna groaned out to Rose who was more than happy to seal those nuisances away.

    However, before she could close the door, a pair of loafers confidently stepped in.

 Chapter 174

    174 Treat Him Insignificantly

    While Arianna had been thinking of a way to escape here, her mind for once never gravitated towards Marcel. Hence it came as a big shock to her when he waltzed into the ce like he owned it; her eyes almost bulged out of its socket.

    ¡°Whooee-uueet,¡± Chelsea whistled low in her throat, the love gears in her head switching on.

    Chelsea was not the only one taken by Marcel because Rose, who was sent to shut the door, was frozen at the spot and had her mouth open. Ashley was eyefucking him and for some strange reasons, the thought didn¡¯t sit right with Arianna. She was certainly not jealous, trust her. Merely ufortable.

    As much as she loathed him, Arianna had to admit that Marcel was god damn attractive. His blonde hair was parted at the side, sweeping over the neat pompadour, and looking ssy. Marcel wore an Ascari brown three-piece suit that was tailored to his fitting, a crisp white shirt inside with no tie in ce. Now, who does that?

    But then Arianna had seen enough of that beauty in the past and that cute face betrayed her when she least expected it. So yeah, she wasn¡¯t bothered over his beauty but rather his appearance. Marcel suddenly appearing on the day Elijah was supposed to bust her out couldn¡¯t be good.

    The both of them stared at each other and she could tell he was slowly taking her in. Arianna couldn¡¯t help but blush from the intensity of his staring. Gosh, she hated feeling this way. She was supposed to be mad at him for Christ¡¯s sake. And yes she was very mad.

    Fate seems to be working on her side because all that she needed to activate that fury was a word from Marcel¡¯s caustic tongue.

    ¡°You are a beautiful bride,¡± He said, stopping right in front of Arianna who sat, spine straight on her antique Victorian carved chaise lounge. Big Joe was trying every means to win her over with luxury.

    Arianna¡¯s gaze turned cold at once, was he kidding her? Whose fault was it that she became an unwilling bride when he had all the power to save her? How dare he mock her?

    .....

    If only she knew Marcel sincerelyplimented her.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Arianna¡¯s voice was grave and tense, quite close to erupting.

    But Marcel ignore her question and instead presented a bouquet to her as if everything was good between the both of them, saying, ¡°A beautiful flower for a beautiful bride,¡±

    Not one saw iting, perhaps, only Marcel, but Arianna stood up abruptly and with a sweep of her hand, knocked the flower to the ground.

    ¡°Get the hell out of here, I don¡¯t want to see your face ever again!¡± She growled at him with fury, veins almost bulging out of her head.

    The girls stood awkwardly at the side, stunned at the drama. It seems their thoughts of hitting on the new eye candy were forever squashed before they could work on it.

    Judging from the suffocating tension between Arianna and that man, they could safely deduce he was Marcel. Booze creates loose lips and during their party, Arianna told them one or two things about the smoking hot Mafia Don who set in motion the events leading to this moment.

    On the bright side, Arianna was not wrong about the ¡°smoking hot¡± part ¨C each of them wanted a piece of him ¨C but how were they going to stop the two couples who were about to tear each other apart? Nothing good coulde out of their quarrel.

    ¡°Perhaps, we should give you two some privacy,¡± Ashley suggested. She didn¡¯t want to be part of this war.

    Arianna turned to her with a snap, ¡°You are not going anyway, he¡¯s leaving!¡± She gave her order.

    But Marcel turned to her with a wink, ¡°Good idea, sweetheart. You may leave now,¡± He charmed her.

    Ashley nearly melted at the spot.

    He was flirting? Arianna¡¯s anger increased. How dare he flirt in her presence? Marcel was disrespectful and an asshole.

    Marcel had no control here but Ashley, Rose, and Chelsea would obey that handsome candy over their angry friend right now. So they quickly hightailed it out of there, leaving the two parties alone.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Marcel breathed happily when the door was finally shut, ¡°We can talk freely,¡±

    ¡°Talk your ass!¡± Arianna shot back and returned to her seat. She picked the magazine by her side and began to go through it even when she had zero interest in it. Marcel¡¯s presence was tangible and impossible to ignore. But silence was her greatest weapon and she knew how to wield it.

    ¡°I want to start by saying I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marcel finally confessed when he found it hard to do. He hardly apologizes, people are always the ones begging him ¨C during their torture.

    Marcel figured out that Arianna was mad with him and she had every right to be. But if he had the chance to repeat what he did, he would do it over again because that was the best solution he coulde up with to preserve her life and get what he wants at the same time.

    But he might as well have been talking to himself because Arianna showed no other reaction than to flip to the next page.

    His jaw ticked.

    Marcel was not used to getting ignored, it pissed him off the most and Arianna was good at pushing him to the edge with silence. That she-devil!

    But he still went on with his apology, ¡°I know nothing I say or do would change your impression of me. But you have to know that it was for your ....¡± He trailed off when Ariannaughed loudly at something in the magazine and that was the end of his patience.

    Marcel covered the short distance between them in two angry strides, snatched the magazine from her hand, and tossed it to God knows where. She yelped when he pushed her down to the backrest of the chaise to her greatest shock.

    ¡°I hate it when you treat me insignificantly,¡± Marcel growled, leaning over her and locked her hands over her head, incapacitating her.

    Arianna looked like a deer caught in headlights, her panicky eyes shooting to the door and thinking about the trouble she would be in if anyone were to walk through that door, especially in this ambiguous position they were in.

    Oh, God.

 Chapter 175

    175 Walk Down The Aisle

    Marcel was a mad man, that was the first thought that came into Arianna¡¯s head when he pushed her down. Didn¡¯t he realize he was putting her in a difficult spot by being unreasonable?

    She hardly calmed Big Joe after that dance video. Who knows what would happen next If he stumbled upon this scene by mistake? He¡¯d definitely end her life while Marcel, the great Mafia King, goes unscathed. Yeah, she¡¯d be sacrificed in a war she wants no involvement in.

    Moreover, she never asked for him after he ruined her life, so what does Marcel want from her again? She was tired of him, especially not when she was close to escaping this ce!

    ¡°Get off me!¡± She warned him, her struggling was futile.

    ¡°Not until you listen to me,¡± Marcel gave her a condition.

    Ariannaughed sarcastically, ¡°Why do I need to listen to anything you say? The rtionship between the both of us ended that day you let them take them. So don¡¯te spilling your crocodile tears and remorse on me because it¡¯ste, save your tears for another day,¡± She said harshly, not giving a care if she hurt her feelings in the process. He hurt enough of her feelings already, it was time he received a taste of his own medicine.

    Arianna then tried to push him away but Marcel wouldn¡¯t budge one bit, and that irritated her greatly.

    ¡°Get off me!¡± She said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to forgive me, just don¡¯t ignore me,¡± He pleaded with her.

    .....

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ariannaughed cruelly, ¡°That is what I would love to do the most,¡±

    ¡°Arianna...¡±

    His soft expression was annoying to look at. He was not going to break her defenses at all. She refused to let him in the second time. Fool her once, shame on you; fool her twice, shame on her.

    ¡°Fine, we¡¯d talk, just get off me,¡± She pleaded with him for Christ¡¯s sake, her frantic gaze still checking out the door.

    Surprisingly, he obeyed.

    Marcel of all people let her up without any argument. That was a surprising change?

    Arianna sat up at once, straightening out the crease in her wedding dress. Sheposed herself and was only unable to control the flush in her cheek.

    Clearing her throat and sitting with her back straight and her demeanor cautious, she asked, ¡°What do you want us to discuss?¡±

    If only he had a change of mind and was here to rescue her, that would be so great. But knowing Marcel, Arianna could tell that her wish was as good as nothing.

    ¡°Did you receive any news from Elijah?¡±

    That question drained every color in Arianna¡¯s face. She began to panic and even though she tried her best to hide it, her hands couldn¡¯t help but shake. So she had to fold them together on herps.

    She nced up at Marcel coldly, ¡± You sent me to the lion¡¯s den, how would I know about Elijah?¡±

    But Marcel shook his head in disagreement, ¡°No, you do know something else you wouldn¡¯t be chewing on your bottom lips nor would you feel antsy right now,¡±

    The expression on Arianna¡¯s face was frozen from shock. Of course, Marcel was good at micro-expression recognition as well. Was there nothing he wasn¡¯t good at?

    ¡°He ns to bust you out today, eh? ¡± It was more of a question than a statement.

    ¡°You think whatever you want?¡± Arianna said, throwing her face the other way. He must be crazy to think that she would betray Elijah for him. She didn¡¯t do it then, why would she now?

    ¡°You might be doing Elijah a big favor by telling me what you know...¡± He breathed, ¡°It would make it easy for him,¡±

    Arianna stood up from her seat and walked over to where Marcel stood. She snorted, ¡°As if you would ever catch him,¡± That was a big joke.

    Nobodyes to Elijah.

    Elijahes to them.

    Marcel was not pissed off by her audacity, if anything, he was challenged. And like every challenge, he had to meet up with it.

    ¡°No,¡± He corrected her, ¡°I stand higher chances of capturing him now that I have you....¡± Marcel said, reaching out to caress her cheeks and Arianna tried her best not to dwell on the thrill that ran down her spine.

    That felt good as much as she resented it. Her body has a thing for betraying her when Marcel is involved. Damn it! She can¡¯t repeat a second mistake with him.

    ¡°He¡¯s concerned about you so he¡¯d surely make mistakes that I can trace back to him,¡± Marcel seems to be interested now in her face, his thumb brushing over her soft cheeks without stopping.

    Arianna¡¯s gaze narrowed, she was contemting Marcel¡¯s words and the audacity!

    ¡°If you can lead Elijah to me...¡± His caress now moved down to her neck and her breath hitched, the thrills having increased. He brushed over her corbone with the lightest of touch, almost feather-like, but what made her shiver most was the look in his eyes.

    When Marcel looked at her, it was all-consuming, ranging on the bother line of fear and excitement. He looked at her like she was the best thing he has everid his eyes on and that look alone, made heat pool in between her legs. She was tempted to fall under the charm of his beautiful gray eyes.

    He went on, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure this marriage never happens. You should know I never go back on my deals,¡±

    Arianna¡¯s gaze widened, he can set her free from Big Joe? But what he was asking her to do was to betray Elijah. But then she wouldn¡¯t have to marry that short ginger called Big Joe and be happy for once ¨C at the detriment of Elijah who tried to help her.

    Moreover, even if she wanted to help him, there was no way tomunicate with Elijah. He was the one thatmunicated with her unless Marcel wanted her to betray him after he must have rescued her today. Unfortunately, that was a huge no in that case; she wasn¡¯t the type of person to pay one¡¯s kindness with betrayal.

    Arianna said to him, ¡°Shove that favor up your ass,¡±

    ¡°Very well then,¡± His amusement was mirthless, ¡°I gave you the easy way but you made your choice. We¡¯ll see.¡±

    Almost immediately, the door pulled open and the both of them broke apart from each other, an awkward silence descending in the room.

    Cassie came in only to stop short upon seeing them. She looked between the both of them noticing the tension before clearing her throat as she announced, ¡°It¡¯s time to walk down the aisle, bride,¡±

    Arianna gulped.

    Should she consider the offer?

 Chapter 176

    176 His Bestie

    Mimi made no ns ofing to the base today. Even though she termed Charlie¡¯s death an act of self-defense and him leaving this world, a big favor to humanity, she still woke up screaming in the middle of the night from terror.

    She didn¡¯t have just one nightmare but many that kept her up all night. By the time the morning came, she was physically drained with dark circles around her eye.

    Her mother was concerned over her state of health and thankfully attributed it to the illness she feigned having previously.

    ¡°The drugs don¡¯t seem to be working,¡± Hannah nagged, and after Mimi promised to visit the hospitalter, she finally let her be.

    Her mother prepared Victor¡¯s breakfast as usual and so far Mimi had no idea what to do with it. Mimi didn¡¯t want to set afoot at that mansion knowing that would only trigger the memories she was trying to get over.

    Sadly, the thing about death is that you needed time to get over it and time wasn¡¯t what she had on her hands.

    Mimi was still thinking of ways to send the food to Victor when a message came into her phone.

    [Bestie, I¡¯m bored]

    Mimi¡¯s face distorted at once, what¡¯s with the title? She rolled her eyes and was close to dropping the phone on her bed when another message came in.

    .....

    [I need you]

    ¡°Aish, that dumbass!¡± Mimi hissed, feeling the need to p that idiot at the back of the head. Didn¡¯t he know how misleading that message was? Or maybe he sent it intentionally? That one wouldn¡¯t surprise her, Victor was a big jokester.

    Nheless, she still was not getting off this bed. Mimi was ready to dump the phone on the side when her phone chimed with another notification. She groaned, then brought the phone to her face to read it.

    [Please] apanied with a teary-face emoji.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Mimi groaned, burying her face once more in the pillow while kicking the bed in annoyances. How could she refuse Victor when he was begging her sincerely?

    [Fine]

    She grumpily typed down and sent it to him just so he would let her be. Having been with Victor for a while, she came to know he had great annoying skills and wouldn¡¯t let her rest until he got what he wanted.

    Well, that worked for good anyway, she would have to deliver his food to him now. So Mimi had no choice but to prepare herself and in no time, found herself at the entrance of the mansion she had vowed never to step in after what they did to Arianna. But just like a dog, she went back to her vomit.

    Truthfully, Mimi thought they would refuse her entrance after the drama she acted that day but they merely gave her a look as she was let into the heavily guarded ¡°fortress¡±. She guessed it was Victor¡¯s doing.

    Sigh, with the amount of security here, one would think they were keeping an ancient national antique here.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to find Victor lying on a couch in the sitting room, looking like he was sick or something until he noticed her presence and turned. His illness vanished, reced by a wide smile capable of shaming the sun with its brightness.

    ¡°You¡¯re here, bestie!¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes, she wasn¡¯t ready for his drama.

    ¡°Here,¡± She stretched the sk towards him as he came over.

    As usual, Victor received the sk with a wide grin as if Christmas came early.

    ¡°But where are you going?¡± He asked when she turned.

    ¡°Home,¡± She answered, ¡°I¡¯m not back to work yet. I need a break,¡±

    ¡°But you promised to keep mepany,¡± He pouted.

    Mimi stopped short, ¡°Oh, right. She forgot about that part,¡± She turned to him with a sigh, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Just stay with me,¡± He said, and as a matter of fact, took her hand and steered her in the direction of the couch where he made her sit with him.

    With glee, Victor opened the threeyer sk and began to set the food on the table, his eyes glinting.

    So delicious, he practically rubbed his palms together and was ready to dig into the scrumptious meal until he remembered something.

    Mimi slumped down onto the couch, prepared to drift away in her thoughts only to feel his stare. She became so acutely aware of Victor that she could predict when he had eyes on her.

    ¡°What?¡± She asked him when he gave her that gleaming look that told her he was about to annoy the hell out of her. What was it now?

    ¡°Pray for the food,¡± He said.

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi almost spat blood, she gave him a look of disbelief, ¡°What are you, ten? Moreover, why should I pray for your own meal?¡±

    ¡°Love your neighbor as you love yourself, don¡¯t you read your Bible?¡±

    Her jaw almost dropped. Mimi was flustered, ¡°That has absolutely nothing to do with -¡±

    ¡°Forget it then, I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Victor let the disappointment show on his face.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it,¡± She stopped him.

    ¡°Thank you, bestie,¡± He grinned.

    God, Mimi was beginning to regret having agreed to be his friend. If she had known he would turn her once peaceful life upside down, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed at all!

    ¡°Let¡¯s pray,¡± Mimi said, folding her hands as he did the same.

    ¡°Father Lord God, we thank you for this meal from Thy bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen,¡± Mimi added in her mind, ¡°And may the person about to eat this, choke on it, Amen.¡± she finished.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad, was it?¡± Victor grinned at her before digging into the meal.

    Mimi simplyid her head back on the couch. Between Victor and kids out there, she couldn¡¯t tell which one was more exhausting to take care of. She was mentally drained.

    However, Mimi still found him surprisingly cute. When Victor ate, you could tell by the look on his face that he was enjoying it. It was interesting to watch.

    Victor felt Mimi¡¯s stare on him the entire time but he didn¡¯t say a word, his attention was more on his food. Growing up in a family where he was junior to two female siblings, he was petted, treasured, and treated well with all manner of goodies they coulde up with. So yeah, his love for ¡°good¡± food developed there.

    When Victor was done with the meal, he finally turned to Mimi after stretching himself out, ¡°That was nice....¡±

    Mimi was asleep right next to him.

 Chapter 177

    177 Entangled With Temptation

    ¡°So much for keeping mepany,¡± Victor muttered over Mimi¡¯s inability to keep watch over him. On the bright side, he didn¡¯t feel lonely anymore ¨C her presence wasforting enough.

    Standing up, Victor went over to her and then cing an arm beneath her legs and the other around her shoulder, he carried her off the couch.

    He could settle her in one of the guest rooms but Victor wanted her where his eyes would find her. Nor could he trust those hornyckeys around her ¨C the ratio of men to women here was 10:1. He would protect her as her bestie!

    Getting to his room, Victor settled Mimi on the bed and made sure sheid down properly with no difort. He stood over her for a while, contemting what to do now she¡¯s asleep and he¡¯s withoutpany. In the end, he climbed onto the bed andy beside her.

    Victor propped his head up with his arms on the pillow and watched over Mimi. Why was he interested in her? Simple as short, he was bored and she was fun to be with.

    There were two categories of people for Victor ¨C people he fucked and people he liked. All of the girls he dated were in that category while thetter category was his loved ones. As for Mimi? She didn¡¯t belong to either.

    He hadn¡¯t fucked her ¨C yet ¨C and was still interested in fucking her, but Mimi¡¯s case was a teeny bitplicated. Victor hated workce rtionships because look how well it worked out between him and Macy, yeah! ¨C note the sarcasm.

    And as much as he wanted Macy out of his sight, she was an important asset to Marcel ¨C nor did he have the heart to cost her her job just because he had a petty grudge against her. So yeah, he didn¡¯t want a repeat of that with Mimi.

    Mimi was not an important asset to Marcel ¨C she was just a means to keep Arianna in line if the neede up- she was important to Victor!

    .....

    His food source! He couldn¡¯t lose his delicious meals, so his little brother might as well go on a little break.

    Moreover, something was refreshing about this rtionship. He could tease and have fun with her all he wanted. Mimi was a cool person to be with, he didn¡¯t want to ruin that charm by sleeping with her.

    Victor had this belief Mimi¡¯s appeal would vanish the moment they had sex ¨C their current dynamic would change. He would categorize her as the same as the other women he has been with. So yeah, he would thrive on this innocent rtionship as long as itsts and in the end, do the deal. There was no woman on earth he can¡¯t win over!

    He watched her silently and noticed with glee that she wasn¡¯t prettier than him. He wasn¡¯t even a fun of blonde ¨C no prejudice there ¨C but he preferred wavy brtes, his ideal woman.

    But, Ooh! Her hair was quite soft, Victor realized when he pushed some strands out of her face. And what shampoo does she use? He leaned down to sniff her hair only for the subtle scent of jasmine, bergamot, and sandalwood to fill his nose. Well, that was nice?

    It was while Victor was taking in the scent of her hair that his gaze moved to her slender neck and he gulped. He could already imagine the number of things he could do to that attractive neck like kissing his way from her chin in azy trail as she arches her back.

    Even as Victor imagined that scene, his hand unconsciously trailed down to her throat, tracing the dip in her neck and relishing how soft her skin was. It wasn¡¯t until Mimi made a long, low sound in her throat that he caught himself and withdraw his hands immediately.

    What the fuck was that? What the hell was he doing? Victor was bbergasted and red in the face. It was almost as if he had been under a spell and he didn¡¯t know what he was doing, lost in his thought, but he sure as hell loved the feeling. Her skin was so smooth and soft ¨C he was tempted to have another touch.

    The moment Mimi stirred, Victor¡¯s heart jumped in his throat thinking she was awake and knew what to do. Damn it, he was in deep shit.

    ¡°It was merely a touch,¡± He was determined to defend himself when instead, Mimi¡¯s handnded on his chest.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± He eximed in pain, that seriously hurt. Victor was ready to give her a piece of his mind only to realize she was still asleep. Thinking it was merely a mistake, Victor forgave her and carefully returned her hand to her side. And maybe he did deserve that.

    However, not less than a minute after he ¡°returned¡± her hand, Mimi ced her leg on him this time and Victor looked down at it with his brows raised.

    With the fear of God in him, he gently returned her leg to its rightful position with a sigh. Seems someone was having too much activity in her sleep.

    It seemed like she stopped moving or so Victor thought because a minuteter, Mimi turned and this time, she ced her hand and legs on him and was practically lying on him because she hooked Victor in such a way he couldn¡¯t free himself from her web. She was the worst sleeper he has ever seen!

    Victor tried to free himself but each time he attempted that, she would only tighten her grip around him and sleepily mumble nonsense he had no clue what it was all about.

    Victor was not really against her using him as a human bolster but this was a really precarious position. With every little move Mimi made, she was literally grounding against his little brother that had sprung to life. Not to mention her breath hit him directly on his neck further arousing him.

    He had never felt tempted until today!

    Sadly, he can¡¯t do shit to a sleeping woman, especially not to Mimi. Victor suddenly remembered that verse of the Bible that said, ¡°Flee from temptation,¡±.

    Unfortunately, temptation was entangled with him.

 Chapter 178

    178 Die From Blue Balls

    Victor¡¯s body was on fire but cold sweat broke out on his forehead. This was the worst torture a man could be submitted to.

    Mimi wouldn¡¯t let go of him no matter how much he strived, and struggling was hugely detrimental on his side because that meant movement against his arousal. He was going to die from a blue ball! Wait a minute, has anyone died from a blue ball?

    Victor closed his eyes and said a prayer. His mother had done her very best to steer them away from the family business and that involved making him attend church as a kid. So yeah, he knows his Bible well.

    In a critical situation like this, the best solution was to train his mind and in turn, his mind would influence his body. His excitement was caused by the hormones sent from his brain, what if he shut down that centralmand?

    So Victor subjected himself to recite the ¡°Lord¡¯s prayer¡± and tried not to focus on the feelings below. The mind controlled the body, it was time to cultivate his mind.

    ¡°For even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death....¡± He continued reciting.

    Meanwhile...

    Mimi surprisingly didn¡¯t dream of a bullet piercing a man¡¯s head or the mesh of blood on her face, this time, she saw herself as a kid walking around in a grassy, floralndscape popted by rabbits with bird calls audible in the background.

    Suddenly, four different colored characters with screens on her stomach and antennas on their head appeared from arge semicircr door at a dome¡¯s foot.

    .....

    ¡°Teletubbies!¡± Her younger self screamed in excitement.

    What the fuck!

    Mimi, at least the older and responsible one, could recognize that she was surprisingly a little kid, however, she couldn¡¯t control her reactions!

    No wonder it was a dream.

    She once loved the television series as a kid so she couldn¡¯t understand why she was dreaming of it now?

    Tell that to her younger self who already sprinted after the green, yellow, red, and purple Teletubbies. However, as soon as she grabbed Tinky Winky, the purple Teletubby, he disappeared only to appear in another location.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Younger Mimi stared down at her hand in wonder. Did he escape her? Hah! She was not giving up.

    She went after Laa-Laa, the yellow one, but just like Tinky Winky, she vanished from her grasp and reappeared in a different location.

    Mimi then made up her mind, fine, they wanted to y a game of chase, she was game!

    So Mimi began to chase after the Teletubbies who didn¡¯t fail to entertain her by running in different directions, almost teasing her. But Mimi was determined and in no time tackled Dipsy, the grumpy green Teletubby to the ground.

    He was very, very strong but Mimi was stronger, ¡°Heehee...¡± Sheughed mischievously, ¡°I¡¯m never letting go of you!¡±

    So shey on the Teletubby with satisfied glee. It was a dreame true to have finally yed with one of her favorite Teletubbies, the grin didn¡¯t leave her face even as the fog surrounding her brain began to clear...

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Mimi finally stirred from sleep. Her cheek was stered firmly against something warm, firm yet fleshy at the same time. It felt good....

    Wait a minute... did she just say fleshy?

    Her eyes finally popped open and Mimi lifted her face to discover she was lying on Victor¡¯s body.

    She screamed as loud as a banshee and got off the bed in a hurry ¨C but not without grabbing the pillow and began to hurl them at him

    ¡°What the fuck did you do to me?!¡± She used him.

    ¡°Better question, what did I go through in your hand?!!¡± Victor said to her while avoiding the pillows she threw at him.

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Mimi threw her head back,ughing sarcastically, ¡°Real convenient excuse to avoid being held ountable for trying to take advantage of me,¡±

    At once, Victor¡¯s face drained of all color, ¡°You would seriously think that low of me?¡± He was hurt by her allegation.

    Victor knew what he went through because of her. His price for such an unselfish bedtime is to spend several seeding hours in stiff-legged waddling pain that wasn¡¯t even rewarded.

    If Victor wanted he could have relived himself by grinding her against his arousal till he was spent and she wouldn¡¯t even know a thing. But he couldn¡¯t do that, as much as he loved sex ¨C like who doesn¡¯t ¨C Victor couldn¡¯t vite a sleeping woman. That would be too low of him.

    Yet this was what she thought of him, a pervert.

    ¡°Well, what do you want me to think? Thest time we shared a bed, you groped my breast and now, I fell asleep in the sitting room only to find myself in your bedroom, lying in between your legs. Who would believe that shit, Victor? I told you from the beginning, I¡¯m not one of your sluts!¡± Mimi fired at him.

    There was a short tense anger and during that period, Victor¡¯s expression was nk but from his bodynguage, one could tell he was suppressing the fury inside of him.

    ¡°Well now, you¡¯ve made your point, Saint Mary, you may now leave my room and my life!¡± Victormanded through gritted teeth.

    ¡°dly!¡± Mimi retorted, storming out of his room in a rage. Who does he think he is?! If he had admitted his mistake, she would have buried the matter but he was so arrogant and self-righteous! He might as well go to hell! She doesn¡¯t care!

    On the bright side, since Victor wanted her out of his life, that means their contract doesn¡¯t stand anymore, she sure hoped Marvel acknowledged that this arrangement can¡¯t work out and set her free. It was a mistakeing to know him in the first ce, her only concern being Arianna.

    Mimi turned away from the mansion in fury and didn¡¯t wait at the usual spot her contractual driveres to pick her up each time shees to the base. It was almost evening which meant she had spent a long time sleeping.

    Mimi wanted to trek a bit and blow off some steam and didn¡¯t notice the van trailing her. It wasn¡¯t until thest minute when it crossed her with two men simultaneously stepping out of it that she realized she was in danger.

    But before Mimi could scream for help, she was captured, her phone slipping from her hand and falling to the ground.

 Chapter 179

    179 Bing Mrs.Joe

    Pam-Pam Pa LA...

    Pam-Pam PA LA.....

    The wedding march in song was yed by the orchestra Big Joe hired to set the mood. Arianna would have been touched by the gesture if she wasn¡¯t about to marry her nightmare.

    Arianna always knew she wouldn¡¯t have her father walk her down the aisle since he was practically dead but she imagined her father-inw or a mother figure taking over the role.

    But then, since she was forced into this marriage, none of her family members were in attendance and Arianna had to do the walk with her bridesmaids.

    They walked in with Arianna to ease the awkwardness in the atmosphere since their wedding employed a different processional order.

    Arianna did not even know she was holding her breath as she walked closer and closer to the end of the aisle. She was so nervous that her hand holding the bouquet trembled and was mmy.

    Elijah said he was going to rescue her, why wasn¡¯t he here yet? She didn¡¯t know how he intended to do it but it was obvious that the wedding would be stopped abruptly.

    Arianna was so desperate for some sort of miracle that she checked for anyone who stood out or behaved strangely, yet she came up with nothing. If there was anything that stood out, it was Marcel¡¯s unfathomable gaze; she couldn¡¯t read him.

    .....

    Even amid the guests, he stood out like a shooting star. Arianna began to question her alliance, wondering if she made a stupid decision by not betraying Elijah.

    Marcel said he would bust her out of here and knowing his personality, he would not fail. He had the power to save her from this cruel fate she wanted no part in. But Arianna trusted in Elijah as well, yet had she by chance chosen the wrong side?

    No! Even at that, she couldn¡¯t betray Elijah, not after all she did for him. She was not the kind of person that pays good with evil. Those she loved, she protected them fiercely,e rain,e shine.

    Arianna just prayed he hurried up because she didn¡¯t want to say ¡°I do,¡± to that man, no, the mere thought of legally being Big Joe¡¯s wife was about to give her a heart attack. The stress was wearing her out mentally.

    Unlike Arianna, there was no best man nor groomsmen by Big Joe¡¯s side, just the ring bearer and the officiant at the head of the altar. There was no family member nor friend by his side and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had family at all, not that she was feeling pity for him or something; she was just curious.

    Big Joe cleaned up real good, his hair was gelled and brushed back showing off his strong chin while his suit entuated his shape ¨C she really didn¡¯t want to check out.

    Goosebumps filled Arianna at the thought they would spend their wedding night together. Was Elijah waiting for when she bes Mrs. Joe before hees for her?

    This really sucks.

    In no time, Arianna reached her destination and was standing beside her soon-to-be yesterday. Yeah, that ¡°soon¡± would be ¡°sooner¡± than usual if SOMEONE DOESN¡¯T DO SOMETHING! She was freaking out inwardly.

    ¡°You may all sit,¡± The officiant said and everyone ¨C some to be exact ¨C who had stood to wee in the bride sat down.

    ¡°Breath in and out,¡± Arianna inwardly performed the breathing exercises. Was it possible to walk out of this wedding? Not unless she wanted to be dead before she made it outside.

    It certainly wasn¡¯t coincident there was a guard standing meters away with his gaze fixed on her. It was creepy

    ¡°First,¡± the officiant began, ¡°I¡¯d like to begin by weing and thanking each and every one of you for being here on this most happy of days...¡±

    Happy her butt! Who said this was a happy day?! Can¡¯t he sense her silent cries of protest? She wondered if this officiant was one of them or if Big Joe bought him off.

    The officiant rambled on and on about the benefits of marriage but Arianna noticed how he was careful not to branch into their love life, not that they had one ¨C and would probably never have!

    Even though she didn¡¯t attend lots of wedding ceremonies thanks to her small circle of friends, mostly acquaintances from work ¨C Arianna knew officiants should know one or two things about the groom and bride. He should be able to tell a single story that summarizes their rtionship. But there was nothing like that and in the next minute all she heard was,

    ¡°Please, now read the vows you have written for each other,¡±

    Of course, the vow.

    Arianna turned to receive the vow she was sure had been prepared beforehand for this moment. There was nothing like a rehearsal for this marriage and she was d for it. Big Joe should do whatever he wants.

    It was a simple vow, void of feelings and they had to read it aloud at the same time.

    ¡°I, Arianna/Big Joe, take you, Big Joe /Arianna, to be my husband/wife, my constant friend, and partner. I pledge this to you from the bottom of my heart, for all the days of our lives.¡±

    Arianna gulped at thatst statement, forever with him would be a huge nightmare.

    The ring was handed to both of them respectfully and the officiant said, ¡°Please repeat after me: I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you,¡±

    At first, Arianna had been hesitant to say those vows but one look from Big Joe held dark promises of what would happen to her if she dared went contrary to this arrangement was all it took her to give in.

    They rigidly exchanged wedding rings and loud apuse came from the audience ¨C at least from those who cared to p.

    ¡°By the power of your love andmitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and.... bam!¡±

    That was when chaos broke out.

 Chapter 180

    180 It Was Too Late

    Arianna finally understood why the Joker relished chaos because as that bullet pierced through Big Joe¡¯s head, blood sttering across her white wedding dress and giving it another color, she could hear a glorious sound in the background.

    The song of victory!

    Who knew chaos was this liberating? The ssical music, Fantaisie Impromptu by Chopin yed in her head as she stood taken by the scene before her.

    Perhaps she must have finally lost it because Arianna was stuck in a world of her own admiring the violence as screams reverberated from all corners and the wedding arena became a center of disaster in the twinkle of an eye.

    People screamed, running helter scatter for their lives as bullets flew from all directions while Arianna stood bravely in the middle of the chaos unscathed. It was almost as if she was a goddess, invisible and shielded from the disasters these greedy humans bring upon themselves until someone grabbed her.

    She gasped, rousing back to reality.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?! We have to run now!¡± Cassie was the one who came to her aid.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Arianna finally remembered what she was supposed to do with this major disaster. It was time to leave this hell hole forever.

    Arianna shot onest look at Big Joe, at least, his dead body. With that hole in between his head with blood pouring out, not even the world¡¯s best doctor can save him from the cold hands of death. Arianna didn¡¯t feel remorse for his death, he wanted to ruin her future but he got ruined instead.

    .....

    Karma was a bad bitch.

    But then, It wasn¡¯t a question of who shot Big Joe, rather it was a matter of what was going on? It seems there was big dissension among the Red Giant gang because they were shooting at each other.

    This made it much harder to run because they had to be careful not to be caught in a crossfire or let a stray bullet hit them. And it was worse with Arianna¡¯s fitted wedding gown, the ruffles made it harder to run and she couldn¡¯t remember the number of times she stumbled on her way.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Cassie urged her.

    Unfortunately, Arianna had other ns like escaping here now and forever. So she purposely lingered behind and the unsuspecting Cassie who was desperate to get away from here went ahead.

    Seeing that her n worked, Arianna hitched her wedding dress up and bearing theyers in her hand turned to run away only to bump into someone and the both of them fell to the ground.

    Arianna was still on the floor when the man lifted his furious eyes to look at her and recognition set in those eyes. Oh no, this can¡¯t be good, her heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! The bitch that caused his death,¡± the man hissed, recognizing her to her fear.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need to be told that the man she was referring to was her would have been husband, Big Joe, if he hadn¡¯t been gunned down.

    Without warning, Arianna tried to run for her life but the man seemed to have predicted that reaction because he pinned her to the ground at once.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± She tried to push him off her all to no avail. The man was quite strong and heavy.

    But that was not the end of it, her eyes widened in fear when the man took something out of his pocket and the object reflected with a glint in the sunlight.

    Oh no.

    It was a dagger.

    ¡°This is vengeance for Big Joe!¡± The man shouted and was about to bring the dagger down on her stomach when something hit him on the head from behind and he copsed to the side.

    With her chest heaving, Arianna never thought she would one day be very happy to see Cassie.

    ¡°I told you we have to go, now!¡± She chided Arianna, stretching her hand for her to take which Arianna did, and was helped up to her feet.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna breathed.

    ¡°Save that forter, we have to leave now!¡± Cassie took off and Arianna didn¡¯t need to be told to follow her lead.

    If one of Big Joe¡¯s underlings tried to kill her because they believed that she was the cause of his death. Who knows what the rest of them would do to her if she stumbles upon them by mistake. They would tear her apart. For now, she had to follow Cassie and find a safe route out of here.

    Cassie went back to the house and if the outside was a battlefield, the inside was a ughterhouse. Numerous bodiesy on the ground and there were still some trying to defend themselves. Both parties didn¡¯t pay much attention to them and thanks to that distraction, they were able to sneak away to that room.

    It was the same room where Arianna used to receive visitors before the wedding started and it was easier to ess since it was the floor level.

    Cassie made sure to lock the door while Arianna leaned against the dresser table, trying to catch her breath. They were safe here for a while.

    She asked Cassie without turning around, ¡°What the hell is going on there?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t Elijah else he would have snuck her out already. But that doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t manipte or foresee the events leading to these moments. Arianna felt dizzy trying to think, she has never been able to predict Elijah¡¯s ways. Where was he? What was he up to?

    ¡°Kenith escaped from his prison, won over some of Big Joe¡¯s men that he convinced to start a revolt,¡± Cassie exined, ambling over to her.

    Arianna stared at her reflection in the mirror, her brows furrowed. Kenith was the one who killed Big Joe? This was obvious retaliation for putting him in prison.

    With seventy percent of the gang favoring Kenith over Big Joe, Arianna always had a feeling a revolt would happen one day and it seemed him ¨C Big Joe ¨C putting him in prison finally set the motion off.

    However, if Kenith killed Big Joe, why did he spare her life when he could have easily killed her as well and have his revenge on her for bringing him down. Unless....

    Shit.

    It dawned on Arianna but it was toote, a garrote curled around her neck as Cassie choked her.

 Chapter 181

    181 She would Die

    Arianna realized she fucked up at thest minute. There had been the signs and even warnings from Ashley, Rose, and Chelsea, but Cassie had deceived her by her goodwill. No, she let herself get deceived by Cassie¡¯s pretense. No one was to me but herself.

    ¡°W-what -?!¡± Arianna was not able to speak properly with that chord wrung around her neck because she was beginning to suffocate.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment,¡± Cassie sneered, a sadistic smile at the corner of her lips as she grabbed the end of the garrote and tightened the chord to cause more bodily harm.

    Arianna turned purple as she struggled for air. She could feel a bunch of pain and her breathing was deep and fast. Arianna saw her life sh before her life and a bitter smile crossed her lips, in the end, she died miserably.

    Cassie went on, relishing satisfaction from Arianna¡¯s pain squeezed face as she tried to gasp for breath, ¡°Honestly, I liked you at first. I really liked you....¡± Sheughed bitterly, ¡°But you should have just stopped being a flirt,¡±

    Arianna wanted to say something in her defense but all she did was w at the chords tight around her throat. The situation was beginning to look helpless ¨C and painful. Her lungs were on fire and her head was pounding like someone was hitting it with a bat. Arianna knew at this rate she would ck out and die ¨C that was Cassie¡¯s endpoint.

    She went on, ¡°He said nothing was going on between the both of you but I could sense his stares on you and he was distracted even when he was with me,¡±

    ¡°Well, that sounds like a you and your boyfriend¡¯s problem,¡± Arianna would have sassed back if she wasn¡¯t trying so hard not to knock on death¡¯s door.

    ¡°And then that incident happened,¡± Cassie spoke through gritted teeth, a new wave of anger settling over her, ¡°He thought I wasn¡¯t there, but I saw everything. The way he threw himself at you and wanted to have you, none of you noticed me stepping into the room. I saw everything even before Big Joe came in!¡±

    .....

    So the bitch witnessed her trying to get raped by her boyfriend and did nothing? Arianna wished this was a fair fight because she wanted tond two or three blows on her face and teach her a lesson she would never forget in a hurry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you for that anyway...¡± Cassieughed pathetically, ¡°It was not your fault; you didn¡¯t ask to be raped. However, I love Kenith too much to lose him and you are a threat to my happiness. He should have killed you alongside your husband but he wanted you alive to punish you dearly... Unfortunately, I can¡¯t let that happen. I can¡¯t risk that chance! I¡¯ve been with him all these years, I won¡¯t be cast aside!¡±

    ¡°Bitch please, have your pathetic boyfriend to yourself, I have better suitors!¡± Arianna would have said at this point if she had the opportunity. It wasn¡¯t her fault she was insecure.

    ¡°You are a good person, Arianna...¡± Cassie¡¯s gaze suddenly melted and Arianna would have been deceived by that look in the past if she didn¡¯t know now that she was a psycho, ¡°But I¡¯m sorry, you have to go!¡± Her gaze switched back to severe as she tightened the chord.

    Unfortunately, Arianna didn¡¯t want to die as well, at least, not in the hands of this bitch. She won¡¯t go down without a fight. So she at once grabbed the chord from tightening around her neck while holding her breath.

    Cassie noticed her resistance and added more force to her grip and Arianna found out the longer she held her breath, the longer she felt like she was going to explode. She would die at this rate.

    So with the remaining strength inside of her, Arianna dashed back with all of her might with no specific n in mind and because Cassie was choking her from behind, she wasn¡¯t able to see where they were going.

    Something must have tripped her because Cassie fell, bringing the both of them down, the garrote loosened from her neck and Arianna was able to take a mouthful of breath.

    No one was more grateful at that moment for oxygen than Arianna because she greedily took in as many as possible into her lungs. But that was a mere deviation because Cassie recovered immediately and tried to grab her to continue from where she stopped, Arianna elbowed her in the face.

    A painful groan came from Cassie as Arianna hurried up to her feet, she had to get out of here. But even as she stood, Arianna felt light-headed and wasn¡¯t as fast as she wanted to be.

    Cassie grabbed her by the leg and tripped her, shended on the ground with her side and expelled a sharp breath. That hurt like hell.

    Before Arianna could recover this time, Cassie already climbed over her body and straddled her. She tightened the garrote that hung limply around her neck.

    Arianna¡¯s eyes grew wild because unlike thest time where Cassie was killing her slowly, she didn¡¯t hold back this time. It was obvious that Cassie didn¡¯t want a repeat of what happened where she nearly escaped and wanted her dead this time.

    She kicked severely, struggling for life but Cassie had this demented look and was stronger than usual. Hot tears fell down Arianna¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t want to die now and especially not like this.

    Arianna knew the moment her mind began to wander that she was in danger of moving to the great beyond. So she put up herst fight and it was in the process of striving, that her hand mistakenly touched something.

    It was wooden and crafted with a long tip, then it hit Arianna, her hairpin. Because she loved antique collections, Chelsea had gotten her an oriental ssic Jade bamboo hairpin for her hair but the makeup artist had rejected it saying it doesn¡¯t go with the style Big Joe wanted for her.

    Thanks to that, the hairpin was long forgotten until now and Arianna didn¡¯t think twice about picking it up and rammed it right into Cassie¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 182

    182 From Frying Pan To Fire

    Arianna had been careful all her life trying not to be caught breaking thew. It was hard growing up innocently when you have no one to look after you. She worked for Ruth because the pay was attractive and supported her survival.

    But she had to give up working there in the end because when you begin associating with criminals, you start to think like them as well. And that proved effective after she picked up the skill of pickpocketing.

    It seemed cool at first, being able to snatch stuff from people without them noticing. But that was not the kind of life Arianna wanted, especially when she saw the lives of the people she treated. Those criminals had a bleak future.

    She was privileged to know some of them, especially the lower gangs ¨C most of the important figures wore masks to protect their identities and hardly spoke to her. She guessed they looked down at her or simply didn¡¯t care.

    But one of them told her, ¡°You can do anything you want contrary to thew, after all, the shittyw is meant to be broken. But taking a life? That¡¯s a shit you don¡¯te back from. It stays with you forever and lingers on your mind like a wandering ghost.¡±

    Those thoughts didn¡¯t cross Arianna¡¯s mind as she thrust the tip of that headpin into Cassie¡¯s neck. It wasn¡¯t time to think about her moralpass, because right now, it was kill or get killed.

    Cassie screamed from the pain and stiffened beneath her but she still wouldn¡¯t give up on strangting her. If anything, Cassie applied more pleasure on her throat as if she knew her time was running out.

    Arianna snapped. She was desperate to live.

    She stabbed the hairpin into Cassie¡¯s neck once more causing blood to pump out from the puncture yet she didn¡¯t give up, and stabbed her over and over again still her hands loosen on her neck and Cassie slipped to the side.

    .....

    Breathing heavily, Arianna sat up, instantly removing the garrote around her neck, and felt a relief she hadn¡¯t felt until moments ago. She touched her neck and though it was painful and the skin there must have bruised over, she was fine.

    But the same couldn¡¯t be said for Cassie.

    Arianna watched Cassie on the floor, pressing down on her wound in the neck as if trying to stop the bleeding all to no avail. Cassie tried to speak but all she did was choke on her blood.

    She was not going to survive that, it was obvious to Arianna. And while that thought was supposed to chill her, it didn¡¯t and that scared Arianna the most. When did she begin to feel nonchnt about taking a life?

    No, she didn¡¯t take a life, Arianna shook her head. This was self-defense, she was just trying to protect her life! The victim had tried to take her life! Surely, her word would stand in the court ofw. That is if she gets reported.

    No one would know what she did if they didn¡¯t see her.

    Arianna stood up to her feet at once notwithstanding the urge to rest a bit. Her throat burned and she remained unmoving at that spot trying to get over the vertigo that washed over her.

    She didn¡¯t leave immediately, rather went to the rack containing a few clothes and picked out the simplest dress she could find.

    Crossing over to the dresser, Arianna was shocked at her reflection. She would have been scared of her appearance if she had stumbled at the mirror by mistake.

    Her hair was disheveled, poking out in all directions as a result of the fight between them. She was almost drenched in Cassie¡¯s blood while the chord marks on her neck were deep and bruised.

    Arianna zipped down and stepped out of the wedding dress till she was half-naked. If she wanted to escape here, nothing should limit her speed and her wedding dress was conspicuous ¨C she would be putting a target on her head if she were to go out in that.

    But she groaned when she bent and looking at the mirror, Arianna discovered another red bruise at the side of her stomach. She must have gotten that when Cassie tripped her and she fell t on her stomach.

    But there was no time to linger on that wound, there are urgent matters to treat like escaping this hell hole. Arianna used the wedding dress and began to wipe her face, neck, and hands free of the blood.

    It didn¡¯t clear everything but it made Arianna look less scary, and she put on the clean clothing. Arianna would have preferred pants but there were only dresses and had to make do with it. When she was done, she picked ab and made her hair look presentable.

    Arianna picked that hairpin, cleaned the blood off it, and used it to hold the end of her hair she pulled into a rough bun. She didn¡¯t know what was out there but since that pin saved her the first time, it might the second time.

    It was time to go.

    Even when Arianna passed over Cassie¡¯s corpse, she didn¡¯t feel a trace of guilt only pity ¨C that things would work out differently if she hadn¡¯t been blinded by her affection for Kenith.

    Cassie¡¯s eyes were still opened, fixed intently on the ceiling as if she was lost in her own world, but the light was gone. That thing right now was no longer Cassie but a body.

    The real Cassie was gone.

    May her soul rest in peace, that is if she would find one because a small part of Arianna wished she rots in hell.

    Arianna went to the door and to think Cassie locked it so no one coulde to her rescue irked her ¨C she thought she closed it to protect the both of them.

    However, something happened, because as soon as Arianna opened the door, somebody came in at the same time and she instinctively took a step back.

    Oh no, her problems just magnified.

    ¡°Did you bring ....¡± the voice trailed off upon seeing Arianna.

    Arianna in question swallowed down a lump in her throat when her gaze fell on the figure called Kenith.

    Did she just jump from frying pan to fire?

 Chapter 183

    183 I¡¯m Going To Enjoy Killing You

    Arianna didn¡¯t want to be scared but she had infinite reasons to be scared now especially when she saw the perversity mixed with menace in Kenith¡¯s eyes. Whatever Kenith wants to do with her, he ns to enjoy every moment of it.

    ¡°Here you are,¡± The creepy smile at the corner of his lips widened causing the hairs on her arm to stand on end.

    For someone who was held in prison, he didn¡¯t look bad at all. If anything, it seemed as if he had cleaned up before stepping down here.

    Her gaze noticed his slightly damp hair proving her thought. So while his men were creating havoc down there, he was having his bath and preparing himself to take over the gang after his minions cleared the scene ¨C which was equivalent to taking people¡¯s life. Arianna knew she would never forget this experience in a hurry considering the number of lives wasted today ¨C including that of Big Joe.

    Although Kenith was used to wearing suits, the one he wore now was borate and luxurious. He wasn¡¯t afraid to show off anymore because the only one aka Big Joe, who could stand against him was gone. And based on hierarchy, he was the next in line. The gang practically belongs to him now.

    It was obvious that Kenith had not been expecting her at the door but Cassie instead and the look in his eyes told Arianna he finally reasoned it. Because in the next minute, his eyes focused on her in a way that made her take a step back and Arianna realized she still had blood on her.

    Dried blood to be precise.

    She saw the moment suspicion crossed his eyes followed by denial and the next minute, kenith pushed the door wider only for his gaze to fall on Cassie¡¯s body.

    Time seems to stop.

    .....

    Arianna noticed every minuscule detail on Kenith¡¯s face as soon as he started at Cassie¡¯s corpse. Just like the stages of grief, there was first shock and denial.

    Kenith looked numbed as if he didn¡¯t want to believe that it was Cassie lying there. Although he didn¡¯t make a move from where he stood, Arianna could already imagine him leaning over Cassie¡¯s body and shaking her just to confirm she wasn¡¯t gone. Yet he just stood at that spot, unable to say a word.

    He was frozen.

    Then, there was pain and guilt. Kenith looked regretful for sending Cassie here; he wished he could turn back the hands of time so he could change his choice and as well save her. But it was toote. Death was a primordialw magic couldn¡¯t even break ¨C without dire consequences.

    They say you never know what you have until you lose it. Although Kenith was an asshole, Arianna could tell that he loved Cassie. And that was what scared her the most because she just took what he loved the most from him.

    And just as Arianna feared, the next stage of his grief wasn¡¯t bargaining nor eptance, but anger. A wave of Great anger that left her petrified and the only thing that came to her mind was,

    Run!

    ¡°You!¡± Kenith roared like a brutal beast.

    Arianna was just about to flee past Kenith when he reached out and yanked her back into the room by the hair with all of his strength. She screamed not just in pain but apprehension as he sent her flying to the ground.

    He discarded her as if she was a piece of toy and not a human being made of flesh and blood ¨C and breakable bones.

    The air was knocked out of her lungs when shended on the ground. But there was no time to dwell on the pain because Arianna turned and began to crawl back on all fours as Kenith walked purposely towards her with the intent of harm.

    The way his nostrils red and his chest heaved greatly made him look like an injured beast that wanted to ruin anything in his way and all that did was to put more fear inside of Arianna. It was as if Kenith lost every reason to live and like every human out there, reverted to his evil and primitive nature ¨C savage at heart.

    ¡°You killed her!¡± He roared and bound for her.

    Arianna¡¯s eyes widened, her heart pounding in her chest as she crawled back for safety, unable to find her footing. But he caught up to her and pushed her down to the floor, looming over her.

    She contemted pulling out her pin and stabbing Kenith in the throat just as she did to Cassie but he was a man that weighed tons; was bigger and taller than her.

    Arianna was sure that wouldn¡¯t work the second time especially when he had his hand closed around her throat and cutting off her air supply. It would take time to reach the pin in her hair, not to mention that might end up backfiring on her and he might use it to stab her instead. She needed an opening ¨C one that wasn¡¯ting.

    Her priority was to breathe and she wed at his face only to receive a stinging p across her face that made her see stars. A whimper left her mouth, that hurt like hell.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy killing you!¡± Kenith dered through gritted teeth, his grip on her neck tightening.

    Arianna did not doubt that, she could see the killing intent in her eyes. To confirm his words, Kenith banged her head against the floor so hard she cried in pain.

    ¡°It hurts, ye?¡± he had a maniacal look ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure you feel every pain Cassie felt before she died, in the most brutal way,¡± He promised just as he hit her head the second time.

    Hot tears made their way down her cheeks, he nned to split her skull open. Arianna was sure she was beginning to have a concussion with the pressure in her head.

    No, she can¡¯t die like that.

    And her prayer was answered.

    There was a loud bang and she felt Kenith jerk before her face was sttered with blood. Again.

    Damn it, this was the second piece of clothing she would have to change.

 Chapter 184

    184 Finally, We Meet Elijah

    ¡°Oof!¡± Arianna breathed when Kenithnded on her. He was so damn heavy that she heaved as she sessfully pushed him to the side.

    When did she be so casual about death? When she began working for Ruth or associating with these bad people because Arianna of years back would definitely scream in terror at this scene.

    Arianna didn¡¯t stand up immediately nor did she want to admit that this rustic taste in her blood was that asshole¡¯s blood. Her head was pounding with headache and the ceiling was kind of hazy. Hopefully, this was a mild concussion because she needed to run right now.

    A hand appeared in her sight.

    Elijah.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need him to speak to know it was him. Elijah¡¯s actions speak louder than words and she couldn¡¯t tell how relieved she was by his presence. She thought he abandoned her but that obviously wasn¡¯t the case. All that mattered was that he was here now.

    She took his hands and he pulled her up to her feet but Arianna closed her eyes the whole moment, afraid she might fall from the feeling of vertigo that overwhelmed her.

    Elijah must have sensed that as well because his hold around her waist tightened as if trying to give her support while she held onto his arms. However, Arianna¡¯s suddenly creased as if something was not right.

    His arm.

    .....

    It was hairy.

    Arianna finally opened her eyes and met ck orbs that didn¡¯t match the electric blue eyes she had been expecting.

    She took a step back, ¡°You are not him,¡±

    Arianna was confused about what to do, run for her life or confront this strange man that saved her life? As much as he could be the enemy, she couldn¡¯t sense any killing intent from him. Could it be....

    ¡°You are her then,¡± The strange man said, tilting his head as if scrutinizing her, ¡°What does he even see in you to go through so much trouble?¡± he said.

    It was confirmed, Elijah sent him.

    But why? Arianna couldn¡¯t understand him. Was he scared of Marcel?

    Oh shit.

    Marcel.

    ¡°We have to go now,¡± It finally hit Arianna. She had almost forgotten Marcel¡¯s intention ofing to the wedding today ¨C he wants to catch Elijah.

    Even at that, a small part of her couldn¡¯t help but worry about his safety. She had seen the chaos outside, what if Marcel was caught in between the war?

    Seriously? Ariannaughed at herself mentally. Marcel bing a casualty loss in this war? She should worry about herself instead. The Marcel she knew would not die easily and she should worry about getting out of safely.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± The man Elijah sent to save her seem desperate to leave here as well.

    Arianna stared at the man, unlike Elijah who usually painted his face, this man was wearing a full-face Vian mask to hide his identity. As she thought, once he brought her safely to Elijah, they would have no business together hence the need for anonymity.

    They were running out of time hence she didn¡¯t dare to change out of her bloody dress nor was she going to get naked with that man in the room. What if he was a peeping Tom or even a pervert? She hardly found good characters in people of the underworld.

    Casting onest look at Kenith and Cassie, she didn¡¯t spare them remorse as she took the man¡¯s hands and left the room. On the bright side, both lovers would unite in hell.

    The fight had resided but the effects lingered, the smell of gunpowder in the air was strong and suffocating, Arianna felt her stomach churn. Not to mention the gory states of some of the bodies she met on the way made her thank the lord she hasn¡¯t taken anything into her mouth before the wedding else she would have thrown it all up.

    Some of the underlings were alive yet injured and stayed on the floor twisting and moaning in pain. She met one with his leg broken ¨C she winced internally ¨C asking for her help. But she was in no position to render help neither had they helped her when she needed one.

    Sorry, not sorry.

    Arianna met acerated corpse with his intestines pouring out in the open. If it wasn¡¯t that man tugging her forward, she would have frozen at that spot, disgusted and shaken to the core. How could they do this to a person?

    The man said to her afterward, ¡°We can¡¯t linger here anymore, the police ought to be here soon. We don¡¯t want to deal with that,¡±

    Exactly, considering she took a life. Arianna shivered at the thought of spending the rest of her life in prison. Although she did it out of self-defense, the procedures of proving herself innocent would drain the life out of her.

    Not to mention she would have to recall how she got involved with the likes of them in the first ce and Arianna was sure Marcel wouldn¡¯t want information about his organization spilled in the open. He would kill her to shut her up forever. So no, she can¡¯t get caught by the police.

    Finally, they made it to the foyer, and her body began to pulse with nervousness mixed with anticipation. Once they made it out of the house, it would be much easier for them to sneak out.

    But fate seems to have other ns.

    They were a few yards from reaching the door when three figures moved in blocking the entrance and forcing them to halt abruptly.

    ¡°Finally, we meet, Elijah,¡± The leader of the three said with a smile that made Arianna realize they just walked into a trap. And she knew that face well, it was Samuel.

    Fuck.

    ¡°Run now!¡± The man yelled at her and Arianna didn¡¯t need to be told twice as she took off while he engaged them in a fight. He was trying to stop them from reaching her, buying time for her escape.

    The backdoor was Arianna¡¯s n and there was one in the kitchen.

    She didn¡¯t experience any hup along the way aside from one or two dead bodies. But the backdoor was empty and open, so she walked out immediately only for a hand to snatch her to the side.

    Arianna¡¯s eyes widened and she hardly caught that familiar orbs only for a needle to pierce into her neck.

    ¡°Sleep, you need it.¡±

    That was all he said, as darkness took over.

 Chapter 185

    185 Fight To The Death

    He fucked up real bad!

    Marcel realized that when the bullet pierced through his suit.

    Truth be told, Big Joe being killed was the least surprise of the day. His death was the cataclysm that would push other events into motion and he saw thating. Marcel had been expecting the man to be killed by his rival Kenith or yours truly Elijah.

    But the smart ass Elijah kept his distance and like him used Kenith as pawns in this game. However, what Marcel didn¡¯t expect was that the prawn would touch an inch of him. Because the instant Big Joe was killed, another shot was fired at him.

    Never fail to trust your instincts, Marcel has lived by that notion for years now and it has never failed him. Neither did it fail him when one of Kenith¡¯s underlings shot him in the chest. That asshole!

    Luckily for Marcel, he wore a bulletproof vest beneath his suit and the bullet only stunned him without injuring him.

    Earlier today, he had this feeling that Big Joe would get back at him because of what happened between him and Arianna. But then, who knew that Big Joe wouldn¡¯t have the ¡°life¡± left tomand such and that sneaky bastard Kenith would take the advantage instead?

    It was obvious that Kenith wanted him dead because that bullet was aimed at his heart. His sniper would have probably gone for a headshot if he had gotten one but his -Marcel¡¯s- guards were professional and knew better to shield him from unseen attacks with their body.

    After this was over, he and Kenith would have a ¡°nice¡± conversation.

    .....

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on his vengeance because he realized that this momentary distraction cost him something.

    Arianna¡¯s whereabouts.

    ¡°Damn it, where is she?!¡± Marcel cursed as soon as he was helped to his feet. The momentum of the bullet had knocked him out of his seat to the floor and now he rose, he was red in the face; he fell in front of his men.

    That was embarrassing.

    ¡°I think we must have lost her,¡± Samuel answered, scratching the back of his head in shame.

    Of course, they lost her because they focused their mind on protecting him, the boss.

    ¡°Spread the word, I want each and every one of you at the gate, do not leave this ce unturned. Remember our opponent is smart and swift, contact me at every slightest suspicion,¡± He added immediately, ¡°Also if the girl escapes here, you¡¯re as good as dead,¡±

    From the dreadful look on their faces, Marcel was pleased that his message was well received and they dispersed without even waiting for his order. Seconds might not seem like much but it¡¯s a game-changer and they can¡¯t waste it.

    Marcel fixed thems along the back of his ear, that way he wouldmunicate with his men and receive updates on both Elijah and Arianna. With his gun in his hand, Marcel took off the safety, as of this moment, he is in a battle zone. He had to find Arianna.

    If Elijah hasn¡¯t found her already?

    No, Marcel refused to believe that. So far, his men reported no sighting of Elijah ¨C as if they knew his face ¨C and Arianna was smart, she must be escaping on her own as of this moment. Elijah must be somewhere watching, waiting for the right moment to snatch her.

    ¡°Where are you, Arianna?¡± Marcel muttered to himself, looking around the surroundings. It was chaotic. Where could Arianna be in the middle of this mayhem?

    Marcel searched for her, shooting and clearing the nuisances aka members of the Red Giant gang out of his way. He did for a while until hisms came alive with a report, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve spoken with our men at the gate, none reported catching a glimpse of Arianna nor Elijah and they haven¡¯t left their position ever since,¡±

    Elijah frowned, ¡°Are they sure about that? She could have camouged her identity and escaped without them noticing it was her,¡± He argued.

    ¡°Thanks to your ¡®solid¡¯ instruction, I bet you they can recognize Arianna at a nce even with closed eyes,¡±

    Feeling a sudden throb, Marcel rubbed his forehead to relieve the headache. He asked, ¡°If she¡¯s not here, where is she? Did she just vanish in thin air?¡±

    ¡°What if she hasn¡¯t left the house?¡± He heard Samuel¡¯s voice this time.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t left the house?¡± Marcel frowned over those words. That wasn¡¯t possible. Having studied Arianna from the short time they¡¯ve spent together, he knew she valued her freedom and the first thing she would do in this scenario was to escape. Unless.....

    At once, Marcel turned back to the altar, his eyes resting on Big Joe¡¯s body. What if that shot at him ¨C Marcel ¨C was not only to kill him but to cause distraction. Kenith must have been insecure about his presence and thought he was here to rescue her?

    Damn.

    They took her.

    Before Marcel could even issue orders to search the house, he received very interesting news.

    ¡°Boss, suspicious movements noticed. Found my way into their control room and I found your girl....¡±

    At the mention of ¡°your girl¡± Marcel¡¯s face twitched, who said Arianna was his girl. His underlings were beginning to think rubbish. This was all to capture Elijah, nothing else.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± He growled impatiently. Yes, he needed Arianna but he had to make sure she was alive. Marcel needed her alive, not dead.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s with him, Elijah. The suspect is wearing a mask and from the look of things, they¡¯re trying to make their way out of the house. We should hurry now if we want to capture them.¡±

    Good.

    The hour hase.

    At the mention of Elijah, it seemed as if every noise around him ceased, the world stood still and that piece of information was the only thing he could hear.

    Everyone knew his beef with Elijah ran deep and it wasn¡¯t something that could be settled with words of apology. Elijah had to be judged and would pay for his crimes with his own blood.

    Finally, he had him where he wanted him, Marcel¡¯s blood zinged with anticipation. He couldn¡¯t wait to get his hands on him.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± He began to issue instructions, ¡°Block all entrances and make sure not even a mosquito escapes that house. The Elijah I know would likely take the backdoor to minimize exposure. Sadly, I¡¯ll be the one waiting for him there,¡± Marcel said while staring at the witness hole of his pistol to inspect how many rounds there are in the magazine.

    He went on, ¡°You all are there as a secondary option in case I fail. Remember this, your enemy is quick and extremely skilled, do not hesitate to shoot,¡± He remembered, ¡°And don¡¯t be fooled, he¡¯d never use the girl as a hostage.¡±

    As soon as Marcel was done with his instruction, he went to the nearest backdoor. Thanks to his underlings tracking them through the camera, this was the closest backdoor from where they were.

    There were two other back exits and Marcel knew that well because he had his people scout this house a week ago, giving him time to imprint the map in his head. He knew literally everywhere in this house.

    The door was open and he hid behind it, positioning his body in an attacking stance, his gun at the ready. Elijah wouldn¡¯t know what hit him. Even if he did know, it would be a fight to the death ¨C Marcel forgot to mention that part to his men.

    However, confusion wrinkled his brows the next minute when he heard, ¡°They came through the front door!¡±

    How was that possible? Why was Elijah facing them head-on when he had no support? Has he be suicidal? Unless....

    Marcel didn¡¯t have the time to think about the second option ¨C he didn¡¯t exactly like ¨C because he heard, ¡°She¡¯sing in your direction, boss. Be ready.¡±

    Well, this was easier than he thought. The bunny delivered herself on a tter of gold for him.

    So instead of his gun, Marcel switched it for the shot specifically brought for her. Marcel knew Arianna would nevere peacefully with him, so to avoid unnecessary incidents, sending her to sleep was the best option.

    Marcel kept watch and even before she stepped out of the house, he saw her reflection in the ss door. She was running with no care where she was heading ¨C right into his arms.

    Focus man!

    As soon as she came out, he grabbed her before she could recognize who he was, not to think of fighting back, piercing the needle into her neck.

    A little gasp came from her mouth probably from the sting of the injection, her eyes widening fearfully when she found out it was him.

    Marcel pulled out the needle. He was done.

    ¡°No, no, no....¡± She choked, tears glittering in her eyes.

    ¡°Shh,¡± Marcel pressed his finger against her lips before he wiped the tears off her face.

    ¡°Sleep, you need it,¡±

    He said the magic words as sleep took over her.

 Chapter 186

    186 Spinning Out Of Control

    Marcel caught Arianna as she fell, her small body fit snugly in his arms, and for some reason, he felt a sense of peace. She was safe and here with him.

    Although he didn¡¯t admit it out loud, Marcel had this fear that Elijah had gotten to her first and he wouldn¡¯t see her ever again.

    He didn¡¯t doubt even for a minute that Elijah wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. It has be clear to Marcel that the reason they had been able to catch Elijah the first time was out of carelessness.

    This time around, Elijah was being extra careful ¨C which was why they hadn¡¯t caught a niff of him. He wouldn¡¯t be a legend if he didn¡¯t have that ability.

    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s your status?¡± Marcel was startled when he heard the voice in his ears. He had forgotten he still had thems.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel said before he huffed slightly as he threw Arianna¡¯s limp body over his shoulder. She was heavier than he thought.

    ¡°How about the target?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Secured,¡±

    ¡°Keep your ground till I¡¯m there,¡± Marcel informed him before taking off thems. He looked behind him to make sure nobody was tracking him. The least he needed was to be oblivious to an attack especially when he had Arianna with him. Not only would she be a dead weight to him but he wouldn¡¯t want her to get hurt.

    .....

    Marcel went into the house and in no time located his men with Elijah in the middle. He was still with his mask on while he was tied up in a kneeling position.

    His gaze brightened at that scene while his grip on Arianna instinctively tightened as if Elijah would snatch her and zoom off like the sh if he wasn¡¯t careful.

    Even when one of his men opted to take Arianna from him, Marcel refused and stubbornly carried her on his shoulder as he stepped closer to Elijah who had his head lowered. He didn¡¯t trust anyone but himself to keep Arianna safe.

    Once he came closer, Marcel reached out and snatched the mask off his face causing the young man thought to be Elijah to look up at him.

    Just as he thought.

    Tsk, what a big disappointment.

    ¡°That¡¯s not Elijah,¡± Marcel announced to everyone¡¯s bewilderment, tossing the damn mask as far as he could.

    There was a shocked gasp from the people present. How was that possible? They definitely caught the man in a mask that tried to take Arianna away ¨C just as their boss predicted he would do.

    ¡°How do you know that, boss?¡± Asked one of them, drawing nearer to scrutinize Jeremy¡¯s face. However, that didn¡¯t help since they knew nothing about how Elijah looked in the first ce.

    Of course, Marcel knew that before arriving here but he needed to take off the mask to confirm what he thought. He has no clue about Elijah¡¯s identity but the man was too smart and leaving through that front door was as good as asking for a death sentence. No mercenary in his right mind would do that ¨C the back door was the safest exit.

    Aside from that, this man¡¯s physique didn¡¯t match Elijah¡¯s as well. This man here was of average height and in his eyes, there was no superior intelligence and arrogance in there. He didn¡¯t match a cold-blooded mercenary at all; he looked more like a miserly gangster.

    That man was no other than Jeremy, the one that Elijah used to run his errands in the Red Giant gang.

    ¡°Now, you said it, I think he looks familiar,¡± Samuel was still saying when another person rushed in to announce.

    ¡°The police would be here in approximately two minutes, we have to leave,¡±

    ¡°Take him,¡± Marcelmanded at once, ¡°Tighten the security around him so he doesn¡¯t escape else every one of you should be ready to sacrifice your lives in exchange,¡±

    Jeremy might not be Elijah but he was sure the both of them must have met to have been to mislead him ¨C Marcel ¨C like this. He needed to get every bit of information he could get from him.

    Marcelid Arianna on the backseat of the car before he climbed in. As soon as he sat, he then repositioned her such that her heady on hisp while the rest of her body was stretched out on the seat. Hopefully, she wasfortable.

    The driver took off immediately and they were already on the road when the first police van passed them in a hurry followed secondster by the others.

    It was good they left on time.

    Marcel was not afraid of being apprehended by the police since he¡¯d be out in no time due to his connection. However, he had enemies at every corner and one of them might take advantage of that opportunity to dig up shit about him and lock him up.

    He can¡¯t be away from his position as boss for a long time with his greedy rtives around the corner. Not only would it bring up an internal war but the enemies might take advantage of that discord and destroy the Luciano family!

    He can¡¯t let that happen! As the boss, Marcel had sworn to uphold the dignity of the Luciano family and protect their legacy.

    Feeling Arianna stir beneath him brought his attention back to her. For sure, Arianna was a beautiful woman, but when she slept, she looked soft and angelic and it did nothing but stir his protective instinct.

    What was he going to do with her? Marcel wondered as he brushed away the hair from her face, feeling her soft skin that made him gulp.

    Marcel withdrew his hand at once as if he was shocked by electricity. He was venturing into dangerous territory.

    Until he gets his hands on Elijah or at least knows his ns, he can¡¯t get too close to Arianna. He of all people knows what emotions do to people like him having manipted people in simr positions in the past. People like them aren¡¯t supposed to have weaknesses.

    Elijah could have gotten her out today, albeit with difficultypared to when she¡¯s prisoned in his territory yet he didn¡¯t. What was going on in that crazy mind of his? The thought left Marcel on tenterhooks. He loved nning and having things in control but now things are spinning out of control.

 Chapter 187

    187 Take A little Brother Under His Wings

    Meanwhile, on the same day...

    In one of the safe houses of the Luciano family, there was a ceremony going on. This ceremony was a meeting, an induction for the newest recruits into the Luciano family.

    There were a total of ten recruits and they all sat down at therge table while the captain and guards stood before them.

    Normally in the past, the whole family ¨C including the boss ¨C would be there to witness the initiation event, however, due to the FBI surveince of ceremonies like this, the practice was stopped.

    Thanks to the surveince, it had resulted in a host of indictments and arrests with crime families losing honor and favor as a result of the sacred ceremony being taped under their watches.

    Hence the rules were changed to ensure the survival of the remaining crime families. Even if the initiation ceremony were to be found out, the boss would be spared from arrest and prison and ensure the prosperity of the gang afterward.

    Unfortunately for the arrested members, they would have to keep the most important rule of the gang ¨C the Omert¨¤. The Omert¨¤ is the oath of silence and breaking of that rule is punishable by death.

    When that rule is broken, there is no survival for the victim. No hope, no Jesus, no Madonna, nobody can help them if they ever give up this secret to anybody. It cannot be exposed. So yeah, they would rather choose death than exposing a thing because they¡¯re as good as dead either way.

    Each of the recruits was bare from the waist upwards and on the table, there is a ss of wine with a .38 gun and a dagger in front of either of the results who stared ahead with a straight face.

    .....

    The Caporegime who happened to be no other than Arthur began, ¡°You were baptized when you were a baby, your parents did it. But now, this time, we are going to baptize you.¡±

    The baptism represents the new stage of life that is beginning and as well, implies that the Mafia is taking the ce of their family. They would have to give their all to the organization.

    When Arthur motions to them, all of them stand to their feet. In the center of the table was a picture of a Saint and upon instructions, all ten of them stretched their finger to their inductee who pricked their finger with a pin and squeezes until the bloodes out.

    As soon as that happened, Arthur said, ¡°This blood symbolizes your birth into our Luciano family. You live by the gun and the knife and you die by the gun and the knife.¡¯

    The blood from their wounds soaked the picture and as soon as they were done, the picture was transferred into a small incinerator bin and burned.

    While it burned, Arthur finished the rest of his words, ¡°If you disobey the rules,

    as burns this saint, so will burn your soul. You enter alive and you will have to get out dead.¡±

    The recruits responded and the initiation ceremony was finished with a kiss administered to both cheeks of the new Mafiosi. They were weed by older members of the gang present and only settled down when Lance, Arthur¡¯s brother stepped out to give the Mafia code.

    ¡°Be loyal to members of the organization. Do not interfere with each other¡¯s interests. Do not be an informer ¨C You must never betray any of the secrets of this family.

    ¡°Be rational. Be a member of the team. Don¡¯t engage in battle if you can¡¯t win. The directive extends to personal life.

    ¡°Be a man of honor. Respect womanhood and your elders. Don¡¯t rock the boat ¨C You must never vite the wife or children of another member.

    ¡°Be a stand-up guy. Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut. Don¡¯t sell out. The ¡®stand-up guy¡¯ shows courage and ¡®heart.¡¯ He does not whine orin in the face of adversity, including punishment, because ¡®If you can¡¯t pay, don¡¯t y.¡¯

    ¡°Have ss. Be independent. Know your way around the world.

    ¡°You must never be involved with narcotics.

    ¡°The penalty for breaking thesews is death.¡±

    As soon as he announced that, Lance could see the fear on the faces of the newbies even if they tried to hide it. Well, all except one of them.

    Lance stared at the fearless newbie, he looked sturdy and sharp-witted ¨C not to mention handsome. With the right training, he might be able to turn him into a big asset.

    So as soon as the ceremony was over and the newbies were socializing, Lance quietly approached him.

    He was schmoozing with a fellow newbie and Lance had to admit, the guy¡¯s handsomeness was enough to turn him gay.

    Shit! What the hell is he thinking? Get the fuck out of his head.

    ¡°A-hem,¡± Lance had to clear his throat to draw his attention and it worked because the newbie Mafiosi finally turned to him ¨C and he froze.

    p him.

    Lance blinked, was he staring at the god of beauty. Even with the hint of a five o¡¯clock shadow across his strong jaws, it did nothing but emphasize his manliness.

    It was until the newbie bowed, ¡°Boss!¡± That he was able topose himself.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Lance squeaked and went red in the face immediately. He cleared his voice once more and summoned the deepest tenor he could find in his vocal cord, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Aziz,¡± He answered humbly.

    ¡°Aziz?¡± Lance mused over it, ¡°The All-powerful? It¡¯s a nice name,¡±

    ¡°Thank you, boss,¡± Aziz said once more bowing his head.

    ¡°Oh no, let¡¯s not be formal,¡± Lance told him, ¡°Just between the both of us, think of me as a big brother. I grant you the power to call me by my name!¡± He dered happily.

    ¡°Thank you for the big privilege, big brother Lance!¡± Aziz bowed enthusiastically once again.

    He¡¯s really humble, Lance found him cute and amusing. It seems it¡¯s time to take a little brother under his wing.

    ¡°Fine, then. In the future, if you have problems, don¡¯t forget toe and meet me. I¡¯ll try and help you to my very best,¡± Lance liked him. Or maybe he was just charmed.

    ¡°Thank you so much, big brother, Lance, you are so magnanimous!¡± Aziz praised him with his head lowered still and that made Lance¡¯s head swell with pride.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Heughed, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. See youter,¡± Lance waved at him as he left.

    Nor did he get to see the deadly smirk that crossed Aziz¡¯s face when he lifted his head.

    Fools.

 Chapter 188

    188 Mim Was In Trouble

    Victor was avoided like a gue when the others found out he was in a bad mood which wasn¡¯t surprising ¨C he always had erratic mood swings.

    ¡°How could she think of me as a pervert!¡± Victor yelled to no one but himself in his room, burning with fury.

    This was the first time he was experiencing such an awkward situation. All of the women he has been with loved and admired him ¨C and ended up in bed with him. This was the first time he was having a cordial rtionship with someone from the opposite sex ¨C except his sister ¨C and this was what he got in return? She called him a pervert.

    ¡°Pervert? Hah!¡± Victor huffed irritably. He found that word highly offensive! He didn¡¯t have a twisted sense of morality. How could one single woman think of him that way? She wasn¡¯t even worth his attention!

    Yes, it was better with Mimi gone. He didn¡¯t need her anyway, Victor was sure of that. He had been doing fine before she came along and flipped his life upside down. She might as well vanish off the face of the earth, he doesn¡¯t care.

    But then, his delicious food...

    No! Not even the food can change his mind. He would try to make the food by himself to that taste, and there were the chefs as well. They would surely try to make something as good as Hannah¡¯s food, hopefully.

    However, inwardly Victor knew that was all a lie. He had been eating the food made by the chefs all year long and none of them tasted close to Mama Hannah¡¯s delicacies.

    It wasn¡¯t that the chef¡¯s cooking wasn¡¯t good but Mama Hannah had an indigenous method of cooking that tasted better and her food smelled like home. He was going to miss that.

    .....

    Or maybe he could find a way to negotiate a method that ensures his food supply while they ¨C he and Mimi ¨C stay away from each other. Could he buy mama Hannah¡¯s food?

    Victor sighed, he knew that was impossible. The woman would probably stop associating with him when he hears what happens between him and her daughter. His luck was bad this time. What was he going to do?

    Suddenly, his gaze fell on the food sk Mimi came with earlier and he scoffed. Was this a strategy by Mimi? She intentionally left this here so he could chase after her and make him apologize? Victor could tell how a woman¡¯s mind works having been with numerous of them. That was a cheap trick.

    Yet Victor knew this was an opportunity for him as well. So he picked it up and decided to go after her. He was not going to apologize to her as Mimi probably thinks ¨C he did nothing wrong ¨C rather he would hand over the sk to her and return here with swag. He has to prove he could survive without her ¨C and the food.

    Even as he thought that, Victor still ran out of the house, sk in hand like a mad man trying to find her. She was probably still lingering outside, pretending to wait for her ride.

    But the reality was far from his imagination because Victor didn¡¯t find a trace of Mimi outside. Huh? How was that possible?

    He then pulled out his phone and tried her number only to discover that it was busy. Mimi was on a call? Where was she then? She should be around here.

    So Victor looked around and in the process discovered the taxi beside him and at the same time, the driver stepped out. He recognized the man as Mimi¡¯s contractual driver and he had a phone pressed to the side of his ears as if on call. Was he the one calling Mimi?

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Victor asked him.

    The man looked at him in surprise, taking the phone off his ear, ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Mimi? You are the driver who takes her home, eh? Where is she?¡± This was the first time the both of them had met, hence the man couldn¡¯t recognize him.

    But the driver answered nheless, having sensed he was her boss or something, ¡°I have no idea. Miss. Mimi called me over as usual and I came. However, I haven¡¯t caught a glimpse of her nor is she picking my calls,¡±

    Victor suddenly had a bad feeling but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He and Mimi fought and for all he knew she intentionally was not picking up her calls to punish him ¨C and the driver as well?

    No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. There was hardly any cab running around here ¨C thanks to their influence ¨C and it was a lot of kilometers before one could get to a bus stop. Unless Mimi nned on having a ¡°good¡± exercise, she ought to have answered her driver¡¯s call.

    No, it can¡¯t be, Victor shut his eyes for a while. Danger surrounded him all day, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if something happened to her already. No, he had to find her first. Victor had to be positive and believe that Mimi was hiding out somewhere. That this was all a prank to punish him.

    ¡°Keep on calling her and if she answers, do not hesitate to give me a call,¡± Victor handed his card to him and took off to go search for her.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Victor yelled at intervals during his search, calling her out in case she was hiding, and heard his voice.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry, juste out where I can see you!¡± He said, not caring about the look people he passed on the streets gave him. He didn¡¯t care.

    Dusk has fallen already and that made him more worried when she didn¡¯t appear after a while. So he opted to call her and to his surprise, the phone rang not far from where he was.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Victor cursed as soon as he picked up the phone with a shattered screen. The fact that Mimi dropped this here couldn¡¯t be good.

    As much as he hate this, Victor had to admit Mimi was in trouble and it was likely because of him.

 Chapter 189

    189 Victor¡¯s Girlfriend

    Victor picked the phone up and was already contemting his next course of action when his phone rang. Looking down, he discovered that it was an unknown number and for some reason, Victor¡¯s eyes chilled at once.

    ¡°Hello?¡± He picked up the phone with a taut tone, all traces of a smile gone from his face.

    ¡°Cu¨¢nto tiempo sin verte, Victor,¡± Long time no see, Victor.

    Victor sneered, ¡°Draco.¡±

    The manughed, ¡°Told you I was watching,¡±

    Victor flexed his fist holding the phone, his hand was suddenly feeling itchy, ¡°Where is the girl?¡± He asked seriously.

    ¡°Safe with me,¡± Heughed once again, ¡°You know I value women,¡±

    Of course, Victor knew because the man Draco was into the business of adult prostitution. Thankfully, Draco had his own moral code and wasn¡¯t into trafficking else Mimi would be halfway across the country by now while they discussed the terms and conditions for her release.

    Either way, Victor wasn¡¯tfortable that Mimi was with him, what if..... he didn¡¯t dare to envision that scene because it only filled him with bloodlust.

    .....

    ¡°If you touch as much as a strand on her -¡±

    ¡°We are not enemies, Victor. So you can rest assured she¡¯s safe,¡± Draco added, ¡°At the moment. You see I¡¯m considering giving her for the night to this important client if you don¡¯t get your ass in here in the next five minutes,¡± He threatened him.

    Victor was close to exploding but he reigned in his emotions. A soldier who lets everyment from his opponent get under his skin was as good as dead. As much as Draco was a motherf*cker, he was a man of his words.

    ¡°You¡¯d see me there,¡± Victor assured him.

    ¡°Of course ¨C oh, another thing.¡± Draco was quick to remind him, ¡°Do not involve your mad cousin Marcel in this, you of all should know that this is nothing but a friendly match,¡±

    Of course, Victor wasn¡¯t ready to involve Marcel either. He was old enough and capable of taking care of his problems without help from him. As much as Marcel was the prodigy child, that doesn¡¯t mean Victor wasn¡¯t capable either.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be there in a jiffy,¡± Victor promised him and ended the call immediately. At once, he trekked back to the base and wasn¡¯t surprised to see the driver still there.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found her, drive.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The driver was confused by that statement, looking around to see Mimi all to no avail. He wanted to ask for more details only for Victor to enter the backseat and he had no choice but to climb in and drive to the destination.

    Throughout the ride, Victor was surprisingly quiet, lost in his thoughts and the driver knew what was best for him by not asking questions.

    Now, what was the feud between him and Draco? Or the better question should be, how did their beef begin?

    Well, for starters, Draco and his family were business partners since they needed the help of his girls sometimes. However, Victor caused him a very important deal.

    One of Draco¡¯s girls was sent on a mission but Victor ¨C having no knowledge of that ¨C charmed her all the way to his bed and she got sidetracked causing the deal worth millions of dors to flop miserably. Since then, Draco promised him payback and it seems he hase to collect on it today.

    So here they are.

    Meanwhile....

    Mimi squeezed her eyes against the throb in her head. Her sight adjusted to the environment eventually and she found herself outside the field of a construction site with three unknown men.

    She was tied to a chair and it waste already, the only source of lighting from the small bonfire they set up. Damn, she has seen a lot of this in movies. What were they about to do to her?

    Mimi instantly shivered, what did they want from her; she didn¡¯t even know them. At once, her mind shifted to Charlie¡¯s murder and she couldn¡¯t help but think that this was his friends or something. They must have found out about his murder and were here to have revenge on her for ending him.

    God no.

    She should have known it would backfire. Heck, she wasn¡¯t even the one that killed him! But Vic...

    Not minding that her rtionship with Victor was all water under the bridge now, Mimi was not ready to throw him under the bus. Victor might be the one who pulled the trigger on Charlie but she was the one who caused his death.

    ¡°Gentlemen...¡± Mimi started when she saw all three men staring at her ¨C that was ufortable. She could tell who was the leader from the arrogance written all over his face and the lit cigarette stick hanging limply from his lips.

    Mimi went on, ¡°I can assure you that you don¡¯t want to hurt me,¡± She added with a pitiful look, ¡°Please?¡±

    The leader seemed to be amused by herment, ¡°Hurt you?¡± He snorted augh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your beautiful self, your boyfriend would be the one getting hurt. You can restfortably,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi blinked twice. What did she just hear? Boyfriend? Does she have a boyfriend? When was thest time she had a boyfriend?

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± She said, drawing his attention, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, I don¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡± Mimi was sure of what she was saying.

    Draco sighed, ¡°Could you stop with your pretense game, we all know about you and Victor? We¡¯ve had eyes on the both of you all this while.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mimi shouted so loudly that she almost startled the other man next to him. What was this man talking about? Was he high on something?

    ¡°You think Victor and I are in a rtionship?¡± She asked just to be sure.

    However, when Mimi saw the serious look on the man¡¯s face, she knew he was damn serious. And without warning, she burst into loud mockingughter that dumbfounded everyone.

    Mimiughed so hard that tears escaped her eyes while the men before her were so embarrassed that they even began to question the authenticity of their im. How sure were they that she was Victor¡¯s girlfriend?

 Chapter 190

    190 How Much You Mean To Victor

    Mimi wanted to stopughing but she couldn¡¯t, not when the reason forughing was funny as hell. She was dating Victor? What kind of bullshit conclusion was that?

    Victor was a pompous asshole, a man she would never date even if an apocalypse hits earth and the male poptiones to an end, all except him. She would rather die than repopte the earth with him. A man that cannot acknowledge his mistake was not worth her attention!

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± Herughter was not funny to Draco anymore because it was beginning to feel insultive ¨C she was unintentionally hinting he was stupid for making the wrong judgment and he was a man of pride.

    Mimi shut her mouth with immediate effect. She understood that just because this particr breed of gangsters was being cordial to her doesn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t capable of harming her. She didn¡¯t want to get hurt.

    Draco didn¡¯t say a word for a while, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Mimi pulsed her lips, hoping what was going on in his head were good thoughts. As if.

    Then he began to circle her without saying a word which only added to the tension Mimi was feeling inside.

    He suddenly stopped.

    Her heart almost stopped at the same time.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure the both of you aren¡¯t a couple?¡± He suddenly asked.

    .....

    ¡°Eh?¡± Mimi was surprised by the question. ¡°Y-yeah,¡± She answered nheless.

    He smirked and that sent goosebumps down Mimi¡¯s spine because she could tell that wasn¡¯t a good one.

    ¡°That makes it more interesting then,¡± He murmured beneath his breath but she heard that.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Mimi didn¡¯t like the sound of that. She didn¡¯t want to associate with another psychopathic gangster, Charlie was enough, and Victor was... Urm.... well, Victor.

    Mimi gasped sharply when she suddenly felt Draco¡¯s presence strongly behind her as he rested his head on her shoulder, his hands tenderly squeezing her arms together.

    The smell of his cigarette breath nauseated Mimi¡¯s stomach and distracted her enough not to think too much of the intimate position they were in, however, she did hear his words loud and clear in her ears.

    ¡°I guess he¡¯d have to find out how much you mean to Victor, don¡¯t you think so?¡± he found it funny.

    Unfortunately, Mimi didn¡¯t find it funny. From their interactions so far, she could already deduce that some bad blood existed between this man and Victor. And he kidnapped her, thinking something was between her and Victor, so he could hurt him.

    That was the part that scared Mimi, she didn¡¯t know how far this man was willing to go to teach Victor a lesson because she was currently helpless and defenseless and didn¡¯t like it one bit.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a huge mistake here,¡± Mimi said, finally grasping the gravity of the situation, ¡°This game is not worth it.¡± She prayed she could change his mind about this. Mimi was beginning to have a bad feeling.

    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Heughed against her skin, goosebumps rising in its wake.

    Yet, she put on a brave face, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Good. Because it¡¯s going to get better from now on. Don¡¯t you want to know how much you mean to Victor?¡± He sounded like the devil in her ear right now, offering an apple to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a worthless pursuit,¡± Mimi answered indifferently. Maybe if she showed she was bored, Draco might think the same and give up what he has in mind.

    ¡°No,¡± he countered, ¡°I call it an eye-opener because you see I made a deal with Victor...¡±

    Now, that doesn¡¯t sound good.

    Draco must have sensed her unease because he was excited this time as he went on, ¡°It¡¯s time to see how much you¡¯re worth to Victor because if he doesn¡¯t make it here in approximately.....¡± He checked his watch, ¡°Two minutes and five seconds, you would be covering an important deal for me instead,¡±

    As punishment for what Victor did, Mimi could read in between the lines. She didn¡¯t need to guess what deal she would be covering. There was just one kind of job women are exceptionally good at in this kind of setting and she had no doubt it required the use of their body. Mimi gulped down a lump in her throat.

    ¡°So the question is, how much are you worth to Victor? Would he answer my call or not?¡±

    Mimi hoped he did.

    She was not a virgin like her rigid friend, Arianna, but she was no whore either. Victor betteres toplete what he started.

    But Mimi was scared shit, doubt creeping into her mind. She fought with Victor right before she was kidnapped and they agreed not to get involved with each other¡¯s life again. What if Victor stays true to that? If Victor decided to abandon her now, then she was doomed.

    Oh, God.

    She suddenly wished Draco kidnapped her before they had that fight. But now, she doesn¡¯t know what to think anymore. Who would save her?

    ¡°Twenty seconds remaining¡±

    Mimi¡¯s heart mmed against her chest. This was slowly bing a nightmare. Please.... she never thought she would have to pray for Victor¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Ten seconds...¡±

    Mimi was close to having a heart attack now.

    ¡°Nine seconds...¡±

    Maybe, instead of depending on Victor that would note from the look of things, she should think of a way to escape.

    ¡°Eight seconds....¡±

    Alright, what¡¯s the n?

    ¡°Seven...¡±

    Damn, she had no n.

    ¡°Six....¡±

    The most irritating part was that Draco was announcing the seconds right into her ears in a whisper, heightening the tension inside of her.

    ¡°Five...¡±

    Fine, she¡¯d have to make a run for it once she was released.

    ¡°Four seconds....¡±

    Mimi braced herself for the disappointment that was about to hit her hard when Draco counted down to zero.

    However, Draco didn¡¯t get the chance to count to the seconds on the clock because they heard a loud engine noise and the next, the headlight of a car blinded them.

 Chapter 191

    191 Make Your Choice Now

    When they fought earlier today, Mimi knew Victor was mad as hell thanks to his red face. But now? That same face was dark and unreadable as he moved in the way of the headlight giving her the chance to recover from the blurring sight.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Draco announced happily, finally moving away from her side and Mimi was able to exhale the breath she had been holding in.

    He came.

    Victor really came? Mimi found it hard to believe. She was not stupid enough to think Victor came because he liked her or something, he must be here to rescue her because he loves ying the hero ¨C just like he rescued her from Charlie ¨C and to secure his food source.

    Mimi watched as one of Draco¡¯s men went to stop Victor, probably tomence a search on him for any weapon he might have on him secretly. He blocked Victor¡¯s way and ced a hand on his chest to stop him from moving further and that was when it happened.

    With stunning quickness, Victor grabbed the hand resting on his chest and squeezed it hard in a weird angle and all they heard next was the cracking of bones and the man howling in pain while holding his broken hand.

    ¡°Never youy your filthy hands on me,¡± Victor said coldly, Mimi shivered from the chair where she was seated. She could finally see why she couldn¡¯t read Victor because his eyes were filled with a crazed bloodlust to hurt someone.

    Mimi gulped, was all of this for her?

    ¡°Draco, release her now!¡± Victor growled, striding towards him fearlessly like a bull charging at its target after the red g was waved.

    .....

    ¡°Ah-ah, not so fast!¡± Draco warned him, pulling out a gun that he focused on Mimi¡¯s head and Victor halted instantly. Even he knew one can never outrun a bullet.

    Mimi¡¯s breath hitched as soon as she stared at the muzzle of the gun against her head. Just a pull and she was dead. Didn¡¯t the man say he wouldn¡¯t hurt her?

    But a look at Victor and Mimi understood why he was doing this? Victor needed to calm down and Draco probably thought this was the best method to do so if only he knew Victor looked like he would tear him apart from limb to limb.

    That thought excited yet chilled Mimi at the same time. She was d he was here to rescue her but she needed that image of the kind, funny Victor in her head to be preserved. She didn¡¯t want to see the monstrous side of him ¨C that he was barely reining in.

    ¡°I told you she wouldn¡¯t be hurt,¡± Draco said, attempting to calm him as well. He must have sensed the killing intent from Victor.

    But Victor didn¡¯t trust the credibility of his words and turned to Mimi instead with concern, ¡°Are you okay? Did he hurt you in any way?¡±

    Mimi quickly shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. He didn¡¯t hurt me, so you don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± Like fighting two armed men all by yourself ¨C the third man was slightly handicapped ¨C with no weapon of your own.

    ¡°Good.¡± Victor turned to Draco, ¡°Now, let her go, and we can talk. After all, you have me now. ¡± he told Draco who withdrew the gun from her.

    Mimi breathed slowly.

    If she survives this, she¡¯s never associating with these people ever again. Not even Victor!

    ¡°No, no,¡± Draco gestured, ¡°That¡¯s not how it¡¯s going to work, Victor. I¡¯m the one in control and you¡¯re here to pay for your sins,¡± He reminded him.

    ¡°So your ego is still bruised since the past year because I slept with your favorite? How fickle you are, Draco. You should have just tagged your harem so I could identify them,¡± Victor added more salt to the injury.

    Mimi facepalmed mentally, what the hell was Victor doing? He was feeding fuel to the inferno, this bastard!

    As expected, Draco¡¯s face distorted with anger, ¡°You!¡±

    But he seemed to get himself at thest minute because he smiled slyly and that sent chills down Mimi¡¯s spine. She didn¡¯t like that malevolent expression.

    ¡°An eye for an eye,¡± He turned to Mimi, she gulped, ¡°She said she¡¯s not your girlfriend, but she must be your favorite for you to have run all the way here. So why don¡¯t I spend the night with her as well and we can call it quits,¡± He suggested cheekily.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Mimi was notfortable with the fact she was being treated like amodity here. She was not even rted to Victor, why was she being involved in this crazy man¡¯s vengeance.

    But Victor lost his calm, stepping towards them once again, ¡°You would not darey a hand....¡±

    Draco¡¯s other underlings held a gun against Mimi¡¯s head once more warning him not to step closer. .

    Victor released a string of profanity. He hated being threatened.

    Mimi did not doubt that this meeting would have turned bloody if she wasn¡¯t being held hostage. Perhaps that was the reason Draco wanted her as an audience because the hold she had on Victor would ovee his rage.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Victor gritted his teeth, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Draco released that sleazy smile that revealed he finally got Victor where he wanted him. He went towards him till they were standing face to face.

    The corner of his lips raised, ¡°What do you think, if not to beat the living hell out of you. That would be so satisfying to watch.¡±

    As if on cue, several men began to appear out of the upleted building with batons in their hands, each of them ready for a taste of violence.

    ¡°No!¡± Mimi shouted because she heard what they discussed and saw them all. So this was what Draco meant by Victor was going to get hurt.

    ¡°Sorry,dy but your opinion is not needed at the moment,¡± His voice turned serious, ¡°This is a fight between men,¡±

    ¡°You are going to kill him!¡± Mimi cried out in despair and why wasn¡¯t that stupid Victor saying something.

    ¡°No, of course, I won¡¯t kill him. Not unless I want Marceling after me and trust me, that is bad for business,¡± Draco dared to wink at her.

    The nerve.

    He went on, ¡°But of course, I have a magnanimous heart which is why I¡¯m giving him an option,¡±

    Draco turned to the unsmiling Victor, ¡°Submit yourself and let me beat the daylight out of you or happily surrender your favorite woman to me for a night and this feud between us ends. It¡¯s all up to you now, Victor, to make your choice.¡±

 Chapter 192

    192 Victor Broke Her Heart

    The expression on both Mimi and Victor¡¯s faces was soical that it could have been converted into a meme if it had been captured on camera; both looked like shit had been thrown on their faces.

    However, a sense of dread was quick to wash over Mimi knowing she would be on the receiving end of this feud if Victor chooses otherwise. Even at that, she didn¡¯t want Victor to get hurt.

    ¡°Shove that option of yours up your ass, I¡¯m a man and would never chicken out of a challenge. So if beating me would satisfy your damaged ego, so be it,¡± Victor said confidently, still managing tond an insult on him.

    However, Draco¡¯s emotions were not stirred by his caustic words this time because he was sure ofughing in the end. Right now, Victor was all bark with no bite.

    ¡°Excellent choice then,¡± Draco¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement and a dark promise of pain.

    ¡°However, on one condition,¡± Victor suddenly said, piquing his curiosity.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Draco asked curiously. No matter how smart Victor was, there was no escaping his revenge today. He would make sure of it.

    Victor pointed at Mimi, ¡°You would let her go, she can¡¯t watch me get my ass whipped,¡±

    But Draco refused, ¡°No, that can¡¯t happen. What¡¯s the fun of the whole thing if she¡¯s not here to see you get beaten,¡± He pointed out.

    .....

    ¡°Exactly, what¡¯s the point,¡± Mimi was in support of that to Victor¡¯s surprise.

    But the truth was that Mimi just wanted to view the whole fight from close up so they don¡¯t do anything foul to Victor. Draco said it was going to be a few beating but the baton his men held said otherwise.

    She hated the violence about to be disyed before her but what can she do? Someone had to be on the lookout for Victor and that had to be her since she was his ¡°bestie¡± ¨C she couldn¡¯t even cringe at that title in this critical situation.

    However, Victor saw through her cover and stood his ground. He said to Draco sternly, ¡°If you¡¯re not getting her out of here, you can forget about everything and you of all people should know you can¡¯ty a hand on me without my permission,¡±

    Draco¡¯s jaw flexed, knowing he was right. He had to get Victor to agree to the deal else a move on him would be seen as a threat on the Luciano family and he¡¯d have to contend with Marcel, if not the whole of Luciano. Draco was sure he would lose if that were to happen.

    ¡°Fine,¡± He grudgingly gave in, his jaw clenched hard. This wouldn¡¯t be as fun as he wanted it to be, nheless, half bread was better than none. Victor was his to deal with tonight.

    ¡°Hey!¡± He gestured to one of his men who didn¡¯t need instruction andmenced into action.

    Mimi was dumbfounded when the man came close to her and began to work on the binds, everything was going faster than she couldprehend.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± She began to panic as the ropes loosened around her, and in no time she was free.

    Mimi was quick on her feet and before the man could get a grasp of her, she pushed him away and rushed towards Victor.

    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± When Mimi reached him, she shook him hard as if that would bring him to his senses, ¡°You want me out of here?! What if something bad happens to you?!¡± Mimi yelled at his face worriedly.

    Victor turned to her with a cold, apathetic face, ¡°Why do you care?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°We agreed not to get involved in each other¡¯s lives, so why are you trying to be such a busybody this time? Or do you just like being Miss. goody shoes that much?¡± Victor sneered.

    Mimi froze at that statement, her face falling at once. Why does Victor sound sarcastic? That was when it dawned on her that he was intentionally pushing her away by trying to be mean.

    ¡°I see what you¡¯re doing, Victor, but that¡¯s not going to work. You im that I¡¯m a goody-two-shoes, what about you then? You knew the danger you were getting yourself into bying yet here you are. You even met the time limit Draco gave you, is that you caring for me, or do you have a heroplex?¡± Mimi said to him and was not afraid to meet his eyes.

    ¡°Answer me, Victor!¡± She demanded, poking him on the chest.

    Surprisingly, the man that was supposed to take her away and the others ¨C including Draco ¨C stood at the spot watching the drama between them interestingly.

    But Victor only stared hard at her; neither did she falter under his gaze. When Mimi was unable to get an answer from him, she sighed, ¡°I guess we both are hypocrites after all,¡±

    She took a step and tugged his hands, ¡± So please, just let me -¡±

    Victor turned to the man, ¡°Take her out of here, or do you need me to remind you how to do your duty?¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± Mimi shouted and ran around Victor, trying to use his body as a shield against him.

    But to her greatest surprise, Victor was the one who grabbed and handed her to the man who didn¡¯t waste them and carried her over his shoulder.

    Victor just broke her heart.

    Why this position all the time though?

    ¡°You Jerk! Let me down!¡± Mimi screamed in anger as the man started to leave.

    She looked over her shoulder to see the evil grin on Draco¡¯s face while handing a baton to Victor to use to defend himself against his many men. Even at that, Victor was still outnumbered.

    ¡°That evil asshole!¡± Mimi raged and it was frustrating that she couldn¡¯t find her feet on the ground because she was poised in the air.

    She then looked down and discovered that her captor had a bald head. How convenient!

    ¡°Let me down this instant!¡± Mimi screamed as she pped the man hard on his bald head, not once, not twice, but continuously like his head was a drum.

 Chapter 193

    193 Crying For A Man

    ¡°F*ck, what is going on here!¡± Hollered Mimi¡¯s contractual driver who had driven Victor to the scene. He would have left already had Victor notmanded him to wait out with a promise of an attractive payment after this was over.

    However, the man became antsy when he saw the tension in the air, especially when those men with batons came out of nowhere. He became ufortable, especially with the rumors of gang activities he¡¯s heard were rampant around this area. He can¡¯t die yet, he had his wife and children to take care of.

    So when he saw the long-missing Mimi on the shoulder of that bald maning in his direction, he pulled out his phone at once. Enough was enough.

    With mmy hands, he sessfully dialed the emergency code and it ranged for a few seconds before the personnel on duty picked up.

    ¡°911, what¡¯s your emergency?¡±

    However, before the man even got the opportunity to say a word, a leisure knocknded on his car window and he looked out with terror only to discover one of those gangsters looking down at him with a grin.

    Where did hee from? It seems that one had been monitoring him for a while.

    His heart skipped a beat at once while he unconsciously leaned back into his seat, his hand tightening on the seat belt around him.

    ¡°The phone?¡± The gangster said, stretching out his hand expectantly.

    .....

    Without a word, the driver handed the phone with shaky hands and the gangster snatched the phone from him. He then squeezed his eyes shut knowing that this was his end, but the man merely waved his baton at him warningly, ¡°Don¡¯t go, anyway¡±

    And that was it.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He was surprised, ¡°Just like that?¡± The driver was stunned.

    Meanwhile, Mimi¡¯s method worked effectively because she pped the man¡¯s head mercilessly leaving him with no choice but to let her down ¨C that pain indeed touched his brains. Neither could hey a hand on her because Draco strictly warned them not to and the reason why.

    She used that opportunity to run back to the scene but her fears came true, the fight had already begun. It was like something out of an action movie, the protagonist fighting and defending himself against huge numbers of enemies.

    After the previous incident, Mimi researched the position of consigliere in the gang and discovered he was merely an adviser to the boss hence she underestimated his ability.

    She surmised Victor was probably only good with a gun, a skill he learned to protect himself in the least while all the actions were reserved for the boss, Marcel. So he¡¯d be beaten to a pulp without his weapon.

    But right now, she was proved wrong and Mimi had to admit, Victor looked really hot while fighting.

    A-hem!

    Where was that stupid thoughte from? However, this was no time to quibble with her stupid mind, she needed to focus.

    The difference in skill between Victor and those men was like heaven and earth, their numbers the only advantage they had on their side.

    ¡°Yes,e on, kick those asses!¡± Mimi became the spectator, cheering Victor on as he fought.

    Victor was pushing the attacker in front of him when one of the attackers from behind, raised his baton to hit him on the neck and Mimi was quick to shout, ¡°Victor, behind you!¡±

    Thanks to that timely warning, Victor was able to dodge in time and while still holding the first man¡¯s hands that he crossed in an X and pulled hard, he dodged the other attacker that swung the baton at him once again.

    Victor, targeting his knee, kicked there strongly before swiftly snatching his baton with one hand and gave both men a beating and turning to face the other ones that charged at him.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Mimi pumped her fist in the air, excited that she was useful to Victor in the end ¨C she would give him an earful after this was over. Even at that, Victor was quite cool.

    Thanks to that, Mimi was so taken by Victor¡¯s charisma that she forgot all about the bald man so when he suddenly grabbed her from behind, she shrieked from fright, and that cost Victor.

    The only thought in Victor¡¯s head at the moment was to beat Draco and his underlings and get the hell out of hell with Mimi. Draco might be a businessman but he was no fighter which was why he simply watched from the sidelines waiting for his men to deliver him ¨C Victor ¨C on a tter of gold to him. Unfortunately, that was not going to happen.

    It would be hard and one of the toughest fights he had ever been in but Victor was not going to stand still and watch his ass being handed to him, especially with Mimi around. Yeah, he still had his pride and he wanted her out of harm¡¯s way ¨C he wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate with Mimi in the way.

    With his victory drawing near, Victor saw the perks of having Marcel personally train him. His cousin might be loving but when ites to training, he was a war machine and there was no mercy. Sadly, his fears came true.

    He suddenly heard Mimi¡¯s panicked scream and turned, getting distracted. That gave his opponent the chance to hit him at the back of the head with the expandable steel baton and the pain disoriented Victor, slowing his lotion.

    ¡°Victor!¡± Mimi screamed, her heart almost jumping out of her throat at that scene and she was guilty knowing that was her fault. Maybe, she shouldn¡¯t have been stubborn and stayed in the car where he wanted her to be.

    Sadly, the bald man didn¡¯t bother to drag her along to the car this time, he just held her down at the spot as she struggled, watching the whole scene unfold in front of her.

    Like vermin upon finding a host, Draco¡¯s underlings took that little moment of weakness from Victor and attacked him, trying to make sure he doesn¡¯t stand on his feet again seeing he was strong.

    ¡°No, let him go!¡± Mimi shouted in despair, watching them kick and hit Victor who could do little to defend himself. He was outnumbered ¨C and it was all her fault.

    ¡°Please, just let him go!¡± Mimi found herself crying for a man for the first time in her life.

 Chapter 194

    194 Birds Of Same Feathers

    ¡°Please, just let him go,¡± The whimper left her lips, her heart shredding into pieces as she watched those men attack Victor.

    Mimi suddenly wished she had some sort of superpowers so she could hurt these people as much as they hurt Victor. How could they shamelessly gang up on one person?

    She sobbed, ¡°Please, just let him go!¡± Her heart arched with both sorrow and regret. Victor must be in so much pain and it was all because of her.

    Mimi wished she could turn back the hands of the clock to that moment when she and Victor fought. The both of them would solve their misunderstanding and there wouldn¡¯t be any need to storm out of his house and fall into the hands of these people. Sadly, wishes weren¡¯t horses nor could she change time.

    God must have heard her prayers because the male cowards stopped kicking Victor and a path was instantly made in the middle to reveal Draco who stepped towards Victor with a cockily, ¡°Nothing tastes as good as the sweet smell of revenge,¡±

    Mimi red intensely at Draco from where she was standing. If only she was free, she would w out those eyes of his and see if that proud smile of his would still be there after she was done with him. Mimi was so angry that she was bloodthirsty.

    Maybe it was a good thing that she was held down by that bald man who was a hundred-plus tons heavier than her because she was reeking off murderous intent.

    ¡°Pull him up,¡± Draco leisurelymanded them and his underlings did as he said as expected.

    They hoisted up the tired Victor whose legs could barely support his body and only dragged along the ground. They had to support him on both sides; grabbing onto each arm to keep him in an upright position, at least to Draco¡¯s eye level.

    .....

    Cleanliness was second nature to Victor but right now, he looked like something a cat dragged in. His clothes were dirtied from staying on the ground while there were several footprints on his face, not to mention his busted lips, several cuts, and a bruise forming at his temple. For people who were trying not to attract Marcel¡¯s attention, they sure tried ¡°hard¡± ¨C note the sarcasm.

    Even when he was on his feet, Victor didn¡¯t bother to fight back because he was tired and in pain. His head was lowered and his body limp, straining and pushing his entire weight on those holding him up.

    ¡°You asshole, why don¡¯t you fight him when he¡¯s strong on his feet, huh? Why? Because you¡¯re nothing but a coward!¡± Mimi goaded him.

    ¡°No, I disagree with that,¡± Draco argued, turning to her, ¡°Only a fool jumps into a war he cannot win, right now, I win. But don¡¯t worry sweetheart, I¡¯ll release your sugar pie to you after five punches.¡± He said with dark amusement.

    ¡°Aah!¡± Mimi screamed in frustration, straining against that bald man¡¯s hold all to no avail. She really wanted to p the cocky grin off Draco¡¯s face. This was annoying; her blood was stirred up.

    Draco ignored her as if she was not worth his attention and turned back to Victor,nding the first blow right on his stomach smugly.

    Victor let out a pained groan, swallowing air into his lungs. The asshole didn¡¯t have much power in his punch but it still hurt nheless.

    Draco pulled his hair back, lifting his face saying, ¡°You feel that pain? That was how it felt when you fucked me up,¡±

    But Victor onlyughed mockingly, ¡°I wish I could hear the sound of your heart, that way I would hurt you much deeper,¡±

    ¡°Bastard!¡± Draco fired up,nding another punch in that same spot. He might not have real power in his fist but he sure knew how to deliver them.

    This time Mimi didn¡¯t cry nor scream for Victor¡¯s release, she was just silent ¨C deadly silent like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey.

    Draco thinking and mistaking her quietness as submission or resignation confirmed his words. He released Victor after the fifth punch.

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of my words,¡± He proudly announced to her, pushing his hair wet from sweat back while exhaling as if he did hardbor. He then nonchntly signaled his men to let her go.

    And that was a huge mistake.

    She waited just a second.

    After that, no one saw hering because they never thought she would retaliate after she was released. What could a woman do anyway? They must think.

    Mimi showed that to them.

    As fast as the howling wind, she came barreling towards Draco like a raging bull ¨C even Usain Bolt would have been proud of the record-breaker Mimi made in that Sprint.

    Mimi speared Draco to the ground and everyone watched in wonder as if this was a wrestling match ¨C only there was no referee or a countdown.

    How was that even possible?

    Dumbfounded by her move, they stared like morons as Mimi dealt with Draco and they couldn¡¯te to a timely rescue.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Mimi screamed hard into his face as she had finally lost her mind while Draco only cried out in pain.

    ¡°You don¡¯t.... ¡± She punched him in the face, ¡°dare.... ¡± Another punch, ¡°Touch....¡± A punch again, ¡°What¡¯s mine!¡± Shended the final blow.

    ¡°Aah!¡± Draco could only cry out in pain, unable toprehend what was going on. One moment he was relishing his victory and the next minute, he was tackled to the ground and beaten by a woman. A woman?!

    His cries finally roused his men and they sprung into action immediately, separating the both of them.

    As soon as they were apart, Draco finally understood the kind of humiliation he was subjected to ¨C everyone saw him get beaten.

    ¡°You!¡± He tried to lunge at Mimi but his underlings were active this time and stopped him. They knew once their bossid a hand on Mimi, they were as good as dead ¨C he had no choice but to swallow it up.

    ¡°You bitch!¡± Draco screamed, sporting a ck eye as his men began to drag him away. Showtime was over.

    While Victor sat on the floor there,ughing his ass out. He had seen everything.

    Of course, Mimi deserved the position of his bestie, after all, birds of the same feather flock together.

 Chapter 195

    195 Make Me Yours

    What has she done? Mimi questioned herself at thest minute after her furious anger subsided. Her hands wouldn¡¯t stop shaking and she had to sp them together while her chest heaved with emotion.

    Did she just beat up a man? Not to mention one rted to the Mafia.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Mimi cried out, her hands on her head. What has she gotten herself into? What if Dracoes back for revenge and targets her family if he can¡¯t get to her. God, she was doomed! Mimi loved her parents too much to lose them.

    Her mind then drifted over to one person, the only one who could readily give her the protection she needed with ease and she turned with relief mixed with anticipation ¨C only to find her intended saviorughing.

    Mimi was dumbfounded, what was going on? She was petrified by the situation and he was smiling?

    She was offended.

    ¡°Gosh, you should have seen his ¨C ouch!¡±Cried out Victor who still wasn¡¯t doneughing. However, he couldn¡¯t finish the next trail ofughter because he felt a jab on his stomach and he yelped at once.

    He looked up to meet those honey-brown eyes currently seething with irritation. Errh, it seems he overdid it this time.

    ¡°How can you hit a patient?¡± Victorined dramatically ¡°What if you broke something?¡± He joked, only to realize his bestie wasn¡¯t in the mood and his grin vanished at once.

    .....

    ¡°Come on, we have to go now, what if hees after my family?¡± She urged him to his feet but that failed miserably because Victor would not move a muscle.

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Victor said, trying to assure her upon realizing how serious she was about the matter.

    Vexed with his stubbornness, she squatted down in front of him, ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Mimi highly doubted that. She saw the look in Draco¡¯s eyes before he was pulled away. Those furious nk orbs promised vengeance.

    ¡°Because the moment he touches a hair on you or your parents, I¡¯ll massacre everyone and everything he cares about,¡±

    A shiver climbed down Mimi¡¯s spine, the intensity she saw in Victor¡¯s eyes told her he was not joking at all. He would surely make true of his words and she had seen firsthand the destruction he was capable of.

    His gray eyes no longer glinted with that lingering mischief, rather it was cold, ferocious, and sizzled with the attraction, no, scratch that, the tension between them. What fucking attraction?! They promised to stay the fuck out of each other¡¯s life hours ago.

    Thanks to thatment, Mimi¡¯s lips parted unconsciously, and she found herself asking, ¡°Why would you do that? Why would you endanger your life for someone you kicked out of your life hours ago? Why are you doing all of this?¡±

    He smiled darkly, ¡°What about you? Did you have a reason for fighting Draco for me?¡± Victor asked, without taking his eyes off her.

    His gaze was so transfixed on her as if she was the only thing he could see right now and that made her one hell of ufortable. Victor was a very attractive man and when he looked at you as if you were the best thing that happened to him, it was smoldering and sent heat to her core ¨C a reaction she least expected.

    She shook her head, ¡°That was different?¡±

    ¡°How different?¡± He was not giving up on this issue anytime soon and why was she even shy? She should answer him boldly and be done with him.

    So she looked straight into his eyes ¨C a big mistake ¨C and tried not to relish her hot he looks right now, exuding his masculine dominance ¨C even though he was covered in dirt and bruises.

    Something must be wrong with her head.

    Mimi took a deep breath, ¡°I was simply angry and fought without my senses. But don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen again, and we should be done with this conversation.¡± she wanted to end it already.

    But Victor had a different idea, ¡°Really?¡± he went on. Apparently, this was not the end for him and he needed more answers.

    ¡°Really, what?¡± Exhaustion finally began to seep into her bones. Her heart had been pumping earlier and Mimi was filled with energy because she had a rush of adrenaline. Now the hormone was gone, it was as if she crashnded.

    Mimi watched cautiously when he suddenly reached out and held her jaw firmly without causing her pain, only to caress her chin with his thumb saying in a raspy, low tone, ¡°Is that why you imed me as yours?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi hardly heard that question, her attention was focused on the sensations those caresses invoked in her. And when she finallyprehended that question, her eyes widened while heat warmed her cheeks.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± she said, breathlessly. God, what was he doing to her? He had to stop touching her. Yet, she didn¡¯t protest against his touch.

    Mimi managed to say, ¡°I only said that in the heat of the moment,¡±

    ¡°Mmm-hmm?¡± Victor murmured with his brows raised. He didn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, I¡¯m telling the truth?!¡± Mimi raised her voice, trying to defend herself.

    But Victor merely continued to caress her skin, sayingnguidly, ¡°That¡¯s no reason to get all worked up,¡± He drawled, ¡°What if I wanted you to make me yours?¡±

    Bam!

    Mimi felt as if she heard wrong, what did he just say?

    The stunned Mimi opened her mouth to say a word yet helplessly closed it once again. She gulped down saliva, and he noticed that because his hand caressed down to her neck.

    A good shiver went down her spine.

    No, this had to stop.

    She snatched his hand at once.

    ¡°Please,¡±

    He understood her and didn¡¯t touch her again.

    Mimi licked her lips nervously, how was she going to go about this conversation? This was really unexpected and awkward. Victor was interested in her?

    ¡°I ¨C I eh, don¡¯t think this is the appropriate time and environment for this kind of conversation?¡± She said, hoping they moved this conversation to another day and time. She needed to rest and wrap her head around the events of the day.

    However, to Mimi¡¯s greatest shock, Victor asked, ¡°What conversation?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Mimi blinked. Twice.

    Then it hit her, Victor was pulling her legs.

    ¡°You asshole!¡± She wrapped her hands around his neck to strangle and end his pathetic life herself. He had been ying around with her feelings all this while?

    Victor quickly cried out upon realizing the danger he was in, ¡°Please stop, my bestie, I¡¯m a patient!¡±

 Chapter 196

    196 Being Paranoid

    If Arianna had been awake at this point, she would have been shocked at the sheer number of escorts behind them.

    After they left the scene, Marcel made sure their vehicle was heavily followed in case Elijah was suicidal enough to n an attack on them. He lost his chance at the Red Gang¡¯s turf, he could attempt one here.

    Knowing Arianna was the only one Elijah truly needed, the amount of security guarding Jemery¡¯s car was lesspared to theirs. Although Elijah could try to attack and shut Jeremy up so he could not risk secrets about him, Marcel highly doubted he would do that.

    Why would Elijah bother risking his life to shut up the witness when the girl ¨C who was the prize ¨C wasn¡¯t far away? So yes, Arianna remained Marcel¡¯s priority.

    Hence, throughout the ride, even though Marcel looked calm and rxed on the surface, he was a mess inwardly. He was anxious and would look out the window from time to time, endlessly asking for updates on the outside from his men ¨C almost driving them crazy.

    It wasn¡¯t until they reached the base that Marcel was able to rx and let out the breath he had been holding in. Even at that, Marcel didn¡¯t fully lower his guard, scrutinizing his men to check if there was a sudden change knowing Elijah was good in the act of camouge.

    ¡°Boss, is anything wrong?!¡± Samuel asked when he wouldn¡¯t stop staring at them.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s good,¡± Marcel blinked, rousing from his thoughts, ¡°I just need to get this over with. ¡± he referred to Jeremy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the girl then,¡± Samuel made a move towards the car.

    .....

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Marcel growled aggressively like an alpha wolf defending his mate.

    Samuel barely took two steps when the hairs on his neck stood on edge. Call it instinct but he turned at that minute only to see Marcel¡¯s raging figure bound for him and his expression became rmed.

    He hardly had the time to say something or defend himself when Marcel pushed him up against the car.

    ¡°You do not get toy a hand on her!¡± Marcel snarled, his breath hitting his face like hot coals. Right now, Samuel felt like he was about to be gobbled up by an angry lion and he could not say a word.

    ¡°Do you get me?!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, boss,¡± Samuel choked. He didn¡¯t even know what he did wrong except to offer to carry Arianna inside. He knew this woman was bad luck to this group and he just proved it. Who knew who the boss would kill for her?

    Marcel¡¯s hands on his cor did not loosen and Samuel began to worry he was not satisfied with his response. So he was thinking of a way to save his ass when he finally let go of his clothing that was bunched up only to turn to the rest of his men announcing,

    ¡°The same goes for the rest of you. From now on, Arianna is currently under my protection,ying a hand on her or even speaking to her with my permission would be seen as a rebellion and you should know the punishment for that,¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± They responded in unison without furtherint. Disobeying Marcel right now that he was in a bad mood was as good as asking for death. They would table their grievanceter when he¡¯s reasonable.

    ¡°Get the witness out of here and to the dungeon,¡± Marcelmanded Samuel who did not hesitate and left to obey his instructions.

    Marcel went back into the car and instead of stepping out of it with the sleeping Arianna in his arms, he closed the both of them in instead.

    Once inside, Marcel groaned, lowering his head before he wiped down his face with his palm. What had he done? Why was he being paranoid? He couldn¡¯t even trust his own men with Arianna and that was all because of Elijah, that

    bastard!

    Damn it!

    What he just did would protect Arianna for the time being but it won¡¯t help her in the long run. Thanks to his ¡°overprotectiveness¡±, his men would antagonize her and they would never take her as one of them while he kept protecting her. In this ce? You earn respect.

    Well, why was he worrying about that? It was not like Arianna would be staying here for long anyway. Since the Red Giant gang failed to help his n, he would use Arianna to lure and capture him. If Elijah truly loves Arianna, let¡¯s see how long he¡¯d keep her waiting here.

    In the end, Arianna would have to leave anyway, so yes, she doesn¡¯t need to prove herself to any person. Not even him ¨C he already knew what she was capable of already.

    ¡°The things I do for you,¡± Marcel muttered as he stared at Arianna, still deep in sleep. If only he had that level of peace in his life, he would be happy.

    After a while, Marcel stepped out of the car with the sleeping beauty. He carried her carefully into the house and to his room where he settled her on the bed.

    Marcel wanted to close the window in case someone ¨C like Elijah ¨C snuck in and got her out. Although that was pretty much impossible with the tight security in here, he didn¡¯t want to leave room for regret until he caught sight of Samson ¨C he hadn¡¯t noticed he was there ¨C in his peripheral view and smiled.

    ¡°Hi buddy,¡± He went over to the young lion and hugged him. Surprisingly, Sansom bent his head under his chin and nuzzled up against him.

    ¡°Yeah, I missed you too,¡± Marcel responded, d that their days of fighting were over. Or maybe not considering what he was about to ask of him.

    Marcel shifted and ran his hand through his long mane, ¡°Alright, this is impromptu but I need you to babysit someone,¡± He said, carefully guiding the young lion¡¯s face in the direction of the bed.

    Samson made a grunt and looked away.

    ¡°I know, I know but I¡¯ll make it up to you. I promise. She won¡¯t be like Redhead,¡± Marcel promised and coaxed him as much as possible until the big sulking creature settled down.

    d with his response, Marcel finally left the room to deal with his other problem knowing the lion was the best security. Unless familiar to Samson, anyone else who steps into his room would make a good snack.

 Chapter 197

    197 Obsessed With The Existence Of Elijah

    Everything was in ce before Marcel even arrived, showing the proficiency of his soldiers. Jeremy was on the chair; his arms tied to the armrest and his legs to the sides ¨C this was a much moreplicated knot to get out of ¨C and his mouth was gagged.

    Normally his men would have begun the torture already and gotten as much information as they could before his arrival. But for his reasons, Marcel wanted to perform the interrogation by himself.

    The man was connected to Elijah, Marcel didn¡¯t want to leave any stone unturned. He wanted to get as many facts about Elijah he could from him before he decided what became of him. Marcel didn¡¯t even see how Elijah¡¯s existence was bing an obsession to him.

    Upon his gesture, the rag was removed forcefully from Jeremy¡¯s mouth causing him to yelp. He flexed his jaw, ring at Marcel, deeming him responsible for this. But Marcel ignored his stabbing re, taking a seat right in front of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m cutting straight to the chase,¡± Marcel was not in the mood for pleasantries. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Arianna was in the hands of good security aka Samson, the lion, he would have been dead worried about her by now.

    ¡°As a gang member, you should know what this setting suggests,¡±

    ¡°Torture room,¡± Jeremy spat out with disdain, noticing the weapons on a rack in one corner of the room.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Marcel concurred, ¡°So you get my questions answered and I won¡¯t get my hands bloody ¨C which I truly want...¡± He had to return to Arianna and getting rid of those blood can be quite a hassle, ¡± But do otherwise and all I can say is it would turn out bloody,¡± He didn¡¯t sugarcoat his words.

    But Jeremy rolled his eyes, ¡°Elijah was right, you¡¯re nothing more than a bully,¡±

    .....

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of unfair considering he¡¯s the kettle calling the pot ck. But on the bright side, you know Elijah and that¡¯s a good thing,¡± He noticed.

    Marcel went on, ¡°At least for me. That knowledge won¡¯t do you any good if you don¡¯t spill it all out,¡±

    ¡°And if I don¡¯t, what would you do exactly? Torture me to get the truth and kill me afterward?¡± Jeremy smirked, ¡°Go ahead and do whatever you want, Big bully. I would just take whatever I know to the grave,¡± He was smug.

    Marcel was taken aback by his arrogance. For such a weakling, he sure looked confident and that wasn¡¯t normal. People in his position would be begging for mercy and spilling their beans knowing the suffering that awaits him, unless Jeremy was immune to pain ¨C which was impossible ¨C or he had something on him that was worth the pain. And it irritated Marcel because he hated being in suspense.

    Or perhaps, that arrogance was just a fa?ade.

    Marcel then sat with his leg crossed, casually scrutinizing the bound man and scanning what area of his body would hurt the most.

    Suddenly, he watched Samuel out of the corner of his eyes moving toward him and stopped to whisper a piece of information that made Marcel¡¯s lips curl up.

    Almost immediately, Marcel turned and whispered something back to Samuel who nodded and left to do whatever he asked of him.

    Meanwhile, Jeremy became conscious of the secret conversation between Marcel and Samuel. It made him ufortable as if they discovered a secret of his. And there was only one secret he had, Jeremy took a deep breath. It surely wasn¡¯t that.

    ¡°So,¡± Marcel pped his hand, ¡°So where were we?¡± he tilted his head questioningly.

    ¡°What did you both talk about?¡± Jeremy couldn¡¯t hide his nervousness anymore. That secret exchange gnawed at him.

    Marcel smiled darkly, ¡°Why? Is there something you¡¯re curious about?¡± He leaned closer from his seat, ¡°Or are you scared I might have discovered something about you?.¡±

    At thatment, Jeremy gulped, shifting ufortably in his seat. The anticipation was beginning to kill him.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re talking rubbish!¡± Jeremy stuttered, looking away.

    Sweat rolled down Jeremy¡¯s forehead and Marcel witnessed that ¨C he got him where he wanted him.

    ¡°So tell me, Jeremy, what do you know about Elijah?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± He answered. However, his earlier cockiness was gone now, reced by slight fear.

    ¡°Tsk tsk,¡± Marcel clicked his tongue, ¡°Wrong answer, Jeremy. Wrong answer,¡± He said just as Samuel returned to the hall ¨C with something in his grasp.

    He went straight ahead to Marcel and handed the pouch over to him before standing at the side with two others beside him.

    Marcel tossed the pouch in the air and caught it, noticing the way Jeremy¡¯s gaze followed his moves. He did it three consecutive times and finally stopped, his demeanor changing entirely.

    ¡°Do you know why most members of the gang are banned from experimenting with drugs? Unless of course, you are in the drug cartel you can¡¯t sell what you can¡¯t use.¡± Marcel asked him and even without receiving an answer, he went on.

    ¡°Because once you are addicted, you be a deadweight. A ve at the mercy of chemicals. You can be manipted by the highest bidder, anyone who can provide the source of that euphoria. No organized mob wants that,¡± Even as he said that, Marcel pulled out the content from the pouch packaged in a visible, ziplock bag.

    Jeremy drooled at the sight of the white powder, however, his nails bit into his palms as if he was trying to retain a part of his sanity.

    ¡°So tell me, Jeremy? What do you know about Elijah?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to love this game,¡± Marcel promised him with a devilish smile.

    He pushed his seat closer, before letting the bag dangling from his hand, ¡°All you have to do is to just tell me what you know and the drug¡¯s yours,¡±

    ¡°Just stop it!¡± He tried to block him out.

    ¡°Come on, stop being a p*ssy, why are you being loyal to a guy you hardly know, anyway? Just tell me the truth and the drug¡¯s yours,¡± Marcel continued to tempt him with it.

    Veins were already bulging from his head and neck as he tried to control himself. It was a little while till he buckled under the pressure.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re lying,¡± Jeremy shook his head stubbornly, ¡°Once you get what you want, I¡¯m as good as dead. So I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    He knew how they operated.

 Chapter 198

    198 Dealing With The Devil

    The man was stubborn, Marcel noted. He wondered what Elijah had promised him to make him this strong-willed. However, Marcel was determined to win, so he would get the truth at all costs.

    Marcel returned the drug to the pocket of his pants, then intertwined his fingers as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll guess I¡¯ll give you space until you¡¯re ready to talk,¡±

    Jeremy let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he had been holding in. They would torture him now, but he could take it.

    Marcel pursed his lips at first until his lips curled up to the side in an evil smile,¡± I¡¯ll just return when the drugs are out of your system. Your withdrawal symptoms should be interesting to watch,¡±

    Oh no, a chill went down Jeremy¡¯s back. Marcel was indeed a devil. Now, he understood why Elijah warned about him.

    As soon as Marcel stood up and turned to leave, Jeremy shouted, ¡°He left a message for you!¡±

    Marcel halted in his step at once, his brows lifting in both surprise and caution. Elijah left a message for him? What did the asshole have for him?

    He intentionally turned slowly to hear what the man had to say while keeping a nk expression, ¡°Elijah has a message for me?¡±

    Jeremy was fidgeting now, having realized the ball was no longer in his court. He gulped, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you but you have to promise me that you would let me go after this is over,¡±

    .....

    Marcel¡¯s jaw hardened in response, his gray eyes chilling simultaneously; he hated being given a condition.

    ¡°Are you challenging me?¡± He asked, his tone taut and full of authority.

    Jeremy¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down nervously, with Marcel standing over him, his aggressiveness was heightened, and he had a hulking figure.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Jeremy was quick to say knowing his response determined his survival, ¡°I just want to live. I don¡¯t know anything about Elijah, I was just his errand boy in exchange for the drugs he provided,¡± he confessed.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say a word, rather he wrapped his arm across his chest, his muscles straining against the shirt he was wearing, having long abandoned the suit jacket. He stared down hard on Jeremy, having realized that the message he held was the leverage he intended to use to gain his freedom.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s hear what you have to say,¡± Marcel gave in.

    ¡°You really agree to let me go once I give you the message?¡± Jeremy questioned him once again, needing his word.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say so?¡± Marcel was bing irritated. His word was thew here and once he gave it out, he hardly took it back.

    Upon hearing that, Jeremy became more rxed ¨C he was saved, finally. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Exodus 20:17¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Exodus 20:17,¡± Jeremy said to him, ¡°That was the message Elijah gave me to ry to you,¡±

    ¡°You gotta be kidding me, right?¡± Marcel frowned at Jeremy so hard he almost bored a hole in his head. However, he knew the guy was saying the truth from the fear on his face, nor did it surprise him that Elijah liked to send messages in style.

    But what the hell did Exodus 20:17 say? Although Marcel had gone to church as a child thanks to his mother¡¯s good rtionship with Victor¡¯s mother, he didn¡¯t own a Bible as a grown-up.

    If Victor was here, he would have known what it says ¨C he was an ardent reader of the scriptures even though he failed to keep almost all of the doctrines in there.

    That was when it hit Marcel, he hadn¡¯t seen Victor since he arrived. He had been so busy trying to settle Arianna and then deal with Elijah¡¯s little messenger, he hadn¡¯t realized his cousin was missing. Well, he¡¯d look into that once he was done.

    Without a word, Marcel pulled out his phone and went straight to the y store where he downloaded one of the bibles he could get his hands on.

    As soon as he installed the app, he navigated around and finally opened the chapter of the Bible Elijah sent as a message to him.

    ¡°Exodus 20:17:- You shall not covet your neighbor¡¯s house, your neighbor¡¯s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor¡¯s.¡±

    Jeremy never took his gaze off Marcel the whole time, so when the mob boss finally took his eyes off the screen with a murderous gaze that chilled him straight to his bones, he began to wonder if it had been a mistake giving him that message. Did he just sign his death?

    Marcel was boiling with anger, how dare that insolent bastard pass judgment on him? He turned his furious gaze on Jeremy who visibly shrank back into his seat. He wished to make a scapegoat of Jeremy, send his corpse back as a message to Elijah.

    He needed Elijah to see what he was capable of, to know the beast inside of him that he would unleash on him once he got his hands on him. So he better hide because once he ¨C Marcel ¨C got his hands on him, that would be thest time he saw the sunlight.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Jeremy shouted out of fear when Marcel started towards him.

    But Marcel didn¡¯t say a word, rather he grabbed him by the neck and began to choke him.

    Jeremy¡¯s eyes widened and he wanted to hit Marcel on the arm to remind him about their deal but his hands were bound. All his struggles were to no avail.

    The killing intent in Marcel¡¯s eyes was clear as he tightened his grip. Just a snap and he could break his neck, ending his miserable life.

    Then it hit him.

    Although the move would satisfy him, Marcel bet that was what Elijah wanted ¨C to prove to Arianna that he was nothing but a monster.

    ¡°Thank your lucky God,¡± Marcel growled as he let go while Jeremy entered into a coughing fit.

    The message was aimed to provoke Marcel into killing Jeremy because the Arianna he knew would surely ask about the young man that saved her and when she finds out he killed him....

    Marcel took a deep breath, trying hard not to think about what that would result to. Elijah was much sly and smart than he gave him credit for.

    Smooth move, Elijah.

    But this would be thest time he gained the upper hand because Marcel was out for him now.

    Jeremy saw Marcel leaving, he became rmed and shouted at once, ¡°What about the deal? You promised to release me after I gave you the message!¡±

    Upon hearing that, Marcel turned and sneered, ¡°Well, that is why you shouldn¡¯t people like me,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± All blood drained from Jeremy¡¯s face.

    Marcel said, ¡°I promised to let you go and I¡¯ll do just that. However, I never mentioned ¡®when¡¯,¡± He smirked,¡± You should always be vague when dealing with the devil,¡±

    ¡°No!!!!¡± Jeremy¡¯s anguish wails echoed across the walls but Marcel paid a dead ear to it as he went in search of his missing cousin.

 Chapter 199

    199 Dumping Victor

    Mimi could bear a grudge, Victor found out the hard way on his way out of there.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± He called out but she ignored him, walking over to where their car was parked while he followed after her to the best of his ability.

    Now, the excitement was gone, his body ached like hell and he realized how much he needed to settle down. A couple of painkillers and a much-needed sleep would help him recover greatly.

    ¡°Please, just listen to ¨C aww!¡± Victor tripped over his own feet in the process of trying to catch up to her and fell face-first on the sand.

    Damn, when did he be clumsy?

    But that fall touched Mimi because she turned and came to his aid at once.

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± She asked, and helped pull him up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a p*ssy,¡± He scowled at her out of embarrassment yet leaned slightly on her, letting her take some of his weight.

    Even when he was on his feet, Mimi didn¡¯t let him walk all by himself, supporting him to the car ¨C the driver still in his position. Draco¡¯s underling had threatened the shit out of him that he didn¡¯t dare to take a step out of the car after the warning.

    .....

    ¡°So I shout all this while and you ignore me but the moment I fall, you finally talk to me?¡± Victor intentionally teased her.

    Mimi red up at him, ¡°You seem to be fine,¡± She pushed him away and Victor stumbled to the side withughter, leaning against the car.

    ¡°You are so cute when you¡¯re angry,¡± Heughed harder.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s funny to you toying around with people¡¯s feelings?¡± Mimi spat at him with venom.

    Hisughter ceased, his expression bing serious having realized he might have inadvertently hurt her in the process of having fun.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Victor apologized sincerely, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt -¡±

    ¡°Save it for whoever needs it,¡± Mimi cut him off and brusquely entered the car leaving the door open ¨C if he wanted toe in as well. She didn¡¯t exactly care.

    After a minute of staying outside, clueless on how to coax her, Victor entered the backseat with her to the driver¡¯s happiness. The man couldn¡¯t wait to drive them to their respective homes and be done with them; he was quitting immediately.

    Not less than a minute after he settled down, Mimi alerted the driver, ¡°Please drive him to the base first and we can return to my ce afterward,¡±

    She knew people like them don¡¯t get treated at the hospital so she¡¯d dump him at the base where he likely had a line of professional doctors ready to treat his wounds.

    ¡°No,¡± Victor objected right away, wiping his face with his palm, ¡°I can¡¯t return looking like this, Marcel would know what¡¯s up immediately and I can¡¯t let that happen. This is my mess with Draco, not his,¡± Heined.

    Contrary to his expectation, Mimi was not touched by his words, rather she wrapped her hand across her chest asking sarcastically, ¡°Where should I dump you then?¡±

    Victor looked sharply at her, an unknown emotion crossing his eyes. However, it flickered away and he said softly, ¡°You know the only ce in the world I can be truly alone,¡± He hinted at his secret abode.

    ¡°Suit yourself then,¡± Mimi retorted, looking out the other way through the window and trying not to think of the memories from that ce. Or the fact she was the only woman going there for the second time.

    Well, f*ck, what was she thinking? Mimi knew there was no way she was stepping into that house the second time, she¡¯d just drop him there and be on her way.

    An awkward silence fell on them after that short conversation. The tension between the both of them was so thick that a knife could cut through it and Victor was ufortable with it. This was the first time Mimi was intentionally being mean to him and he hated it. He liked her cheerful self better ¨C it perfectlyplemented his.

    Victor was thinking of ways to cheer her up without hurting her feelings only for his phone to ring and seeing the caller dampened his mood.

    Marcel.

    He must be back ¨C and hopefully doesn¡¯t know of this.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± was the first question the annoying hulk of a cousin thundered as soon as he answered.

    ¡°Having fun,¡± Victor replied. That was the only legitimate excuse Marcel would believe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear any music,¡± Of course, his ever-observant cousin knew his definition of having fun was partying. Sometimes, Victor wondered who was more annoying, Marcel or his mother.

    ¡°This is another version of fun,¡± He said.

    ¡°Who are you with?¡±

    At that question, Victor¡¯s brows furrowed and he looked around the car trying to see if there was any hidden camera in ce, and in the process, caught Mimi staring at him.

    Of course, he felt her eyes on him since the call began but he didn¡¯t react. As expected, she looked away as soon as he caught her staring and Victor had to admit, her reaction was quite cute.

    Victor would have teased her if he wasn¡¯t on a call with Marcel, ¡°Are you following me?¡± He checked the window for any car trailing them secretly.

    ¡°Would I be calling if I had a clue where you are,¡± Marcel retorted, ¡°Even if I did know, why would I bother worrying about you when you¡¯re probably buried and stretching a woman¡¯s tight cunt right now, huh? Tell me I¡¯m wrong,¡±

    Victor was thankful he didn¡¯t have the call on speaker else Mimi would be scared out of her wits now. Marcel was no gentleman, he was blunt and foul-mouthed. What was he going to do with this cousin of his?

    This time, Victor lowered his voice,¡± Well, I¡¯m doing no such thing and you can rest assured I¡¯m fine. So just go away.¡±

    Victor wanted to end the call badly but hanging up on Marcel when he wasn¡¯t done was as good as asking for trouble. If Marcel tracked him down, he might stumble upon what happened tonight, so he had to entertain him until he was done.

    ¡°I highly doubt that but since I don¡¯t hear the bitch¡¯s moan, you¡¯re probably telling the truth. Is that why you¡¯re whispering? It must be that good,¡±

    Victor rolled his eyes, Marcel probably doesn¡¯t know the words, ¡°too much information¡±.

    To his annoyance, Marcel went on, ¡°Guess, I¡¯m not seeing you tonight ¨C wait a minute, did Mimie here?¡±

    Victor readjusted in his seat at once, how did he....? Was he....?

 Chapter 200

    200 Her Lips Were In Danger

    Victor stiffened at once when he heard those words from Marcel. It couldn¡¯t be that his cousin was really looking into the incident? That can¡¯t be good.

    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Victor asked cautiously, Marcel can¡¯t sense his nervousness else he¡¯d know something was up.

    It seems Marcel was distracted for a while before he answered, ¡°I got your signatory food sk from the guards outside, they said you left it when you went in search of Mimi,¡±

    Damn, Victor cursed in his mind. He had forgotten about that one. This wasn¡¯t looking good.

    ¡°Why did you go in search of Mimi?¡± His tone became serious, ¡°Is she missing? Who took her? Does it have to do with Elijah?¡±

    Of course, this silly mistake of his just escted. He groaned, rubbing his temple, and then spoke into the phone, ¡°Give me a minute,¡±

    Without waiting for Marcel¡¯s response, Victor disconnected the call and faced the driver, ¡°Pull up for a moment, I need to make an important call,¡±

    At that announcement, the driver almost cried inwardly. He had been speeding ¨C without going over the limit ¨C just so he could get rid of these two people and get on with his life. But it seems the more he wanted to separate from them, the more his life was tangled with theirs. It was really annoying.

    Yet, the driver didn¡¯tin and did as he was told. He understood that Victor was dangerous and didn¡¯t want to provoke him.

    .....

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Mimi asked him out of concern after the driver pulled up at the corner of the road. He didn¡¯t look good; Victor was always happy.

    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± He answered without even looking at her, focused on getting out of the car.

    ¡°Was that Marcel who called?¡± Mimi asked even as he got out, ¡°You don¡¯t want him to know what happened, right?¡± she tried to get out as well.

    ¡°Just stay here!¡± Victor snapped at her unintentionally. He felt guilty when he saw her startle, he didn¡¯t mean to treat her that way.

    ¡°Just....¡± He breathed, running his hand through his hair in utter confusion. How was he going to handle this withouting on too strong?

    This was the first time he was letting a woman get involved in his business ¨C well, after Macy. The women he was usually with were just for pleasure. Wham-bam! That was the end of it.

    Mimi must have noticed his difficulty in trying to get his feelings because she surprisingly climbed back into the seat, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll sit still,¡± with a scowl.

    That was better, he would figure out how to cate herter after he was done dealing with his cousin.

    ¡°Hello?¡± He was the one that called Marcel this time.

    ¡°Alright, tell me what¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s Mimi? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s f*cking missing or worst-case scenario, kidnapped because I specifically told you, eyes on her, Victor. ¡±

    ¡°Well, cool your ass, she¡¯s here with me, nothing happened to her. We just had urm....a little disagreement,¡±

    ¡°A disagreement, huh?¡± Marcel only heard that part.

    ¡°It was just a misunderstanding that she wasn¡¯t supposed to make a big deal out in the first ce had she trusted me one bit,¡± Victor imed.

    ¡°Trust you? You¡¯ve never asked anyone to trust you,¡± Marcel pointed out suspiciously.

    Victor¡¯s grip on the phone tightened, he didn¡¯t like where this was going.

    ¡°What¡¯s your interest in Mimi?¡± Marcel asked as he dreaded.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the interrogation? I never asked about your strange obsession with Arianna either way?¡± he intentionally deflected the question.

    But Marcel chuckled mirthlessly, ¡°Nice tactics, Victor but you¡¯re not getting out of this. Answer my question,¡±

    Victor shifted on his feet ufortably, he didn¡¯t like this questioning session. He looked over his shoulder to confirm that Mimi was still in the car as she promised and out of earshot.

    ¡°Fine,¡± He gritted, ¡°She¡¯s interesting and makes goodpany. She¡¯s fun to be with. What else do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Have the both of you fucked?¡±

    Victor saw that questioning so he didn¡¯t hesitate to reply, ¡°No¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s strange. ¡± Marcel muttered.

    ¡°She¡¯s my bestie, why would I do that?¡± Victor was beginning to get annoyed with this conversation.

    However, there was silence on Marcel¡¯s side when he heard that answer from his cousin. If Victor was annoyed with this conversation, he was surely enraged when Marcel suddenly asked, ¡°Do you still take your meds?¡±

    Victor¡¯s gaze hardened at once, his jaw flexing as he growled into the phone, ¡°I am fine if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking of?¡±

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m asking about, Victor? The doctor did say there were chances of you developing -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not obsessed with her, I¡¯m not hypomanic, so you shove your concern up your ass. Don¡¯t expect me tonight!¡± Victor hung up on Marcel before he could say another word.

    His hand fell limp by his side, Victor felt so stuffy inside that he couldn¡¯t help but scream out in frustration. He was not crazy! There was nothing wrong with him! He screamed so hard that Mimi couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and she got out of the car.

    ¡°Alright, I can¡¯t stand your mood swings any....¡± Mimi froze when she saw tears streaming down Victor¡¯s face. Upon seeing her, he turned his back on her, he was ashamed.

    Okay, this is awkward. What was she going on?

    ¡°Victor?¡± She called cautiously, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± He hissed at her warningly.

    Mimi took a step back, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not taking any more steps,¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°Do you want to talk?¡±

    He snorted,ughing sarcastically ¡°So I let out a few tears and now you¡¯re ready to talk?¡±

    ¡°I seriously hate you, you¡¯re so damn irritating ,¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°Yeah, hate me, then leave me.¡± He said nonchntly. He didn¡¯t care anymore.

    But Mimi did the opposite of that, she stalked towards him and he heard all of it.

    Victor groaned, shaking his head in disbelief, ¡°I told you not toe...¡±

    He turned around at the same time Mimi wrapped her arms around his waist, staring up at him with a grin.

    ¡°What are best friends for?¡±

    What the hell?

    Victor was stunned by that move? Why was she being suddenly chessy?

    ¡°Fine,¡± He said, trying to wriggle out of her tight embrace, ¡°I¡¯m good now, you can let me go,¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Mimi grinned wider, ¡°Are you suddenly shy? You usually aren¡¯t timid when messing around with me?¡± there was a mischievous glint in Mimi¡¯s eyes as her hands began to roam around his body.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Victor¡¯s eyes widened, bing rmed when her hand slid into his shirt. What the hell was she doing?

    Immediately, he pulled her hand away causing Mimi to burst intoughter. She pped her hands, ¡°Gosh, I never thought there woulde a day when I would see you looking this innocent? You¡¯re so cute with that blush on your face!¡± Mimi grabbed her belly,ughing hard.

    What blushing?

    Victor¡¯s eyes widened in horror when he heard that. There was no way he was blushing? That had to be a prank, right? This must be payback from Mimi.

    However, he didn¡¯t get the chance to check his face with the car¡¯s mirror because Mimi cupped his face without warning. Her thumbs brushed across his slightly bruised skin, that caused his heart to go into overdrive. What was happening?

    Victor had to blink twice to ensure he was not dreaming.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a crime to cry, Victor,¡± Mimi told him, staring deep into his eyes and he stared back into those warm honey eyes, ¡°Just don¡¯t cry too much, a face as handsome as yours doesn¡¯t deserve those tears,¡± She grinned sheepishly.

    But Victor didn¡¯t share in that reaction, instead, he was more in tune with his feelings like why he was suddenly attracted to those plump lips of hers. For some reason, he didn¡¯t want to fuck her ¨C which he always preferred because he focused his intense energy into it ¨C but kiss her. She had such luscious lips.

    Mimi, who didn¡¯t realize her ¡°lips¡± were in danger, pulled her hand away only for Victor to catch it, stunning her.

    She blinked at the action, ncing up to see what was up with him only to freeze. The look on Victor¡¯s face scared her, he looked like a wild lion about to devour its prey and she shivered because she knew she would be shredded down to bones in the end.

    He cupped her face this time and Mimi did nothing but watch; She didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Or maybe she didn¡¯t know how to stop what was happening? At once, he lifted her chin and her lips parted instinctively.

    The air around them sizzled with the intensity of their attraction and Victor leaned down only for the car to honk and the both of them jumped away from each other, startled.

    ¡°We should go,¡± Mimi was the first to go.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Victor seconded that.

    And just like that, the sexual energy was reced with awkward energy because the both of them didn¡¯t say a word to one another , lost in their own thoughts until they reached their first destination, Victor¡¯s secret abode.

 Chapter 201

    201 Massacre A Family Because Of Her

    ¡°Would you be okay all by yourself?¡±

    Mimi felt like pping herself after she asked that question. She should have just shut up and let the young man leave as he intended to, now Victor turned to her with his signature smile. Well, on the bright side, it was good to have him back to himself.

    She was beginning, no, she had always suspected there was something wrong with Victor. His energy sometimes was urm...quite intense. And think about the sex, he seems to be addicted to it, almost as if he couldn¡¯t live without it. Mimi couldn¡¯t help but shiver, whoever was going to end up as his wife had a lot of work set up for her.

    ¡°Why? Are you worried about me?¡± He held onto the door as he wriggled his brows at her.

    Mimi rolled his eyes at him, ¡°If you can annoy me this much, you¡¯re fine then,¡± She rxed into her seat. She had been all worried for nothing.

    Victor said to her calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, I¡¯m fine. You are the one who needs rest after what you went through today because of me,¡±

    Mimi turned to him once more and her throat dried up. He looked like he cared about her and that melted her heart yet made her nervous at the same time. Victor¡¯s expression was smoldering and it made her heart skip a beat. She wondered if he did that on purpose and this was the way he wooed all the girls. Even with the cuts and bruises on his face, he looked like a meal ready to be served.

    ¡°A-hem,¡± Mimi intentionally cleared her thoughts and voice, pretending not to care as she said, ¡°Go away,¡±

    And he did just that to Mimi¡¯s disappointment. So he left? Just like that? Seriously?! Wasn¡¯t that little imp a master at reading women?! He didn¡¯t even tell her ¡°good night¡±. What a cold-hearted yer.

    .....

    But Victor didn¡¯t leave, instead, he went to the driver¡¯s seat where he leaned on the window. As promised, he transferred a huge sum of money to the driver¡¯s ount which made his mouth drop open. Maybe taking up this job was not a bad thing after all.

    ¡°You should know why I sent that money to you, right?¡± Victor asked, tilting his head questioningly.

    Unlike Mimi who Victor treated warmly, his attitude towards the driver teetered on the borderline of unfriendliness and

    sternness. He didn¡¯t look at the driver the same way he looked at Mimi and that made the man shift ufortably on his seat because he knew Victor was dangerous.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± He nodded obediently, cold sweat breaking out of his face. He thought this would be the end of everything but It seems this was just the beginning. The driver realized that quitting now wouldn¡¯t do him any good but harm. He had to continue for a while, then give up when the time was right.

    ¡°That means taking everything you know to the grave and you see that youngdy in the back,¡± He pointed at Mimi.

    Mimi in question was didn¡¯t interfere with Victor¡¯s business knowing this was necessary. If that driver went about whining his mouth, it would be trouble ¨C for him alone. With the short time spent with them, Mimi knew the Luciano family wouldn¡¯tst long if they didn¡¯t have people in high positions backing them. Hence, they would likely cover up everything while the driver suffers.

    The driver didn¡¯t turn to look at Mimi rather nced through the rearview mirror, Victor capturing all of his actions.

    ¡°You see, she¡¯s my bestie....¡±

    Mimi wanted to cringe and hide her face, what grown-up man goes about boasting about his bestie as if it was a huge achievement?

    Victor went on, ¡°So if a hair on her body happens to get hurt...¡± His calm expression changed, depicting a chilling menace that even made the hairs on Mimi¡¯s arms stand on edge, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, rather I¡¯d hunt everyone you love and end them right in front of you.¡±

    Mimi didn¡¯t doubt Victor¡¯s words one bit and she was sure the driver ¨C who was close to wetting his pants ¨C didn¡¯t either. His tone promised sheer destruction if that were to happen and she bet he ¨C Victor ¨C would enjoy hunting them his rtives one by one.

    That realization made Mimi ufortable, she didn¡¯t want to be the reason an entire family was massacred. She wasn¡¯t worth a person¡¯s life and why was Victor this concerned about her? Hours ago, they were yelling at each other¡¯s faces and promised to stay away from one another. Now, he was being so overprotective, it worried her.

    ¡°Victor, just let the poor man be. I¡¯m fine!¡± Sheined.

    ¡°I know,¡± He said, ¡°He just needs to know not to y around with you,¡± Victor still red at the driver.

    Mimi rolled her eyes towards heaven, she was so done with him. She at once snapped her finger, signaling the driver to take off before her unpredictable bestie decided to murder him. And when did she begin to getfortable with all of this violence?

    God, Mimi shivered, she needed to get out of here.

    Just as the car started, Victor returned to her side of the car, saying, ¡°Goodnight bestie,¡± He grinned at her.

    Mimi groaned, ¡°You¡¯re not in eighth grade Victor but anyway, good night to you,¡± She waved him away.

    Victor stood waving at that spot until their car was out of sight. It wasn¡¯t until a few minutester that he was standing at his entrance about to punch in his codes when he heard the sound of a car and turned to see the familiar care to a halt. His face lit up immediately.

    Before Mimi could step out, Victor had already galloped over to her side.

    ¡°You came back?¡± He was so happy.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Mimi breathed, shutting the door before hitting the body of the car as a signal for the driver to take off.

    As soon as the driver left, hands on her hips, Mimi faced Victor, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want you to murder an entire family because of me. Moreover, I don¡¯t see any doctor here. Come on, let¡¯s get you treated.¡±

 Chapter 202

    202 His Sexy Ass

    It was a huge mistakeing here, Mimi knew that. But like the moth drawn to the me, she guessed she was attracted to danger.

    However, unlike Mimi that was filled with a bit of hesitation, Victor was ecstatic and didn¡¯t bother to hide his excitement with the way he grabbed onto her arm and led her into his house.

    Victor was really a strange man, Mimi thought as she was able to memorize his password and he didn¡¯t even bother to hide it nor was he even concerned she saw it. Does he trust her that much or thinks she¡¯s incapable of robbing him?

    Mimi was sure there was something valuable in this ce. If he could convert a diplitated warehouse into an amazing loft, Mimi could already imagine a room where he stacked millions. Wasn¡¯t that what people like them do to avoid the government cracking down on them?

    ¡°I have first aid,¡± Victor finally let go of her hand and went down on his knees, pulling the bed cover over as he dragged the box out of the bed.

    ¡°I have everything you need,¡± Victor happily offered her box.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Mimi epted it from him but made no effort to open it, ¡°However, you need to bathe first?¡±

    ¡°Bath?¡± Victor only noticed that word, his face splitting into a wider grin.

    ¡°Gosh!¡± Mimi waved her hand over her face, ¡°erase that dirty thought out of your head,¡± she couldn¡¯t believe him, ¡°You just need to soak in a warm bath, it would help soothe those tensed muscles,¡± she gestured to his dirty appearance, ¡°And help you look more presentable,¡±

    .....

    ¡°Fine,¡± was all Victor said and in the same minute, began to work on the buttons on his shirt.

    ¡°Jesus, Vic!¡± Mimi screamed, turning the other way startled by the move. She didn¡¯t expect that he would undress immediately and especially, not in front of her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Victor asked casually, tugging the cloth down his arms.

    Mimi was bbergasted by his nonchnt attitude, she was close tobusting, ¡°What do you mean what is it? How could you start undressing in front of me? Don¡¯t you know the word, decency?¡±

    ¡°Says the one who watched me have sex,¡± He retorted.

    At that wittyeback, Mimi¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. How could he? Even at that, she still went red-faced. That was a memory she didn¡¯t want to recall for good reasons.

    ¡°T-that is not part of our conversation,¡± Mimi was so flushed she couldn¡¯t help but stutter. Only Victor¡¯s shamelessness could make her stumble over her words.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already seen my nakedness, what¡¯s more to hide?¡± He added mockingly, ¡°And oh! I¡¯m naked, I¡¯m just informing your virgin mind,¡±

    Mimi was offended by his words, she defended herself fiercely, ¡°Idiot, my mind¡¯s not a virgin!¡±

    ¡°Then surely you can have a view of my sexy ass,¡± He challenged her.

    She almost spat blood, what sexy ass! With her hot temper and impulsiveness, Mimi was ready to turn and meet his challenge head-on, proving to him that she wasn¡¯t a chicken only to realize that this was a trap and she almost fell into it.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mimi caught herself at thest minute, ¡°I see what you¡¯re doing,¡± She took a deep breath.

    Without a word spoken to him, Mimi pulled out her phone, cleared her throat, and began, ¡°Since you want your sexy ass on disy, why don¡¯t the whole world be a spectator as well. I¡¯m quite sure this would go viral,¡± Mimi lifted the phone as if she was about to start a live video.

    ¡°Hey, you crazy!¡± All blood seemed to have drained from Victor¡¯s face as he screeched like a banshee and ran into the bathroom as if the devil were on his heels.

    As soon as he left, Mimi burst into hystericalughter. That was as funny as shit, now she knew how to tease Victor in the future. Mimiughed so hard that she only stopped when her stomach began to hurt.

    ¡°Finally!¡±

    Mimi threw herself on his bed, spreading her arms wide and feeling the softness. She had to admit, her friendship with Victor was not what she expected. She had been skeptical of his intentions at first when he suggested they be friends, but now she thought about it, Victor behaved like a child in need of attention ¨C her attention.

    That thought made her heart flutter and she felt herself melting. Gosh, Mimi pped her cheeks twice to recover her senses. She can¡¯t think of Victor in another way other than her crazy friend. Victor was hot and all but he was not her type, not to mention, his energy scared her.

    Mimi was lost in her thought that she didn¡¯t hear when the door was opened until the soft patter of feet, did she looked up and whistled low.

    Victor was... well, a human sex god.

    His hair was wet and tousled carelessly, magnifying his sex appeal while he wore only his pajama pants which meant he was bare from the chest upwards and Mimi was treated to a good show of his sexy toned stomach.

    God indeed, specifically created a group of people on Sunday (Sunday = his resting day. So he took his sweet time creating them)

    ¡°Get decent or I¡¯m leaving,¡±

    Just onemand from Mimi and Victor was trudging in the direction of his wardrobe grudgingly. Mimi was such a killjoy.

    The next minute, Victor was leaning against the headboard while Mimi sat on the edge of the bed right beside him administering medicine to his wound.

    ¡°This is boring,¡± Victor said as she treated him.

    ¡°Shut up or I¡¯ll feed you this ointment,¡± She threatened him.

    ¡°I¡¯m good as far as I¡¯ll lick it off your finger,¡± He winked at her.

    Mimi¡¯s hand froze in mid-air, stunned. Of course, leave it to Victor to allude to the most innocent of conversations to sex every time he opens his mouth.

    Had it been another person, Mimi would havended a punch on his face and kicked his sorry ass out of her life but this was Victor. Victor was... urn... Victor. She couldn¡¯t exactly find the words to describe him.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Victor changed tactic, ¡°Since I won¡¯t be talking, then you do the talking,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi took her eyes off the minor cut at his temple to look into his eyes, ¡°Talk about what?¡±

    ¡°For starters....¡± He thought, ¡°Yourself! Yes. Talk about you,¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to know about me,¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on,¡±

    ¡°Why would you even want to know about me?¡± she was honestly surprised.

    ¡°Because I like you,¡±

 Chapter 203

    203 Kiss It Better

    Mimi blinked for like one, two, three seconds, and the next, she was back to herself. Having learned from the earlier, she had be so ustomed to Victor¡¯s teasing that it no longer moved her that much.

    She snorted, ¡°Why would you like me? I¡¯m not even that cool,¡± She found his im unreasonable.

    At thatment, his expression changed, ¡°Why would you think that? You¡¯re absolutely cool,¡±

    Her brows raised, ¡°Oh. I thought I only had a foul temper,¡±

    ¡°Well, you do have a foul temper,¡± He acknowledged.

    Mimi looked up at him, he stared back. And just like that, they both burst intoughter.

    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Mimi gave in, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±

    Victor pursed his lips, a dreamy look on his face as if he was thinking over it, ¡°Just your childhood. How was it growing up? Did you fight a lot with that temper of yours?¡±

    And Mimi chuckled at that question, ¡°Of course, I did fight a lot in school. The thing is that certain idiots like to get a reaction out of people like me and I don¡¯t hesitate to give them what they asked for,¡±

    .....

    Victor made a mock gesture of shivering, ¡°I¡¯m so scared,¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be,¡± She lifted his chin, examining his face for injuries she might have missed, ¡°I don¡¯t fight unreasonably, but defend my loved ones,¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± He gave her a cocky grin, ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you beat Draco for me? I¡¯m among the people you love as well?¡± Victor might have been joking but he was inquiring as to his position in her heart as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, buddy,¡± Mimi intentionally avoided the question. She couldn¡¯t really answer because of her conflicting feelings and what he would make of it.

    Victor was not one of her loved ones but she wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to him either, at least not on her watch. His family ¨C precisely Marcel ¨C dragged her into this life of crime but he saved her when she least expected it and for that, she was eternally grateful. But being on the list of her loved ones? That was a tricky, deep, andplicated question.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Mimi leaned back, ¡°I¡¯m done with your treatment. Two adhesive sters on your face, a little bruise here and there but you should be fine in the morning after taking some pain killers,¡± she exined to him, packing up after picking out the pain killers.

    Although there were a few bruises on his body where they kicked him, he would have to take care of that by himself. There was no way she was asking him to undress ¨C she was staying away from temptation.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re the worst caregiver I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Victor said suddenly, causing her brows to draw together in confusion.

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi wondered. What did she do wrong now? Victor was a handful.

    He gave her a mean moue, ¡°You didn¡¯t kiss it better,¡±

    For a moment, Mimi was stunned until, ¡°Pfft!¡± She burst into loudughter. She said to him, ¡°What are you? Six?¡±

    ¡°That is not funny,¡± He was serious.

    ¡°Victor, I am not your mother. If you need someone to kiss your injured ass better, contact her.¡± Mimi told him, simple as that!

    And she stood up, ready to leave him to sulk all he wanted ¨C he was good at that ¨C only for Victor to tug at her hand and because she had not been expecting that, fell on his body unceremoniously.

    Mimi blinked, trying to digest what just happened only to scramble off him in the next minute. However, Victor wouldn¡¯t let her go so she only ended up leaning over him, her hands on his shoulders to anchor herself while she straddled him on her knees.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Mimi was flustered, wide-eyed like a deer in headlights.

    But instead of the pervy grin she expected on his face, all she saw was his great, boyish, anticipatory look. God, Victor was killing her slowly; she was dead tired.

    ¡°Fine,¡± She gave in and the joy she saw on his face was kind of fulfilling. That smile was enough to satisfy her for the rest of the day, no, night. So she readjusted her position, making it less intimate by straddling him on either side.

    Mimi lowered her head and carefully, as Victor¡¯s mother would have done to him if she were here, she kissed his temple, directly on the bruise.

    ¡°There, you feel better now?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± He responded, then pointed to the ster on his cheek, ¡°There too,¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes, yet still leaned down to kiss there, ¡°Better?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, more than better. Here, don¡¯t be stingy,¡± He indicated the other ster, ¡°It¡¯s impartial to kiss just one, give the other some love too,¡±

    Mimi bent and kissed his other cheek and tried not to dwell on his strong masculine scent hitting her nostrils or how smooth his skin felt against her lips. To be honest, she was beginning to enjoy this a little too much.

    As soon as she was done, the unsatisfied Victor pointed to another spot, but the troubling part was that it was quite close to his lips ¨C which was why she avoided that spot in the first ce. It was a tricky situation.

    But even as the warning bells went off in her head, Mimi still leaned down and kissed there, her lips identally brushing across his and she froze. No, they both did.

    Pulling back just a bit so they were looking into each other¡¯s eyes, Mimi wondered if he felt that as well because that was electricity coursing through her body.

    The air around them became charged and it was getting increasingly hard to breathe, the sexual energy ramping further and further until it exploded.

    No one knew who moved first because their lips were connected in the next seconds. Victor grabbed her around the waist and kissed her passionately on the lips. Mimi moaned because his strong body seemed to suck the air out of her lungs.

 Chapter 204

    204 Natalie

    Meanwhile, on the same night, a woman could be seen amongst the hundreds of exhausted-looking passengers pouring into the arrivals hall.

    The tall brte woman, although middle-aged, was a stunning beauty and her forest green eyes would have been visible if it wasn¡¯t hidden behind the aviator sses she was wearing.

    She was wearing an elegant white trench coat with its matching bottoms and a bag with minimal jewelry. Even at that, she exuded power and an innate sense of fashion in her tall leather boots that one could have mistaken her for a model.

    But that reality was shattered when suddenly a group of men in ck suits came out of nowhere and formed a file in front of her. They bowed, saying in unison, ¡°Wee back, bossdy!¡±

    The woman was startled, her hands on her chest. She had not expected them to pop up in her presence and now as she looked around, she realized their little stunt drew attention because people were staring at them in both amazement and curiosity.

    She smiled nervously after taking off her sses, trying hard to hide her embarrassment. When it seemed the public¡¯s attention had shifted from her, the smile vanished from her face, the elegant atmosphere around her vanishing, reced by annoyance.

    She gestured at the leader of the men with her finger and the man stepped forward with no clue what she had in mind. As soon as he was close enough to her side, she kicked him right in the knees and he jumped, yelping in pain.

    ¡°What¡¯s with thismotion?¡± She chided him, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you guys to let me return in peace?¡±

    ¡°You did ¨C Aww!¡± He eximed in pain as she hit him once more, ¡°It was the young -¡±

    .....

    ¡°I did,¡± A deep voice interrupted them and she instantly turned to stare at the handsome man standing away from her with a bouquet in hand.

    The woman was stunned, her hand dropping before she cleared her throat and straightened her back at once.

    ¡°Eric!¡± She eximed, a smile crossing her face the instant sheid her eyes on him.

    ¡°Natalie,¡± Eric breathed, stepping towards her confidently. He met the woman halfway, pulling her into a hug.

    ¡°Eric!¡± She breathed upon his neck, hugging him tightly.

    ¡°I knew it was a huge mistake informing you that I was returning,¡± Natalie said as soon as they broke apart.

    ¡°Even if you told me or not, I would have tracked you down anyway,¡± Eric said, presenting the flower to her which she epted dly.

    She sniffed them, ¡°It¡¯s lovely, thank you,¡± Natalie smiled up at him.

    ¡°You know I would do anything for you, Natalie,¡± He meant every word he said but the woman in question didn¡¯t take it seriously, waving it aside yfully.

    ¡°Oh please, I¡¯m too hungry to think of you giving me the world,¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°Well, good thing I got that problem covered,¡± He stretched out his hand and she instinctively hooked her arm around his.

    As soon as the both of them took their leave, all guards instantly reorganized themselves in another formation, making sure the Prince was covered and protected from any lurking enemy.

    Their superior agility and the pace they coordinated themselves professionally looked like something out of an action movie and the spectators wondered what top personality was being escorted today.

    If only they knew.

    Natalie was helped into the already waiting limousine by Eric and the both of them sat down as the chauffeur drove off.

    Just as Eric promised her, there was already a feast awaiting her as soon as she settled down.

    ¡°God!¡± Natalie marveled at the gesture, ¡°How did you find the time to prepare all of this?¡± She was practically amazed by his care.

    ¡°Nothing is impossible when you have the money and power,¡± Eric said, picking up the utensils and helping her cut the steak into bite sizes enough for her to consume without choking by mistake.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Natalie sighed, ¡°You treat me as if a kid when I¡¯m in true older than you,¡±

    At thatment, Eric instantly stiffened, however, the man was a master at hiding his emotions because he was back to his calm demeanor in a blink of an eye and even joked about it, ¡°You¡¯re just five years older, what¡¯s the big deal?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie agreed with him, gulping down water instead of the wine he offered her, ¡°After all, age is nothing but numbers,¡±

    She added immediately, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can treat ¨C mmmph¡±

    He instantly stuffed her mouth with a piece of the steak saying, ¡°You talk too much, eat,¡± Hemanded her.

    Knowing how authoritative and demanding Eric could be sometimes, Natalie didn¡¯t say anything else and just ate in peace nor was she ufortable with him feeding her. She was already used to his domineering personality.

    Natalie just finished swallowing down a bite when she looked around the luxurious interior of the car, discovering they were all alone aside from the driver whom she couldn¡¯t even see because of the partition separating them.

    She asked the first question that came to her mind, ¡°Where¡¯s Elijah? He was the first person I expected toe to get me to be honest,¡± considering she had taken care of him for almost half of his life.

    But Eric shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started, I don¡¯t even know what he¡¯s up to these days,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The woman was interested now.

    ¡°Open up first,¡±

    She opened her mouth.

    He fed her.

    ¡°I sent Jason after him but the reporting in ims he has some unfinished business,¡±

    ¡°Unfinished business?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details but it seems it has something to do with a girl,¡±

    ¡°A girl?¡± Her lips curled up, ¡°My boy¡¯s all grown up.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a grown man, not your boy,¡± Eric grumbled.

    ¡°I raised him all my life, that makes him my boy,¡± Natalie was proud of her achievement.

    ¡°In that case, if he¡¯s your boy, then what am I?¡± Eric asked, and though his tone sounded yful, he was anxious about her response.

    ¡°A nutcase.¡± She answered.

 Chapter 205

    205 Done Running Away

    It was meant to be a joke but the way Eric stared at her afterward made her question if she had said the wrong thing.

    Natalie became ufortable with his prating gaze and was thinking of ways to alleviate the tension in the air when he suddenly broke into a wide grin and she released the breath she had been holding in.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± She hit him on the chest not that it hurt him. That man had muscles on him as firm as a rock.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute to tease,¡± Heughed at her yet asked, ¡°Why would you call me a nutcase?¡±

    ¡°Why would you ask me such a stupid question,¡± She threw back at him. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m going to get back at you for that!¡± Natalie promised him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Eric was up for the challenge, staring at her through loweredshes as he gulped his first ss of wine.

    Silence descended on them and Natalie used that chance to feed herself while he busied himself with the wine. Eric would spoil her rotten if she lets her. He was a kind and caring man, at least to her, because to others, his title, ¡®king of hell¡¯ perfectly depicted him.

    But Natalie was not scared of Eric, not when she spent all of her life around him ¨C around them. They were practically family. She knew the princes like the back of her hand having yed the role of an unofficial mother in their lives ¨C at least to the youngest of them, Elijah.

    ¡°So, how¡¯s your wife?¡±

    .....

    And by wife, she was referring to his daughter Rose. That was what everyone in the family called her because the young girl was more demanding than a nagging wife but the man doted on her nheless.

    ¡°What do you think? She¡¯s bouncing with her endless energy as usual and no, she¡¯s not at home. She¡¯s out of the country ¨C at her mother¡¯s ce. The woman suddenly asked to see her,¡±

    And by woman, Eric meant his baby mama. Rose¡¯s mom had only been his girlfriend by the time she was pregnant with his child and while Eric was willing to settle down with her, Karen realized he wasn¡¯t good enough for her and wanted nothing to do with him.

    ¡°Any woman in your life then?¡± She questioned.

    He smirked, ¡°Why are you so interested? Are you an option?¡±

    This fool! Natalie shook her head in amusement, he never changed at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s been years since Karen left you, Eric. You¡¯re not getting any older. You need to settle down and start a family. Even your daughter supports that as well, hence, there¡¯s no room for excuses,¡± She said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a wife when I¡¯m ready,¡± Was all he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re forty,¡±

    Eric leaned closer, using her words against her, ¡°There¡¯s no age barrier in love,¡± he winked at her.

    Natalie snorted augh. He never changed.

    Eric tilted his head questioningly, ¡°What about you? You said you were never going toe back. Could it be... you¡¯re here for her?¡± He asked hesitantly.

    Natalie¡¯s eyes slightly widened, even a blind man could sense her difort at that sensitive conversation he brought up.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that,¡± She said, without looking him in the eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not toote to find her,¡±

    ¡°Can we just drop the conversation?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was taut and she was close to losing it.

    ¡°Fine¡± Eric dropped the case yet brought up another issue, ¡°But don¡¯t tell me we are not having revenge on that man?¡±

    If Natalie had been annoyed at the earlier conversation, she trembled now.

    ¡°There will be nothing like revenge. I just came here to rest and live out the rest of my life with people that matter,¡± she said to him, vexed by the conversation.

    Eric frowned, ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let him go like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to let him go because that¡¯s the right thing to do rather than dwell on the past,¡± She nodded her head, ¡°He hurt me real bad and that¡¯s a good reason to never set my eyes on him again,¡± Natalie didn¡¯t even want to think about him.

    ¡°And what if he finds you this time? What will you do if hees to discover you are alive when he believes you are dead?¡± Eric intentionally asked that question to get her reaction and it didn¡¯t fail his expectations.

    Natalie shivered, gulping down a lump in her throat. She suddenly lost appetite for the food in front of her and folded both hands on herp.

    However, even amid the fear, she still lifted her head proudly, ¡°I¡¯m not the same naive woman from years back, Eric. If he tries to get in my way this time, I¡¯ll crush him with everything I have,¡± Natalie¡¯s gaze was empty yet chilling as she meant every single word she said. She was done running away.

    Eric was pleased with that response, that was what he wanted. If that bastard were to find her, she needed even lift a finger, he¡¯d willingly let the world burn for her sake. That was how much he loved her ¨C not that she knew. And he¡¯d keep the secret until the time was right.

    They didn¡¯t say much after that conversation and their car arrived in no time. Eric was the first to step out and held the door open with one hand while the other helped her to step out.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Natalie breathed, staring up at the grandiose castle. She had almost forgotten how breathing-taking it could be staring at it from a distance.

    ¡°You should see the inside,¡± Eric came up behind her, almost startling her. Sometimes one needed to tie a bell around that man; he walked stealthily. Natalie had been distracted by the magnificent view, she had almost forgotten him.

    ¡°I made renovations that would interest you,¡± He invited her, hand stretched out towards her.

    Natalie smiled, taking his hand in hers as he gave her a tour of the castle that had changed drastically since herst visit. Maybe it wasn¡¯t so bading back here.

 Chapter 206

    206 Having Fun

    The ceremony didn¡¯t end there, the recruits were transferred from the safe houses and driven to a private club where they were to have fun.

    This batch of recruits was considered lucky because Lance was the one who sponsored the after-party. He wanted them to have the best of fun tonight before they resumed their duties tomorrow.

    The club was spacious, luxurious, and exclusively reserved for them tonight. Hence, there was no one around aside from members of the Luciano family and their acquaintances. Party numbers sted from the speakers as the recruits got wasted and as expected in that setting, there were more than enough women to keep thempany.

    If only they knew Lance specifically organized this for Aziz but because he didn¡¯t want to create a misunderstanding, he extended the invitation to everyone. As a caporegime, it can¡¯t be found out that he was partial to a member ¨C especially a newbie.

    The Mafia was not exactly in support of gay rtionships for reasons best known to whoever invented that rule. Once caught, it would result in demotion ¨C or even death. In one word, Lance simply liked Aziz, there was just this aura about him that he couldn¡¯t resist.

    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Someone said from behind and Lance was startled only for a moment because it was no one else but his annoying brother.

    His lips formed a thin line and his brows furrowed together knowing his brother was nothing else but trouble.

    ¡°None of your business!¡± He shot back.

    ¡°Ohe on,¡± Arthur draped his arm around his shoulder, a drink in his other hand.

    .....

    ¡°I said let me go!¡± Lance went red in the face trying to pull out of his brother¡¯s grasp but the asshole wouldn¡¯t let go of him.

    He was intentionally bullying him as usual and Lance was somehow d the club was lit with led lights and no one was looking their way.

    ¡°Is it that newbie?¡± Arthur smirked cockily, gesturing in Aziz¡¯s direction with the ss in his hand.

    Lance looked in his brother¡¯s direction, it seems he wasn¡¯t the one drawn to his graceful and esthetic Aziz.

    Even amongst the other recruits, thedies swarmed around Aziz as if the other recruits ¨C that tried hard to gain their attention ¨C didn¡¯t exist. He didn¡¯t even have to try hard, he naturallymanded attention wherever he went.

    Surprisingly, even as they threw themselves on him, Aziz was not even bothered by their actions and seemed to focus on his drink instead. When thedies had enough of his silence, they either huffed and left or moved on to their next target.

    ¡°I have to admit,¡± Arthur continued, ¡°He¡¯s quite good looking but what¡¯s the worth of a gorgeous face without power in this organization?¡±

    Lance didn¡¯t say anything knowing his brother was right. Elijah might be good-looking but the Mafia was all about brains and brawns and not physical appearance. He might as well go be a superstar or something because he would only remain at the bottom of this food chain in this organization.

    Arthur went on when his brother wouldn¡¯t say a word, ¡°But then, if that¡¯s your type, who am I to put asunder?¡±

    At once, Lance pushed him away, red in the face at that controversial statement and his brotherughed hard, finding amusement in his predicament.

    Meanwhile, Aziz wasn¡¯t exactly trouble-free either. While he drank all by himself, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the hostile looks on him. Aziz sighed, he hadn¡¯t even done anything and he was already hated.

    This should be entertaining.

    It wasn¡¯t that Aziz provoked his fellow recruits but human nature was envious so some of them couldn¡¯t stand the fact that he seem to garner more attention than them.

    They had witnessed Lance talking to him after the ceremony. If Aziz managed to get in the good grace of the capogrime, that meant his stay was going to be much smoother than theirs and he was likely to get promoted anytime soon.

    Although the Luciano family was pretty much impartial and promotion was based on your ability, just like in the outside world, things would work much faster and easier with the right connection.

    Knowing his alcohol limit and feeling a bit pressed, Aziz stood up to his feet to go find the restroom when one of the recruits bumped into him.

    ¡°Watch it!¡± He snarled at him.

    ¡°You should learn how to walk first!¡± Aziz retorted.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± The man turned with a furious face.

    But Aziz said with no ounce of fear, ¡°Did you lose your sense of hearing as well?¡±

    ¡°Ooh!¡± There were some exmations and jeering from the audience. One didn¡¯t need to be told they were intentionally instigating a fight.

    ¡°I see your favorite is about to get his ass handed down to him,¡± Said Arthur who had been observing the scene.

    Lance had his brows furrowed, unsure of what to do. Aziz should have just walked away the first time but here he was provoking the other party. He was more than worried for Aziz because that other opponent, John by name, was taller than him and a brawny fellow.

    While Aziz was notnky and had muscles on him as well, John had a threatening air of menace around him. With the hostility in his eyes, Lance was sure that if they were to engage in a fight, the man would leave him ¨C Aziz- in a near-death condition.

    He had to stop this.

    Newbies weren¡¯t of much value, they were more like puppets until their worths were proven and the useful ones selected and separated from their pals. Nheless, they were resources and he couldn¡¯t afford to lose one of them ¨C especially Aziz.

    But as Lance made to take a step, his brother stopped him by grabbing onto his arm.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Let go!¡± He growled at him.

    ¡°You of all people should know interfering between them wouldn¡¯t help him at all. How is he going to grow up in this tough ce then?¡± Robert squeezed his brother¡¯s shoulder with a dubious smile, ¡°You wanted them to have fun? This is fun.¡±

 Chapter 207

    207 The Fight

    Aziz was no other than Elijah who decided his next mission was to go undercover in the Luciano family. Just like Marcel wanted to hunt him down, he wanted to mess with the little f*cker as well.

    May the best mafioso win.

    Hence, Elijah was not bothered by this little imp called John issuing a challenge to him. He scratched his brows. If it wasn¡¯t for the witnesses around, he would slit his tongue before the asshole even realizes he¡¯s dead.

    He has seen the man throwing his weight around since after the ceremony. Just because he was hulky, that doesn¡¯t make him a better fighter, he only had weight as an advantage.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Elijah wasn¡¯t even surprised by the chants from fellow members. He has seen thating and so did John considering he intentionally bumped into him in the first ce.

    ¡°What do you say, pretty boy,¡± He sneered, ¡°We take this up right here and now. Let¡¯s see the stuff you¡¯re made of!¡± John announced loudly so everyone heard him.

    .....

    He intentionally gingered the crowd so even if Aziz wanted to pull out, he wouldn¡¯t because of the shame and bacsh he was bound to suffer for being a party pooper.

    ¡°Sure, bring it on,¡± Elijah epted the challenge and that worked the crowd up into a frenzy. Most men have high thrill- and adventure-seeking personalities so it wasn¡¯t surprising they were alleviated by this exciting physical activity.

    The rules of the fight were simple; they had to defeat their opponent thoroughly or make their opponent concede defeat. Weapons were barred and would be treated as a foul with consequences.

    An area of the club was mapped out for their fight, to be precise, the DJ booth that amodates multiple performers. The instruments were cleared out and John was the first to step on proudly.

    He was already sure of winning this fight and with the hostility in his gaze, he would crush Aziz with his bare hands. And honestly, this was a n.

    With the two Caporegimes present, Lance and Arthur, John intended to impress both, and who knows, he might get promoted much faster than he intended.

    So he targeted Elijah out of annoyance and the fact he looked the weakest out of them made him an easier prey. Men with good-looking features were usually weaker, expecting to charm their way up with their extraordinary features.

    At once, John ripped his shirts with his hands showing off bulging muscles while roaring a battle cry that a few spectators, mostly men, echoed. It was obvious that John was favored over Aziz. After all, what could that pretty face possibly do to a man of such superior strength?

    Aziz climbed up the stage after John was done with his little performance. But unlike John¡¯s ostentatious disy, he whipped the women watching the fight as well into a frenzy merely by removing his shirt.

    They shouted at the top of their voices, screaming their support for the man as hot as sin. Even if he gets defeated, Aziz gave them a good show. Their eyes were blessed.

    Of course, John was not happy with this development ¨C he did not win over thedies while Aziz did so without even trying hard. His countenance was dreadful, hinting at his sinister ns toward Aziz.

    As soon as the fight signal was given, John didn¡¯t wait for Aziz toe at him, he charged immediately and wasn¡¯t that surprised when he dodged him.

    Beginner¡¯s luck, he surmised.

    However, the second move, Aziz shifted to the side, now annoying him. But that was the just beginning because in the next few moves John executed, Aziz spins and weaves his way around; as if he was messing around with him.

    But to the onlookers, it looked like Aziz was a scaredy-cat and didn¡¯t have the courage to face John head-on, so all he could do was dodge him and hope for a miracle. Hence, it didn¡¯te as a surprise when they began to boo him, not that it bothered Elijah, he was having fun.

    Lance was the only confused one there, he had spotted many opportunities Azizi could have used and taken out John, but he chose to ignore them or he was simply ignorant of them. Lance couldn¡¯t tell. Yet his heart couldn¡¯t help but pound, he hoped Aziz emerged victoriously.

    While the others jibed at Aziz, John was the only one who understood the precarious situation he was in. He had underestimated that pretty face, Aziz was too quick for him to catch and he realized the young man was ying him. However, his pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to concede defeat.

    So with a fierce roar, he barreled towards Aziz, determined not to let him slip through him this time and unlike earlier, the idiot wasn¡¯t fast at evading him.

    John was sure he grabbed him or so he thought because the next minute he felt like he tripped on something and the next, found himself on the ground,nding with no brace for impact.

    In reality, Aziz only side-stepped him and put his leg in the way and though it looked like a simple move, only the Caporegimes there knew that it was intricate because of its timing and speed. One would have to be vignt because a secondter, John would have tackled him to the ground where he would do whatever he wanted with him.

    John in question groaned in pain, a sharp pain cutting across his stomach each time he breathed, he felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand at all. That wasn¡¯t all, his hand was lying at a weird angle and he had no doubt he had broken those ¨C with some ribs. He had been so zealous to take Aziz down that he hadnded with all his might with a thud.

    After a few minutes, seeing that John was unable to stand and kept groaning, Aziz did a little bow.

    His job here was done.

    Truthfully Elijah could have beaten John up mercilessly but he didn¡¯t want to draw unnecessary attention to himself. If they found out he was skilled, it would seem suspicious.

    Right now, his victory would beprehended as luck shining on him. So he climbed off the stage leaving everyone stunned.

    He hasn¡¯t even done much and John was down? How was that possible? And how could someone look so cool?

 Chapter 208

    208 Eaten By A Lion

    ¡°That hurts,¡± Arianna murmured groggily when something wet rasped her skin. However, that sting was what she needed to rouse from whatever dreamy state she was in.

    Arianna stirred and was in the process of rubbing the sleep out of her eyes when her vision ¡°identally¡± connected with fiery amber eyes that sent chills through her body.

    Oh, God.

    She didn¡¯t even know when her hand fell, or the fact she had gone as rigid as a tree when she fullyprehended the strong, majestic, and gratified golden coat of the lion staring up at her...

    A lion was staring, right at her?

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Arianna screamed like a banshee; it was so loud that it could wake the dead from the dead ¨C and it did sessfully wake a certain person from his slumber.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Marcel cursed, bolting up to his feet, realizing how much he fucked up right now.

    After dealing with Jeremyst night, he had walked into his living room and plopped down on the sofa exhaustedly that he forgot about the extra security he had kept around Arianna in the name of the lion, Samson. And now, she just woke up to a lion keeping watch over her.

    Fuck, he deserved to be hanged.

    .....

    Without thinking twice, he rushed into the room to rescue Arianna before she does something stupid like provocating Samson. Samson might be tamed but... Marcel didn¡¯t even think about the other oue.

    Upon entering his bedroom, Marcel was stunned when he saw Arianna standing on his bed on shaky legs, her back pressed to the wall with the pillow in front of her defensively, a petrified look in her eyes. Marcel couldn¡¯t me her, this wasn¡¯t a mundane urrence.

    ¡°She was going to die!¡± That was the only thought in her head as Arianna stared at that big, wild, probably hungry cat.

    How in the world had a lion gotten into the room? Arianna couldn¡¯te up with a reasonable answer no matter how hard she thought. Neither was there time to think! She had to get out of here for crying out loud!

    She couldn¡¯t die like this.

    Surprisingly, the fear-inspiring creature made no move to attack her, sprawling out on the ground instead but Arianna was not deceived by that gesture. She knew Lions were at the top of the food chain with the ultimate killer instincts and amazing concentration power.

    Once a lion set a target it never relents, so it was no wonder the lion was patiently waiting to have her as its meal. Hence one could imagine the look of relief on her face when Marcel appeared to rescue her.

    But that relief quickly morphed into abject terror when she realized Marcel just put himself in the line of danger by appearing here.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna screamed his name, cold, crippling terror wrapping around her heart as her fear came true.

    The lion¡¯s attention shifted from her and settled on Marcel who clearly disregarded his own life because he was trying to save her.

    She tried to warn him but it was toote, the creature was too massive, stronger and faster. Before Marcel could even reach her, it pounced on him, pulling him to the ground.

    Arianna didn¡¯t even know what happened next, she only found herself sprinting out of the room with one thought in mind, she had to save Marcel.

    Tears flowed down her eyes blurring her vision but Arianna didn¡¯t stop or turn back. She envisioned Marcel¡¯s painful screams in her head as the lion tore him from limb to limb and that only pushed her to run faster, covering down the stairs in leaps of two¡¯s and three¡¯s.

    God, she hated Marcel! She would even stab him for bringing her into his world if someone handed her a knife. But she would never wish him such brutal death ¨Ccerated by a lion till he was nothing but pulp and skeleton.

    How had the animal gotten there in the first ce? Arianna didn¡¯t stop to think clearly.

    As if God heard her prayer, the first person she stumbled upon was Samuel, Marcel¡¯s assistant ¨C and the second person she wished to shove her fist into after he handed her to the Red Giant gang.

    Arianna was not thinking when she grabbed him by the arm, her words was rushed in between her tears, ¡°You need toe to rescue Marcel... ¡± or what¡¯s left of him, she didn¡¯t want to think of it, ¡°He¡¯s been eaten by a lion!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Samuel shouted, more shocked than her. Before Arianna could say anything more, he already pulled out the gun and ran in the direction of the boss¡¯s room. She followed after him.

    When Arianna said those words, the first thought that came to Samuel¡¯s head was that Samson had gone feral and was ready to put him down while hoping the boss was able to hold his own against the creature until he arrived.

    But no one prepared him for the sight that greeted him when he arrived in the room after his record-breaking sprint to see the boss rolling on the ground with Samson; they were ying.

    Arianna should have known something was wrong the instant she neared the room and didn¡¯t hear any pained grunt or the racket of Marcel¡¯s struggles with the animal ¨C he was a strong man and wouldn¡¯t go down easily ¨C pertaining it to the fact he was already dead.

    But her reasoning slowly returned when he saw the tension leave Samuel¡¯s body and his hands fell to his side with his weapon as he released a relieved breath. That was strange, wasn¡¯t he supposed to be shooting at the lion and rescuing Marcel?

    Her instinct told her at that moment that things weren¡¯t as they seemed but Arianna needed to confirm the scene with her own eyes. She needed to know she was not thinking things.

    But her steps felt as heavy as lead and when she finally reached the scene.

    Her heart stopped cold.

    Oh no.

 Chapter 209

    209 F*ck Your Mother

    Oh no, no, no.

    Marcel fooled her.

    Arianna realized regrettably that she had been the one mistaken. But how was that possible? To domesticate a lion? She had heard of rich and influential people who were into such sports and never thought Marcel was one of them until now. Then it hit her.

    This was the perfect opportunity.

    As if Marcel knew what was on her mind, their eyes connected at that moment.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± He warned her.

    That fell on deaf ears.

    Unlike Arianna who took off immediately, Marcel couldn¡¯t chase after her because he was pinned down by Samson.

    No one was getting her this time, Arianna decided as she flew down the flights of stairs. She didn¡¯t look back knowing that would be the moment she fails ¨C she can¡¯t let fear cripple her.

    .....

    The situation was kind of familiar, no, more than familiar considering Arianna couldn¡¯t recall the number of times she found herself in scenarios like this one.

    Was it before she was sold off to the Red Giant or while she was captured by Marcel or during the short time with Elijah and then back into the waiting arms of the Red giant?

    Thinking about it now, she has been running for over a month. When was she going to get her deserved rest? Would she even get one?

    Perhaps, because it was still quite early in the morning with the sun trying to appear above the eastern horizon, Arianna didn¡¯t encounter many hindrances in her way aka his guards.

    However, with the racket from upstairs that suggested Marceling after her, it wouldn¡¯t be long before she¡¯d be outnumbered so she had to hurry.

    Arianna was determined not to get caught this time. She was not amodity that was moved from one gang to the other. She had fucking rights!

    The first man came at her or rather Arianna was the one that lunged at him, pushing him out of her way before he had the chance to recover ande after her. He crashed right into a corner of the foyer, falling some vases and valuable items with him.

    With another one down, Arianna sessfully made it outside and would have taken advantage of the garage had it not been locked with an input code she had no clue about.

    There were some cars parked on thewn but there was no time to break into one with the noise getting increasingly close to her.

    So she moved ahead.

    Arianna was not stupid to go through the entrance knowing that would be equivalent to delivering herself on a tter of gold to Marcel. There was one other exit she could easily ess if she was fast enough.

    The garden.

    She was confident about scaling the walls and getting out of this ce.

    So even when her lungs burned and she desperately needed air, Arianna didn¡¯t stop.

    Arianna had gone through worst; sold off by her family to pay off a debt she has no partaking in; separated from the love of her life; she was almost raped; almost suffocated to death by a good pretender; and almost killed by the boyfriend of the good pretender who is also the same asshole that nearly raped her.

    So yeah, oxygen deprivation was nothingpared to the need to survive.

    However, she discovered something disturbing on the way. She ran across two of Marcel¡¯s soldiers but they made no effort to chase after her which was kind of weird. Instead, they looked tense and ready for.....?

    Ready for what exactly?

    Then she heard it.

    No, Arianna felt him before she even saw him running towards her. There was this deadly tangible aura around Marcel that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Almost as if he was death himself and anything he stepped on or touched withered. And yeah, she broke her rule of not looking back.

    Arianna stared back and saw Marceling after her like an angry bull; he was all alone. It finally made sense why the guards didn¡¯t stop her, hemanded them to stand down because she was his prize.

    Like a fucking alpha wolf, he wanted to im her to show off his authority and dominance! The idea didn¡¯t thrill Arianna at all. She was not his conquest for crying out loud.

    Arianna started losing momentum and she couldn¡¯t tell if it was because she was tired or the fact she was fighting a losing battle. She was a cornered animal, Arianna realized to her dismay.

    The garden was in her view now but just like Moses who saw the promisednd flowing with milk and honey and couldn¡¯t step in it, Arianna was tackled to the ground. He was to me for thisrge stretch ofnd else she would have reached her destination already.

    Thanks to the momentum, both of them fell to the ground and rolled along the slope. But even during that moment, Marcel absorbed much of the fall to protect her.

    Arianna didn¡¯t care one bit because she showed her appreciation by throwing her fist at his face.

    ¡°Oww!¡± Marcel groaned, letting her go.

    Arianna quickly rose to her feet, her target was still the garden. But Marcel grabbed her from behind and yanked her against his hard chest.

    ¡°No, let me go!¡± Arianna screamed at the top of her voice, driving her elbows right into his stomach as hard as she could.

    ¡°Ooof!¡± Marcel felt the air leave his lungs yet he still held on with one hand to her frustration. Why was he so clingy? Why couldn¡¯t he let go of her for christ¡¯s sake!

    Arianna turned this time with cruel intention, lifting her knees to aim for his crotch knowing a kick there would disarm him long enough for her to get away.

    But Marcel guessed that move ¨C she was slow and predictable ¨C and deflected the kick. He recovered and pulled her close to his body once more while she struggled furiously.

    ¡°Calm down!¡± He said to her into her ears.

    ¡°Calm down my ass! Go f*ck your mother!¡± Arianna cursed out.

    His demeanor changed immediately.

 Chapter 210

    210 Too Big A Distraction

    She messed up, didn¡¯t she?

    Arianna realized that at thest minute after Marcel went incredibly still, his face was void of expression yet his arm around her waist tightened with so much strength she couldn¡¯t help but cry out in distress, he was crushing her bones.

    At that moment she suspected that Marcel was capable of snapping her neck before she saw it happening with the ferocity in his eyes. There was a dangerous aura pulsating out of him and though she couldn¡¯t see it, the goosebumps rising on her back were enough evidence.

    Without warning, he suddenly yanked her hair back and she yelped, striving to be free but he twisted her arms behind her back. When Marcel stroked them through, smoothing the strands, Arianna was expecting a vicious grip.

    But he surprisingly tilted her head, his hand closing around her neck she was sure he was tempted to break. Yet his hand caressed her neck instead, sending tingles that didn¡¯t settle well with her. What was he doing?

    Before Arianna had the chance to ask what he was doing, Marcel said to her,

    ¡°That was the wrong thing to say,¡± There was an edge to his voice. His breath tickled her ear and sent a shiver through her. It was almost as if he was intentionally holding back.

    Well, holding back from what? Hurting her? What a joke! Ariannaughed sarcastically. He started hurting her the instant he stepped into her life. What could he do differently now?

    So without a sense of self-preservation, ¨C she threw that out the window when she woke up in his territory again ¨C Arianna headbutted him and the string of curses that spewed from his mouth felt divine to her ears. He could feel her pain now.

    .....

    But to her dismay, Marcel was as tenacious as a bull. Hence even when she hurt him, he let go of her but not entirely. While his hold around her waist loosened, he still held on to her arm when she tried to run, tugging her right back into him.

    Ariana was facing him this time and was able to see his eyes holding a fire that she had no doubt would consume the both of them till they were nothing but ashes.

    He had a deep thirst to hurt her and Arianna wanted that because that would give her more reasons to hate him, to perceive him as the monster he was.

    ¡°She was a lovely woman,¡± He said, even as she grunted and struggled.

    Then she frowned, what was he talking about? And it hit her the same way a storm invades a ce, his mother?

    Arianna felt a quick stab of guilt in her heart? Had she crossed the line by saying that? She had no recollection of herte mother but Arianna was sure she would fight to the death if someone called her father names. So yeah, she did cross the line.

    ¡°Nobody gets to tarnish her image, and that includes you,¡± There was a hint of punishment in his tone and that made her back go straight, a chill running through her.

    Even before he whirled her around, Arianna had begun fighting, twisting, struggling, all to no avail. Marcel had his strong arm around her neck, trying to disable her using her vital point.

    ¡°No!¡± She can¡¯t fall asleep once again. But even as she said that, spots began to swim in her vision and she feared she would pass out soon.

    She did.

    Marcel was proud of his effort; he didn¡¯t kill her. But that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯d be waiting around to be tempted the second time. He was trying so hard to be cordial to her but since she wanted it the hard way, he¡¯d give it to her.

    Everyone knew talks regarding his mother were a sensitive spot for him and yet this particr woman dared to offend him ¨C even Victor would never tease him with his mother. Yet this woman had spat those words at his face.

    Marcel¡¯s chest rose and fell with the heavy breath he took, this stubborn ass of a woman in his arms. What was he going to do with her? Because he sure as hell needed to discipline her.

    He had been able to control himself this time, what of the next time? When she spews shit from that beautiful mouth of hers that would do a good work sucking his d*ck instead of fighting him.

    Get a grip of yourself, man, Marcel pushed the stupid thought out of his mind.

    Arianna was off-limits, he had reminded himself that over and over since heid his eyes on her in that bridal gown on her wedding day. Marcel had to remind himself that she had no choice in the wedding from the start ¨C and it was all thanks to him.

    As far as Elijah was still out there and he hadn¡¯t gotten his weapons back, Marcel knew he would continuously hurt her. All eyes were on him and expecting a result, he couldn¡¯t go all soft on her like a puppy.

    Moreover, Arianna needed to be reminded of her ce. She can¡¯t keep challenging his authority and courting death. So even if it was going to make her mad and further ruin their non-existent rtionship, this was something he had to do.

    He has tried already, Arianna brought this on herself. But that was her charm; fiery, sassy, and strong. She was the first woman he met that has made his blood boil and melt at the same time. She was too big a distraction.

    So Marcel carried her in his arms and walked back to the house with everyone staring at him. Thankfully, none stared at Arianna lustfully else they would be missing that eye.

    He handed her over to Samuel who seemed apprehensive about this particr task. They knew how protective he was of her and one wrong move could cost him his life.

    ¡°Keep her grounded,¡± Marcel told him.

    Until he knows what to do with her.

    And where the fuck was Victor!

 Chapter 211

    211 The Walk Of Shame

    Mimi was jostled up from sleep when something hugged her. But was it really something or someone?

    Crap.

    Her eyes flew open at once, taking in her environment and at the same time digesting what happened between her and Victorst night.

    First of all, there was no soreness in between her legs which could only mean nothing happened between them.

    Check!

    Her clothes were still on, so no getting naked either.

    Hallelujah.

    Mimi was alleviated until she was given a st from the past, more like, fromst night.

    Holy mother of God.

    .....

    She gasped as the images fromst night yed in her mind ¨C it was freshly served and steaming hot.

    Oh, God.

    She and Victor kissed and groped at each other. The making-out part was with much unbridled passion that shamelessly left her wet even as she recalled it. Finally, they dry-jumped which was the only reason they hadn¡¯t gone all the way.

    Mimi was struck dumb by all this recollection. What the hell possessed herst night to make out with Victor?! She felt like banging her head against the wall!

    They might not have had sexst night, but what they did now was to cross the line of their friendship. How was she going to face Victor from now on?

    Goodness, gracious! She hatedplications!

    Mimi returned to the present.

    On the bright side, Victor was still asleep which means she had the opportunity to escape the awkward conversation that was bound to follow when he awakes.

    She was not ready for that.

    However, there was a teeny little problem, Mimi was snuggled up close to Victor and her aim was to not wake him up which would be kind of hard considering she¡¯s about to sneak out.

    Wonderful.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Mimi breathed, trying to calm her racing heart. She would only make mistakes if she was nervous. She can¡¯t ruin this!

    For sure, Victor would notice the absence of her warmth if she slips away, so she thought of what to do.

    Looking around, Mimi finally thought of something. Albeit uncertain, it was worth a try.

    Slowly and carefully, she slipped the pillow from beneath her and took Victor¡¯s arm on her waist. Sadly, he stirred, muttering nonsenses she couldn¡¯tprehend while Mimi squeezed her eyes shut immediately.

    After a while, when she couldn¡¯t sense more movements, Mimi opened her eyes with a relieved sigh. That was close.

    Perhaps, luck was on her side because Mimi sessfully substituted her presence with the pillow. Finally!

    With the speed of the sh, Mimi picked up her things, which weren¡¯t much, just her shoes and purse, and left his secret abode. She was never stepping foot in here ever again.

    Once outside, Mimi gged down a taxi and tried not to re too much at the older driver who looked at her contemptibly as if she was doing the walk of shame.

    So the moment she reached home and paid the driver his fee, Mimi gave him the middle finger as a bonus. He had no right to give her that judgemental look. She didn¡¯t even have sex with Victor ¨C that didn¡¯t qualify as sex!

    ¡°You¡¯re home,¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    Mimi was startled by her sudden appearance, she had been nning to make a quiet return but the woman was waiting for her in the living room.

    ¡°Hi!¡± Mimi waved at her mother with the brightest smile she could summon.

    ¡°I bet the all-nighter went well?¡± Hannah asked curiously, brows raised.

    The corner of Mimi¡¯s mouth quirked, was that suspicion she sensed in her mother¡¯s tone?

    Right before she made up her mind to help Victorst night, she texted her mother that she was workingte and the chances of pulling an all-nighter. So why was the woman looking at her as if she knew she did the opposite of workingst night?

    ¡°Yes, it did go well,¡± Mimi answered carefully.

    ¡°And Victor?¡± her mother had that baiting look that told Mimi she was fishing for information ¨C a gossip that would make her day.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s fine.¡± Mimi nodded.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him giving you a ride home this morning? Didn¡¯t you say the both of you were working together?¡±

    Mimi¡¯s mouth parted, ¡°Well.... about that.....¡± What was she going to say?

    Her mother looked at her in anticipation of an answer.

    ¡°We both worked so hardst night, I couldn¡¯t let him take me home knowing he needed the rest ¨C that would be selfish of me. Thinking of it, I need the rest.....¡± She intentionally yawned, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going upstairs....¡±

    ¡°Huh? But you haven¡¯t -¡±

    Mimi yawned louder, ¡°I feel like I can¡¯t stand anymore.... oh, I need toy my head down already. And my shoulder needs a massage as well, I think so. See youter, mom.¡± Mimi kissed her mother on the forehead, her exnation leaving the woman befuddled, and took off before Hannah could even realize what just happened.

    Never once did Mimi turn back until she reached thefort of her room and closed the door, locking it before leaning against it exhaustedly.

    She was dead tired. From dealing with the shocking discovery to her mother¡¯s interrogation, Mimi felt her head would explode soon if she didn¡¯t take a break.

    Tossing her purse onto the bed, she stripped out of her clothes and went to her bathroom to soak her tired skin in the tub, washing off the sweat and dirt fromst night.

    In her quest to prevent temptation, she intentionally didn¡¯t bathe at Victor¡¯s ce. But in the end, theplication she worked so hard to avoid came to pass, all because he wanted her to kiss his injury better.

    Mimi leaned back against the tub, groaning. Had she been drunk, Mimi would have heaped the me on the alcohol but they had kissed each other while clear-headed. They had no one to me but themselves and their actions.

    With her towel wrapped around her body, Mimi went back into her room only to feel her phone vibrating with a call.

    Her heart skipped a beat, having a feeling it was Victor calling. He must have realized she was gone. Perhaps, this was the time to clear everything.

    But the call ended before she could reach her phone. Mimi pulled out her phone tucked inside her purse, however, she was not prepared for the shock of seeing Fifty-two missed calls shing across her screen.

    And all from Victor.

 Chapter 212

    212 The Calm In His Tempest

    Mimi was gone, the bomb was dropped on Victor as soon as he woke. At first, he thought she was abducted or something, like Draco taking her away to punish her for punching her.

    But when he saw the pillow he was currently hugging, Victor knew she was fine. She obviously went through a great effort not to wake him. And for some reason, that pissed him off.

    Mimi should have waited for him to awake, it was not like she had a job to attend to ¨C he was her job, her teacher. He could easily decide to give her the whole day off.

    Or she could have woken him up. And then do what?

    Well, they would have breakfast together and he could take her home. What if something happens to her on the way? With him around, he would protect her.

    [A/N: well, nothing¡¯s happened to her on the way throughout her twenty-three years of existence until you arrived]

    Victor¡¯s anxiety was made worse when he recalled what happened between themst night. Could it be that she left without informing him because of that?

    Usually, he liked it when his dates for the night left before he woke ¨C they knew what they came for and got what they wanted. He had no time to get hung up on semantics.

    But Mimi didn¡¯t have to leave, she was not like those other girls. She was his bestie ande on, let¡¯s admit it, that kiss was bound to happen. He had been feeling the urge to im those luscious lips of her throughout the night.

    .....

    Damn, Victor, this is not the time to think about that. He had to get to Mimi first. It was not unusual for friends to kiss, right?

    So he called her over and over again, still yet got no response. That was when Victor understood real panic, could it be something bad happened to her as he feared?

    But Draco wasn¡¯t stupid enough toy a hand on her no matter how much she hurt his man pridest night. Or was she avoiding him? He didn¡¯t like either option.

    They had to talk this out like responsible adults that were friends with each other. Which was why Victor paced up and down his room, phone pressed to his ear, anxiety eating at him. His hair was tousled from constantly running his hand through it, he hadn¡¯t even washed nor eaten.

    Perhaps because of his great concern, Victor didn¡¯t know his calls had crossed the borderline of annoyance. So when Mimi didn¡¯t respond after the ¨C he had no idea how many times ¨C calls, he decided to visit her ce. He had to be sure she was safe, Victor told himself.

    But then he hadn¡¯t refreshed and couldn¡¯t go to her ce looking like this. He knew there was a ny percent chance of meeting his newly elected favorite person in the world, Hannah, and wouldn¡¯t want to ruin her image of him.

    But where was he going to begin? Victor didn¡¯t know whether to first arrange his outfit for the visit or brush first or shave first or bath first?! It was chaos in his head.

    Suddenly, his phone rang.

    Victor peered over from his position, it was Mimi and he rushed, connecting the call immediately.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Her soft voice breathed into his ear and the chaos in his head stilled at once. Victor could almost say she was the calm in his tempest.

    Victor was finally able to breathe knowing she was safe, however, his relief was instantly consumed by great anger.

    ¡°WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LEAVING ALL ALONE!¡±

    Meanwhile, Mimi was still contemting what to say to Victor after the initial ¡°Hey¡± when thunder suddenly rumbled in her ear and the phone almost slipped from her hand. What the hell?

    Mimi frowned, ¡°Did you just yell at me?¡± she added immediately without waiting for his answer, ¡°And when did you be my keeper that I have to inform you of my movements?¡±

    ¡°I was just concerned about you,¡± Victor defended himself.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine. So you do not have to worry about me because you are not my babysitter. I¡¯m a perfectly grown-up woman capable of protecting herself!¡± She made it clear to him.

    ¡°Christ! Why are you being so aggressive?! All I did was worry about you!¡± Victor couldn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°Says the one who first yelled at me and that is quite hypocritical because it¡¯s the same thing as the kettle calling the pot ck?!¡± Mimi stated, all riled up. She had never been the type to give up on an argument ¨C especially not one from Victor.

    ¡°Fine, have a nice day!¡± He snapped.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t -¡±

    But he hung up on her already.

    He was a fool to call, he should have known she would be fine without him. And why does it piss him off that she¡¯s fine without him?

    Mimi didn¡¯t even bring up the kiss between them, who knows she must have waved it to the back of her mind. Well, guess who doesn¡¯t care? Him!

    He has kissed enough women so he was surely not bothered by one kiss from a woman supposed to be his bestie.

    Victor was determined not to go after Mimi like thest time after they had a fight ¨C which was approximately less than twelve hours ago. If she wanted their rtionship to continue, Mimi should be the one making the move!

    But then the next minute when his phone rang, Victor picked up the call instantly, thinking it was her.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Victor¡¯s voice was meek and lowly as he apologized, contrary to his ims minutes ago,

    ¡°I should not have yelled at you, it was wrong of me. You¡¯re a strong, beautiful woman, capable of holding her own in a fight. And about that kiss fromst night? You don¡¯t have to think much about it, erase what happened if it bothers you. I¡¯m cool with it. Moreover, people kiss all the time, not just lovers and it¡¯s also a form of greeting, you see?. So please, tell me you¡¯re not breaking up our friendship,¡± Victor ended his ramble, waiting for her response.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± said a husky, deeply masculine voice instead of Mimi¡¯s soft euphonious voice that made Victor¡¯s face crumble up.

    Damn, this is embarrassing.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Hi guys, I¡¯m sincerely sorry for thete uploads, my hands got so bad it was painful writing, so I had to take my time. But don¡¯t worry, this privilege tier is going to be worth your patience! Thank you!

 Chapter 213

    213 Talking To A Picture

    Marcel plopped down on his office seat, his head thrown back. He then straightens up, running his palm down his face. Everything was fucked up. How was he going tomence with his ns?

    Arianna was surely going to hate his ass when she awakes; he still had no clue where Elijah was, nor his weapon; Jeremy was not giving him solid evidence; his sister was still with his father; he had an organization to run and keep away from the evil ws of his rtives. But like a domino effect, everything was slowly falling apart.

    Marcel groaned, digging his hand through his hair. He felt suffocated inside as if he would explode anytime soon. Good thing, he was all alone and no one was here to piss him off and incur his wrath. Or see him losing his shit.

    He pulled out one of the drawers on the right-hand side of the desk and picked the picture frame of a woman. There was one thing Marcel does when he¡¯s overwhelmed like right now and that was to stare up at the picture of his mother and converse with her.

    If Arianna had been here, she¡¯d definitely be struck dumb by the softness and affection in Marcel¡¯s face. Most times she¡¯s seen him, he always had a permanent scowl on his face as if he was at war with everyone.

    Marcel tenderly caressed the picture of the woman in the frame. Just like him, she had blonde hair, and the simrities between the both of them were quite ostentatious. And his father always loathed his uncanny resemnce to that woman, histe wife.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Marcel had gray eyes which was a dominant trait in the Luciano family, his father Daniel would have questioned his paternity.

    And if he had turned out to be a girl? He might as well have be an orphan, Marcel was sure Daniel wouldn¡¯t look twice at him. The man was building an empire and he didn¡¯t need weaklings.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do anymore, mother,¡± Marcel spoke to the picture as if it was an animate being and that she was right here with him, ¡°I think I¡¯m way over my head with this one,¡± He confessed, swallowing a huge lump down his throat.

    .....

    Saying that, was as good as Marcel admitting defeat, hence he added almost immediately, ¡°Nheless, it¡¯s my cross to bear. I was born for this and should be ready for whateveres my way,¡±

    Marcel licked his lips and went on, ¡°Your husband still has your favorite person Chloe in his custody, and I have no idea where he kept her and if she¡¯s even okay ¨C the both of us know his tendency for assault. And don¡¯t even look at me that way, if you¡¯re so worried about her, you should have let me end him when I had the chance,¡± Marcel rolled his eyes, the tension that had been surrounding him earlier slowly eased out of his body. The season was therapeutic. And yes, there were times he was close to killing that man.

    Marcelughed sarcastically, ¡°But then, you were like, you can¡¯t kill him, he¡¯s your father! Marcel, blood is thicker than water,¡± He intentionally mimicked ady¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Now look where it got your daughter, Chloe?¡± He said, through gritted teeth, ¡°And oh, he¡¯s trying to get me married to this girl ¨C a bimbo to be exact. I¡¯m sure you would like her,¡± His words dripped with sarcasm.

    ¡°Well, if you want to know more about your future daughter-inw, then you should know she hated me to the core and would have loathed the person that birthed me as well if you were around. However....¡±

    Marcel leaned back into his desk as if trying to see this from another point of view, ¡°She has suddenly taken an unhealthy interest in me and it¡¯s really ufortable. I never thought I¡¯de to say this one day but I¡¯m scared of her. What if I end up giving in to her because of my extreme protective nature, you of all people should know about that,¡±

    Yeah, he had been so protective of his mother that his father had taken advantage of that weakness to train him ¨C hone his skills. The man would taut and promise him what would happen to his mother if he wasn¡¯t strong enough. Well, guess what, he wasn¡¯t strong enough to save her from death.

    If Marcel was to describe what happened to his mother, he would say, ¡®she withered away¡¯. His mother and father were a miserable pair and while it might seem an option to divorce, it just didn¡¯t work that way.

    The Mafia had their own code of conduct and leaving was a luxury his mother couldn¡¯t afford. She knew too much and that alone disqualified her from getting a divorce.

    When Marcel had been younger, he thought his mother was weak and stupid for sticking to his father despite the abuse making him despise weak people. But as he grew, Marcel gained insight and came to understand the choices she made, not only for herself but for him as well.

    Even if his mother was not captured by the police, they had so many enemies who could forcibly take or lure her to their side which was detrimental if she decided to work against them.

    Penelope might not have been active in the organization, but she had one vital tool, information. She knew stuff, people, and how the Luciano family works ¨C their weaknesses and strengths.

    If that knowledge were to fall into the wrong hands, they were as good as finished. But then, Daniel was there and wouldn¡¯t let that happen, he¡¯d probably dly get rid of his wife to solve the problem. Moreover, appearance was everything in the mafia.

    ¡°And then there¡¯s this other girl....¡± Marcel breathed and started, ¡°You are probably not going to like her since she is everything you could never be. The girl¡¯s stupidly brave, fierce, and fucking hot. She¡¯s literally messing with my mind and I don¡¯t know what to do. Any suggestions on how to deal with her?¡±

    But of course, no suggestion came because his mother was dead and he had been talking to a picture.

 Chapter 214

    214 Victor Was Useless To Her

    ra didn¡¯t know why but she felt insecure. At first, she had been over the moon when Marcel promised to give their rtionship a go, but now she wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.

    Marcel didn¡¯t call her as promised and she had been mad at him but for a while, forgiving him after she surmised he must have been busy. After all, with his kind of work, it must have skipped his mind.

    Which was why she would take the bull by the horn this time. Marcel has given her the free reins, it was all up to her now to win his heart. He didn¡¯t need to do a thing; she would win his love.

    So ra woke up quite early in the morning to make breakfast. And by making breakfast, she meant watching over world-acimed chefs as they prepared the food ording to her taste and direction.

    ra has never done any domestic work since the day she was born. The monarchy system might have been abolished, but ra was treated like the princess she was. Hence, she was a disaster in the kitchen and couldn¡¯t even differentiate a microwave oven from a dishwasher.

    ¡°That is an interesting development,¡± Diana mused upon stepping into the kitchen, surprise etched on her face. Her daughter was standing beside one of the chefs, watching him work andparing the food he prepared with the image of the food on her phone.

    ¡°I think the ketchup design is a bit awry,¡± rained, a furrow on her brows with her lips set on a thin line. Wasn¡¯t the man a professional chef? ra was barely holding herself from erupting in anger.

    It was egg on toast with a rich taste of Heinz ketchup. The pop of color was supposed to go in a zigzag motion across the egg on toast and it did ¨C except there was a slight deviation and ra was currently pinching the space between her brows.

    Everything was supposed to go well, she wanted this meal to be perfect for Marcel! Ugh! These frustrating staff! Why can¡¯t they ever do something right! ra was furious.

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯ll sorry, Ma¡¯m,¡± The chef could only apologize, red-faced at his carelessness. And ra didn¡¯t fail to remind him of that by berating him.

    ¡°ra?¡± Diana finally stepped in when she saw her daughter going too far. She had in the process of giving her daughter the best life spoiled her rotten. ra didn¡¯t share the same level ofpassion and consideration she had for other people.

    ¡°Mother?¡± ra turned to her with a stressed look as if the chef justmitted an abomination.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my dear?¡± Diana pulled her closer to her, rubbing her hand down her arm tenderly, calming her.

    ¡°T-this was supposed to go well!¡± ra threw her hands in the air, ¡°What if Marcel doesn¡¯t like it? Would they take responsibility for that?!¡± ra was frustrated.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Her mother called, cupping her cheeks and forcing her gaze to remain on her, ¡°You have to calm down,¡±

    But she shook her head stubbornly, not that her mother let her.

    ¡°Listen, whether the food is perfect or not, Marcel would take it because he likes you,¡± Diana told her.

    But ra grimaced, ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem, I¡¯m not sure he even likes me which is why I¡¯m trying so hard to be the one to bridge that gap in his heart.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s willing to try,¡± Her mother pointed out, ¡°That¡¯s progress, ra. Moreover, the chef is going to redo the whole thing, you shouldn¡¯t be stressed. It¡¯s going to be well,¡±

    Thanks to her mother¡¯s advice, ra was able to calm down. The truth is that the little mistake made by the chef was not even the source of ra¡¯s anger, she was just anxious.

    ra knew what she stood to lose if her rtionship with Marcel fails. She broke off things with Luther and was going all in with her fianc¨¦. If that doesn¡¯t work out, she was doomed.

    Thanks to their efficiency and professionalism, the Chefs were done in no time and ra dressed up to go see Marcel. She wore a bodycon dress that stopped at her mid-thigh.

    Complimented about her beauty throughout her life and apanied with a long line of professional trainers tasked with keeping her fit, ra was confident in her body. With her hourss shape, she was the envy of thousands of women around the world.

    This time ra drove to Marcel¡¯s ce by herself. She was being careful so no one messes with her mood like that stupid chef from earlier.

    Sadly for ra, enemies were bound to meet on a narrow road because the moment she reached Marcel¡¯s ce, it was the same time Victor climbed out of his own ride as well.

    For a minute, none of them made a move, they just stared each other down while taking in their appearance.

    ra simply gauged Victor, wondering if he was worth the trouble. Thest time they met was solid proof to ra that Victor didn¡¯t like her and though it bothered her at first, it didn¡¯t anymore. Whether he liked her or not, that would not stop her from being with Marcel.

    No matter how close Victor was to Marcel, his tantrum would not change his mind. Their union was already approved by both parents and wouldn¡¯t be dissolved easily without serious bacsh. In one conclusion, Victor was useless to her. So boy bye!

    Victor narrowed his gaze at ra, what was this woman doing here this early morning? Marcel surely can¡¯t be serious with her? Gosh, this was unbelievable.

    Simultaneously, both of them turned the other way, and though they were heading in the same direction, both spaced out.

    ra was the first to go in while hoping the door hit Victor on his way in. It wasn¡¯t hard to find Marcel after questioning one of his underlings.

    Her fianc¨¦ was in his office, head lowered and absorbed in his thoughts. That distraction gave her extra time to brace herself and when she was ready, intentionally sashayed over to him.

    ¡°Babe!¡±

 Chapter 215

    215 Danger Of Food Poisoning

    God must be fucking with him.

    Marcel thought so the moment ra came into his office. Of course, he had forgotten hended himself into a death trap by agreeing to give their rtionship a try. Now, Marcel wished he could go back in time and erase that very decision.

    He must have been sick in the head when he made her that promise. Nheless, it was inevitable; his rtionship with ra was bound to happen. So he might as well go easy on himself by getting to know her better. You know, give her the benefit of the doubt. Surely ra must be something worth more than this and they cane to apromise. In the end, their married life would be.... endurable.

    ¡°Babe!¡± She said and Marcel was momentarily confused. Who was she.... oh him. God, he wanted to cringe.

    ra walked over to him, intentionally swinging her waist in that body tight gown that would have made his little man rise ¨C if it had been someone else.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t exin it but you could say he didn¡¯t have the hot for ra ¨C the same way he felt for a certain woman he was trying hard not to think about.

    He couldn¡¯t even say he loves ra like a sister because that would be sinning against his conscience. He treasured Chloe more than ra.

    If he got in a situation where he had to choose between the both of them, he would pick his sister in a heartbeat. Perhaps then, out of obligation and respect for her mother Diana, he woulde back for her ¨C or avenge her if she died.

    It was still baffling how ra could be so different from her mother. Honestly, Marcel couldn¡¯t have cared whom he married knowing it would never be for love ¨C as if he knows what the word means ¨C but one thing was for sure, his marriage would be to secure a political alliance.

    .....

    He just never thought his father would be the one to y matchmaker and the man did it with a little convincing ¨C by taking away his sister ¨C else Marcel wouldn¡¯t have listened. He ¨C Marcel ¨C would be the one to decide on his bride.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Marcel was honestly surprised. It was still quite early in the morning and she shouldn¡¯t be here.

    At least, this is the first time she visited him at this hour and she didn¡¯t look like she was here to cause trouble ¨C and that scared him. Marcel was beginning to miss their quarrels. Then, he knew what to expect from her and was prepared for her. Now? He was venturing into unknown waters.

    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t call as promised,¡± ra said, dropping a bag on his desk he tried not to notice.

    ¡°I¡¯m -¡± An apology was on the tip of Marcel¡¯s lips when she stopped him.

    ¡°So, here I am, making a move on you instead,¡± She leaned on his desk, her jaw resting on her intertwined hands while staring right at him, ¡°Tell me you think it¡¯s sexy?¡± She said, batting her long, fakeshes at him with a smile that was supposed to make him fall head over heels for her?

    Marcel swallowed, yet didn¡¯t let his casual mask fall. How was he going to tell her that her efforts were quiteical to him instead of romantic and that he felt likeughing?

    But of course, that wouldnd him a p on the face and ruin the budding rtionship he was working hard for. So Marcel merely nodded.

    ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re so old-fashioned,¡± She rolled her eyes dramatically, just as she tugged on his cor and pulled him forward as she smashed her lips against his lips.

    Okay?

    That was the only thought in Marcel¡¯s head as she kissed him, his eyes wide open. Even from close up, ra was indeed an attractive woman but she didn¡¯t have the same fire Arianna carried that called to him. To his blood.

    Okay, he swore he was not going to think about her.

    ¡°You¡¯re distracted,¡± ra murmured against his lips and that was a warning to Marcel to sit up. Arianna was enough trouble, he couldn¡¯t stand ra acting up as well.

    So he took her face in his hand and kissed her much more passionately till they had toe up for air.

    ¡°That¡¯s much better,¡± she grinned at him appreciatively.

    Seeing the pure bliss of happiness on her face, Marcel felt a sudden gnaw in his heart. He shouldn¡¯t be doing this to her, he was leading her on when they weren¡¯t even on the same tune.

    However, Marcel couldn¡¯t stop, especially not now that he needed this docile side of her for his n. Surely, she can¡¯t be a fool to think he would develop feelings for her overnight.

    He merely smiled at all. At least he treated her well, that should be something.

    ¡°So....¡± ra began, pushing away from the desk, and reached for the bag she came with. She pulled out a food sk from it, ¡°I was thinking we could have breakfast together!¡± She was ecstatic.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Marcel showed surprise on his face, ¡°Sure,¡± he said. She was really trying hard to make this rtionship of theirs work.

    Trying to be supportive, Marcel helped clear out the desk so she was able to set out the food that was probably prepared by her cooks. Not that he was criticizing her for not having cooking skills but Marcel wanted to be sure of what he was eating. If ra told him she made those herself, he was in danger of food poisoning.

    There was a lot of food and Marcel didn¡¯t have to worry about where to start because she was the one feeding him. Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and epted everything.

    ¡°So I was thinking...¡± She said while feeding him, ¡°We could go on a date this weekend,¡±

    ¡°Sure. Sure,¡± Marcel merely nodded as she went on and on as if he was paying attention to what she had to say.

    ¡°There are many ces we could go for a romantic getaway. There¡¯s the beach, a long walk in the park, belt it out at karaoke....¡±

    Then he heard it.

    Bam!

    The sound of a gun going off.

 Chapter 216

    216 Time For Negotiations

    Marcel stiffened as soon as he heard the sound of that gun going off. Call it instinct but he knew at that moment that the shot had something to do with Arianna. His men wouldn¡¯t just shoot unless they perceived a threat. And when a threat appears, it wouldn¡¯t just be one shot, but numerous enough to eliminate it.

    But it was one shot.

    Something was up.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    The fact that ra heard that as well meant that he was not dreaming. No way, it can¡¯t be.

    Marcel stood abruptly.

    ¡°Babe!¡± ra was surprised at his reaction. Right now, he looked like a taut yarn of tension. Something didn¡¯t seem right with him.

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t respond to her, instead, he pulled out his phone and called Samuel. His call connected yet rang on with no answer, Marcel balled his hands into a fist. The restlessness in his heart increased as he tried his phone the second time and no one picked up.

    When no one answered, Marcel¡¯s expression turned grim. This could only mean one thing; whoever released that shot either took out Samuel or the man in question just betrayed him. He handed Arianna over to him earlier. Had Elijah gotten to him?

    .....

    Without a second thought, Marcel went over to his desk and pulled out the lower drawer, picking up the gun and checking the chambers. Seeing it was full, he took off the safety and was set to leave.

    ¡°Marcel....?¡± ra changed her title at once having noticed the tension in the air. So she no longer called him baby, but his first name. The mood was ruined.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± She asked, fearing for the first time since she came here. This ce has been rtively safe so far that she hasn¡¯t thought of something like this happening until now.

    ¡°Just stay here,¡± Marcelmanded her gruffly.

    But then, would ra listen? She would rather stay with Marcel who could protect her if the need arises than all alone in that room where anyone could take her out ¨C as if she was someone of importance. ra didn¡¯t stop to think about the fact that she could end up being a deadweight to Marcel.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m with you!¡± She stood her ground stubbornly, puffing out her chest in such a way that told Marcel he stood to gain nothing if he ended up arguing with her except wasted time.

    Marcel said nothing and left his office with no care whether she followed after him or not. Almost immediately, he ran into Victor who was heading in the direction of the gunshot as well.

    ¡°When did you return home?¡± He asked seriously while striding ahead. Marcel was tall in the first ce so when he strode, his steps were so massive that ra had to jog up to him to match his pace.

    ¡°Your girlfriend didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Victor tilted his head in ra¡¯s direction, ¡°I guess she doesn¡¯t like me that much?¡± he joked as usual and all the while, keeping up with Marcel¡¯s stride.

    ra red at Victor so intensely that if her eyes were bullets, Victor would have the tag, ¡°RIP¡± on his gravestone by now.

    Marcel noticed the animosity between the both of them yet didn¡¯t say a thing. Victor has a thing for disliking the women around him.

    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but there¡¯s a report that someone get shot and a hostage situation,¡±

    Marcel¡¯s heart skipped a beat, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. He had this feeling Arianna wasn¡¯t the one shot ¨C she was brave and strong. If anything, she would be the one...

    Marcel¡¯s eyes widened at once and as if confirming his fears, he saw that glint in Victor¡¯s eyes that told him he was having fun.

    Oh shit.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Arianna could tell the moment her back fell on the bed because her consciousness returned. Perhaps, because she had slept the entire night or her stubborn will to survive, sleep released its clutches much faster than usual.

    She knew Marcel wasn¡¯t the one in charge of her anymore, had known the entire moment this new caretaker had her over his shoulder and walked down the endless hallways. Just howrge was this ce?

    Maybe it was the endless jostling along the way that woke her ¨C that position was not romantic at all. With every move, his hard shoulder de dug into her stomach ¨C and he wasn¡¯t gentle at all. Well, big fat thanks to him, the sleep¡¯s over.

    Arianna considered striking now that he was ignorant of her being conscious, but she shoved the idea away. If she falls from his shoulder, the height would hurt her dly. She needed every strength she could summon.

    So she pretended to be asleep until the moment he was leaning over her, cuffing her right to the headboard, she struck.

    The moment she rose, he instantly tried to reach for his belt but she already had his gun in her hand. Perks of being a thief, skills coulde in handy anytime. So their fight began.

    Truthfully, Arianna didn¡¯t mean to shoot him but she was currently at a great disadvantage with her right hand cuffed to the bed. So she fired at him, the bullet going cleanly through his shoulder. She couldn¡¯t forget the shock on his face when the bullet seared through his flesh.

    Samuel stumbled back, falling to the ground, his hand on the shoulder with a grunt and grimace of pain. Well, on the bright side, he wasn¡¯t dying anytime soon. Neither was she going to be merciful till she was out of here.

    Pressing down on his injury so he has no chance of retaliating, Arianna snatched the key from his pocket and freed her hand . She cuffed both of his hands instead and forced him up to his feet using his body as a shield.

    Having learned from her previous ¡°failures¡±, Arianna knew she was not getting out of here ¨C this ce was a fortress ¨C so it was time for negotiation. Let¡¯s see how much Marcel treasures his people.

 Chapter 217

    217 What Games Are We ying?

    Marcel was supposed to be furious, seething with anger as he headed to that room, but he was thrilled instead ¨C intrigued by her challenge. Having been raised from young by his psychopathic father Daniel, Marcel had been trained to revel in danger. While others were running for their lives, he was embracing the pain along with its darkness.

    Like an addict, his hands itched, and he flexed them, releasing a deep breath that had nothing to do with anxiety but rather anticipation. So the moment he came into the room, the whole world could as well vanish because she was the only thing he could see. There she was in her fucking furious glory, holding a gun to his third inmand. Mi amore, she was beautiful.

    Like a hawk, Arianna watched them intently for when they would strike. She had expected them to arrive at the sound of that gunshot, so she was not surprised when his underlings filled the room, guns fixed on her. And that was why she had avoided standing close to the window ¨C she had no doubt Marcel had his snipers.

    So she used Samuel¡¯s body as a shield while waiting for Marcel to arrive and God! He was taking his sweet time. Does he think she was kidding this time?

    But Arianna didn¡¯t have to wait for long because the instant she saw the men create a path, she instinctively knew it was Marcel. He was still dressed in those clothes when he captured her earlier on but unlike before when they were running a marathon, she now had the time to appreciate him.

    As much as it pissed her, Arianna had to admit that Marcel had superb genes. His hair was tousled and had that just-rolled-out-of-bed vibe and it was sexy. He was wearing a designer shirt perfected to his shape that didn¡¯t fail to hint at the muscles beneath and her mouth watered upon thinking about what he would look like beneath.

    She hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to see him bare because the few chances they got intimate, he was always the one dominating her and God! Why was she even thinking of him that way?! This was the man who captured her and made her life miserable. She was supposed to be attacking him not appreciating him.

    However, from the corner of her eyes, Arianna saw a woman lean into Marcel¡¯s side which made her brows furrow instantly. Call it women¡¯s instinct but even without knowing who she was, Arianna decided she didn¡¯t like her. And it seems the feelings were mutual because the woman frowned at her.

    But Arianna tore her gaze away from her and focused on Marcel¡¯s instead; she had no business with the mystery woman. But then, her heart hammered in her chest when she met Marcel¡¯s gaze, and the dark glint she saw in there made her second guess this n of hers. Marcel looked at her like she was delectable prey when in reality, she was the one with the upper hand.

    .....

    ¡°I leave you for a minute....¡± He drawled with his deep, husky voice, ¡°And you already created this havoc? Your creativity is indeed admiring,¡±

    Arianna couldn¡¯t tell if he was taunting her orplimenting her. She would choose the first.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for word games, Marcel,¡± Arianna said, her voice cold and t to prove to him she was not kidding. He tends to take her opinion for granted.

    ¡°Then what are we doing, huh? This game of ours is getting interesting, don¡¯t you think so?¡± he was enjoying their bickering. How could a simple argument turn him on? She must be a f*cking siren.

    However, the woman from earlier butt into the conversation,¡± Wait, what game are we talking about here? ¡±

    But the response she got from Marcel was an arctic cold, murderous gaze that was enough to send even the bravest of men scurrying away from him.

    The woman didn¡¯t run away but she read the signs and shut her mouth immediately. She would think twice about interrupting Marcel the next time and Arianna couldn¡¯t even tell why she took satisfaction in her humiliation.

    Yet, she didn¡¯t let all of those emotions show on her face and went on with her negotiation.

    ¡°No one is ying a game here, Marcel,¡± She told him sternly, ¡°I¡¯m here for business and you are going to listen to me else I would st this bullet into his head,¡± She pushed the gun¡¯s muzzle against his head to prove her point.

    Before Marcel could talk, she added, ¡°And don¡¯t think I¡¯m joking, I already shot him once. I¡¯m not as innocent as you think,¡±

    Marcel watched her, his little bunny negotiating with him. He bet if she knew how he goes about his negotiations, she would know this was the worst idea. No one negotiates with him at gunpoint and gets out alive.

    If it was someone else, he would be dead already. Samuel might be injured but not incapacitated, all he needed was the signal from him ¨C Marcel- and he made his move while countless bullets rocked her body. But like the tamed Samson, he gave his order, Arianna was not to be hurt. She was his.

    Marcel would like to see how long this drama yed out. It was entertaining; it was not every day he got to have fun.

    ¡°I never thought you were joking, little bunny,¡± He chuckled.

    Little bunny? Arianna¡¯s heart rate increased. He thought this was a joke. So without warning, Arianna fired to the ground twice and that made a statement because all of them took a step back, all except Marcel. Does that mad guy think he was made of steel?

    Marcel might not have backed off but his face was steel this time; he was no longer smiling.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Marcel asked with no emotion.

    It honestly scared Arianna, but it was good for business. So she didn¡¯t cower when she announced, ¡°You are going to provide me a safe way out of here else you¡¯d watch him die helplessly right in front of you. What kind of leader does that?¡±

 Chapter 218

    218 A Willing Hostage

    The girl had guts, Marcel had to give her that. However, Arianna just crossed a line she shouldn¡¯t, no one threatens his people in front of him. It hints at his ipetence. And he hated showing weakness.

    It wasn¡¯t enough that his men didn¡¯t have a good view of her, now they would think the only reason he kept her around was to scratch his itch. If only they knew she hadn¡¯t gotten close to an inch of scratching it.

    His jaw clenched at her request, get her out of here? Was she kidding him? Hand her on a tter of gold to Elijah? That was over his dead body. That was never happening, but he wouldn¡¯t tell her that. She needed to be taught a lesson, this time.

    Arianna knew Marcel was not going to grant her that but she was not giving him a choice. So it wasn¡¯t surprising when he said, ¡°And what makes you think I care about his life?¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Arianna said, then turned to Samuel pointedly, ¡°You hear that? The man you work andy down your life for doesn¡¯t give a fuck about you? How does it feel?¡±

    But Samuel didn¡¯t respond, his expression passive. Either the man was blindly loyal to Marcel or he was good at hiding his emotion like the rest of them.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way, Arianna. You call me a leader, but that¡¯s not the truth, I¡¯m a fucking boss and bosses go for the profit even at the detriment of their followers,¡± He said to her.

    Arianna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Thanks to Marcel¡¯s intimidating words, she began to wonder how foolproof her n was.

    He added, ¡°And you seem to forget, I killed two of my men, why would I flinch over one more.¡±

    .....

    Arianna¡¯s hands holding the gun became mmy while her stomach lurched. This was human lives they were talking about here, how could he be so casual about it.

    Marcel went on when no reply came from her, ¡°However if you¡¯re so desperate to escape, I¡¯ll give you a better option,¡±

    Her gaze narrowed at him, what was he trying to do? What was his n because Marcel didn¡¯t hit her as a magnanimous person especially when ites to matters regarding her freedom? It was case-sensitive.

    Yet she still asked him, ¡°And what exactly is that?¡±

    ¡°Take me instead,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Apparently, Arianna was not the only one who screamed out her shock because that mystery woman beside him had quite a high pitch apanied by deep murmurs from his underlings. She even felt Samuel stiffen.

    But his men were the first people to recover from their shock. Like the soldiers they were, they had no say in the boss¡¯ decision nor could they counter it.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Arianna found it hard to believe.

    ¡°Exactly, are you kidding me?!¡± The mystery woman butt into their conversation again and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder who she was to him because Marcel in question didn¡¯t hit her as the type of person to take orders from that barbie. He was king alone in his domain.

    Mystery woman faced him,¡± That fucking bitch has a gun and you¡¯re volunteering to be her hostage instead?! Are you suicidal or what?!¡± She shouted at him.

    Okie? Did that woman just call her a crazy bitch? Arianna was having a hard time trying to digest that information. Come to think of it, Arianna wondered if it was possible to substitute Samuel for that mystery woman because she was suddenly in the mood to show someone how crazy she could be.

    Marcel pinched the space between his brows and said to Victor without even looking at him, ¡°Take her out of here,¡±

    ¡°dly,¡± Victor let out a maniacal grin that told ra she was not going to enjoy this ride at all.

    ¡°Y-yo-you! What are you doing?¡± ra was fearful the moment Victor whirled upon her. She knew that jerk was going to torment her, it was his form of revenge for everything.

    She turned to Marcel and tried to grab his sleeve but Victor had already grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.

    ra moaned the moment her stomach hit Victor¡¯s hard shoulder; he was not gentle at all. The breath was knocked out of her lungs and she couldn¡¯t scream until they were already far away from the room. So her banshee-like screams posed minimal difort as Victor bounced along the way.

    As soon as the ¡°disturbance¡± was gone, Marcel turned to Arianna, ¡°So what do you say?¡±

    ¡°Like I believe you,¡± Arianna sneered at him, ¡°You¡¯re stronger and in a better condition than Samuel, so you¡¯re going to overpower me when I agree to the deal. Do you think I¡¯m that stupid, Marcel?¡± She hissed at him.

    ¡°Of course, not,¡± Marcel answered seriously, ¡°Which is why I¡¯m giving you a way out. You¡¯re courageous, I admire that,¡±

    Arianna was taken aback by his confession. Hell! She was confused! He was offering to help her and praising her at the same time? She couldn¡¯t read his intent anymore.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Marcel lifted his shirt and got rid of every gun on him ¨C and gave her a quick view of the hard muscles of his stomach.

    Gosh, Arianna, focus!

    Then his gaze fell on the cuffs around Samuel¡¯s wrist, he looked back up at her and went on, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten rid of all the weapons on me but since you still don¡¯t trust me, you can take off the handcuffs on Samuel and dly restrain me. Then you can hold me hostage and you don¡¯t have to worry about my men since you¡¯re not an experienced shooter, a mistake and I¡¯ll be dead in a heartbeat. In that case, they won¡¯t shoot at you, my safety is their priority. So what do you say? Sounds like a good n, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Arianna¡¯s mouth fell open at once, what was going on here? She was the victim here but Marcel was trying to turn her into the antagonist by offering to be a willing hostage?

    Who does that?

 Chapter 219

    219 A Trapped Animal

    Marcel must be pulling her legs right now, Arianna thought at first at that suggestion. But when she nced up at him, all she could see was his passive, get-down-to-business demeanor. He couldn¡¯t be serious? She found that hard to believe.

    Her tongue stuck out to lick her lower lips while she shifted ufortably on her feet. It was obvious to everyone in there that she was having a hard timeing to a decision.

    Trust Marcel? That was the worst decision she could ever made. Thest time she trusted him, she ended up being served on a tter of gold to Big Joe. But he dide back to save her, her inner mind argued.

    Save her butt! He had only been there to use her to lure Elijah out ¨C thankfully, he didn¡¯t show off. Whenever Elijah was, Arianna hoped he hid well because she didn¡¯t know what Marcel would do if he got her hands on him nor would she forgive herself if he was captured as a result of her mistake.

    Arianna could take care of herself nor was Marcel going to keep her here forever. At a point, he would eventually get tired and give up on her ¨C she just wished that day came sooner.

    Her gaze roved around the room, weighing her pros and cons and she had to say, Marcel was right. Why would he care about a single assistant when he killed two in front of her the first time they met?

    Not to mention this ce was heavily guarded by his men who would gun her down before she even realizes it. Samuel would be the casualty loss and seemingly not a huge loss to the organization. So yeah, Marcel would make a better hostage.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna epted the offer and he gave her a smile that says she just made the right decision but she felt like she had just fallen into the lion¡¯s den instead.

    ¡°First of all, tell your men to step back,¡± Arianna began the first step of her negotiation. This was time to see if Marcel meant half of what he just said.

    .....

    Marcel didn¡¯t say a word, he just tilted his head and they understood the gesture and stepped back at once.

    The room was originally spacious, but with their emergence, it felt small and cramped. She was currently standing opposite them, the bed the only thing separating them. With them stepping back, she could move freely now and confirmed that hermand was well received.

    ¡°My hands are shaky, so move and you might die this time,¡± Arianna threatened Samuel, her gun pressed to his back as she took out the key with one hand and began to unlock the cuff.

    The instant they fell off, Arianna used her feet to push it over to Marcel¡¯s side. There was no way she was bending to pick that cuff else they take advantage of her vulnerable side.

    The corners of Marcel¡¯s mouth quirk when he bent to pick the cuff. Normally this would be seen as a huge disrespect to his reputation and a man of his caliber. However, he understood her reason for doing so, hence, instead of being furious at her disrespect, he respected her quick wits instead. You never show your back to an enemy!

    However, that doesn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t be punished and perhaps, he would have to teach her a few manners as well. Arianna was not a bird, she was a Phoenix; fiery and majestic. But her wings need to be clipped before she burns the whole world down.

    While Marcel looked rtively calm on the surface, the truth was that he was an inferno of activity inside. He was thrilled; filled with excitement at the prospect of the fun they were about to have. Perhaps, if Arianna had seen beyond that surface level, she would have given up on her suicide n.

    ¡°Put it on and make sure it¡¯s properly worn because if I found out you¡¯re lying to me, Marcel, you can kiss your assistant goodbye,¡± She warned him.

    ¡°Hold your horses, woman. I¡¯m a man of my word,¡± Marcel grinned at her but she frowned down at him.

    ¡°You know.....¡± Marcel went on to speak as if they were friends here and he wasn¡¯t being kidnapped, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were into this kinky stuff,¡± He made an innuendo about the cuffs and Arianna went beet red in the face.

    She couldn¡¯t stop her creative mind from conjuring an image of Marcel sprawled out on the bed with his hands cuffed to the headboard while she rode him.

    God, no! What the hell was wrong with her?!

    Her expression distorted at once and Marcel must have known what she was thinking because he gave her a knowing smile.

    Arianna red at him, he was messing with her mind. So she told him coldly, ¡°Step towards me at the same time Samuel leaves,¡± Arianna was not a fool to let Samuel go before she had Marcel in her hand.

    So when Marcel stood in front of them, Arianna pushed Samuel away from her; he had fulfilled his purpose. Samuel red at her but only for a moment because Marcel gave him a warning look. He then had to walk away to get himself treated before he died from bleeding.

    Thankfully Arianna was tall, so she didn¡¯t have to stand on tiptoes when she had her arm around Marcel¡¯s neck, the gun pressed to his temple as shemanded, ¡°Tell them to make a way for me,¡±

    ¡°You heard thedy, do as she says,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t hesitate tomand his men to Arianna¡¯s surprise ¨C she had expected a little argument. Marcel was confusing, Arianna thought, without knowing she was a trapped animal making desperate attempts for freedom.

    And so his soldiers immediately created a path for them to go through, their weapons lowered as well so as not to provoke Arianna into making a reckless move like shooting Marcel as she did to Samuel ¨C they all would be dead if that were to happen. Daniel would not let them go.

    The soldiers still didn¡¯t understand what their boss Marcel was up to but he was capable enough to take care of himself. Hence, no one interferes.

 Chapter 220

    220 A Bird Set Free

    ¡°You know this position of ours is really sexy,¡±

    ¡°Shut up Marcel because I¡¯m really tempted to st your head this time!¡± Arianna red at him for the umpteenth time. Ever since she held him, hostage, he wouldn¡¯t stop flirting with her.

    ¡°Come on, baby girl, you of all people should know that you are as good as dead if you kill me. Look at all those people....¡± He signaled to the soldiers all around them, watching from a distance as she wanted, ¡°Do you think they would let even your spirit escape here if you shoot me?¡± Marcel was smug knowing that he was right.

    But Arianna only red at him in response, ¡°Move it, Marcel! And don¡¯t call me pet names again, we are not close enough for that,¡± Why was he even using endearing names on her.

    The both of them were headed towards the garage but on second thought, Arianna decided against it. What if some of his men were hidden inside and waiting for the moment to jump her.

    In the end, they settled on the jeep outside and shemanded Marcel to the driver¡¯s seat only for him to hesitate.

    ¡°You really want me to drive with this?¡± He lifted his handcuffed hands.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it, Marcel? Whether you drive with your head or legs? I don¡¯t really care, just get the car moving!¡± Arianna snarled impatiently. Her freedom was just a heartbeat away, she couldn¡¯t wait to be out of here.

    ¡°Of course, sure, boss!¡± Marcel saluted her.

    .....

    Arianna knew Marcel was mocking her but she didn¡¯t care. All she wanted was to leave here, so she could take a little insult.

    The gun was on him the entire time she walked to the other side of the car. Arianna was vignt, even when handcuffed, she knew Marcel was still a predator ¨C and that worried her. How was she going to get rid of himter? Well, one problem after the other.

    Once seated, Arianna brought up the walkie-talkie she snatched from one of the soldiers to his face, ¡°Tell your soldiers, if any one of them dares to follow us, they should not me me for whatever I do,¡±

    ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± It seems Marcel was still not done with his mockery and it pissed her this time although she tried not to show it.

    ¡°Stand down the whole of you. Do not follow us. I repeat, do not follow us,¡± He spoke into the walkie-talkie. Once Marcel was done, he turned to her with the device, ¡°Satisfied now, cupcake?¡±

    Arianna gritted her teeth, ¡°I told you not to call me -!¡±

    ¡°Why, because we are not close?!¡± He leaned toward her so quickly that Arianna almost jumped out of her skin. It was a miracle she didn¡¯t shoot him from fright.

    Marcel went on, ¡°Because I seem to remember we had once been intimate,¡± His gaze was smoldering, his heated gray orbs moving down her body in a leisure stroll.

    ¡°Drive!¡± Her tone was decisive, the gun pointed to his side as a reminder she still had the power here.

    ¡°Whatever you want, mydy,¡± He sat back down with a lopsided smile and turned the ignition, the car roaring to life.

    Arianna didn¡¯t argue with him this time, her whole attention on her environment as they drove out. Hence, the moment they came to the entrance that was guarded by three soldiers, all in khaki colors, her stomach twisted with tension.

    Marcel noticed the way her body went rigid and recognized he was in danger as well because the gun¡¯s muzzle was digging harder into his side.

    ¡°Easy, Arianna,¡± He whispered to her, trying to calm her tension, ¡°No one would stop you. You¡¯re free now,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t trust him but his assuring words kept her sensible enough not to do anything reckless till they were safely out. Arianna didn¡¯t know she had been holding her breath all this while until she was out.

    God, she was finally free!

    Joy like no other burst out of her heart. She felt like jumping and screaming in victory, but this was not the time for it nor was it over yet.

    Once she settled everyone, Arianna ns to vanish where no one would find her ¨C not even Elijah. She came to the conclusion after she embarked on this dangerous hostage n, no amount of love was worth his life. She loves Elijah, yes, but she loved him enough to want to keep him alive.

    ¡°You are very happy,¡± Marcel noticed.

    She turned to him, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be? I¡¯m like a bird set free.¡±

    Arianna went back to check if they were being followed and didn¡¯t get to see the myriad of emotions on Marcel¡¯s face.

    He could grant her that, her freedom, you know, Marcel thought. But if that freedomes at the cost of losing her to another man, then, no, he would rather tie her down at his side.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t tell when he became possessive of her, after all, he promised he was going to send her away when he caught Elijah and all of this was over.

    But that day when he saw her in that wedding dress, about to be given to a shitty man that didn¡¯t deserve her, Marcel knew he was not letting her go once he had once again.

    If Kenith had not gone ahead with his ns that day, he had his own ns. That night, on their wedding night, he would murder her useless husband and have her all to himself. Arianna doesn¡¯t know it but she brought light into his dark world. A consuming fire he wasn¡¯t afraid of getting burned.

    But she can¡¯t know of his ns to own her yet not until he sorts out his own mess. Hence, he was going to bind her to his side so his opponent in the dark aka Elijah doesn¡¯t get a chance with her. Yes, he was that selfish and was not ashamed to admit it.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Marcel asked, bringing his attention back to her.

    Arianna practically grimaced at his pronoun, she corrected him instantly, ¡°There¡¯s no we in this, Marcel. And yes, I¡¯m going to visit my treacherous family.¡±

    It was time for them to pay up.

 Chapter 221

    221 Skin Her Alive

    Marcel parked across from her uncle¡¯s ce and Arianna worked on the seat belt while scouting the area.

    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to do this alone,¡± Marcel said to her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well before you arrived and turned my life upside down. So no, I don¡¯t need your help,¡± She turned his favor down with a grimace. Arianna didn¡¯t trust him one bit.

    Marcel looks like he¡¯s on her side now ¨C that is, if he truly was- but the next minute he might turn on her just like he did with Big Joe ¨C she was never forgetting that incident nor was she forgiving him anytime soon. That betrayal hurt her real bad.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you can¡¯t protect yourself considering you¡¯re holding me at gunpoint,¡± He didn¡¯t forget he was a hostage as well .

    Arianna rolled her eyes, but that didn¡¯t stop him from going on with his words, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you. It¡¯s you against whatever you¡¯re going to face in there. But with my presence, I can even out the odds and you can even use me as a shield if the need calls for it,¡± He showed off his great n.

    Arianna turned to him, ¡°Why do you even care?¡±

    ¡°As I said, I¡¯m just worried about your safety,¡± Marcel turned to her as well, looking straight into her eyes when he spoke.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Arianna pressed on with her question, feeling that he was beating around the bush, ¡°Why do you care so much about me? I¡¯m not even one of your lover....¡± She paused,ing to a startling revtion.

    .....

    After a moment of silent deliberation, Arianna looked up with parted lips, still reeling from the shock of her discovery. She asked him, ¡°Do you like me?¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t say a word, putting up his usual passive mask but the turmoil in his gaze was obvious. Arianna now understood that phrase that said the eye is the window to the soul. Marcel could hide his emotions but not those eyes, they told her the truth ¨C she didn¡¯t want to hear.

    ¡°And if I said yes?¡± He didn¡¯t give get a clear answer, yet his brows were raised in a challenge. That challenge was truth enough for her.

    Arianna wanted to take a step back and then run ¨C run without looking back or even turning back. She now understood why Marcel would not let her go, it was because he was taken by her.

    Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t a good thing for Arianna, no, it was a disaster. Yeah, she was attracted to Marcel, like hell, who wouldn¡¯t? The guy was young, rich, sexy as sin, smart ¨C she was intrigued by how his mind worked and that was why she pushed back at every curveball he threw at her. But he was darkness himself.

    She couldn¡¯t be tied down by the Mafia. She was young and had the world out there to explore ¨C which she would do once she¡¯s in control of her trust fund. She had a lot to offer the world than just being the wife of a Mafia Don ¨C that is if their rtionship even gets to that point.

    For all she knew, Marcel might just be interested in what was in between her legs and wanted to add her to his list of conquered women. Gosh! No wonder he had a pack of panties in his closet!

    But even when Arianna told herself that, she couldn¡¯t help but think her case was a bit different. She had seen the way Marcel treated that mysterydy ¨C she had no doubt was his lover- aside from when she ¨C Arianna ¨C intentionally pissed him off, he has never treated her that way. He has been unusually lenient with her.

    Oh God, no.

    He can¡¯t be interested in her.

    Arianna was not suicidal and she had Elijah she liked as well. It would be a huge betrayal moving from him to Marcel like that; she was not even a fan of that. So no, Marcel should keep his likeness to himself.

    ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± Marcel teased her when she went silent for a long time. He could see the gears in her head working, ¡°Or is it a bad thing if I like you?¡± His gaze flickered with an unknown emotion for barely a few seconds before it was back to normal.

    Arianna put the gun away and without warning, pulled Marcel forward by the cor so their faces were meeting. Slowly, like a cat, she lowered her lips to his ears, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s body coiled with anticipation and she definitely didn¡¯t fail him when she nibbed his lobe. He groaned, his lower body reacting to the stimuli immediately.

    F*ck, he needed to touch her but he couldn¡¯t when his hands were cuffed.

    ¡°You need to uncuff me,¡± He grunted, putting his hands between them so she could notice them.

    A wicked smile formed on her lips, that made him wonder if he should be wary or thrilled, ¡°What¡¯s the use when I can have my hands all over you?¡±

    God, she¡¯d be the death of him.

    Then her hand was in his hair, pulling tight enough to cause a sharp throb while her lips were trailing a kiss down his throat. A painful pleasure.

    But Marcel should have chosen the first option because, by the time he realized what Arianna was doing, his hand was now cuffed to the steering wheel.

    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed out, ¡°Seriously, Arianna?!¡± He shrugged with his other free hand.

    ¡°You are the master of betrayal, why should I trust you? I¡¯ve been doing well before you came along, I would also do well now without you interfering in my life and treating me like some barbie princess,¡± Arianna told him already stepping out of his car.

    She came to his side of the car and without him guessing her intentions, took the keys out of the ignition, ¡°Oops, I guess someone would have a nice rest,¡±

    Marcel growled at her but she had already pulled away from the lowered window.

    ¡°Be a good boy, Marcel, and who knows, I might treat you to some goodies when I¡¯m back,¡± she winked at him.

    Except she was not going to be back because Marcel was surely going to skin her alive after this.

    She just humiliated him.

 Chapter 222

    222 Who Sold Me?

    Breaking into her uncle¡¯s ce was much easier than she thought but strange as well. Arianna knew they would deny her entrance if they had any idea it was her. Even if they didn¡¯t, it was always better to take the enemy by surprise.

    So when she climbed over the wall ¨C her favorite spot. Having lived here most of her life, she knew the weak points ¨C she had been conscious of security and had pretty much camouged herself for most of the sneaking in.

    But Arianna shouldn¡¯t have worried because there was literally little to no guard at all in the ce. Even the staff had been drastically reduced that none of them noticed her presence until she was in udia¡¯s room.

    However, udia¡¯s room was empty, as if there was no one living there at all. No, no, no, that can¡¯t be possible. She had specificallye back for her dear cousin, to teach her a few lessons.

    udia wanted her dead, right? What would she do now the person she wanted to destroy so much was alive and back for vengeance? Arianna at least wanted to see the smile wiped off her face. Big Joe might have given udia a beating, but she hadn¡¯t done hers.

    Her heart beating frantically, Arianna ran out of the room only to bump into a staff on the way ¨C one she knew too well. She pointed the gun at her, roaring, ¡°Where are they?!¡±

    Arianna knew the girl, she had been one of udia¡¯s closest maids. Back then, udia used her to carry out most of her malicious ns and Arianna had to say, she liked the terrified look in her eyes now. It fueled her; made her feel in power.

    ¡°W-who?¡± She choked, tears already running down her cheeks.

    Arianna snorted inwardly at her weakness, such a chicken. She wondered how the girl would have survived if she had gone through what she experienced the past month.

    .....

    ¡°You know who I¡¯m talking about! udia, her mother, and my uncle!¡± Arianna was running out of patience ¨C and time.

    Once she was through with this, Arianna was leaving through the backdoor to her freedom. But Marcel wouldn¡¯t sit still either, he wouldn¡¯t be the leader of such arge organization at a young age if he didn¡¯t have real skills. She merely slowed him down and had a feeling that Marcel had been indulging her all this while.

    The maid spoke so quickly that Arianna wouldn¡¯t have caught most of the details if she hadn¡¯t been paying attention, ¡°Madam and sir fought after Miss udia was taken away and they decided to divorce. Then miss udia returned by luckst night and madam took her away to live on their own,¡±

    Arianna¡¯s head swarmed from so much information. Wait, udia was taken away by who? Also, her uncle and wife were divorcing? What the hell was going on?

    Karma.

    That was the only thing Arianna could think of.

    Arianna stepped towards her and saw the maid shivering in fear so badly she feared she would break if she continued.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me,¡± She begged, cowering from her.

    So she has a guilty conscience, Arianna was amused. If the maid had been good to her, she wouldn¡¯t have feared her with a gun. But now, all her mind probably told her was that she ¨C Arianna ¨C was here for revenge.

    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Arianna smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to prison yet,¡±

    Arianna felt the moment the tension left her body; the maid rxed.

    ¡°Thanks for the information,¡±

    And then, without a heads-up, hit her in the head with the butt of the gun. The maid was rendered unconscious.

    Arianna took a deep breath, admiring her handwork. That should leave a nasty bruise and teach her never to bully for another¡¯s entertainment. Then she left for her uncle¡¯s living quarters.

    Unlike udia and her mother, Arianna had mixed feelings about her uncle. She couldn¡¯t exactly say her uncle had been good or bad to her. The man treated her well when he could yet never defend her against her family and acted indifferent to their maltreatment of her. Nheless, that made him guilty as well.

    So when she stepped into his room, she was satisfied to see his things were intact yet no sign of him. He couldn¡¯t be away on a business trip else the chatty unconscious maid would have told her, moreover, with the crisis in his family, he wouldn¡¯t have the time for that.

    ¡°Hello uncle,¡± Arianna made herselffortable on the seat across from him, the round table the only thing separating them.

    She found him in the verandah, going through the morning papers and one should see the shock on his face. She could make a meme out of it.

    Her uncle took off his reading sses, his mouth agape while his hands holding the papers shook greatly until they slipped.

    ¡°I thought with me gone, you¡¯d live a better life but you aged so greatly I almost mistook you for my grandfather,¡± And yes, her uncle did take after his father in resemnce.

    ¡°Ari...¡±

    His voice was emotional and he attempted to stand only for Arianna to drop the gun she was holding on the table and he realized she wasn¡¯t here for a family reunion.

    He gulped and sat back down.

    Arianna crossed her leg over the other, ¡°So how does it feel selling me off?¡±

    ¡°Arianna, I -¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    He obeyed that singlemand and that was only because she had the power now. Now, she could understand why Marcel was quite cocky. The feeling was a bit addictive.

    ¡°Whose idea was it selling me off?¡± She rephrased her question.

    This time, her uncle was silent which meant it was a difficult question . In one word, it was either his wife or daughter, or both of them ¨C the two people he loved.

    ¡°Uncle,e on, I don¡¯t have much time and you¡¯d be surprised to know how much I¡¯ve changed in such a short while,¡± she threatened him.

 Chapter 223

    223 Her Mother Was Alive

    ¡°Was it udia?¡± Arianna already had a feeling she was the person with such a creative mind. Not to mention that she was up for anything that would torment her life.

    At once, her uncle dropped to the ground while rubbing his palms together in a pleading manner.

    ¡°Please, Arianna,¡±

    However, she didn¡¯t respond to his pathetic cry and went on with her spection, ¡°So udia came up with the idea and went up to her mother who added the finishing touch and of course, had the power to convince you....¡±Arianna clicked her tongue,¡± Your family is extraordinary, I¡¯m proud of them. ¡± there was deep sarcasm in her words.

    ¡°Please forgive us, it was the devil¡¯s handwork,¡± The man said.

    At once, Arianna threw her head back and burst into hystericalughter that scared her uncle. Sheughed so hard that tears escaped her eyes and finally gurgled to a halt, her expression losing all kind of warmth. It was chilling.

    Arianna stood up so abruptly, pushing her seat back with a squeak and grabbing her gun. Her uncle, seeing her aggressiveness, instantly cowered away, crawling back on all fours until he came to a dead end.

    Terror filled him as Arianna backed him into the corner and then squatted right in front of him till their eyes were of the same level.

    ¡°Devil¡¯s handwork, huh?¡± Arianna drawled, ¡°I guess I¡¯m possessed by the devil right now because I¡¯m feeling the urge to squelch the little light in you,¡± She made her point by pressing the gun¡¯s nuzzle beneath his jaw.

    .....

    Her uncle gulped, shaking like a withering leaf in autumn. He went on to beg her,¡± Spare me, Arianna! Please spare me! I¡¯ve always looked out for you, remember? I always made sure you were well fed and looked after. It¡¯s just that devil of my wife that ruined everything,¡± He pushed the me on her aunt.

    However, when her uncle saw that Arianna was not even moved by his confession, he tried another alternative, ¡°Fine! Do you want thepany? Take it! I will happily step down and you will take over. It was your father¡¯spany anyway ¨C you¡¯re the rightful heir. You can just think of it as me taking care of it till you were old enough to take over,¡± He tried to appease her.

    Arianna didn¡¯t react, she just gave her uncle a nk stare. Human nature was indeed weak, evil, and pathetic. She had lived with her uncle¡¯s family all these years and they constantly reminded her that everything she enjoyed so far was a result of their hard work and magnanimous heart. But now in the face of dagger, he acknowledges her as the rightful heir.

    She leaned closer to his face and sneered, ¡°You think I have the need for that? Thanks to you, I¡¯m on the run from some bad guys which is as a result of you selling me off to those loan sharks, do you think I have the time to run apany?!¡± Arianna found itughable.

    Even if she wanted to, thatpany was already rotting thanks to her uncle¡¯s greed, ipetence, and negligence. It would need a lot of work to bring it to its former glory.

    Arianna breathed deeply, ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with, I don¡¯t have much time left,¡±

    She pressed the gun further into her uncle¡¯s jaw and the man shouted immediately, ¡°I have something that you need,¡±

    Arianna rolled her eyes, knowing that he was just prolonging the inevitable, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you have that can possibly interest -¡±

    ¡°Your mother is alive!¡±

    Bam!

    It seemed a bomb went off in Arianna¡¯s head and thankfully, she was squatting down else her legs would have caved in already. What was he saying? Her mother was alive? How was that possible?

    Red-eyed, shocked, and curious as hell, Arianna pulled her uncle closer by the cor. His eyes were wild and fearful, this was the first time he could smell the murderous intent off his niece.

    ¡°What did you just say?!¡± She growled into his face, ¡°My mother is alive? What kind of bullshit story is that?¡± Arianna didn¡¯t even realize she was holding the man so tight, she was beginning to choke him.

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± her uncle said fiercely, knowing this was the trump card to ensure his survival, ¡°When you were brought home as a baby, I assumed you were from his baby mama because your father was dating this woman, he wouldn¡¯t let us see or tell us a thing about her. Then he told us she was dead and I believed it until before his death. He called me, told me the truth, he said your mother was alive and you shouldn¡¯t me her for leaving you, ¡±

    Arianna felt like all the bones in her body had melted with this shocking discovery. This could be a lie! Her uncle must be manipting her! But she knew the man well enough, this was his desperate attempt to survive.

    ¡°Why now?! Is this some sort of joke?!¡± She shouted in his face, white-hot rage filling Arianna as she tightened the grip on his cor to the point the man went red in the face. He pped her arm repeatedly to tell her he was losing his breath but Arianna was lost in her fury.

    Knowing that if she continued this way, her uncle would die with her question unanswered, Arianna reluctantly let go of him and the man swallowed a mouthful of breath with a loud gasp.

    He was still trying to recover when Arianna questioned him, ¡°Why did you not tell me that sooner? If that¡¯s the truth, why did my father make me believe my mother was dead all this while?¡±

    ¡°It was for your safety,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That was all he said and wouldn¡¯t give me the whole story. But he wanted you to find her when the time was right,¡±

    ¡°Like hell!¡± Arianna spat out angrily. The woman left her for her whole life, she doesn¡¯t deserve to be in it now. Even if she wanted to, Arianna had no idea what she looked like unless her father left a clue.

    But before Arianna could ask if her father left a clue on how to find her, she heard a car pull up loudly from across the street and peered through the ss balustrade and saw help had arrived quickly; Marcel¡¯s underlings were here.

    Damn it.

    She had to leave now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back for you,¡± That was a promise. But before she left, Arianna turned back to announce, ¡°And get back with aunt, don¡¯t even try to escape this marriage.¡± Getting a divorce was a big privilege for the both of them; the miserable pair deserved each other.

    And with that, she was gone.

 Chapter 224

    224 The Thrill Of The Chase

    When Victor and the others tracked Marcel down, they had expected him to have subdued Arianna already and was waiting for them toe to pick her up. Hence it came as a shock to them when they saw him handcuffed to the steering wheel with no sign of Arianna.

    There was confusion all over their faces because they knew Marcel could have easily gotten out of that cuff with a shim or pin. Also, he had been the one to put it on, he could have easily squeezed his wrist through the cuff because he intentionally wouldn¡¯t lock it down tight enough. In conclusion, their boss should have handled the girl by now, but the reverse was the case.

    No one approached Marcel aside from Victor because they could sense the murderous intent rolling off of him. Whenever Marcel was awfully quiet and poised like this? That was when he was most lethal because he was getting his brain into gear. Like a viper, he was quietly assessing the best time to strike.

    So when Victor took the keys and try to unlock the cuff, he said deeply, ¡°Leave them,¡±

    Victor looked at him questioningly, his brows arched.

    ¡°I gave her an hour¡¯s head start before I began the chase. It¡¯s barely thirty minutes, there¡¯s still time,¡± Marcel said, his tone t while his eyes held a maniacal emotion that made Victor feel for Arianna.

    Whenever Arianna was, she better run fast because Marcel wasing after her ¨C and he left his nice pants at home.

    So Victor returned to his ride and leaned against it, checking his wristwatch for the time. There was twenty-nine minutes left.

    Throughout the whole time, his soldiers stood at the sides and none of them dared to move carelessly, not even when neighbors were giving them suspicious looks ¨C well all except Victor who was busy texting Mimi nonstop and she didn¡¯t reply any.

    .....

    With their imposing height, strong body, and grave expression, it wasn¡¯t hard for the soldiers to draw attention, except none of the bypassers dared to look thrice. They looked intimidating.

    Marcel didn¡¯t look bothered either, he just stared straight ahead, lost in the dark ns he had for Arianna. Onlying back to life when it struck an hour and he got rid of the cuff before even Victor could help him, showing off hispetence as the boss.

    Marcel stepped out of the car, looking around the neighborhood as if he could spot where Arianna had gone with a nce.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Victor asked him. He of all people didn¡¯t want to be here. He warned his cousin against Arianna hence it was his mess to deal with.

    But then he preferred Arianna to udia anytime, any day; she was interesting. And made her cousin¡¯s day ¨C Arianna was good at ruffling Marcel¡¯s feathers. It was nice to watch.

    ¡°You do nothing,¡± Marcel told them in general, ¡± No interfering at all, Arianna¡¯s mine to hunt,¡± He enjoyed the thrill of the chase. He then said to Victor, ¡°Although, I do need you to do something for me,¡±

    Even without speaking, Victor already had a feeling he wasn¡¯t going to like this mission of his. Whenever Marcel goes ¡°mad¡± someone surely gets hurt.

    ¡°I need you to get Mimi,¡±

    Victor¡¯s expression turned sour, all smiles leaving his face. He had be so charmed by Mimi¡¯s friendship that he forgot her ¡°real¡± purpose in the base.

    Victor tilted his head, ¡°Is that really necessary?¡±

    ¡°Do not question my order once again. I might really forget you¡¯re family,¡± Marcel warned with a low tune, the threat anything but subtle.

    Victor gave Marcel a hard look that spoke volumes. And then, he was gone, driving away with the only car the others had driven in with him. It would take effort for Marcel to appease him after this was over.

    At that moment, Marcel¡¯s heart was hardened, and didn¡¯t listen to the voice of reasoning that told him he was hurting others in this quest of his. He crossed to the other side of the street and made it to Arianna¡¯s uncle¡¯s house with his men who cleared every ¡°obstacle¡± on his way.

    Unlike Arianna who sneaked into her family¡¯s house, Marcel walked in like he owned the ce while his soldiers incapacitated anyone that stood in their way.

    Marcel was in her uncle¡¯s room and the man didn¡¯t even notice his presence because he was on a call with his raving wife. It wasn¡¯t until Marcel snatched the phone from his ear that he turned around, startled.

    ¡°W-who are you?!¡± His voice didn¡¯te out as bravely as he wanted it to be. Since that visit from Arianna, the man had still not gotten over his shaking, not to talk of how he found a stranger in his room.

    But Marcel didn¡¯t answer him, rather he put the phone in his ears after he heard a series of ¡°husband¡± from the other side, guessing it was his wife and Arianna¡¯s aunt

    Marcel said to her, ¡°I heard that you liked to beat Arianna while your husband pretended not to notice. I wonder if you would pretend not to notice after I¡¯m done with him,¡±

    The woman was shocked at first before she sensed he wasn¡¯t a good person, and started to shout, ¡°Who the hell are you?! Did Arianna send you to kill my husband? I swear to God if a hair on him- ¡± Marcel hung up on her.

    By now, her uncle realized he was in danger and that was when it hit him, Arianna had talked about people who were after her, were they the ones? Because the man standing in front of him had an air of menace around him that unsettled him.

    At once, he ran for the door while Marcel watched him without making a move, his lips curled to the side.

    Arianna¡¯s uncle turned back when he ran into an unfamiliar man standing guard at the entrance. He realized there was no way to run and returned to the room, hoping he could negotiate his way out of here.

    ¡°Hello,¡± He chuckled, nervously.

    ¡°When she told me it was time for your family to pay up, I was expecting your gray matters scattered across the ground but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case,¡± Marcel finally lifted his head to meet his gaze.

    How could someone talk about his death so casually? The middle-aged man realized he was in danger.

    But Marcel didn¡¯t let him talk and went on,¡± For someone who was running out of time, she didn¡¯t hurt you but had a chit-chat with you?¡± he shook his head unsure, ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in that conversation. Don¡¯t tell me your memory fails quickly,¡± There was a threat in his voice.

 Chapter 225

    225 He Was Here For Her

    ¡°Holy mother of Jesus!¡± Mimi gasped when she looked down at her phone and was treated to the sight of ten missed calls. And It was all from Victor.

    Why was he calling her? Didn¡¯t he want to prolong their fight? Wait a minute, was he calling to apologize? Mimi had been busy in the kitchen when her phone rang in the living room resulting in the missed calls. Well, since he raised the white g first, she would concede then.

    Mimi was about to return his calls when she had a second thought. If she called back, doesn¡¯t it look like she was desperate for his attention?

    Moreover, it would seem like she was less mad at him. So no, she would not call back, but Mimi had her phone by her side to answer once he called again.

    So she went back to her cooking with the music ying in the background. Her parents had left, as usual, leaving her all alone. Mimi had today to rest and clear her mind of all the craziness happeningtely.

    When it was done, she served the sandwich on her te with juice on the other side of the tray while James Brown ¡°I feel good¡± yed on her phone.

    Mimi headed to her room, all the while moving her body to the tune of the music. She felt ted today or maybe she was just trying really hard not to think about her problems. She had every reason to be happy today ¨C and thankfully, no one was watching!

    Hence, Mimi danced freely ¨C with no care if she got the moves right or wrong. Arianna was the dancer of the family, unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t her. So she would make do with the little moves she knows.

    The stairs leading to her room became her ying ground as she leaped yfully while taking care not to drop the tray. Because she didn¡¯t lock the door in the first ce, Mimi went in with her back, using her leg to push the door open.

    .....

    ¡°Yeah, baby!¡± Mimi gave a whoop of delight while shaking her booty as the song ended and switched to a party jam. She tossed her hair in the air, blocking her view with the thick strands so even when she whirled around, she didn¡¯t notice the other presence with her.

    Her body pulsated with the music and Mimi wanted more, nor could she do that with the tray in her hand. So when Mimi turned to drop the tray on her bed, that was when she finally saw the figure at the far end of the room.

    ¡°Aah!¡± She screamed bloody murder, almost tripping on her feet, and only calmed down in the end when she discovered it was no other person than Victor.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Mimi said, her hands on her chest as she tried to stabilize her racing heart. She then focused all thirty thousand-watt re on Victor, was he for real?

    ¡°You do know there is a reason the front door was designed and breaking into someone¡¯s home ¨C friend or not ¨C has serious charges. Although I doubt you¡¯d get prosecuted for that since you guys have power over thew,¡± She rolled her eyes at thest part. Imagine that the so-called security agents who were supposed to be guarding the civilians were being used by these individuals. It was nice to have power.

    Mimi was about to ramble on and on when she discovered something ¨C Victor has not said a word since he arrived here. He just stood in the corner of the room, near the window with his arms crossed over his shoulder while staring at her, unamused.

    Knowing his personality, Victor could nevere into a ce without his presence being noticed. Yeah, he stood out that much due to his bright personality. Sadly, there was nothing bright about the Victor she was staring at right now.

    At first, Mimi thought Victor was here because she refused to answer his calls, but there was no trace of anger on his face. Victor didn¡¯t look depressed either, instead, he looked troubled? Anxious even, as if he was about to do something he was about to regret.

    At once, Mimi took a step back, the hairs on her back standing on edge. She finally understood that the look was the calm before the storm. Like a panther, Victor was a silent predator.

    Without a word, she raced for the door, and he moved at the same time knowing his secret was out ¨C he was here for her. Victor was very fast ¨C faster than she wanted to give him credit for.

    Mimi was the closest to the door and opened it, but he mmed it shut with his bare palm. Then he boxed her in, pressing her t against the door, with her back to him.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Mimi panicked, her heart pounding in her throat. She was scared; she didn¡¯t recognize Victor anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll make it in such a way it doesn¡¯t hurt you,¡± He said to her.

    If Victor had intended to calm Mimi down with those words, it did the opposite because it made her blood spike and her heartbeat quickened.

    ¡°What do you intend to do with me?! Let me go this instant, you son of a biscuit!¡± Mimi howled profanities at him. She should have known not to y with fire and expected not to get hurt.

    Mimi thought if she hurt out with Victor, that meant protection from the others ¨C and him. But the reverse was the case now, who knew what they nned to do with her.

    ¡°You¡¯d know soon,¡± Was all Victor told her as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and lifted it to his face.

    Mimi¡¯s eyes widened, she didn¡¯t need to be told what he was about to do. He wanted to drug her out.

    So she struggled with him, all to no avail. Her strength was no match for Victor who had intentionally been holding back all this while.

    Not long after, she was out.

    Victor stared down at the limp Mimi in his arms with a deep gaze. He doesn¡¯t know what his headstrong cousin is nning, but if harmes to Mimi, Elijah would not be the only prick beneath his skin.

 Chapter 226

    226 He Found Her

    Arianna had to admit, she once thought Elijah was cool with his exhrating lifestyle. Being held captive by Marcel, she was delighted each time he came up with nothing in his search for his nemesis, Elijah.

    Shepared Elijah to an eagle; powerful, fast, mysterious and most of all, free! That was all she wanted to be, free from the bondage of the Mafia, especially from Marcel.

    And for a moment when Arianna left the base, she thought she finally had that freedom. Her only problem afterward was how to dump Marcel and that she aplished as well only to be burdened with a secret that gnawed at her chest. Her mother¡¯s existence.

    But the emotional bondage was not all, running away was not as fun as it seems. Whosoever was on the run, was not free as she thought because you¡¯re in the bondage of being discovered. Freedom was far away from Arianna than she thought.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t rx while on the run and kept looking over her shoulder in case she was being followed. Before she left her neighborhood, she had changed into new clothes she had stolen from the wires of neighbors, and one of them involved a hood which she used to cover her face.

    Arianna was tempted to go down to Mimi¡¯s ce and check up on her, see if she was doing fine ¨C and if Marcelid a hand on her. But her instinct told her that was as good as delivering herself right into Marcel¡¯s hands. So she gave up on the idea.

    The fastest way to track her down would be on camera, and Marcel had the resources for that. So Arianna made sure to never look straight at one, walking past anyone with her head lowered or avoiding them altogether.

    Arianna wore a blonde wig with aviator sses that swallowed up every bit of her face the hood had left open. She was not leaving the city tonight, which meant she had to look for a ce to spend the night.

    She was not going to spend her night in the streets or motels, Marcel would expect her at those lowly ces which were convenient for hiding. But such ces featured whistleblowers and people with questionable characters ¨C she wouldn¡¯t even sleep with her eyes closed there.

    .....

    Arianna didn¡¯t know who was who or how much Marcel¡¯s influence ran here, that was why she had to get off the street. And ended up in a hotel with his money.

    Of course, she can¡¯t run on an empty stomach, so during the hostage situation, Arianna demanded his wallet and as she expected, it was filled to the brim with cash ¨C they all were ofrge denominations.

    Marcel was a meticulous person and that meant keeping enough cash in his wallet in case of emergencies. Thankfully, his idea of emergency became useful to her.

    So even when Arianna checked in at the counter, her attention was not on the reception but rather on the camera positions, the number of exits, and suspicious behaviors.

    Although it was not a suite, Arianna chose an expensive room that allowed for good security. Themon rooms were easier to break into andcked thefort and style Arianna desired because she would be here for a while.

    The chase was hot and she had no doubt Marcel would be pulling all his resources to find her tonight. Arianna only prayed she had covered her track well. ording to her ns, she would hide out here for a week and when Marcel¡¯s given up on the idea of her being in the city, she would sneak out to the next city where it would be easier to leave the country.

    Arianna just prayed no harm came to Mimi ¨C she cared little for her uncle¡¯s family. She heard what Marcel was capable of, may he not transfer that cruelty to her friend who had nothing to do with this.

    Mimi would surely hate her now. They promised to never hide any secret between them and yet she never told her about this till it escted to this extent. Not that she had any choice, anyway.

    When inside, Arianna went to the shower to take her bath. She did not carry much, just a small backpack where she put the other clothes she had stolen and a few snacks she bought on the way.

    She didn¡¯t need room service because they could be working with Marcel or anyone rted to him. Whatever she wanted, she would get it herself. This was her one shot at freedom, she can¡¯t mess it up.

    Done with her shower, Arianna put on the same cloth notwithstanding the difort -it smelled of her sweat. Her clothes were limited and as much as she could wash the current ones and while waiting for them to dry, wear the bathrobe. Arianna couldn¡¯t risk it.

    Arianna had a reason for traveling light, she had to be ready every step of the way, and wearing that bathrobe would only be a hindrance to her progress. What if Marcel manages to find her here, she wouldn¡¯t be able to run far in the bathrobe.

    So she sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Her gun was tucked in her grip, facing the entrance. Tonight, Arianna would sleep with one eye closed and the other opened.

    However, exhaustion crawled in and Arianna didn¡¯t even know when she fell asleep which was not surprising after the stress of the day.

    But thatfortable sleep didn¡¯tst for long because Arianna jerked up in the middle of the night after she felt a ripple in the atmosphere and the light was off. She didn¡¯t turn the light off.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Arianna cursed, trying to reach for her gun that she was sure was in front of her only toe up empty. Her heart skipped a beat, this can¡¯t be good.

    Before she could get out of the bed, the light came on, blinding her momentarily before a figure appeared out of the shadows, waving the gun she was looking for, ¡°Looking for this?¡±

    Oh, God.

    He found her.

 Chapter 227

    227 Go After Their Mate

    He could have found her in a heartbeat, but what would be the fun if he did so easily? So, he let her go as far as she wanted.

    Marcel had to admit, she was way smarter than he gave her credit for. If he needed to get her that quickly, he would need to employ the help of a hacker seeing how she efficiently dodged most cameras.

    But no, he could recognize her in one nce even if she wore that blonde wig or that ridiculous sses ¨C he knew everything about her. Yeah, he was that taken by her.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t make a big deal out of it either by sending word on the street that he needed her. Elijah was still in the shadows, he can¡¯t make a big deal out of it, or else he gets wind of Arianna¡¯s disappearance and gets to her first. Even thinking about the possibility of that happening sent anger rushing through him.

    Arianna was his.

    Marcel has done his research and came to find out that he met her before Elijah did, so he had the right to her. Hence her old lover had to move out of the picture and he ¨C Marcel ¨C cleans his household before he could properly chase after her. Arianna deserved the very best.

    It was quite unfortunate that he would hurt her on the way but the end result was all that matters. She would be mad at him now but when she settled into their lifestyle properly, she¡¯d understand how lenient he has been with her.

    So he tracked her down the good old way. Although it took him time, that was the fun of it! His heart pounded with the thrill vibrating through his body, what he would do once he found her. He couldn¡¯t wait to see her reaction ¨C he takes satisfaction from that.

    Arianna probably didn¡¯t know that he let her run all this while on purpose. But all of it was to prove a point, she could never escape him. Not unless he wanted it. And their destiny must be deeply intertwined because she ran back to him without him doing much.

    .....

    The hotel that she decided to spend the night in was owned by their family, to be precise, Victor¡¯s mother. Arianna probably thought all his family did was illegal transactions. If only she knew they use a lot of legitimate business as their front and stifle snooping noses.

    He wondered what Arianna had been thinking walking into that hotel looking like an escapee. Perhaps, in other hotels, her dressing might seem normal ¨C and none of their business. But not in a hotel owned by a Mafioso with staff that had keen senses.

    They had sensed Arianna was on the run, but from who? They had no idea. So they looked her up and sent her information to her boss, Carmine aka Victor¡¯s mother. With their underworld business, they had to be careful about the kind of people they let into the hotel so as not to cause trouble and draw attention to themselves because certain

    ¡°Businesses¡± were conducted in secret there as well.

    Hence, one could tell how stunned Marcel was when his aunt called to inform him toe and extract his ¡°business¡± from her hotel quietly. The woman must have done her homework and realized the girl was the real reason for the family meeting the other day.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand young people these days,¡± His aunt showed her disapproval the moment he arrived at her office, ¡°You hold onto one woman and can¡¯t let go of the other,¡± She hinted at him being engaged to ra.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite hypocriticaling from you, aunt, considering you kidnapped Victor¡¯s father on the day of his wedding to his ex,¡± He sassed back.

    ¡°You arrogant sc*m!¡± And that got him kicked out of her office ¨C but not without the keycard to her room. He couldn¡¯t break into her room like that except he wanted to scale the walls, his aunt ensured the best of security.

    And yeah, what he said to Victor¡¯s mother waspletely true. His aunt Carmine fell for Victor¡¯s father sheepishly, but the problem? They both were pr opposites. The man couldn¡¯t fit in the life she lived, the Mafia.

    So he broke her heart in every way possible just so she could let him go but all that did was make her love him the more. Thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back was his decision to marry his girlfriend ¨C he broke off things with Carmine after he found out her background.

    That was when his aunt knew she had to step in. She kidnapped him on the day of his wedding and that caused quite a racket both in their organization and the outside world because the ms. in question was the son of a politician ¨C a senator¡¯s son to be precise.

    Marcel was not born when it happened but it had been quite a sensational event that he learned everything in detail as he grew. Everyone in the family concluded that Carmine wanted to ruin them, especially his father, Daniel, who imed this was her revenge for Albine.

    But then while the world was up in mes, his aunt and her love interest were on a private ind where she took him. There, they had a crazy agreement to marry for a year and divorce afterward ¨C just to satisfy her obsession with him.

    Victor¡¯s father was sure their marriage would be a disaster before six months was up. But then, a year passed, then two years, five, six, twenty years, and ongoing, they were still together.

    If there was anything Marcel understood about the Mafia, though they might seem brutal and heartless in people¡¯s perspective, they mate for life. Once together, they can¡¯t divorce until death separates them due to the information both parties hold over the other. It was too lethal.

    Hence they took marriage seriously. They don¡¯t know the word ¡°love¡± but when their perfectly honed instincts tell them this is the one? They go after their mate with everything they have.

    Marcel just couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his father, Daniel, had someone like that. Because if he did, that should exin why his mother lived so miserably. He wanted to see the woman.

 Chapter 228

    228 Keep Your Wandering Hands To Yourself

    And there she was, sleeping peacefully without knowing the devil was in her midst. The devil, huh? Was he the devil? Marcel knew there were men in this world without even being in the Mafia, much crueler than him. No,pared to them, he was just touching the tip of the ice. But he bet that was what Arianna thought of him.

    And perhaps, it was better she thought of him that way, because if she knew how much he was taken by her, she might ask for paradise. And that he wasn¡¯t ready to give her because paradise was an illusion, but the world on her feet was reality.

    Marcel bet the position she was in was ufortable and was tempted toy her down ¨C but not with that gun in her grasp. If she woke up suddenly, she might shoot him unintentionally from the fright.

    So he took the gun from her carefully considering the safety was off. Damn it, does she even know how risky this was? She wasn¡¯t a professional, what if she mistakenly shoots in her sleep and it ricochets and hurts her? He didn¡¯t dare to imagine the scene.

    Marcel took the gun from her and checked the chamber, a bullet was left. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in disbelief, she had been threatening him and his entire soldiers with just one bullet?

    She didn¡¯t fail to disappoint him;

    Her bravado was admirable. That was the kind of woman Marcel wanted, brave and smart, who could rule well by his side. Having been lectured from young by the father of the year, Daniel, Marcel had always despised weakness. Maybe that was why he was insanely attracted to Arianna, she fired him up.

    Leaning over her, Marcel brushed the hair away from her face, murmuring, ¡°You might not know it now, but I feel it in my bones. We are meant to be together, Arianna,¡±

    Marcel changed his mind about helping her lie properly, the pain would serve as punishment for holding him hostage. So he turned off the light instead and waited.

    .....

    It was quite creepy because in the dark, his eyes never left her. If Arianna was a movie, then he wouldn¡¯t mind watching her all day. And she didn¡¯t fail his expectation because not long after, she woke up having sensed something was off.

    Just as he thought, the gun was the first thing she searched for ¨C she must be in a hurry to kill him. He couldn¡¯t see her expression in the dark but he bet she was panicking, so he did her a favor by turning the light, ¡°Looking for this?¡± and stepping into her line of sight.

    Marcel took in the way she gulped down saliva out of nervousness. Does she think he¡¯d hurt her? Well, he does need to punish her this time for her disobedience.

    ¡°I guess the field trip was all for nothing. In the end, you caught me,¡± She sighed in resignation, lying back down on the bed.

    Marcel watched her in amusement, she submitted to her fate that easily. He loved it better when she fought like the wild cat she was. Well, not that he wasining about this sudden change, she does look like a tamed cat.

    Perhaps because she had slept and rested her brains, Arianna was able to think more clearly this time and knew it was useless fighting against Marcel. And gosh, it waste at night. She needed rest having worn out her body throughout the day.

    ¡°Can we do this in the morning? I¡¯m really tired right now,¡± Arianna told him while tucking herself into bed. She would think better when the morninges even though the night provides the best night to escape.

    But that was pretty useless. If Marcel tracked her down this far, he pretty much had measures set up in case she runs again. She has been fighting him for a long time, perhaps, this was the time to throw him offside by conceding. Arianna bet he was stunned.

    ¡°If you want it that way then, baby girl,¡± He smiled at her.

    Arianna was surprised by him readily epting her request, she had expected a bit of protest considering she wasn¡¯t trustworthy and had proven that plenty of times.

    But she couldn¡¯t tell out of the both of them who was thrown off bnce when Marcel sat down on the other side of the bed and began to take off his boot.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arianna felt the warning bell going off in her head.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been running all day and I¡¯ve been chasing you. So that makes two of us,¡± Marcel¡¯s reply didn¡¯t answer her question.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna shook her head to say he wasn¡¯t following, ¡°You don¡¯t get it? Why are you taking off your boots?¡±

    ¡°To sleep of course,¡± Marcel looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

    She crawled up to him on the bed, ring at him defiantly, ¡°Exactly, where?!¡±

    He smirked, ¡°Darling, you got us a room, where would I sleep otherwise?¡±

    ¡°On the couch in the sitting room!¡± Arianna pointed to the connecting room.

    But Marcel looked at her as if she was bluffing, ¡°Sorry, love, but I was raised as a prince and my body can¡¯t stand anything less than afortable bed,¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arianna smiled, but it didn¡¯t touch her eyes, ¡°In that case, this princess would make herselffortable in it,¡± she choose to leave instead.

    Arianna was ready to get off the bed when Marcel suddenly pushed her back down, hovering over her.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± She yelped.

    But Marcel didn¡¯t reply, instead, he began to lean in and Arianna¡¯s eyes went wide, realizing he wanted to kiss her. Nope, that wasn¡¯t happening again.

    She turned her face to the side just as Marcel dropped his lips to her ears, ¡°Unless you want me to take off from the spanking incident, I suggest you behave,¡± He warned her.

    Arianna went red in the face when she remembered that incident. She certainly didn¡¯t want to experience that again ¨C at least not with Marcel.

    Hence, she didn¡¯tin when Marcel snuggled close to her, his arm wrapped around her waist in a strange intimacy. His warmth was somehowforting even though she hated it.

    Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long for Marcel to fall asleep and she was ready for work. Her aim was to retrieve her gun and she hadn¡¯t even started when Marcel said to her with his eyes closed,

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother about the gun, I¡¯ve emptied the chamber. So unless you want to explore the inside of my briefs where the bullets tucked in safely, I suggest you keep your wandering hands to yourself. Pervert. ¡± He was smug.

    What the....

 Chapter 229

    229 The Scars Have Their Story

    How did she fall asleep? Was the first thought that came to Arianna¡¯s head when she woke up. She had sworn to keep an all-nighter so she could find the right time to escape Marcel. Except she failed miserably to carry through.

    And speaking about Marcel, where is he? She wondered until she heard the sound of the shower running. Goodness, gracious! This was the perfect time to escape him! Although she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that it was not going to work, Arianna still wanted to try.

    The feeling at the back of her mind came to pass the moment Arianna sat up and was pulled back.

    ¡°What the....¡± She looked down to see her left hand was cuffed to the headboard.

    ¡°Seriously....!¡±

    Of course, asleep or not, Marcel was not stupid enough to leave her all alone. The man seriously got trust issues! And that was the same thing Elijah said to her each time she tried to see his face.

    Arianna plopped back down on the bed with a sigh. She hasn¡¯t gotten the chance to think about Elijahtely because she¡¯s busy plotting her escape. But the thought of Elijah made her heart throb.

    At one point, Arianna became angry. Wasn¡¯t Elijah good at what he does? Why can¡¯t he just break into here and whisk her away as he promised? He said he was a highly trained mercenary, what¡¯s so hard about....!

    Arianna released a deep sigh remembering that Marcel was not simple either. She had tried escaping him and look where thatnded her? Arianna had to force herself to recognize that Elijah was not just trying to rescue her but hide his identity as well.

    .....

    She just couldn¡¯t understand why he was so obsessed with his identity. Look at Marcel, everyone knew he was the boss of the Luciano family and he probably got tons of enemies aiming for his head, yet he was fearless. What¡¯s the worst that could happen if his identity was revealed? But then Arianna had to respect his choice.

    She just missed him.

    Arianna knew he tried to save her thest time using a substitute, it¡¯s just annoying that Marcel had to be there at that moment and stick his nose into her business. God, how much she hated him!

    And speak about Marcel...

    As if Arianna jinxed her luck, the Marcel she was thinking popped out of the bathroom and in her line of view with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

    ¡°You...!¡± Her eyes raked over his chiseled chest and her ability to form speech got lost.

    Arianna knew Marcel was handsome but right now, his looks were paralyzing and men, those muscles! What the hell? She caught herself immediately.

    However, Arianna still had a hard time drawing her eyes off his taut abs and the droplets of water on his chest ying hide and seek with her as it trailed down only to soak into his towel. Her mouth dried up upon thinking what was beneath there.

    She looked away, red in the face. The only man she had seen ¡°half-naked¡± was Elijah and she had to admit, that was a memory she wasn¡¯t going to forget soon.

    Arianna couldn¡¯tpare both men because both were hard and lean in their own ways except while Elijah had a wless body, Marcel¡¯s was filled with scars.

    Most of the deep scars she found were old as if they had been inflicted on him when he was much younger. During her stay at the base, she had heard rumors about Marcel¡¯s childhood that were quite disturbing and his ill rtionship with his father. It couldn¡¯t be that he did that to his son, right?

    Arianna didn¡¯t know why but she choked on her emotion, how could his father do that to him? Having had a peaceful childhood with her father who yed the role of a single parent, she had forgotten that some people weren¡¯t as lucky as her in the choice of a parent.

    ¡°Stop looking at me that way,¡± His deep voice startled her out of her thoughts and she nced up to meet his unempathetic eyes. How could someone switch on and off his emotion wlessly?

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°That pity in your eyes, don¡¯t do it. It makes me feel weak like a helpless injured rat after going through hell in the hands of a bigger cat.¡± He told her, and although his eyes were piercing, his tone was gentle.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna took a deep breath,posing his emotions. She looked straight at him saying, ¡°You know you could have them erased, that is, if you want to,¡± She merely suggested knowing how sensitive he was to the issue.

    Marcel frowned down at her as she suspected, ¡°And why would I do that?¡±

    Arianna shrugged, ¡°Well, who knows? Your future bride might be intimidated by those scars. We, women, ce much emphasis on beauty,¡±

    And she had good reason for suggesting that because some of the scars, especially on his back, were a mesh ¨C it was as if whoever did that to him chose that particr spot to inflict his punishment when the previous wounds had not properly healed. Well, good thing Marcel had the sense to draw a tattoo over it else that would be so horrid to look at.

    ¡°Then she¡¯s not worthy to be my bride,¡± He answered, ¡°The scars? They all are part of me and have a story to tell. The fights I¡¯ve won and the ones I¡¯ve lost. The suffering, the death, and the survival,¡±

    His words touched Arianna to the point tears pricked her eyes. God, why was she feeling sympathetic for a man who captured her? This was more reason she can¡¯t get involved with Marcel, she can¡¯t let her future children suffer this kind of life.

    Thinking about the bride part, Arianna was tempted to ask him about that mystery woman from yesterday but bit back her words.

    From the woman¡¯s dressing alone, Arianna could tell she wasn¡¯t cut off for that kind of lifestyle ¨C she looked like a pampered princess. Well, it was not her business nor her ce to tell Marcel the kind of woman that fitted him.

    ¡°I think this is the point where you turn around,¡± Marcel said to her all of a sudden.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He dropped the towel.

 Chapter 230

    230 This Wasn¡¯t Stockholm Syndrome

    Marcel stifled hisughter for the umpteenth time as Arianna kept ring daggers at him. Who knew she was more innocent than she looked? Moreover, it was not his fault anyway, she was the one who didn¡¯t respond on time to his warning. Still, yet, her flushed face was cute to look at.

    ¡°Stopughing!¡± Arianna said through gritted teeth. She was embarrassed to the core as it was, she didn¡¯t need his reminder.

    Her face flushed again when the image of him showed up in her mind; she couldn¡¯t get it out of her head no matter how hard she tried. Although it had been just a sh before she screamed and threw her face the other way when he dropped the towel, the image was deeply imprinted in her head. It was quite frustrating.

    Right now, both of them were in the hotel¡¯s restaurant having their breakfast. To her relief, Arianna was wearing fresh clothes that Marcel had gotten her. His efficiency stunned her ¨C he probably made the order while she was asleep ¨C but the fact he knew her size down to the panties bothered her.

    It didn¡¯t bother her in a pervy way, rather she was bothered her walls were beginning to crumble thanks to this man next to her. This had to be Stockholm syndrome.

    Arianna understood that the syndrome was a psychological response to being held captive. One of the symptoms Is the victim developing positive feelings toward the person holding them captive or abusing them and pushing negative feelings toward police, authority figures, or anyone who might be trying to help them get away from their captor.

    However, Arianna would report Marcel the moment in a heartbeat if she gets the chance, hence, she guessed this wasn¡¯t Stockholm syndrome. Sure, she sympathized with Marcel for his tough childhood, but he¡¯s grown up and has the opportunity to make his decision. But he chose to kidnap her, he has to suffer for his crime.

    So Arianna made up her mind, she was leaving this hell hole if help is made avable, however, she can¡¯t show excitement on her face, or else the observant Marcel will figure out what she was thinking.

    ¡°That tattoo on your shoulder,¡± Arianna brought up the conversation to still her busy mind, ¡°Is the picture of the lion you used to scare me back home, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    .....

    She couldn¡¯t forget the way that mighty, ferocious face of the lion covered the majority of his back while the manes spread out to the sides of his stomach and on his shoulder, with none crawling up his neck or arm so you couldn¡¯t tell he was wearing a magnificent tattoo unless he undressed.

    Maybe it was better that way, at least women wouldn¡¯t deceive him with the excuse of seeing his tattoo just to have him undress, the dark side of her relished that oue.

    ¡°His name is Samson,¡±

    Her brows raised, ¡°Really? I thought Samson in the Bible killed the lion, why did he be the lion instead in reality,¡± Arianna dramatically shivered, ¡°I pray you never name your kids,¡±

    Marcel threw his back andughed heartily enough to draw attention to them, not that Marcel minded. And Arianna had to admit as she poked her food, she did like the fact she made him happy. Thatughter was not forced, it was sincere and it warmed her from the inside out.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you misunderstood the reason for his appearance,¡± Marcel of all people apologized to her? It was shocking. But she let him go on, ¡°I had him there to keep watch over you while I left to finish on with my assignment.¡±

    At the mention of the assignment, she knew it couldn¡¯t be something good and probably had violence to it. But she didn¡¯t say anything as he continued to tell her about the lion ¨C as if she would make friends with it ¨C yet she listened. That was the least she could do.

    Marcel told her how Samson was brought to him as a baby cub and it was his mission to domesticate it. Although he had help from specialists and researchers, most of the bonding and rearing had fallen on him ¨C to prove himself.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need to ask who he was trying to prove himself to because it was obvious it was his father. That man really had questionable morals, she would tell him that if they met.

    Joking.

    Was she crazy? Why would she go near that madman? Someone who could do that to his son, who knows what he would do to her. Even if she didn¡¯t love her life, Arianna wanted a peaceful death.

    After minutes of assuring her that she was safe around Samson as long as she didn¡¯t startle him, they were finally ready to leave. By now, her heart was beginning to pound hard in her chest as realization dawned on her, she was returning to the base.

    After all of her efforts, it still came down to this ¨C back to level one. It was very annoying and the resentment she had for Marcel returned in full force.

    ¡°Even if you call out to the authorities here, they would not do anything, why? Because the hotel belongs to my family,¡± He told her as they neared the entrance where security stood.

    Marcel¡¯s arms were wrapped securely around her waist, so she couldn¡¯t take off even if she wanted to. He was like an irritating octopus! And just like that, she lost an opportunity to be set free, but Arianna didn¡¯t give up on hope.

    He guided her into the same jeep from yesterday, the only difference being he was the one driving this time while she was a passenger. The both of them didn¡¯t say a word to each other along the way, the tension was high.

    Unfortunately, Marcel ran out of fuel and he had to drive to the next filling station to fill up. While he was still trying to park next to the gas station attendant, Arianna¡¯s eyes met a patrol car that was across the road and her heart leaped in joy.

    ______

    Hi guys, tomorrow being Tuesday, 26th April is my birthday and yeah! I¡¯m so happy. But don¡¯t worry, if you want to know what your dear author looks like, I¡¯ll share my Instagram Info where you can view all of my birthday photos and videos. Thank you!

 Chapter 231

    231 Her Saving Grace Was Up

    Patience is a virtue, Arianna exhibited that as she waited for the perfect time to execute her n. Marcel must not have noticed the patrol car or he trusted her too much ¨C and that would be his downfall.

    Marcel lifted the cuff hesitantly with the gas attendant¡¯s attention on them. He knew it would draw attention if he cuffed to the car as she did to him. He might be above thew but not public opinion. If this was caught on camera, it would pose a problem for him.

    So he used his wits instead.

    Marcel leaned towards Arianna and in the gas attendant¡¯s view, it looked like they were young lovers making out in that position. However, he simply whispered to Arianna¡¯s ears, ¡°Don¡¯t provoke me, love. Stay still and don¡¯t cause trouble because your saving grace is almost up,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t give him a reply but he was sure his words were well received with the way she turned her face the other way with a scowl. That was good then.

    Satisfied with his threat, Marcel got out of the vehicle to open the gas tank door. It was located on the passenger side of the vehicle and he just pushed and released the outer edge of the gas tank door when she took flight.

    It seemed like a dream to Marcel at first until he realized that the shadow that dashed out of the car was Arianna and he screamed her name.

    ¡°Arianna!¡±

    But Arianna was not listening, her heart was beating so fast it felt like she¡¯d have a heart attack. She can¡¯t stop now! This was her only chance now and all she had to do was to reach out to the officer and she¡¯d be free. Marcel be damned, she can¡¯t give up on her freedom that easily.

    .....

    So in her haste to get away from him, Arianna didn¡¯t notice the iing truck because her attention had been solely on her target ¨C the patrol car that an officer was currently leaning against.

    But Marcel did and his heart almost leaped out of his chest. He broke into a Sprint at once. He was stronger and faster; he had to save her.

    It waste by the time Arianna realized she was in danger. Too many times she had watched movies, where the characters stand before an iing car yet don¡¯t have the time to skip out of the way and she honestly found it unreal and annoying. But right now?

    Well, Arianna finally understood now because the moment that truck shed its headlight at her while honking, she was petrified. Like a deer caught in a headlight, her eyes could only widen while her feet didn¡¯t move one bit, almost as if it was cemented to the ground as the truck drew ufortably close.

    Her life shed before her eyes, So this was how she was going to die? Arianna knew straight away that she was going to die with regrets. To think that the long-desired freedom would be in the grave, how amusing. She wanted to have a goodugh about this.

    Now she thought about it, who would miss her? Definitely not her uncle and his family whom she threatened. Mimi? Well, knowing her bosom friend, she would drop the anger aside and weep bitterly for her. Marcel? Arianna wanted tough at that ridiculous thought. He would not cry, rather he would mourn his loss.

    Inches away from hitting her, Arianna didn¡¯t know what happened but someone suddenly pushed her out of harm¡¯s way, the both of them rolling to the side. Even on the ground, she could feel her savior cocooning her so she doesn¡¯t abrade her skin against the concrete ground.

    Sheid in thatforting arms for a while still trying to catch her breath and at the same time digest what just happened. She almost died? She almost got into a car ident? But someone saved her life.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need to guess about that someone because his familiar yet overpowering earthly, masculine scent tempted her to remain in his embrace. And she did, not just because she liked it, but because she was scared to look up at his face. Marcel must be raging mad by now.

    However, when he released her and they were able to peer into each other¡¯s eyes, Arianna didn¡¯t see any anger there, all that greeted her was genuine concern and relief. It made a warm feeling fill her heart and she found herself going red in the face for no reason.

    Arianna was dazed to the extent that even when the said police she had been after in the first ce, came over to them, she couldn¡¯t say a word and Marcel took perfect control of the conversation.

    The truck driver didn¡¯t stop for a minute, he drove on while hurling a truckload of profanities at them ¨C well, Arianna to be precise. She was the one at fault for not looking properly before crossing.

    When asked about Arianna, Marcel¡¯s reply was, ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. We just had a fight and she¡¯s currently in shock, I need to get her home. Here¡¯s my card if you want further questioning,¡±

    And just like that, Marcel was leading her back to the same car she escaped from moments ago. The gas attendant was already done, so all Marcel did was pay her and drove off.

    Throughout the ride, Arianna didn¡¯t, no, couldn¡¯t say a word. She was still pretty shaken up about the incident and her hands wouldn¡¯t stop trembling, so she had to cover them with her other hand. Yet it wouldn¡¯t stop.

    Then she looked up at Marcel and gasped, blood was trailing down his forehead.

    ¡°Oh my God! You¡¯re bleeding....¡± She tried to touch his forehead but the cutting look Marcel gave her made her hand hang awkwardly in the air and she couldn¡¯t swallow down the lump in her throat.

    His eyes were empty and t ¨C and scary. Arianna had never seen eyes that terrified her as much as his. Marcel looked like a king viper, ready to strike.

 Chapter 232

    232 He Was A Stubborn Bull

    ¡°Marcel, you are hurting me,¡± Arianna cried out but the man in question was not listening. He just strode ahead, dragging her along with no care for her difort.

    They were back at the base and as soon as they got into the foyer, he handed her over to the nearest soldier he could find with instructions that didn¡¯t sit well with Arianna.

    ¡°Settle her in the leastfortable room. The princess has been pampered long enough, it¡¯s time she¡¯s weed into the real world,¡± He said with so much spite that made goosebumps climb up her arms. This wasn¡¯t the Marcel she knew.

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± The soldier said and tried to grab onto her but Arianna realized the tricky situation she was in and held tight to Marcel instead.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave me with him!¡± She screamed just as Marcel pulled her grasp off him and the soldier took her away.

    With her gone, Marcel took deep, slower breaths to calm down. His heart hasn¡¯t stopped pounding since that incident and it was still a miracle he drove the both of them back home safely. He couldn¡¯t get the incident out of his head.

    How could she endanger her life like that? She was definitely crazy. Crazier than he thought. She¡¯d rather die than be with him? Fine, let her die here then!

    Marcel stomped over to his quarters where he went into the bathroom and grabbed a soft towel that he soaked in warm water and began to clean off his wound.

    His head was not the only ce he was injured, his arms and back hurt like hell and there were abrasions on his hand, but those pains were nothingpared to what he has been through so it didn¡¯t bother him much.

    .....

    Hence, Marcel simply popped some painkillers into his mouth and came into his room only to see his cousin waiting. He wasn¡¯t really surprised by Victor¡¯s appearance and wiped his face with the towel.

    ¡°You look good,¡± Victor said with pure sarcasm. Even a blind man could tell that Victor enjoyed this miserable state he was into. He was clearly mad at Marcel for what he asked him to do.

    ¡°Watch it, Victor,¡± Marcel warned him, ¡°I¡¯m not in the best of mood. Don¡¯t be the number two on that list,¡±

    But Victor chuckled instead, ¡°I take back my words, you can be with Arianna. The both of you fit each other perfectly. To think that I have been looking for a way to royally piss you off yet she did me the favor without even trying hard,¡± Heughed further.

    But of course, Victor¡¯sughter was equivalent to rubbing salt on Marcel¡¯s wound and he couldn¡¯t stand it. So he hollered, ¡°Enough!¡± His eyes were fierce.

    Victor stopped taunting him. He knew how much Marcel could take and didn¡¯t want to try his luck pushing him to the edge. Cousin or not, Marcel wouldn¡¯t care about that when punishing him. He has been warned.

    So he remained quiet and Marcel was satisfied by that because he asked in the next minute, ¡°And what about the thing I requested?¡±

    ¡°Sent to your phone already,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel said, taking off his shirt and walking into his closet where he chose a red-ck t-shirt. All of his clothes were designers but he wore them whenever and wherever he wanted. Money was not his problem.

    ¡°You know this is a bad idea,¡± Victor leaned against the entrance, arms wrapped around his chest smugly. Whatever was happening entertained him or maybe he was just happy that he ¨C Marcel- was in a hot seat with Arianna. His cousin must think this was karma paying him back for what he did ¨C forcing him to kidnap Mimi. Maybe it really was.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion,¡± Marcel said in a gruff manner.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, you didn¡¯t....¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°But guess what? I¡¯m your consigliere and it¡¯s my duty to advise you when your stubborn ass is about to make a mistake!¡± Victor hated his cousin¡¯s intransigence so much. That was the one w Marcel possessed that vexed him. When he made up his mind on something, it was hard to change his fucking mind especially when angry. He was a stupid bull!

    ¡°Well, guess what, consigliere? Your services are not needed right now?¡± Marcel added, ¡°And you think I haven¡¯t been patient with her? I¡¯m on the verge of losing my honor amongst my men ¨C who thinks I¡¯m blinded by her p**sy- all because of her unyielding ass and you think I¡¯m about to make a mistake by putting her in her ce? You of all people should know that a dog without control needs to be put down!¡± He red up.

    Victor snorted, ¡°And you think threatening her family is the right way? Come on, even you wouldn¡¯t stand it.¡° He told him the truth in the face.

    ¡°If that would keep her in line, then so be it!¡± Marcel breathed.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Victor nodded, ¡°Then do it. Capture her! Beat her! Do it Daniel style! I¡¯m sure your father would be honored to hear that...¡± He added dramatically, ¡°Oh my lovely son, you followed in papa¡¯s footsteps. I¡¯m so proud of you, mwah.¡± he made a kissing sound.

    By this time one could tell that Marcel had reached his limit because he snapped at his cousin, ¡°Get out!¡± his nostrils red in anger.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even need to tell me twice,¡± Victor shouted back,¡± I came here all alone and I¡¯ll leave by myself,¡±

    When he reached the door, Victor added, ¡°And I hope she beats your ass this time!¡±

    Marcel turned around in time to see him giving him the middle finger.

    ¡°You little piece of -¡±

    Victor shut the door on him.

    ¡°Aah!¡± Marcel screamed out his anger and frustration, punching the wall next to him. Why was everyone getting on his nerves today?

    As if the universe was messing around with him, his phone rang at that moment and he pulled it out of his pants only to realize it was ra calling.

    With an anguished roar, he tossed the phone against the wall and the screen shattered yet the phone wouldn¡¯t stop reading.

    Agitated, Marcel began to stomp it all over with his feet. This was a better therapy than wolfing out on Arianna and making the already precarious situation worse. He continued doing so until the screen ckened and his anger was satisfied.

    Now, he was going to talk to Arianna calmly like a responsible gentleman and not the leader of a mob contrary to Victor¡¯s expectations. He would prove him wrong.

    Hopefully.

    ___:

    Yeah! Today¡¯s my birthday and there¡¯s a picture of me in thements section if you want to catch a glimpse of me or you can visit my Instagram handle @Young Sommie. Thanks so much for your wishes. And by the way, I¡¯m much older than I look. Baby face here??.

 Chapter 233

    233 You Can Never Leave

    Marcel was right, her days of being treated like a princess were over as evidenced by the poor room she was currently settling in.

    The room smelled musty and stale while the green paint was dirtied and peeling from years of neglect. There was just a small window for venttion so the thought of escaping through it was squashed forever ¨C it wasn¡¯trge enough for her to go through, plus the fact it was barred.

    It was hard to believe that this kind of room was avable because her previous ¡°prisons¡± were beautiful and luxurious. It became obvious that this mansion was renovated with additional structures mounted ¨C this must be one of the former rooms. No wonder.

    There was a small bathroom and a toilet at the end and Arianna had to admit, it was nothing to write home about. She just hoped Marcel would be kind enough to send covers because she had a feeling she was at ground level and it would be cold at night.

    Her single ck metal bed was ufortable and she couldn¡¯t remember the number of times she turned and tossed, unable to find the right spot. It was not like her previous soft bed ¨C Marcel¡¯s bed.

    F*ck him.

    This ce was no worse than prison and if Marcel was doing this to break her spirit, then he was in for a loss. She has been through worse in the hands of her aunt and this was candlelightpared to them.

    So if he was expecting her to fall on his feet and beg him for forgiveness? That was not happening. She did the right thing by wanting to escape and was just stupid not to have watched carefully before crossing. Neither was she going to stop.

    Arianna was determined to push Marcel to the wall till he had no choice but to set her free or just kill her. If he won¡¯t release her, then he might as well end her life. There was no worth to her life if she¡¯d simply live without her freedom. She was young, and had dreams and aspirations; Arianna had a lot of time to explore the world.

    .....

    Unable to lie down anymore, she simply sat up on the bed. This was the most annoying day of her life. With nothing to do, time was trickling slowly and she was bored to death.

    Since the lock was old, it made a squeaking sound when the knob was turned, alerting Arianna that someone was about to visit her. She didn¡¯t need to guess who that someone is considering she has been expecting his visit.

    Marcel walked in, his presence overwhelming the room like the boss he was. He was wearing a different attire and she couldn¡¯t help but notice the way the t-shirt was snug, highlighting his strong manly body. Okay, let¡¯s not go there.

    His expression was unreadable as usual and Arianna honestly didn¡¯t need to read how this conversation would go. It was bound to end up in a fight. She and that stubborn, sexy, no, scratch that! That ugly bastard would fight to the end! They just don¡¯t see eye to eye!

    Marcel didn¡¯t say a word to her, he just stood in the middle of her room staring at her intensely with his arms wrapped around his chest. Arianna badly wanted to stand because Marcel loomed over her with his height. It made her seem like a kid, about to be scolded.

    But Arianna didn¡¯t stand up, she stood her ground instead by holding his gaze. Hence the both of them had a staredown thatsted for approximately a minute before Marcel conceded by looking away.

    Arianna felt a bust of victory, it seems the great Marcel wasn¡¯t as tough as she thought. But her celebration was short-lived because Marcel asked, ¡°What were you thinking?¡±

    And it¡¯s started.

    Arianna took a deep breath, strengthening her resolve as if she was about to engage in battle. Well, a conversation with Marcel was as good as a bloody battlefield.

    She rxed, her hands resting on both sides of the bed, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Marcel ran his hand through his hair, a tick appearing on his jaw. He then looked at her with his cutting look, ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me, Arianna,¡± He growled.

    ¡°Really? Who is the one ying games with each other here? Why ask a question whose answer is quite obvious?¡± She sneered.

    Marcel, who had enough of her provocation, stomped over to where she sat, and at the same time, Arianna stood to her full height, meeting him halfway. The tension between them was so great that it could create an inferno that would consume the entire property and everyone on it ¨C if that was possible.

    ¡°You almost died!¡± He growled right at her face, his spit hitting her. Not that Arianna minded because her fury was on the same gauge as his. The both of them had gone mental.

    ¡°Yeah, because of you, bastard!¡± She poked him in the chest, applying more force than needed just so he could back off. But Marcel stood still like an impregnable wall, all she did was feel his ripped chest.

    ¡°I would have died because of you, not that it¡¯s surprising. The past month I¡¯ve been in near-death situations all because of your selfishness!¡± She screamed at his face, her spit hitting him this time. Both of them were beyond reasoning.

    ¡°My selfishness, huh?¡± Marcel felt insulted, his expression feral, ¡°I told you to stay in the car and all you did was try to contact the police. What do you think they would have done, huh? Arrest me and you¡¯ll be free, huh?¡±

    He huffed, ¡°In your dreams, Arianna. It¡¯s time you ept the fact that you¡¯re waist-deep in our world and you can never leave. You me me for pulling you into this mess, huh? Then you shouldn¡¯t have dabbled with criminals in the first ce! Do you think you would have been free after associating with Ruth?!¡±

 Chapter 234

    234 Be Grateful For Meeting Me

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Her face split into a confused one.

    Marcel looked smug now he got her attention. He had the upper hand in this conversation while Arianna was full of curiosity with her brows drawn together suspiciously.

    He told her confidently, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m the only one Elijah has as an enemy?¡±

    Arianna frowned at that question. If Elijah had more enemies, then it wasn¡¯t good. She knew as a mercenary, he was bound to offend many people, but the reality didn¡¯t hit her until now.

    She raised her chin, ¡°So?¡± What was the point of him telling her that Elijah has many enemies? How was that in connection with issues of her freedom?

    She was treating this case trivially, Marcel thought. No problem, he would show her the privileges she has been enjoying so far. She would know how to thank him for how he has cared for her.

    ¡°So you should be lucky I found you first,¡± He stated.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna let out a huff, she couldn¡¯t believe him. She knew Marcel had a huge ego but this amount of arrogance was not eptable.

    ¡°You heard it right,¡±

    .....

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Arianna gasped, rubbing her temple. She was the fool to even listen in the first ce. What had she even been thinking?

    ¡°I¡¯m not done,¡± Marcel said to her as if he knew what she wasn¡¯t taking him serious.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t intend to listen to more of your -¡±

    ¡°You would listen to the end of this conversation whether you like it or not, are we clear?!¡±

    The ferocity in Marcel¡¯s gray eyes was what scared her so much and at that moment, she had no doubt that he would have killed her if she dared misbehave. Arianna didn¡¯t even realize that he was holding her wrist to the point of bruising because her heart was pounding in her chest.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± She muttered, nodding obediently.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    It was just one word but it did many wonders like bringing her back to life. Marcel was not going to condone her actions from now on, so she had to tread carefully. He was a total Mafia ¨C emotionless, heartless, and destructive.

    ¡°Now, where was I?¡± Marcel was happy that she was beginning to cooperate. See? He knew women best. He was totally right. Just a little aggression, and she¡¯s tamed already. Victor should see this.

    ¡°You see, Arianna ....¡± He took a step closer, ¡°You would discover that most men from the underworld aren¡¯t kind nor the perfect gentleman from your fluffy romance novels. And if someone like Kenith.....¡±

    At the mention of Kenith, goosebumps filled Arianna¡¯s arms. Even without Marcel finishing his words, she could tell where this conversation was headed.

    ¡°Was the first to get to you?¡± Marcel leaned his head towards her, just as his hand snaked around her waist. She tried to ignore the tingling in her body his hand brought as it sensually traveled up her back.

    Arianna gasped slightly when his hot breath hit the back of her ear and she nearly jumped out of her skin. But Marcel was a master of seduction because he immediately whispered into her ears, ¡°He would have you immediately,¡±

    Although the thoughts of Kenith doing that to her repelled Arianna and she considered throwing up, Marcel¡¯s touch wasforting. Almost soothing like a luby.

    While he spoke, he continued drawing circles on her back and though the clothes formed a barrier between them, Arianna could swear that touch brand her skin. She could feel his warmth as if the clothes weren¡¯t there in the first ce. She kind of liked it.

    ¡°He would r*pe you and kill you in the end if he gets no information from you regarding your boyfriend. But if it pleases him, he would keep you around as his sex ve whether you like it or not.¡±

    Thatst part made Arianna horrified that not even Marcel¡¯s touch could calm her. She trembled terribly. Right from time, Arianna has heard tales of how cruel Mafia Lords were and how they treated women, using them for their dark amusement and self ¨C gratification. But to think she would have almost be a victim of that circumstance had she not met Marcel first, scared the life out of her. If it was put that way, that means she owed Marcel a lot.

    ¡°He would break you to the point that even when the so-called love of your life, Elijah,es back for you, he wouldn¡¯t recognize you. Even if he does, you won¡¯t go with him. Why?¡± He asked, holding her gaze.

    Arianna gulped, she already knew the answer and Marcel knew that as well because he smirked coldly as he said,

    ¡°Because your soul has been soiled beyond redemption and the dark bes your only refuge. So for once, Mi Amor, be grateful for meeting me.¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t react for a while, letting his words sink into her head. With her head lowered, she looked repentant. And yes, Arianna was quite grateful for meeting him first because, unlike the others, Marcel has a soft spot for her ¨C and that would be his downfall.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Arianna suddenly said to his surprise.

    His brows arched at once, sincerely surprised. Arianna was conceding to him that easily? That was new ¨C and hard to believe.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how much you did for me until now and I kept tormenting and ming you for everything that has happened so far,¡± Arianna said, palming her face in shame. She then removed her hand only for a tear to slip down her cheek.

    Oh.

    Marcel stood at the spot with no clue what to do. This was the first time he was seeing this gentle side to Arianna ¨C at least she was vulnerable right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m a selfish bitch!¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± He was quick to defend her, ¡°You just needed to adjust with time.¡± Marcelforted her. It seems Victor was right in his own way, he had to be gentle with her.

    ¡°How didn¡¯t I realize how sweet you are?¡± Arianna said, cupping his cheek with a hand.

    Marcel chuckled, he was nothing but sweet. But if he wanted her to be sweet, he could be one too ¨C he just had to do a lot of research online.

    Arianna caressed his cheeks and suddenly the air became charged when his gaze flickered down to her lips, at the same time her hand mistakenly brushed his lower lips.

    How soft.

    Suddenly, they were leaning in.

    However, the moment their lips were about to connect, merely brushing across, Arianna stilled and said coldly, ¡°I bet this is what you wanted, right?¡±

    ___:

    Yeah! Today¡¯s my birthday and there¡¯s a picture of me in thements section if you want to catch a glimpse of me or you can visit my Instagram handle @Young Sommie. Thanks so much for your wishes. And by the way, I¡¯m much older than I look. Baby face here??.

 Chapter 235

    235 She Would Ditch Elijah

    She was faking it? Arianna had been pretending all this while? It took Marcel more than a minute toprehend what just happened.

    He was filled with so much shock that he took a step back from her as if she was death herself. Arianna didn¡¯t move either, however, the defiant look on her face spoke volumes ¨C this wasn¡¯t ending soon.

    ¡°I should be grateful?¡± Arianna scoffed derisively. She rolled her eyes towards heaven yet she admitted afterward, ¡°For sure, I¡¯m grateful for you being the one to ¡®capture me¡¯ ¡± there was deep sarcasm in her tone, ¡°Thanks to that, I¡¯ve not been turned into a sex ve except for a few harassments.¡± Arianna emphasized herst words ¨C she has not forgotten that spanking incident.

    She took a step towards him but Marcel took one back. He didn¡¯t do it out of fright, but because he couldn¡¯t understand Arianna¡¯s motive right now. When he tried to be gentle with her, it turned out she was faking it all along. Who knows what game she was ying this time?

    And his doubt was evidenced when in the next minute, her expression became cajoling as she said, ¡°Although I¡¯m too stubborn to admit it, sincerely, you have been good to me. Even when I pissed you off....¡± She trailed off as if thinking of the right word to use, ¡°You only educated me in your own way...¡± Seriously, she said that? Arianna felt like face-palming.

    She went on, ¡°And like you said, you are different from other lords. Since you have been doing good, continue with it,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was seriously not getting her point.

    Arianna grabbed both of his arms, keeping his attention on her and Marcel was honestly surprised she was the first to initiate contact between them. If it had been him, she¡¯d probably scream assault! Well, not that he wasining.

    ¡°You could let me go, Marcel,¡± She whispered and as expected, his face turned sour.

    .....

    ¡°No, listen to me!¡± Arianna kept her grip on him when Marcel tried to move away. It was obvious that the issue of her leaving here was undebatable but she had to try.

    ¡°I would move away to a faraway ce where Elijah wouldn¡¯t be able to find me!¡± She suggested hurriedly knowing his patience was running out.

    ¡°And what about my weapons?!¡± He practically growled at her face. It was a miracle he hasn¡¯t broken out of her grasp already with the way his body was vibrating beneath her touch.

    ¡°You can make Elijah believe I¡¯m still with you, Marcel. You have the resources and you have the upper hand here as well and I can promise you that Elijah wouldn¡¯t stop searching for me.¡±

    ¡°And what if he stops?¡± Marcel suddenly asked.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Her voice suddenly broke. That question came out of nowhere and took her by surprise ¨C and was quite sensitive.

    ¡°What if this Elijah you have so much confidence in gives up on you?¡± Marcel asked her confidently this time.

    She let go of him, shaking her head in denial, ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t,¡±

    But Marcel smirked, he found this situation interesting, ¡°You are willing to ditch him just to secure your future, that shows how deep your love for him is....¡± He said ironically, ¡°What if Elijahes to that same crossroad and decides you¡¯re not worth it. What happens to my shipment then?¡±

    Arianna was in a dilemma, no, she was more confused than ever because Marcel¡¯s question put her in a hot seat. She then said, ¡°You saw what happened at the wedding, Marcel, it was all his doing. Elijah is not going to give up on me -¡±

    ¡°Yet you would,¡± Marcel said pointedly.

    ¡°He¡¯s a mercenary and I¡¯m still a young, innocent woman trying to find my footing in this world. He would surely understand.¡±

    Arianna had a hard time swallowing after saying those words. She indeed sounded like a betrayal. But could you me her? She has had enough already. All she wanted was her freedom and to rest. Surely, Elijah would understand why she had to make this decision if they eventually meet one day.

    ¡°Your speech is inspiring,¡± Marcel spoke up, ¡°and you did make a lot of sense.¡±

    Hope red inside of Arianna, Marcel was really going to listen to her this time? She prayed so.

    ¡°However....¡±

    At the mention of that word, Arianna knew things had begun to go downhill. Yet she still fostered expectation in her heart that Marcel would somehow grant her request. The anxiety ate deep inside of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m a businessman and I deal with facts, not sentiments. The fact that Elijah woulde for you means that he has his eyes here. In one word, I can¡¯t let you go even if I wanted to, that is as good as delivering you directly to him. Or don¡¯t you know this saying,¡¯ a man who kicks a frog doesn¡¯t deter it from its destination rather, he helps it arrive faster, ¡±

    Her face fell at once, he was not releasing her even when she suggested logically. Why had she even bothered trying to get to him? Her opinion doesn¡¯t matter to him anyway.

    Marcel was the one to step towards her this time, lifting her crestfallen face. He wiped away the tear that slipped down her face with his thumb gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad, Arianna. It¡¯s just your bad luck being caught in the middle and as much as I would love to give you that freedom you want so much, you¡¯re my insurance. And you of all people should know what happens to a business without insurance?¡±

    ¡°But then,¡± Marcel went on, ¡°If you promise to be on your best behavior, I could take you out of this pit hole...¡± He referred to this current room, ¡°And you would be able to roam the grounds freely, although with security on you all the time,¡± He offered her a small portion of freedom.

    But when Arianna didn¡¯t respond for a long time, Marcel knew intuitively that it was a ¡°no¡± and took that as a cue to his leave. On the bright side, he was able to have this conversation without threatening her.

    Grabbing the knob, Marcel was prepared to rub his sess at Victor¡¯s face only for Arianna to say, ¡°I would kill myself then if you don¡¯t let me out of here,¡±

 Chapter 236

    236 What Has He Done?

    Marcel stiffened, his entire body going rigid and Arianna didn¡¯t need to be told she just roused a sleeping lion. But what could she do? If she was going to spend her days in misery, she wasn¡¯t going to let him be either. Arianna nned to torment him until he had no choice but to kill or set her free. He has just one choice.

    Suddenly, Marcel straightened and turned around to meet her. He had a hard, cold, dead, look, that made her gulp hard.

    ¡®He doesn¡¯t scare her,¡¯ Arianna kept chanting to herself even as Marcel walked purposefully towards her. With that look in his eyes, he looked like he would tear her into pieces with his bare hands. But she would stand her ground.

    However, in the next minute, Arianna was treading backward as Marcel boxed her in. Yes, she was strong, but it was incredibly hard to stand a person with murderous intent. Marcel was scaring her.

    And he proved that when he grabbed her chin and lifted it to his gaze, ¡°Say that again!¡± he snarled at her face.

    Arianna forgot how to breathe but she still managed to sneer at him, ¡°Why? Are you going to hit me?¡±

    His nostrils red in warning, ¡°Don¡¯t push me, Arianna!¡±

    Sheughed sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the obvious, Marcel. You can¡¯t take oxygen away from a fish and expect it to live,¡±

    But he was quick to correct her, ¡°First of all, you¡¯re not a fish. Second, humans are adaptational creatures with ability to survive in any environment they find themselves in. You are just the only one who doesn¡¯t want to move with the wind of change!¡± He said to her, his temper ring. Arianna would be the death of him.

    .....

    If she was someone else, he would have tortured her to submission already, but Arianna, sadly was not other people. First of all, she was a guest ¨C who has crossed the lines several times and he wouldn¡¯t be held ountable if he disciplined her ¨C that was precious to his enemy, Elijah.

    Sadly, he now had a soft spot for her as well. And as much as he loved her fighting spirit, it was beginning to annoy him now. Any woman who would be by his side must be willing to submit to his rule. But Arianna seems to be an alpha female and the both of them together was a destructivebination.

    There can¡¯t be two alphas in a pack, one had to renounce his title or they had to fight to the death to show dominance. And that was what Marcel was avoiding, the fight to the death. Can¡¯t she see how much he was trying here? He already evenpromised a little, what has she done? Nothing!

    ¡°I would rather live a short but happy life than a long, miserable, and meaningless one. So unless you are going to move in with me twenty-four hours, seven days, to supervise and stop me from ending my miserable life, I suggest you make a decision,¡± Arianna spat out at him.

    She has tried reasoning with him to no avail, now, she would use extreme measures to get what she wants ¨C even if that means putting her life on the line.

    Arianna could already see the gears turning in Marcel¡¯s head so she was quick to add, ¡°And don¡¯t even think of threatening me with the cuffs because there are lots of creative ways I could end my life and you are not going not like it one bit.¡± She threatened him.

    A tick appeared in Marcel¡¯s jaw which showed he was close to losing his temper but Arianna was not a chicken either; she could hold her own. They had an intense staredown thatsted for a while and this time, Marcel didn¡¯t back out easily.

    They stared at each other to the point that Arianna¡¯s eyes were beginning to water, she couldn¡¯t keep this up for long ¨C and it means Marcel intentionally let her win the first time. It hurt to the point that she was close to taking her eyes off when Marcel pulled off.

    When she says ¡°pull off¡±, it means he released her chin and stepped back creating space between them and making this confrontation less awkward.

    ¡°Fine, go and die,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Since you want to die so much, go and do it then,¡± Marcel told her nonchntly as if her death wouldn¡¯t affect him.

    Arianna glowered at him, ¡°You think I¡¯m not going to do it,¡± She said through gritted teeth. Marcel must think she was bluffing. She had to show him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you do it or not, however, if I were you, I would reconsider my decision, especially how it affects my loved ones,¡± He hinted.

    Arianna froze, her mouth dropping open having sensed there was more to that story than he was letting on. She swallowed limply and asked, ¡°What did you mean by that?¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t reply, rather he gave her an answer by pulling out his phone, shing the screen at her face and she stiffened.

    Her blood ran cold and she forgot to breathe as she stared at the image of her friend Mimi, gagged and strapped to a chair. Although her head hung low because she seemed to be asleep, Arianna could recognize Mimi even with acid all over her face.

    Arianna didn¡¯t even think before her hand cracked across his face. Her hand reacted before her brain could think about the consequences. Well, damn consequences because she was full of fury.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Arianna raised her hand to p him a second time but he stopped her.

    ¡°The first was enough -¡±

    Pah.

    Arianna cut him off when shended the second p with her left hand and Marcel couldn¡¯t stop her either because he didn¡¯t see iting.

    How dare he threaten her with Mimi?! If Arianna disliked Marcel previously, she loathed him now. How could he be so cruel? How could he do that to Mimi?

    Her heart was breaking so much, she broke down in heart-wrenching tears. Of all people, why Mimi? Why couldn¡¯t it be her wicked aunt or udia?

    This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to go? Marcel was suddenly in regret. Arianna was so fierce and strong that he didn¡¯t think she would buckle under his threat. He had thought they would fight as usual and he would force her into submission with the threat and she would have no choice but to ept his fate. But then, she was crying. Did he push her too hard?

    What has he done?

 Chapter 237

    237 Hurt Her And Heal Her

    ¡°Momma, don¡¯t cry,¡± Young Marcel said, walking into the room to his mother¡¯s surprise.

    Penelope, obviously taken by surprise, hides her face away while trying to wipe away her tears at the same time. But Marcel used that opportunity to walk straight to her hence the young boy saw everything.

    ¡°I¡¯m not crying,¡± She put on her brightest smile, hoping it fooled him. But then, her son was hard to prove.

    ¡°Those are tears, momma,¡± He pointed out with a hardened expression, probably angry that she lied to him.

    That was the problem, her son was maturing at a very fast rate and it worried her. At a young age when he was supposed to live freely and have fun, Marcel was already a good critical thinker. It scared her that he was being deprived of the joy of childhood ¨C he deserved it.

    But of course, she should have known that when getting involved with Daniel. It was her mistake for loving him too much. She had thought that the birth of Marcel would change his mind, melt away that frozen heart but the reverse was the case.

    Penelope knew the only reason she was alive was because of Marcel ¨C the boy loved her too much and she was a better option than a hired help. But she can¡¯t interfere too much in Daniel¡¯s n for Marcel else that man would have her killed or send her to a ce she can never escape from and wither there slowly. Whether she liked it or not, Marcel would be trained to carry on his legacy.

    Penelope knew life with Daniel would not be easy but she never thought it would be this difficult. She couldn¡¯t even divorce him either, which was equivalent to asking for a death sentence. She knew too much for Daniel to let her go now. In one word, they were both stuck in this hell till death does them apart.

    ¡°Baby,¡± She pulled Marcel to her side, running her hand through his blonde hair. Sometimes Penelope was grateful that Marcel had taken after her in terms of appearance than her husband else she wouldn¡¯t know how to look at him without feeling hurt.

    .....

    Nheless, Penelope knew even if Marcel had taken after that monster, she would love him still. He was her child and that¡¯s how deep a mother¡¯s love ran.

    She caressed the furrow on his face, these days her baby wasn¡¯tughing much and she hated it. She wanted him to get all the happiness she couldn¡¯t have. He should live a blessed life. Now she lived only for him; for his happiness.

    ¡°Not every tear is bad, Marcel. People cry for different tears,¡± She told him.

    ¡°Then, why were you crying?¡± He asked with his stern look.

    ¡°That¡¯s tears of happiness, Marcel. I cry happy trees because of you,¡± She attempted to coax him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter me, mother,¡± Marcel saw through her ttering, ¡°People here hardly cried tears of joy. And when you cry....¡± He cupped her face, drawing lines around her eye, ¡°I see nothing but loneliness. How can you be lonely when I¡¯m here?¡± He scolded her.

    Penelope chuckled, then ruffled his hair saying, ¡°Sometimes, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a blessing or a curse being more mature than your age. Nheless, my son is so sweet that I¡¯m turning diabetic,¡± She kissed him on the eyes.

    The young Marcel scrunched his face up at the gesture, this was embarrassing yet he still signaled his mother to kiss him in the other eye ¨C he knew his mother liked doing that.

    Penelopeughed at that gesture. For someone who behaved tough and older, he was quite a softie. She kissed him and took advantage of his vulnerability to tickle him at the same time.

    He screamed, trying to get away from her but Penelope went after him. And in that short blissful moment, she forgot all about her sorrows.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Of all memories, Marcel couldn¡¯t understand why he recalled that one. However, seeing Arianna break down in tears stirred inside of him and suddenly, her image ovepped with the image of his mother. His stomach churned at the action, he hurt her.

    Marcel promised himself that he would never hurt the woman he would settle with in the future. Even if they don¡¯t marry for life, he owed her that obligation ¨C keeping her happy.

    He would never turn out to be like his father yet that was exactly what he was doing. Marcel¡¯s weak point was no other than women. He could never hit one unless they pushed him to the edge or threatened him.

    But most of all, he hated their tears ¨C the sincere ones. Having been very close to his mother, he could tell when they were faking it or manipting him. Those tears do nothing but bring back the memories and promises ¨C he was currently failing to keep.

    Marcel didn¡¯t even know when he pulled Arianna into his arms, consoling her. She tried hard to get out of his embrace all to no avail.

    ¡°Let me go, you bastard!¡± She screamed and beat him but he wouldn¡¯t let her go.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Marcel only gripped her harder, pressing her into him as she wept on his shoulder.

    She hated him! Arianna told herself that repeatedly but she couldn¡¯t help but lean on him when he providedfort. How could he hurt her and heal her at the same time? He was the worst!

    With each ¡°Sorry¡± Marcel muttered, Arianna cried harder. She wanted him to stop saying those words because he didn¡¯t deserve it. At the same time, she craved it as well, he needed to pay for this wound he created inside of her.

    Her tears were like a copsed dam andsted for quite a while yet Marcel stood at that spot the entire time. The tears eased into sobs, followed by sniffles, and the next, she simply rested her chin on his shoulder.

    The result?

    She fell asleep on his shoulder.

    ___:

    Yeah! Today¡¯s my birthday and there¡¯s a picture of me in thements section if you want to catch a glimpse of me or you can visit my Instagram handle @Young Sommie. Thanks so much for your wishes. And by the way, I¡¯m much older than I look. Baby face here??.

 Chapter 238

    238 Make It Work Somehow

    Marcel didn¡¯t need anyone to tell him that if he didn¡¯t step up his game real soon, he might lose Arianna in the process of keeping her to his side. At that moment, she saw him as no less than the moment he was.

    He had to show her that monsters were capable of loving too ¨C even if that means snatching her from her one true love, Elijah. Horrible right? But then, he was a viin and that was what viins did, snatching beautiful damsels from the good girls. Only that in this case, Elijah wasn¡¯t a good girl either.

    In one word, you could say it was two bad guys ying off each other with the end prize being Arianna. And before you judge him, do remember that all is fair in love and war.

    Thus, at that moment, Marcel decided on the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Perhaps he had been lying to himself ¨C and her as well ¨C because even if Elijah returned his shipment tomorrow, there was no way Arianna was going to him.

    He would start a war for her and he, Marcel, never starts a war he was ready to lose. For her sake, he would set the rest of the world on fire. Marcel couldn¡¯t tell if this was the love people talked about but Marcel knew he was crazy for her. It was quite unfortunate he had to hurt her to realize that. But Arianna was more than the woman he loved; she was his obsession.

    It was true that he had ra as his fianc¨¦ but he had made up his mind, he wanted no one else but Arianna. ra can keep her role until he finds his sisters. The only thing he had to do now was figure out a way to keep Arianna away from his father¡¯s radar until everything was set.

    But for now, he had to start working on his redeeming points and the first step was getting her out of this room. What had he been thinking in the first ce putting her in this prison?

    Well, he had been angry then. Marcel knew he had been scared for her life and the fear blinded him to the point he thought if keeping her caged would ensure her life, then so be it. He couldn¡¯t lose her, especially not now he was getting to know her.

    He can¡¯t lose the two people he ever loved.

    .....

    Marcel nestled her into his arms and left the room. He was still thinking of one of the secure andfortable rooms to settle her when he bumped into Victor.

    His cousin was leaning in the corner with his arms crossed seriously as if he had been waiting for him.

    ¡°I have to apud you, you¡¯re quite capable,¡± He made a mock gesture of pping.

    Marcel sighed, he was not ready to face Victor now. He had to settle Arianna first because he understood he hurt his cousin real bad this time.

    ¡°But of course, you¡¯re the great Marcel. What woman wouldn¡¯t fall for your charms?¡±

    Victor went on,ughing sarcastically, ¡°In the end, it worked out for you even when you¡¯re a total disaster. But then, that progress is made at my own expense....¡± He added under his breath, ¡°As usual,¡± hinting at his failed rtionship with Macy. Neither does he know that as well.

    Perhaps, he should have listened to his mother when she told him, that he would only get hurt being close to Marcel. Just like the sun ruled high in the sky, his brightness would hurt anyone next to him.

    Marcel swallowed the lump in his throat, ¡°Victor, I -¡±

    ¡°See youter,¡± Victor cut him off and walked away before he could say anything. He was not in the mood to listen to Marcel¡¯s words of apology ¨C it would not repair his ruined rtionship with Mimi.

    Marcel stood at that spot for a while before he released a deep breath and continued with his journey. In the end, he decided on the room above his.

    Arianna loved freedom so he was sure she would love the height and extra confidence that he was close to her and would get to her on time if the need arises. Neither could Elijah climb up there without setting off the rm system he just had installed.

    Although the windows were barred, the room had its own balcony and she coulde out for air if she wanted to. Marcel couldn¡¯t give her the freedom she wanted but he could give her own space and hoped she was content with it until he trusted her thoroughly to set her free.

    Marcel was not scared of hermitting suicide anymore, not after what happened. Truthfully, he wasn¡¯t entirely sorry. He has established a fact and it would put her in line. Marcel simply regretted that he hurt her deeply in the process.

    Nheless, he would still keep an eye on her ¨C Arianna was full of surprises and strikes when he least suspected it, like a viper. To keep watch over her, he contemted putting cameras in her room but pushed it to the back of her mind knowing that was an invasion of privacy, neither would Arianna like it.

    Moreover, Marcel couldn¡¯t stomach the fact that one of his soldiers assigned to her would watch every one of her movements. He would likely murder him on the first try. He went for body sensors instead, those used heat signals to detect her movements. It was much better.

    Heid her down on the bed and kept watch by her side. Not long after, Marcel pulled out a photo of a woman from his pocket andpared the both of them.

    Though they had different hair colors, the resemnce was there. So this was her mother, he thought? The woman who was thought to be dead but was actually alive? He made her uncle vomit everything he knew about her.

    He loved mysteries.

    Marcel looked down at Arianna once more before pressing a kiss on her forehead. He had to make this work somehow.

 Chapter 239

    239 He Was Begging A Woman

    Mimi was left deste by the incident. No, she was traumatized. How could he do that to her? If anyone had told her that Victor whom she hase to trust so much would betray her like this, she would never believe that.

    How could the same person who killed Charlie for her and saved her from the hands of Draco be the same person to shatter her heart into a thousand pieces.

    What pained Mimi the most was that he manipted her parents into thinking she was working overtime again ¨C he sent a text to her mother through her phone. If she had diedst night, her parents wouldn¡¯t even know. They would likely cover it up with their connection.

    Boohoo!

    Mimi turned her face into the pillow and cried the more. She couldn¡¯t stop the tears from flowing. It now dawned on her why she had been employed in the first ce.

    Although she hadn¡¯t been awake during the whole thing ¨C yet she couldn¡¯t erase the feeling of being assaulted. Mimi couldn¡¯t tell what Victor did with her but she could tell she had been gagged and tied up ¨C she felt the throb around her mouth and hands. Victor afterwards ¡°kindly¡± told her that Arianna was back.

    Mimi was smart enough to put two and two together and was able to figure out that they used her to threaten Arianna. She was the only one that mattered to Arianna, not even her uncle¡¯s family came close to her heart. Just the same way she would go to hell and back for her, Arianna would do the same unconditionally.

    She then used Victor of Marcel¡¯s ns concerning Arianna. If Marcelys a hand on her friend, she was never forgiving him in this life. No, she would never either of them for this.

    Mimi thought they employed her for her coffee-making skills but who knew she was nothing but a pawn in Marcel¡¯s games. She was to be used against Arianna to keep her in line and Mimi hated being a deadweight above all other things.

    .....

    In one word, Marcel and Victor not only broke her trust, but they shattered her dreams. She was not employed because of her skills, but her usefulness ¨C as a coteral ¨C and the training had been nothing but an excuse to keep her busy.

    She would not forgive them for this.

    When the doorbell rang, Mimi stumbled to make herself presentable. She was not expecting any visitor, hence that could only be her mother.

    Her mother Hannah often had a habit of forgetting things and would rathere back for it than send a staff. So Mimi knew she was in deep trouble when the doorbell continuously rang.

    ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed as she dumped the whole thing in her makeup purse on the sink¡¯s countertop.

    God, where was she going to start? Her eyes were red and swollen. Her mother would raise hell if she saw her this way. Mimi had nned to spend the rest of the day at her aunt¡¯s ce before her mother returned ¨C that one had a tight lip and wouldn¡¯t say a word to her sister. Unfortunately, she returned earlier than usual.

    This was bad.

    But she set to work immediately. Mimi added a lot of concealer on her face and was about to use the eyeliner when the ringing stopped.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Did her mother leave?

    Not if she had a spare key.

    Oh no.

    Mimi knew she had to lock her door before the woman barged in and demanded the reason she didn¡¯t answer the door. Her mother doesn¡¯t really understand the need for privacy.

    With lightning speed, Mimi rushed out of the bathroom to go lock her door only to halt halfway because Victor was standing in the middle of her room.

    What the.....

    The both of them stood staring at each other without saying a word. If Mimi didn¡¯t know better, she would have thought he was apologetic with that forlorn look on his face.

    Suddenly, white-hot anger filled her. How dare he return here after what he did to her? Does he think that little sad look on his face would touch her and then she¡¯d forgive him and they would move on like nothing happened. Well, he was in for a loss.

    She, Mimi, never forgives betrayal! Especially not from people who call themselves her friends!

    ¡°Were you the one ringing the doorbell all this while?¡± She asked tly, her voice devoid of emotion.

    He didn¡¯t answer her, no, he didn¡¯t need to reply to her because the fact he broke into her room was proof enough.

    She rolled her towards heaven in disbelief and then turned those ring eyes on him,¡±Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Mimi, I -¡± He took a step towards her but Mimi took one back.

    Mimi was clearly scared of him yet she denied that by wrapping her arms across her chest defensively and Victor didn¡¯t push her either. He

    He gave her every reason not to trust him anymore. Right now, he had to do damage control, not to scare her further.

    ¡°I had no choice,¡± Victor didn¡¯t bother to give her an apology because he knew she wasn¡¯t going to take it. He had to give her a reason then. Neither did he put the me on Marcel, that was how loyal he was.

    ¡°Exactly, I didn¡¯t know I was friends with someone who didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± Mimi¡¯s voice was taut and taunting.

    Victor ran his hand through his hair, messing it up. He knew this wasn¡¯t going to be easy but he hasn¡¯t been treated to this kind of situation before. This was the first time he was begging a woman ¨C aside from his mother.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen the next time, I promise you, no, I swear on my life,¡± He said to her desperately.

    But Mimi shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s the problem, there won¡¯t be a next time,¡±

    Victor didn¡¯t care about scaring her anymore because he invaded her space and grabbed her hand before she could stop him, ¡°You can not give up on me, Mimi¡± he pleaded with her, ¡°I know I messed up but please, give me a second chance, Mimi,¡±

    But she slipped her hand out of his and looked him straight in the eyes saying with a lump in her throat, ¡°You could have warned me! At least, give me a heads up, I would have been more prepared and it won¡¯t hurt as much as it does now,¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have listened, Mimi,¡± He told her.

    ¡°Says who -¡±

    ¡°You turn irrational when ites to matters concerning Arianna. What would you have done if I told you, ¡®Hey, Mimi, could you help pose as a kidnap victim just so Marcel could use that to threaten your beloved Arianna?''¡± He gestured animatedly.

    Mimi didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± Victor saw the truth in that silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s good this happened then because it just shows we only keep hurting each other in the long run,¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, Mimi -¡±

    But she kept on speaking even when Victor was pleading with her, ¡°It hurts much because you were my friend and I had many expectations, but if we didn¡¯t have such a close rtionship, I would expect nothing and hate you with all that I have,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you even listen to me!¡± Victor shouted at her when she wouldn¡¯t stop drowning him out.

    Mimi stopped but there was no softening in that hardened gaze of hers. He sighed and ced both hands on her shoulder, rubbing her skin soothingly as if that would calm her down.

    ¡°I thought friends stand with each other in the good and bad?¡± He tried to reason with her, ¡°You are the only female I¡¯ve opened up to in a long time. And I feelpletely scared that I can never find what the both of us had in another female. No, I don¡¯t want to. So please, reconsider. If it¡¯s time, I¡¯ll give you one, Mimi. Just don¡¯t say it¡¯s over between us. ¡± Victor was close to breaking down in tears.

    She could sense his vulnerability in the way he held her ¨C his hands were trembling ¨C and Mimi had no doubt he would agree to anything she wanted at that moment ¨C even if it included his head. He was loyal to a fault.

    ¡°Yes, friends stand with each other, you are right in that aspect,¡± Mimi acknowledged. ¡°However, that bond stands until one betrays the other.¡±

    ¡°Mimi...¡±

    ¡°Let me speak,¡± She told him and he obeyed instantly.

    ¡°As long as Marcel has my friend in his custody, we are going to sh constantly. And I seriously can¡¯t look you in the face without remembering this incident. So please, don¡¯t make this harder than it is already.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me quitting work though, as long as Arianna is there, I¡¯ll be there by her side to protect her no matter what. However, our closeness from now on would be restricted to a working rtionship only.¡±

 Chapter 240

    240 The Unexpected Vistor

    Victor stood like a moron. He couldn¡¯t say a word; his mouth just opened and closed helplessly. It was obvious that Mimi made up her mind already and he wouldn¡¯t be able to change it. Yet he wanted to try, but then, giving her space might be the best remedy right now.

    ¡°If you have nothing else to say, you can leave now. I need my rest,¡± Mimi said to him when he said nothing else.

    For a moment, Mimi thought he would stubbornly stand his ground. But he simply took a deep breath and was heading in the direction of her window when she stopped him.

    ¡°Take the door, please,¡± Mimi told him, ¡°This is broad daylight and any of my neighbors could see you climbing out ¨C I don¡¯t need them sending unnecessary reports to my mother,¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± He finally spoke and headed in the direction of the door. Victor stepped out of her room and Mimi followed him to let him out of the house the right way.

    They didn¡¯t say a word to each other on the way until he was standing on the threshold and she held the door open for him. Victor turned to her saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Arianna, my cousin might be a bastard but he doesn¡¯ty a hand on women. Moreover, he has a usual soft spot for your friend.¡± He tried to assure her.

    But Mimi was not touched at all, was that supposed to change her opinion of Marcel? He might be treating Arianna well ¨C as Victor ims ¨C but he was a bastard who locked up her friend against her will.

    Knowing her well, Arianna valued her freedom the most, and yet that was the one thing she was denied. Mimi didn¡¯t even dare to think of what she must be going through right now. And to think she had once been angry with Arianna for leaving her when in reality, she was going through hell? The realization was devastating to her heart.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Victor said, yet didn¡¯t show any sign of moving as if waiting for a response from her. She needs to say a word, anything. He missed her cheerfulness more than this serious demeanor.

    .....

    However, when he heard nothing from her after a while, Victor took his leave and Mimi shut the door after him immediately as if she couldn¡¯t stand his presence. But the truth was that she was close to tears and didn¡¯t want him to see her vulnerable.

    It was just a few weeks together and Mimi had to say he left a deep impression on her already. As much as he broke her heart, they had good times together as well and Victor did things no one else would do for her.

    However, they can¡¯t keep on hurting each other like this, it was better they stopped being friends before it was toote. That was the least they could do to honor the memory of the friendship they once had.

    So as soon as he left, Mimi leaned against the walls and let the tears flow. It was quite frustrating to feel anger and loss at the same time. She was mad at him and grieving for what she just lost. Mimi was torn between the two contrasting emotions.

    She was able to stop after a while and was about to leave for her room when a knock sounded on her door. Mimi sighed, why can¡¯t Victor let it go? He was making this harder on her.

    ¡°Just go away!¡± She shouted, hoping he would respect her decision. But she knew Victor, he wouldn¡¯t. So it wasn¡¯t surprising when he knocked a second and the third time.

    She had to be firm in her decision, Mimi told herself as she hardened her heart. Taking a deep breath, she hurled the door open, ¡°I said, not to bother me....!¡±

    All blood drained from Mimi¡¯s face because it wasn¡¯t Victor standing there but Draco. What kind of nightmare was this? It was like jumping from frying pan to fire.

    First Victor and now, him? Not to mention that she has estranged Victor and he wouldn¡¯t be able to save her this time.

    Mimi took a step back and was contemting her next course of action when he said, ¡°Hi,¡± waving at her.

    She blinked, what the hell?

    Even though Mimi was scared out of her pants, she didn¡¯t want to show it but rather stood straight with her head raised high.

    ¡°What do you want? You do know Victor is not around,¡± Mimi intentionally called his name, using him as cover.

    She tactically hinted at Draco what Victor would do to him if heid a hand on her in case he was here for vengeance ¨C even though it was kind of impossible now. She and Victor were no longer friends. It was all a ruse.

    But Draco said to her surprise, ¡°No, I¡¯m not here to....¡± He trailed off, looking closely at her this time.

    Mimi frowned at his scrutiny, why was he staring at her that way? It made her ufortable nor did she like it either ¨C feeling vulnerable in the midst of a predator was not what she wanted.

    ¡°What happened to you? Why were you crying?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mimi began to wipe around her eye. He noticed.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± She sniffed.

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s nothing? Your eyes are red and swollen. So unless you were peeling a bag of onions, I refuse to believe that.¡±

    Mimi knew he didn¡¯t mean to beical yet she couldn¡¯t help but want to smile at the idea of her peeling a bag of onions. Well, he just gave an excuse to give her mother if she saw her this way.

    ¡°I said it¡¯s nothing and why are you so interested in my well-being out of nowhere?! if I can remember, you had me kidnapped thest time we met.¡± She didn¡¯t forget to remind him of that.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± He acknowledged his crime to her astonishment and went on, ¡°And that is why I am here. To apologize for my ill behavior.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 241

    241 Just As She Thought

    This must be a trick, Mimi thought. Draco must have been quite hurt by her actions that he thought the best form of revenge was getting close to her and betraying her in the end when she least expects it.

    Mimi was not a kid, she had seen tricks like this all of the time. Back in high school, she had many admirers, and one of the boys she rejected his advances was a sore loser and tried to get back at her that way.

    But Mimi stood her ground and learned from the otherster that the boy had made a bet with his friends to make her fall for him. His ns failed obviously, Mimi was not gullible.

    Hence she saw the same thing happening with Draco now. Feeling humiliated from theirst encounter, he must have made a deal with his gang members to deceive her. Whatever evil ns he had in store, she was not going to be a victim of it.

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to apologize,¡± Mimiughed sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯m good and everything is in the past now. Goodbye! ¡± She tried to shut the door on him but he was quick to put his hand in the way.

    Damn it, she should have been faster.

    This time Draco stepped in with his full body, looming over her, and Mimi couldn¡¯t help but gulp, taking a step back. She was done! He was here to kill her, Mimi could tell from his bodynguage. So this was how she was going to die? She could not even get to say goodbye to her mother.

    Mimi instinctively squeezed her eyes shut when he reached behind his back and she guessed he was about to whip out his gun and shoot. She didn¡¯t want to watch her death! But when nothing happened for over a minute, she frowned.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Draco had a deep, bass, rumbling voice with an ent. It woke her from her reverie.

    .....

    Mimi opened her mouth at once only to see a bouquet ofrge, showy, and white-colored Tulips in her face. She was full of shock, what is going on here? Things were moving too fast for her toprehend.

    ¡°I did a lot of research and they said this is the right flower to say sorry as it represents forgiveness and peace.¡± He handed it to her.

    Mimi was overwhelmed but she didn¡¯t hesitate to ept his flowers. She didn¡¯t know what game Draco was ying but she didn¡¯t want to be murdered over her refusal to ept his flowers. This is so annoying, why is her life so messed up these days?

    Draco began, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, we didn¡¯t have a great start and my mama never taught me to treat ady that way either. But then, Victor f*cked with me, and I just thought that would be the right time to hit him where it hurts the most,¡± Was his excuse.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mimi murmured under her breath, stroking the flower absent-mindedly, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one he f*cked up recently?¡±

    And Draco did hear that because he asked in the next minute, ¡°Did the both of you break up?¡±

    Mimi nced up at once, eyes wide, ¡°Of course, not!¡± She was quick to reject his im, ¡°We never even dated in the first ce, just...¡± Mimi froze at once when she realized what she had just done.

    The reason why Draco had not harmed her on that day was that he thought the both of them were a thing and she was very precious to Victor. But now? She just undermined her importance to him. Who knew what Draco was thinking now he knew she wasn¡¯t as valuable to Victor as he thought.

    ¡°You both were not a couple, ¡°He snorted withughter,¡± I thought you were merely trying to protect him that day when you said so?¡±

    Protect him, her butt! Between her and Victor, who needed protection the most? Of course, her!

    ¡°In that case, you both must be quite close for him to have walked into danger for you that day. What are the both of you then? Friends with benefits?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mimi went red in the face, ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that!¡± She was quick to defend herself. Although they kissed once ¨C and a little dry-humping there- that didn¡¯t ssify their rtionship as one.

    ¡°Chill,¡± Draco chuckled at her red face. It was quite cute to look at.

    Mimi calmed down but she didn¡¯t stop ring at him. How could he think of that? Can¡¯t a man and woman just be close friends? And when did she even begin to feelfortable with him? This was a man she thought would kill her minutes ago.

    ¡°What are you doing tomorrow night?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± That question came out of nowhere, Mimi was stunned.

    ¡°Are you free tomorrow night? I want to apologize properly over dinner?¡± He said, cing his hand on the door frame, invading her space, and looking her over in such a way that told her he fancied her. The apology dinner he had in mind was definitely a date.

    Her mouth dried up and Mimi tried to control her burning cheeks. She had to admit, Draco was quite handsome, you know, the all dark and handsome type ¨C except with curly hair.

    Mimi opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. How did their once innocent conversation turn sizzling? This was not normal and had she forgotten this could be a ploy to lower her defenses.

    ¡°My reply would depend on the answer you give me to the question I¡¯m about to give you,¡± She wanted to test him.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Draco smirked, he was up for the challenge.

    Mimi smiled back too but it vanished as soon as it came as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I saw your face the day I hit you, Draco. You look like you would murder me if we crossed paths another time. So tell me then, is this some sort of sick, revenge n to get me to fall for you so you can break my heart in the end as a lesson?¡± Mimiid it bare for him.

    At that question, Draco had an inexplicable expression and didn¡¯t answer. Mimi sighed, just as she thought.

 Chapter 242

    242 Victor Was Still Protective Of Her

    ¡°Of course, you have no answer,¡± Mimi was now more than willing to end this conversation ¨C if only he could move away from her door.

    ¡°Of course, I was angry,¡± Draco retorted when she least expected it, ¡°I had my ass handed down to me by a woman. What man in his right mind wouldn¡¯t feel that way? You shamed me in front of my men.¡±

    ¡°In that case, this dinner is so not -¡±

    ¡°But you have guts,¡± Draco cut her off knowing nothing about that answer sounded positive, ¡°I like a woman with fire in her and so here I am, wanting to know more about that wonderful woman,¡± He ttered her, looking quite confident as if he had won already.

    Mimi gave him a long look before asking, ¡°And what would you do if I denied you a date tomorrow?¡±

    He grinned knowingly, ¡°I never said it was a date,¡±

    ¡°You are quite a goodedian,¡± Mimi grinned back. Draco was funnier than she thought.

    Draco didn¡¯t even think of his answer, he replied right away, ¡°I would probably give you space and then continue from where I stopped the next day,¡± He was smug.

    And the guy did have lots of confidence. It was charming in his own way.

    .....

    Mimi drew closer, meeting his gaze, ¡°Tomorrow wouldn¡¯t change our rtionship even though it might alter what I thought about you a bit,¡± She went on before he could say a word, ¡°So don¡¯t think of making it permanent,¡± She hinted at a rtionship.

    But Draco was not disappointed, rather he was quite cocky as he dered, ¡°All great rtionships started somehow,¡±

    Mimi didn¡¯t answer, she already warned him. So she simply said, ¡°You¡¯ve earned yourself a dinner tomorrow night. Although, you have to promise me that you won¡¯t stop me from leaving if I see what I don¡¯t like,¡±

    Mimi needed to be sure of that. This was her first date, no, dinner with him, and has to be sure Draco wouldn¡¯t threaten her into staying back when she feels the leastfortable anymore.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t happen since I already like what I see,¡± Draco stared over her body appreciatively.

    Mimi was not grossed out by his tant gesture, if anything she was thrilled by it. When was thest time a guy looked at her that way? Come to think of it, it¡¯s been months already since she went on a date. Maybe this wasn¡¯t a bad idea.

    ¡°But...¡± He went on, ¡°If I indeed make you ufortable, you are free to take your leave, baby.¡±

    Damn, this guy was a smooth talker. She was beginning to like him more and more ¨C Mimi appreciates a man who knows what he wants and goes after what he wants.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s tomorrow then,¡± Mimi breathed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Draco said, and then without warning, he swoop down and nted a peck on her cheek, saying, ¡°Until then,¡±

    Well, who was she kidding? She did see thating. Alright, maybe, she does have expectations now. Mimi hopes tomorrow goes sessfully as she imagined, it would be a big distraction from Victor¡¯s....

    Her face fell at once, she made a decision not to recall that incident until now. Thankfully, Draco had left already hence he didn¡¯t see the change in her demeanor.

    Mimi shut the door and leaned against it with a sigh. Now she thought about it, maybe this was a bad idea, after all? What would Victor think when she sees the both of them together? No, she was not going to think about that right now.

    Victor and Draco¡¯s feud was none of her business. She was simply going to have a good time with the young man tomorrow ¨C a young man that kidnapped her.

    No, he promised he wasn¡¯t going to hurt her and she believed him. Mob bosses were quite strict with their words because it was thew and they couldn¡¯t afford to lose their credibility. Whatever problems they both -Draco and Victor ¨C have, they would settle that after her date ¨C and without involving her.

    Mimi was about to go up and have her rest. Her head was clearer now, and the tears stopped which means she had no other reason to go hide in her aunt¡¯s ce and draw more suspicion to herself. She just had to cover her swollen eyes with a bit more makeup.

    She hardly put the flower in a vase when the doorbell rang again, followed by a loud banging. What the.... What now? Mimi couldn¡¯t understand why she couldn¡¯t get a rest today? Was it by chance, world¡¯s visiting day?

    Truthfully, she felt him before she opened that door but Mimi chose to ignore the feeling and was treated to the sight of an anxious Victor.

    He pushed the door open and engulfed her in a hug that knocked the breath out of her. What was going on?

    Before she could say a word, he already released her but began to scan her body.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mimi was flustered as she felt his hands all over her.

    But he wouldn¡¯t stop until she screamed his name, ¡°Victor?!¡±

    Victor froze, as if he was roused back to his senses. Then he squeezed her into his arms once more, nestling his neck in the crook of her neck and it sent shivers down her spine.

    ¡°I thought he hurt you or something,¡± He murmured, threading his hand through her hair.

    Of course, he knew Draco came, Mimi realized. It confirmed her fears that he really set someone to keep watch over her. Where was the person hiding? He must be a professional for her not to have noticed his presence. It made her uneasy yet relieved at the same time. It was warm to know Victor was still protective of her even after their fallout.

    Mimi could tell from the way his breath came out fast and deep that he must have run on his way here. He was sweating with his heart pounding loudly in her ears.

    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder, if Victor had this strong reaction to Draco¡¯s visit, what would he do when he hears she is going to have dinner with him tomorrow.

    Damn.

 Chapter 243

    243 They Should Be The Careful Ones

    Aziz wasn¡¯t even surprised when he was summoned into Lance¡¯s office. After that fight, he knew it was only a matter of fact till he got recognized ¨C and not for his real identity.

    ¡°You called me?¡± He said as soon as he came into his office.

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± The man was looking out through the windowpane, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, ¡°Have a seat,¡±

    Aziz sat down on the couch in the middle of the room as Lance came to join him. He sat across from him and Elijah was grateful for that space because he knew Lance was attracted to him.

    It was not his fault that he was too damn attractive and he was not going to lie, he ¨C Elijah ¨C intentionally sent some signals.

    Lance was attracted to males although his father Robert has no idea of that. For unknown reasons, the Mafia is against bent sexual orientation and the crime is punishable by death. Hence the man has no choice but to cover up his secret for fear of being discovered.

    But Elijah had done his research well and was a keen observer most of all. Hence, he was able to find out Lance¡¯s sexual identity at their first meeting and intentionally got close to him. If he was going to fulfill his mission here, he needed to have someone on his side ¨C even if it means messing with the man¡¯s emotions. A teeny bit. He hoped.

    Lance must understand the consequences of acting on his emotions as well because he hasn¡¯t made any advances on him ¨C and Elijah was thankful for that. His body was reserved for Arianna alone and he didn¡¯t know how to draw the line on acting gay without drawing suspicion.

    ¡°How was your night?¡± He asked, staring at him expectantly.

    .....

    ¡°Fine,¡± Elijah answered without meeting those tender gray eyes of his.

    While gray eyes were a rare color in the world, it was so abundant in the family that it became a culture to identify a Luciano by the color of their eye. The ratio of Lucianos with such genes was nine to one.

    And right now Lance looking at him that way was beginning to make him ufortable; he didn¡¯t realize Lance would fall for him this quickly and easily. Apparently, since he wasn¡¯t a ¡°woman¡±, Lance must think he didn¡¯t approach him with ulterior motives like his riches or something. If only he knew.

    Elijah didn¡¯t need his money since he had enough of that ¨C and a shipment of weapons that would give him billions if he sold that. He only needed Lance to boost him to the top ¨C next to Marcel ¨C without drawing suspicion.

    ¡°You called me,¡± Elijah intentionally drew his attention to the reason for hising. He needed to get this over with and he couldn¡¯t encourage Lance¡¯s feelings.

    He needed Lance ¨C because he was the easiest to manipte amongst the others ¨C but he needed to be careful at the same time so he doesn¡¯t get scalded in the process.

    ¡°Urm.. yes,¡± He cleared his throat, readjusting in his seat, ¡°About your fight the other day, I have to say that it drew quite an attention, and thanks to that, we think your skills need to be utilized instead of wasting away with the newbies. And thankfully, an opening came up today,¡± He said.

    Elijah knew he was supposed to be happy by that announcement so he quickly released a joyful expression. He wiped his face with his palm as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. His acting was top-notch that Lance didn¡¯t suspect a thing.

    Lance handed a file to him and upon opening it and going through it, Elijah realized he was supposed to be on the security details for Cindy Luciano. His brow raised, another of the Luciano family.

    ¡°She¡¯s my cousin and honestly, a handful to deal with. I¡¯m giving you a heads up,¡± Lance confessed.

    ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± but I¡¯ve handled worse brats than her. Elijah didn¡¯t add that one. Right now, he wasn¡¯t supposed to sound cocky but appreciative.

    ¡°When do I start?¡± Elijah couldn¡¯t wait to get started. Each time he wasted was the same amount of time Arianna had to spend with Marcel and it unsettled him.

    Had Elijah known, he would have simply gotten her out during the wedding than going through this longer route. But he had been too prideful, and overconfident and wanted to teach Marcel a lesson.

    The greatest kick to Marcel¡¯s pride would be snatching Arianna right under his nose. And that was what he intended to do except that he was beginning to run out of time.

    He already found out that that woman was back home which meant it was only a matter of time before his brother stopped sending his assistant and came for him instead. That would be game over.

    Aside from that, Elijah was getting ufortable with Marcel¡¯s silence. Marcel should already be making demands for his shipments with Arianna¡¯s life, but there was nothing like that which was impossible ¨C unless he was already taken by Arianna.

    That thought only made Elijah curl his fist. He trusts Arianna not to give in, he has studied the girl well enough and she has an undying royalty for the people she loves. It was Marcel he didn¡¯t trust.

    People like them hardly receive what they want, so when they see one, they pursue it with everything they gave till they conquered. In one word, If Marcel had begun to fancy Arianna, then he was in trouble. He had to step up his game real quick.

    ¡°Immediately,¡± Lance replied, ¡°You should meet Tim, my second inmand, he¡¯d give you further instructions.¡±

    ¡°Sure, thank you,¡± Elijah said, standing to his feet. He had to get started.

    ¡°Also, Aziz,¡± Lance called his attention when he was about to leave, ¡°Be careful,¡±

    ¡°I will. Thank you,¡±

    Who was he kidding? They should be the careful ones considering he has infiltrated their organization, lest he crumbles it to dust by taking them out one after the other.

 Chapter 244

    244 Turned Her Into A Stronger Person

    [Bonus Chapter]

    To Ga Gold ¨C Thanks for your immense support!

    Arianna woke up with a groan, she felt miserable. The events of the day unfolded in her mind in a matter of seconds, enough for her to wish the ground could open up and swallow her. Recalling that she cried in his arms made her want to bury her face into the sheet.

    Sheet? Wait a minute, why does the bed feel different?

    Arianna sat up at once, using that opportunity to survey her environment, she was in a new room and this current ¡°prison¡± was better than thest one.

    The bed was very soft, although it wasn¡¯t better than Marcel¡¯s ¨C that feels like floating on clouds ¨C but it was ten thousand better than thest one that almost broke her back.

    He must have moved her when she fell asleep in his arms. Damn it, that memory made her cringe. How could she cry in his arms? She revealed her vulnerability to him and the least she wanted was for Marcel to take advantage of her weakness.

    She felt like banging her head against the wall. How could she be this stupid? She should have fought him harder. But then, the deed was done and she can¡¯t keep crying over spilled milk.

    Her current room was very spacious and she liked it. No, she wasn¡¯t supposed to like anything here. Arianna knew she couldn¡¯t get toofortable in this ce. If Marcel thought that this gesture of goodwill would change her mind about him and make her hate him less? Then he should get used to disappointment.

    .....

    She hase to ept the fact that he was a monster who didn¡¯t care about who he hurt to aplish what he wanted. Arianna was not going to fight him anymore, but that doesn¡¯t mean she has given up.

    There evenes a time in war when the army retreats and changes the course of their ns. It was that time for Arianna and she knew she had to apply wisdom in her new strategy.

    She can¡¯t win this war going head-on against Marcel because he seems to always have a way to counter that and has proven his ability over and over again.

    She would go with the flow this time. Arianna nned to be as meek as amb and as wise as a serpent. But that doesn¡¯t mean she would make it easy for him either. If she didn¡¯t bother him like unusual, he¡¯d probably think she has something up her sleeve.

    Arianna climbed out of the bed and walked into the bathroom where she had a thorough bath. Her skin was beginning to feel sticky and ufortable and she stunk.

    Looking in the mirror, Arianna found out she had red, swollen eyes from crying. Aside from that, her cheeks were sunken and she was emaciated from the stress. She wasn¡¯t sickly thin considering Marcel never starved her but her corbones had prominent holes that needed to be filled up.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Elijah would like what he saw the next time they met. She bet not. That brilliant shine in her eyes was gone, reced by rage ¨C that was the only thing keeping her working this day ¨C and unyielding hope.

    Arianna was intimidated by her situation, however, she hasn¡¯t lost hope at all. Marcel can¡¯t keep her here forever, he¡¯d eventually get bored and let her go, or she would escape and never be captured again. It was two of those options because she doesn¡¯t depend on the third option anymore ¨C Elijah was going toe for her.

    Sorry, but Arianna needed not to dwell on false hope anymore. Believing she would just sit there and Elijah appears out of nowhere to save her ass was the mentality slowly killing her. For now, she was on her own.

    As she expected, the wardrobe was filled with new clothes which could only mean her stay here was permanent. He has no ns to release but that won¡¯t be long. For now, she would sit and observe his ns for her.

    Arianna chose a pair of oversized shirts ¨C that wouldn¡¯t reveal her shape ¨C and pants that would protect her better than a dress ¨C which he could easily ess. She pushed the memory out of her mind yet couldn¡¯t help but blush upon seeing the panties.

    Hopefully, he didn¡¯t select those by himself because it was mortifying trying to guess what he was thinking when he got her this. But then, who was she kidding? If she could find a set of female panties in his closet, this wouldn¡¯t be a problem either.

    Hardly had she dressed up before a knock came on her door but Arianna didn¡¯t answer, what¡¯s the use of the sudden courtesy now? After three unanswered knocks, the door was opened by someone that wasn¡¯t Marcel. It was an unfamiliar woman. An older woman.

    ¡°Miss,¡± She called her, and Arianna did not doubt at that moment that this was a staff member working for Marcel.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Her voice was not kind either. She just wanted them to leave her alone.

    ¡°Boss wants you to have dinner with -¡±

    ¡°Tell your boss that I¡¯m not interested in his dinner. Now, you can go,¡± Arianna dismissed her while checking out the motion sensors installed in her room. She guessed that was how he was able to predict she was awake.

    Damn Marcel, but then, it was better than a surveince camera. She would go bananas knowing he watched every single one of her activities. That would be a full-scale invasion of privacy, but thankfully, he thought it through.

    He installed the motion sensor in the corner of the room that will give the sensor the widest possible view of the space below. The sensor pointed at the doorway, with no obstructions in the way while the other was ced above the doorway, keeping it out of sight.

    But then Arianna was surprised to see that the woman was still standing in her room when she clearly dismissed her. For an older woman, she was fiddling with her hands and looked anxious.

    ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± On other days, Arianna wouldn¡¯t be this harsh but she wasn¡¯t in the best of moods. With each passing day spent in captivity, she was bing sensitive, foul-tempered, and austere.

    This lifestyle was changing her, no, scratch that, it has changed her into someone her past self wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize. She has killed for f*ck sake ¨C taken a life that she didn¡¯t provide in the first ce. Well, it was to kill or get killed. If there was anything better, this ce turned her into a stronger person.

 Chapter 245

    245 Lied To Her

    ¡°Y-young miss,¡± The woman stuttered and Arianna sighed, running her hand through her hair. She hated the defenseless look in the woman¡¯s eyes because it seemed like she was at her mercy.

    And that was the case.

    ¡°The boss says I can¡¯t return if I don¡¯t bring you downstairs,¡± The woman confessed, shaking like a leaf in autumn. It made Arianna feel guilty knowing this was someone¡¯s mother and she has always treated older women with respect.

    And Marcel must know that which is why he intentionally sent the woman to get her. He wanted to guilt trap her. Fortunately, she had her ns as well.

    ¡°Then you can sit with me....¡± Arianna tapped the side of her bed, ¡°I¡¯ve been cravingpany for a long time now.¡± She assumed that would work but Marcel was much smarter than she gave him credit for.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand young miss...¡± The woman shook her head, her eyes threatening to water, ¡°He¡¯s going to fire me if I don¡¯t carry out this task. Sadly, I can¡¯t lose my job now, I need the money to feed my children, not to mention I¡¯m the breadwinner of the family. Please help me.¡±

    The guilt trip was sessful.

    Marcel won this round because there was no way she would stay still after hearing what that woman just said. If not for anything, the thought of the children starving if she loses this job. Arianna couldn¡¯t ept it.

    Having grown up on the streets, Arianna understood how hard it was to survive and parents scraped by with whatever they could get their hands on. Thinking of it now, she was kind of grateful her father left something behind even though her uncle hogged everything.

    .....

    Arianna might have slept in a smaller roompared to udia¡¯svish one but she didn¡¯t have a leaking roof over her head; she was schooledpared to others who dropped out due tock of resources; She had a trust fund to forward to, unlike the others who inherited nothing from their poor parents. In one way, she was blessed.

    She had to help this woman.

    ¡°If I had dinner with him, he wouldn¡¯t fire you again, right?¡± Arianna wanted to be sure of what she was doing knowing Marcel was good at tricks.

    ¡°Yes, miss,¡± She nodded.

    With a sigh, Arianna followed after her. Her ns of going on a hunger strike were now ruined. Marcel must have predicted that she would take that route and stopped it before she even started.

    But then, Arianna came to a startling discovery on her way down. Her room was directly above Marcel and for some reason, it felt intimate and annoying at the same time. How can she escape when he was this close to her? Well, don¡¯t give up hope now, Arianna, we are just starting. Sheforted herself.

    Arianna found him in the dining room already digging into the meal without her. Heck, why the hell was she annoyed about that? Why should she care that he didn¡¯t wait for her? They weren¡¯t friends anyway.

    Yet she couldn¡¯t help but drink him in, especially the casual shirt he was wearing; the way it fits snugly, disying the hard muscles there. But then, his eyes suddenly connected with her, and Arianna¡¯s heart mmed into her ribcage.

    She turned away at once while hoping to God he didn¡¯t catch her staring at him. God, this was so embarrassing, she shouldn¡¯t havee here. Now, he was going to think she was going soft on him. So annoying!

    Arianna made sure she looked calm and in control even though her heart was still pounding in her chest. She can¡¯t show she was flustered by his appearance. No, she can¡¯t fuel his already huge male ego.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± He said, rolling the spaghetti in his fork, ¡°Join me,¡± He put it in his mouth.

    But Arianna didn¡¯t join him, she said instead, ¡°You resort to lowly threats now?¡±

    Marcel wiped the corner of his mouth with the napkin, then looked up at her, ¡°Don¡¯t you know your table manners, Arianna? No talking during mealtime,¡± He said casually and that irked her the more.

    ¡°You were going to fire her!¡± She raised her voice but instead of Marcel reacting with the same intensity, he asked calmly,

    ¡°Who said anything about firing her?¡±

    She shut her eyes, trying to rein in her anger, ¡°Don¡¯t y the pretense game with me, Marcel. I know that you threatened that poor woman to -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lied to you,¡± Someone said from the side and Arianna turned to discover that it was the woman from earlier and she was getting more food on the table as if the ones there weren¡¯t enough. Would more people join then because she was sure she and Marcel wouldn¡¯t finish that ¨C that is if she evenys a hand on the food.

    Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed at that statement and she couldn¡¯t help but feel something wasn¡¯t right ¨C like a sense of betrayal. She stared at the woman hard, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Young Master Marcel did nothing like that, I was the one who told the lie,¡± The woman said and her jaw almost dropped to the ground.

    Why would anyone lie for Marcel without him forcing them? It was utterly ridiculous! That was until she saw the both of them exchange looks and knew there was some sort of connection between them. Arianna could almost liken it to the rtionship between Marcel and his cousin, Victor ¨C she hasn¡¯t seen for a while now. One thing was for sure, they were close.

    ¡°Arianna, let me introduce my Head Housekeeper, Beatrice. She just returned from her long break and has been there for me over the years. I hope the both of you get along,¡± Marcel introduced her.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, dear,¡± Beatrice extended her hand for a handshake but Arianna just stared at her skeptically.

    She was not keen on trusting and getting attached to people nowadays especially since the Cassie incident. Would getting to know this kind-looking elderly womane to bite her in the asster?

 Chapter 246

    246 She Knows Enough Information About Marcel

    The woman went on to say to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear, I didn¡¯t intend to build our rtionship based on lies but I heard your rtionship with this little imp started on the wrong foot....¡±

    Arianna was more than shocked when she saw that woman grab Marcel by the head and push his face into the bowl of warm, homely,forting bean and sausage hotpot served with cheese toasts.

    What the fuck?! Arianna was hanging on the borderline ofughter and disbelief.

    Arianna took back her word from earlier, she was hundred percent sure that she would get along with this woman ¨C if Marcel doesn¡¯t kill her after this incident.

    However, to her surprise, Marcel only lifted his head, a chopped sausage slipping down his face and she couldn¡¯t help it anymore. Arianna burst into loudughter that made Marcel¡¯s lips form into a thin line as he wiped the tomato pur¨¦e with the help of the napkin Beatrice boldly handed to him.

    This was so hrious, Arianna wished she had her cell phone by her side so she could snap this moment and turn the photo into a meme. God, this was the one time she got to see Marcel utterly embarrassed and he didn¡¯t react. He and Beatrice must be much closer than she thought for Marcel to forgive her this easily.

    ¡°While youdiesugh over my misery, I¡¯ll go make myself presentable,¡± Marcel said wryly, pushing back the seat with his butt as he stood to leave.

    When Marcel left, as if someone shouted, ¡°Jack Robinson,¡± Arianna and Beatrice burst into another round ofughter that was much more savage than the previous one.

    ¡°That was so original,¡± Arianna told the woman, ¡°For a moment there, I thought I saw smoke oozing off his head,¡± She deceivedmically.

    .....

    This was the first time she was having this much fun since she arrived here. Finally, when the humorous ambiance eased, Arianna turned to the woman, stretching her hand, as she introduced herself to her, ¡°I¡¯m Arianna, Marcel¡¯s captive.¡±

    ¡°Poor child,¡± The woman murmured with sympathy, and instead of epting her handshake, pulled her into a warm embrace.

    Emotions choked Arianna and she fought intensely to keep the tears down. She didn¡¯t know if this woman was sincere but she needed her constion at the moment.

    She has been fighting this battle all alone, the burden weighing down on her so much it was suffocating with no one to share her experience, to lighten the weight in her heart. Hence, that simple gesture warmed Arianna¡¯s heart especiallying from an older woman ¨C it felt maternal.

    ¡°I understand how hard it is, it¡¯s never easy in the first ce,¡± Beatrice said, rubbing her back soothingly.

    As she thought, the woman had an idea of what was going on here and seemed okay with it. For how long has she associated with Marcel for her to befortable with this twisted kingdom. Would theree a time when she possesses the same level offort about the underworld? The thought of that scared Arianna.

    She was young and had dreams to achieve. Although if she thought about dreams now, Arianna couldn¡¯t give a clear view of what she wanted anymore.

    Back at home, her dream was to be independent, be free of her uncle¡¯s family hassles, and livefortably with her trust fund money. But now, all she wanted was to be free of Marcel¡¯s clutches and run off to a ce where he would never be able to find her.

    She would live quietly and start a family with a responsible guy that would pierce together her currently shattered heart. And maybe, she ends up as a dance teacher in a local school ¨C her dreams of being a famous dancer would draw too much attention since she wanted to be far away from that Mafia Lord, Marcel. She had toy low in that situation.

    ¡°You should have your meal before it gets cold,¡± Beatrice brought it to her notice after they pulled away from the now awkward hug.

    Sigh, Arianna, you can¡¯t just open up to any stranger that looks kind. Looks were deceiving and Cassie¡¯s betrayal should have taught her enough already. But she had this feeling that Beatrice wasn¡¯t that kind of person, perhaps, because she was an elder?

    Cassie wanted to murder her because she assumed that she wanted her lover, Kenith. Clearly, Beatrice was over that lively pleasure of life because an old woman trying to murder her over Marcel¡¯s attention was a trauma Arianna wouldn¡¯t want to experience. It even sounded ridiculous in her head.

    However, just because Beatrice wouldn¡¯t murder her for catching Marcel¡¯s attention doesn¡¯t mean she should be trusted. After all, Marcel told her they¡¯ve known each other for a long time, meaning she¡¯s his person and would likely never betray him.

    Arianna had to be careful what she said around the woman in case she turns out to be a spy instead of a mother figure.

    ¡°Here, you should have this. The toast is to kill for,¡± Beatrice pushed the te to her front, taking a seat beside her at the same time.

    Arianna ended up epting the food against her n of starving. But what could she do? The food here was tantalizing and she was almost beginning to salivate like a dog. This was a perfect temptation.

    The moment she took a bite of the toast, Arianna shut her eyes and moaned in bliss. The food tasted good,parable to the ones Mimi¡¯s mother used to prepare the both of them.

    God, she missed her cooking.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± The woman asked, her expression full of expectation.

    With her mouthful, Arianna couldn¡¯t reply, so she only gave her a thumbs up, her delighted expression telling it all.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± The woman breathed, ¡°I thought I might have touched my magic touch with the long break,¡±

    Beatrice, having been observing Arianna eat, poured her a ss of water seeing she was about to choke.

    ¡°You should slow down, the food isn¡¯t going anywhere and there¡¯s more,¡± Beatrice advised her while she drank the water.

    Arianna set the ss down on the table with a deep breath. She then asked the woman, ¡°How long have you known Marcel?¡±

    ¡°Since he was in diapers?¡±

    Arianna raised a stunned brow, since he was in diapers? Wait a minute, didn¡¯t that mean she has every necessary information she needed to know about Marcel.

    This should be interesting.

 Chapter 247

    247 What about your parents?

    ¡°That means you practically know everything about him,¡± Arianna asked hopefully, tactically prying for information.

    Beatrice smiled, then leaned closer, asking, ¡°What exactly do you want to know about him?¡±

    What exactly does she want to know about Marcel? How to kill him? His deadly secret she could use to threaten him?

    As if.

    Now she thought about it, Arianna realized how pathetic her situation was; her future looked bleak.

    ¡°You¡¯ve not asked anything,¡± Beatrice reminded her when she got lost in her reverie.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna came back to earth pretty quickly but her mind was nk. Beatrice would likely not answer the kind of question she had in mind and she didn¡¯t know the question to ask that wouldn¡¯t draw suspicion.

    Then it hit her.

    ¡°What about his parents?¡± She was curious about that. It was true that she and Marcel hadn¡¯t interacted much, but she knew practically nothing about his background while he probably searched up hers. Arianna felt at ease knowing about him as well.

    .....

    Upon that question, Beatrice lost all smiles on her face and that reaction didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Arianna who frowned, wondering what she said wrong.

    ¡°Are you alright? You don¡¯t look too well?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± Beatrice covered her reaction with a smile immediately.

    ¡°Are you sure? For a moment there, you seemed like you saw a ghost,¡± Arianna studied her intently, having a feeling that the topic was a sensitive one.

    Beatrice wiped her face at once, saying apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arianna but that question of yours can only be answered by Marcel. You can ask me anything else that doesn¡¯t rte to his parents,¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s the only thing I¡¯m interested in...¡± Arianna muttered, thinking over her words.

    ¡°What are the both of you gossiping about?¡± Marcel finally returned and both women broke apart at once.

    Beatrice cleared her throat, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving you two to enjoy your meal,¡± she turned to Arianna, ¡°Nice to meet you, child, I hope we meet a lot,¡±

    The woman was offering to spend more time together, Arianna realized. It was not her idea of her freedom but if that would save her from boredom, then so be it.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Arianna epted the offer. It was better to give Marcel the illusion that she was getting settled here and then take him unaware when he least expects it than proving stubborn and making him strengthen his defenses the more.

    Beatrice smiled kindly at her and left, giving both of them the privacy she didn¡¯t need. Arianna felt more secure with morepany than being all alone with Marcel. He unsettled her for strange reasons.

    ¡°She¡¯s a nice woman, the both of you would get along fine,¡± Marcel said to her after a moment of silence.

    ¡°Why?¡± Arianna scoffed, ¡°So you could use her to spy on me?¡±

    But Marcelughed at her ¨C the way an adult would do to a child they find silly.

    ¡°Trust me, Arianna,¡± He said seriously, holding her gaze, ¡°I know all there is about you. And the ones I¡¯m yet to know? I have many ways of finding them out,¡±

    Arianna gulped, he sounded scary right now yet heat couldn¡¯t help but creep up her face. She took her eyes away from his smoldering gray eyes that were beginning to melt her from the inside.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Arianna retorted nonchntly while making a mental note never to look him in the eyes for too long. This is crazy.

    A tense silence fell over them once more as they ate until Arianna said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°What Beatrice and I had been discussing before your arrival?¡± She gave him a daring look.

    ¡°No,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was stunned.

    Marcel gestured to his face, ¡°You were probably discussing me, so I¡¯m not bothered,¡± he winked at her.

    ¡°What the...¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard. How could someone¡¯s ego be this inted? Unbelievable.

    ¡°If you want to know more about me, love, I suggest you ask directly. I have a more vivid description than that old nanny can offer,¡± Marcel was smug.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arianna smirked, putting down her spoon knowing that this was the opportunity she has been waiting for.

    Marcel was so carried away by the moment that he didn¡¯t notice the menace in Arianna¡¯s tone and the glint in her eyes.

    ¡°Yes,¡± He stated proudly, gesturing with his hand to her, ¡°Ask whatever you want,¡±

    Since they were sitting diagonally opposite each other, Arianna propped up her chin on the table and faced him fully, asking with a raised brow, ¡°What about your parents then?¡±

    At once Marcel stiffened, the expression dying off his face while Arianna smirked viinously. Just as she expected.

    Marcel¡¯s expression looked so chilling like he was going to murder her but in a matter of seconds it rxed, yet, the tension didn¡¯t leave his body.

    ¡°Why?¡± He asked rigidly, ¡°Why my parents?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Arianna tilted her head unsure, ¡°Since I¡¯m beginning to know you, why don¡¯t I start from there?¡±

    ¡°Arianna...¡± There was a warning edge to his voice because whatever she said next would determine her death or survival.

    But she answered fiercely, ¡°You did a background check on me and as you said earlier, you know everything about me. What¡¯s the harm in knowing everything about you as well?¡±

    Although her tone was harsh and taunting, Marcel was able to sense her curiosity and so he calmly answered, ¡°My mother iste and I¡¯m estranged from my father. ¡±

    ¡°Lucky you,¡± She said to him and Marcel couldn¡¯t tell if this was one of her sarcasm because if it was, it has crossed the line and he was prepared to rebuke her when she added, ¡°At least you got to know your mother and you have a father to alienate,¡±

    He stopped.

    There was yearning in her tone and he remembered she was an orphan. Well not anymore, since her mother has just been found to be alive.

    Marcel was just about to say something when someone stormed into the dining room and he looked up to discover that it was his cousin Victor.

    An angry Victor.

 Chapter 248

    248 Kidnapping Turned Him On

    Arianna has met a lot of people, but not one that could eat like a Buffalo. Not that she has seen a buffalo eat before but you get the concept.

    She finally understood why there was a lot of food on the table because with Victor joining them, there was currently little to nothing left.

    ¡°You should slow...¡± Marcel didn¡¯t get to finish the rest of his statement because Victor lifted his head and red at him so fiercely that if his eyes were bullets, thousands of it would have been lodged in Marcel¡¯s chest by now.

    Arianna observed the hostility between both cousins, it seems they had a fight. This was interesting ¨C this ce wasn¡¯t as boring as she thought.

    Whatever was bothering Victor must be quite intense because he scoffed down the food as if an apocalypse would happen in the next minute and he was hoarding energy.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Marcel couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°You¡¯re going to die from food -¡±

    ¡°Go to hell!¡± Victor screamed at him, bits of food escaping from his mouth and let¡¯s just say that Arianna who was beside Victor would never look at him the same way again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do, it¡¯s my shity business!¡± Victor screamed at his cousin¡¯s, startling Arianna. Not to talk of Marcel who took the brunt.

    ¡°Because this is all your fault, asshole!¡± Victor stood up abruptly ¨C but not without grabbing a bread roll from the tray and took a savage bite out of it like a caveman ¨C and left the same way he came.

    .....

    Marcel was stunned by his cousin¡¯s attitude and was only able to recover when he was gone. He then yelled at the empty space, ¡°Come back here, you little, arrogant brat!¡± Marcel was unable to control his anger, ring at his empty seat.

    Meanwhile, Arianna wrapped her arms across her chest, watching the drama and when it looked as if Marcel had calmed down a bit, she faced him,

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not the only one you hurt in your quest to get what you want. How horrible you must feel right now,¡± She said with fake sympathy.

    ¡°Not you too, please,¡± Marcel pleaded with closed ones, rubbing his temple. He had so much on his te already and he didn¡¯t want her to add to it ¨C and she was good at goading him.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy to win back Victor. This wasn¡¯t the time either for the both of them to be at each other¡¯s throat, not when Elijah¡¯s case was still unsolved. They worked like the wheels on a bicycle and Marcel couldn¡¯t function properly without his cousin. He had to find a way to get Victor to forgive him.

    ¡°Why?¡± Arianna went on nheless with his warning. What¡¯s the worst that he could do to her? She already experienced it all.

    And let¡¯s be honest here, even if he locked her up again, if she yed her cards well, he¡¯d be the one letting her out and begging for her forgiveness.

    He told her he likes her? she was going to use that. The worst mistake Marcel made was giving her that privilege.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the type to wee people¡¯s opinions. I¡¯m just stating what I saw,¡± Sheughed sarcastically, ¡°What did you do to your cousin, Marcel? It doesn¡¯t seem like you hit him else the bruises would be on his face?¡±

    Marcel growled at her, ¡°I¡¯m not abusive,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s riching from the mouth of someone who kidnapped me....¡± She paused andughed, ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t tell me you kidnapped someone he likes?¡± she randomly guessed.

    His expression shifted.

    She caught it.

    ¡°My God,¡± Arianna gasped, ¡°You must really like kidnapping people? First, me, then, Mimi, and now, even your cousin¡¯s crush? What¡¯s wrong with you? You must like kidnapping people and all since you¡¯re the boss and have the power to do whatever you want? Tell me, Marcel, kidnapping people, does it turn you on? Damn, you really need help before you turn into a full pledged psychopath,¡± Arianna fired at him without mercy.

    She wanted to provoke him and it was working because Marcel¡¯s eyes shed and in the next minute, he was upon her. Even when he loomed above her, Arianna didn¡¯t back down. Gone were her days of running, she was not afraid of him anymore. She would love to see what he could do best.

    He hurled her up to her feet without warning and though her heart was pounding in her throat, Arianna didn¡¯t show fear. Not even when he had his hands around her throat and could squeeze the life out of her.

    But Marcel didn¡¯t crush her windpipe nor choke her, his hand was just there as a reminder of how fragile she was and how easily he could end her.

    ¡°Do it then,¡± Arianna met his challenge, lifting her chin, ¡°I¡¯ve provoked and challenged you long enough, isn¡¯t it enough crime to take away my life, Boss?¡± she said with a sneer.

    Marcel¡¯s jaw ticked and his eyes looked like it would spit fire anytime soon which was a huge contrast to the way he held her neck, almost caressing it, not that Arianna noticed. For all she knows, it was warm-up before he decided to choke her to death.

    And as she guessed, his hand tightened in the next minute, cutting off the air she was breathing in. Her eyes widened, he really wanted to kill her? Fine! Let him do it! She¡¯d be rid of him and this world and finally find the peace she craved in the afterlife.

    Marcel¡¯s voice was a growl as he said, ¡°You asked me if kidnapping turns me on? No, it doesn¡¯t. But I¡¯ll show you what turns me on,¡± He suddenly released her throat to her surprise and she was able to breathe.

    However, Arianna hardly got a lungful of air before his hand went around her waist, pressing her flush against his body as his lips crashed down on her.

    Arianna forgot how to breathe once more because he stole the little air she managed to snag before her time was up. Her body stilled as her brain attempted to interpret what was going on?

    Marcel was kissing her?

 Chapter 249

    249 She Had Never Felt This Disgraced

    Arianna froze.

    Her body stiffened for like a minute or so before she realized what was going on and was appalled. How dare he?!

    Arianna tried to pull away but Marcel had a bruising hold on her waist and she couldn¡¯t pull away. His kiss wasn¡¯t gentle either, it was brutal ¨C and arrogant.

    He was trying to show her who had the upper hand here and he was winning. Marcel knew how much she loathed him touching her and yet that was what he did.

    His lips were not gentle at all, his tongue invading her mouth and stealing the little air she managed to snatch. The more she struggled against him, the further aware she was of her body pressing against his and her breast squeezing into his chest.

    His heart was pounding loudly and she could tell it wasn¡¯t from exertion but from the same desire trying to affect her. No, she can¡¯t lose control. Not now.

    Thankfully, Marcel had to withdraw for them to be able to breathe. He broke apart from her, his gray eyes darkened with lustful desire that sent shivers down her spine.

    ¡°Y-you-!¡± She shouted, ring furiously at him while trying to catch her breath, ¡± How dare you -!¡±

    But that was as far as she could speak, because he cradled her head and settled his lips over hers once again.

    .....

    What the hell is wrong with him tonight? Arianna didn¡¯t have the time toin because he was brutalizing her lips once again.

    This neanderthal man?! Doesn¡¯t he know thew? This is assault! She would make him understand that ¨C after surviving this.

    As he shoved his tongue inside her mouth this time, Arianna snapped her teeth together intending to sink them into his tongue.

    However, Marcel anticipated her move and just as she was about to execute it, he grabbed her ass and ground her against him with all of his strength. Arianna gasped and that was all the opening he needed to conquer her mouth, his tongue exploring every corner of her teeth and further.

    Arianna moaned and he swallowed the sound, the tension finally leaving her body. She was unable to deny him any longer, swamped by too many emotions. Arianna was drained of all fight and right now, she just wanted to sumb to her body¡¯s desires.

    This felt good and what¡¯s the use of fighting anyway when it would only push Marcel into exerting his dominance over her. So she gave in and her hands previously shoving against the muscles of his chest were now pulling him closer. She loved the feel of their body pressed together.

    Unlike earlier when it seemed like Marcel was at war with her mouth, he eased the brutality of the kiss this time. It was intense and passionate and she kissed him back with the same feverish heat.

    Their mouths were still locked together when he turned and pinned her against the table. She whimpered from the pain but he was quick to soothe her with his deep kisses.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± Arianna moaned his name, digging her hands into his hair. Her heart picked up speed while blood rushed to her head. She was in heaven on earth and it was pretty crazy.

    It wasn¡¯t until Marcel began to tug at the hem of her oversized shirt and the other trailed down her bare skin sending pleasure between her legs that Arianna began to understand the severity of what she was doing ¨C and with who.

    She protested by pping his palm away and thankfully he didn¡¯t push her further, choosing to focus on the kiss and how it affected her body.

    Unfortunately, all good things muste to an end because they eventually came up for air and Arianna came down from the cloud nine she had previously been on.

    ¡°You bastard?!¡± She screamed and lifted her hand to hit him but Marcel grabbed it. Arianna tried the other hand but he seized it as well and she was unable to get out of his grasp.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop now with the pretense?¡± He told her.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about, nheless, it sounded offensive.

    ¡°For someone who ims to be in love with her boyfriend, you sure respond passionately to my advances,¡± There was a hint of derision in his tone.

    ¡°Let go!¡± Arianna was so full of anger. How dare he mock her? He was the one who seduced her and now used her of being a pretender and two-timing? She had never felt this disgraced.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you for once tell yourself the truth? Are you sure you really don¡¯t have feelings for me?¡± He incited her to give him an answer.

    ¡°I said let me go right now?!¡± Arianna screamed at his face fiercely. She was so embarrassed right now that all she wanted to do was to hide her face. She had been the fool to get carried away with the pleasure. What had she been thinking ying with fire and expecting not to get burned?

    Marcel finally let go of her and though she didn¡¯t hit him, the look in her eyes made him wish she did. He didn¡¯t mean to push her this far, rather he wanted to show her she felt something for him and the both of them could build something better than the one she had with Elijah.

    ¡°Well, congrattions?¡± Arianna told him face to face, her eyes watering, ¡°You¡¯ve proven I¡¯m what? A slut? A cheater?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean -¡± Marcel tried to exin but she cut him off.

    ¡°Well, what happens now? Are you going to take me to bed next to satisfy your male ego and rub your victory all over Elijah¡¯s face? Hashtag, I banged your girlfriend in my custody. Who knows, he might respond to that call much faster? You should try that,¡± She was being mean on purpose.

    ¡°Arianna.... ¡±

    ¡°Why? What are you waiting for? Should I help you in making a decision?¡± Arianna already had her hands on the hem of her shirt, ready to pull it over her head.

 Chapter 250

    250 Nothing But Lust Between Us

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Marcel was the one who stopped her from taking off her shirt, eyes zing.

    ¡°Why are you stopping me?¡± Arianna confronted him head-on. In her current state of mind, she just didn¡¯t care anymore.

    She stood straight, asking him loudly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me in your bed? You said you liked me? Who knows, I might really like you if we sleep together? Don¡¯t you want to give it a try, wasn¡¯t that the n anyway? Isn¡¯t that the reason you manipted my body in the first ce?¡± She said, touching him without restraint.

    ¡°Would you stop it already?!¡± He grabbed her hand that slipped into his shirt, ¡°Do you know how pathetic you look right now?!¡± Marcel shouted at her with so much rage that echoed through her body and she stilled.

    ¡°Fine, I kissed you!¡± He admitted it, ¡°But you¡¯re not meless either,¡±

    Her mouth opened as if she was about to defend herself but Marcel didn¡¯t give her a chance as he went on, ¡°You taunt and push me from every corner, turning me on, how do you expect me to react to that? Especially when you do that on purpose?¡±

    Arianna nched at the usation, ¡°I don¡¯t do that!¡± She was quick to defend herself, ¡°Everything I do is to make your life miserable and find my way out of here?!¡± She fired at him.

    ¡°Really?¡± Marcel scoffed, amused by her excuse. Then without warning, he took two steps toward her.

    In her agitated state, Arianna saw Marcel¡¯s sudden move as an aggressive one and she quickly moved back to create more space between them and be able to defend herself without him distracting her.

    .....

    However, she forgot about the table and ended up stumbling in the way only for him to wrap his arms around her waist, righting her.

    Even as she stood upright, he wouldn¡¯t let go of her so she decided to create more space between them before he used her of seducing him this time. However, before she could think of aplishing her n, he already pressed her flush against his chest.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± She breathed, eyes widening at his gesture. This was exactly what led to thisplication in the first ce and now, he was having a repeat of it. He was definitely crazy.

    ¡°Tell me, Arianna...¡± His hands were digging into her hair until he was cradling her head and she wasn¡¯t able to look away from his intense eyes, ¡°For one moment when you were provoking me, that you never had this dark thought of me iming you?¡±

    This was not good at all.

    Arianna gulped with a shaky breath. Her palm became mmy, her heart beginning to pound in her chest and she wanted to look away but she couldn¡¯t, he held her still.

    Arianna looked guilty and yes, she truly was. Although she did not imagine him kissing her when she provoked him, all that came to her mind was that day he spanked her. The energy saturating the room then felt simr; anger, lust, and power. So she had that dark thought, if only she could feel it once more.

    Arianna could not answer; her mouth parted with no wordsing from her mouth. But the look in her eyes was enough to answer Marcel, ¡°Seems I was right, after all,¡± He snorted with disbelief.

    ¡°You give me mixed signals and when I act on them, you push the whole me on me? Does it make you feel better and righteous that way? Inciting me, does it turn you on?¡± Marcel challenged him, in the same manner she did earlier. But unlike her, his darkened gaze never left her face for one moment as he studied her.

    Arianna shivered in his arms. This was wrong and she wasn¡¯t supposed to react this way but she couldn¡¯t fight against her body¡¯s response. Marcel confused her at the same time, she couldn¡¯t tell if he wanted to kill her.... or kiss her.

    Oh no.

    But she practically moaned when he brushed his hand across her lower lips, her eyes lidded and darkened with desire.

    ¡°You will be the death of me....¡± Marcel muttered, his gaze flickering to her parted lips and he felt a rising down there. The air became charged and without warning, his lips came down on her once more and she was a willing participant now.

    Unlike earlier, Marcel kissed her without holding back, with unbridled lust and she struggled to keep up with him. He ground into her and she moaned, her hand digging into his scalp.

    Marcel swallowed that sound, no, he relished that. He wanted to im her and show her there was no escaping him. She belonged to him already. But he had to tread carefully and gently if he didn¡¯t want to scare her and push her away. Marcel couldn¡¯t afford to ruin the little progress he made between them.

    So he merely kissed her, ravaged her pretty, luscious lips, and explored the depth of her mouth till she was whimpering and demanding more.

    But he didn¡¯t give her what she wanted. Like a silent poison, it has to be fed in portions and consistently till it builds up in the body and the victim doesn¡¯t even know until the symptoms show.

    They broke apart from the kiss but Marcel allowed himself a small treat like kissing the corner of her lips and taking her lower lips in between his tongue and biting it slightly.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± She reacted from the pain, but there he was, soothing her with another kiss and she couldn¡¯t stop him.

    ¡°You know we could do so much together? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t feel this pull between us,¡± Marcel said softly, against her lips.

    Arianna sighed, then pulled away to create more space between them to his confusion, ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing but lust between us, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°No, I can prove -¡±

    ¡°Consider this apse in morals and you can be rest assured I won¡¯t have improper thoughts about you anymore or provoke you into action, just the same way you wouldn¡¯t attempt to take advantage of my vulnerability anymore,¡± Arianna suddenly told him with all manner of seriousness and took her leave before he couldprehend what was going on.

 Chapter 251

    251 Be On His Tail Again

    ¡°This is frustrating,¡± Aziz muttered as he continuously tugged at the tie around his neck. There was a reason why he hated wearing ties and this was it ¨C they made him uneasy. But right now, he was wearing one for the sake of that brat on stage performing.

    Cindy Luciano, the spoiled princess of the Luciano family, Aziz has no ns or desire to be with her and would rather be entangled with her other half-sister, Adele. Yes, Adele was smart and it would be tough hiding his identity around her, Elijah loved himself a good challenge.

    The thrill of the game, wasn¡¯t that the reason he had left his own family to be on his own? Back home, he was treated like the prince he was, after all, it was not easy to be from one of the most powerful underworld families.

    Being thest child out of the family of five siblings ¨C all male ¨C who made it their responsibility to ensure that their baby brother was properly catered for, Elijah had always felt his ability was underrated.

    With his four brothers already leaving their marks in the underworld, Elijah felt there was no space for him and so he decided to leave, and here he was, already making a name for himself. The phantom ghost? It made his lips curl in satisfaction. However, the only thing that would make him truly satisfied now would be retrieving Arianna.

    Once he had Arianna, he would go to his elder brother and demand his own territory to rule. It could be anywhere in the world and all he needed to do was just to say the word and it was done.

    Once he had his kingdom, he would settle down with Arianna, and together, they would rule their kingdom, have a lot of kids, and live happily ever after.

    But for now, he had to focus on messing around with Marcel and if it pleases him, perhaps crumble his kingdom as well?

    No, Eric would give him an earful if that were to happen. The Luciano family might not be as powerful as they were but they were old and had quite an influence.

    .....

    If both factions were to go to war, his family was sure to win but it wouldn¡¯t be easy at all and there was one percent chance of the tide turning against them if Marcel manages to snag enough supporters.

    As much as they were a strong family, there was still power in numbers ¨C and Marcel would be sure to take advantage of that. A king cannot win a war without his knights.

    ¡°You must be the newbie if you¡¯re tugging at your tie like that,¡± a fellow guard struck up a conversation with him out of nowhere and as much as Elijah would love to roll his eyes and give him the silence, he couldn¡¯t.

    He was using a fake identity here and from his profile, he was known to have a bubbling personality. The people here were quite sensitive to details, deviate from that personality for far too long and questions were sure to be asked.

    Aside from that, Elijah wanted to focus on his mission and that meant he needed no conflict with his colleagues. Bullying in the workce was amon thing but he can¡¯t let one be a hindrance to his n or risk his identity, hence he wanted minimal confrontation by all means.

    So he shed a sheepish grin at the man, behaving like an ignorant newbie, ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m not used to wearing ties,¡± Well, turns out his dislike for ties worked out in his favor.

    The manughed, hitting him yfully on the back, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was once in your position.¡±

    Although it was an innocent gesture, Elijah who was not used to having people touch him easily tensed up. His guard was up but seeing that the man meant no harm, he rxed eventually. He nervouslyughed alongside him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry much, you¡¯d get used to it. But at the moment, you have to put up with it because our spoiled princess is quite meticulous and fussy about appearances. So unless you don¡¯t want to get on her bad side, I suggest you exercise patience.¡± The man gave him the heads up.

    ¡°In that case, thank you.¡± Aziz kept up with his bright appearance and the man seemed satisfied with his gratitude.

    But when he wasn¡¯t looking, Elijah sighed. He¡¯d have to go through all of this trouble for that spoiled brat? He stared at the teenage pop singer from backstage entertaining her zealous fans.

    ¡°I really loved your fight,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Elijah was beginning to get bothered by this man. Why was he even talking to him? The others on the security details had pretty much snubbed him which was fine by him. He didn¡¯te here to make friends nor need him with his identity at risk.

    Everyone here was loyal to the Luciano family ¨C or a double spy. Just like him, it was not umon for fellow gangs to infiltrate one another for information ¨C or assassinate a target in the worst-case scenario. Hence, he couldn¡¯t warm up or trust anyone. And he worked better alone.

    ¡°I watched your fight,¡± The man reminded him by poorly demonstrating the way he knocked John out, ¡°That was quite dope, man.¡± he praised him.

    ¡°You watched it?¡± Elijah was more concerned about the phrase ¡®watch¡¯

    ¡°Yep,¡± The man said, ¡°The video circted quite a lot. Why do you think you were promoted quickly?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Elijah looked calm but inwardly, his mind was working. He knew that fight would attract attention, not poprity. Hopefully, that video didn¡¯t spread to the outside because he was currently using his real identity.

    Well, it¡¯s not like anyone outside of his family knows what he looks like since his brothers did a good job of keeping him ¡°safe¡±.

    But then, that means his brother¡¯s assistant would be on his tail again.

    Damn.

 Chapter 252

    252 Right Next To Marcel

    After their father died, as the eldest son, their brother Eric had taken the burden upon himself to bind the family together and move the family business forward. And that involved taking care of their father¡¯s favorite son. Him.

    Unlike most families where the siblings fought for leadership and were at each other¡¯s throats, it wasn¡¯t the case in theirs. They were blessed in the sense that all five of them grew up together in love and harmony, making sure to look out for each other.

    Although their father loved them equally, it was obvious to everyone that Elijah had been his favorite son. Maybe because Elijah was thest child the love of his life gave him before she left this world? No one could tell why he loved him exceptionally.

    But then, while the other siblings would tire out on the training ground, Elijah would be seated beside his father, munching on his snacks and watching the fight ¨C even though he wanted to join his brothers.

    Perhaps their father wanted the boy to live a normal life because, unlike the others, Elijah began his training at ater age. However, it eventually began clear to everyone that he was designed for this lifestyle because he was a prodigy.

    Elijah was a natural; he excelled at everything. A skill that everyone found difficult, just a trial and he was already efficient at it without even trying hard. Many guessed it was because he had capable siblings, so he picked it up easily from years of watching and following them around. Either way, it was obvious he was special.

    Even at that, his siblings were not jealous, if anything they were d their baby brother was not a dead weight. But even as ¡°special¡± as Elijah was ¨C people imed ¨C he didn¡¯t feelplete. Thus, he left to find what he was missing, a purpose, and look where that led him.

    Cindy was done with her show in no time and that gossipy colleague finally let him be ¨C he didn¡¯t get his name though and didn¡¯t care about it either.

    She was weed backstage by the first batch of security, thus Elijah, the unnamed guard, and another were extra.

    .....

    Even at that, when Cindy passed them by, she halted in her step and all three of them straightened instantly. They wondered inwardly the reason for the sudden halt yet none of them made eye contact with her.

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Cindy passed the first and second guard, stopping directly in front of Elijah. There was a smirk on the faces of three of the senior guards escorting her.

    They thought that Aziz had probably gotten himself in trouble. Everyone knew that Cindy was picky and it had taken them more than courage and hard-work to be part of this team yet some pretty face from nowhere had a stroke of luck and joined them. It was unfair.

    All of them held their breath in anticipation waiting for the moment Cindyshed out at him for a fault they had no idea about. However, for a newbie, he was taking the tension real well. Aziz had a stoic expression and showed no nervousness contrary to their expectations.

    Cindy didn¡¯t do anything, she simply observed Aziz who stared back quite boldly and the move would have been seen as arrogant if he suddenly didn¡¯t back down, asking in a lowered tone, ¡°Do you need anything, Miss?¡±

    Cindy didn¡¯t answer, rather she reached out and everyone tensed, waiting for the punishment she was about to inflict on the new guard, but all she did was work on his tie and each of them raised a brow. What was going on here?

    Elijah didn¡¯t say a word nor did the other guards interrupt either. They simply watched as the young girl straightened Aziz¡¯s tie and when she was done, pressed it t against his chest saying, ¡°A handsome face like you deserves more than a crooked tie. Find me the next time you need help with that.¡± She winked at him.

    But Elijah was quick to douse out the me of ambition in her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll manage it better the next time,¡±

    At once, the fellow guards looked at Aziz like he had lost his mind. Although Cindy had a nasty attitude, she was backed by a powerful family so she was treated like a goddess. Hence, Elijah seems like a crazy dude to them for declining her kind gesture.

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see it then,¡± Cindy said interestedly. She then turned to the Captain, ¡°He¡¯s on this team, right?¡±

    ¡°Temporary,¡± The man said, fighting hard not to show the acid in his tone.

    ¡°Make it permanent, I want to see his face around. It¡¯s refreshing,¡± Cindy told him and that was a real p on their faces. In one word, the girl was trying to say they were ugly.

    As much as Elijah wanted to reject her offer, he knew how arrogant rich brats like Cindy were, and how they thought of people as charity cases ¨C she probably thought he was overly grateful for her help. But then, he wanted to have a smooth stay as long as hests here so he couldn¡¯t offend her.

    ¡°Thank you, princess. ¡± Elijah slightly bowed his head to show his gratitude.

    ¡°I hope to see you around,¡± Cindy smiled at him and skidded along.

    Even as the other guards left with her, they were seething in anger. As they thought, he got in here through his good look. As if they would make his stay here easy.

    Elijah read their minds and smiled, as if he would give them a chance to bully him. It wasn¡¯t his fault that he was easily loved by people around him. They should ask for a good look in their next life.

    Well, thanks to the girl, he was now higher in ranking and all he needed now was an event that would announce him. It won¡¯t be long now and he¡¯d be right next to Marcel.

 Chapter 253

    253 Better In Bed

    Arianna woke up with a splittering headache and a swollen eyes. She had cried herself to sleepst night after that confrontation with Marcel.

    She was depressed.

    What happenedst night? She threw herself on Marcel, like literally gave herself to him. And Arianna knew that if Marcel had pushed any futher, she would have done it with himst night. And that was what made her more angry, no, she was disgusted with herself! She wasn¡¯t supposed to harbor any feelings for that bastard, but here she was, sexually attracted to the man who kidnapped her.

    To make matters worse, she was suposed to be in a rtionship with Elijah. God, she doesn¡¯t know anything about Elijah anymore. Does she still like Elijah? Yes! And she wanted to remain loyal to him. But she had failed the faithfulness part by making out with Marcel. She cheated on him.

    Arianna had always bore a strong dislike for people who two-timed in a rtionship. People invest a lot into a rtionship ¨C their time, emotions and resources ¨C and feelings are fragile hence, it shouldn¡¯t be treated as a yground. But then, who knew she would dine in the same table with the same sinners she despised.

    So one could imagine how she felt right now ¨C like the worst sinner in earth. What would she tell Elijah when she returns for her? That is, if he does return. With what she¡¯s seeing so far, Arianna was beginning to lose hope.

    Marcel was not letting her out of here and this ce was like an impregnable fortress with his people crawling all over like ants. Elijah can never break in here unless he wanted to die. She has tried it so many times and was only able to go as far as the outside because Marcel had given an order not to hurt her. If she had been someone else, the person would have been killed at the spot.

    She had hope that Elijah woulde back, but how long would that hopest? What If Elijah has realized she wasn¡¯t worth it anymore and she was hoping for nothing? Let¡¯s say he gets her, what¡¯s the possibility he wants her back after what she did with Marcel?

    God, her head was so full of thought she was slowly going crazy. She was tired sincerely of all of this. Arianna longed to go back to that time when she didn¡¯t have all of this problem ¨C when she still have normal people¡¯s problems. How normal is it for girls to be kidnapped by Mafia Lords now days?

    .....

    Reluctantly, Arianna got out of bed and washed up in the shower. She put on pants again because it gave her ayer of protection incase Marcel had ideas. However, she wore a fitted shirt this time and walked back to the bed where sheid down.

    She was free to move around but Arianna wanted to limit any possiblity of bumping into Marcel. Right now, she was mentally drained and wasn¡¯t in the mood either for a confrontation. But then, the universe always seem to be against her.

    A knock came on the door.

    Arianna ignored it as usual.

    Another knock sounded and she simply turned her back to the door with her eyes closed. Whoever was at the door would eventually leave when they don¡¯t get a response. Or force their way in.

    And thetter came through.

    The door was opened and Arianna sighed, waiting for the moment when she¡¯d be threatened into having breakfast with Marcel. However, she heard a voice that she had not expected.

    ¡°Arianna?¡±

    Arianna stiffened first, then her eyes went wide at the recognition of that voice and she climbed out of the bed with great speed, almost missing her step in the process.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± She screamed, throwing herself into her best friend¡¯s arms who didn¡¯t hesitate to hug her back. Both women cried fresh tears while holding on to each other as if they were hanging onto life.

    ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re safe,¡± Arianna was grateful. Although she knew Marcel had not killed her, those pictures still scared her and she was happy to know that she was hale and hearty; no harm came to her.

    ¡°I was so worried about you,¡± Mimi said, brushing back the hair from her face to see better, ¡°You don¡¯t know how worried I was about you, Arianna. I felt so helpless and useless the past weeks when I couldn¡¯t help my own friend. We promised that ,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Arianna told her, ¡°It was so risky I couldn¡¯t get you involved. God knows I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. I¡¯m so sorry, Mimi.¡±

    The both of them embraced each other once more, crying and drawing strength from each other until they were spent.

    After that, the both of themid on the bed, sharing information and catching up on the time lost between them.

    ¡°How did you find me? Did Marcel send you here as a peace offering?¡± Arianna asked, knowing what Marcel was capable of. Whenever they fought, he always found ways to appease her.

    ¡°What?! Marcel?¡± Mimi looked like someone just threw shit on her face. That bastard just pray she neverys a hand on him because if she does, she¡¯d string him up by the balls ¨C if he doesn¡¯t kill her first.

    Okay maybe, she would not do that considering he¡¯s a Mafia boss. But then, she would not forgive him easily; Marcel would surely bear the brunt of her fury in one way or the other.

    ¡°Victor told me,¡± She said.

    ¡°Victor did?¡± There was a great shock on Arianna¡¯s face, ¡°You and Victor? How did you two be so close?¡± It was highly suspicious since Victor doesn¡¯t even talk to her.

    ¡°We are not close!¡± Mimi was quick to reject the im but all that did was arouse more suspicion.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡± Arianna narrowed her gaze at her.

    Mimi sighed, knowing that her friend didn¡¯t believe her one bit. So she told her half of the truth, ¡°Marcel tricked me into working for me and Victor is kind of my supervisor,¡± She narrated every single event that led up to this moment to Arianna except the part where she and Victor were once intimate.

    In one word, just like she and Marcel, Arianna thought her friend was forced to endure each other. Her hatred for Marcel grew, just to keep an eye on Mimi as well, he treated her to such fate. She was a fool to think he had a heart. Marcel was a selfish bastard and cared for no one else but himself.

    ¡°How long does he intend to keep you here?¡± Mimi asked out of concern. Captivity didn¡¯t fit Arianna and that bastard was slowly killing her.

    ¡°Would I be this worried if I knew?¡± Dehlia sighed, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let me go until he gets what he wants,¡±

    ¡°And what does he want exactly?¡± Mimi was curious, an idea of escape already forming in her head.

    Thanks to that question, Arianna had no choice but to tell Mimi about Elijah. She had kept his existence from her in the first ce to keep her away from people like Marcel who needed the information. But in the end, it was all for nothing, Mimi got involved with the Mafia and just like her, killed to defend herself.

    The thought of Mimi already taking a human life made her head throb. In just a short while, their lives were turned upside down and they have done things that wouldnd them jail time. If anyone had ever prophetizied their life would be this way in a month, they would never believe it.

    ¡°So...¡± Mimi tried to wrap her head around the numerous information she just received, ¡°You¡¯re trying to tell me that the mysterious hot sexy assassin whom Marcel is currently after is your boyfriend and he is currently estranged from you and that is not the end because you unintentionally cheated on him with Marcel?¡±

    Mimi whistled low in her throat and nced up at her friend with a stunned expression, ¡°And here I was, thinking that you were still my innocent Arianna who always needed my help , who knew you¡¯re a pro already! ¡± She squealed .

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes, knowing how topics like that interested Mimi.

    ¡°Don¡¯t act coy with me now, Arianna...¡± ¡°Mimi was adamant on getting the juicy details. She leaned closer towards Arianna asking,¡± How was the sex?¡±

    Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground, but she was quick to say, ¡°There was nothing like that!¡±

    Mimi gave her a deapanned look, her arms wrapped around her chest, ¡°Really?¡±

    God, she wasn¡¯t getting out of this one, Arianna realized toote. She then recalled the intimate moments she had with both men respectively, and she blushed instantly. God, this was so embarrassing.

    ¡°Ooh, I sense a story there,¡± Mimi pried for more information, ¡°So tell me, who among the men were better in bed.¡±

 Chapter 254

    254 We¡¯d Get Through This Together

    Whom among the men was better in bed? It was a ridiculous question but Arianna couldn¡¯t help but think about it.

    Her mind shback to that time when she and Elijah were still together when he had his face in between her legs and was eating her out. Oh God, Arianna instantly felt the wetness between her legs. The scene was hotter than she thought.

    Then her mind shifted to that day with Marcel, the way his hand came down on her butt cheek hard, and then he was soothing the pain by touching her.

    Call it a product of her imagination or something, but the next minute, it was as if the images in her head merged or something, but the next Arianna knew, she was thinking of a threesome with both men involved; Elijah was eating her while Marcel was working her nipples with his mouth.

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna shouted and shook her head, trying to get the dirty thoughts out of her head. What the hell was she thinking? She must be slowly going crazy! Crazy! Crazy!

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± asked Mimi who had been startled by her outburst.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me such question again!¡± Arianna unintentionally snapped at her, annoyed. If she hadn¡¯t asked her that weird question, she wouldn¡¯t have conjured that stupid imagination. Not everyone was as open as her.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t ask!¡± Mimi retorted, vexed as well. Since Arianna wants to be a Mary Jane forever, she¡¯d let her be.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    .....

    ¡°You¡¯re wee!

    With a ¡°humph!¡± Bothdies turned the other way, unwilling to talk to one another. But the next second, Arianna asked, ¡°I saw the pictures when he kidnapped you, did he hurt you?¡±

    Mimi turned to her with a pout, ¡°He drugged me so I wasn¡¯t aware of what was going on, however, I¡¯m so scared. I can¡¯t even sleep properly at night without remembering what happened. I don¡¯t feel safe anymore and God! I miss you so much, Arianna.¡± Mimi hugged her once more, tears glittering at the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°I do too. And I¡¯m so sorry for putting you through all of this. It only happened because you were my friend.¡± Arianna said, rubbing her back.

    If there was a way to turn back the clock, that would be unfriending Mimi so Marcel can¡¯t get to her. However, Arianna couldn¡¯t find herself in a life without Mimi either. She had always been her strength often when she was weak. The girl was more than a friend, she was family ¨C her sister.

    ¡°No,¡± Mimi withdrew, shaking her head, ¡°Even if Ind in the deepest part of hell for being your friend, I would never regret it. So don¡¯t even think of taking this all by yourself.¡± Mimi was so energized as she suggested, ¡°We could escape together.¡±

    Hearing that, Arianna¡¯s heart quickened while her eyes widened, ¡°No, no, Mimi,¡± She didn¡¯t support it at all.

    ¡°What do you mean by no?¡± Mimi was confused by her less enthusiastic response.

    ¡°That can¡¯t happen,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean that can¡¯t happen?¡± The Arianna she knew would be excited with this piece of news. What has Marcel done to her friend?

    ¡°You can¡¯t break me out of here, Mimi, and lower your voice while speaking to me. For all we know, he could be listening to this conversation,¡± Arianna warned her and she could tell by the way that Mimi¡¯s eyes widened, she finallyprehended the situation she was in.

    ¡°What is going on here, Arianna?¡± Mimi finally understood the severity of the condition. She thought Marcel was merely taken by her friend and was using Elijah as an excuse to keep her next to him. It seems this was so much more than that.

    Arianna got on her knees on the bed and cupped her cheeks together, keeping her eyes on her as she said, ¡°Escaping? Do you think I haven¡¯t thought that? I have done it so many times that I¡¯m even tired of thinking of one. And the funny part? They all failed. And right now, I¡¯m so exhausted that I want to rest without bringing trouble on myself.¡±

    But Mimi was adamant,¡± That was only because you were the only one thinking! I¡¯m here now and together, we can storm ideas like the old times, Arianna. Or don¡¯t you remember how formidable we are together? ¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do!¡±Arianna acknowledged, ¡± But you don¡¯t know who you are going up against, Mimi. You are going up against someone that has nothing to lose, Mimi.¡± She hoped her words got into her stubborn head.

    Arianna went on, ¡°Let¡¯s say we indeed escape? What about your parents? Do you think Marcel would spare them? Do you even have the heart to leave them behind? Marcel had you kidnapped to keep me here, what do you think he would do to your parents when you help me escape? Even if he doesn¡¯t harm them, what if he decides to ruin your parent¡¯s business? Would you be able to look your father in the eyes if that happens?¡± The way Mimi gulped and looked away, told Arianna she was considering her words.

    Arianna knew Mimi, the girl loved her parents as much as she loved her; neither would she even encourage her to do such a thing for her. Just because she didn¡¯t grow up with a loving family, doesn¡¯t mean she would deprive Mimi of hers. Her friend deserves to be happy.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t leave you here,¡± Mimi said with a pained look. She cupped Arianna¡¯s face as well, leaning her head against hers as they both shared strength.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Arianna told her, ¡°Truly, I¡¯m fine. Although he¡¯s kind of annoying, Marcel treats me well, I don¡¯tck anything here,¡± except her freedom.

    But Arianna didn¡¯t need to say it out, Mimi knew it well since she drew her into her arms, rubbing her shoulder affectionately.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. We would get through this together. I¡¯ve got you now, Arianna and I¡¯m not letting go.¡± She promised her.

 Chapter 255

    255 What could Draco Possibly Do

    Mimi couldn¡¯t stay with Arianna forever ¨C as much as she wanted to. She had rushed to the base first thing the next day to ensure that Arianna was okay with no care for her job there.

    She wasn¡¯t there on official duty. Mimi knew she was still employed to Marcel but she was not in the mood to go for her lessons nor had he demanded she makes his coffee ¨C Marcel knew what he did was unforgivable and must be suffering a guilty conscience.

    Victor was not talking about her absence either, at least since she arrived. She promised to continue with her job but she didn¡¯t say ¡°when¡±. Mimi was not ready to face him at the moment.

    But fate always seemed to have other ns for her because as she was climbing down the stairs, Victor was waiting downstairs for her. From his stance, it was obvious he was determined to talk to her and she sighed. Why couldn¡¯t he understand the word, ¡°giving her space¡±?

    Nheless, Mimiposed herself and continued her journey until she reached thest step and was about to walk past him when he grabbed her, ¡°Can we talk?¡± he added, ¡°Please?¡±

    Mimi nced at the hand on her arm and he retracted it at once upon noticing what he did. He didn¡¯t want to seem forceful or frighten her any further than he has done already.

    ¡°What is it that you want to talk about?¡± Mimi faced him, hands wrapped around her chest in a defensive pose. The tension between the both of them

    was so thick it seemed she was beginning to choke on it.

    How did their rtionship turn out this way? Mimi cried out inwardly but outwardly, her expression was nk and she looked impatient as if she couldn¡¯t spend one more minute sharing the same air with him.

    .....

    Victor wanted to suggest they go to a ce more private but the words died on her lips upon reading her bodynguage ¨C she wanted to be as far as him. Pain shed across his face but he was quick to hide it, saying instead, ¡°You are going on a date with Dante?¡±

    Shock appeared on Mimi¡¯s face at first, followed by disbelief and then anger, ¡°You were spying on me, again?¡± Mimi asked, even though she knew it was only a matter of time till he found out.

    ¡°You know I always keep my eyes on you,¡± He tactically corrected her with a chilling calm and Mimi was unable to argue further having sensed the impending storm. She simply ran her hands through her hair and looked away while Victor worked on keeping his anger in check.

    Victor had been fucking mad when he found out about her ns. He had even been with her yesterday and Mimi made no effort to tell her about her ¡°date¡± with his frenemy. Victor felt insulted ¨C she made him feel like a fool.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a date,¡± Mimi tried to exin himself, ¡°He was there to apologize, and then he offered dinner to make it up to -¡±

    ¡°He held you hostage!¡± Victor growled, reminding her what would have happened that day had he not rescued her.

    ¡°He¡¯s repented...¡±

    ¡°Repented, my ass!¡± Victor barked, startling Mimi so much that she took a step back. And that was a big mistake because he began to box her in until her back was pressed against the wall and there was no way for her to turn.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mimi gasped when he came too close for her liking.

    ¡°You seem to be mistaken, Mimi,¡± Victor said darkly, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms when he ced both hands on either side of her, ¡°Men in my world don¡¯t change at all, we simply camouge to the circumstances we find ourselves in.¡±

    Mimi gulped, Victor¡¯s gaze was so smoldering that she felt ufortable. Her heart was pounding in her throat and she was hyper-aware of his body pressed flush against hers ¨C and a ce a woman shouldn¡¯t name.

    She didn¡¯t say a word and Victor didn¡¯t either, just looking into each other¡¯s eyes as the environment became charged as if sulfur was in the air and dangerously close to being lit. With the way his gaze flickered down to her lips, Mimi thought he would kiss her and her lips slightly parted.

    But to her surprise, he took a step back and her sense of reasoning returned as well. What had she been thinking? Kiss Victor? She must be out of her mind! The first time was a mistake and there was no way she was forgiving him easily!

    Nowposed, Mimi was able to speak to him without losing her head, ¡°I¡¯ve heard what you said Victor and I¡¯m sincerely grateful for looking out for me. However, I¡¯m old enough to take responsibility for my actions. You don¡¯t need to worry about me and I would love it if you don¡¯t cross the line anymore as we agreed upon. Thank you, so much. ¡±

    And with that being said, Mimi left before he could say a word. Not that he said something because his mouth only opened and closed helplessly. It was not his ce to tell her what to do because they weren¡¯t that close anymore and she was an adult like she said. But that doesn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t look out for her amid her warning. Her stubbornness would be the death of him.

    Meanwhile, Mimi drove back home to prepare for her date with Draco. She had spent the morning and afternoon keeping Ariannapany.

    She did some cleaning around the house to keep her mind off the nonsensical voices in her head telling her that this date was a mistake. But it was just a meal! What could Draco possibly do to her?

    Soon enough, it was time to prepare herself for the date and Mimi ended up donning one of the beautiful gowns she owned with a jacket against the cold. However, she didn¡¯t forget to add her paper spray and switchde to her purse in case of emergencies. If Draco turned out to be pretending, she¡¯d be prepared for him.

    She didn¡¯t need a man to save her.

    _____:

    Hi guys, tomorrow being Tuesday, 26th April is my birthday and yeah! I¡¯m so happy. But don¡¯t worry, if you want to know what your dear author looks like, I¡¯ll share my Instagram Info where you can view all of my birthday photos and videos. Thank you!

 Chapter 256

    256 The Menacing Smile On His Face

    ¡°For a moment there, I thought you were another person. Tell me, what¡¯s your name, pretty?¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes at Draco flirting with her. Although those lines were kind of cheesy, they still made her giddy inside. After all, what woman in this world doesn¡¯t like to beplimented?

    To her surprise, Draco had arrived at seven o¡¯clock on the dot for their date, no, dinner ¨C not even a secondte. A man who keeps his word, she loved that kind of personality. Most of her dates always arrivete and expect her to leave with them without even offering an apology.

    Yep, most of her dates in the past were douchebags, and Mimi was not surprised by that since she always went for the pretty ones. Unfortunately, it was quite hard to find a sensible and faithful handsome boyfriend ¨C they always had a recement even while the rtionship was ongoing.

    Hence, after herst brief rtionship, Mimi went on a break from dating. But that doesn¡¯t mean it stopped her from appreciating handsome men. The only difference this time was that she could stare and flirt but no dating.

    Neither could she afford a rtionship when her life is this messed up. So she nned to turn Draco down after their dinner tonight if he ns to take things further. Until Arianna was free and settled down, she couldn¡¯t have more distractions in her life.

    ¡°You never told me you were a sweet talker,¡± Mimi flirted back, cing her hand on his open palm as he guided her into the car.

    Draco didn¡¯t say a word, rather he helped her settle down on the front seat, helping her with the seat belt. Then he leaned towards her saying, ¡°I am many things,¡± He winked and then pulled back while a smile curled Mimi¡¯s lips. He was kind of cute and nicepany. Maybe, this night wouldn¡¯t be as boring as she thought.

    Draco walked around the car to get to the driver¡¯s side, settled down, and started the engine, the car roared to life and in no time, they were driving off to their destination.

    .....

    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Mimi asked, having no idea where they were headed and trying not to heed her inward fears currently springing on. What if this was a trap like Victor said? Well, she trusted Victor, look what she got in return.

    ¡°Rx, you¡¯d know what we get there,¡± Was all he said, smiling at her assuredly.

    Well, she didn¡¯t sense any sinister intention from him nor was her instinct yelling at her to run. Moreover, Mimi was relieved by the feel of her switchde in her purse. Her phone was in her other palm as well to call for help. In one word, she was prepared.

    There was no cause for rm because, in the next minute, Draco started a conversation with her, inquiring simple things about her like her middle name, best color, h h. It was just trivial questions that made the environment less scary and awkward.

    It was a fifteen-minute ride before they got to the destination. Mimi knew the ce, It was a newly opened high-end restaurant and she heard it can be a tough reservation to score. Wow, he went all out for their date, no, dinner, no, whatever! It seems she had a wrong impression of him.

    As expected, everything about the ce spelled luxury starting from the sparkling tiles to the reflective mirrors and crystal chandeliers to

    their table where they were led and they both settled down.

    Mimi and Draco made small talk while going through their six-course seasonal tasting menu, alongside a multi-sensory atmosphere of music, video, scents, and simtions.

    In no time, they were served their

    Confit duck foie Gras ¨C she couldn¡¯t properly pronounce ¨C and they dug into their meal. Mimi wondered how she would go through all of these courses, but one thing was for sure, she was not missing the selection of cheeses and desserts. Those were the best parts!

    Mimi and Draco didn¡¯t talk much during mealtime and she was grateful for that because the food here was too good to be true. Gosh, Arianna should try...

    Mimi¡¯s mood suddenly depleted at the thought of Arianna. While she was having the time of her life, her friend was miserably stuck with a psychopathic Mafia don.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Draco was quick to notice the change in her mood as usual.

    ¡°Girl¡¯s problem,¡± Mimi said in a dismissive tone and Draco didn¡¯t push much on the issue.

    As much as Draco turned out to be better than she thought of him initially, she would not share that problem with him. It was personal and sensitive; neither were they close enough.

    ¡°Have you and Victor reconciled?¡± He suddenly asked and that made her lift her head with an arched brow.

    ¡°Reconciled?¡±

    ¡°That day I came to your ce, the both of you fought, remember?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Mimi nodded, having remembered their conversation that day and how he thought the both of them were a couple.

    She scratched her nape, how was she going to put this now, ¡°The both of us are chill now...¡±

    ¡°But?¡± Draco sensed there was more from where that wasing from.

    Mimi sighed, ¡°You could say that we are not that close enough anymore,¡± She then fixed him with a serious gaze, ¡°Hurt me once, I don¡¯t forgive.¡±

    He chuckled, ¡°No no-nonsense type, huh?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just not in the mood to waste my emotions on people who don¡¯t deserve it anymore.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But then, you gave me a second chance,¡± He reminded her.

    ¡°Well, we met by chance ¨C if you hadn¡¯t kidnapped me, I wouldn¡¯t have known you existed. In one word, you can think of this as your one chance, you can grow it or ruin it. All left to you.¡±

    ¡°You are a really nice woman and I¡¯m sorry for what I did to you,¡± Draco said to her and she shook her head.

    ¡°You apologized yesterday and you bought me dinner. I think that¡¯s enough for an apology.¡± Mimi forgave him.

    ¡°In that case, you wouldn¡¯t mind if I visited the restroom, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Sure, go do your thing,¡±

    ¡°Thank you, you¡¯re too kind, Mimi,¡± Draco said and she didn¡¯t get to see the menacing smile on his face as he turned.

 Chapter 257

    257 Draco Was In Trouble

    As soon as Draco left, Mimi was served dessert and one should see the way her eyes widened in joy. This was fantastic! The moment she has been waiting for is finally here!

    Thanks to the die-for sweetness, Mimi was so absorbed with the dessert that she didn¡¯t notice that Draco had been gone for far too long. It wasn¡¯t until her eyes fell on his empty seat that she finally noticed he had not returned from answering nature¡¯s call. Gosh, that dessert was distracting.

    Mimi was almost through with her dessert but she abandoned it knowing this was more important. Why was Draco taking far too long to return? She picked up her phone to call him only to remember she didn¡¯t have his phone number.

    Damn it, what kind of person doesn¡¯t have the phone number of her date? Well, she had been nonchnt about Draco until now. What was she going to do now?

    Her gaze traveled across the room trying to see if she could catch sight of him, but all she saw was the other guests busy with their dates. Mimi¡¯s stomach churned with nervousness, she didn¡¯t like this.

    Mimi remained on her seat but one could tell with the constant tapping of her feet against the tile that she was bing impatient and ufortable.

    What was going on? Draco said he was going to the restroom, surely it doesn¡¯t take this long? Or perhaps, he suddenly developed diarrhea from the food ¨C it wouldn¡¯t be surprising ¨C and he was stuck in the toilet and she was worrying over nothing, Mimi told herself.

    Even at that, it still didn¡¯t make sense, no, she was not convinced by her excuses and she needed to confirm it to be certain. Immediately, Mimi got to her feet and headed in the direction of the restroom.

    ¡°Gosh, this is so embarrassing!¡± Mimi gritted her teeth as she stood at the entrance leading to the men¡¯s toilet. Should she do this or not? Maybe, luck would be on her side and there would not be anyone in there?

    .....

    But the reverse was the case!

    As soon as Mimi stepped in, all eyes rested on her and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her immediately. This was the most embarrassing day of her life! Wait, till she gets her hands on Draco, diarrhea or not, she would beat the love of God into him.

    ¡°Jesus, fuck!¡±

    There were a total of six men in there and as soon as confusion set in upon her appearance, all five of them attempted to hide their wee-wee further into the urinal while the other who was done intentionally put it out for her to see in the guise of zipping up, an impudent grin on his face.

    Eww, mother f*cking pervert located! On a normal asion, Mimi would have beaten the hell out of him but she was the one who broke the rule by venturing into the men¡¯s toilet uninvited ¨C the mes on her. She should even be lucky if she doesn¡¯t get arrested for this. Gosh! She would surely be traumatized after this!

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Mimi apologized as she walked further into the toilet while shielding her eyes with her hands from seeing more.

    ¡°I just need to find my date!¡± She went to each cubicle and began to knock on each of them hoping Draco would respond if he were in one.

    When she got no response, Mimi was really tempted to look below and confirm his presence until someone from behind the cubicle hurled profanities at her. He must have sensed she was a female from her voice. Mimi wished there was an ejector seat to toss her out of here now.

    Suddenly, someone grabbed her on the arm and was leading her out of the restroom in angry strides.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± The man growled at her face as soon as they were out.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Mimi choked out, her face burning with embarrassment. She didn¡¯t know who the man was but his impable suit told her he must be rich or something.

    She went on, ¡°Please, I¡¯m not a pervert or a peeping tom,¡± Mimi quickly exined herself knowing his patience wasn¡¯t much, ¡°My date left minutes ago for the restroom and I can¡¯t get through to him so I decided toe search for him myself. I¡¯m really telling the truth!¡± Mimi hoped he believed her because she didn¡¯t want to spend the night in prison.

    The worst part was that her parents had traveled out of town for business and there would be no one to bail her out today. Even at that, she wouldn¡¯t be able to face her parents if they get to hear this disgusting piece of news.

    ¡°What¡¯s your boyfriend¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I need his name so I can call him out myself instead of you,¡± There was annoyance in the man¡¯s tone.

    ¡°Oh.¡± She finally understood him, ¡°Draco! His name is Draco!¡±

    ¡°Wait here,¡± The man told her with a hint of warning in his tone as if daring her not to make a move.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Mimi gulped, knowing she was as good as guilty if she ran now. The situation was so embarrassing that all she wanted to do was to hide her face but Mimi had never run away from a challenge, so she stood her ground.

    The stranger met her in the same spot when he returned and said, ¡°He¡¯s not there.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Mimi shook her head, confusion setting in, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, he told me he was going to the restroom and that was thest I saw of him.¡±

    Suddenly fear gripped her, ¡°Could it be something happened to him?¡±

    Instantly Mimi¡¯s mind shifted to Victor, remembering the murderous look on his face when he heard about their date.

    Oh no, her blood ran cold.

    It couldn¡¯t be that Victor tracked her down here only to kidnap Draco out of jealousy. If that was the case, doesn¡¯t it mean that Draco was in trouble?

    ___:

    Yeah! Today¡¯s my birthday and there¡¯s a picture of me in thements section if you want to catch a glimpse of me or you can visit my Instagram handle @Young Sommie. Thanks so much for your wishes. And by the way, I¡¯m much older than I look. Baby face here??.

 Chapter 258

    258 I Bear Grudges

    Victor kidnapped Draco? Mimi didn¡¯t know what to make of that thought neither was she pleased with it. She knew of the feud between the both of them but Victor wouldn¡¯t take it far just because he went on a date with her, right?

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi had almost forgotten that the stranger was still with her.

    ¡°The restaurant has strict security hence nothing would happen to him without them getting alerted?¡± The man looked straight at her as he asked, ¡°Are you sure he didn¡¯t ditch you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi¡¯s face fell and her stomach did a backflip at that possibility. She shook her head in denial, ¡°No, that can¡¯t happen. That¡¯s impossible.¡± Sheughed wryly, ¡°Draco wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±

    Or would he? The other voice of reasoning protested. She means he seemed pretty sincere when he convinced her to have dinner with him. There was no way he was faking all those emotions. It can¡¯t be.

    ¡°We¡¯d check the surveince footage to be sure and if there¡¯s nothing there, we might really contact the police tounch an investigation,¡± The man said, and she merely nodded. Mimi was so distracted by the thoughts in her head that she forgot to ask him why he was helping her.

    He stepped out in the direction of the surveince room and she followed after him. Mimi couldn¡¯t help but notice people staring at her and she had a feeling that her drama in the toilet had spread. However, the embarrassment didn¡¯t amount to the fear and anticipation building inside of her.

    Every step forward made her heart pound loudly in her throat because she was about to discover the truth. The fear crippled her so much that her hand began to tremble ¨C she couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Draco yed her. The ominous feeling only increased and her feet felt like lead as she walked on.

    .....

    That strange man must be pretty important because as soon as he walked in, the security there weed him and he had a conversation with them, probably asking for the footage.

    There were diverse screens but the security yed the footage on the biggest screen there was. The man gestured for her toe closer, he probably needed her help to locate Draco and the footage started a few minutes before her missing date decided to leave for the restroom.

    The security then put up all the footage featuring Draco after he left for the restroom. And true to his words, Draco did leave to answer nature¡¯s call, however, he didn¡¯t return to her.

    Emotions clogged her throat and Mimi didn¡¯t know how to feel upon seeing Draco slowly stalk towards the entrance. And the funny part? Mimi could have seen him if she had turned at that moment but all of her attention had been on the dessert.

    Mimi stood up straight at once, having confirmed what she needed to know. Tears pricked her eyes and she couldn¡¯t tell being discovered in the men¡¯s toilet and this moment, which one was more embarrassing. Everyone in here knows she was abandoned by her date and her pride was hit hard. She was humiliated to death.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m -¡± The man tried to speak but Mimi cut him off, she didn¡¯t need his sympathy.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She smiled kindly at him, putting up a brave front even though all Mimi wanted to do was scream out her anger and frustration at the top of her voice. Draco went too far this time.

    Before the man could say anything else, Mimi had already strode out of the ce, head held high. If this was a sick prank and Draco had hoped she would move out of this restaurant, bawling her eyes out at the disappointment, then he was at a loss.

    For all she knows, one of his people might be somewhere catching this moment on camera, she would not give him the satisfaction of watching her cry!

    She was the fool to have believed him blindly. He had gotten to her with his sugary words and won. And though it hurts, she would get over it ¨C she was already used to disappointment in rtionships.

    With that murderous look on his face the day she hit him, Mimi should have known he would not give up easily. In essence, this was a trap and she fell into it because her guard had been down.

    Victor had been right.

    Well, f*ck Victor! F*ck Draco! F*ck the whole of the male species! Just because she was a female doesn¡¯t mean she was easy to manipte and fool! She has enough of this bullshit! From now on, she would lock up her emotions, no more falling for pretty boys or men in general!

    She would concentrate on herself this time ¨C love herself a little more, and maybe when she finally opens up again ¨C if she would ¨C no ordinary motherf*ck woulde her way.

    The only good thing Draco did was pay for their dinner and Mimi already made a mental note to find a way to send the money back to himter. She wanted nothing that would remind her of him.

    As soon as Mimi made it outside, an unfamiliar number shed across her screen and she knew who it was even before she picked it up.

    ¡°Did you enjoy your dessert? You seem to love it,¡± He said nonchntly as if he didn¡¯t just abandon her in the middle of his apology dinner. To hell with the word, ¡°date¡±.

    ¡°Draco,¡± Mimi said his name, her tone dripping with so much hatred that the man should be lucky he was far away.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it came to this, Mimi, you¡¯re such a sweet woman, but unfortunately, I bear grudges.¡±

    And so does she. He just hasn¡¯t felt her heat yet.

    ¡°Spare me the speech, Dra-cuss¡± she gave him a nickname, ¡°The both of us know you have not a shit of sympathy,¡± Mimi drew her head back andughed sarcastically, ¡°You know what? You should run like you did today because if I ever set my eye on you, you would wish you were never born. I promise you that.¡±

 Chapter 259

    259 Doing It

    When Mimi reached home in her angry glory, the first thing she did was to yank the white tulips the asshole got her, from the vase and tossed it into the bin, stomping it till the steam broke and they fitted into the bin perfectly.

    Good, that was where it belonged.

    So much for the flower that represented forgiveness and peace! He fooled her! Dracopletely made a fool of her! She still hadn¡¯t gotten over it! She wanted to murder someone. No, she wanted to murder him to be precise.

    Thankfully, her parents weren¡¯t home so her amazing but annoying mother wasn¡¯t here to question why she was raging like a bull. So she could blow off some steam. But how?

    Maybe sprint across the street? The exercise doesn¡¯t sound so bad. At this moment, Mimi needed a distraction and something to get her heart pumping. But first, she had to get out of this dress! Mimi had already sworn to get rid of the clothes ¨C she would never forget this miserable date anytime she sees it.

    Hence, the moment she entered the room, thest person she expected to see was...

    ¡°Victor....¡± Mimi called his name gruffly not because she hated his ass but because she was not in the best mood right now, ¡°What are you doing here? Or don¡¯t you think trespassing is a real crime? There¡¯s a reason why there are doors in homes?¡±

    Before Victor could answer at least one of the questions, she added with fire in her eyes, ¡°And if you are here to gloat at my misery or remind me that you told me so? I swear to God, you better leave me alone because my reaction wouldn¡¯t be weing!¡± She rushed the words in between breaths.

    Victor didn¡¯t say a word after her outburst, he just stood still, watching and observing her till her heaving breath evened out and tension left her body a bit.

    .....

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Victor asked, and Mimi looked at him as if he developed two heads.

    Was that really what he wanted to know? Mimi did not doubt that he had people keeping an eye on her and must have reported what happened to him already? She could see the concern in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Mimi replied quickly and turned to go change, Victor would leave when he wanted to. She hase to learn you don¡¯t force him to do what he doesn¡¯t like.

    However, she didn¡¯t even take a step forward when he grabbed her and whirled her towards him, her body pressing against his chest.

    Mimi looked up, swallowing down a lump when their eyes met, and was unable to read the undecipherable look in his eyes and for some reason, it scared her. Mimi liked it better when Victor was an open book, that way she could tell what was going on in that crazy mind of his.

    She tried to pull away, feeling ufortable with this sudden closeness, ¡°What are you -¡±

    And his mouth closed down on her and she forgot how to breathe. Mimi stiffened, her back going rod straight while her hands fell uselessly by her sides. What was going on? Was Victor kissing her?

    Oh no, she can¡¯t give in easily! She just made a promise to swear off men but here she was kissing one. Well, technically, he was the one kissing her. All the same, she had to stop him before it was toote.

    ¡°No,¡± Mimi said, in between the kiss. Her hands then move to rest on his chest, trying to push him away all to no avail. Victor was busy ravaging her lips and she hated herself for loving it.

    She tried to minimize damage by not giving him ess to her mouth, but when he cupped her butt and rubbed her against his evident arousal, she moaned and that was all the invitation he needed to invade her mouth.

    His tongue danced with hers and while she fought to defend against him, Victor strived to seduce her. And yes, she was losing the battle.

    But then, they weren¡¯t immortal and needed to breathe, so the moment Victor broke apart from the kiss, shended a p on his face. However, before the shock of the p could even wear off, Mimi already grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and kissed him.

    It was currently Victor¡¯s turn to be shocked because that was the least response he expected after he kissed her and she pped him.

    But then, he couldn¡¯t help it.

    Victor didn¡¯t know how it started but all he knew was that he has been craving Mimi the past days like a drug and he almost went crazy when she went on a date with that asshole.

    He had been tempted to sabotage their date, which was the real reason he denied himself the location of their date else he really crashed it. He left the responsibility to his men who brought back the good news, Draco had been messing around with Mimi.

    He could have tracked Draco down but Victor knew with the amount of energy coursing through his veins, he would really kill him if heid his hands on him. It is best to be on his own whenever he has this vtile energy ¨C he tends to do unpredictable things.

    So Victor looked for Mimi instead, trying to make sure she was okay. He wouldn¡¯t hurt her. Mimi does the opposite to him, calms him down actually.

    That was what he wanted her to do, erase the images of billions of ways he could murder Draco right now. But instead, he saw hurting and decided to heal her the only way he knew how to do it best.

    Unlike Mimi, Victor was quick to recover from the shock and was kissing her back with the same ferocity. Unlike the first kiss where she fought him, this one was passionate ¨C and lustful.

    Her hand curled around his shirt while the other dug into his hair, deepening the kiss. This was more than perfect. It was what she needed, a sweet and perfect distraction.

    Guiding her backward, Mimi gasped slightly when her back hit the wall. He stered her body against it while his knees wedged between her thighs, rubbing against her wet sex. At this rate, there was no way they were not doing it.

    But then, weren¡¯t they friends?

 Chapter 260

    260 Are You Ready

    The both of them pulled away from the kiss once more to catch their breath and this time, their eyes met as ifmunicating telepathically their need. There was no need for words, they both wanted this and damn consequences.

    Their lips met again and this time, Victor released a guttural sound as he pressed deeper into the kiss, a flush that was far from embarrassment coating her cheeks. Mimi loved a man being in control, but just a little, she was not a doll for decoration.

    She slipped her tongue into his mouth kissing him with a feverish urgency and he pressed further into her as if he couldn¡¯t wait for their bodies to be melded together.

    While her hand dug into his scalp, clutching a fistful of his hair enough to cause him pain, his hand already slipped up her skirt, tugging her panties to the side, and plunged a finger inside of her and she gasped from the sensation.

    ¡°F*ck!¡± Mimi gave up on the kiss, her hand wrapping around his neck and the other digging into his hair as he touched her.

    His movements were slow andsting as if he wanted to savor every minute in there and that was wrecking her body.

    ¡°Victor!¡± She moaned his name, her legs almost giving out. Her breathing was hard and every logical thought had escaped her mind the moment his lipsnded on her.

    ¡°The way I make you feel, do you like it?¡± He growled into her ears and Mimi, overwhelmed by the pleasure, could only nod her head. This was much better than she thought.

    And then his finger was around her clit, rubbing in a circr motion and she threw her head back, crying in pleasure. Victor would be the death of her.

    .....

    He bent his head to whisper into her ears once again, ¡°This is just the icing on the cake. Imagine if I were inside of you, how would that feel?¡±

    Heaven.

    That was all Mimi could think of. If his finger could drive her to the edge, she wanted to greedily taste what he could to her. Ravage her body probably.

    Mimi couldn¡¯t tell which one turned her on, his dirty talks or his finger inside of her or both of them. All she knew was that she wanted to f*ck Victor badly. Her life right now depended on it. He has lit a fire inside of her that was impossible to extinguish.

    Then she whimpered when he increased his pace, like he was inside of her and thrusting faster with his finger until intense pleasure unfurled inside of her. Delicious pleasure spread throughout her body as she wet his fingers.

    Mimi watched through half-lidded eyes as he lifted the same finger to his mouth and sucked it. Damn it, that was the most erotic thing she had watched a man do.

    ¡°You taste delicious,¡± Victor told her with eyes burning with desire. Right now, he seemed like a predator about to consume his prey ¨C her.

    Then without warning, their lips merged in a hungry kiss that confirmed the desire they felt for one another. His tongue slipped into her mouth and she moaned as he swallowed the sound.

    Then they were both wing at each other¡¯s clothes. Mimi tore at the bottoms of his shirt, desperate to get her hands on his bare skin while he reached down to grasp the edges of the dress, pulling it over her head, and didn¡¯t fail to watch her body in satisfaction.

    His lips kissed her protruding nipples through the bra and heat and wetness throbbed in between her legs. She was ready for another orgasm, but Victor wanted his staff inside of her this time.

    He unsped her bra while she slid her panties down her thighs, stepping out of it. Victor¡¯s lustful eyes rove over her body and a thrilling shiver went down her spine when she saw him lick his lower lips. The thing about Victor, he never fails to show what he likes. He was going to enjoy every bit of her.

    And then without warning, Victor lifts her off her feet as if she weighed barely more than a paper. Mimi was amazed by his strength, his muscles rippling with the effort. She was so in love with him right now.

    Wait what? No, no way, she was not in love with him in the way of love.. Just liked the way..... shut up and have sex, Mimi!

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mimi was roused back to the present when he pushed her up against the wall. They were going to do it this way?

    How sexy.

    Her legs wrapped around his waist to brace herself and he kissed the dip in her corbone while his other hand worked on his pants. When his member was finally out, he rubbed the head against her slit and she sighed in contentment. This was good.

    Victor looked into her eyes with his lustful eyes and took her lips in a kiss, this time slow and intimate as he nipped on her lower lips. He thrust inside of her and Mimi gasped, overwhelmed by the rush of the searing sensation.

    It seemed like she was hit by a moving train and instead of being crushed into a mash, the breath was knocked out of her lungs instead and she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breath.

    She was by no means a virgin but it has been so damn long she had sex ¨C at least in her definition ¨C and she was tight as hell as her body tried to amodate the sudden invasion. And she had to admit Victor was huge and was beginning to tear her apart, but a little pain was wee.

    Victor settled so deep inside of her that she could feel him in her womb and then he slipped out, and a moan escaped her throat.

    ¡°God.¡± Mimi threw her head back, her eyes shut close in the euphoria. Her fold was quick to wee him home when he slid back.

    Then Victor took her face in his hand, asking with deep intensity, ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    Oh damn, she wasn¡¯t sure anymore.

 Chapter 261

    261 She Was His Now

    ¡°Oh, God!¡± Mimi cried out because the instant she had given consent, he thrust his hips so deep inside of her that her nails couldn¡¯t help but dig into his back. And she wasn¡¯t the only one that felt that because a groan left his throat as well.

    By the time he punched his hips into her the second time, Mimi already held onto him for dear life. Not that he would have dropped her because his hands were on her.

    ¡°Does it feel that good?¡± Victor asked her, moving his hips in a circr motion as if he wanted to touch every part of her.

    Mimi had her eyes shut, reliving the pleasure, and gave him no reply. So he pulled out of her and mmed into her, hard enough to force an answer out of her mouth.

    ¡°Yes, it does!¡± Mimi screamed out, her hands digging deeper into his back, ¡°It feels so damn good,¡± She breathed. At this rate, she might even draw blood from him, not that Victor would notice since he was engrossed with the sex.

    Their lips meet mid-way and as if the dam was finally broken, Victor pulled back and began to m into her. The rhythm became so hard and fast that Mimi couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    She broke away from the kiss and pressed into him further, squealing loudly as he continually mmed into her. For once, Mimi was grateful that her parents were away because she was sure she would have woken them up with her screams ¨C if not the whole neighborhood.

    ¡°F*ck! F*ck! F*ck! Victor!¡±

    Victor¡¯s thrust didn¡¯t lose pace or force, he was pounding into her without mercy and God help her because she loved every bit of it. The room was filled with the mixture of their groans and moans as they went at it.

    .....

    And in no time, Mimi felt her orgasm around the corner. The intense pleasure was too much for her to bear and she warned Victor who was doing no better. He pumped into her through her orgasm while her body stiffened, her fold spasming around him so violently he moaned.

    He thrust into her once more, burying his cock to the hilt as he released his hot load into her. Victor didn¡¯t pull away immediately, rather he left his member inside there without movement to enjoy the rapturous pressure of her tightness as it milked every seed out of him.

    By the time he was done, she sank t against his body and Victor carried her over to the bed. His mouth was upon her, kissing the breath out of her.

    Unlike her, he still had more than enough energy to burn for the night. Victor was just worried about her stamina because he was by no means satisfied. He usually took two women whenever he had that chaotic energy inside of him. Sadly, there was just one Mimi.

    There was shock on Mimi¡¯s face when she felt his hard c*ck pressing against her stomach as they made out. How was that possible, it was barely a minute after they did it and she wasn¡¯t sure she still had the energy to go for another round. Today had been taxing on her both mentally and physically.

    First, Arianna, and the next Draco pulling a stunt on her and now, she was having sex with a man she swore never to be friends with ever again. Wow, she was messed up.

    But her body proved her wrong because it came alive the moment Victor had his tongue on her nipples, sucking and nipping with the edges of his teeth while he caressed the other one. Okay, maybe, she still had a bit of energy for a second round. Yes, this round, and she was done.

    Mimi moaned when his mouth took not only her nipple but covered the rest of her are, sucking as if his life depended on it. And then, his mouth was on her lips kissingzily and sensually while he ground against her sex.

    Her hands stroked his chiseled chest, enjoying the feel of his muscles under his fingertips just as she broke the kiss, lifting her head off the bed to kiss his small nipples since she was beneath him.

    Victor groaned, veins bulging across his neck while his eyes darkened with lust. At this rate, he was not going tost and it was proved when he pulled her towards him, kneeling between her thighs.

    He spread her thighs further apart, his hunger growing when he met her dripping sex. Pride filled him as a knowing smirk curled his lips, ¡°Someone¡¯s hungry for me,¡±

    Mimi went red in the face, damn men and their egos.

    Then he was rubbing his member up and down her wet fold, Mimi curled her back, the pressure too much for her to bear. She was extra sensitive right now and Victor knowing she wouldn¡¯tst, pushed into her.

    Buried to the hilt, Victor began to move inside of her and she could only focus on the pleasure she was feeling. Unlike the first time when they f*cked like drugged actors, Victor was a lot gentler and intimate this time around.

    He focused on her body and gave her an earth-shattering orgasm that made tiredness seep into her bones, sleep beckoning her. She was done for the night.

    Mimi was vaguely aware when Victor slipped out of her and went to the bathroom and brought back a towel and a basin full of water which he used to wipe and clean her. She only sighed in bliss at the cool andfortable state.

    By the time Victor was done cleaning her up, she was already deep in sleep and faintly felt when he slipped into bed with her. Victor being a night owl didn¡¯t sleep immediately.

    He just propped up on his arms watching the soft rising and falling of her chest in fascination. He still couldn¡¯t believe he had a naked Mimi in his bed and though his member hardened to the point it hurt, he knew he couldn¡¯t wake her. She needed the rest.

    He would let her refuel and in the morning time, they would continue from where they stopped. Mimi doesn¡¯t know what shended herself into, because he was not letting her go anymore.

    She was his now.

 Chapter 262

    262 No Rest For Mimi

    ¡°Holy f*ck!¡± Mimi¡¯s eyes flew open at once.

    She has just awoken to Victor eating her out and there was no word for it. Truthfully, Mimi had imagined waking up to mornings like this one but imagination was different from reality and she was currently confused about her rtionship with Victor at the moment. So she needed a clear head to think about it ¨C but that clear head can¡¯t be achieved when he¡¯s between her legs.

    Mimi tried to rise so she could stop him but he blew hot breath, teasing the most sensitive part of her and sheid back down, unable to stand the crazy sensation. Victor would drive her crazy sooner thanter.

    His tongue slid against her p**sy as he licked her relentlessly and Mimi forgot how to breathe. God damn it! Who would breathe in this situation?! Her breath could onlye in collective gasp!

    ¡°Victor!¡± Mimi screamed his name as he devoured her arousal like a man starved of food for days. No, more like years.

    He plunges his tongue inside of her, f*cking her as if it was his member, at a hard and relentless pace.

    All Mimi could do was thrash and whimper, her back arching off the bed which he pushed back down with his hand and continued his out-of-control assault. Yeah, that was the word for it, Victor was definitely out of control.

    Because even when the pleasure came crashing down, he was still at it and Mimi found herself close to another orgasm. She screamed, digging her nails into the sheet and holding onto the sheet as if her life depended on it.

    ¡°Oh God, please stop....¡± Mimi begged him, every part of her was so sensitive that eachp brought both pain and pleasure.

    .....

    In the middle of the blinding pleasure, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and tried to pull him away but all she got was his greedy groan and sucked her hard.

    Then Mimi fell apart like a detonation. Her body be weightless as she fell from the pleasurable crescendo and back to earth. She came undone.

    Victor finally stopped, his eyes peeking from between her thighs to stare down at her satiated form. Mimi was like a well-fed cat as shey on her back, trying to catch her breath.

    She couldn¡¯t help but catch his gray eyes burning with lust. His chin was wet from eating her out and Mimi had to admit that was as sexy as hell. But that was until he said, ¡°You¡¯ve had your fill, now is my turn.¡±

    Oh, no, no, no, Mimi was close to crying. She could hardly raise a finger as it was. But her pleas fell on deaf ears because he already flipped her onto her stomach and pulled her hips up such that her butt was in the air while her head was resting on the pillow.

    Mimi took back her word, she doesn¡¯t want the distraction any more. It was too much nor has the thought of Draco crossed her mind since then. What has shended herself into?

    Victor took her from behind and her sensitive fold tightened around him as soon as he went in.

    ¡°God! I¡¯m not going tost long!¡± Victor groaned out, his features distorted like he was in pain as he thrust into her, ¡°You are f*king tight and squeezing the life out of me!¡±

    Seeing that his time was limited, Victor pounded into her with all he¡¯s got. The smacking sound of their sex saturating the room.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Mimi screamed from the torrent of pleasure crashing into her body. She was going to die.

    ¡°Yes, that is it! I¡¯m going to f*ck you so hard that you would feel me deep inside of you for days!¡± Victor said and made good on his promise.

    When the wave of ecstasy washed over her, Mimi screamed and buckled hard as her leg gave out. She simply copsed on the bed with Victor on top of her, not that she felt his weight.

    She sighed as Victor thrust once, twice inside of her, and then filled her with his hot scum before pulling his staff out of her. Heid on the side, pulling her up to him as they cuddled.

    Mimi was so tired that her eyes were shut when she asked him, ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡±

    ¡°Four o¡¯clock in the morning.¡±

    Her eyes flew open at once, that fucking bastard! No wonder she felt so tired! He had woken her very early in the morning just to have sex? Was he kidding her?

    She red at him furiously but he wasn¡¯t moved by it, instead, he said,

    ¡°This fire in your eyes, it seems you want another round and there¡¯s more from where ites from,¡± He gave her a cocky grin.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± Mimi wanted to push him away from her but he grabbed her hand and smooched her on the lips, ¡°Be a good girl and go to sleep.¡±

    Who did he just call a good girl? Mimi wanted to argue that, however, Victor was quite unpredictable, hence she better took advantage of this peaceful moment he was giving her and had her rest.

    So Mimi closed her eyes and sank into another blissful sleep. She had to admit though, that the sex made her feel much more rxed and she had afortable sleep until she heard...

    ¡°Mimi, I¡¯m home!¡±

    At first, the voice seemed so distant as if she was in a dream until she heard it the second time and Mimi broke through the haze.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± She squeaked, getting out of his arms and the bed at once. That was her mother¡¯s voice which could only mean her parents were back.

    Why did they return so early? Mimi wondered until she looked at the clock and discovered it was nearly eleven in the morning.

    Oh, God.

    She was doomed.

    Her parents can¡¯t find out that Victor was here, not to talk of if they discover that she and Victor sex. Her mother would start nning their marriage already and she wasn¡¯t ready to settle down ¨C especially not with Victor.

 Chapter 263

    263 Friends With Benefits

    There was no way on earth she was settling down with Victor. Victor was good for dating and good in bed but definitely not for marriage.

    He was ady¡¯s man and Mimi couldn¡¯t stand drama with other women; she can never be a side chick. She was worth more than that and any man she was going to be with had to show that level of dedication.

    Aside from that, Victor was consigliere to a Mafia Lord and his entire family was in the Mafia. Mimi can¡¯t survive the life of being in constant danger.

    She was barely his girlfriend and Draco kidnapped and messed with her for revenge. What happens if they get married then? Would she have to live her entire life looking over her shoulder for danger and never trusting anyone? She didn¡¯t want such a life for her children either.

    Not that she was getting married to him anyway. Just because they have one night of passion doesn¡¯t make them an item. She used Victorst night to forget her problems and he knows that, no, he let her use him. This is why she did not stop him from having her even when she was dead tired. You could say this was her form of apology and thanks as well.

    But then, their rtionship changed and she couldn¡¯t tell what to make of it any longer.

    The first thing Mimi did as soon as she jumped out of the bed was to lock her door. Her mother doesn¡¯t know the word ¡°privacy¡± or the fact her daughter¡¯s a grown woman and would barge in uninvited.

    After that, she quickly went to her wardrobe where she got her bathrobe and covered herself.

    So, the first crisis was avoided. What was she going to do about Victor because he can¡¯t walk through their front door now her parents were home.

    .....

    ¡°Hey, what is it?!¡± Victor asked, stalking towards her and unashamed that he was naked.

    Christ Jesus, Mimi¡¯s eyes widened when she saw his manhood. She had felt it was hugest night but seeing it now in broad daylight made her jaw nearly drop to the ground. No wonder, her vagina felt like it was split into two. She was incredibly sore in the middle of her legs.

    Sadly, Victor followed her line of sight and grinned knowingly at her, ¡°Like what you see?¡±

    Like what she saw, her butt! Mimi was terrified of what she was seeing. It felt okay inside of her but seeing the size on the outside made her wince internally. Not to mention that Victor in question had a ravenous appetite. Once would be fine, but if they went numerous rounds in one night, he would tear her apart. She hoped not.

    And damn it, why was she thinking of more nights with him, this would be thest time she was having sex with him. Last night, she needed it, needed him. But now, her head was clearer, and she would not fall into such a mistake again.

    ¡°This is no time for Jokes, Victor. You have to leave now!¡± Mimi told him, beginning to pick his clothes from God knows where they dropped themst night in their passion-induced state.

    ¡°Leave? Why?... ¡± He was still asking when mama Hannah¡¯s voice rang from downstairs. His face lit up, ¡°Oh, mommy¡¯s back, I should greet her,¡± He said.

    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Mimi shot at him, pushing the rest of his clothes to his chest, ¡°My parents are home and they can¡¯t know you are here!¡± She whisper-yelled.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi was stunned by his question.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t they know that I¡¯m here? We are both adults here or are you ashamed to introduce me to them as your lover?¡± he asked seriously and the saliva in her throat dried up.

    ¡°L-lover?¡± Mimi croaked. When did their rtionship turn that way?

    But Mimi didn¡¯t have the time to argue about that because her mother¡¯s voice was bing louder which only meant she was getting closer. Oh no.

    ¡°Fine, we¡¯d discuss thister! But please, just dress up and get the hell out of here already,¡± Mimi begged him desperately.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Victor was half-appeased by her response but he didn¡¯t want to put her in distress either. He would handle herter.

    Although Mimi was in anxiety, she still couldn¡¯t help but take in his naked body. His body was perfectly sculpted and his ass... Damn. Fine ass. To think she had thatst night.

    Alright, Mimi, take your mind out of the gutter. Focus, your mother¡¯s on the way to burst your bubbles!

    ¡°By the way, how do I leave?¡± Victor asked her while zipping up his pants.

    But that question had Mimi looking at him as if he was stupid, ¡°What do you mean by that? How did you get into my room in the first ce?¡±

    Victor stopped what he was doing and looked at her in disbelief, ¡°You want me to go through the window? Mimi, it¡¯s broad daylight,¡± Heined.

    But she rolled her eyes towards heaven, ¡°You loved going through the windows, why are youining now?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not doing it. I could hide in the wardrobe or bathroom and wait out till your parents leave or something,¡±

    Nope, that¡¯s not happening. Her mother could snoop around like a police dog. She¡¯s not leaving any chances to get discovered.

    So Mimi went to him and cupped his face in her hands, giving him a lingering kiss, ¡°Please, Victor, do this for me. I beg you. ¡± She butter-up him and he couldn¡¯t deny her.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Victor gave in but not without stealing a kiss from her.

    Ummm, if it wasn¡¯t for her parents¡¯ invasion, he would have his stiff brother inside of her again. He was fucking addicted to her ¨C her taste, scent, everything.

    ¡°You know,¡± He was amused, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m leaving through the window after having sex with my bestie.¡±

    Well, there goes that title again. What were they now? She guessed, friends with benefits?

 Chapter 264

    264 The Great Offer

    Arianna didn¡¯te out of her room all day, however, she ate and Marcel was grateful for that. It was something at least because if she nned on starving herself then he would have no choice but to force the food down her throat. But for the fear of choking ¨C he heard people died from that ¨C he would have to threaten one of her family members and she would only hate him further.

    Marcel was trying to be gentle with her but Arianna was not making it easy either. If she was only damn obedient, then this would have been much easier. However, trust Arianna, she would butt heads with him in every decision and action. She doesn¡¯t trust him one bit. Well, he hadn¡¯t given her a reason to do so. Even at that, the Arianna he knew would never do as he said even if he asked her.

    So no, trust was impossible.

    Thankfully, Marcel was busy with meetings all day. He had to strengthen his influence in the city including his control over local enforcement partners.

    They were not the only Mafia family in this city but everyone knew enough to respect their territory and not cross the line. Luciano was one of the top Mafia families and war with another major family would create division and as well, chaos.

    That was the reason for the existence of themission. The Commission is the governing body over all of them,

    with a rulingmittee that consists of the bosses of the top families, even stretching outside the city. The purpose of the Commission was to oversee all Mafia activities in the country and serve to mediate conflicts among families.

    In one word, it consists of a ¡°board of directors¡± to oversee all Mafia activities and serve as mediators. They had a chairman and meetings were held once in a blue moon or when they needed to discuss family problems.

    Hence, even as the boss of their organization, they had a limit to their actions; neither was Marcel interested in the politics of themission. As far as his family member was not messed with, he had no business with them.

    .....

    After a partnership meeting over border routes with another crime family, Marcel was done for the day. He was returning home when his phone rang and it was no other than his fianc¨¦e ra, he had forgotten about her.

    ¡°Hello?¡± His voice was neutral, close to almost being called t. Ever Since Arianna returned to the base to torment his life, everything about ra bored him. You could almost say ra was equivalent to a nuisance in his eyes now. Weak and pretentious women were not his type.

    ¡°I saw your flowers.¡±

    And yes, he had to keep udia in check, at least, until he found his sister. If ra reported Arianna to his father, he couldn¡¯t tell what that bored, heartless man would do. Marcel didn¡¯t want to be put in a situation where he would have to choose between his sister and Arianna. His father might as well kill him.

    ¡°And?¡± he hoped it was effective.

    ¡°You¡¯re forgiven,¡± She added, ¡°Only because you asked me on a date,¡±

    A date? Marcel frowned, he didn¡¯t remember adding that to the apology note unless his men made a mistake. But then, his men hardly make mistakes and not on small tasks unless... oh, she was demanding one. ra was being smart with him and he was in no position to reject her.

    ¡°Fine, pick the time and date, I¡¯ll be there.¡± He told her, showing no other interest.

    ¡°Huh?¡± There was dissatisfaction in ra¡¯s tone. Wasn¡¯t it always the male nning the date? Why was Marcel¡¯s case different? Luther used to take care of each and every one of their dates.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcel asked, his eyes on the tablet and watching footage of the unstable Jeremy. Having been off the drugs for days now, his withdrawal symptoms were obvious even to a blind man.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± ra swallowed back her words. She and Marcel fought a lot in the past; she didn¡¯t want to offend him anymore. ra wanted to be the perfect woman for him now.

    ¡°Alright, text me when everything is set,¡± Marcel was about to end the call when she shouted.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcel tried not to show his annoyance knowing what she was about to ask. He was not a profiler but ra was an open book and he¡¯s read her well enough that there¡¯s nothing left to unravel.

    ¡°That woman?...¡± She held her breath, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me about her.¡± ra wanted to know badly about that redhead bitch but she didn¡¯t want to provoke Marcel in the process.

    ¡°Who¡¯s my fianc¨¦e?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Who am I getting married to?¡± He rephrased his question.

    ¡°Me?¡± ra choked out.

    ¡°Then why are you bothered by her?¡±

    ra frowned, why wouldn¡¯t she be bothered when he shouted at her in front of the bitch? Moreover, she couldn¡¯t deny her female instinct, ra felt threatened by her.

    She knew Marcel had other women than her. No, who was she kidding? Even before they stopped fighting, Marcel always had women at his beck and call. But he had never defended anyone as fiercely as he defended that woman that day. Also, that woman didn¡¯t look scared of Marcel as other people were of him even when Marcel looked murderous.

    ra was jealous of that confidence. No, how dare that woman make her inferior. She was ra Louise Alberta for crying out loud. People envied her, not the other round. She wanted to know everything about her ¨C and her rtionship with Marcel.

    ¡°I just....¡± ra didn¡¯t know what to say, she couldn¡¯t tell Marcel she didn¡¯t like her and wanted her out of there. How could that woman stay so close to Marcel when she was far away? It kept her on edge.

    But then, an idea hit her and she quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be sure she¡¯s not a threat to you. If you need help with her, I can do it. I don¡¯t know much about your family business, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time I started getting acquainted, already? Moreover, she¡¯s a woman, I¡¯m one as well.¡± She made him a great offer.

    ______

    Check out my new book :- Taming A Monk : My Husband Is Not Romantic! I need your honest opinion on the first few chapters. Thank you so much!

 Chapter 265

    265 A Heir For Marcel

    If only ra said those words in front of Marcel, she would have hidden her face in shame from the look on his face. Marcel had his signature poker face on but one could tell he thought of ra¡¯s suggestion as a joke.

    However, he still listened patiently until she was done speaking by asking, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    But to ra¡¯s surprise, no response came from Marcel¡¯s side and she feared he hung up on her only to peer up at the screen and discover that the call was ongoing.

    ¡°Marcel...?¡± She called his name worriedly.

    ¡°ra...¡± Marcel finally spoke up and his tone was so heavy that her heart missed a beat. Had he seen through her by chance?.

    ¡°What?¡± Her reply was almost a whisper. The sudden tension in the air bothered her.

    ¡°Do not poke the ho¡¯s nest,¡± Marcel said to her gravely.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Although it was an idiom, she got the message. Marcel was warning her not to do anything reckless.

    .....

    ¡°However,¡± Marcel said to lighten the mood, ¡°If you feel like getting to know the organization better, you can start by training. Make yourself stronger and my men would respect you. Victor can take you on that.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± ra shouted at the top of her voice until she remembered she was speaking with Marcel and continued with her humble tone, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    Was she crazy? Training? And with all people, his cousin Victor? ra could almost say that the guy was a demon sent to torment her life. Also, those people fought like barbarians, why would Marcel want her to train with them?

    He could have chosen a better teacher for her. Victor would ruin her wless skin nor could even a blemish be found on her body. As a designer, she had a reputation to keep.

    ¡°Fine then. Goodbye, ra,¡±

    ¡°Okay, goodbye Marcel....¡± She was still speaking when Marcel ended the call.

    There was a miserable look on ra¡¯s face when that happened. She had a feeling that Marcel didn¡¯t like her but she was confident of winning him over. Moreover, she was putting all of her stakes on him. She broke off things with Luther, everything had to work out.

    She can¡¯t back out of the engagement now. Even if Marcel doesn¡¯t like her now, as her mother said, he would eventually fall for her when they became a married couple. Things would work out somehow ¨C especially when she gives him a son.

    ra knew Marcel was under pressure to get married since he was the only son and child of his, father. If anything were to happen to Marcel, there would be a great paradigm shift in the organization ¨C there was no other sibling to take over. Hence, If she happens to give him a child now, her position was solidified.

    Speaking of her father-inw, Daniel, what if she told him about that woman? He might be able to help her find out who she is and her rtionship with Marcel. That was a great idea.

    No, no, no, ra had a second thought upon remembering Marcel¡¯s warning. Daniel and Marcel were not on good terms, what if she messed things up in the process? Not only would she lose Marcel¡¯s trust, but he would also be mad at her ¨C ra didn¡¯t like the mad Marcel.

    Come on, she had to think long-term. ra knew that was focusing on her marriage to Marcel and giving him an heir. Whoever that woman was, she wouldn¡¯tst long once she bes the madam of the Luciano and gains the power equivalent to her husband, Marcel.

    It was time to make their rtionship public. This was a topic worth discussing with her Father-inw. She was ready to get married which means It was time for an engagement party. And whoever that woman was, she would know her ce once she hears of her engagement.

    Yes, that was a n.

    Meanwhile....

    The moment Marcel returned to the base, he went straight to see Jeremy. Unlike the other time, the man was heavily guarded now because he triedmitting suicide the second day he showed signs of being withdrawn.

    Although Marcel knew he could get the information he wanted at that time, he let him suffer for a few more days, and now, the man was desperate enough because the moment his eyes rested on Marcel, his eyes lit up like Christmas.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here!¡± Jeremy looked like he had seen the Savior.

    Marcel didn¡¯t reply, he simply took the seat beside him and sat down, crossing his legs over the other as he observed the man before him.

    ¡°You look worse,¡± Marcel observed the dark circles around his eyes showing theck of sleep and the running nose. His pupil was dted and he couldn¡¯t seem to focus on a ce. Not to mention the tremors.

    Perhaps to his irritability and self-harm, his men bound him from neck to down. He must have given them a hard time when they tried feeding him to keep him alive because he could see traces of fading bruise. And damn, the ce smelled of vomit.

    ¡°You know what would make me feel better?¡± He grinned at Marcel but it quickly morphed into agitation in a twinkle of an eye, ¡°Give me the damn drugs!¡±

    ¡°You would get the drugs once you answer my question,¡± Marcel told him firmly, pulling out the pouch containing the white powder that drew Jeremy¡¯s gaze as if he just met his first love.

    But he scowled at him, ¡°Do you think you can fool me?!¡± His eyes were so fierce it was almost shooting fire, however, he became meek the next seconds, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll answer, as far as you promise to give me the drug.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Marcel said.

    Jeremy was almost drooling like a dog at the sight of the drug and Marcel had no doubt he would have lunged for him had he not been bound.

    ¡°Focus.¡± Marcel snapped his fingers at his face, moving the drug away at the same time so he could concentrate.

    Jeremy nodded obediently and Marcel began, ¡°Tell me what you know about Elijah.¡±

    He whined, almost close to crying, ¡°I already told you that I know nothing about him!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel told him, an idea in his head, ¡°I need something different from you this time. ¡±

 Chapter 266

    266 Help His Life

    ¡°I need something different from you this time,¡±

    Jeremy knew he was in big trouble when Marcel said those words. What more could he want from him that he hasn¡¯t told him yet?

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked with a sense of dread.

    Marcel stood up from his seat, and began to circle the drug addict asking, ¡°How many types did you and Elijah meet physically?¡±

    ¡°Thrice,¡± Jeremy answered that one, having remembered it vividly, ¡°The first time; he got me to agree to working for him, and the second time; he met to give me payment, and the third time; it was to crash his fianc¨¦e¡¯s wedding. Every other conversation was over the cellphone and encrypted. Dude, is super smart.¡± He chuckled at the end yet regained himself when he saw the frown on Marcel¡¯s face.

    He¡¯s super smart, huh? Marcel made a mental mockery of that statement. The fact that he and Elijah were even beingpared pissed him off. He had been here before Elijah, but then the dudees out of nowhere and tries to take over everything. When ites to reputation, Elijah was nothingpared to him and he was going to prove that when he got his hands on him.

    Marcel went on, ¡°If you can remember much, then you can recall distinct features. What did you notice about Elijah?¡±

    ¡°I told you already, dude is super careful,¡± Jeremy groaned, he was getting tired of it, all he wanted was his fix, ¡°Perhaps, I might be able to think properly if you give me the drugs. I can¡¯t even concentrate!¡±

    But Marcel chuckled mirthlessly, ¡°Nice try, Jeremy. Now think harder! There must have been little details you noticed that you didn¡¯t put many thoughts into until now and trust me, it would be very useful to me.¡± He pushed him further.

    .....

    Jeremy shook his head in denial yet said, ¡°His voice didn¡¯t sound natural. He looked like he had a device with him that distorted it and made it harder to tell what he really sounds like.¡±

    ¡°Good. What did you notice about his hair? The color? The texture?¡± Marcel wanted more details, ready to make a mental sketch with the information he would receive.

    Jeremy¡¯s brows were furrowed as he thought hard about the few times they met, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t think so?¡±

    ¡°Each time we met he was bald.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Marcel shook his head, ¡°From the blurry photo we have of him, he had a head full of hair. So either he¡¯s wearing a super realistic mask like he¡¯s famed for or your lying to me. I¡¯ll take the first option though.¡±

    Jeremy released a relieved breath, he had been wondering how he would exin to Marcel that he was telling the truth.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you won¡¯t be able to describe what he looks like obviously.¡± He turned to Jeremy, ¡°What about his height and weight? That should be easy to figure out.¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t tell.¡± Jeremy gulped, ¡°He was definitely tall but confusing, one day he¡¯s bulky and the next less bulky and the next, he¡¯s bulkiest. It was as if he was ying mind games with me.¡±

    ¡°And his eyes?¡±

    ¡°Sea green? Amber? Red? Contact lenses aren¡¯t hard to find.¡±

    By the time Jeremy was through, Marcel knew finding Elijah was a lost cause. But then, Marcel refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t find one man! Was this some sort of joke? No, he had to try harder.

    He was close to giving up when Jeremy suddenly shouted,¡± I remember something!¡±

    ¡°Wait! What is it?!¡± Marcel looked at him positively.

    There was an eat-shit grin on Jeremy¡¯s face and he knew at that moment that this was the advantage he has been looking for.

    ¡°Well, what is it? Spill it out already!¡± Marcel was impatient.

    ¡°I would, only after you give the drug to me,¡± He made the greatest mistake of giving Marcel a condition.

    At once, Marcel who had leaned a little bit towards him to hear the news, straightened up immediately. All traces of warmth disappeared from his face and Jeremy stoppedughing abruptly. What has he done?

    Marcel put his hands into the pocket of his pants and took a deep, calcted breath, before saying, ¡°I hear you have a little brother, he looks better in person than in the photos.¡± He subtly threatened him. That is if you can call that ¡°subtle¡±

    All blood drained from Jeremy¡¯s face, it seems he bit more than he could chew. Marcel was not as soft-hearted as he thought he to be.

    Marcel bent so that his eyes were on the same level as his, ¡°The next time you are going to threaten me, make sure you are up to the challenge.¡±

    He pulled back, ¡°Now, do tell me. What do I need to know about Elijah, Jeremy?¡± he asked in a voice that suggested he was not epting any more tricks up his sleeve.

    Jeremy had no choice but to confess to him, ¡°I think Elijah¡¯s left-handed.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Marcel didn¡¯t want a hypothesis anymore, he needed real fact! Anything that would give a lead on Elijah!

    ¡°The second time we met, when he tossed the drug to me, he did it with his left hand. Although we didn¡¯t interact often but now that I think about it, he favored his left hand.¡± Jeremy said.

    There was silence for a while as Marcel thought over his words. He then said,

    ¡°It¡¯s not much but it¡¯s something that I can work with. ¡±

    Jeremy was grateful for the fact that he was able to help out because he asked for payment in the next minute, ¡°My drugs then.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your drugs.¡± Marcel pulled out the pouch from his pocket and the man was elevated thinking that he was about to hand the drug to him only to receive the shock of his life.

    Marcel pocketed the drug right in front of him saying, ¡°Do you know that withdrawal symptoms typically persist for up to three weeks? The symptoms gradually fade during this time. You¡¯ve spent a week already, two weeks would pass in a blur. Don¡¯t me me too much Jeremy, I¡¯m only trying to help your life.¡± He smirked even though it was the truth.

    Jeremy let out an anguished wail, ¡°Marcel!¡±

 Chapter 267

    267 Conduct A Secret Investigation

    As soon as Marcel was out of the prison, he was calling Adele on the phone and thankfully, she picked on the first ring.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°I need you at the base instantly,¡± Hemanded her knowing this couldn¡¯t wait any seconds.

    ¡°Well, guess who is in luck?¡± She said to his surprise.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Marcel still had the phone on his ears when Adele appeared in his line of sight, waving her phone with a smile.

    ¡°I knew there was a reason I picked you.¡± Marcel was d she was here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter me please, boss, it might get to my head.¡± Adele switched back to her professional mode.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to duck you in the pool if you lose your track,¡± He reminded her of the pool incident and Adele stiffened until she understood he meant it as a joke this time.

    .....

    ¡°Thank you but I¡¯d pass,¡± That incident still scared her and she hasn¡¯t forgiven him about it. One thing was sure though, she¡¯d have her pay back one day.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s discuss in my office,¡± Marcel gestured to her to take the lead, ¡°Ladies first.¡±

    Adele hardly trusted anybody but Marcel had no reason to hurt her nor was there a pool nearby to ¡°duck¡± her, so she fearlessly led the way.

    In Marcel¡¯s office, they were served coffee and Adele scrunched her face at the stinging bitterness of the drink. How could someone drink these? Well, that someone was sitting right in front of her ¨C and he couldn¡¯t hear her thoughts thankfully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯d get used to the taste,¡± Marcel said at her facial reaction.

    She¡¯d get used to the taste? Does Marcel intend to feed her this everyday? She might as well make up excuses and conduct their meetings online from now on. Adele knew this position wouldn¡¯t be easy but she never thought ck coffee would be the reason.

    ¡°The magic lies in the smell not the taste,¡± He tried to appease her. Not that she was convinced.

    Well, it did smell better than the regr coffee now she thought about it. But then, just because she was a toughdy doesn¡¯t mean she wants her coffee to taste like charcoal.

    ¡°About Elijah...¡±

    ¡°That is exactly the reason why you are here.¡± Marcel said, dropping his cup. He nced up at her, ¡°Tell me your findings so far, I guess you have something for me if you came all the way to see me.¡±

    Adele tucked her own cup on thep ¨C thankfully ¨C and sat up straight, ¡°I have nothing.¡±

    Marcel¡¯s brows arched, ¡°Nothing?¡± He was notforted by the news, ¡°You came all the way here to tell me you have nothing on him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t,¡± Adele answered him fimly without fear. But she added afterwards, ¡°However, I for one think that we have been going about this the wrong way?¡±

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Marcel was now interested in whatever she was saying, no, he was interested in whatever would bring Elijah down.

    Adele began on, ¡°All this while, we have all been searching for a mercenary called Elijah aka the phantom ghost. What if he¡¯s not a ghost afterall?¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get you,¡± He was having a hard time connecting the dot.

    ¡°How many crime families do we have in this city?¡± She asked hopefully.

    ¡°Five of them ¨C us included,¡± Marcel gasped, the whole thing beginning to make sense in his head, ¡°Wait a minute, you are trying to say that Elijah might be a member of one of the crime family?¡±

    She merely shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s a guess. But then, isn¡¯t it strange how he¡¯s so good at everything he does and his knowledge of the city? It¡¯s as if he knows every inch of it and the reason why he has been able to hide efficiently from us. An outsider can¡¯t do that, he has to be from one of the crime families. ¡± Adele stated.

    For a minute, Marcel didn¡¯t say a word and finally eximed, ¡°God, you are so brilliant. That exins why I don¡¯t have a thing on him. He must be using his family¡¯s influence. So what¡¯s left is to figure out the power of what family he¡¯s welding?¡±

    But that was easier said than done because that would involve an in depth investigation of the four families and just like he wouldn¡¯t take it lightly if someone poked his nose into his family¡¯s affairs, none of them would thank him for poking his nose where it doesn¡¯t belong. This investigation needed to be done as carefully as ever else he might trigger a war with not just one, but all four families.

    ¡°This Elijah...¡± Adele said, her gaze focused, ¡°I¡¯ve been studying everything you have on him and my closest guess is that he¡¯s a lone wolf.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say? That¡¯s he estranged from his family?¡± Marcel looked better now that he has a lead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that but he¡¯s definitely far from home,¡± She instinctively guided the coffee to her lips only to frown in the next seconds. She had forgotten this wasn¡¯t her cup of tea.

    This time she ced the coffee on the desk, pushing it far away from her else she forgets and reached for it once again. Marcel noticed the gesture and said nothing, they didn¡¯t know a thing about luxury.

    ¡°What about you?¡± It was time to hear from him, ¡°You called me over, that must mean you have something for me. What is it?¡±

    Marcel peered up at her, ¡°I have this nagging feeling that Elijah has infiltrated my gang.¡±

    Other than the slight widening of her eyes, Adele showed no other reaction other than calmness in this situation, ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°If he loves her as much as the girl ims, then he must be here to rescue her ¨C and fuck with me as well.¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°And?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I want you to look into ourtest rescuits. From my findings, he must be using a fake identity and appearance as well ¨C he¡¯s efficient in the use of hyper-realistic masks. And most of all, he¡¯s left-handed.¡±

    Marcel had a serious look when he told her, ¡°What I am trying to say is that you should conduct a secret investigation. Anyone with the slightest alteration on his body, get him to me.¡±

 Chapter 268

    268 Bargaining With Her

    After the meeting was over, Marcel found himself hovering outside Arianna¡¯s door. This time, he didn¡¯t just want to see her, he needed to discuss something with her but he didn¡¯t know how to approach her.

    Would she even want to see his face after the fightst night? Marcel ran his hand through his hair, he shouldn¡¯t have kissed her. At least now, their rtionship wouldn¡¯t be this tense.

    But then he couldn¡¯t help it. Marcel liked her and when she wouldn¡¯t stop stirring his blood, he lost control. He wanted to pull her to him and kiss the daylight out of her ¨C show her that he could treat her better than her runaway boyfriend. But that was easier said than done.

    Marcel knew he couldn¡¯t stand here forever. He had to make a move and take a risk. If she still doesn¡¯t respond to him after this, he¡¯d leave her alone toe around at her own space ¨C and the time it takes to catch Elijah.

    So he knocked twice for privacy¡¯s sake before going in. When Marcel came in, he didn¡¯t find her in the room and panicked slightly only to find her seated on the balcony, her back turned to him. That was a huge relief.

    He stalked towards her and knew the moment Arianna noticed him because she said, ¡°If you¡¯re here to convince me to have lunch with him, better save your breath. I¡¯m not seeing your precious boss, you better get used to that.¡±

    ¡°I would not get used to that,¡± Marcel said from behind and she stiffened momentarily before hardening her resolve probably.

    ¡°What do you want? What are you doing here?¡± Arianna asked in a dead tone without looking back and it hurt his feelings. He liked when Arianna looked at him when she spoke, then he could see her beautiful face ¨C and her boldness. Her fearlessness and willingness to solve a herculean task turned him on. Alright, he was not going to head in that area considering that¡¯s the reason they¡¯re in this awkward situation in the first ce.

    Marcel didn¡¯t answer her, rather he took the seat beside the stoic-faced Arianna and sat down. He had her in mind when he was selecting this room and space was of the essence because of her love of ¡°freedom¡±. You could think of this ce as a peace offering and he sure hoped it fulfilled its purpose because he needed something to appease her anger and win her over.

    .....

    Marcel watched her and what he saw almost broke him. He didn¡¯t notice it but she had lost a lot of weight from the stress and he couldn¡¯t me her. Any other woman who went through what she¡¯s encountered would be traumatized for the rest of their life but here she was standing strong. Although she looked tired, Marcel had no doubt she already had a n of escape in her head if he wasn¡¯t careful.

    Arianna looked tired but the glint in her eyes was there and she had never looked more attractive to Marcel than now. He respected her the more ¨C and fell for her harder. This was the kind of woman he wanted by his side, beautiful ¨C both on the inside and outside ¨C brave and strong. If only she could let him show her how much of the world he could give her if she agrees to be his.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to offer you a deal,¡± He said and that roused a reaction out of her apathetic expression yet she wouldn¡¯t look at him still.

    ¡°What deal?¡±

    ¡°Stick around here while I find Elijah and I¡¯ll help you find your mother.¡± He said.

    She turned to him shell-shocked, eyes wide and using before they turned into one of disbelief and annoyance. At that moment, Marcel knew he had to tread carefully else they start another argument, after all, he was bargaining with her family.

    And Marcel knew she was quite sensitive about her family. He means, who wouldn¡¯t be when that was partially the reason for their fight yesterday? But no more fighting ¨C he was tired of it. It seems he was here to wave the white g.

    ¡°How do you know about my mother?¡± Her voice was thin and cold, as if it was on the verge of breaking so all hell would be let loose.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Marcel told her, ¡°The day you cuffed me to the wheel, I went after you and came across the news during my search for you,¡± He subtly exined he threatened her uncle.

    Arianna only huffed and looked away, saying, ¡°You can take your deal with you, I¡¯m not interested in it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know about your mother?¡± Marcel wasn¡¯t judging her knowing the circumstances behind her answer. But he still hoped.

    Arianna turned to him, a sneer on her face, ¡°Don¡¯t call her that, she doesn¡¯t deserve that title.¡±

    ¡°Arianna....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty-three years. She made me believe that she never existed for twenty-three years of my life, so she stayed that way for the rest of her life. I survived without her, what difference would she make now?¡± There was so much anger and hurt in her voice and Marcel couldn¡¯t me her.

    If someone came out of nowhere and told him that his own mother whom he thought was dead for years was alive and had only done that to escape his father, he wasn¡¯t sure he would forgive her. That was so much betrayal and disappointment ¨C she abandoned him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know why she did so? Unless she¡¯s an irresponsible mother, I refuse to believe that she intentionally gave up on her. The fact that your father wants you to find her must mean something.¡± He tried to convince her but her heart was not even touched at all.

    Arianna stood to her feet, towering over Marcel who was seated and for once, enjoyed the feeling of being in control,

    ¡°Well, in that case...¡± She was being sarcastic, ¡°Daddy¡¯sst wish can¡¯t be fulfilled. And if you want to bargain with me next time, Marcel,e with something worth it.¡±

 Chapter 269

    269 Second Chance

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel gave up on convincing her. If there was anything he noticed about the both of them, it was the fact they were passionately protective of the things they loved.

    Same way, that means it was as good as impossible to change their mind about what they didn¡¯t want. Two stubborn people, Marcel wondered how it was going to work out between the both of them.

    Marcel stood up to his feet intending to leave when he faced her, almost stealing the space she created between them as he said, ¡°You know if there was one thing I could wish for right now, it would be a mother.¡±

    Call her stupid or something, but Arianna found herself asking, ¡°What happened to her?¡± Why was she even interested in his family when she wasn¡¯t nning evil with it?

    ¡°She died. Fell sick. Withered slowly till there was nothing left of her.¡± He said in a voice that was taut, telling Arianna how much control he summoned to tell her this.

    While others would say ¡°Sorry¡± in this situation, Arianna didn¡¯t. Instead, she looked the other way, saying, ¡°At least, she was there for you, mine wasn¡¯t. My mother didn¡¯t even give me a chance and decided I wasn¡¯t good enough for her. I don¡¯t need her now, Marcel.¡± She lied.

    Arianna wanted to meet her mother so much but the truth was that she was simply scared. If her mother abandoned her at birth, what¡¯s the possibility she wouldn¡¯t reject her once again if she does find her. She was scared of being rejected.

    Marcel suddenly took a step forward and she took one back, conscious of the distance between them. He noticed that and didn¡¯t move any further, so as not to spook her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should forgive her, Arianna. I¡¯m just saying you should meet her, moreover, she¡¯s your only family left. You should know why she left you in the first ce.¡± He said to her, catching her gaze with his.

    .....

    Arianna saw the sincerity in Marcel¡¯s eyes even though this deal would only benefit him. He really wanted to find her mother, and God help her, if she doesn¡¯t want to as well, but her fears wouldn¡¯t let her. Plus the fact this means she¡¯d have to be good else the deal¡¯s off. She would not give him that satisfaction; she can¡¯t remain here.

    So after a few minutes of silence and staring into his eyes ¨C and trying not to get affected by his smoldering gaze. She made her final decision.

    ¡°No. Thank you.¡±

    Disappointment shed across Marcel¡¯s face for barely thirty seconds. He lost ¨C this had been his chance to prove himself to her.

    ¡°If you say so, then.¡± Marcel didn¡¯t push her any further, he knew when to give up on a losing battle.

    ¡°Have a nice day, Arianna.¡± He said to her and took his leave.

    Arianna watched him as he left the balcony and into her room, headed for the door, her heart pounding in her throat the entire time. She had a feeling that she was making a mistake and this might be thest time Marcel would offer her help or a deal like this one but her pride wouldn¡¯t let her acknowledge it.

    However, the moment Marcel pulled the door open, she shouted, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Marcel stopped immediately as if he had been waiting for this exact moment and turned to meet her just as she hurriedly left the balcony to meet him.

    ¡°If I....¡± Arianna said, standing in front of him. She was tall in the first ce and had no problem looking at him ¨C Marcel was just a head taller than her, ¡°agree to this deal, would I be free to go anywhere I want?¡±

    ¡°In the base? Yes. Outside? Not yet, until I¡¯m assured I have your trust and you don¡¯t have anything up your sleeve. Your numerous futile escapes have made quite a record and it¡¯s incredibly hard to trust you, so even when you¡¯d be here, my men would have their eyes on you all the time. What do you say? ¡±

    ¡°Just one.¡± She said,

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to have your men on my tail, I just need one of them. It makes me ufortable to be under their scrutiny, not to mention all the time.¡± She demanded.

    ¡°That would only happen if you promise not to shoot any of my men again,¡± He made his demands.

    Arianna gulped, hesitating for a moment. However, she didn¡¯t want to shoot anyone again anyway. The guilt was horrible, so she gave in,

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t.¡± she added, ¡°However, you have to promise not to....¡± She paused, avoiding his gaze before saying, ¡°You won¡¯t kiss me or try to seduce me.¡±

    At that statement, a smile quickly crossed Marcel¡¯s face, he gestured to his body, ¡°Darling, this face is a seduction incarnate already.¡±

    She red at him, ¡°Promise me.¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± Marcel said cockily, ¡°I won¡¯t seduce you unless you are horny and decide you want to fuck with me. My services are free.¡± he winked at her.

    ¡°What the....¡± At once, Arianna became wide-eyed, a deep flush filling her cheeks. How could someone be so foul-mouthed and candid? She calmed herself down, he was just rousing a reaction out of her ¨C and seeded.

    ¡°That is not going to happen,¡± Arianna said confidently.

    Marcel didn¡¯t refute her words nor say a word. Sometimes, you need to prove yourself with actions, not words. Arianna has just given him a second chance, he would not mess it up.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± She said.

    What now? Marcel rolled his eyes mentally, women were so demanding.

    ¡°Make sure he¡¯s handsome.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Whoever you¡¯re sending to watch me for twenty-four hours, seven days. I need to feast my eyes on a handsome face,¡± She grinned at him knowingly.

    Marcel growled at her, no way was that happening. The only handsome face she would be seeing around here was him. How dare someone else tries toe and steal her attention from him? That was not going to happen.

 Chapter 270

    270 Who¡¯s The Power Bottom?

    Cindy had a show this night and unlike thest time, Aziz was not in the formal suit. He was wearing normal clothes this time and had to blend with the crowd.

    The show was in the club and while the others were backstage, Elijah¡¯s duty was to look around and observe the people in attendance. If any one of them showed suspicious behavior or possessed a weird item with them, presumably a gun, he was to report back, incapacitate or neutralize them, depending on the time left and circumstance.

    Sometimes Elijah¡¯s face was a blessing and a curse at the same time because with his cool, calm, and collected demeanor, most of the women here took it that he was looking for a good time. More than once, they distracted him from the job and he pretended to go along with the flow just so they wouldn¡¯t suspect him. But in the end, he dumped them all.

    He couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Cindy because, at the moment, he was using the identity of a member of the Luciano mob. That means he was susceptible to punishments, if not death. None of them knew his prestige identity hence he would be treated like amoner.

    That was evidenced by the way his colleagues behaved toward him. Cindy had him promoted to work with the top dogs on the security details and they weren¡¯t happy with him.

    They hadn¡¯t tried bullying Elijah physically but they ousted him from their circles. They wouldn¡¯t give him the information he needed and more than once or twice, he had arrivedte to Cindy¡¯s errands or with the wrong product expecting her to punish him. But for some reason, she would indulge him and that pissed the others off like hell.

    It was as if everything they did to make Cindy mad at him backfired on them. Elijah knew they were only jealous, especially the captain because he came out of nowhere and found favor in Cindy¡¯s sight.

    How was it his fault the girl liked him anyway? If they wanted the same treatment as him, they should do the same thing he did. What did Aziz do exactly? Nothing. Yeah, he did nothing ¨C they should try that.

    The moment Cindy was done, her manager was the one that helped her off the stage after sharing a few moments with her fans. Aziz had to admit, the girl was a good singer but her songs weren¡¯t his cup of tea.

    .....

    The captain and another guard strategically covered them with their body in case of a sneak attack as they walked through the crowd while Aziz was at the corner scanning through, receiving, and passing reports through the hidden wire behind his ear.

    In no time, Cindy was out of there safely but the girl didn¡¯t leave the club entirely, she was in one of the private rooms to have a drink. Cindy decided she wanted to have a good time before retiring for the night.

    Seeing the others got it covered and let¡¯s be honest, they don¡¯t want him around, Elijah decided to just hang out around the club when he received a word ¨C Cindy wanted to see him.

    Elijah sighed, this girl really needed to know he wasn¡¯t her age mate and assistant. So this was how it felt when hemanded his brother¡¯s people around. This was definitely karma.

    By the time Elijah reached the room, the captain¡¯s scowling face alone told him that whatever errand Cindy was about to have him do wasn¡¯t favorable to the others.

    ¡°Your girlfriend wants only you inside,¡± the captain sneered, openly expressing his contempt this time. It seems his hatred has reached the limit and was ready tobust.

    Aziz raised his brows, ¡°Come on man, don¡¯t say that,¡± He said to him, with a hint of a joke in it, ¡°That¡¯s child abuse.¡± He hinted that Cindy was too young for him to date.

    But the man simply didn¡¯t care because he said, ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t give me that innocent look. I heard that¡¯s the same way you bewitched Lance, tell me, did the both of you fuck? Who¡¯s the power bottom? I guess it¡¯s you since you don¡¯t seem to disparage between both sex.¡±

    Coldness seeped into Elijah¡¯s eyes and he reeked of killing intent and would have really killed that loudmouth if he didn¡¯t remember his mission in the first ce. This was for Arianna, he couldn¡¯t let anyone ruin it.

    Moreover, people were bound to speak whether he liked it or not. Not everyone was going to like him. Also, he had no interaction with this jealous lowlife; he wasn¡¯t worth his anger.

    So Aziz simply grabbed the doorknob and went in just as the jealous captain shouted from behind, ¡°Do a good job of guiding the princess,¡± Heid more emphasis on the word, ¡°guiding¡± and hinted that they would do a lot more than that.

    Shaking his head, Elijah opened the door and walked into a room full of young adults aka Cindy¡¯s friends. He sighed, he was really going to hate this.

    ¡°Oh, there he is.¡± Cindy noticed his presence as soon as he came in, gesturing him over to her side with the drink in her hand.

    Aziz looked around the room, observing there was no guard with them. There was just Cindy, her manager, and four of her friends with him. No wonder the asshole captain told him to take good care of the princess. All of her friends were probably from influential families and if anything went wrong, the me would be on him the hardest.

    Maybe he should just give up on this mission because he was getting sidetracked. Elijah should think of another way to rescue Arianna. It seems his biggest mistake was getting arrogant and failing to rescue Arianna on the day of her wedding to Big Joe. Did he think he could take on Marcel by himself?

    No, he hase a long way and wouldn¡¯t give up easily now. He would survive this. What has a bunch of spoiled, rich teens got on him?

 Chapter 271

    271 He Was Ambidextrous

    Bonus chapter ¨C Thank you GaGold For your castle!

    Elijah still had the thoughts in his head when he heard a squeal by his side.

    ¡°Oh my gosh! He¡¯s as handsome as you described,¡±

    The blonde girl had a hand to her mouth trying to contain the excitement inside of her, ¡°Tell me, Cindy, if you¡¯re not making him yours, I want him!¡± She stretched her painted manicured hands to make her point.

    ¡°What the....¡± Elijah was lost for words when the girl made a pass at him.

    He blinked twice, trying to make sure he was seeing and hearing right? Where were this kid¡¯s parents, do they even know she¡¯s at the club? He was tempted to teach some discipline to her. In the future, he would keep a better eye on his own daughter.

    ¡°Back off, he¡¯s mine,¡± Cindy red warningly at her friend who released a wistful sigh while Elijah was left in disbelief. He took back his words, he couldn¡¯t handle these reckless and crazy kids.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Cindy tapped the space beside her on the sofa since he was standing, ¡°Sit with me.¡±

    ¡°No, thanks, I¡¯m good where I am.¡± Elijah stood his ground, ¡°I¡¯m here to guard you not to have fun,¡± He resumed his formal and professional tone.

    .....

    But to his surprise, Cindy simply reached out and pulled him down by the hem of his shirt and he stumbled down on the sofa. She said, ¡°Who said you can¡¯t have fun while on the job?¡± she grinned at him and all Elijah could conjure were shark teeth. He was toasted.

    ¡°Pour me a drink,¡± Cindymanded, bringing the empty ss to him. Somebody was getting cheeky with him.

    ¡°Are your hands paralyzed? Do them yourselves, you brat!¡± Elijah said all of those words in his head. The identity he was currently using was kind and obedient, it would seem suspicious if he switched to his cold and aloof personality.

    So instead, he smiled and took the ss from her. Elijah filled the ss with ice cubes, then added rum with lime juice. Stirring it with a bar spoon and finally garnishing it with a lime wedge.

    It was while he was doing so that he managed to ask, ¡°I hope all of your friends here are of legal age, I don¡¯t want you to get into any trouble with the authorities.¡±

    ¡°If she gets into trouble, you clean it up. That¡¯s your job anyway or isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re paid for?¡± The manager said out of nowhere popping cashew nuts into his mouth nonchntly.

    Elijah¡¯s demeanor changed instantly, even a mere manager dares to insult him now?

    He peered up at the manager with his dark gaze and the manager whose gaze happened to cross his at that moment saw the murderous intent there and choked on the nuts instantly.

    It seemed funny at first as the manager coughed incessantly until he fell on all fours on the floor, still coughing and trying to get out the nut that lodged in his throat, tears escaping his eyes from the difort.

    At the scene, the kids couldn¡¯t stay still anymore and all except Cindy came to the man¡¯s aid. The dumb one kept asking how he was doing when it was obvious he couldn¡¯t speak. The smarter one quickly began to hit his back hard for a while until the man threw up the nut that went down the wrong pipe.

    ¡°Eww,¡± Cindymented at the action of her manager throwing up while the other kid took a bottle of water from the table, uncapped it, and gave it to the man who drank from it as if his life depended on it.

    When the manager finished, he burped and the girls did a collective, ¡°Eww, disgusting.¡± this time.

    The man finally recovered, recognizing that he had messed up big time. Embarrassed and still scared of Elijah¡¯s chilling eyes ¨C how were the others not able to see that? ¨C he picked up his things in a hurry saying, ¡°I need to leave early. Have fun, you guys?¡±

    And sessfully made it to the door until Elijah¡¯s startling voice stopped him, ¡°Where do you think you are going without your artist?¡±

    The manager gulped, he was on the verge of crying. What now? He didn¡¯t say anything else, why won¡¯t that scary guard won¡¯t let him be? The manager was traumatized by the nut incident ¨C he almost died from choking all because of him.

    He slowly turned to Aziz, bearing a please- have- mercy- on- me ¨C expression.

    ¡°Just let him be, I don¡¯t need him anyway when I got you,¡± Cindy dismissed him without noticing Elijah¡¯s menacing smile.

    It was the manager who saw it all and took off as quickly as his feet could carry him. Who took in that psychopath as a guard? Was the Luciano family okay in the head? As much as the manager wanted to report him, he loved his life which meant he was keeping his mouth shut.

    Elijah was still looking in the direction of the door, his lips curled to the side in an evil smirk when he handed the drink to Cindy and didn¡¯t notice the hand he used.

    ¡°You¡¯re ambidextrous.¡± Cindy said without giving it much thought but to Elijah, it felt like someone just dropped a bomb on him.

    That single word ¡°ambidextrous¡± made the previous smile on his face drop and he let his guard up immediately. No one else except his family knew he was efficient at using both hands and he¡¯s used the skill to deceive a lot of people.

    Most people guessed the phantom ghost was left-handed while the rest thought he was right-handed, depending on what he wanted them to believe.

    A chill entered Elijah¡¯s eyes but thankfully Cindy was too dumb and careless yet it was risky. From now on, he had to be very careful around her. She might be a kid but she was a Luciano and was trained better than the average humans out there. She would notice something if he dropped too many hints

    So while hiding the tension inside of him, Elijahughed it off and continued to serve her. How he wished this night was over.

 Chapter 272

    272 I Don¡¯t Do Kids

    Elijah survived the night. Yes, he did!

    Aside from the constant teasing, flirting, and serving them, Elijah found out that the kids were quite a goodpany to be with ¨C but that doesn¡¯t erase the fact he would keep a close eye on his future daughter.

    Thinking about his daughter, all Elijah could conjure was a little redhead from her mother, his blue eyes and adorable cheeks. He smiled at the memory.

    ¡°What are you thinking of?¡± Cindy asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. He had forgotten he was walking alongside her.

    After her friends had taken enough pictures of him, Elijah sent them back home on their rides and was nning to do the sane for Cindy until she decided she needed a short walk to clear her head because she was feeling tipsy.

    Hence, her driver drove not far away from them in case she needed it while her other guards mingled with the crowd and scanned for threats. Well, Elijah hoped they were doing just that because he could see the captain boiling with jealousy. Well, he better gets his head back in gear because he¡¯s seen a lot of people make mistakes because of distraction.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You were smiling while thinking of something. Tell me, who¡¯s the woman?¡± She inquired while looking straight ahead.

    Elijah lowered his brows, ¡°Do you just assume that whenever I smile that I¡¯m thinking about a woman?¡±

    .....

    She looked back at him, ¡°Out with it, Aziz. I¡¯m eighteen but I¡¯m not a kid and don¡¯t treat me like one,¡± She warned him, ¡°I¡¯ve seen things kids my age wouldn¡¯t even dream of.¡±

    ¡°Should I be impressed by that?¡± He didn¡¯t look like one.

    ¡°Maybe? Even if you aren¡¯t, tell me about her.

    Elijah had no choice but to give in, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m thinking about a woman right now and I¡¯ll be sure to mask my expression more in the future.¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Cindy was not bothered by that. She was more interested in the woman, ¡°What¡¯s she like? Pretty?¡±

    ¡°Aphrodite.¡± He said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you couldpare her to a Greek goddess, that¡¯s the one for her. Fiery, beautiful, sexy, brilliant, and brave. She¡¯s something out of this world,¡± He described with a far-away expression.

    ¡°You guys are together then?¡± Cindy hoped not.

    ¡°Currently? No. We are kind of in a long-distance rtionship.¡± Elijah lied efficiently. There was no way he was telling her that the girl of his dreams was held captive by her second cousin. That was giving out his identity right away.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Cindy looked sympathetic inside, but inwardly she was on top of the world. Most long-distance rtionships hardly work out. She still had a chance with Elijah.

    ¡°Does she know you work for my family?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Cindy nodded, ¡°That¡¯s doomed to fail then.¡±

    Elijah stared at her in disbelief, ¡°Did you just jinx my rtionship?¡±

    Cindy didn¡¯t answer, rather she turned around and suddenly stopped in front of Elijah making him stop as well.

    He gave her a questioning look, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Break up with her, let¡¯s date.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Elijah blinked twice trying to register what he just heard. He then looked both ways to make sure he was the one she was referring to but that gesture made her roll her eyes towards heaven.

    ¡°Duh, you¡¯re the one I¡¯m talking to.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Elijah confirmed and then his gaze scanned her from her head to the sole of her feet. He reached out and tousled her hair, saying with a yful tone, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t do kids.¡± and walked past her.

    However, Cindy was determined and she ran up to him, blocking his way. She faced him while walking backward.

    ¡°I¡¯m already eighteen, which means I¡¯m legal enough to get married to you?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Elijah nearly choked on his saliva, ¡°G-get married to who?¡±

    ¡°You, of course!¡± She said it like it was a proud thing.

    ¡°Exactly? Why?¡± Elijah tried to walk ahead of her but she quickened her step and in no time was jogging to catch up with his pace.

    ¡°Because I like you.¡±

    ¡°So you marry any guy you like? How many of them have you proposed to so far?¡± Elijah was being sarcastic on purpose.

    ¡°No, you are the first.¡±

    ¡°Your first what? Crush? Honey, that¡¯s normal. I believe you were taught the changes hormones cause .... ¡± He was trying to teach her that this was all part of puberty as a growing kid and soon, the feelings would go away with time.

    He would have gone on and on, had she not shouted ¡°Stop!¡± halting him.

    Elijah exhaled deeply, he¡¯s way too old for this. With their drama now, there was no way the captain would believe that nothing was going on between them. There was a reason he was homeschooling and that was to avoid the whole high-school love ¨C aside the fact he couldn¡¯t live a normal life.

    Cindy bit on her lower lips, looking aggrieved, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m feeling, I¡¯m not a kid!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you are, kiddo!¡± Elijah was tempted to say but he bit back his words. Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, he still wanted to enjoy the privileges Cindy showed him.

    With the captain against him and the rest of the team, it would be hell for him if Cindy turns on him too.

    ¡°Fine, you are not a kid but you are behaving that way right now by proposing marriage to a man you hardly know. What if I¡¯m a bad person and approached you with ulterior motives?¡± Elijah said to her even though he was partially telling the truth.

    But Cindy shook her head stubbornly,

    ¡°No, you are not a bad person. I trust my instinct and it hasn¡¯t failed me for once. ¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid to say this but your instinct is fake, kiddo,¡± Elijah said in his head, of course. He was not a good person, this was all a pretense to get what he wanted.

    ¡°Moreover, once you marry me, you¡¯d get all you want ¨C riches, glory and fame? You name it. I¡¯m sure your long-distance girlfriend can¡¯t give you that.¡± She lured him.

 Chapter 273

    273 Gathering With The New Underboss

    Riches? Glory and Fame? Sure, Arianna couldn¡¯t give him that because he had all of it already. Not that he was going to tell Cindy that.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Elijah said, stepping closer, ¡°Tell me then, why do you like me so much? Who knows, if I hear what I like, I might consider dating you,¡± He intentionally teased her.

    There was a glint in Cindy¡¯s eyes, this was the moment she had been waiting for. She had to convince him by all means.

    She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and then began, ¡°For starters, you¡¯re handsome ¨C incredibly good looking. We would make a perfect match when seen on the outside and you know, as a celebrity, I make a lot of public appearances. Appearance matters.¡± Cindy was smug about her achievements.

    Of course, Elijah knew he was handsome, he has been hearing that since the day he couldprehend speech. So he simply nodded, his lips pulsed theatrically, and gestured for her to go on.

    ¡°And.... ¡± She trailed off, thinking of more reasons only to find out that her head was nk. Cindy thought she knew that much about Aziz, but it wascking.

    ¡°You have a tremendous sex appeal,¡± Cindy could onlye up with that.

    She said in a deep, husky tone, attempting to seduce, ¡°You drip of manliness and I love that because when we get married, you could teach me a lot of things.¡±

    Cindy used sexual innuendo that made Elijah¡¯s brows raise in surprise. Don¡¯t tell him that this kid was serious about getting married to him because he was feeling pretty ufortable right now.

    .....

    Even at that, Elijah still kept his calm and went on to ask, ¡°And...?¡±

    Cindy blinked, thinking over it, ¡°Well, I¡¯d make a good wife. I¡¯ll make sure of it. And by the end of it, you can still leave the marriage if you don¡¯t want to be with me anymore. That¡¯s all.¡± she concluded, biting her lips and hoping that the bait was enough.

    Elijah didn¡¯t say anything for a while causing a weird tension to fall over them and Cindy could hear the sound of her heart beating against her chest.

    ¡°Your offer is an interesting one¡± Elijah finally spoke up, breaking the tense silence. They were standing on the sidewalk with the guards and her car not too far and ready to spring into action if a threat appears.

    ¡°But I would have to turn it down,¡±

    ¡°What?! Why?!¡± Cindy shouted, unable to believe what she just heard.

    ¡°I told you to give me reasons which you did, but all of them were superficial. My handsomeness? Sure. But for how long do you think they wouldst? Four? Ten? Fifteen years? This sex appeal you speak about, would you still see me that way when I¡¯m bald and pot-bellied?¡± he asked her.

    Cindy tried to protest, telling him that he was wrong and all but no words coulde out of her mouth. Her mouth only opened and closed on its own.

    ¡°We would get married, huh?¡± He mused, then reached out and lifted her chin.

    Upon that gesture, Elijah noticed movements from his left and saw the captain, there was a tick on his jaw. This scene just confirmed what the captain thought of him, not that Elijah cared.

    He held Cindy¡¯s jaw gently, his thumb caressing her skin that almost made her sigh in bliss, ¡°Such youth... such vigor..... such naivety..¡±

    Cindy¡¯s gaze which lidded instinctively upon his touch, flickered up at thatst word. Did he just call her naive? She was anything but that!

    However, Cindy couldn¡¯t say that because Elijah¡¯s electric blue eyes held her spellbound. The girl was young and immature in the first ce, having little defense against an experienced man like Elijah. Hence, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to wrap her around his finger.

    ¡°I can leave the marriage if I want to?¡± Elijah tested the words she spoke to him on his lips and it tasted like shit. His grip around her chin tightened but not to the point of hurting her, ¡°How many Mafia marriages have you seen divorced?¡±

    Cindy was flustered as she thought over it. As much as Elijah¡¯s touch was soothing, his tone said the opposite, it was sharp and cutting. She had seen little to no divorced mafia marriages. Because of the secrets each partner carried, most mafia families preferred to stay together even if it was heaven or hell.

    ¡°What are you trying to say then?¡± Cindy finally asked instead of answering his question.

    ¡°There¡¯s a time for everything, sweetheart. Love yourself a little bit more, Cindy. You are at an age where the world is in bright colors and you have to treasure that because it won¡¯tst long.¡± Elijah said to her and almost immediately, his phone beeped with a notification.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± He said and checked his phone only to see that it was information from his group ¨C the newly recruited Mafiosi. Then he read it and came to know that they had a meeting tomorrow with the new underboss, Adele. It was mandatory to attend.

    Elijah¡¯s brows furrowed at once, something doesn¡¯t seem right here. Adele hasn¡¯t cared about them since the initiation, why now? Also, they were newbies, why would she be interested in them?

    There was an intelligent glint in his eyes as Elijah concluded that the gathering was to lure him out. They must have found out something about him, what is it? He had been sure to be careful.

    Elijah wouldn¡¯t have gone to the gathering, using working for Cindy as an excuse, however, it would seem more suspicious if he didn¡¯te.

    Adele was not like her dumb half-sister, Cindy. She was as vignt as a viper. That meeting tomorrow would be challenging but he has never been the one to run from one. Trouble was his middle name. They should bring it on.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Cindy asked him as he tucked the phone into his pants.

    ¡°None of your business and a reminder that it¡¯ste and I need to go home.¡± He told her.

    ______

    Hi my lovelydies, I hope you enjoyed the mass release. This is to thank you all for your massive supports in one form or the another, through the gifting,ments and vote. I appreciate eveyone of it. Thank you so much! Also check out my new book for the WSApetition, ¡°Taming A Monk : My Husband Is Not Romantic¡±. I need your supports as well. Tell me what you think about it!

 Chapter 274

    274 We Meet Again

    ¡°You¡¯re home.¡±

    Victor barely entered his room before his cousin weed him. As if he needed it.

    ¡°You do know trespassing is illegal,¡± Victor said, wondering where he heard that.

    Oh right, that was from Mimi. So this was what it felt like? Well, he¡¯d take permission from her before trespassing the next time.

    But Marcel replied in a calm tone, ¡°I technically own this house.¡± He reminded him, now standing to his feet.

    But Victor stood his ground, ¡°Even andlord doesn¡¯t break into his tenant¡¯s ce,¡± He wrapped his arms across his chest, flexing his muscles, ¡°Tell me, Marcel, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°To apologize?¡±

    ¡°Apologies don¡¯t repair the damages caused,¡± Victor said coldly.

    ¡°But it would make you feel better,¡± Marcel argued.

    .....

    ¡°No, Marcel.¡± Victor shook his head, ¡°Not in this situation. I begged you, dearest cousin and you all people know that I don¡¯t do that!¡±

    ¡°This is business, Victor! Remember, it¡¯s business before pleasure. That¡¯s the rule here or have you forgotten that in your little search for pleasure?!¡± Marcel scolded him.

    But his cousin scoffed, throwing his head back with a burst of short, sarcasticughter, ¡°Really? That¡¯s like the kettle calling the pot ck.¡±

    ¡°Victor.....¡± Marcel growled at him warningly.

    ¡°Seriously, you wanted Mimi as leverage over Arianna and you call that business? Why don¡¯t you look me in the eyes Marcelo and tell me that Arianna is still business to you?¡± Victor gave him a challenge, stepping closer to make his point.

    ¡°Marcel Xavier Luciano III,¡± Victor called him by his full name, showing that he was really pissed off this time, ¡°Look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice that girl for business if the need arises,¡±

    However, before he was even through, a low rumble came from Marcel¡¯s throat at the thought of sacrificing Arianna.

    Victory stared at him disappointedly, ¡°Just as I thought. You hold your treasured one in high esteem and then mine is coteral damage. How selfish could you get?¡±

    He was so full of anger that he couldn¡¯t stay in the room anymore. Victor was close to reaching the door when Marcel grabbed his arm but he pulled free.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marcel apologized to him,¡± I admit that I can be selfish sometimes, but I would never harm you, Victor.¡±

    ¡°But not my loved ones.¡± He muttered.

    ¡°Including your loved ones, from now on.¡± Marcel promised him, cupping his face with both hands and bringing it closer so they¡¯d foreheads were touching, ¡°Moreover, Mimi is Arianna¡¯s best friend. I just made a truce with her and I would be as good as dead if Iid a hand on her.¡±

    ¡°Good for you, Marcel, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve forgiven you,¡± Victor broke away from his hold and turned to leave once again, this time his action was a tad bit dramatic, not that Marcel noticed because he was desperate to win his friendship back.

    ¡°I miss you, Victor. Don¡¯t you get that?¡± Marcel said but all Victor did was turn the other way.

    ¡°Fine, what can I do to make you ept me again,¡± He finally said what Victor needed to hear because a cunning smile crossed his face.

    However, his expression was neutral when he turned once more to meet his cousin who was currently distressed. Victor said,¡± There is nothing you can do, Marcel.... well, except one....¡± He threw in the bait.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcel was willing to do anything and that was what Victor wanted, a mischievous look that promised revenge curling his lips.

    Meanwhile.....

    Draco was in his office having fun with one of thetest girls recruited into his service. The girl was in nothing but her undies while a cigarette hung securely between his fingers.

    ¡°Alright, cha¡¯er, let¡¯s see what you got,¡± Hemanded her smugly while the girl knelt in front of him confidently.

    As the owner of one of thergest brothels in the city, Draco was notcking in girls for his gratification and after his prank yesterday, he felt like he needed a bit of celebration.

    It was more like a treat. You know, just like those on diet call it, today was his cheat day. You could think of it as dessert ¨C this girl was going to have to eat him like one.

    As expected, she wasted no time in getting down to business as she worked on his pants and had his d*ck out. She stared at it with a thrill and Draco urged her, ¡°Come on, baby girl, do your job well and you¡¯re on your way to a quick promotion!¡± He promised her.

    With that motivation, she lowered her head and took him into her mouth just as he took a long puff. Draco threw his head back, exhaling a long trail of smoke with his eyes closed. Gosh, he was as high as shit and the sex was a goodbination.

    After she was done giving him one of the mind-blowing blow jobs he¡¯s ever had, Cha¡¯er straddled him and began to ride him. The girl was as good as they said.

    However, it was in the middle of her riding him that his phone rang, however, Draco ignored it. This shit right now was more important than whoever was on the line. Damn it, he was close toing.

    Sadly, his second phone rang and before he knew it, all two of his phones began to ring simultaneously, giving him no choice but to answer it.

    ¡°What the fuck is your problem?!¡± He yelled into the phone, having recognized the number as one of his people. He was heaving at the same time because Cha¡¯er was doing a good job of riding him amid the distraction.

    But that was until he heard the news, that his brothel was on fire?!

    Draco pushed Cha¡¯er from his body with a great force and shended with a thud and in pain. However, he had already left the room, hurrying to the outside where his chauffeur already started his car. He needed to go see his brothel.

    Draco was in so much panic that he didn¡¯t get to see the face of his chauffeur until he realized he was going the wrong way.

    ¡°No, that is not the way -¡±

    ¡°Hello, Draco. We meet again.¡±

    He met Victor¡¯s crazy eyes through the rearview mirror.

    Oh shit.

 Chapter 275

    275 Breaking Into Her ce

    ¡°Baby... ¡±

    Mimi thought it was a dream when she heard that nickname being called but that voice was unmistakable, not to talk about the feel of the heat upon her ear.

    ¡°Jesus Christ !¡± She sat up straight with a startle, her heart pounding so loudly against her ribcage that she thought it would escape her heart.

    And then she saw him, Victor, beside her on her bed with his shitty grinning face.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, Victor? You scared the bejesus out of me.¡± Mimiined, running her hand through her disheveled hair.

    Victor didn¡¯t say anything, rather he leaned down and kissed her before she could stop him. Mimi couldn¡¯t resist him and kissed him back and well... It was sweet.

    Yeah, a sweet kiss that made butterflies flutter in her stomach and she couldn¡¯t help but pull him closer, deepening the kiss and eliciting a moan from him. Things became heated and would have escted had she not remembered their sex wasn¡¯t exactly subtle and her parents were around.

    ¡°I miss you so much that I feel I¡¯m losing my mind,¡± Victor whispered against her lips, those words of his making her heart skip a beat.

    Oh no, she can¡¯t be deceived by his sugary words. How could he miss her that much when they met, no, had sex yesterday?

    .....

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t erase the fact that I¡¯m fucking mad at you right now!¡± Mimi pushed him away and all he did was grin. God, when did he be such a fool?

    Mimi looked at him sternly, ¡°Did I or did I not warn you about breaking into my room?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you did.¡± He answered.

    ¡°And?¡± She asked, a brow cocked.

    ¡°Which is why I sent you a text beforeing in but you were sleeping, it was adorable,¡± He said dramatically.

    Creepy, that was the only word Mimi could think of at that moment as she reached for her cellphone, and true to his words, there was a text.

    [I¡¯ll be breaking into your room in five minutes. ~ love, Victor]

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Mimi groaned, falling back on her bed. She wiped her face with both of her hands, what has she gotten herself into by getting involved with the likes of him?

    However, Victor was leaning over her in the minute, that smile still on his face as he hovered above her, saying, ¡°As much as I love this sexy invitation, I need you toe with me.¡±

    Mimi red at him, ¡°This is no invitation, Victor.¡± She then sat up straight, looking at him suspiciously, ¡°Where are you taking me this time, Victor? Wait a minute, are you kidnapping me again? Did Arianna do something bad?¡± She asked all of those questions in one breath, panicking already.

    ¡°No, no, no, my love.¡± He sped her face, trying to calm her down, ¡°None of that is happening, in fact, it¡¯s a surprise that you are going to love.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Mimi was able to calm down. She has toe to understand that she¡¯s leverage over Arianna and thest time he wanted her toe with him, it was to kidnap her.

    ¡°This is the middle of the night, Victor.¡± She pointed out how outrageous this outing was.

    ¡°That¡¯s the best part, baby. The beauty of the city is at night and only the strong can grasp that.¡± He said but it didn¡¯t make sense to her at all.

    Mimi looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Are you high, by chance?¡±

    His gaze dropped to her lips and lingered, oozing sex appeal as he said, ¡°I¡¯m always high when I¡¯m with you.¡±

    Aside from the fact she gulped, Mimi was more confused than ever because that sentence didn¡¯t exactly answer her question.

    ¡°I would get dressed,¡± She said, trying to climb out of bed, only to move back and warn him, ¡°And please, stop calling me those nicknames.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but no promises, baby girl,¡± He said, and to her shock, took the finger she pointed at him into his mouth and sucked it.

    Mimi had her mouth agape as she watched him suck her finger, everything happening too fast for her to react. That action sent heat straight to her core and Mimi pulled her finger away from his mouth as fast as a bolt of lightning.

    ¡°No touching as well!¡± She warned while getting away from him at the same time, red-faced.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t start the fire first, baby girl.¡± He was smug as he nowy on her bed, his head propped.

    Mimi was currently in a dilemma because she was in nothing but her nightwear. She wore no bra, no panties which meant she would have to get naked to change and she didn¡¯t trust herself with Victor around.

    She knew she should have gotten a walk-in closet but her parents decided her room from teenagehood was the best. Well, it wasn¡¯t the best now when ites to dressing up with an unexpected guest in her room.

    Even if she asked Victor, he wouldn¡¯t give her space ¨C she knew he was shameless to an extent. Also, it would make her seem shy and totally not a badass if she went to her toilet to change.

    ¡°I¡¯ll turn around,¡± He said out of nowhere, startling and surprising her at the same time. That was... unexpected?

    Mimi didn¡¯t say ¡°thank you¡± to him, that was male chivalry. Victor did what he was supposed to do for once without her asking.

    Yet, with a smile on her face, Mimi undressed and got dressed in a shirt with no bra ¨C her boobs deserve some freedom and it¡¯ste at night ¨C and a denim high waist shorts. She hoped wherever Victor was taking her deserved a casual code of dressing because she was in no mood for otherwise.

    ¡°You can turn now,¡± Mimi said to him as soon as she was done. And he did so immediately, releasing a catcall whistle when he saw her.

    ¡°You look -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± Mimi already knew what he would say.

    ¡°Deliciously eatable.¡± He did say it, his tone breathy and his eyes dark. She might as well have been the syrup on a pancake because those eyes were hungry.

 Chapter 276

    276 Crocodile Tears

    She trusted Victor, right? Mimi was trying not to think about the fact that he was driving her to God knows where for the past hour.

    Sneaking out of the house had not been a problem with her parents asleep. Yeah, normal people should be asleep by now and that only proved the fact that the man driving beside her right now was not normal.

    ¡°Are we still -¡±

    ¡°We are here,¡± He said as if he knew what was on her mind.

    Mimi looked out through the night, they were in some kind of woods but there was a cleared path which he drove through. But that didn¡¯t calm her, rather it made her ufortable.

    What were they doing in the middle of the woods? Had she trusted Victor too much? What if he were here to end her life and no one would know because she didn¡¯t inform her parents before sneaking out!

    Oh no, she can¡¯t think the worst yet, Mimi tried to calm herself. Victor can¡¯t possibly kill the girl he had the best orgasm giving sex with yesterday, right?

    Then he stopped and that was when she saw it, there was a little bonfire in the middle with three men around it ¨C one of them was on his knees, his back facing them.

    She must have been stupid for thinking that Victor would harm her because he was by her side in a sh to help her out of the car. Then he took her hand, intertwining them together, and walked ahead.

    .....

    Mimi looked at their intertwined fingers and shook her head. No, she can¡¯t think much about this. Victor was a very straightforward and open person, this possibly didn¡¯t mean anything to him. She shouldn¡¯t read too much into it.

    It wasn¡¯t until they reached there that both men looking over the ce bowed slightly to Victor and Mimi was able to release their hands, intending to look at the captive while wondering why Victor wanted her here in the first ce. It was a bit of a mystery.

    The bonfire lit the environment hence it came as a shock to Mimi when she looked at the captive tied with his hands backward only to receive the shock of her life.

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Mimi¡¯s hands flew to her mouth because kneeling in front of her was no other than Draco ¨C battered and bruised.

    Victor and his men must have beaten the daylight out of him because one of his eyes was so swollen it covered the entire eye and he could only see with one. He had busted lips and his cheeks were red and puffy. They had no mercy on him.

    ¡°Tell me, you like it.¡± Mimi gasped slightly when Victor appeared suddenly, his chin resting on her neck. She tried to ignore the funny things his hot breath was doing to her body and instead to Draco who was staring at her wide-eyed now. It seems someone remembered her warning pretty well.

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful,¡± Mimi replied with a smile, ¡°However, it would have been much better if his two eyes were unharmed so he could watch me clearly as I make him regret the day he was born,¡± Mimi repeated the warning she had told him that day and saw him tremble in fear.

    That was it. She was no saint and would keep to her word. He was just unlucky to have been caught barely a day after that incident; her anger was still fresh.

    ¡°Mimi, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Draco began to plead with her, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you that way. No, I didn¡¯t mean to go that far. I must have lost my mind. Please spare me and I promise you that you would nevery your eyes on me, again. Please have mercy on me.¡± He begged her desperately knowing that her presence here only spoke of more tortures for him.

    ¡°Sorry, ¡± Victor interrupted their moment before she could have a change of mind, ¡°But those are called crocodile tears,¡± He said, leading her to a table by the side that had a lot of mess in it. Sadly, that mess was all weapons.

    How the hell did they convey all this here? But that question was answered when she saw the truck parked at the side. Oh, Victor really dide prepared.

    Mimi gulped slightly. How sure was she that she could go ahead with this? Most of all, would Victor be mad at her if she doesn¡¯t go through it? Mimi knew that she promised to deal with Draco but that had been promised in the heat of the moment and who knew Victor would fight her battle. Seeing those weapons made her realize that this was real.

    ¡°Those tears are the ones you release when you finallye to know that you messed up pretty bad,¡± Victor said, lifting a leather whip and cracking it in the air a few times increasing the tension around them.

    ¡°Ohe on,¡± Draco cried out, ¡°We¡¯re friends here, Victor. Have you forgotten that?¡±

    ¡°Correction, dude,¡± Victor said so coldly as if he had no rtion with this man and this was the first time they ever met, ¡°We were associates, not friends, and even when we had a feud, I respected that and took on the punishment until you crossed the line by touching her!¡±

    Even Mimi who had been speechless for a while felt the drastic drop in temperature, not to talk of Draco who was at his mercy. However, Victor¡¯s mood changed in the next seconds when he was behind her, their body touching as he reached for a weapon.

    ¡°Ah, switchde,¡± He murmured over her shoulder, ¡°I hear you love them.¡± He picked it from the mess on the table, testing its weight and showing off a few moves that made her brows raise in awe. It seems there was more to Victor than she knew.

    ¡°You should take this one, its weight isfortable and it¡¯s quite sharp unless you have other ideas.¡±

    And other ideas, Mimi did have. She just doesn¡¯t know if he was going to like it.

 Chapter 277

    277 Friends Don¡¯t Watch Eachother Die

    Mimi¡¯s idea was not the best but Victor let her be in the end after she sessfully persuaded him. Hence, right now, Draco was buried in a shallow grave, with only his hands and face sticking out in the open; he was buried from his chest downward.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would say this but you have an unconventional way of torture,¡± Victor told her and Mimi didn¡¯t know whether to take that as apliment.

    However, a faint smile still crossed her features until he added, ¡°Simple yet crude.¡± And the smile vanished.

    ¡°If you were a bounty hunter and had a hit on me, I would be scared for my life.¡±He said, without giving it much thought.

    Victor kissed her on the cheeks without noticing her expression and went to take pictures of the half-buried fellow pleading for them not to leave him here.

    However, Mimi remained on that spot, shell-shocked. When did she be this crude? She was once a simple girl who only wanted nothing but to live life to the fullest. She sometimes took risks but what was life without a little fun in it? All of her risks were within the legal boundary.

    But, she never thought of going this far. She broke thew and evenmitted murder. Although that was self-defense ¨C if you minus the kidnap charges ¨C it still doesn¡¯t erase the fact she took a human life. And now, she was about to leave a helpless human stranded in the woods? The thought of what she was bing scared her.

    What if she doesn¡¯t want part of this anymore? Would they kill her? Her poor parents? To make sure their secret neveres to the limelight? What about Arianna? Was she willing to cut ties with her to go live far away from all of this? Mimi was very confused about her decision.

    ¡°Victor, you can¡¯t do this,¡± Draco begged him, trying to reach for him but it only felt like heavy bags of cement were ced on him, he couldn¡¯t move much.

    .....

    Victor crouched down in front of him. He was close yet far away from being touched, teasing him, ¡°Once we leave, you can try digging yourself out. But I have to warn you, there are rumors that dangerous animals roam this wood at night. So tick-tock, it¡¯s you against the clock.¡±

    He announced with nothing but pure sadistic ecstasy. It was obvious that Victor was enjoying every bit of his misery and that made Draco tremble.

    ¡°However,¡± Victor said, pulling a gun from his pocket, ¡°Don¡¯t say I don¡¯t have the love of God in me, which is why I¡¯m leaving you with a source of defense.¡±

    He warned him, ¡°There¡¯s just one bullet left in the chamber, if I were you, I would use it wisely,¡± and with that, he rose to his feet.

    Mimi felt conflicted when she saw Victoring towards her. She still had that raging thought in her head until she saw him hand that gun over to Draco ¨C he was giving him a chance of survival. It was a surprising move. Maybe, he wasn¡¯t so bad after all.

    However, that thought didn¡¯tst for long because out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Draco aim the same gun at him and she shouted, ¡°Victor, look out!¡±

    But it was toote, as soon as Victor turned around, the bullet pierced through his chest and Mimi released an ear-piercing scream she didn¡¯t know she was capable of until now.

    Mimi couldn¡¯t tell which one was harder, watching that bullet hit him or the moment he fell to the ground. There seems to be only one bullet left because the gun made an empty click when Draco pulled the trigger again. He then looked at Mimi and smirked.

    She knew that look ¨C the look of pure evil. If he was going down tonight, he needed to drag Victor with him. Anger like no other filled Mimi but as much as she would ¡°love¡± to unleash her fury on Draco right now, Victor was more important.

    ¡°Oh my God, Victor!¡± Mimi was by his side, cradling her head in herp. She was panicky and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Please wake up, Victor. I don¡¯t know what to do. Shit, what am I going to tell Marcel? Oh my God, this is all my fault. If you hadn¡¯t gone after that asshole, you wouldn¡¯t be in this condition.¡±

    Mimi was still mumbling when he groaned, ¡°God, that hurts like hell. Your voice is quite loud, I thought the angels were ying the trumpet.¡±

    ¡°What the....¡± Mimi was dumbfounded when Victor, who she thought was unconscious, sat up and turned to face her.

    He wiped her tears with his thumb, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, that asshole doesn¡¯t deserve a single drop of your tears.¡±

    ¡°H-how...?¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. She was sure that Victor was shot yet now she looked down, there was no trace of blood.

    ¡°Ker,¡± He showed her a hint of the vest he was wearing beneath and relief passed through her.

    ¡°Oh Thank God,¡± She said, leaning her forehead against his.

    Victor smirked at the cute moment between them, however, he said dramatically, ¡°Although I still feel a bit of soreness in my chest. I think I need a little kiss to feel better.¡±

    Mimi huffed at his shamelessness, however, she was too happy to care so she just obliged him. She leaned down and took his lips in a sweet kiss.

    When did she begin to care about Victor this much? She had no genuine feelings for him, but one thing was for sure, she can¡¯t watch him die. He was her friend. Friends don¡¯t watch each other die.

    Surprisingly, Victor was the first to pull out of the kiss. He said to her, a little breathless, ¡°We would continue from where we stoppedter. For now...¡±

    Oh, there was ater. Her toes couldn¡¯t help but clench together in anticipation and nervousness. What was going on with her?

 Chapter 278

    278 I Love To Be With You

    Mimi could not forget the look on Draco¡¯s face even as Victor drove her home. There was nothing but sheer terror there and she knew undoubtedly that he was not seeing the limelight tomorrow.

    ¡°He¡¯s not leaving this wood alive, is he?¡± Mimi didn¡¯t even know when the question slipped out of her mouth. The atmosphere before they left was already self-exnatory, but she needed confirmation.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Victor didn¡¯t bother to beat around the bush or mix his words this time. He didn¡¯t even look at her before answering, making those doubts in her head pop up again.

    Mimi tried not to be scared or judgemental because Draco brought this one on himself. But she was still not used to living this life of crime and violence. Mimi wasn¡¯t even sure if she wanted to be used to it.

    He finally looked at her saying, ¡°He failed the test.¡±

    Her head whipped towards him in surprise, ¡°What test?¡± then it hit her, ¡°Oh.¡± He intentionally gave Draco that gun.

    Victor said to her, ¡°I saw the look on your face, those using.... ¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t....¡± Mimi trailed off, unable to defend herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Victor nodded in understanding, ¡°I knew if I killed him that instant, your opinion of me would change. So l -¡°.

    .....

    ¡°Let it y out before me.¡± She looked him in the eyes, ¡°No matter what, Draco would eventuallye back for revenge. Neither you nor I, none of us are safe with him alive.¡± She said it all.

    He sighed, ¡°Our world is not in ck and white, Mimi. It¡¯s ck entirely and you have to get used to it. You¡¯re already in, there¡¯s no going back, my love.¡±

    Mimi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, that was what she was scared of and it finally happened. What had she even been expecting in the first ce, getting involved with them. It just didn¡¯t hit her how dangerous this was until recently.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry,¡± Victor roused her from her thoughts, ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, I promise you one thing though, no harm wille your way. I swear it upon my life.¡±

    Mimi knew he meant every word he said with that fire in his eyes that stole her breath away. He looked so charming right now. A-hem! What the hell was she thinking?!

    Mimi coordinated her thoughts and was able to smile at him, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. Me and my family, we turned your life upside down. It¡¯s the least I can do topensate you for the loss you suffered.¡± And would suffer in the future, Victor didn¡¯t add that one. He didn¡¯t want to scare her further.

    Even if he wanted to let her go now, it was kind of impossible. Their fate was greatly entangled now, not to mention that he was a selfish bastard. He liked her and would not let go.

    The both of them dwelled in afortable silence until they reached her ce when he suddenly said, ¡°You know, you could spend the night with me?¡±

    Mimi gulped, she knew what he was offering but she hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but my parents saw me go to bed, they would expect me in the morning. ¡°And she wasn¡¯t lying, but it was a convenient excuse. She could easilye up with an excuse to exin her disappearance to her parents, but Victor can¡¯t know that. Everything was going too fast; she needed to think.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Victor packed across the street so he didn¡¯t wake her parents up since she was about to sneak back in and erase any evidence she ever left the house that night.

    The street was almost empty, well, who would be awake by two in the morning. It was amazing how those Mafia men could work efficiently at night, Mimi could already feel exhaustion sipping into her bones.

    ¡°Stay safe, Mimi,¡± Victor said, surprisingly pecking her on the cheek without going in for the full kiss ¨C and she kind of felt disappointed.

    Get your head in the game, Mimi! Don¡¯t be carried away by those gestures. He¡¯s just messing around, she told herself.

    With a deep breath, Mimi grabbed the door and was about to leave when she turned and suddenly asked him,

    ¡°What does this mean to you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°These changes in our friendship? Me? What do I mean to you?¡± She asked him bravely without taking her eyes off him. It was now or never.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± was Victor¡¯s reply that made her heart sink until he added, ¡°But all I know is that I love to be with you. Each moment I spend with you is worth it, Mimi.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes brightened.

    ¡°Really. ¡± He said with finality, sping her cheeks.

    ¡°What about your other women?¡± Mimi knew she wasn¡¯t one for sharing. When she¡¯s dating someone, her man¡¯s hers alone.

    ¡°For how long have you seen me with a woman?¡± He asked her.

    Now Mimi thought about it, it has been quite a while since she¡¯s seen that. The Victor she previously knew couldn¡¯t go a day without a woman by his side. If there¡¯s anyone he¡¯s been hovering aroundtely, it was her.... Oh, God.

    Victor smirked when she saw the dots connect in her head and then he was leaning down, seeking her lips.

    ¡°I guess we could give it a try...¡± She was still saying when his lips met her and the air became charged.

    Mimi kissed him with careless abandon, now they were on the same side, the worry had been lifted off her chest. The kiss was so intense that Mimi knew at once they were doing it in the car, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer ¨C and neither could he.

    Her shirt was gone in the next minute and Victor took her breast ¨C he hadn¡¯t been able to take his eyes off throughout the night ¨C into his mouth. He pleased her to the point Mimi couldn¡¯t differentiate her right from her left.

    And the next, her hands were working on his belt while he worked on her tight denim shorts in the cramped space of the car. They worked it out somehow and Mimi found herself mming down on his hard member.

    ¡°F*ck!¡± She gasped, feeling his hardness stretch her. The fullness he created inside of her was so euphoric she wanted to drown on it. And then, she was riding him to an orgasm that would sure as hell blow their mind away.

 Chapter 279

    279 Adele Insulted Ten Men In The Room

    Elijah woke up with a grunt the next day. He needed his beauty sleep after the stress ofst night, however, he needed to prepare for the meeting they had with Adele today.

    As soon as he was out of the bed, Elijah dropped to the ground, performing a series of press-ups and pretty other exercises that required endurance. Sweat rolled down his face with his body screaming for a break but he didn¡¯t give up.

    The worst thing that could ever happen to him was getting out of shape and he was in a precarious position more than ever. He had to be fit and ready for action.

    Marcel wouldn¡¯t be cking off either, so he had to be prepared for when they met. He couldn¡¯t wait for that day when they met face to face.

    When he was done, Elijah got into the bathroom where he freshened up and donned a casual outfit. He has never been the type to dress meticulously unless he had a purpose or is on a mission. Not to mention, everything looked good on him; he had the perfect body.

    Just like everyone else, he arrived at the restaurant earlier than the expected time. Adele was strict about her schedule and he had to make a good first impression. Unlike Cindy, Adele was Elijah¡¯s target and the only person that could get him closer to Marcel. He needed her in this n.

    Compared to the previous times, Elijah was treated with more respect by his colleagues. Their opinion of him seems to have changed after that fight with John. Hence, he went from a ¡°pretty face¡± to a ¡°respected¡± face. Unlike the others, he was the only one amongst them prompted, hence, a few of them admired him while the rest were full of envy.

    However, what surprised Elijah the most was when John, the colleague he defeated at the club that day, walked up to him with his hulky form and his body coiled with tension thinking that the man wasing for a confrontation.

    They couldn¡¯t fight here, not when Adele was minutes away from arriving and he was sure John understood that as well. So Aziz calmed down, but his guard was up. If anything happened, he was defending himself.

    .....

    But John did the opposite of what he thought, the man thrust out his hand instead and Elijah recognized that instant that he was seeking peace. He epted the gesture, enveloping his strong, huge hand with his.

    ¡°Thanks for kicking my ass,¡± He grinned at him.

    ¡°dly.¡± Elijah smiled back.

    The huge man pulled him into a side hug, patting him on the back like a beloved brother would and their colleagues cheered. It seems that the prejudice they held against him was cleared with that one fight.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good one there,¡± Adele entered without announcing, causing all of them to turn in her direction.

    They all stared transfixed at the women who walked with vigor and confidence and some of the men couldn¡¯t help but sigh in awe. Unlike the usual Luciano with their typical gray eyes and mostly brte hair gene, Adele was a huge contract.

    She alone in the family had ink-ck hair that was currently pulled in a sleek ponytail and her dark eyes looked ahead fearlessly. Adele wore a suit that entuated her slender yet athletic shape. She looked fit and the men in that room had no doubt she would take on any of them if the need called for it.

    Adelemanded respect with her powerful strides and Elijah had to admit, he liked her guts. Women like that were hard toe by ¨C and also impossible to submit to men like him. He had to be careful around her.

    She didn¡¯t even look at them while saying, ¡°At least, this year¡¯s recruits aren¡¯t entirely idiots.¡±

    Adele had no fear that she literally just insulted ten fully grown men in this room. Instead, she took the seat by the head table ¨C which was reserved for her anyway ¨C and sat down without waiting for them.

    The table was rectangr and amodated all of them such that every one of them took their seat after she settled down.

    None of them made a sound with Adele around, the atmosphere different from the vibrant ambiance when she hadn¡¯t arrived. They all had their guards up, evidenced by the way they sat with their spines straight and body alert.

    As much as this was a casual gathering, they had to be careful. What if this was some test to separate the weak from the poor. After all, this organization alone was the survival of the fittest. No one wanted to be at the bottom of the food chain.

    The tension increased when Adele didn¡¯t say a word for a long time, she just kept scanning their faces one after the other and most of them kept their expression neutral yet confident. It was only Aziz who had a nonchnt pose as if he was bored out of his mind. Of course, Adele saw that and didn¡¯t say anything. Her gaze lingered on him the longest before looking away.

    Her stoic expression revealed nothing as to what she was thinking inside and that only made the men more nervous. What was she up to? However, it came as a shock to them in the next minute when Adele burst into loudughter.

    Huh? What was going on? They had no clue.

    However, when Adeleughed to the point tears escaped her eyes, some of the recruits had no choice but to join her as well to make it seem awkward. Hence, in no time, most of them wereughing with Adele ¨C for reasons they had no idea about.

    This was very awkward.

    ¡°You guys are so hrious,¡± Adele said, wiping the tears from her eyes. She told them jovially, ¡°Please don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me. I just decided to have breakfast with you guys to know you all better since some of you would be working closely with me in the future. There are no ns of elimination, that is rest assured.¡± She calmed their fears.

 Chapter 280

    280 The Last Breakfast

    ¡°Communicate freely with me,¡± She said yet no man in the room made a move.

    They still doubted her motive, and couldn¡¯t tell if this was a joke or if she was being serious. After all, who was Adele? The only female in the city to have worked up to the position of underboss. That wasn¡¯t an easy feat to achieve at all.

    It wasn¡¯t until after a moment of silence that Elijah decided to take the bull by the horn. He turned fully in her direction even though there were three seats before her, saying, ¡°You look good.¡±

    Adele, who had not expected that, blinked, taken back by thepliment. She stared at him, brows fully arched, ¡°What about me looks good?¡±

    ¡°Everything.¡± Elijah said, holding her gaze with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, ¡°You are hot and sassy. That¡¯s a nicebination.¡± He flirted with her.

    ¡°Ooh.¡± Some of the men cheered Aziz and the atmosphere changed instantly. Thus, Elijah opened the floor to questions and the others were able to gain ess to her, getting rid of their fears.

    ¡°Miss Adele, I admire you!¡± One of them said,

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Adele chuckled, hiding her mouth with her palm as if she didn¡¯t want them to see her smiling teeth.

    The atmosphere became lively that by the time the food was served, the tension had vanished entirely. Aziz was tempted to use his left hand to eat, however, upon seeing that everyone in the room was right-handed and that Adele was suddenly vignt, he chose his right hand instead.

    .....

    No matter what Adele said, Elijah was not buying into the whole spend time with the recruits thingy. His sixth sense was tingling and he could tell something was up.

    So even when Adele didn¡¯t think someone was watching, Elijah had his eyes on her and tried to guess what she was up to. And though she tried to be stealthy, he still noticed her staring at their use of their cutleries.

    He was right, they were searching for him. The fact that they thought he was left-handed must mean they had Jeremy spilling the beans as much as he could remember. He had to give it to Marcel, he was quite enthusiastic about this search.

    Elijah had intentionally deluded Jeremy into thinking that he was left-handed. That was his modus operandi, never be predictable. That was how he had confused his targets even up to now.

    Why do you think he¡¯s using his real face instead of his mask now? They were used to the disguise, so he was throwing them a curveball. Marcel must have guessed that he infiltrated his gang already and put Adele to the task of finding him. As if he would make it easy for them now he knows of their n.

    They made small talks but Elijah was quiet this time, choosing to observe so he doesn¡¯t make a mistake. Since they were on the lookout for him, information was the most vital to him.

    ¡°I watched your match,¡± Adele said and it took one of them nudging Elijah to make him realize she was talking to him.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He looked distracted.

    ¡°Your match with John, I watched it and I had to say it was impressive.¡± Adeleplimented him but Elijah was not to be fooled by her kindness. He was probably first on her suspect list; he knew that fight would not do him much good. It only exposed him.

    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Elijah gave her a timid smile and went on to say, ¡°No, it¡¯s not even as hard as you think. John is a huge man, depending entirely on his weight and I knew I had to take advantage of that. Hence, if you asked me, I¡¯d say it¡¯s just a matter of luck.¡±

    ¡°Luck, you say?¡± She stared at him hard and he avoided her gaze, trying to act like a submissive disciple. If his aura was too strong, it would bring suspicion and Adele was too smart.

    But on the bright side, it seems he wasn¡¯t the only suspect on her list because she turned to the others and questioned them one after the other as well. If only there was a left-handed fellow along with them, it would have been much better to shift the attention to him.

    While it looked like Adele was indeed befriending them, the woman in question was busy assessing and reading them one after the other. And so far, she couldn¡¯te up with a most likely suspect since none of them were left-handed. However, there was just something about that Aziz guy.

    She just couldn¡¯t tell.

    But she couldn¡¯t say Aziz was Elijah in hiding when she didn¡¯t have enough evidence. It would be a huge shame if she were to use one of their people wrongly, not only would it be wasted resources, but her reputation would be smeared. The first mission handed directly to her by Marcel and she fails it? She can¡¯t let that happen.

    Hence, she had to be as careful as ever. Since she was unable to fish Elijah out with the first n, it was time to activate n B.

    Adele leaned back into her seat and announced, ¡°I hope you all are satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are!¡± Everyone echoed happily, having lowered their guards. They had no idea what was waiting ahead of them and were delirious at spending more time with Adele.

    Hence when she announced, ¡°Good. Now, get your asses ready, It¡¯s boot camp, baby.¡± She said with no sympathy.

    One should see the shock on their faces, none of them had expected this. It was almostical to Adele but she had better control of her emotions.

    She said further, ¡°It would be two days of intense training and survival, and did I forget to say, there would be no meal.¡±

    Before the others could even understand what she meant by that, Elijah had already reached out and grabbed a water bottle, and three fruits from the table before the others saw his action and recognized this was the

    ¡°Last Breakfast¡± in their case.

    In one word, before the scuffle began, Elijah had already taken what he wanted and moved to safety as the others scrambled for the limited resources.

    Adele stared at him, a little admiration more than suspicion in her eyes, ¡°You never fail to surprise me.¡±

 Chapter 281

    281 Doing Business With The Devil

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Victor asked his cousin who was wearing a suit with a full scowl on his face. Everyone here knew how much he disliked ties for reasons best known to him.

    ¡°I have a date with ra,¡± Marcel grunted out as if it was a herculean task and not an evening of chilling and rxing.

    ¡°Oh.¡± was all Victor said, having understood a bit of Marcel¡¯s situation because the thing with ra is that you have to look perfect. Not a thing out of ce unless you want an earful of her shrill voice. His cousin was a wise man by choosing the tie despite his huge dislike.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and instead battled with the tie he had no idea how to fix.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Victor said and stepped in to save the day before his cousin decided to take out the frustration on someone else.

    ¡°It¡¯s as easy as pie.¡± He told Marcel as he tightened the tie enough and pressed it down his chest, brushing invisible dirt off his suit, ¡°You¡¯re good to go.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to survive this.¡± Marcel unconsciously lifted his hand, ready to pull the tie off as usual but his cousin was there to give him a warning Tsk.

    ¡°Just breathe for a minute and you¡¯d get used to the feeling,¡± Victor advised him.

    This was the time to cure someone¡¯s abnormal fear of ties. Unlike the others, he was the only one who knew the reason for Marcel¡¯s fear of ties on his body.

    .....

    Marcel shut his eyes and tried not to think about the memory of that woman¡¯s hands on the ties, trying to suffocate him to death. It was very difficult at first to shake off the feeling of having his breath cut off, but that was until his imagination changed.

    Instead of that evil woman strangling him, he conjured an image of Arianna kissing him ferociously, her hand digging into his hair and the other pulling on the tie to draw him closer to her.

    ¡°Okay, you are doing fine,¡± Victor said, staring at the stopwatch he had started on his phone. However, his brows couldn¡¯t help but furrow as he watched his cousin the next moment.

    Instead of the deep furrow he had seen seconds ago, there was now a lopsided grin on his face. What the hell was the bastard thinking? He didn¡¯t want to know, even though he had an idea already.

    ¡°Good!¡± Victor shouted, cutting Marcel off from the good imagination he was having. He showed his phone to him, ¡°Instead of a minute, yousted two minutes, all thanks to whatever shitty thoughts you had there. And please, don¡¯t tell me. This is my holy day.¡±

    But Marcel snorted at him haughtily, ¡°Who even wants to tell you?¡± He checked his silver cufflink and picked up his phone just as it lit up with a notification. It was time to leave.

    ¡°I wish you, good luck,¡± Victor told him, yet said with a lowered tone, ¡°I wonder how long you are going to keep up with the act though?¡±

    ¡°Until I find Chloe.¡± Marcel answered, having heard him, ¡°You of all people know my cooperation is the reason why my sister is still in one piece. She¡¯s not his blood, that man wouldn¡¯t care. ¡±

    Victor didn¡¯t have a sympathetic look as many people would in this situation, however, he ced his hand on Marcel¡¯s shoulder and squeezed tight, offering support.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll focus on finding her now. I¡¯ve missed the brat already.¡± and pause the whole find Elijah thingy, Victor didn¡¯t add that part.

    With Marcel¡¯s sensitivity to issues concerning Elijah, he would probably deal with him if he heard that.

    ¡°Thank you, Victor,¡± Marcel said to him sincerely and a smile split his cousin¡¯s face.

    ¡°The great Marcel thanked me, that should make the records.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Marcel returned to his normal aloof demeanor, shrugging his hand off his shoulder.

    One time, Marcel had contemted asking ra to cooperate with him and help him find his sister. However, he knew his fianc¨¦e would want something in return for herself of equal value, if not more than. Hence, dealing with her was like doing business with the devil.

    Moreover, he didn¡¯t trust her, not when she was best friends with his father. Who knows what that man would tell her and she betrays him in the blink of an eye. Marcel hated betrayals, so to avoid such an inevitable fate where he puts a bullet through her head, he kept the offer to himself.

    In no time, Marcel was out of the house and stepping towards the car where the chauffeur was already waiting when he suddenly turned and looked up at Arianna¡¯s floor.

    The light was on which meant that she was up. Well, it was evening. Marcel suddenly had the urge to drop all of this and just go upstairs to her room.

    And do what?

    Well, spend time with her.

    Aside from the fact he was giving her the space she needed, he was busy with work and only heard she had be best friends with Beatrice as he wanted.

    But Marcel knew to separate pleasure from work, so even though he was craving Arianna¡¯s presence, he forced himself into the car and left for the date without seeing her step into the window at that moment.

    ¡°Hees and goes as he wants while I¡¯m the bird in the golden cage,¡± Arianna muttered as he watched Marcel¡¯s car leave the heavily guarded base. Well, it won¡¯t be long, she just had to gain his trust, she hoped.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Marcel to arrive at the location ra had chosen which was out of town. As expected, it was a very luxurious hotel restaurant and she reserved the whole ce for the night.

    As soon as Marcel arrived, he was directed inside. However, no matter how prepared Marcel was, he definitely didn¡¯t expect the sight of his father at the table with ra at his side and the both of them happily engaged in conversation.

    ¡°Oh, God.¡± Marcel felt light -headed, the same moment ra saw him and her smile widened.

 Chapter 282

    282 Given Space To The Devil

    ¡°Marcel!¡± ra¡¯s expression brightened as soon as she saw him out of the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°You are here!¡± She abruptly ended her conversation with her Father inw to go and receive her fianc¨¦e.

    Unlike her, Marcel had gone as still as a statue as soon as heid his eyes on that man. At first, the shock had his lips parted but now, he was so livid that his hands were fisted on both sides.

    Marcel liked to be given a fair warning before heys eyes on his father, that way he could have a better hold on his emotion. At least inrge social gatherings, he usually puts on the act of them being on good terms until they¡¯re out of scrutiny.

    They had a lot of enemies who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take advantage of the friction between him and his father. That was why appearance was everything even in their world. Meaning conflicts were solved internally ¨C or in his case, left to be.

    But now because Marcel was taken by surprise, his emotion was out and everyone could read him like an open book. That was further evidenced by ra suddenly taking cautious steps toward him upon seeing the look on his face.

    His eyes were bloodshot and his body was a plenitude of suppressed tension. ra began to doubt if she was even doing the right thing by going near him because he looked like he would murder her.

    ¡°What is he doing here?!¡± Marcel growled at her before she was even within five meters of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking, Marcel. The both of you are so aggressive towards each other that I thought this dinner would be best to go over things together.¡± ra had good intentions for doing so.

    .....

    ¡°Well, sorry if I don¡¯t appreciate the gesture, but that is something you do by informing me beforehand!¡± Marcel did not ept her pathetic excuse.

    ¡°Look here, Marcel, You told me to prepare everything and give you the location which is exactly what I did. You weren¡¯t exactly open for conversation and there¡¯s a good reason he¡¯s here today.¡± re was not ready to acknowledge she was at fault either.

    Marcel¡¯s anger simmered down but notpletely, it was there beneath the surface, waiting to re up again if the need called for it.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, ra,¡± Daniel finally spoke up, standing up to his feet, ¡°My son has always been too short-sighted amid all of my efforts at training him, I believe we¡¯d discuss that matter another day.¡± He was prepared to leave and give the young people the privacy he was infringing upon by being there.

    Marcel wanted tough; he wanted to tip his head back andugh so hard that tears would slip from his eyes and people would think that he had finally lost his mind.

    What the hell was his father doing? ying the role of a faithful father? It was quite ridiculous. But even at that, he couldn¡¯t help but pick up, ¡°that matter¡± from his father¡¯s loving speech ¨C note the sarcasm. Was there something going on that he didn¡¯t know? What was the duo nning again?

    ¡°Of course not, father!¡± ra refused, stomping over to him and forcing him back to his seat before casting Marcel a long re, ¡°You would sit down at this moment.¡±

    Of course, Marcel was ready to disappoint her. Who was she tomand him around? However, before he could react otherwise, Marcel saw the threat in her eyes and knew whatever sentiment she had for him had vanished at that moment ¨C if he did otherwise, Arianna was in danger. She would rat out Arianna to his father since that was his current weakness.

    That was the only clue Marcel needed to behave. As much as he couldn¡¯t stand his father, he preferred Arianna alive where they could fight all she wanted rather than being dead.

    There were three seats at the circr table, but because ra and his father had been discussing earlier, their seats were closely beside each other while his seat was across. Hence, Marcel didn¡¯t mind the distance and sat apart from the both of them, legs ced on the other.

    Irritated, Marcel grabbed the tie he had been suffering for the past hour and loosened it before tossing it away without a care. He saw the frown on ra¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t approve of his action but Marcel currently didn¡¯t care. If anything, he was happy at her difort ¨C that makes two of them.

    Marcel didn¡¯t even know which one was worse, especially when he saw his father touch ra on the shoulder and the contort in her features straightened out. He gave her an understanding nod and she smiled charmingly at him.

    Their harmonious rtionship pissed Marcel off so much that his hands fisted at the side had already turned white. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t holding one of the sses on the table else he¡¯d have crushed it with that amount of pressure.

    If that man had been a tad bit warm towards her mother, then it would have been much better. Instead, he treated his mother as an enemy and denied her the pleasures of life. What right does he have to look good in front of his fianc¨¦e?

    Moreover, how could ra be on good terms with him? It was like a huge betrayal to Marcel. If he were going to be married in the future, Marcel wanted nothing to do with that man. No, he didn¡¯t even want Daniel near his family, not to talk of his children.

    That was his punishment for his mother. Marcel would train his children by himself without any chance of them being corrupted by their grandfather. He would give them all the love and care that was denied him. They would not meet a fate as he did.

    In one word, Marcel wanted to give his children a chance at normalcy before they were dragged into the responsibilities of being a Luciano. Because left for his father, Daniel, he would want to ¡°catch¡± them young. Marcel was not going to let that happen.

    His father was banned from manipting his family. That is the further reason he cannot marry ra, because she has given space to the devil to use her.

 Chapter 283

    283 Get Married Next Week

    The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch when Marcel finally settled down. It was so thick that one could slice at it with a knife. In fact, ra began to question if it was a mistake to reserve the whole ce because the emptiness made everything more ufortable.

    But she had been aiming at privacy, especially with her Father-inw, Daniel present. ra wanted to have the conversationfortably and to impress him with her great organizing skills as well.

    ¡°Now, what¡¯s the reason for this special asion?¡± Marcel asked before turning to her, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that this was a double date, only that my father is missing a partner,¡± He was being sarcastic.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± ra warned him. She did this with good intention, why couldn¡¯t he appreciate that.

    But he chuckled, ¡°No, can you me me? With how close the both of you are right now, if anyone stepped in at this moment, they would probably think the both of you are on a date while I¡¯m the third wheel,¡±

    At thatment from Marcel, ra¡¯s jaw dropped. How could he make such an assumption? She was highly disappointed in him.

    But Danielughed heartily instead,¡±I didn¡¯t know it was a crime to spend time with my daughter inw, ¡± He tsked, ¡± But of course, if I had been younger, I would have snatched her away from you and taught you how to treat a good woman better.¡±

    Daniel intended that to shame Marcel and never expected him to retort,

    ¡°Yeah, like you treated my mother better? ¡± He snarled.

    .....

    At once, there appeared a tick in Daniel¡¯s jaw and ra found it harder to breathe with the increasing tension in the room. Father and son were staring into each other¡¯s eyes and she could see the lightning match in them.

    She had to do something. Tonight was supposed to be all about her for crying out loud.

    ¡°How could the both of you do this to me?¡± ra said in a broken voice drawing both of their attention.

    ¡°The purpose of the gathering today was to discuss the engagement party, but none of that is happening and instead, I¡¯m dragged into the middle of your war.¡± She squeezed tears from her eyes and unlike his father who grabbed his handkerchief from his pocket, Marcel was stoic-faced as usual.

    Who was she kidding? She pushes the me on them after she heaped the firewoods that were used to light the fire. Marcel was not deceived by her crocodile tears. He has seen better acting.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ra.¡± His father Daniel coaxed her to calm down while Marcel watched them.

    He just couldn¡¯t understand it, something didn¡¯t make sense. Why was his father so cordial towards ra? Why was he so obsessed with the royal title?

    Truth be told, aside from the respect he would gain from their union, ra and her royalty were not beneficial to him. Their world was so apart. If anything, it would even put him in danger since he¡¯d be under the scrutiny of the public once they get married. And the public¡¯s attention was the least he needed.

    There were a lot of Mafia families that were dying to have a political marriage with him. Such union alone would give them a stronghold in the underworld yet his father turned down such a golden opportunity. Didn¡¯t he say he bore the welfare of the family in mind? But now, all Marcel saw was him achieving his selfish interest.

    When Daniel was through withforting ra, he turned to his son, ¡°This finedy here sought me out so we can speak about your engagement party.¡±

    At the mention of ¡°engagement party?¡± Marcel felt bitterness in his tongue, no, nausea rose to his throat. What were they saying? He knew something was up when he saw his father here, but to think that ra was plotting behind his back didn¡¯t sit well with him.

    ¡°Engagement party?¡± He muttered, tasting those words on his lips. Instead of his heart missing a beat as would other couples in this situation, his heart only grew colder and harder.

    ¡°Yes, it was time the whole world knew about you already. However, I came up with a better idea.¡± Daniel said delightfully.

    Marcel clenched and unclenched his fist, knowing whatever his father was about to say wouldn¡¯t favor him.

    ¡°Instead of having an engagement party, it¡¯s better you both got married.¡±

    Now, Marcel wasn¡¯t the only one shocked by the suggestion, ra was too. But unlike her fianc¨¦, she was quick to recover from the surprise, and did she mention that she liked this. Of course, her father-inw was the best.

    Marcel felt his head throb heavily, his brain was close to exploding with the number of thoughts running there.

    Get married to ra soon? Of course, it was not like he could deceive his father. The man was smart enough to know that he was plotting to get his sister back. The only problem he had now was how much he had left?

    Marcel knew he couldn¡¯t reject the marriage offer, that was the deal with his father for not hurting Chloe. But that was one thing he could do, bargain for time.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good n.¡± Marcel agreed with the arrangement and ra whipped around in shock.

    Did Marcel just say that? The man was confusing her. One moment he seemed to care about her and the next, he was just being... Marcel?

    ¡°You think so?¡± Daniel had a deep look as if trying to figure out what his son was up to. He expected Marcel to be against it.

    ¡°Yes. It would save us time, you know that I¡¯m a busy man after taking over your position,¡± Marcelnded an indirect p in his face.

    For someone who was just insulted by his son, Daniel didn¡¯t get angry, instead, he chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s right, I forgot that and you¡¯ve been doing well. So, to save your time then, why don¡¯t the both of you get married next week. The earlier, the better. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± His father retaliated.

    Marcel¡¯s jaw clenched and there was a fire in his eyes as he stared at his father. Only one of them would emerge victoriously from this fight today.

 Chapter 284

    284 Conduct A Secret Investigation On His Father

    She was getting married to Marcel next week? ra didn¡¯t know how to feel about the news? She was scared and elevated at the same time; everything was going too fast.

    But then, all it took her to make the decision was the image of that redhead woman and jealousy took over. She can¡¯t lose Marcel to her. She has made a lot of sacrifices already. So yes, whether it was tomorrow or tonight, ra was ready to make Marcel hers.

    However, before she could respond, her fianc¨¦, Marcel, beat her to it, ¡°It¡¯s a nice idea, father, but that¡¯s going contrary to our ns.¡±

    ¡°Our ns?¡± Daniel was the one left confused this time. His son surely wasn¡¯t about to disclose to ra that he threatened him into agreeing to the marriage.

    He gave his son a warning look yet Marcel still went ahead to say, ¡°ra and I decided to date each other for real this time until you interfered. We¡¯re into this marriage till death does us apart, it would do us good to know each other well. We need time, I¡¯ll suggest having the wedding next month.¡±

    But his father disagreed with a scowl, ¡°And what were you doing with the time you had all this while?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You should have gotten to know ra the instant the both of you were introduced to one another. Are you trying to say that you wasted the opportunity I gave you all this while?¡± Daniel was not going to make it easy for him.

    ¡°I never agreed to this marriage, father, neither did you give me a choice either,¡± He lifted his head in ra¡¯s direction, ¡°In the same way her freedom of choice was snatched from her. What were you expecting us to do? Love each other instantly? This is no fairytale, father.¡± Marcel yed the victim. He can¡¯t let his father have his way, he needs to buy as much time as possible.

    .....

    ¡°You don¡¯t need any love, Marcel. The both of you only need to respect each other and have a family. Everything else would fall in ce -¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong on that one, father,¡± ra said to his astonishment, he had not expected that from her.

    However, there suddenly appeared a furrow on Daniel¡¯s face and Marcel was not even surprised by it. His father had probably been supportive of ra because she had been obedient to his instructions and now, she was being an obstruction to his ns, he suddenly didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°And how exactly am I wrong?¡±

    ra took a deep breath, ¡°Marcel and I would spend our lives together. We can¡¯t be shaken by external forces,¡± She tactically hinted that others shouldn¡¯t interfere in their marriage.

    ¡°However,¡± She added upon seeing the way Daniel¡¯s face changed. This was the first time she was seeing her father-inw being mad at her and for some reason, it was scary to the point goosebumps erupted on her skin.

    She quickly said, ¡°But you want the best for the both of us, which is why I¡¯m thinking we could get married at the end of the month. It would give me time to organize the wedding of my dream.¡±

    ra forgot to breathe the entire time she said that until the dark look on Daniel¡¯s face eased.

    ¡°At the end of the month... ¡± Daniel said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, ¡°That¡¯s three weeks away.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± ra nodded while looking at Marcel, ¡°That¡¯s enough time to inform my mother of the change in ns and make all necessary arrangements. You know how busy she usually is.¡± She said nervously.

    ¡°No problem, then.¡± Daniel agreed to their relief, ¡°Three weeks is enough time for the both of you to fall in love.¡± He said pointedly at Marcel.

    ¡°Thank you father for giving me the chance to experience the love you never received.¡± Marcel aimed thatment to gut him, however, he never expected that his father would be truly affected by it.

    Hurt shed across Daniel¡¯s face but it was only for a few seconds because it was gone as soon as it came and Marcel thought he imagined it. Why would the man be bothered about love? He wasn¡¯t capable of it.

    ¡°I would leave you two lovebirds to enjoy your date then?¡± Daniel was up on his feet after that. However, when he passed Marcel, he stopped and dropped his hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t fail my expectation, son,¡± He squeezed his shoulder tight, the threat hanging in the air before he finally left. And all this while, Marcel kept a straight face even though he was boiling inside. He hated that man with the whole of his being.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± ra said his name with caution, rousing him from his thought, ¡± I¡¯m sorry -¡±

    ¡°Save your apology,¡± Marcel got up to his feet and rose too, looking at him with concern.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± ra asked with suspicion even though she knew the answer already.

    ¡°What do you think? Do I need to spell it out for you?¡± Marcel told her with an unsmiling face.

    ¡°But the date -¡±

    ¡°This was no date. You know that the moment you invited that man here,¡± Marcel told her and she was unable to refute him.

    ¡°Just let me be tonight, ra. Please,¡± Marcel begged her for the first time and tears clogged her throat. She was losing him.

    ¡°Fine, I cane to the base tomorrow, right? We can discuss -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. The base is not a ce for matters like this. You like to be in charge, don¡¯t you? Go ahead with the arrangement, I woulde to your ce instead if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re protecting her,¡± ra spat out, all of it dawning on her.

    ¡°Goodnight, ra,¡± Marcel leaned down instead, pressed a kiss on her cheek, and left.

    ¡°No, no,e back here, Marcel.... Marcel!!¡±

    But Marcel was not listening and made it out of the hotel. He pulled out his phone to make a call to his cousin, Victor who picked up at the first ring.

    ¡°You survived.¡± Came Victor¡¯s ever-enthusiastic voice.

    But Marcel was in no mood for jokes and went straight to the point, ¡± I need you to have someone conduct a secret investigation for me, Victor.¡±

    ¡°On who? Your love interest? Elijah?¡±

    ¡°My father.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Victor was not expecting that. He cleared his throat, ¡°So what should I look into exactly?¡±

    ¡°His rtionship with women. His history with my mother? Most of all, any other women he met within that time frame. Probably before they got married. ¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re suspecting your father cheated on your mother while she was alive?¡±

    ¡°Victor, he had an imbecile son. I¡¯m not surprised anymore. But it¡¯s something more than that and I can¡¯t exin it.¡±

    Victor whistled, ¡°Your family is definitely weird.¡±

    ¡°Idiot,¡± He sassed, ¡°You¡¯re also part of that family.¡±

    Marcel finally remembered and said, ¡°Also, ns changed. We are rescuing Chloe earlier than expected.¡±

 Chapter 285

    285 Marcel Was Getting Married!

    The sudden freedom felt foreign to Arianna. When she stepped out of her room, Arianna had expected that his men would send her back in but surprisingly, all they did was nce her way and resume their duties. She guessed Marcel was not joking about their deal.

    However, that scared Arianna as well, because if she goes back on this deal and gets caught again, there was a high chance she might be rapunzel in this base ¨C if he doesn¡¯t kill her first.

    ¡°Well, tomorrow can think about itself,¡± Arianna muttered to herself as she stepped out of the house and headed to the garden. Even though none of the soldiers followed her there, she could feel their eyes on her and appreciated the fact no one followed her. They were respecting her boundaries.

    There she spotted the gazebo and took a seat. Arianna had to admit, that Marcel had quite a taste for good things. The galvanized steel roof is rust-resistant and can help block ny percent UV rays and is designed for longst use.

    Although it was night, apart from thenterns, there were strings of light that give the ce a magical feeling while colorful fabrics were used to decorate and wrapped around the cedar wood frames. It was beautiful. She could spend all night here and not mind it.

    Arianna sat down on one of the love seats, taking a look around the ce. It was a good ce to rx ¨C and think about her life. But tonight, she would not think about the bad things that have happened to hertely or the fact this was a good opportunity to escape Marcel. The man has proven time after time that she wasn¡¯t getting away from him unless he said so. He would always find her.

    She leaned back in the seat, her eyes closed as she took in the fresh air and the sweet fragrance of flowers. Nature was all over her and for once her mind was clear. At that moment, all her problems seemed to be far away and she was finally free.

    But not for long.

    Arianna squeezed her eyes open when she felt movements behind her just as Marcel walked into her line of sight. Her gaze rested on him, taking in everything and she gulped.

    .....

    Marcel looked good, disturbingly good ¨C to her senses. He was wearing a suit that was missing a tie and the top two buttons were open, revealing his chest. His hair was sexily tousled as if he had been running his hand through it before he got here. He was biting his lower lips as if he was unsure what to say to her, but Arianna had this dirty thought where she was the one biting on that lips.

    God damn it, what was she thinking? No, no, this kind of inappropriate thought has to stop. She can¡¯t keep doing this. It was wrong.

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you found here.¡± He said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arianna quickly said to him, ¡°I didn¡¯t know this was your secret spot. I¡¯ll get out of your hair now....¡± She said, rising to her feet already when Marcel stopped her.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t go!¡± He shouted to her surprise.

    Her brows raised, stunned.

    ¡°Please?¡± He added, but in a lowered voice this time.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything but she sat down nheless, rubbing her knees with her palm. There was a sudden awkwardness in the air with Marcel¡¯s arrival, it had been peaceful when he wasn¡¯t here. Not that she was going to tell him that.

    She tried to mind her business, like really, really, really tried, but Marcel has this indescribable pull that draws her to him. Arianna couldn¡¯t help but notice Marcel standing there with his hands in his pocket and lost in thoughts. He would momentarily sigh and then shift ufortably on his feet. All this happened with his back turned to her.

    ¡°You¡¯re bothered.¡±

    Of course, she had to talk. Arianna why can¡¯t you ever mind your business for once. Why must you be the goody-two-shoes? Damn it.

    ¡°I¡¯m always bothered.¡± was his answer.

    ¡°No, today you¡¯re mega bothered.¡± She pointed out and hopefully he talks about it. Yeah, why does she want him to talk about it? Real smooth, Arianna. Real smooth.

    Marcel finally turned to her, his gray eyes boring into hers and seeking something she has no clue about. But the intensity there made her feel suffocated, like there was no more air in this gazebo and he had sucked every one of it with that single look.

    However, there was something in those eyes as well; anxiety, confusion, and pain. Marcel was hurting right now and that bothered her for strange reasons.

    Honestly, she should be happy, after all, she had always wished he felt one-third of her pain, but now? She didn¡¯t know anymore. Maybe, it was because she wasn¡¯t the one who caused it. She would be much gratified that way.

    Marcel opened his mouth to say something but the words couldn¡¯te out and Arianna knew whatever this was, it was really hard for him to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± She understood.

    But Marcel did not give her a response and Arianna finally took that as a cue to mind her business. It was stupid even thinking he would somehow open up to her. Pretty stupid. He was her captor for Christ¡¯s sake. His sorrows shouldn¡¯t mind her.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting married.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna thought she heard something.

    Marcel announced in a firmer tone this time, ¡°I¡¯ll be a married man by the end of this month.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Arianna blinked, once, twice. The words finally sank into her head. Marcel was getting married? Was that good news or a bad one?

    Shouldn¡¯t it be good news? After all, when he gets married, his attention would shift from her and who knows, he¡¯d be so bored of her that he would have no choice but to let her go?

    But all it took Arianna was to remember that annoying woman from that day and she decided at once this was not good news.

 Chapter 286

    286 Eyes Only For Elijah

    Arianna felt a stuffiness in her chest but she brushed it away as nothing. The news took her by surprise, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°That is unexpected.¡± She breathed, still finding that hard to believe. Her gaze flickered down to his fingers to see there was no ring there and Marcel knew that because their gaze collided afterward.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯re not in support of the marriage. You don¡¯t look exactly happy.¡± She said to him, But deep down inside, Arianna was relieved. Although, she was never going to admit that.

    ¡°Should I be happy?¡± He asked that strange question more to himself.

    ¡°I would be.¡±

    His brows raised.

    Arianna understood the misunderstanding there and quickly corrected it, ¡°That is, if I were getting married to the love of my life.¡± She confessed, while fanning her face. Gosh, why was this ce suddenly hot?

    ¡°The love of your life, huh?¡± Marcel muttered, staring down and drawing God knows what on the floor.

    ¡°I must be a horrible man for keeping you away from him then,¡± He said beneath his breath but Arianna heard him and knew he was referring to Elijah.

    .....

    Elijah was the love of her life. He made her feel things no man had ever aroused inside of her. Not that she has been with other men ¨C well, except Marcel. Arianna bet she would have been over the moon if Elijah had proposed marriage to her. But that was then, she wasn¡¯t sure about now. She had her current situation to worry about rather than a proposal from her runaway boyfriend.

    Arianna didn¡¯t reply to thatment and looked the other way until he asked her, ¡°Do you drink?¡±

    But she said, ¡°Mimi¡¯s the fun one, I¡¯m the responsible one.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t drink then.¡± He got her point while typing something down on his phone.

    As soon as he was done, Marcel pulled the phone back into his pocket and stared at her so hard that Arianna wondered if there was something on her face. However, before she had the chance to ask, he was walking in her direction.

    ¡°You¡¯d watch me drink then,¡± Was all he said before plonking down beside her.

    Marcel was not a huge man but when he took the seat beside her, he sure felt like one. His presence was overwhelming and made her feel ufortable. Damn this love seat, why does it have to be so small?

    Arianna didn¡¯t dare to move to the single fancier seat knowing he wouldn¡¯t be happy with that. She has known Marcel¡¯s character to an extent now.

    Almost immediately, one of the staff arrived with a tray of scotch whisky but there was a bowl of fruit sd with honey poppy alongside it.

    ¡°The fruit is for you.¡± He said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna looked at the bowl and then back at him gratefully, ¡°That was thoughtful of you.¡±

    ¡°I figured out it would be strange if I drank alone and you had nothing to keep yourself busy.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± She nodded.

    He watched her, ¡°Do you need anything else?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna grabbed the fruit sd, ¡°I¡¯m good with this.¡±

    Marcel turned to the staff and gestured to him to leave and he obeyed instantly. Arianna was not exactly hungry but she had been craving snacks, but this would do.

    ¡°From now on, give me a list of whatever you want that isn¡¯t here. I¡¯ll have them get it for you.¡± He suddenly said to her, after a ss of his drink.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Arianna responded immediately. She didn¡¯t know the reason for the sudden change in Marcel, but she was going to take advantage of that.

    ¡°Also, if you need anything to eat anytime, any day, tell the chef, they would have it made for you.¡± He told her again.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Also, you¡¯re free to go anywhere you want except those rooms marked ¡®restricted¡¯. If you have any problem with my men, have me informed immediately and I¡¯ll deal with their bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Arianna was suddenly overwhelmed by his favors. It was too much and sudden. At this rate, he might as well give her the whole world.

    And Arianna was not wrong, because, in the next minute, Marcel said, ¡°Also, you don¡¯t -¡±

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna shouted, cutting him off. When she finally caught his attention, she said in a lowered tone, ¡°I¡¯m good. Really.¡±

    ¡°If you say so then.¡± He went back to his drinking.

    After that, there was nothing but silence between the both of them. However, even as Arianna focused on her food, she watched him out of the corner of her eyes. Marcel drank without a break, as if he wanted to drown all of his sorrows. It wasn¡¯t healthy. Neither did she like it.

    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to marry her if you don¡¯t want to.¡± She finally spoke up, dropping her empty te on the table before them.

    Marcel looked at her, ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a matter of choice.¡±

    ¡°We always have choices. Just the same way you decided to imprison me here.¡± Arianna answered him, but quickly dropped the topic considering how sensitive it was.

    She said, ¡°You have to be with someone you love.¡±

    ¡°Someone, I love?¡± Marcel snorted, his ss stopping halfway. He thought over the words, ¡°What a nice delusion.¡± He muttered before downing his drink.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and snatched the ss from him, ¡°You want to drink yourself into a stupor?¡±

    To answer her question this time, Marcel grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it. Arianna was so infuriated that she grabbed the bottle as well and flung it halfway across the gazebo and it shattered on impact with the ground.

    Marcel turned to her with zing eyes, ¡°What the hell was that? I asked you to keep mepany, not to ruin the experience for me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in watching you make a mess of yourself?!¡± Arianna yelled back at him.

    He sneered, ¡°Well, don¡¯t act like you care because I know you don¡¯t! You only have your eyes for your darling Elijah!¡±

 Chapter 287

    287 A Waste Of Handsome Face

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t act like you care because I know you don¡¯t! You only have your eyes for your darling Elijah!¡±

    The moment Marcel shouted out those words, Arianna stiffened and an awkward silence fell over them. It was made worse that they were sitting close to each other.

    ¡°So tell me...¡± Marcel finally broke the silence. He reached out and grabbed her face, but this time, he didn¡¯t hold her tightly, as if she was fragile and would break if he were rough with her, ¡°Do you even have an atom of love for me or am I that huge of a monster?¡±

    Arianna opened her mouth to speak but couldn¡¯t say a thing. She shouldn¡¯t feel a thing for this man, he was the one who kidnapped her and made her life miserable. But then, Marcel wasn¡¯t all that bad except that he was born into the wrong family and took on the wrong upation.

    However, Arianna was never going to tell him that because she actually pitied him and she was sure that wasn¡¯t what he wanted from him.

    ¡°We¡¯re not having this conversation when you¡¯re obviously drunk,¡± Arianna said, already rising to her feet when he pushed her down to the seat and boxed her in.

    ¡°Marcel....¡± Arianna called his name with both caution and apprehension. She wanted him to remember their deal but she was scared at the same time as to what he would do when drunk.

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk...¡± He refuted her words and Arianna couldn¡¯t tell between the drunk and sober Marcel, which one was better at the moment.

    ¡°Fine, you¡¯re not drunk.¡± Arianna only agreed to please him so he could let her go.

    .....

    Marcel tightened his grip on her chin but not to the point it hurt. However, he turned her face from side to side as if he was scanning merchandise. So much for not being drunk. But for someone drunk, he has good lotion.

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about Elijah, huh? Why won¡¯t you like me the same way you like him?¡± He asked without taking his eyes off her. Marcel might as well bore a hole in her head with his intense stare. The answer wasn¡¯t written in her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite an inappropriate question considering you¡¯re about to get married, sir?¡± she reminded him. Arianna decided to be more formal this time hoping he respected himself and not attempt anything stupid. Being this way wouldn¡¯t make her like him. He can¡¯t force feelings on her, that¡¯s not the way to win over ady.

    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility the marriage won¡¯t hold.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Wait ¨C what?!¡± Arianna was stunned by the news. If there was a possibility of the marriage being stopped, why was he being this way then? He should stop it already. And Arianna¡¯s not saying this because she¡¯s relieved by the news or something. No one deserves to live in a loveless marriage ¨C except her uncle and his wife.

    ¡°If I can get my sister back, I have every right to reject the marriage,¡± Marcel confessed, without releasing her. If anything he was busy caressing her soft cheeks while Arianna worked hard not to relish the feeling. She¡¯s in a hot spot.

    ¡°Your sister? I don¡¯t understand?¡± Arianna breathed. This position is really not the best for a conversation. So she added, ¡°And maybe if you can sit back down.... we can err.... have a nicer discussion. I can hear you out better....¡± She suggested, hopefully.

    But that escted the whole issue because Marcel shifted and now knelt in between her thighs. She had no choice but to lean back, not that there was much space. Thankfully, she was wearing shorts and not the nightgown she decided on earlier else this would have been much more awkward.

    Seems like drunk Marcel wasn¡¯t exactly the best at negotiation because his gray eyes darkened and narrowed as he asked, ¡°Are you chasing me off?¡±

    ¡°Of course, not,¡± your highness, Arianna bit back the sarcasm. This was the first time she was dealing with a drunk Marcel and didn¡¯t want to put herself in a precarious situation. She simply tried not to look at that chiseled chest staring back at him. Peekaboo.

    ¡°Perhaps, you should continue with the conversation on how your sister has to do with your marriage,¡± Arianna wanted to know the details. Who knows? It mighte in handy in the future.

    ¡°My father, he took her. If I don¡¯t marry ra, he will kill her.¡± Marcel confessed and her blood ran cold. Arianna had a hard time trying to process that news.

    ¡°Y-your father would kill his own daughter to make his son marry....¡± This was one great dysfunctional family.

    ¡°She¡¯s not his daughter but my sister!¡± Marcel was enraged at the fact she dared to call Chloe that man¡¯s daughter. That man doesn¡¯t deserve Chloe at all.

    Arianna gulped, she really didn¡¯t know how to handle this situation. His mood right now was uncertain.

    ¡°My mother adopted her, that man doesn¡¯t acknowledge her as his. She¡¯s not less than a stranger to him.¡± He exined.

    Well, that makes sense. But even as annoying as Marcel was, he still released information. Perhaps, she can take advantage of his drunkenness and know more about his progress in finding Elijah.

    No, Arianna, that¡¯s a bad idea. She thought about it. Elijah¡¯s name alone sets him off. He might really kill her if she tried that. So Arianna decided to respect herself and take whatever he gives her.

    ¡°So he¡¯s threatening you with her life?¡± She asked him.

    ¡°Yes. I have to bring her back, Arianna.¡± Marcel said and surprisingly got off her.

    Okay...? What now? She was already bing wary of him.

    That was not the end of the drama because Marcel took off his shoes and before Arianna could predict what he was up to, heid his head on herp and stretched out his long legs on the armrest.

    ¡°Oh.¡± That was all Arianna said, unable to refuse him.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired, allow me to rest for a while,¡± Marcel said just before he made himselffortable and shut his eyes.

    Dude, you could easily sleep on the sofa! Arianna scolded him in her mind. In the end, she still let him be and before long, the soft rising and falling of his chest told her that Marcel was asleep.

    For a Mafia Lord, he sure trusted her too much. Wasn¡¯t he scared that she¡¯d stab him in his sleep or did he look down on her too much?

    Arianna sighed. She looked at him, brushing away a blonde lock from his forehead. She admired his features, ¡°Such a waste of a handsome face.¡± She muttered and went on with her job as a watchwoman. This has got to be the most entertaining night ever.

 Chapter 288

    288 Dance With Fire

    Adele was on the training grounds with the recruit when her phone rang. Because she was distracted, she didn¡¯t look at the number and picked it up immediately.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°You?!¡±

    That single voice made Adele¡¯s brows furrow and she looked down at the screen only to see that it was no one but her sister, Cindy.

    ¡°How did you get my number?¡± Adele asked, knowing she blocked them all thest time and purchased a new sim.

    ¡°Is that the problem right now?!¡± Cindy was ill-mannered as usual.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem then?¡± Adele asked, even though she had an idea of what was the problem.

    ¡°Where is Aziz? What did you do to him? I have been calling all day and he hasn¡¯t been picking up!¡±

    Of course, he hasn¡¯t been picking up because she has his phone with her. The moment they stepped into the boot camp, all means ofmunication with the outside world were disconnected. Here, all the recruits were to focus on training ¨C and this was her opportunity to figure out who Elijah was among them. If Marcel was right, his cover would definitely be blown here.

    .....

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m kind of busy at the moment,¡± Adele said and without as much as a second thought, ended the call instantly.

    Knowing her sister¡¯s personality, Adele switched off her phone; Cindy would call incessantly. Done with that, Adele focused on the men swimming back to the finish line.

    Marcel said Elijah was a master at disguise and had an uncanny ability to use realistic masks to hide his identity. Unfortunately, no matter how authentic a mask was, it cannot stand being that long in that water withouting off or showing a w. Elijah was as good as caught this time if he still has his mask on.

    Aziz was the first to step out of the water and Adele was not even surprised by that. The guy has shown his fighting prowess and skillspared to the others. If there was anyone she would suspect as Elijah, that would be him but she didn¡¯t want to make baseless assumptions because of his ability.

    Once in a while, they still stumble upon talented newbies, so she was probably overthinking things. Adele has looked into his background and it wasn¡¯t that special except that he went abroad for a few years and returned not long ago to join the Luciano crime family.

    His father was a judo instructor which exins his talent in fighting while his mother sold liquor to the locals. He went abroad to live with his brother for a few years and Adele has already sent people to verify that information. Although backgrounds are checked before initiation, Adele wanted to be sure.

    With Elijah around the corner, he could manipte any information he wanted and infiltrate the gang. She couldn¡¯t make any mistakes now Marcel handed this important assignment to her. Adele couldn¡¯t disappoint him.

    Other soldiers with Adele helped her in putting things into order but she was the head here. So each rescuits upon reaching the finish line instantly runs over and gets in line in front of her.

    ¡°Aziz, first as usual, is there anything you¡¯re not good at?¡± She asked him.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Her brows arched in curiosity, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Failing¡±

    ¡°Oh. Quite a confidence you got there.¡± Adele said, her eyes raking over his body, searching for anything out of ces like a piece of falling fake flesh or something. She found nothing.

    She then stepped closer to him and trailed her hand down his chest, ¡°Quite some muscles you got there.¡± She flirted with him before shifting her attention back to the others who arrived one after the other and falling in line behind Aziz.

    The moment Adele left, a smirk formed at the corners of Elijah¡¯s lips. Was she kidding him? He knew what Adele was doing? Searching to see if he had any artificial skin on him?

    If he had on fake skin, it would have fallen into the water during thepetition and Adele would find out the minor difference in his body since he was bare from his chest upward. The woman had an eye for minimal details, unfortunately, so did he. He can not be caught until he has fulfilled his mission here.

    Adele continued her careful examination of the bodies of the other recruits and so far came up with nothing. She sighed, could it be that Marcel was wrong? Elijah wasn¡¯t here? No, she can¡¯t give up.

    By the time she was through, Adele went back to the front and announced, ¡°You should go back and rest. Food would be served to you.¡±

    ¡°Food?!¡± All of them shouted at the same time. She had told them there was nothing like food and they had been starving for a whole day now.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± Adele asked with a dark glint in her eyes.

    ¡°Of course, not, Ma¡¯m!¡± They answered, standing straight at once.

    ¡°Now, you have your food and reserve your strength for thest mission tonight. Do you understand?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯m!¡± They chorused.

    ¡°Good, you all can go except Aziz.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± There were traces of confusion on their faces when Adele said that.

    ¡°Meet me in my office,¡± Adele told him and took off.

    Aziz nodded and left to make himself decent.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± John asked, walking alongside him. After that incident, they had be the best of buddies.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Aziz merely shrugged.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re in trouble?¡±

    ¡°More like a quickie?¡± Another guy butted into the conversation.

    Aziz red at him.

    ¡°Dudee on,¡± The guy said, ¡°Our hot, badass instructor has been eyefucking you since the moment we arrived at camp ¡®torture¡¯ ¡± He said with a dreamy expression, ¡°I¡¯ll be over the moon if I were the one in your shoe!¡± He smirked.

    ¡°In that case, thank God you¡¯re not me, and that same hot badass can kick you out of here faster than you can ejacte once she hears those shitty words from your mouth,¡± Aziz warned him.

    If there was one thing Elijah was sure of, it was the fact that Adele was intent on finding out his identity and he was not stupid enough to dance with fire.

 Chapter 289

    289 Goodbye Cindy

    Adele had another reason to confiscate their phones. She had a hacker with her in the camp who cloned every single phone with her. Elijah was smart and there were chances he didn¡¯te with the phone he worked with but no matter how careful a person was, there were bound to be mistakes.

    You can tell a person from the content and contacts of his phone. People like Elijah would have little contact with the outside world, probably only with people he worked with to minimize exposure while normal people would have more specialization, introverted or not.

    Hence, they would take their time going through all contacts so as not to miss a thing. This investigation is very important to not only Marcel but to the entire Luciano family as well. Elijah took out their own people and became a threat to them. They had to do something before the matter escted.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Adele looked up from the little desk as Aziz walked into her temporary office. He was dressed in a casual shirt that was snug on him and showed off his muscles with military shorts. Adele had to admit, he was quite good looking and that was the problem.

    ¡°Have a suit,¡± She gestured to him to sit down.

    Aziz took the seat facing her and sat downfortably. For someone summoned by the underboss for unknown reasons, there was no nervousness on his face; he looked calm.

    ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡± Adele asked, leaning on the desk with her fingers intertwined in a business-like manner.

    ¡°If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be here, would I?¡± Aziz asked back instead of directly answering her question.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Adele chuckled, ¡°You are quite the cheeky one,¡± However, the smile on her face vanished without a trace in the next minute as her face became serious.

    .....

    She asked, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Cindy?¡±

    Aziz blinked, ¡°W-what?¡±

    But Adele didn¡¯t answer and stood up from her seat instead, going around to him. Upon reaching his side, Adele leaned against the desk with her arms wrapped across her chest,

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen men like you, before, Aziz. Men, who think that with their good looks, they could score a good damsel, and what better target than my ignorant sister. You¡¯d be the one gaining since Mafia marriages hardly break up and the males are highly favored. Who knows? If you worked hard enough, you might even be the boss one day,¡± She plotted it out for him, thinking that was his intention for seducing Cindy.

    Elijah sighed, pinching the space between his brows. As expected, he knew Adele would think in this direction.

    He told her, ¡°You rest assured that I have no such intention towards your baby sister. Like I told her when she suggested we get married, I do children -¡±

    ¡°She what?!¡± Adele hollered, her eyes growing wide.

    ¡°It was a ridiculous suggestion and I turned her -¡±

    Elijah was still trying to exin to her when Adele hitched him up the cor and hurled him up to his feet. Damn, she was quite strong.

    ¡°You both are nning to marry already?¡±

    Elijah gulped, ¡°I told you it was all her suggestion. I can promise you that, I never dreamed of such a thing happening at all, nor would it ever happen. It¡¯s all a fairytale.¡± He said hurriedly to her.

    He knew it. That Luciano called Cindy wouldnd him into trouble. He can¡¯t get kicked out of here. It took him a lot of nning and resources to infiltrate here in the first ce. And to think he¡¯d be kicked out of here because of a girl he has nothing to do with in the first ce. That would be annoying.

    He even came in with his real identity. Marcel knows his proficiency at using masks and now suspects he¡¯s hiding amongst his men. In one word, if he gets kicked out, that means he¡¯d have toe in disguise since everyone knows his face but that would be like mission impossible.

    Moreover, Luciano family epts new members only once a year except for special circumstances. In one word, it would be hard to get another opportunity like this one if he gets kicked out of here. So no matter what it takes, he had to keep his position.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Adele told him without releasing her hold, choking him, ¡°You are going to take this phone ....¡± She raised her phone, ¡°and break any rtionship you have with my sister because from now on, you would no longer work for her but me!¡± Adele handed the phone to him.

    Sweet, Elijah hid his excitement at that announcement. His n all this while has been getting close to Adele, what better way to do so than to work closely together. As usual, even the universe was on his side. He¡¯s definitely born lucky.

    Elijah pretended to be frightened as he took the phone from her and answered the call already ongoing.

    ¡°Hello? Adele? You fucking bitch! How dare you -¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± Elijah said and there was a momentary pause. Cindy probably noticed there was something wrong with the voice.

    ¡°H-hello? Aziz?¡± Her once loud voice became meek at once, ¡°Is that you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± He confirmed.

    ¡°Oh, thank God!¡± There was a relieved sigh from the other end of the phone, ¡°Do you know how worried I was when you didn¡¯t show up for work? Aziz, I miss you already! All of the guards here are no fun as you. What are they saying about you being in some camp or what?¡±

    While Cindy was busy vomiting all of those words, Elijah was in a hot seat because the call was on speak out and Adele, whose face was now like shit heard everything. Was this girl trying tond him into deep trouble or what?

    So he quickly said, ¡°Cindy, you should forget me and move ahead with your life. From now on, I longer work under you and you should stop interfering with my work. Goodbye Cindy.¡± Elijah ended the call and hoped that was enough for Adele to keep him.

 Chapter 290

    290 Stop You From Winning

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re talented enough, else I would have kicked you out of here already,¡± That were Adele¡¯s words to him right before he was dismissed.

    Right now, they were all lined up before Adele who was about to give them their next mission. It was evening already hence they had to hurry up with this mission before night fell on them.

    ¡°Each of you has been given a Map, a tracker, and a walkie-talkie. The map is to direct you to the target and the tracker is for us to get you if you do get lost nheless.¡± She said and the men burst intoughter. Only an idiot would get lost with the map avable at hand.

    ¡°The walkie-talkie is for you to contact for help in case youe upon a difficulty. The woods are secured but there can be ¡®idents¡¯ ¡± She hinted to them that they shouldn¡¯t lower their defenses. Anything could happen.

    ¡°Hence, if youe across a life-threatening situation, put down your pride and call for help.¡± She instructed them.

    ¡°In this mission, there are five gs hung at different areas in the forest and they¡¯ve been marked on the map. There are ten of you, which means five of you would be winners and the rest of you losers.¡±

    She added with an evil grin, ¡°And did I forget to say that those winners get off boot camp early?¡±

    At once, there were audible murmurs from the recruits, and those who formed a team knew at that moment that it wasn¡¯t going to work. The gs were at different locations and they were limited.

    Adele went on to say, ¡°This is a no holds barred mission without limits, rules, or restraints. The only rule here is to not take a life. Aside from that, I don¡¯t care what trickery you pull off the book, all I would acknowledge is you returning to the finish line with your prize in hand, got it?! ¡±

    .....

    ¡°Got it?!¡± They chorused with determination in their eyes. No one wanted to be at the bottom of the food chain and did they forget to add, remain a day more in this boot camp. It was torture.

    As the rescuits stared at one another, they no longer saw themselves as friends or teammates. Right now, they are rivals. There was no brother in the juggle.

    ¡°And oh...¡± Adele said with a wicked smile, ¡°The time limit for this mission is an hour and it starts now!¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Some of them shouted but Elijah had already taken off. He was the most promising of the rescuits here meaning that they would probably gang up and try to take him out the moment they enter the woods so he doesn¡¯t be a hindrance to them. Just because they got along now doesn¡¯t mean they liked him.

    Some still hated his arse and only had to get along because the Luciano rules demanded it. But Elijah already saw through their n and was gone like the sh before they could think of executing it. He was not here to be prey to a bunch of nobodies.

    Elijah ran like the devil was on his heels. His priority was not the first g because most people would be after it since it was the closest to the finish line. It would be a bloody fight.

    His aim was thest g which was the furthest and safest. But there was a little problem, the time factor. If he were to get that g, time would be against him, not to mention that there would be others on the way who would try to snatch his hard work from him.

    But he had faith in his ability to defeat any opponent in his path. His only powerful enemy now was time and that was why he ran faster, using his special method known to him and his family alone, to conserve his strength at the same time. He can¡¯t get weak.

    Thankfully Aziz had a retentive memory, hence, just a look at the map and he captured the g¡¯s location instantly. So he didn¡¯t waste the limited time by stopping from time to time and checking his spot. He had a good advantage over the others considering he was born into a Mafia family where missions like this weremon.

    While others saw this as a form of torture, missions like this one were a breeze to him. In no time, he found the g and climbed the tree where he retrieved it.

    Once he got down with it, Elijah didn¡¯t waste any moment and took off. If he waited, it would be detrimental to him. Right now, he had an abundance of adrenaline pumping through his vein and that pushed him further alongside his own will. He had to thrive on it.

    This was all for Arianna, he told himself as he sprinted. Elijah conjured an image of Ariannaughing back at him and their moments together when things were better and lessplicated. Sadly, that cost him a lot because he got distracted.

    Elijah couldn¡¯t tell what happened next because all he knew was that something whacked him hard in the face and he fell back to the ground, the breath knocked out of his lungs. He felt the g being snatched from his hand.

    Those bastards! He would kill them once he got to his feet. Ouch, that hurts though, he groaned inwardly on the ground.

    ¡°Come on, take it and go now!¡± He heard one of them say to the other.

    Oh, the two sons of biscuits were in cahoots.

    The stomping sound Elijah heard afterward told him the little menace had just taken off with his g. His damnbor! This wasn¡¯t going to end well with the both of them!

    When Elijah finally got to his feet, he saw the other partner had no g. Oh, so this one decided to be the martyr in thispetition. They must be quite close for both to havee to this decision. No problem, he¡¯d enjoy breaking his bones.

    However, the asshole brought out a de, and Elijah¡¯s brows raised, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the instruction not to take a life?¡±

    The guy sneered, ¡°I won¡¯t take your life, but I will stop you from winning!¡±

 Chapter 291

    291 Who Gave Him The Right To Destroy His Face

    ¡°I won¡¯t take your life but I¡¯ll stop you from winning,¡± The guy dered with a crazed look on his face. He was determined to keep true to his words.

    However, Elijah wasn¡¯t there for child¡¯s y nor did he have the time to waste.

    Hence, the guy was hardly through with his words when he charged at him, his movement so quick and fluid to the point the guy didn¡¯t see himing till he was directly in front of him and had knocked the dagger out of his hand.

    It all happened too quickly for the guy toprehend, because as soon as the knife was knocked out of his hand forcefully, Elijah squeezed his hand hard behind him and he screamed in pain. At the same, he kicked the falling knife at the hilt and it cut across his leg.

    The guy cried at once but there was no room for mercy as Elijah kicked him on the good leg and he buckled from the imbnce till he was kneeling on the ground.

    ¡°You? W-what are you doing?¡± He was suddenly afraid. If he knew that the pretty face was this strong, he wouldn¡¯t have picked at him at all. He knew he should have learned when Aziz defeated John, but he med it all on luck.

    John must not have been in his best form that day, moreover, everyone else had reached the finish line save him.

    He thought if they ganged up, Aziz would be easy to defeat. He was friends with the colleague that took off. But had he known, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to be the scapegoat.

    ¡°Listen to me!¡± Elijah boomed, and he nodded his head instantly. He didn¡¯t want to die yet and Aziz looked like he would murder him soon.

    .....

    He went on to say, ¡°You would announce to the others that I¡¯m not easy to bully!¡± And with that, Elijah punched him in the face, knocking the daylight out of him.

    Looking down, he saw the weapon the idiot had hit him with. The guy whacked him in the face with the heavy branch of a palm tree. No wonder, it stung his face.

    Elijah copsed to the ground, ¡°Damn it,¡± he cursed as he felt a little lightheaded and wiped his face with his palm only toe up with blood.

    Oh no, no, no.

    For someone who was used to unting his good looks, it was equivalent to being in a nightmare when he suspected injuries on his face. He began to think of the worst-case scenario? What if he became disfigured after this? Oh no, that can¡¯t happen.

    At once, his face distorted in fury. What he would do to that asshole when he gets his hands on him! Fueled by anger and revenge, Elijah got to his feet immediately. This was not the time to dally around but to win his prize.

    Elijah knew he was at a huge disadvantage but from his calction, that guy couldn¡¯t have reached the finish line nor was he the type to give up with a fight. Looking down at the timer, he had about ten minutes before thepetition was over. He was halfway to the finish line, he would make it ¨C if the asshole doesn¡¯t arrive first.

    This time, Elijah was driven by nothing but a mad thirst for revenge and the adrenaline pumping in his system was two times greater than the first time. If the world¡¯s fastest man was here to watch Elijah run, his jaw would have dropped to the ground at the sheer speed.

    His body was tired and hurt like hell but Elijah had gone past the point where he still feels pain. Right now, he was nothing but a shell with one purpose, win the race and beat the hell out of his colleague.

    Honestly, his colleaguemitted no crime by hitting him since there was no limitation in thispetition, but the idiot touched his face. Doesn¡¯t he know his face was a national treasure? Arianna hadn¡¯t even seen his real face, what gives him the right to destroy it?

    Meanwhile, the colleague in question was close to reaching the finish line and because of that, he let his guard down.

    He was dead tired and leaped towards the finish line, after all, there was no one here to challenge him. He never thought of winning had his best friend not made that sacrifice. He would repay himter but now he had a race to win.

    Looking ahead, he saw the others at the finish line and they were cheering for him, but only for a moment because there was a suddenmotion and their cheering grew louder and more confusing. He could almost say they were encouraging another person.

    Curiosity got the best of him and he turned back to investigate what was going on only to see the Aziz he thought he defeated charging towards him like an angry bull.

    Oh no! His heart jerked in his chest and he decided to run at that moment. However, because fear had set in, no matter how much he ran, Elijah was gaining on him.

    Frustration set in but he resolved to reach the finish instead of running against Elijah. They were just a few meters apart but Elijah, seeing that his colleague would arrive before him, pulled out a stone he had picked on his way here to everyone¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°What is he doing?¡± The others were confused at his action. He should focus on gaining more speed, not fooling around with a stone. They bet he wouldn¡¯t even get a good shot.

    However, Elijah didn¡¯t focus on the back of the head, he threw the stone at the back of the knee and the guy helped in pain, falling to the ground just inches away from stepping on the line.

    However, the g on his hand touched the line but not for long because Elijah snatched the g from him and crossed the line immediately.

 Chapter 292

    292 Working Solo

    A fight broke out as soon as thepetition was over. But before that, there had been a disagreement between the recruits as they argued about who won the race.

    Josie fell at the finish line, before Elijah snatched the g from him and crossed the line.

    But then, the other side argued that Josie had not stepped on the line hence his im of the win was invalid.

    However, the argument had to be halted because Elijah tossed the g aside after he won and speared Josie who barely got up to his feet back down to the ground.

    Then he straddled him and began tond punches directly on his face. Since he and his friend damaged his face, he would do the same.

    ¡°Aziz!¡± Two of his colleagues tried to pull him away but they couldn¡¯t. Elijah was really strong coupled with the anger fueling him.

    Three more went after him but Elijah fought them off and continued hitting Josie whose face was now swollen. He was too weak to defend himself.

    This time around it took all seven remaining rescuits to pull Elijah off Josie. Three grabbed his left arm and three others on his right while the remaining one pulled at his waist.

    Josie was finally able to breathe after Elijah got off him but he was trembling in both pain and fear. Elijah struggled with his fellow recruits but together, they were stronger and overpowered him. But Elijah didn¡¯t put up a fight for long because he felt dizzy from the whole stress and cked out.

    .....

    When Elijah woke up, he found himself on a bed and a room that smelled of antiseptic. His brows furrowed, where was he?

    He tried to rise only for his movements to get restrained and he looked down to discover that his hand was cuffed to the side of the bed.

    What the....?

    He began to think, have they discovered that he was Elijah? He truly went over the top with that fight. He needed information as to what was going on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, they won¡¯te off,¡± Adele said, walking into the room. She stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest and assessed his face.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Elijah asked, pulling at the cuff to make his point.

    ¡°I have no use for a wild dog in a pack of wolves,¡± She didn¡¯t approve of his behavior earlier.

    ¡°You said it¡¯s no holds barred,¡± Elijah exploited a loophole, however, Adele was determined not to let him have his way.

    ¡°That was until thepetition ended.¡±

    ¡°The hour was not up,¡±

    ¡°Thepetition ended the moment you stepped on that line with thest g!¡± Adele said firmly, having thest word.

    ¡°The rules of my family condone brutal fights between members. You could have duels but what you did out there wasn¡¯t a duel at all. You are quite lucky that this is a camp boot and you got off with Istion ¨C a little time away from the others for you to think over your actions and turn a better leaf, hopefully.¡±

    Elijah smirked, ¡°Look at my face.¡±

    She did.

    He went on to say, ¡°I¡¯m sure Josie¡¯s face doesn¡¯t look far better either. So you can think of it as a tie. He should pray that I recover.¡±

    Adele couldn¡¯t believe her ears, was he serious right now? She was talking about repenting from his offenses and he¡¯s more concerned over his face? Why does he kind of remind her of Marcel? Her cousin was the only one obsessed with his appearance. Ugh, what¡¯s with these good-looking men?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aziz, but no matter how talented and valuable you are, I would have no choice but toy you off if you can¡¯t get along with the others. This organization was not built by one man alone but from the sweat, blood, and death of several others. So ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Aziz!¡±

    Both Adele and Elijah turned in the direction of that voice only to see Cindy running into the room. At that moment, Adele turned and sent a questioning look towards Elijah who only shrugged.

    How was he to know that the girl would follow him here? More ever, he had been in the woods hence she couldn¡¯t use him of contacting the girl in secret.

    ¡°Aziz!¡± Cindy already had tears in her eyes as she rushed to his side and threw herself on him.

    Every part of Elijah¡¯s body hurt so when he winced, Cindy instantly looked up and checked his face with horror, ¡°God, who did this to you?!¡± She hollered.

    Apart from a few scratches and bruises, his nose was the only thing swollen and he possessed fewer injuries than Josie. But Cindy didn¡¯t care and made a huge deal out of it, her eyes further widening when she saw the handcuff,

    ¡°You!¡±

    She pointed her finger at her sister Adele who had a nonchnt look, ¡°I should have known you¡¯re up to no good when you had him removed from my security details! I would not let you off for this!¡±

    But even amid the warning, Adele said to him cooly, ¡°Although you won thepetition, the victory was granted to Josie on counts of your assault -¡±

    ¡°Assault?¡± Cindy looked at him confused. What was her sister talking about?

    ¡°In one word, you¡¯re still stuck in boot camp. Have all the rest you can get this night because training continues tomorrow and you¡¯re working solo,¡± Adele isted him from the others as punishment.

    Done speaking, Adele turned to leave when Cindymanded her, ¡°Take the cuffs off him!¡±

    But Adele simply rolled her eyes and was close to grabbing the doorknob when the persistent Cindy shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t take it off and I¡¯ll tell him your most embarrassing secret.¡±

    At once, Adele stiffened and Elijah knew at that moment that the secret Cindy was holding against her was really strong.

    Not long after, Adele walked back to him and took the handcuffs off him but the murderous look in her eyes told Elijah he was going to suffer for this in his training tomorrow.

 Chapter 293

    293 The Master¡¯s Affection

    Arianna woke up with a startle, confusion all over her face as to where she was. Thest thing she rememberedst night was Marcelying his head on herp, and she watched over him. After that, her memory was nk.

    Looking around now, she recognized that the room was Marcel¡¯s. She must have fallen asleep and he brought her here.

    Seriously, why didn¡¯t he take her to her room? The thought of his men seeing her leave this ce and creating more rumors about the both of them made her want to cringe.

    She wasn¡¯t Marcel¡¯s lover neither would such a thing work between them. It was time to make her stand clear; he should stop having ideas.

    She had to leave this ce. Dahlia decided and just let out one leg down the bed when she froze and slowly lifted her leg back up the bed. Because lying on the floor at the entrance of the room was no other than the mighty Lion, Samson.

    Arianna groaned, what was Marcel doing? Was he trying to get her killed? If only she knew that the lion had been her watchman throughout the night since Marcel had not slept in his room. Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself around her, Marcel let her sleep all by herself.

    ¡°Okay, calm down, Arianna,¡± She told herself, steadying her breath. Marcel told her that the wild creature was domesticated.

    Exactly?!

    Who in his right mind domesticates a fucking lion?! A breathing lion several pounds heavier than her and could tear her apart with those razor-sharp teeth. Oh God, she can¡¯t calm down! Arianna was freaking out.

    .....

    Where was her phone? She needed to call for help! Oh right, she hadn¡¯t touched or felt a phone for the past month now. If someone told Arianna that she¡¯d be able to stay away from phones for this long, she would never be able to believe it; she had be so addicted to her device.

    However, no matter how freaked out Arianna was, she watched Samson who only opened his amber-colored eyes ¨C which was kind of cute now she looked at it ¨C when he noticed she was awake and closed them back again.

    It was as if he didn¡¯t even care about her existence and Dahlia couldn¡¯t tell if that was an insult or what. Was that lion looking down on her?

    Maybe she was freaking out over nothing? Arianna thought so when Samson didn¡¯t react to her presence. Perhaps, Marcel must have given him an order not to kill her?

    Come to think of it, if the lion wanted to end her, it would have done so while she was asleep. You know, enjoy her delicious flesh and all. Was it as tamed as Marcel imed?

    Although she still had her fears, Arianna still crept closer to the edge of the bed and waved cautiously, ¡°Hello, carnivores buddy?¡±

    Samson opened his eyes and looked at her. Arianna didn¡¯t sense any bloodlust there and was d. Maybe the lion wasn¡¯t as bad as she thought and they could be friends the same way it was friends with Marcel.

    However, her joy was short-lived because the lion shut his eyes after releasing a snort-like sound. Arianna was stunned. She was definitely right, the lion was looking down on her.

    ¡°Alright, I know that you don¡¯t like me but I have no interest ining here either. Your master forced me to leave my ce, my life, my family, my future, and here I am talking to a lion that probably doesn¡¯t even understand me...¡±

    Arianna sighed, realizing how stupid she must look right now ¨C even to the lion. But to her surprise, Samson lifted his head and her brows raised.

    ¡°Whoah!¡± Arianna was stunned by its reaction. Did it hear her? This has got to be unreal. Oh my gosh! The lion understood her! Okay, maybe, this was the first step to being great friends in the future. A lion as a friend would be so superb.

    ¡°So in human rtions, we start by knowing each other¡¯s name,¡± Arianna really talked to him as if he could hear her, ¡°I¡¯m Arianna and I know yours, Samson the lion. That¡¯s kind of ironic, do you know that, considering Samson killed the lion in the Bible. Your master is the worst at naming!¡± Sheughed all by herself while Samson just kept staring at her, blinking asionally.

    ¡°Now, as a gesture of our friendship...¡± Arianna slowly climbed out of the bed, letting one foot down before the other, ¡°I am going to leave this room and you are not going to eat me or anything, right?¡±

    Arianna said, cautiously heading towards the entrance where Samson was lying down by the side.

    ¡°I might be a sweet adorable girl but my blood tastes bitter and my bones are quite skinny, so you don¡¯t want to eat me. You won¡¯t enjoy it at all.¡± She coerced him as she stepped closer and closer till she was standing near Samson.

    This was the crucial moment and Arianna didn¡¯t dare to move carelessly so as not to startle him. She barely made friends with him and can¡¯t destroy it now.

    Unfortunately, all her concerns were for nothing because Samson didn¡¯t mind her movements till she sessfully made it out of the room and closed the door with a gentle click.

    ¡°Yes, I did it!¡± Arianna was over the moons. She finally got over her fear of the lion, her next agenda would be to get close to the creature. And to do that, she¡¯d need Marcel¡¯s help massively. Well, he ¨C Marcel ¨C was useful for something good in the end.

    However, while Arianna was celebrating, Samson finally stood from his lying position and climbed up the bed, andid down.

    For a young lion, he was spoiled by his Marcel and lived in luxury. Samson had his own amodation but he loved Marcel¡¯s room better and the only reason he hadn¡¯t hurt that woman was because she smelt like him.

    Now, not only does he have to contend for Marcel¡¯s love with that annoying chihuahua ¨C that would taste good for breakfast ¨C the woman has be his secondpetition.

    Well, he¡¯d think about how to get his master¡¯s affection back after he has his beauty sleep. It wasn¡¯t easy staying up all night and keeping a watch on that woman.

 Chapter 294

    294 Send Me

    ¡°You don¡¯t look good,¡± Victor pointed out as he stepped into the office with two cups in hand.

    He gave the darkly roasted coffee to Marcel who epted it with a word of thanks while he sipped his matchatte. Unlike Marcel, Victor had a sweet tooth and loved the strong natural sweetnesspared to his cousin¡¯s bitter drink. h! How does he even enjoy that?

    ¡°Did you even sleepst night?¡± He inquired, focused on his tea.

    ¡°No,¡±

    ¡°Ah, you must have been up all night, thinking.¡± Victor thought.

    ¡°Arianna slept in my room,¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± He understood at once.

    It made sense to Victor. Why would Marcel stay awake for a little problem like ra¡¯s? All he needed to do was to sleep and get a clear head enough to think of a solution.

    But then, when you have a temptress on your bed, it¡¯s incredibly hard to sleep. It¡¯s like being in the garden of Eden, watching the attractive forbidden fruit and being told not to eat it.

    .....

    Sigh, his poor cousin.

    ¡°How long are you going to be this way? You are a master of seduction, just do your thing and make her fall for you.¡±

    But Marcel told him, scratching his nose, ¡°That would have been much easier if I hadn¡¯t fallen for her first,¡±

    Victor whistled, ¡°You are definitely in hot soup,¡±

    ¡°I know. Who would have thought so.¡± Marcel took a deep breath before chugging his coffee.

    ¡°Why not just have sex with her and see if your feelings remain the same?¡± he suggested, thinking that it was a great idea.

    ¡°Ever since you had sex with Mimi, has your feelings for her changed?¡± Marcel asked him instead.

    Victor¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you....¡±

    ¡°Eyes are everywhere, Victor. Be a lot more careful the next time you have sex in a car else your enemies end you in your moment of carelessness.¡±

    Victor was stressed by the news, but he was much more worried about Mimi. How much danger has he exposed her into?

    ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± He suddenly said.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was confused.

    ¡°You asked whether my feelings have changed since I had sex with Mimi. All I can say is that it gotplicated instead. Everybody has a reason for having sex but its main purpose is for procreation. However, for me, it¡¯s spiritual, a deeper bonding, amunion with a mind that works with mine... ¡± A smile crossed Victor¡¯s lips and he had a dreamlike fascination on his face, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to stick with her this time.¡±

    ¡°Good for you,¡± Was all Marcel said before his expression darkened, ¡°Because if Arianna cries because Mimi cried because you made her cry, I¡¯m not letting you off, cousin or not.¡±

    Victorughed yet became serious at the end, ¡°Noted.¡±

    Marcel moved his focus from him as he said, ¡°I have no right to demand Arianna reciprocates my feelings until ra is out of the picture. Having Arianna to myself while engaged to ra is a huge disrespect to her and my mother taught me better. That is why we¡¯re getting my sister out this week, the faster this ends, the better for me.¡±

    At thatment, Victor snapped his fingers, ¡°Now, we¡¯re on the same page, I¡¯ve had this idea for a while now but it¡¯s iplete, but then time is not really on our side now. So?¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Marcel said, cing his empty cup on the desk, giving his cousin all of the attention.

    ¡°Since we are positive that Chloe is locked up at your father¡¯s residence, the greatest problem we have isck of information. Your father holds his ce like a fortress and the spies we sent so far have all been discovered, all except one who can¡¯t even make a careless move for fear of being caught .¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°I think our first move should be discovering Chloe¡¯s location discretely before establishing the next n of rescuing her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you have been inmunication with Winters,¡± Marcel figured out. He knew the whereabouts of important people in this family, how do you think he has been able to keep his position for this long? Information is power.

    Winters is a frence hacker that he employed her services for some time now and both of them developed a working rtionship from thence. Although Marcel has his technicians, none of them were as good as her. Moreover, he needed her the most when he doesn¡¯t want his activities monitored by the members of his family. After all, the technicians were wildly used by everyone in the family.

    ¡°Yes, I was figuring out if there was a way she could hack into your father¡¯s security system to record footage, and monitor the surroundings. You know, retrieve the information we need. But then, your father is not called crazy for no reason. Winters says the encryption is like something she has never seen before but she can do that if someone helps from the inside. It has to be done manually.¡±

    ¡°Well then, we have one spy, he should do the work,¡± Marcel said but Victor shook his head.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t work in that department, even if he does, are you willing to sacrifice the one spy you have that monitors your father¡¯s activities for you. It might take you months, if not years to sessfully nt another one. Are you willing to take that risk? ¡±

    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do? Are you saying I should abandon Chloe and marry that bug of a woman called ra to suck the life out of me?¡±

    ¡°We could send outsiders,¡±

    ¡°Exactly? Who?! My paranoid father has a visual count of all the men in the organization. What makes you think whoever I send wouldn¡¯t be recognized and caught? Then he would hurt Chloe to teach me a lesson!¡±

    ¡°Then send me,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Both men turned around to the source of the voice and one should see the way Marcel¡¯s face turned to shit when he saw it was no other than Arianna.

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± Marcel said in a guttural tone, his face so dark it looked like a storm was brewing there.

 Chapter 295

    295 Darkness Only Begot Darkness

    Arianna underestimated her excitement. At the prospect of being friends with the lion, she had gone down to her room and performed her morning rituals as quickly as possible. Arianna wanted to find Marcel to begin her lessons immediately.

    Having been stuck in this mansion with nothing to do, the prospect of having to do something challenging thrilled her. She had been bored to death now and the thought of learning how to be friends with a lion would be satisfying.

    Hence, she hurried down to Marcel¡¯s office without even drying her wet hair because she was eager to know his secret on how to tame Samson.

    She was prepared to barge into the room only to discover that it was opened halfway and Marcel was deep in conversation with his cousin, Victor. She could recognize that voice anywhere.

    Feeling awkward about eavesdropping, Arianna was about to leave when she heard her name, and her interest was piqued immediately. Who knows what they¡¯re nning now? She had to know.

    ¡°I have no right to demand that Arianna reciprocates my feelings until ra is out of the picture. Having Arianna to myself while engaged to ra is a huge disrespect to her and my mother taught me better. That is why we¡¯re getting my sister out this week, the faster this ends, the better for me.¡±

    Aww, so sweet, Arianna would have melted if they were in a different circumstance. Yes, she was stunned by the revtion, Arianna was not moved by it. She was not going to be with Marcel.

    As much as the sexual tension between them was so thick it was almost suffocating sometimes, that was all there was to them. Marcel was not in love with her, he was just lusting after her.

    Just like a child excited over his new toys, his obsession would notst for long and would definitely die down after he gets what he wants from her.

    .....

    Sex.

    They don¡¯t love each other and even if they did, she can¡¯t be with him.

    Arianna knew if she stayed here, all of her dreams would be forgotten. Look at this, she can¡¯t even move freely all because she¡¯s a prisoner of war. And to be honest, being the wife of a Mafia Lord scared the shit out of her.

    She would be in constant danger and have to be wary of enemies and did she forget to mentionw enforcement as well. She was at risk of prison!

    Arianna often wondered how the police haven¡¯t been able to crack down on their organized crime activities when it was so obvious.

    But from what she¡¯s heard so far, like most crime families out there, the Luciano family has firm control of the police and of course, politicians. With their power and resources, they could even influence elections in their client¡¯s favor.

    Also, there was another thing she heard. This ce wasn¡¯t really their base of operation and the main base was located on an imprable ind where they made all of their weapons and thew enforcement can¡¯t even go there. All who attempted didn¡¯t live to tell the story.

    Also, she never wants to train her family in this kind of background. What would her children be in the future? Criminals?

    No, she can¡¯t do this knowing that if she had a child with Marcel, he or she would have to take over from where he stopped. It was a family thing.

    Having heard the kind of rtionship Marcel has with his father, Daniel, didn¡¯t encourage Arianna as well.

    What kind of father threatens his son and tortures his sister? Although Marcel would probably be much better than his father had learned from the experience, she still couldn¡¯t risk it. People change, and Marcel probably wouldn¡¯t continue being considerate down the years with this type of upation.

    When you stare at the abyss for far too long, it stares back at you. Darkness can only begot darkness. She can¡¯t be with Marcel and not regret itter in the future. So she would do her future children a favor by marrying a better, responsible man.

    Also, she cannot fall in love with her captor. That would only confirm her fears of Stockholm syndrome. She was better than this. Hence Arianna didn¡¯t leave and continued to eavesdrop. Thankfully, none of the guards had followed her here else they would have disrupted her already. But Arianna was sure they were watching her through the cameras.

    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do? Are you saying I should abandon Chloe and marry that bug of a woman called ra to suck the life out of me?¡± Arianna heard Marcel ask. She had to admit, she admired his love for his sister that wasn¡¯t even biologically rted to him. He could go to the ends of the world for her.

    ¡°We could send outsiders,¡±

    Send outsiders? Arianna thought over it.

    ¡°Exactly? Who?! My paranoid father has a visual count of all the men in the organization. What makes you think whoever I send wouldn¡¯t be recognized and caught? Then he would hurt Chloe to teach me a lesson!¡±

    That was when it hit Arianna, she could do this. She hasn¡¯t seen this father of his but the tales about his crudeness scared her already. But even at that, her desire to be free was greater than dying.

    Hence, before she even knew what she was doing, Arianna stepped into the room announcing, ¡°Then send me,¡±

    They looked confused at first until they turned around to see who interrupted them and surprise filled him ¨C at least on Victor¡¯s side. Marcel looked like he was going to murder her if she had as much as to say a word.

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?!¡± His tone was so rough and harsh that she almost got intimidated, but Arianna stood her ground. This was her chance now.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not doing this for free,¡± She pointed out, hoping that would make him consider but she should have known that Marcel was simply unreasonable.

    ¡°Trust me, sweetie, I don¡¯t even want to know what¡¯s going on in that head of yours.¡± His voice was firm and final.

 Chapter 296

    296 I Can¡¯t lose You and Chloe

    However, Arianna refused to back down. He cannot suppress her voice. This was an opportunity to find a purpose and get him to trust her. She can¡¯t back down now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t deny it, Marcel, I¡¯m the better person for this job. Your father doesn¡¯t know me -¡±

    ¡°As if, ¡± Marcel hinted that Daniel knows everything.

    ¡°Even if he does,¡± Arianna told him while stepping back since he wasing at her, ¡°I¡¯m sure he simply brushed me off as one of the many women in your bed. Just like you, who would think an innocent-looking redhead is capable of anything... ¡± Arianna said thest part very hurriedly because he got to her and pushed her into the wall.

    She slightly gasped from the pain that shot into her back from the impact with the wall, but Arianna pushed it to the back of her mind. She bravely stared at Marcel¡¯s eyes, currently burning with fire, yet continued, ¡°And let¡¯s admit it, you won¡¯t find anyone as skilled as me on a short notice?¡±

    And to prove her point, Arianna lifted her hand and let the keys she had stolen from his pocket in the space of a second dangle from her hand challengingly.

    With a grumble, Marcel snatched the keys from her. He had forgotten that aside from being a temptress, she was a pretty pickpocket as well. This was the crime that brought them together in the first ce. Kind of cute now he thought about it.

    She then tipped her head to the side, waiting for a positive response from him.

    ¡°You are not going anywhere, that¡¯s my decision,¡±

    .....

    Her face fell at once, was he kidding her right now? Arianna tried to say a word but Marcel pressed her further into the wall, trying to intimidate her.

    ¡°She does have a point though, Marcel,¡± Victor said all of a sudden and Arianna loved him at that moment. Victor was her favorite person from now on unlike his stubborn-headed cousin, ¡°No one would see hering. We¡¯re running on a short time and you heard her, she¡¯s skilled.¡±

    But Marcel turned to his cousin with a re, ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her!¡±

    Immediately, Victor pressed his lips together, giving total surrender.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Arianna was so vexed her blood was literally boiling with rage. How could Victor give up like this? Why doesn¡¯t anyone in this organization challenge this stubborn mule of a man?!

    If only Arianna knew challenging his authority was equivalent to death and she was the only one that has done it over and over again without bearing the consequences.

    And without as much as a warning, that neanderthal caveman carried her off the ground and dropped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

    At first, Arianna screamed in shock at the suddenness of the whole thing. One moment she was standing and the next she was defying gravity with the help of his shoulders. Her anger returned once again, he was trying to silence her voice.

    ¡°Let me down right now!¡± She thundered.

    He didn¡¯t listen.

    ¡°Marcelo Xavier Luciano,¡± Arianna spat out, ¡°I¡¯m going to make you regret every bit of this moment!¡± She threatened him.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t take her seriously at all.

    Upon discovering that her threat fell on deaf ears, Arianna decided on brute force. She struggled desperately and was close to slipping off his shoulder when Marcel suddenly tightened his grip and spanked her hard on the butt.

    Arianna screamed and not because of the pain, but his audacity. How dare he!

    ¡°Are you crazy?! We agreed on you not touching me!¡± Arianna was seething with both embarrassment and anger. He spanked her in front of his men who had seen everything. She was sure they were going to talk about it; she was not his mistress.

    ¡°Of course, I remember,¡± Marcel was nonchnt as he said, ¡°But this is discipline,¡±

    ¡°You asshole! F***king madman!¡± Arianna used as many profanities as she could remember on him.

    ¡°Your words are quite colorful,¡± Was all Marcel said and went on with his journey. There was nothing as annoying as he treating her as if she was nothing but a mere child throwing a tantrum. She was a capable woman for Christ¡¯s sake!

    As soon as he carried Arianna into her room, Marcel tossed her on the bed as if she weighed nothing. But Arianna was up on her feet instantly only for Marcel to push her back on the bed and press her down with hisrge body. He held her hands above her head making it impossible for her to struggle against him.

    ¡°You son of a monkey! Poo on a stick!

    Sufferin¡¯ sotash! Son of a gun! Mother fucking annoying scumbag!¡± Arianna cursed without taking a break. Hence when she was finally done, she struggled to catch her breath; her chest heaving heavily.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Marcel said, as if he had been waiting for her to calm down.

    Arianna opened her mouth, ready to continue from where she stopped only for Marcel to suddenly press his arousal against her. She stiffened, and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. What the....?!

    ¡°That is what you do to me when you pour out those shitty words from your cute little mouth,¡± He breathed, pressing his body further against her.

    With her heart pounding in her chest, the sexual tension between them suddenly increased. With the way he looked at her, Arianna thought he was really going to kiss her, but when he didn¡¯t say a word, she took advantage of the opportunity to say, ¡°I can really do this, Marcel. I¡¯m not trying to run away or something, you would catch me nheless. But just let me prove myself this time. I¡¯m bored to death here. There¡¯s nothing for me to do.¡±

    Arianna hoped her words would change his mind but he only caressed her face with his hand. Marcel looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and she had to admit, her heart skipped a beat.

    But that was until he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t lose you and Chloe at the same time.¡±

    And with that, he got off her and left the room.

 Chapter 297

    297 Her Personal Bodyguard

    ¡°That was all he said and left?¡± Mimi asked her after Arianna narrated the encounter between her and Marcel.

    ¡°Yes, that was all.¡± Arianna sighed, staring at her best friend.

    Mimi hade to visit her as usual and unlike the other times they stayed in her room, bothdies were outside this time taking in the fresh air.

    An umbre stood over them, shedding them from the sun while they sat on an outdoor recliner, rxing.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your n now?¡± Mimi was curious to know because her friend was not the type to give up on her goal.

    Arianna shrugged, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I was thinking of causing problems for him but that n is bound to backfire on me. I¡¯ve witnessed it firsthand, trust hand. Marcel is not the type of man you push around. He doesn¡¯t take bullshit from anyone,dy or not. You hit him, he hits back twice.¡±

    ¡°In one word, you¡¯ve run out of ideas. He wins.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna told her, ¡± I¡¯ve might have run out of ideas but I have not given up. Marcel thinks more with his fists and depends on his ability, unfortunately, I depend here....¡± She hinted to her brain, ¡°And my charm.¡±

    ¡°A-ha,¡± Mimi had a hard time believing that.

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. All I have to do is to just think intensely and I will.....¡± Arianna was still saying when she felt someone approaching because his shadow fell on them.

    Both Arianna and Mimi lifted their gaze to look at the intruder only for a whistle to leave their lips. Geez, where did this guye from? They haven¡¯t seen him around here until now.

    Bothdies didn¡¯t even realize they were practically drooling until he waved at them, saying, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Luca and your personal guard from today¡¯s onward,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Both Mimi and Arianna shouted at that same time, stunned by the sudden news. What was going on here?

    At once, Mimi stood to her feet and went in front of him, blocking Arianna from his view, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Mimi and that is my sister, Arianna,¡± She stretched out her hands for him to take.

    ¡°Nice to meet You, Mimi, Arianna¡¯s sister,¡± Luca shook her hand firmly and all Mimi could think about was, damn, the muscles on this man. This man was like an exotic delicacy. So yummy.

    Luca was tall, like really tall, six feet plus probably, and then with muscles on his body that could make even a married woman have sinful thoughts. The shirt he wore was so snug around his middle that they could see the outline of his strong chest. What she would do to make that guy take his shirt off?

    And then his face was crafted by God himself. His ck hair was curly and fell over his soft brown eyes. Although his skin was pale, it was blemish-free for a guy who seemed to have seen hard work. How did this Adonis get here?

    ¡°Your mouth is open, Mimi,¡± He said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Mimi palmed her mouth,ughing awkwardly. This was so embarrassing.

    However, she nced up at him saying, ¡°So, uh, Luca, right?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± He said, standing up straight. The height of this man.

    ¡°When you mentioned ¡®personal guard¡¯, do you mean ¡®for me¡¯? Or ¡®Arianna¡¯?¡± She added, ¡°or ¡®the both of us¡¯?¡± Mimi pleaded in a lower tone even though she knew the answer already, ¡°Please pick me.¡±

    But Luca chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but boss Marcel said I¡¯m to keep an eye on Arianna. However, you can call me too if you¡¯re in lucky but my priority is Miss Arianna.¡±

    Mimi groaned, ¡°Lucky Arianna,¡±

    Arianna in question looked at her innocently. How was she lucky? Marcel just made escaping here ten times more difficult.

    Sadly, Mimi saw that look and face-palmed, ¡°You are so naive sometimes I don¡¯t know whether to be happy or sad for you,¡± Mimi said, and went to sit back down on her recliner with a pout. Why does Arianna get to have all the handsome guys and doesn¡¯t even know how to use them. This word is unfair.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Arianna,¡± She was on her feet to wee him this time,¡± However, I don¡¯t understand something, you are here to be my personal guard? I don¡¯t even know you,¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not from around here but boss Marcel called me to be in charge of you. He told me that both of you discussed it already.¡± Luca said to her.

    ¡°Discussed it already?¡± Arianna frowned. Why would she be stupid enough to ask Marcel to put a guard on her..... And then, it hit her.

    *shback*

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to have your men on my tail, I just need one of them. It makes me ufortable to be under their scrutiny, not to mention all the time.¡± She demanded.

    ¡°That would only happen if you promise not to shoot any of my men again,¡± He made his demands.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± She said.

    What now? Marcel rolled his eyes mentally, women were so demanding.

    ¡°Make sure he¡¯s handsome.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Whoever you¡¯re sending to watch me for twenty-four hours, seven days. I need to feast my eyes on a handsome face,¡± She grinned at him knowingly.

    *end of shback*

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Arianna looked pale as she withdrew her hands from Lucas¡¯ who knew from her face she finally remembered.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Mimi was concerned after seeing her expression.

    ¡°I think I just shot myself in the foot,¡± Arianna felt like crying.

    She had intentionally made that demand to Marcel knowing that he would never fulfill it. Marcel was very possessive and interested in her as well, what male in his right mind would risk his love interest falling for another? Definitely not Marcel.

    But that was what she thought. Facing her now was reality ¨C Luca was here. And Marcel really got her an attractive male like she wanted. No, this was impossible. It was not like Marcel. He must have threatened the poor man into doing this.

    So she asked him, ¡°Luca, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯m?¡±

    ¡°What would happen if you hit on me?¡±

    He blinked, supposedly surprised by her question. But Luca cleared his throat and answered confidently, ¡°You can rest assured that would never happen.¡±

    Arianna was intrigued ¨C and challenged as well. This was the first time a man was telling her in the face that he was not interested in her.

    ¡°How can you be so sure of that? I¡¯ve been told by many that I¡¯m a siren beauty,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually easy because I¡¯m gay,¡±

 Chapter 298

    298 Have A Sexual Rtionship With Marcel

    ¡°He¡¯s gay,¡± Arianna muttered for the hundredth time already. Luca had left, he only came to introduce himself to her before he started his work officially.

    The gay Adonis was going to be her personal guard from now?

    Before Mimi knew what was going on, Arianna started tough as if she had finally lost her mind.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Mimi scolded her, ¡°Would you stop scaring me like that. Between the both of us who should even be sadder?! As if you were going to start something with him in the first ce?!¡±

    But Arianna shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Mimi. I thought I was smart, but Marcel always seems to be one step ahead of my ns,¡± She was defeated.

    Arianna threw her hands up in frustration, ¡°How could he think of such an idea. How could he exploit a loophole like this?!¡±

    But her friend Mimi whom she was talking to was depressed as well, ¡°Why are the handsome men gay?¡± she asked no one in particr.

    However, Mimi¡¯s phone beeped with a message at that moment and her eyes lit up. She then looked suspiciously at her friend and when she saw Arianna was not looking at her, she quickly typed down a message and turned the phone so the back was on top.

    ¡°A-hem,¡± Mimi cleared her throat, ¡°But on the bright side, it worked for your favor anyway,¡±

    .....

    Arianna turned to her, ¡°For my favor? How? He would monitor my movements twenty ¨C four hours, seven days, and report to Marcel. How is that being lucky?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying him being gay saved his life else Marcel would really kill if he hits you. Also, guys are extremely jealous of the woman they like? Have you even considered dating Marcel?¡±

    Arianna was so taken aback by that question that her jaw dropped and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. She narrowed her gaze at Mimi, ¡°Are you seriously suggesting that to me right now?¡±

    Arianna couldn¡¯t believe Mimi of all people would say that to her. Her friend had been all about getting the hell out of here, and now she wants her to date the man who is responsible for her being here. This has got to be the joke of the century.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the drama earlier ¨C Mimi likes hot guys ¨C Arianna would have thought that Marcel got someone else, a doppelganger or something in ce of the real Mimi to confuse her.

    Mimi scratched the back of her head, ¡°I¡¯m just saying Marcel might not be what you think of him and if you got closer instead of fighting, things would be much easier,¡±

    ¡°Ha! You talk as if you know him that well¡± Arianna huffed, then leaned closer to check her friend¡¯s temperature with concern, ¡°Are you well at all, or has this ce begun to poison your mind. Oh God, I knew I shouldn¡¯t have got you involved in this.¡±

    ¡°Arianna, I¡¯m fine!¡± Mimi calmed her panicking friend, ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m totally good. It was just a mere suggestion.¡±

    ¡°A mere suggestion, really? Have you forgotten that I¡¯m Elijah¡¯s girlfriend?¡± she reminded her.

    But Mimi gave her a deadpanned look, ¡°Are we going there right now?¡±

    ¡°Mimi, he promised that we would be together,¡±

    ¡°And you believe the promises of a man who you have not seen for over a month plus now?¡±

    ¡°He woulde back for me!¡± Arianna was sure, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Elijah, but he always keeps his promises.¡±

    However, Mimi groaned in annoyance, wiping her face with her palm, ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t know if you are just naive or simply idiotic,¡±

    ¡°I just trust -¡±

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say hees back for you as he promised? Do you think he would still love you the same way? No,¡± Mimi quickly rephrased the question, ¡°Do you think you would still love him the same way?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna gulped, having an inkling of where this conversation was heading, ¡°O-f course,¡± Sheughed awkwardly, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I still like him?¡±

    But Mimi had not given up, she grabbed Arianna and made her face her. With her gaze on her, Mimi boldly asked her, ¡°Look me in the eyes and tell me you don¡¯t feel a thing for Marcel?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna squeaked, her breathing getting heavy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me and tell me the truth,¡±

    Arianna bit on her lips, does she have feelings for Marcel? That was impossible, what does she see in that brute.

    ¡°I feel attracted to him but that¡¯s all lust. It¡¯s nothing special like what I feel for Elijah,¡± She was quick to defend her new,plicated feelings for Marcel.

    ¡°Then act on it then.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Her eyes almost bulged out of their socket, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± was this still the Mimi she knows? Why was her friend talking in this manner? Something was not right here.

    ¡°Have a sexual rtionship with Marcel,¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, no, no,¡± Arianna shook her head in denial, ¡°That is so not happening,¡± However, just because Arianna doesn¡¯t want to do it doesn¡¯t mean she hasn¡¯t thought about it.

    ¡°How long are you going to remain a virgin? Till you grow old? Arianna, you have a man as hot as sin willing to wipe those cobwebs in between your legs, what are you still waiting for?¡±

    Arianna stubbornly turned the other way, ¡°You are corrupting me, Mimi.¡±

    But her friend rolled her eyes, ¡°And you are so old-fashioned and stubborn.¡±

    Mimi stood up, ¡°Better take advantage of this opportunity before Marcel¡¯s heart is snatched by another,¡±

    Arianna couldn¡¯t exin it but a slight frown twisted her face at the prospect of Marcel falling for another woman. Why did it annoy her so much? She had to stop thinking about this.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Arianna asked upon seeing Mimi straightening her dress.

    ¡°I have a job here, Arianna, have you forgotten?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± She asked, ¡°Is Victor giving you a hard time?¡±

    ¡°If he is, what would you do?¡± Mimi intentionally asked her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Marcel -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Arianna¡± Mimi cut her off, ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯m good at handling men and It¡¯s time you learned from the best already,¡± She said and with that, was gone.

 Chapter 299

    299 Crushing Is Free

    ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± Victor said grumpily, his arms wrapped across his chest as he leaned over the counter.

    But Mimi was not bothered by his sullen expression because she knew how to remedy that. Smiling, she went over to him and grabbed his face before closing her lips over his.

    She kissed him passionately on the lips and he didn¡¯t hesitate to open up as she let her tongue in and let it y with his. Victor groaned, and reached for her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing him flush against his body.

    The emerging bulge in his pants was proof of the excitement she incited in him and Mimi chuckled against his lips before pulling away.

    ¡°Sorry, but I was busy,¡± She exined to him as he leaned in for another kiss.

    ¡°Busy with what?¡± He spoke against her lips, his hands sneaking into her dress. Victor honestly liked the dress because it gave him easier ess and he would have her try it on regrly from now on.

    His hands curved over her ass cheeks, feeling the soft and hot flesh, and squeezed it tight as if he was pressing bread and not fat tissues.

    Mimi gasped into his lips and then smiled, if there was anything she liked about Victor, it was the fact he was direct with his needs, there was no being shy with him. Whatever he needed, he went for it. She needed that kind of man in her life, no, she means, a rtionship.

    So she aided him by grinding against his arousal and he groaned, staring at her with hooded eyes before grabbing her hips this time. He tugged her panties to the side and slipped his fingers into her wetness.

    .....

    ¡°Someone has been naughty,¡± He smirked as her eyes grew dark with desire.

    Mimi gasped from the pleasure as he rubbed her in and out until her legs were shaking and threatened to give up. She had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him deeply to cover up her screams or else someone walks in on them.

    Her body trembled and Mimi eventually spilled her nectar over his finger while he swallowed her ecstatic scream in the kiss. They broke apart and she tried to catch her breath but not without watching Victor put that finger into his mouth and licked it clean.

    ¡°You taste delicious,¡± He said while holding her gaze, and Mimi couldn¡¯t help but blush. Victor would be the death of her.

    ¡°Here, have this. I made it for you but it might have gone lukewarm because you didn¡¯t arrive on time,¡± He handed her the cup of coffee he made her minutes ago.

    ¡°That was sweet of you, thank you.¡± Mimi epted the coffee nheless and drank in three chugs with her expression showing enjoyment.

    ¡°Damn, how does your coffee taste so much better than mine?¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t understand it at all.

    But he gestured to his face, saying proudly, ¡°Because I make mine with lots of love?¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes, was he kidding her. Because she was closer to the sink, Mimi put the cup in there just as Victor leaned over her.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what took you so long to get here, love. When you texted me, you said you¡¯d be here but here you are, fifteen minutester,¡± He asked while showering a flurry of kisses on her neck.

    Mimi shivered. She didn¡¯t know which one to concentrate on, the kisses on her neck or the question he was asking.

    In the end, she managed to reply to him, ¡°I was busy with Arianna and then, there was this handsome guy who turned out....¡± Mimi was still saying when she found out that Victor had stiffened up and stopped kissing her. Her hooded eyes grew wide and she nced up to see what was the problem.

    Victor raised his brow, his ent thicker than usual as he questioned, ¡°Handsome guy, huh? ¡±

    Oh, so that was the problem. Mimi looked at him, was he jealous right now? It was quite cute to look at, she giggled inwardly.

    Mimi decided to feign ignorance to his jealousy and tease him further, ¡°Yeah, there was this drop-dead gorgeous dude who turned out to be Arianna¡¯s new personal bodyguard. Why can¡¯t he be my own bodyguard for crying out loud?¡± She swooned.

    While Mimi was speaking, Victor¡¯s brows furrowed and his face looked like someone threw shit at him, ¡°So while you¡¯re with me, you¡¯re crushing on another guy?¡±

    ¡°Babe,¡± Mimi sped his face with her both hands, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with crushing on someone. Crushing is free.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± There was a sudden mischievous glint in his eyes, ¡°So you are trying to say that while you¡¯re free to crush on another man, I¡¯m free to stare at another woman¡¯s ass,¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Mimi¡¯s eyes grew wide at once. Where did thate from?

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen!¡± She growled at him warningly. Why should he stare at another woman¡¯s ass? Wasn¡¯t her ass enough to stare at?

    But Victor was not done with her yet. He arched his brows challengingly as he asked, ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong? Why shouldn¡¯t I be allowed to stare at another woman¡¯s ass while you have a crush on another man?¡± He wanted her to answer that.

    Unfortunately, Mimi couldn¡¯te up with an answer to refute that, hence she dissolved the ridiculous argument.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m the one in the wrong. Can we move on? ¡± she breathed, exasperatedly.

    Mimi was still annoyed over the fact that Victor would dly look at another woman¡¯s ass. Had she made a big mistake in agreeing to this rtionship even after knowing his history?

    But Victor said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t think this issue should be resolved that easily,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You cheated early in this rtionship by having a crush on another man other than your boyfriend. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d have to be punished.¡± Victor said to her knowingly.

    But Mimi didn¡¯t take him seriously, ¡°Ohe on, Victor. Don¡¯t be so petty,¡± She waved it away and tried to move away but he grabbed her waist and turned her, pinning her to the cab this time.

    He then said in a slow, low tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love, but I¡¯m not joking this time,¡± His eyes told it all.

    Mimi gulped.

 Chapter 300

    300 Caught In The Throes Of Passion

    Mimi gulped down saliva, had she known that her intentional provocation would result in this, she would have let the matter be. But of course, she was good at aggravating things.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked, her breathing in deep and faster with the way he was staring at her with that darkened gaze. He was the big predator now and she was nothing but the prey at his mercy.

    ¡°What do you think I want, love?¡± Victor ced both hands on either side of the cab trapping her. He then leaned closer and licked up her face sexually, her breathing getting thicker to the point she was almost heaving.

    The sexual tension between the both of them was so overwhelming Mimi felt she was drunk on it. She bet he could even smell her arousal because he turned her on without even trying hard.

    However, there was still an atom of reasoning left in her as she said, ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking of having sex here. Anyone cane in.¡± She reminded him.

    But he smirked devilishly instead, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the fun, the thrill of being caught?¡± he added, ¡°Moreover, no one would interrupt us knowing this is my lesson time with you.¡±

    ¡°Not when I¡¯m screaming, Victor. They would surelye to investigate,¡± Mimi reminded him that she was a screamer during sex.

    ¡°Why do you think I called it your punishment then?¡± He asked, leaning his forehead on hers, ¡°You would have to figure out a way not to scream while I eat you out and then fuck your cunt afterward, my love. ¡± Victor had wicked ideas in his head he couldn¡¯t wait to execute.

    Mimi trembled in both fear and anticipation. She was concerned about being found out in the act with him, that would be embarrassing. But at the same time, Mimi was thrilled at the risk involved, it made her blood throb and a dark side of her wanted to be found out. She wanted whoever that intruder would be to blush and watch how capable her lover Victor was.

    .....

    She was still lost in thought when Victor pulled her by the hand and led her towards the kitchen Ind saying, ¡°That would provide the best cover since you¡¯re so concerned about being seen,¡±

    The kitchen Ind was in the middle of the kitchen and covered her from her waist downward. Anyoneing in wouldn¡¯t notice anything happening here unless they came closer.

    Mimi had her back turned to the Ind as Victor made her face him and then before her very eyes, she watched him fall to his knees between her thighs and stare up at her.

    His gray eyes were burning with lust and Mimi could hear her own heart pounding in her chest as blood rushed to her head. This was going to be harder than she thought.

    Victor pressed his nose directly on her sex through the clothes and took a deep sniff that made shivers run down her spine.

    ¡°You smell fantabulous,¡± He said cockily, hinting how much he was going to enjoy every bit of her. Her palm was mmy from anticipation, she couldn¡¯t wait for him to begin already.

    Suddenly, he pped her thigh and the haze covering her eyes cleared away as she looked down asking, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Spread your legs for me, love,¡± Hemanded her as he slowly manifested his dominant side.

    ¡°dly,¡± Mimi obeyed hismand and he lifted her skirt and tugged her wet panties down her legs as she stepped out of it. She was more than ready for him.

    Shame was the farthest thing from Mimi¡¯s mind when Victor kissed up her thigh, her dress falling like a canopy over his head, covering him from being seen, but not from the things he did to her body.

    A gasp left her lips when Victor expertly part her pussy lips with his tongue and she grabbed the kitchen edge so tight that her knuckles turned white. She knew this was not going to be easy but if he could drive her crazy with the first touch, she wondered what the rest would feel like.

    Mimi threw her head back and moaned as his mouth focused on her. He licked her from center to top, sucking her clit so tightly that a plea left her mouth. However, she palmed her mouth immediately knowing she couldn¡¯t make a noise.

    She arched her back off the counter but he pushed her back, the pain that shot through her acting as an aphrodisiac instead as his tongue teases her, an orgasm threatening to break through.

    And it did, but Victor was not close to stopping. He was stillpping at her pussy and Mimi didn¡¯t even realize when her hand curled around his head, holding him incredibly tight to her sex and almost suffocating him while the other hand muffled her loud moans.

    She was going toe, Mimi realized that sooner when her frame began to shudder and she screamed and bucked heavily, releasing her juice all over his face.

    Mimi took in a mouthful of breath, her chest heaving. However, she didn¡¯t have the time to make a full rest because Victor was up on his feet and working on his belt.

    Oh God, she wasn¡¯t going to survive this.

    Pah! She whimpered when he pped her ass cheek.

    ¡°Bend over and hold on to the counter, this would be a wild ride,¡± He promised her with a wicked smile.

    She tried to hold on tight but her wet hands didn¡¯t help at all nor protect her from the pleasure that rocked her body when Victor lined his member at her entrance and teased her.

    Mimi was still trying to relieve the feeling when he thrust into her fully. ¡°Oh fuck!¡± She cursed at the sensation of fullness he created inside of her.

    ¡°You like this, huh? My big, thick dick pounding into you, right? Do those crushes give you the same feelings?¡± He talked dirty, thrusting into her roughly. Mimi didn¡¯t know whether to curse those crushes of hers that put her in this situation she was currently in.

    But then, all Mimi could do was block her whimpers and moans with her palm while epting the pleasure he gave her. However, that was until he grabbed her ass cheeks with both hands and pushed her back against his cock so he went deeper into her.

    Mimi couldn¡¯t help but scream out this time, unable to hold it anymore. And it was while her face was twisted in the throes of passion that she saw someone she never expected toe in and her eyes widened in shock.

 Chapter 301

    301 She Was Never Going To Forgive Him

    After Mimi left, Arianna was disturbed in the spirit. It was as if her best friend had stirred all the unnecessary feelings she had buried deep inside of her.

    Could she have a sexual rtionship with Marcel? She means sex and real feelings were too different things, right? She could sleep with someone and not have feelings for that person.

    Moreover, Elijah wouldn¡¯t even know unless she told him or Marcel whines his big mouth. Also, what¡¯s the probability Elijah was still faithful to her since they separated?

    No, no, she can¡¯t think this way. Mimi could do this but she can¡¯t. Unlike her, Mimi was the wilder one, as unrestrained as the wind. Two people can never be the same, so she had to adhere to the principles she had grown with all this while.

    And speaking of Mimi, Arianna couldn¡¯t help but worry about her. Marcel gave her a hard time here, who knew how Victor was treating her as well? No, she had to see what was going on, and if by chance, get friend was going through a hard time, she¡¯d cut a deal with Marcel for Mimi as well. After all, he was the one who dragged her into this in the first ce ¨C and she hadn¡¯t forgiven him for that.

    Arianna knew where to find them. She had learned about the whole history of Marcel tricking Mimi into bing his barista just so he could get information about her. But his ns changed, and now Mimi was the leverage over her.

    They usually had their lessons in the kitchen as she heard and this was her first time going to watch them. Arianna only wished she wasn¡¯t going to be disappointed.

    No one stopped her on the way and she was somewhat grateful for this freedom. It made her feel less a prisoner and somehow at home. Fuck, what was she talking about? This ce would never be home. But thinking about it, it was kind of funny since she doesn¡¯t even have a home.

    If Marcel somehow releases her, Arianna knew there was nowhere for her to go. Her uncle¡¯s ce was a big no, no. While they might pretend to wee her because of the fury she unleashed on him thest time, they might end her and cover up her death as an ident. They sold her to loan sharks, they should be capable of murder as well.

    .....

    Mimi¡¯s parents would probably wee her and make her feel at home. But as far as her rtives were alive, Arianna knew she would never feel like she belonged. She¡¯s an outcast rejected by her people.

    But that was a problem for another day.

    Honestly, when Arianna neared the kitchen, she had been expecting to hear a flurry of activities like the clinking of the ss they worked with or deep conversation as Victor gave lectures while Mimi noted them. And definitely not the both of them alone. There were supposed to be others with them in case he decided to do something to Mimi.

    But the silence that met Arianna unsettled her. Could it be that Mimi didn¡¯te for the lessons anymore or they move to another location? Arianna had barely turned around when she heard muffled noises that caused her brows to furrow. What was going on? That was strange.

    Arianna¡¯s heart began to pound in her throat as she had a feeling that whatever she was about to stumble upon couldn¡¯t be something good. Her steps were slow yet cautious, but that was until she heard a loud scream and her heart skipped a beat.

    That was unmistakably Mimi¡¯s voice, could it be that she was in trouble? Oh no. Arianna didn¡¯t know when she broke into a sprint and rushed into the kitchen only to halt suddenly in her steps.

    At that moment, it seemed like her world came crashing down as she stared at the scene of her best friend lowered against the kitchen Ind, her dress having ridden up her waist while Victor had his pants down and was pounding into her relentlessly.

    They were having sex?

    Of course, Arianna knew what having sex meant, but at that moment, it seemed like her brain was fried. She asked herself, what was going on here? Because it just didn¡¯t make sense. Was this really her best friend, Mimi having sex with Marcel¡¯s cousin, Victor?

    Arianna saw the ecstatic look on Mimi¡¯s face and she hardly recognized her as someone she knew while Victor groaned and thrust into her. It was at that moment that Mimi finally looked up with her pleasure-filled face and their gaze locked.

    ¡°A-Arianna,¡± She heard Mimi say but it sounded so distant and drowned out. Not that she could have said more because a scream escaped past the lump in her throat.

    Mimi was breathless as her muscles tensed against Victor but before Arianna, whose feet were stuck to the ground could see the moment her friend toppled over the edge, a hand came into view, blocking her eyes as if it was too holy to behold such a sight.

    Arianna felt disconnected from her body. It was like her soul had left her body and she was viewing everything from that perspective. Hence, when that same person that blocked her view, began to lead her away, she followed mindlessly. Right now, she was nothing but a shell.

    She couldn¡¯t help it but that scene of Mimi and Victor continued to y in a loop in her head. Mimi was sleeping with Victor? Weren¡¯t they enemies? Didn¡¯t she say he was giving her a hard time? Wait a minute, did her best friend lie to her?

    It wasn¡¯t until the cool air touched her face that Arianna recognized where she was. She was back at that gazebo with no one other than Marcel.

    At once, fury filled Arianna and she nced up at Marcel with nothing but spite, ¡°You!¡±

    If she previously had an atom of feelings for Marcel, it was gone at this moment. He has been manipting her and everyone around her all this while and she was never going to forgive him for that

 Chapter 302

    302 She Can¡¯t Lose Mimi

    ¡°You! This is all your doing, isn¡¯t it?!¡± Arianna yelled at his face, pushing him hard in the chest that he stumbled back from the force.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel had a surprised look on his face. What was she talking about?

    ¡°You had this nned all along! To make me stay here, you matchmade my best friend with your cousin! That way I can never leave here for her sake!¡± She revealed his conspiracies.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel felt like someone just pped him on the face. Why would he do something like that?

    ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t give me that innocent look,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes towards heaven, she was never going to believe a word he said anymore, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you didn¡¯t have all of this sorted out in that smart head of yours!¡±

    ¡°Arianna, no-¡± He tried to exin to her but she wouldn¡¯t listen at all. She was beyond reasoning.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not listening to any shit you¡¯re about to mutter from that maniptive mouth of yours and stop touching me!¡± She tried to slip out of his grip.

    ¡°WOULD YOU LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE!¡± Marcel bellowed at her face, startling her. He gripped her arm with so much strength that she had no choice but to calm down eventually.

    Arianna lifted her head and looked him straight in the eyes, ¡°Fine, say what you want to without touching me!¡± She said through gritted teeth, shrugging his hands off her.

    .....

    ¡°I have no hand whatsoever in what¡¯s going on,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°As if I believe you,¡± She sneered.

    Marcel frowned, ¡°Or maybe you just want to believe it because that¡¯s what you¡¯re good at, always making me the bad guy.¡± He shot back at her, unable to stand her attitude anymore.

    ¡°Are you not?¡± She asked, brows raised, ¡°You keep me here, Marcel! Against my wish and then you trick my best friend into working for you and kidnap her when you need me to behave. So tell me, why won¡¯t I think of you as the bad guy!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done so much more for you than you admit, Arianna!¡± It was his turn to yell at her now, ¡°I saved your ass when your amazing boyfriend wasn¡¯t there to do so. Tell me how many Mafia don would treat their prisoner of war the way I treat you,¡± His voice was lowered this time as he spoke.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say a word nor did she look him in the eye either, not when it was zing with intensity. It was true that Marcel treated her better than the rest of them, but it was only because he liked her and she was beneficial to his ns of capturing Elijah.

    ¡°Also,¡± Marcel was not through, ¡°Don¡¯t ever call me a liar. I¡¯m not so scared of you that I¡¯d lie my way through. You should be thankful I like you by the way.¡±

    Although Marcel didn¡¯t finish the rest of his words, Arianna was able to read between the lines and understood what he meant by that. If he didn¡¯t like her, she¡¯d be dead forying such usations on him.

    But then, was she truly in the wrong this time?

    ¡°Marcel....¡± Arianna tried to say but he left her and at the same time, Mimi came into view.

    Arianna¡¯s unforgiving gaze fell on her best friend and she took her in. Although Mimi tried her best to look presentable and hide evidence of what she did, Arianna was able to see through it.

    Her hair was ruffled even though she probablybed her hand through it. There was a hickey on her neck she hadn¡¯t noticed and her dress was rumbled. In one word, Arianna wasn¡¯t able to erase the event out of her head.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked Mimi coldly, ¡°You seem to be having the best time of your life with your lover, Victor. You should return to him before his bed, no, in that case, the counter gets cold.¡± She taunted her.

    ¡°Arianna, please,¡± Mimi decided to use a lowered tone knowing that her friend was not really in the best of mood right now.

    Arianna winced, ¡°How long were you nning on hiding it from me? A week? Month? Six months? A year? Years?¡±

    But she shook her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you, Arianna. I was hoping to tell you the truth but considering your situation here, I didn¡¯t know how you were going to take it,¡±

    ¡°Of course, I see,¡± Arianna muttered, as it finally made sense, ¡°That was why you were persuading me to begin a sexual rtionship with Marcel. You were hoping that would lessen your guilt and justify your actions,¡± She figured out.

    ¡°No!¡± Mimi said immediately, ¡°I was hoping that would help you see them for who they are and not just the men their upation made them to be.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you wanted me to sympathize with criminals just so you could date one of them freely,¡± Arianna said crudely and that made Mimi¡¯s expression change at once.

    ¡°Oh really? We are going in that direction now?¡± Mimi retorted, ¡°So you¡¯re the saint now? I guess when you were treating criminals in Ruth¡¯s little hiding ce, you didn¡¯t realize you were breaking thew and that makes you a criminal as well!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m better than the one whoring around with a Mafia¡¯s consigliere!¡± Arianna replied in anger.

    However, as soon as those words were out, she regretted it and wished she could take it back but it was toote.

    ¡°Oh no, Mimi...¡± Arianna saw the way her friend went pale instantly and her face fell. What has she done!

    Arianna tried to go after her but Mimi had already taken off with lightning speed and she couldn¡¯t chase after her.

    ¡°Mimi, I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to say that!¡± She shouted after her but her best friend didn¡¯t look back and continued to run till she was out of view.

    Oh God, what has she done? She let her anger get the best of her. Arianna dug her hands into her hair and screamed hard. What was she going to do now? She lost others, she can¡¯t lose Mimi now.

    Arianna broke down into tears.

 Chapter 303

    303 Steal Arianna Back

    Elijah was able to get Cindy off his tail. How? You might ask. Well, he told her that he needed to concentrate on his career and made a written agreement to date her when she clocks twenty.

    Well, Elijah was not scared of that agreementing to bite him in the asster knowing that he would be out of this household before she even clocks neen.

    Once he gets close enough to Marcel, he would then snatch Arianna right under his nose and back to his arms where she belongs. He could already see the crestfallen look on Marcel¡¯s face the day he would defeat him.

    Elijah nned to break Marcel¡¯s spirit in such a way that he would never forget his name, the phantom ghost. He would be his nemesis and a legend he ¨C Marcel ¨C couldn¡¯t overthrow.

    Elijah was currently back from the boot camp and slid the key into the hole when he noticed something was wrong. Someone hade in before him.

    Aside from that, he could feel eyes watching him from the outside and he had no doubt that the ones watching him now were from the Luciano family.

    He risked his exposure during his stay at the boot camp and now, Adele suspected him more than ever. He would have to do something about that ¨C something that doesn¡¯t involves killing her and making it seem like their rival did it.

    Right now, Adele was crutial to his ns and he was going to admit it, her talent was too good to be wasted. Yes, even a cruel mercenary like him had a soft spot for women like every other male out there.

    However, even upon knowing that he was being watched, Elijah behaved naturally and pretended not to notice them. His current residence was a block apartment and he went in without looking back.

    .....

    But as harmless as Elijah looked when he was outside, his expression hardened when he went in and he quietly locked the door from the inside. Whoever broke into his room was not leaving this ce alive.

    For someone who had an intruder, probably a killer in his apartment, Elijah didn¡¯t even swoop into a search to ascertain where the killer was hiding. He simply went into the living room and plopped down on the sofa with a loud exhausted sigh. He was so tired.

    With his hand over his face, Elijah gradually fell into a deep sleep or so the person who intruded into his house was thinking because he finally came out of his hiding ce.

    Unfortunately, the intruder, now turned assassin, who had a knife with him, stepped lightly and slowly in the direction where Elijah was lying.

    As soon as he got there, the assassin lifted his de and brought it down to stab him. However, Elijah swiftly stood up at thest minute and he ended up stabbing it into the armrest.

    Elijah punched the assassin in the face but he dodged it and only managed to kick the knife away from the reach of the both of them. He was about to fight the assassin off when the man in question took his mask off.

    ¡°I should have known it was you,¡± Elijah sighed, ¡°You are the only one who does a good job of clinging to me like glue. Does my brother have nothing to do these days you no longer serve him?¡±

    The assassin was no other than his brother¡¯s assistant, Jason. Yeah, the man caught him again. Not that, he wasn¡¯t expecting it. Jason was his teacher and knows his tactics.

    ¡°Why? Who were you expecting? Your girlfriend?¡± He teased him intentionally.

    ¡°Sorry, but my girlfriend goes through the front door and does not break through into my apartment like some thief,¡± Elijah taunted him while heading to the fridge where he brought out two cans of beer and tossed one to Jason who caught it nicely and opened the other for himself, taking a drink.

    ¡°What happened to your face? You let someone defeat you in a fight? Shame on you, all my lessons must have been for nothing,¡± Jason teased him. He knew whatever happened, Elijah let the person win.

    ¡°To win is to lose and to lose is to win,¡± Elijah didn¡¯t make sense at all but he said it to keep the conversation going before they started another fight that would end up with him seeking another safe house. He knew what his brother¡¯s assistant was here for.

    ¡°What are you honestly doing here, Elijah?¡± Jason asked him after another sip from the can, ¡°I have been watching you and it doesn¡¯t make sense at all. Why did you infiltrate the Luciano family, you do know you¡¯re ying a dangerous game right now?¡±

    But Elijah looked at him with a grin, ¡°If I told you, would you help me or try to drag me home again? And to be honest, this is myst hiding ce and there are Luciano people right outside my door, keeping a watch on my movement. Whatever you n to do tonight, you would only end up revealing my identity,¡± He told him seriously.

    ¡°Try me,¡± Jason urged him.

    Seeing his willingness to listen, Elijah lowered his guard, just a little, and sat down on the sofa.

    Jason was sitting on the armrest as he began, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s just like every typical story out there. I fell in love with a fair maiden, however, as you know, she got the attention of my enemies. And now, I¡¯ve got to get her back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure, she¡¯s the one?¡± Jason asked. Although the young master was not a yer, he has had many women over the years. He wanted to know if the woman was worth the trouble.

    ¡°As sure as hell. There¡¯s no one I would want to spend the rest of my days with except her.¡± Elijah confessed.

    Jason sighed and said, ¡± Madam Natalie is back,¡±

    He nodded in understanding, ¡°No wonder brother wants me back.¡±

    ¡°You know how much she cares about you,¡± Jason added, ¡°All of you,¡±

    ¡°I know, and I¡¯lle to see her when I¡¯m done with everything. So tell me, are you helping me or not?¡± Elijah asked him.

    ¡°Where do I start?¡± .

    _______

    Hi my lovelydies, I hope you enjoyed the mass release. This is to thank you all for your massive supports in one form or the another, through the gifting,ments and vote. I appreciate eveyone of it. Thank you so much! Also check out my new book for the WSApetition, ¡°Taming A Monk : My Husband Is Not Romantic¡±. I need your supports as well. Tell me what you think about it!

 Chapter 304

    304 Marcel Felt Like A Stranger To Her

    A whole day went by with no progress. Not that she didn¡¯t try, but Marcel has been avoiding her since then. It was her fault anyway and she was trying to right her wrong but he was not giving her a chance to do it.

    You could almost say that Arianna was the one stalking him today? Amid the awkwardness, she came down for breakfast, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but he was not there. ording to his men, he had already left for a business meeting.

    Was this how it felt the time Marcel wronged her? Compared to this, she gave him a tough time then. This must be him avenging her for all those times she tortured him.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Arianna groaned, running her hand through her hair in frustration, and turned to the dog sitting on her bed and staring at her.

    After the disagreement yesterday, Arianna returned to see the dog on her bed and it kept herpany ever since.

    ¡°What should I do, Redhead?¡± Arianna asked the dog with a pitiful look. She had thrown away her pride to apologize to his master yet he wouldn¡¯t see her. She must have really hurt him this time.

    ¡°This is so frustrating,¡± Arianna tossed and turned on the bed while the dog watched.

    She needed to see Mimi as well and apologize for what she said yesterday. God, why was she pushing everyone away like this?! She must be out of her mind.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna sat up and carried Redhead up to face her. She looked it square in the face, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t give up like this. Losers don¡¯t win and winners don¡¯t quit either. No matter what it takes, I must see Marcel today,¡±

    .....

    Arianna made up her mind.

    Marcel can¡¯t hide from her forever. So she kept her eyes open and her ears glued to the ground for his return. Marcel was right, notwithstanding that he kidnapped her, he has been treating her well. She doesn¡¯t even dare expect the same treatment if it had been Big Joe.

    No, Arianna shivered at the memory. Big Joe is a nightmare she doesn¡¯t want to remember ever in her lifetime.

    It wasn¡¯t untilte afternoon that Arianna heard the sound of a car pulling up on thewn and she rushed to the window to see that Marcel had returned. Thank God.

    Arianna didn¡¯t rush to meet him immediately, she took her time to look good, wearing a simple, yellow flowery gown that stopped at her midthigh. Thinking of it now, he was the one who equipped her wardrobe without her even asking.

    Honestly, everything Arianna needed, including toiletries was here. Shecked nothing except her freedom; Marcel was quite observant of her needs. If only he wasn¡¯t a Mafian....

    With a sigh, Arianna practiced her words of apology in the mirror before she took off. Since Marcel returned from the meeting, he would probably be in his room to rest from his journey.

    And that was where she headed. Thankfully, there was no one to stop her from entering, unlike the morning time where they wouldn¡¯t let her in to see him. Or so Arianna thought until she stumbled upon Samson in his living room.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± She screamed, when the Lion released a mighty roar that made goosebumps climb up her arms. What was going on here?

    Arianna was surprised, why was Samson staring at her with those furious eyes? Weren¡¯t they friends yesterday? She thought they made progress already? What did she do wrong this time to evoke his anger?

    Sadly, Samson was lying across the doorway. In one word, to get to Marcel, she had to go through that door. Was Marcel kidding her? He must have intentionally put the Lion there to stop her from bothering him. But then, Arianna has made up her mind already, she would see him right now.

    ¡°Okay, carnivores buddy,¡± Arianna resorted to calming the lion first before persuading it to let her in, ¡°I don¡¯t know what your master told you, but I¡¯m not the bad guy. Sure, we had a bad argument yesterday but I¡¯m here to set things right if you can only give me a chance to pass through that door,¡± She hoped it worked.

    The lion didn¡¯t say a word more, it only lowered its head to the ground and Arianna rejoiced internally. It indeed heard her! She and Samson must have had some sort of affinity in her past life. The lion listens to her fine.

    ¡°Alright, here Ie,¡± Arianna carefully walked in its direction.

    Sadly, five feet away, the docile Samson suddenly rose on its hindlimbs and roared so aggressively that Arianna screamed and ran back even further than where she stood previously, her heart pounding in her chest. What the hell was going on here? She thought they were good.

    ¡°What is going on here?!¡± An angry Marcel finally emerged from his room and saw Arianna at the corner of the wall, shivering like a soaked rat.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± She cried in relief upon seeing him.

    However, unlike the other times, there was not a single expression on Marcel¡¯s face and she might as well have been staring at a stranger when he asked coldly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Arianna blinked twice when he asked that question. Right now, it almost felt like she was staring at a different person and not the usual Marcel.

    She opened her mouth and failed miserably to utter a word, ¡°I ¨C I...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a busy man, miss Arianna. I don¡¯t have all the time in the world to waste like this,¡± He said in a curt tone thatcked warmth.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t help but frown, why was Marcel suddenly speaking to her formally as if they were strangers and not.... Not.... not what exactly? What was their rtionship by the way? Friends? Lovers? No, something was not right.

    ¡°Marcel....¡± She was still shocked by what was going on.

    But Marcel only looked annoyed as if she was wasting his time. He said to her firmly, ¡°Look here, Miss Arianna, if you have nothing to say, you can leave my room and never enter it without permission in the future, otherwise Samson wouldn¡¯t be so amodating. Also, if you need anything in the future, contact my men, they¡¯re capable enough to take care of it without bothering me for such trivial matters. ¡±

    That was all he said and turned to leave.

 Chapter 305

    305 Lose Someone Valuable

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Arianna shouted as soon as Marcel grabbed the doorknob to return to his room. As much as his odd behavior was vexing at the moment, this was the time toy down her pride.

    Marcel stiffened at that confession, however, his heart hardened the same time he turned around to ask her with a raised brow, ¡°What is miss Arianna sorry for?¡± His tone was taunting.

    Arianna blew air angrily through her nose. Marcel¡¯s mean demeanor was getting on her nerves right now, yet she still put on a bright face as she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I said yesterday. I should have believed it when you said you had nothing to do with the sexual rtionship between Mimi and your cousin. But then, I was just too shocked, and angry...and betrayed to think it through.¡±

    Arianna looked at him hopefully but all Marcel replied was, ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Just that?¡± Arianna found it hard to believe that it was all he could say.

    ¡°What else was Miss Arianna expecting?¡±

    Arianna pinched the space between her brows and asked him with a face full of confusion, ¡°What is going on with you?¡±

    ¡°What is going on with me?¡± Marcel scoffed, then stepped towards her until he was standing directly in front of her.

    Arianna hated when Marcel towered over her and it was made worse now he was being a scumbag. What is wrong with him? She was trying to reconcile the both of them, why was he being stubborn right now.

    .....

    Hence Arianna lifted her head high. He was a head taller than her but she was able to hold his gaze.

    Marcel said to her nonchntly, ¡°You did your job of apologizing, Miss Arianna, it¡¯s now left for me to decide whether to ept it or not. In one word, you can leave now your mission here is done.¡± His tone was harsh and cutting.

    Although he addressed her with the title, ¡°Miss,¡± Arianna didn¡¯t like it because it made their rtionship seem distant and she could sense just a hint of sarcasm beneath it.

    ¡°What is going on with you?¡± Arianna wanted to understand him. She got it that she hurt his pride yesterday, but she was trying to make it right. Wasn¡¯t that enough for him? What else does he want from her?

    He aroused her from her thoughts, ¡°Since Miss Arianna doesn¡¯t want to leave first, I¡¯ll take mine then,¡±

    Marcel turned to leave but Arianna was not done with him and so she grabbed his arm. However, Marcel pulled his arm free, unfortunately, as the stronger one, the force he applied was too much and made Arianna lose her bnce.

    Close to falling, Arianna screamed and reached blindly for anything to hold onto but Marcel was quick enough to grab her by the waist and stop the fall.

    The both of them stood still in that position as they stared at each other. Although he appeared to be cold and harsh to her, Arianna knew he still cared about her. He just hides it well.

    Marcel upon seeing that his cover was blown tried to let go of her but Arianna was quick enough to wrap her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his.

    He stiffened, shocked to the marrow. This was the first time Arianna was initiating a kiss between the both of them and though Marcel was supposed to be excited by the move, his gaze dimmed instead. He was not falling victim to her games again.

    What was she doing? Arianna was close to panicking. But she knew this was the only way to get his attention and melt his frozen heart. He liked this type of apology and should be moved by it, right? Yet, why was he not reciprocating the kiss?

    Arianna was close to pulling away when Marcel¡¯s hand suddenly snaked around her waist, pressing her to his body. Her heart skipped a beat.

    Just as she thought.

    He responded to her kiss and in no time dominated it. However, something was not right, as much as the kiss was passionate, it was bruising and demanding at the same time.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t help but moan when he ground his hips against her. However, she became alert when his hand slipped beneath her dress and groped her ass cheeks. Neither were there any feelings attached to the kiss as well. It was just lustful.

    ¡°Marcel...!¡± Arianna managed to push him away with all of her strength and he let her be. She stared up at Marcel with wide eyes, what was going on with him?

    ¡°Why is Miss Arianna staring at me that way?¡± He smirked mockingly, ¡°You told me not to touch you and I obeyed just that. However, you touch and kiss me whenever you want to and I respond to that and you look at me with horrified eyes?¡±

    ¡°That is not -¡± Arianna tried to exin but he didn¡¯t let her finish.

    ¡°Just because I told you I liked you and you took advantage of that to behave however you want, forgetting that just like beauty fades....¡± He lifted her gaze while saying, ¡°Feelings fade as well.¡±

    Arianna gulped, was Marcel trying to say that he no longer had feelings for her. God, did she push him too far? What has she done?

    Marcel went on to say, ¡°Miss Arianna has a habit of blowing hot and cold at the same time and I¡¯m tired of ying those games. You can forget about the feelings I harbored for you, from now on it won¡¯t get in the way of my duties. Moreover, I¡¯m about to be a married man, my thoughts should be concentrated on my bride, shouldn¡¯t they?¡±

    Arianna couldn¡¯t exin it but it felt like someone was piercing her heart with a knife when Marcel said those words. What was happening to her?

    ¡°You should leave now, it¡¯s inappropriate for you and me to be alone in a room together. After all, you¡¯re just a guest, and would be treated the same way a guest should. I would not be in the way of your happiness, anymore. Bad guys don¡¯t need to associate with angels, they¡¯re just beyond our reach. ¡±

    Unable to defend herself, Arianna simply left. She couldn¡¯tprehend what was going on any longer. But why does she feel like she was about to lose something valuable? Or someone?

 Chapter 306

    306 Marcel Let Her Leave The Base

    Two days went by in a blur and Arianna was beginning to lose it. It was as if nothing made sense anymore and most of all, the guilt was killing her. Her head was just so full of thoughts .

    Okay, fine, she admits it, she missed Marcel! She missed their fight and his overbearing presence. She hardly catches a glimpse of him nowadays and Beatrice wouldn¡¯t reveal anything about his movement, not to talk of his men.

    Was he with that fianc¨¦e of his, Arianna bet? After all, he told her that he would focus on his future bride from now on. Well, hurrah! Shouldn¡¯t she be happy about that, after all, when Marcel loses interest in her, he¡¯d have to let her go ¨C or kill her.

    No, He wasn¡¯t capable of that, Arianna told herself. Even if he doesn¡¯t get Elijah or his weapons, he would let go of her for old time¡¯s sake, right? After all, he did have feelings for her.

    Sigh.....

    Arianna hated being kept in the dark. Was Marcel still going on with his ns of getting his sister out or had he sumbed to his father¡¯s demand of marrying that woman? If only he would agree to her request, she would help him avoid that fate ¨C and not because she was jealous or something.

    And did she forget to mention that Mimi had not shown up at the base since their fight. Her best friend must be really mad at her. Unfortunately, Arianna didn¡¯t have a phone to use and contact her neither would her pride allow her to ask Victor about her.

    Why should she ask a total stranger about the well-being of her own friend? Moreover, isn¡¯t he the same person who helped kidnap and use Mimi as a form of leverage over her? What charm did he use on Mimi that she was crazy enough to have sex with him? Arianna couldn¡¯t forgive him easily.

    However, she couldn¡¯t hold onto the grudge for far too long either. She missed her best friend; missed herpany. The day had never been so boring since that day they fought. There was nobody to interest her anymore.

    .....

    But then, an idea hit Arianna suddenly. If Mohammed doesn¡¯t want to go to the mountain, the mountain woulde to him. Since Marcel has been avoiding him, she¡¯d make him seek her out then.

    Arianna was in the living room with her arms folded around her chest when she suddenly stood up, alerting Luca that was seated beside her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.

    Ever since Luca started his job as her bodyguard, he became a fly she couldn¡¯t get rid of. Even when he wasn¡¯t close to her, he was somewhere watching and monitoring her actions ¨C she could feel his eyes on her. And though it was annoying at times, she had to admit it was less lonely with him around her these past two hard days.

    Arianna didn¡¯t reply to him and simply stomped over to one of the men at the entrance carrying a weapon and said, ¡°I need you to ry a message to your boss,¡±

    The man didn¡¯t say a word but tipped his head to the side which was a sign for her to go on. From his response, Marcel must have given them the order to listen to every of her needs.

    ¡°Tell Marcel that I need to see my friend Mimi and apologize for the way I treated her. And if he suggests that I use a phone, tell him that this matter cannot be solved with a phone call only and needs to be said face to face. And if he says, he would have her brought here, then tell him to forget I ever asked for this favor in the first ce,¡± Arianna said to him, having thought of all possibilities.

    She knew her friend, Mimi, forcing her toe here would only aggravate the whole Issue. If she still wanted their friendship to continue, she ¨C Arianna ¨C would have to prove it by taking the risk. Their rtionship wasn¡¯t just friendship, it¡¯s a sisterhood that was forged out of trials and memories. She can¡¯t lose it now.

    At the same time, Arianna had an ulterior motive for suggesting this. She knew Marcel like the back of her hand, he would never let her out of here because he doesn¡¯t trust her and knows she would escape at any slightest given opportunity.

    Moreover, Marcel has this irrational fear that Elijah was waiting for the opening to snatch her away. Being out in the open would give Elijah the chance which is why Marcel doesn¡¯t let her leave the base.

    Thanks to that, Marcel would reject her proposal right away which would give her the impetus to throw a tantrum like in the past. When she does that, Marcel would have no choice but to show his face.

    Was she that desperate to see Marcel? Yes, she was. She hated this silent treatment. Arianna didn¡¯t know anyone here but him and had gotten used to his presence already. Without him here, she was like a foreigner in a strangend.

    Done with her agenda, Arianna went back to her seat while the guard pulled out his phone and left, probably to inform Marcel of her demands.

    ¡°I have not known you for long but I see the word, trouble, written all over your face,¡± Lucamented as soon as she sat back down.

    ¡°Try being in my shoes,¡± She said.

    ¡°I¡¯m in your shoes, already,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna gave him a confused look.

    ¡°You forget that I have to watch you all day long, meaning, when you¡¯re bored, I¡¯m bored as well. I pity you and myself. That¡¯s two times the load. ¡± Luca described his situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be for long,¡± Arianna muttered as soon she saw the soldier return with the answer to her errand.

    She sat upright when the soldier stood in front of her to deliver the message, saying, ¡°The boss agrees,¡±

    Arianna smirked knowingly, ¡°Sure, I knew he was never going to ¨C what?!¡± She misheard the answer due to her overconfidence that Marcel wouldn¡¯t agree to her request.

    Her face was full of confusion as she asked the soldier, ¡°You mean to tell me that Marcel agreed to let me go see Mimi? To leave this ce?¡±

    That was impossible. The Marcel she knew would never do that. What was going on here?

 Chapter 307

    307 Lose Marcel Soon Enough

    Of course, she should have known that Marcel had already set certain precautions in ce before letting her out of here.

    Right now, Arianna was being led in the direction of the car she was to leave with and she was wearing a baseball cap. ording to Marcel, she needed to hide her identity to not draw attention considering she was about to return to her old neighborhood ¨C and her uncle¡¯s ce as well.

    He doesn¡¯t want anyone recognizing her and causing unnecessary trouble. Not that Marcel couldn¡¯t handle but knowing Arianna, she could take advantage of that to plot her escape.

    Arianna was close to reaching the car when the soldier from earlier said, ¡°You should also remember....¡± and she had no choice but to stop and hear what he had to say.

    ¡°Boss said I should tell you not to try anything stupid else Mimi¡¯s parents would have to bear the consequences. You wouldn¡¯t want anything happening to their business, right?¡± he threatened her.

    Arianna swallowed deeply, her eyes slightly widening. So because Victor has his eyes on Mimi, Marcel wouldn¡¯t use her anymore to save his cousin¡¯s face. However, her parent¡¯s business was expandable? Marcel was a great strategist.

    Arianna knew if anything happened to their business, Mimi would me her for that notwithstanding how tight their friendship was. She couldn¡¯t let something like that happen. In the end, Marcel still has a tight leash on her.

    ¡°Crystal clear,¡± Was all Arianna said with an unsmiling face and reached for the door only for Luca to open it and help her in.

    When she went in, Arianna expected to be alone, hence the smile vanished from her face when she saw Victor alreadyfortably seated and waiting for her. She couldn¡¯t see him earlier because the windows were tinted.

    .....

    ¡°Hello?¡± Victor waved at her cheerfully.

    But Arianna scowled at him in response and sat down, facing the other side. She should have known Marcel would not have even a single chance for her to escape him, neither did she hide her current dislike for Victor.

    If Victor thought he was going to win her over with that cute smile of his, then he better get used to disappointment. Mimi, that stupid friend of hers was just too gullible. She should have known; seen the signs; realized that Mimi easily fell for good-looking men. This was all her fault. All of this wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce had she not gotten entangled with Marcel.

    Luca was the driver while the soldier upied the front seat of the car and she had no doubt he had his weapon with him.

    If she were to try to escape, would he shoot her? Did Marcel give him the order in such a situation or was it their training instinct? Does it mean she would have to seize his weapon first before fighting all three of them? Was Luca and Victor with weapons as well?

    ¡°Compared to me, Marcel is usually the best at reading people but right now even without trying hard, you look like a rabbit trapped in a corner,¡± Victor told her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me,¡± Arianna warned him. The silent treatment she gave him earlier should have been enough sign that she doesn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    But Victor went on, ¡± Don¡¯t carry out whatever it is that you have in mind. Before you think of escaping, you should know that I¡¯m not Marcel and won¡¯t hesitate to hurt you to put you in order. And I really wish you don¡¯t do that because you would only jeopardize Mimi and her happiness seeing that she¡¯s the only thing Marcel can use to threaten you. I don¡¯t want to hurt her anymore like the first time.¡±

    However, Arianna told him,¡± No, I should be the one saying that to you. Mimi and I have been perfectly fine until you and your cousin came along. If you two had let us alone, we would have been living a peaceful life right now. ¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Victor smirked, ¡°You forget that Marcel is the reason that you escaped the Red Giant gang in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna disagreed with that, ¡°If Marcel hadn¡¯t been there, Elijah would have been there and we would be away from this country by now.¡±

    ¡°And Mimi would still be mine eventually,¡± Victor dered proudly, he was not giving up on this argument either, ¡°I believe in Fate, Arianna. I believe Mimi and I were destined for each other, the same way you and Marcel keep going round and round,¡±

    At thatment, Arianna threw her head back andughed so hard that tears escaped her eyes. However, her expression changed to a stern look at thest minute as she asked him,¡± What bullshit are you vomiting this time?¡±

    But Victor smirked,¡±You and Marcel, when are the both of you going to admit that you like each other?¡±

    Arianna red at him, ¡°Don¡¯t say such nonsense, because, unlike Mimi, I¡¯m not stupid enough to fall for the trickeries the both of you cousins are capable of.¡± She made it clear to him.

    Surely, it was lust that she felt for Marcel and that was it. Victor shouldn¡¯tpare the sacred feeling of love to that. And the more time she spent with Marcel, the deeper the feelings would be. No wonder she has been feeling hornytely. It was because this was the first time she was spending so much time in a house saturated with testosterone.

    ¡°And you think Mimi is stupid?¡± Victor snorted derisively, ¡°Actually, I think she¡¯s smarter than you. Unlike you, she has no room for pretense and confusion and goes for what she wants.

    You think Mimi¡¯s brainwashed by me? Keep on with that personality and you might lose Marcel soon enough. After all, you never know what you have until you lose it.¡± And that was all he told her before he turned the other way and gave her total silence.

    But then, Arianna was stubborn.

    Why was he even telling her all of this?

 Chapter 308

    308 Break Into Her House

    They reached Mimi¡¯s ce, however, Arianna made no effort to get down. Earlier, she had been confident enough that she would walk right up to the door, apologize and they would make up right away. However, it was easier said than done.

    Even though she has literally known Mimi for half her life, she couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. This was the first time she and Mimi fought as badly as this one. Normally, they yelled at each other and made up immediately, but this was three days since their argument. They let the anger fester this long and it was beginning to bother her.

    ¡°Are you going to step out or should I be the first to go up there and keep her upied for the rest of the day,¡± Victor said suggestively without shame.

    ¡°Eww,¡± Arianna expressed her disgust, and opened the door, climbing out of the car.

    ¡°Good luck out there,¡± Victor said to her knowing that Mimi would not make it easy for her.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes and pulled on her cap, making sure it covered her face properly. She then walked across thewn and stepped on the threshold, pressing the doorbell.

    There was no response the first time and she had to press on the bell the second and the third until she heard movements and someone yelling, ¡°Coming!¡±

    At once, the door was opened.

    Thank God.

    .....

    As soon as the door revealed an unkempt Mimi who seemed to have been busy with something, Arianna waved at her with a huge smile, ¡°Hi?¡±

    Mimi banged the door shut at her face.

    Okay....?

    Arianna was not going to lie, she saw thating. The thing about Mimi was that she joked around andughed a lot, but when she got angry, it was like the hot fury of a dragon and was difficult to calm down.

    ¡°Mimi,e on!¡± Arianna shouted, knowing that she was still probably standing right there and hearing her, ¡± I just want to talk and apologize for what I said to you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you but this whore doesn¡¯t need your fucking apology!¡± She yelled back.

    Okay, she did go too far by calling her a whore. But Arianna didn¡¯t technically call her a whore, she only hinted that... Fine, she¡¯s in the wrong.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mimi. I just uttered those words in a fit of anger! You are my best friend, Mimi¡± She tried to exin to her.

    ¡°Well, best friend or not, take your apology and shove it right up your ass!¡± Mimi retorted and left.

    Arianna gasped, really, who was being mean right now?

    However, she didn¡¯t give up and continued to yell her name but when Arianna didn¡¯t get a response

    for over five minutes, she gave up.

    Well, not really give up.

    Arianna simply sat at the entrance, determined to wait till she changed her mind. Mimi was very stubborn but she was tender-hearted and wouldn¡¯t let her stay here for the rest of the day, right?

    Sigh, she wasn¡¯t sure.

    Arianna brought up her knees to her chest and propped her chin on it and waited patiently. Hopefully, Mimi¡¯s anger would expire when she sees her determination to apologize and make things right between them.

    ¡°How is it going?¡±

    Arianna nced up to see that it was no one else but Victor and frowned. Why was he always bothering her, hasn¡¯t she made it clear she doesn¡¯t like him anymore. And what was Marcel¡¯s intention by sending him here aside to keep her from escaping? Or did he intentionally tag along to prove to her that Mimi liked him?

    She didn¡¯t reply to him at first, then said eventually, ¡°She¡¯s still mad,¡± As much as Arianna wanted to still hate him, she was tired of negative energy right now.

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising,¡± Victor replied and moved to sit beside her with her having opened up to him, ¡°After I kidnapped her, she meted out the same treatment to me,¡±

    ¡°You deserved worse,¡± Arianna grumbled out. She still hasn¡¯t gotten over the fact Victor kidnapped her best friend. Mimi should have tortured him more, not fucked with him.

    Victor leaned closer to her to say, ¡°You might not know this but Mimi and I were the best of buddies before that incident.¡±

    Arianna looked at him like he grew two horns, ¡°I find that hard to believe,¡±

    ¡°She really likes you, you know? She risked her life just to get you back when you were with the Red Giant. She did some things she wasn¡¯t proud of -¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Arianna didn¡¯t let him finish and had a serious expression as she was craving to know what her friend did to save her.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Both of your lives changed after getting entangled with the likes of us,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you know that,¡± her tone was harsh.

    ¡°And it will continue to change, however, one thing you should know, Arianna, is that the moment I was inside that woman, I knew she was my missing rib. She squeezed me so hard that I want to be in that cunt forever. She¡¯s the right size for me, Arianna.¡± Victor was happy as he narrated his experience enthusiastically but that was not the same case for the woman beside him.

    Upon his explicit narration, Arianna went red in the face and said immediately, ¡°What a nice pep talk but you shouldn¡¯t have said so much,¡± She couldn¡¯t get the image out of her head now.

    Why was the air suddenly hot?

    ¡°You know, If you want to see Mimi so badly, I can offer you a way out,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°Really?¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes brightened at his offer.

    ¡°After that fight, she wouldn¡¯t see me, so I broke into her room -¡±

    ¡°You did what?!¡± Arianna shouted, dumbfounded. Who does that?

    However, in the next minute, an idea hit Arianna and she took off her cap, pulled out a pin from her hair, and kissed it, ¡°I knew you woulde in handy eventually,¡± And then, she turned and began to pick the lock.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Victor looked at her.

    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± she retorted, eyes fixed on the lock.

    ¡°Are you breaking into her house?¡±

    ¡°Of course, not!¡± She denied it, saying, ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯m a wee guest in this house. So you can think of it as I lost my keys and can¡¯t get -¡±

    Arianna was still talking when the door suddenly opened and she fell in while Mimi in question looked at her with furrowed brows and her gaze dropped to the pin in her hand.

    ¡°Were you just nning on breaking into my house?¡±

    Arianna gulped, but pointed to Victor instantly, ¡°It was his idea,¡±

 Chapter 309

    309 Friends With Benefit

    Mimi wouldn¡¯t let Victor in no matter how much he pleaded and Arianna was thankful for that because it gave them the privacy to have a conversation ¨C that concerned him.

    So he waited outside with the others knowing she wouldn¡¯t be escape from here. They had it all surrounded while looking out for enemies and neighbors who wouldn¡¯t mind poking their nose in their business.

    ¡°Tea or coffee?¡± Mimi asked, without looking at Arianna while heading in the direction of the kitchen.

    The atmosphere between them was tense. Just because Mimi let her in, doesn¡¯t mean they were good already. The fate of their rtionship was still undecided.

    ¡°I think juice would be okay,¡± She replied.

    ¡°Fine, you can wait in my room, I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± Mimi told her without thinking much since they always spent more time in her room than in the living room.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Arianna said and headed there.

    It wasn¡¯t until Mimi opened the fridge that she suddenly remembered something and her eyes widened at once.

    Oh no.

    .....

    She took off immediately, hoping that Arianna had not seen it.

    Meanwhile, Arianna walked straight into Mimi¡¯s room. She knew the entire ce like the back of her hand having spent most of her time here when she wasn¡¯t working or in her uncle¡¯s ce. She usually had a lot of sleepovers here.

    However, the first thing Arianna noticed uponing in was how untidy the room was. Mimi was not exactly a clean freak but her room was usually not this messed up either. And that was when she saw it.

    There was a dummy in the middle of the room with a poster of her face used on it. Wait a minute, was this dummy representing her? Had Mimi been practicing karate with her face?

    ¡°This is...¡± She raised her hand while walking towards the dummy only for Mimi to burst into the room and zoomed past her, snatching the poster off the dummy¡¯s face.

    ¡°This is nothing,¡± Mimi waved it off,ughing awkwardly as she hid the poster behind her back.

    But that was not all, the moment Arianna looked around, she discovered another of her poster pinned to the board by ten darts and she gulped.

    For those darts to be stuck, Mimi must have used a lot of strength and they were thrown at urate points ¨C on both of her eyes, the top of her nose, her forehead, both sides of her cheeks, her upper and lower lips and her eyebrows. That was a lot of pent-up anger.

    Still yet, that was not all.

    In the huge picture of her and Mimi, her best friend used a marker to draw mustaches around her nose and beneath her lower lips, then a devil horn on both of her foreheads; she did look evil. And Mimi did the same to the smaller pictures around the room.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arianna breathed, ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯te for the past three days, you were quite busy,¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Mimi was quick to say, ¡°This is nothing! I was just... eh...¡± She thought of an excuse toe up with that would fit the asion.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, Mimi,¡± Arianna nodded in understanding, ¡°You were mad at me and needed to blow off some steam and this is the best way to do so healthily. Moreover, I deserved all of it, after all, close friend or not, I had no right to call you a whore or decide who you are to be with. I just felt -¡±

    ¡°yed?¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°Yeah, kind of.¡±

    ¡°I know, ¡± Mimi confessed, ¡°I thought the same way after I eventually calmed down. And you were right, I was desperate to have you settle down with Marcel so you¡¯d easily overlook Victor¡¯s offense of kidnapping me knowing you would never approve of him. I was wrong for trying to take advantage of your feelings for Marcel ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Okay, holler up! I have no feelings for Marcel,¡± She stopped her there,¡± We are just acquaintances with the urge to sleep with one another. That¡¯s all.¡±

    With the way Mimi pulsed her lips, it was obvious that she had more to say, however, she simply mumbled, ¡°If you say so then.¡± and gave up on the issue. If there was anything she knew about feelings, it was the fact that it would be revealed with time.

    ¡°Victor is not the best choice for you but I won¡¯t stand in the way of your happiness either,¡± Arianna said to her and her smile broadened. She went on, ¡°You are not just my friend, Mimi, we are sisters. And as your older sister -¡±

    ¡°Who made you my older sister?¡± Mimi didn¡¯t ept it.

    ¡°I¡¯m older than you by two months,¡± Arianna imed.

    ¡°Age doesn¡¯t determine seniority in this case. We are talking about maturity, Arianna. When ites to that, I¡¯m supposed to be the oldest based on that.¡±

    But Arianna scoffed, ¡°Really?¡± she wrapped her arms wrapped across her chest. She was determined to prove the more responsible one here.

    ¡°Fine, take the title, mom,¡± Mimi pouted.

    Arianna epted it proudly, ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine. So does this mean we¡¯re good, now?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Mimi asked knowingly, then stretched out her hand for a peaceful handshake.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say yes to that,¡± Arianna epted, enveloping her hand with hers before pulling her into a loving hug, ¡°From now on, no keeping secrets from each other,¡±

    ¡°Sure, no more secrets between us,¡± Mimi agreed and hugged her tighter. She missed Arianna, the past three days had been tough without her by her side.

    The both of them ended up lying on the bed as they caught up on gossips. This was the first time Marcel let her out of the base after a long time, Arianna wanted to enjoy the rejuvenating air of freedom for as long as she could.

    ¡°So you and Victor, huh? He¡¯s your boyfriend now? I¡¯m still trying to wrap my head around it,¡± Arianna confessed.

    ¡°Not technically, my boyfriend, Arianna. You can think of us as more of friends with benefits. I¡¯m just giving him a chance to prove himself but the sex is to die for,¡± Mimi giggled sheepishly.

    However, there was a frown on Arianna¡¯s face. Why does Victor¡¯s definition of their rtionship differ from Mimi¡¯s view?

 Chapter 310

    310 What Is Wrong With Marcel?

    Arianna could only stay until mid-afternoon before she was required back to the base. Although she was reluctant to leave, and wanted to plead for more time, she decided otherwise.

    Marcel was kind enough to let her out of the base amid the fact that Elijah was looming around the corner, waiting for a chance to strike. That sure spoke volumes. Arianna would be contended with this little favor and maybe next time, he would let her out a little more. This way, she would gain his trust, little by little.

    ¡°Go in, Luca would drive you home,¡± Victor told her as they walked across thewn and Arianna froze.

    ¡°What about you? Where are you going?¡± She then looked at him suspiciously, ¡°What do you n to do?¡±

    He winked at her, taking several steps back, ¡°What do you think I n to do?¡±

    Arianna¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, and then annoyance, ¡°Hey, let Mimi rest! Do not bother her too -¡±

    ¡°Have a good time!¡± Victor interrupted her by waving at her, and then turned and made a beeline for the door.

    Have a good time, her ass! She was about to go back to the base of boredom. Unlike her, Victor would be having a sexy time with her best .... Seriously, why was she thinking of that? Her mind was turning lewdtely. This was all Mimi¡¯s fault.

    Left alone, Arianna had no choice but to head back to the car. You know, she could easily take off right now but Arianna bet she wouldn¡¯t even be able to run one kilometer before they tackled her down. So annoying.

    .....

    Without thinking much, Arianna pulled the door open and sat down, ¡°You can leave now,¡± She said without looking at the man seated beside her and assuming that Luca had taken Victor¡¯s ce.

    However, it wasn¡¯t until a somewhat familiar perfume wafted into her nose and Arianna looked at the front to discover that Luca was still in the driver¡¯s seat with the other soldier at his side. Then, who was the man beside her?

    At once, Arianna turned to the side, and her heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°M-Marcel?¡± She stuttered, frozen to the core. He was really here?

    What was he doing here? Wait a minute, how did he even get here? Oh right, he drove. Then that leads her back to the initial question, what was he doing here? Wasn¡¯t he avoiding her?

    Arianna took a good look at him, Marcel was dressed in a suit with the tie missing as usual. Why did he hate ties so much? She wondered. Nheless, he still looked breathtakingly handsome with his hair down and the top three buttons of his shirt opened and revealing his ¨C

    Oh shit, Arianna took away her gaze at once. What the fuck was she thinking? And looking? No, this madness had to stop.

    ¡°A-hem!¡± Arianna intentionally cleared away her throat to make the ambiance less awkward, or maybe, she was the one being awkward. Marcel looked perfectly fine to her.

    ¡°You are here,¡± She said, looking at him curiously, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing,¡±

    He turned to her with his stoic look and she pulsed her lips, was he still mad at her? However, his gaze softened in the next minutes as he said, ¡°I was heading home when coincidentally, I passed through here. I decided to drop by and see how things are going? You¡¯ve reconsiled with her already?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Arianna still couldn¡¯t believe that he was casually talking to her as if they hadn¡¯t fought.

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± She recovered immediately, ¡°We¡¯ve buried the hatchet and became friends again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Marcel nodded, ¡°Friends shouldn¡¯t fight for too long. Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna stuttered, simply overwhelmed. Where was all thising from? Why was he being suddenly gentle towards her? She was not expecting it.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not, you can forget about it,¡± Marcel said quickly as if he was too embarrassed to ask in the first ce. He should have known to never trust his cousin¡¯s suggestion.

    When Arianna wasn¡¯t looking, he looked down at the chat between him and Victor. The brat suggested that he took this opportunity and took her out, thus, getting in her good grace.

    [Take her out to feel the outside breeze ¨C that is different from the one at the base ¨C and she feels refreshed enough to thank youter. Also, be affectionate]

    Marcel didn¡¯t know how to work on thatst sentence when his invitation to lunch has already been turned down. He tried to be affectionate and see how it turned out.

    He was close to using another method more convenient to him when Arianna suddenly said, ¡°You see, the thing is that I had lunch at Mimi¡¯s ce, however, I¡¯m craving a little sweet.¡± She said, hopefully.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcel smiled so brightly and for a moment Arianna was so dazzled by it that she couldn¡¯t help but stare at him. She forgot that this handsome man was the scary lord of the Luciano family and looked like one of the normalds out there.

    ¡°A-arianna? Arianna?¡± Marcel was beginning to feel self-conscious under her intense stare. Was something on his face?

    ¡°Ah, right!¡± Arianna got herself and stared ahead, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. What was wrong with her?

    But then, Luca who had been staring at their cute interaction through the rearview mirror unintentionally released stifledughter and she red at him. Was he kidding her right now?

    A small smile tugged at the corner of Marcel¡¯s lips but he didn¡¯t show it. Right now, he was just satisfied with their little progress.

    In the end, they stopped at a caf¨¦, and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but be moved when Marcel opened the door to let her into the shop. It made her feel special. Geez, why was he being so sweet today? She tilted her head unsure, what is wrong with Marcel?

    In the end, Arianna ordered a fresh strawberry yogurt cake with a sweet blend of espresso while Marcel had his usual strong cup of ck coffee.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t help but ask him.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcel said and took a sip just as she dug into the cake. Although he lifted his cup to his mouth, Marcel used that tactic to look at her to his heart¡¯s content.

 Chapter 311

    311 Eyes Filled With Emotions

    What was so interesting about Arianna? Because when ites to qualification, she wasn¡¯t evenpetent enough to be by his side?

    Arianna wasn¡¯t as educated or rich or influential as ra. So what made her so different from the other women he has been with?

    But one thing was for sure, seeing that blissful look on her face as she savored that cake, he was at peace.

    The past few days had not been easy for Marcel. Not only did he have to deal with his sister¡¯s rescue problem, but some issues also came up at work. There was an altercation with a rival crime family over route rights and he had to settle that without causing more tension between them. And not to mention, the fight between them the other day.

    Thankfully, Marcel was swamped with so much work that he didn¡¯t have the time to think about it. But then, each time he returned to the base, he got reminded of that fight over and over again to the point that it nearly drove him crazy.

    Marcel was not going to lie, her huge distrust of him really hurt him. Upon everything he has done for her, doesn¡¯t he deserve at least one percent of her trust. Doesn¡¯t she believe in him a little?

    So he decided to stay away from her for the time being. When you made yourself too essible to people, they took you for granted. Marcel knew his worth and he doesn¡¯t deserve to be treated the way she did, not even his cousin Victor would do that.

    He wanted her to feel his absence in her life and Marcel didn¡¯t know whether it worked because he missed her sharp quibs instead. But then, here he was trying to give her a second chance. She would never trust him, that was for sure. But he needed her respect. Marcel wanted her to see him as a man.

    So here he was, hoping that he was making progress.

    .....

    ¡°Is it that delicious?¡± Marcel asked, staring at her amused. The way she ate that, just made up him want to crack up; she was so invested in it.

    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Arianna spoke with her mouth full of the creamy cake, her eyes glinting with joy. It was so good. Whoever made this cake deserved to be given an award.

    Marcel rubbed his chin, thoughtfully, ¡°Then, I should have a taste too,¡± He suddenly said, and snatched the spoon from her grip.

    ¡°Hey! Get your own....¡± She was still saying when Marcel scooped the cake and had a taste, her eyes slightly widening. She just used that spoon...

    Arianna went red in the face, that was an indirect kiss. Whatever, she must be thinking nonsense. What was she, five? Ten?

    So she focused on Marcel who was still savoring the taste of the cake in his mouth, asking, ¡°How does it taste?¡±

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    ¡°Nice?¡± Just that? She was expecting more praises for her newfound loving cake.

    However, to her surprise, Marcel took another scoop, then the third and the fourth till a quarter of her cake was gone and she was currently ring at him.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arianna was no longer smiling.

    ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± Marcel apologized when he realized he had hogged her cake and returned the spoon to her.

    Arianna received it from him with a frown. This is why you shouldn¡¯t do a favor for people, now look what happened to her cake. She was close to crying. Her sweet strawberry yogurt cake!

    But the truth is that Marcel had done that on purpose. He loved seeing her annoyed face, it was quite cute actually.

    Arianna continued with her cake until she felt Marcel¡¯s intense gaze on her again and was about to ask him what was so interesting about her face when she noticed he had something on his face instead.

    ¡°You...¡± She called his attention and gestured, ¡°You have icing at the corner of your lips.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Marcel took the table napkin and wiped his lips but he still missed a spot.

    ¡°Still there,¡± Arianna told him.

    Marcel followed her direction yet still missed the spot and Arianna already vexed by the small yet annoying defect, reached out and grabbed the napkin.

    Then she leaned over the table and towards Marcel, using the napkin, and wiped off the icing perfectly clean. However, in the process, her thumb mistakenly brushed across his lips, and electricity passed through her body.

    She stiffened and so did Marcel. The both of them stared at each other, wondering if the other felt that too.

    How could his lips be so soft? It looked incredibly kissable. Oh God, what was she thinking?!

    Red-faced and in a haste to return to her seat, Arianna mistakenly knocked over the coffee left in Marcel¡¯s ss and it rolled over and wasted its content on him.

    ¡°Oh, God!¡± Arianna screamed as soon as Marcel jerked up from his seat, startled as the coffee soaked into his pants and stained it.

    Without thinking much, Arianna grabbed as many napkins as she could and began to wipe his pants, her hands dangerously near his crotch.

    And It was at thest minute that she realized what she was doing and pulled back with a squeak. God, what was wrong with her today?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just take care of this in the restroom,¡± Marcel said, a bust ofughter threatening to break out just as a staff appeared to help him clean up.

    ¡°You just stay here and wait for me,¡± He warned her sternly and Arianna nodded obediently. Where could she go anyway when the others were outside watching and waiting.

    As soon as Marcel left, Arianna sat down embarrassed, having attracted attention to herself. Thankfully everyone in the shop who saw what happened minded their business. This outing was a total disaster.

    Arianna barely sat down when amotion came from her side. It happened that a woman was trying tofort her crying baby in her arms while the other older sibling threw a tantrum. The woman was distressed.

    Seeing that the woman was having a hard time trying tofort both children, Arianna decided to help out.

    She told her with a kind smile, ¡°You can give me the baby, let me help you out,¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you so much. I¡¯m so sorry for the inconvenience.¡± The woman said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Arianna said, epting the baby from her.

    Unfortunately, it seemed that the baby¡¯s cries intensified as soon as Arianna carried her. However, she was patient enough and began to rock her slowly while humming a tune her father used to sing for her when she was little.

    It seemed the song was effective because the baby eventually calmed down and Arianna smiled at her effort without noticing the woman a table away from her was affected by her singing. The stranger slowly took off her sses, revealing forest green eyes that were filled with emotion.

 Chapter 312

    312 It Was Her Child

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Ericmented as soon as he saw her climbing down the stairs, all dressed up and with her handbag in her hand.

    ¡°Ah, Yes,¡± Natalie breathed, tugging her brte hair behind her ear, the gesture catching his attention, ¡°I need to look around the city. You know, get some air into my head and you know, it¡¯s been a long time since I was here. There¡¯s bound to be changes.¡±

    ¡°Sure, there are,¡± Eric confirmed her thoughts yet his gaze wouldn¡¯t leave her as he said, ¡°Also, you look beautiful,¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Natalie smiled at him, color rushing to her face.

    ¡°Would you be free tonight?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Since you wanted to look around, there are many pretty amazing ces we could have dinner tonight. You¡¯re going to love it so please don¡¯t say no.¡± He was hopeful.

    Natalie pulsed her lips as if she was thinking over it and then nodded, ¡°Sure, why not?¡± She gave in.

    ¡°Moreover,¡± She added, ¡°Your brothers have proven to me that I¡¯m old and no fun anymore. I¡¯ll have to bother you tonight then?¡± Natalie hinted at the fact that none of the brothers had returned home to wee her.

    .....

    ¡°No, don¡¯t say,¡± It wasn¡¯t funny to Eric but she didn¡¯t notice it, perhaps due to the fact she was used to every one of his moods, ¡°You are far more interesting than you give yourself credit for. Moreover, I¡¯m sure my brothers are just busy or something. They woulde running here the first opportunity they have,¡± He prayed.

    Those brats hardlye home anymore, each of them invested in their own lives. But he wasn¡¯t going to tell Natalie that. He didn¡¯t want to burden her or make her feel ufortable.

    It was a huge miracle to him that she finally managed to return to the city. To this ce that marked the beginning of her sorrows and also the end of them. For that alone, he was thankful.

    She was exactly where he wanted her to be, so he could keep his eyes on her. And maybe, you know, just maybe, with time, she would be able to see him as more than a brother to the children she raised. Yeah, he hoped so.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She appreciated him for thepliment, ¡°If you say so then. I¡¯ll be on my way,¡± Natalie waved at him, smiling as she took her leave.

    Now she thought about it, Eric was kind of charming these days. Or maybe, she¡¯s just thinking nonsense, Natalie tilted her head unsure.

    The door was opened to her as soon as she approached the car and she climbed inside gracefully. Sometimes, old habits were hard to forget. Having been practically raised like a princess, her body was used to strict etiquette no matter how hard she tried to break free from them over the years.

    Who knows, her father would have married her off to the prince of some nation if she hadn¡¯t met that man.

    Realizing she was venturing into her dark past, Natalie instantly sealed her memories and pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. She can¡¯t think about this now. It had taken her years to recover from that incident. Natalie refused to revisit her past.

    Just as she told Eric, Natalie spent the rest of the day shopping, going to the spa and the saloon. Her chauffeur drove around the city aimlessly as she wanted when she stumbled upon the caf¨¦.

    She went in and ordered an Ice Cream. Not long after, her gaze fell on the young couple that walked through the door. Natalie couldn¡¯t exin it but she felt drawn to them or maybe it was because she was a lover of act and the couples were so beautiful that they looked picturesque.

    Natalie wished she could take a picture of them but knowing that was an invasion of privacy, she respected herself. Moreover, now she stared at the man, he was beginning to give off that vibe Eric possessed.

    That young man was not ordinary and as if he could sense her watching him, he turned in her direction but Natalie had looked away already, concentrating on her Ice Cream.

    Having been with the young masters for a while now, Natalie had picked up on some skills and was confident she could defend herself from an opponent. More than one opponent and it might be a bit difficult.

    However, Natalie still couldn¡¯t look away and found herself stealing nces at them once in a while. She had to admit, they were quite a sweet couple and sparks were beginning to fly.

    From the awkwardness surrounding them, it seemed that both of them hadn¡¯t admitted their feelings for one another and that brought a smile to her lips. She had been in that position years ago, Natalie smiled at the bittersweet memory. Nheless, it was only a matter of time till they realized it, she had good feelings for the couple.

    Suddenly, she saw the young woman knock down the coffee by mistake and the contents poured all over her date and she shook her head. Tsk tsk, that youngdy was quite clumsy, kind of funny but she wondered which of the parents she took after. Natalie gulped, her child would be around the same age as her.

    Natalie forced her eyes closed and took a deep breath. She came here to unwind, not to me herself for the decision she made twenty-three years ago. Moreover, it was for the best ¨C for her future.

    So she focused her attention back on her Ice-cream and decided she would leave when done before she embarrassed herself. However, that was when the child began to cry.

    At first, Natalie would have ignored it but a second child joined in and the cries became quite annoying to the other customers who deserved their peace.

    She sighed, as much as children were cute and innocent, they can be quite annoying and embarrassing in public settings. So Natalie decided to help the distressed mother out when the youngdy beat her to it.

    Wow, she¡¯s quite kind as well, Natalie thought as she watched the young redhead take the crying child from the mother who thanked her. Her mother must be so proud of her, she reasoned.

    Natalie took her spoon and was about to dig into her Ice Cream when she heard the youngdy begin to hum a tone and she stopped. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t care what luby one whispered to a child but that particr tune sounded oddly familiar and her heart was beating fast at the sound of it.

    Although the youngdy didn¡¯t sing the words, Natalie knew that tune any day and anytime.... because she was the one thatposed it.

    Natalie went as still as a rock as the youngdy continued to hume that tune to the child and questions filled her head. She took off her sses with shock and focused all of her attention on the youngdy as if the others didn¡¯t exist.

    Where did she hear that song? Only one person knew that song unless.... apprehension gripped her. Could that be....?

    That was when Natalie took a good look at her and by chance, the youngdy turned around and she saw those eyes that were as green as her own. Her breath hitched at once and Natalie cupped her mouth to stop her from gasping out loud.

    It was her.

    It was her daughter.

    She could feel it in her bones.

    But the youngdy didn¡¯t feel the bond, if anything, she smiled at an iing figure and Natalie followed her gaze only to realize she was watching the young man from earlier who went to probably clean up in the restroom.

    However, the young man wasn¡¯t looking at the girl, but at her and her heart nearly jumped out of her throat. Natalie instantly lowered her head before putting her sses back on.

    Oh God, what has she done? She was reckless and didn¡¯t think about her identity. However, Natalie didn¡¯t think much about it and surmised he must have caught her, staring at his girlfriend creepily. Who wouldn¡¯t be concerned about that?

    Thus, Natalie stood from her seat immediately and decided to leave the ce when the young man tactically blocked her way.

    She raised her brows, her eyes hidden behind the aviator sses. Natalie put on a haughty demeanor that belonged to an arrogant aristocrat as she asked him, ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    Her brows were raised questioningly and her posture suggested that she looked down on him hence he answered, ¡°No, sorry, my bad. Forgive my rudeness.¡±

    He shifted out of her way and she let out a huff showing that she was annoyed by his action. Natalie walked to the entrance with her head lifted high, however, she knew the amount of self-control it took her not to look back.

    It was her. Her child.

    She was so close to her and yet she didn¡¯t know. Natalie felt her heart breaking into a thousand pieces and knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to get a good sleep tonight.

 Chapter 313

    313 Marcel Was Not Smiling

    ¡°How could she be so clumsy?¡± Marcel muttered to himself as he wiped the ice-cream stain off his pants.

    However, when he cleaned close to his crotch, a sheepish grin couldn¡¯t help but cross his lips when he remembered how wide her eyes grew when she almost touched him there.

    Marcel stared back at his reflection in the mirror and tugged his hair back, checking his appearance. Victor was right, he did look good with his hair down. Of course, why wouldn¡¯t Arianna fall for this face? His face should be praised as the conqueror of women.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Marcel groaned afterward. What the hell was he doing? He wasn¡¯t a damn narcissistic for crying out loud.

    With a huff, he tossed the tissue into the bin and made his way back to the shop only to see Arianna carrying a child and he halted at once.

    At first, he wondered whose child she had in her arms? But that didn¡¯t matter in the next seconds she began to rock the child, humming a luby and he just stared at her transfixed.

    The whole world might as well have gone to hell because the only person that mattered to Marcel at that moment was Arianna. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful while carrying that child and suddenly, his imagination ovepped his reality.

    In that imagination, Arianna wasn¡¯t just carrying any child, it was their child that had his blonde hair and her beautiful green eyes. Then, Arianna nced up and Marcel forgot how to breathe while her smile grew wide.

    His heart was pounding so hard and it looked like it would burst out of his chest, but that was until a third green eyes appeared in his imagination. Only that it wasn¡¯t his imagination.

    .....

    Marcel was suddenly roused back to reality and he realized that another woman was staring intently at Arianna from the back. His survival instinct kicked in and the first thought that came to his mind was that she was an enemy, else why would she be invested in Arianna like that?

    Who could have sent her? His father or a rival family? He might be invisible at the moment but that doesn¡¯t mean the other families weren¡¯t poking their noses in his business, trying to sniff out his weakness.

    Marcel was thinking of the best way to get Arianna out of here safely when he noticed something else. For someone sent after Arianna, he couldn¡¯t sense any killing intent from her and she was staring at her with emotion. Like really strong emotions. Something was not right here.

    Then the woman turned and their gaze connected; she stared at him just as he stared back at her boldly. Marcel¡¯s imagination was not wrong, the strange woman did have green eyes. Eyes surprisingly akin to Arianna¡¯s.

    Instantly, the woman upon realizing that she had been caught staring, put on her sses and Marcel regretted the action because he wanted to confirm something tingling at the back of his mind.

    So the instant she stood up to leave, Marcel was already on his way and intentionally blocked his path. Why did he block her path? He had no idea. He has gone from thinking that she was a spy to whatever stupid hypothesis he had in his mind. It didn¡¯t make sense.

    Seeing his action, the woman lifted her brows and asked haughtily, ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    Marcel stared at her but he couldn¡¯t see her eyes behind those aviator sses she was wearing. He suddenly wished they were in a less public setting so he could kidnap her and question her all he wanted.

    But then, if Arianna heard that he kidnapped a strange woman on their date ¨C by the way, was this a date? ¨C she would really skin him alive. Hence, when he couldn¡¯t see what she wanted, he bowed his head in apology.

    ¡°No, sorry, my bad. Forgive my rudeness.¡± He moved out of her way, just as she rolled her eyes and walked away with her head held high.

    She was definitely rich, Marcel could tell even though she didn¡¯t dress ostentatiously. But that modest dress she wore cost a lot a ton. Who was she? And why did he have this disturbing feeling that she looked too simr to....

    As if Arianna knew what he was thinking, she lifted her head and those beautiful green eyes bored into him innocently. The same green eyes as that woman....

    Oh God.

    Marcel would have run out of that door and chased after that woman had he not remembered he would only startle Arianna who would not let him rest until she got the information out of his mouth. So he just smiled back at her, pretending that nothing happened as he walked back to his seat.

    ¡°Look at this beautiful baby,¡± Arianna said to him before he barely sat down.

    She turned her arm in such a way that he could see the small, red thing cocooned inyers of clothes like an Egyptian mummy.

    ¡°Ugly,¡± was the first thought that came to Marcel¡¯s mind when he saw the child and didn¡¯t know he said it out loud until he lifted his head to see a furrow on Arianna¡¯s face while the baby¡¯s mother red at him.

    Shit, they heard that.

    But that was the truth though.

    ¡°A-hem,¡± Marcel cleared his throat and shifted ufortably on his seat. If those eyes were bullets, these women would have killed him.

    ¡°I meant to say that the ugly little human is surprisingly adorable,¡± Marcel rephrased his words at once while lowering his gaze. These women were scary.

    But none of the women believed him and huffed as they looked away, Arianna in coalition with the baby¡¯s mother to his surprise. Shouldn¡¯t she try to defend him as her partner?

    Whatever.

    In the next minutes that followed, Marcel was totally ignored as Arianna tended to the baby until the mother was done and took the child back from her.

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± She said to her.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Arianna told her before the woman finally took her leave. It was at that moment that she finally remembered she came with Marcel and she turned to him, ¡°So, I¡¯m....¡± She trailed off.

    Marcel was not smiling.

 Chapter 314

    314 Fight Me

    Marcel looked like one threw shit on his face and Arianna couldn¡¯t understand why? Did she do something wrong?

    She gulped, calling his name carefully, ¡°M-Marcel?¡± who knows? She couldn¡¯t always tell what he was thinking?

    ¡°I¡¯m never having kids,¡± Marcel said to her surprise and that only made Arianna more confused. What does having kids have to do with his face looking like that?

    Could it be because she frowned at him for calling the child, ugly? Arianna couldn¡¯t help but shake her head in disbelief, sometimes Marcel was more childish than she thought.

    Well, it was refreshing to see this side of him. This side of him was better than his serious and mean side. Sometimes he was so scary she imagined if he had the same red blood flowing through her veins?

    Unfortunately, Arianna didn¡¯t know that Marcel was angry over the fact that she shifted all of the attention to the baby instead of him. He brought her here so she can see him in a different light, but all that baby did was sabotage their time together!

    He was annoyed to death.

    That was when Marcel had that useless thought. If somehow, you know, he and Arianna got married and have a kid, then her love, affection, and attention would have to be divided between the both of them? No, that thought didn¡¯t sit right with him. Arianna was his and his alone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Marcel grumbled and stood up.

    .....

    ¡°Wait!¡± Arianna said and reached out, grabbing his hand.

    Marcel looked down at the hand that she was holding and Arianna noticed that as well, a blush coating her cheeks. She tried to withdraw her grip but Marcel surprisingly tightened it causing her eyes to widen.

    Arianna nced up at him with a questioning look but Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and simply tugged up to her feet gently. She watched as Marcel then properly intertwined their fingers together and lead her in the direction of the door.

    All the while they walked, Arianna¡¯s gaze never left their intertwined hands. What is going on here? Why was her heart pounding so hard? Blood was rushing to her head and it was making her almost dizzy. This was probably nothing. Marcel probably just felt like holding hands with her, right?

    Arianna didn¡¯t dare to conclude. Or maybe, she was just afraid of admitting it.

    Their car was packed outside and Marcel first helped her get in and she was expecting him toe in but he didn¡¯t.

    Arianna saw him gesture to the soldier from earlier who went to him and watched in curiosity as Marcel tipped his head in direction of the surveince camera at the entrance of the caf¨¦ and whispered something in his ear before the soldier nodded in understanding and went in.

    Marcel joined her and Luca started the car? The soldier wasn¡¯t joining them? Something was going on.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Arianna asked him. She just has this feeling that Marcel was up to something again. Nothing he ever does is small, he was not telling her something.

    ¡°Huh? Is something wrong?¡± He pretended not to know what she was talking about. Here, that attitude was going to be a problem for them in the future.

    What future by the way? She must be thinking nonsense.

    Arianna pointed to the empty seat at the front,¡± He¡¯s not joining us?¡±

    ¡°Oh, him?¡± Marcel smiled at her innocently, ¡°I asked him to get us more of that delicious cake you ate earlier,¡±.

    Nice excuse but Arianna was not buying that. There was no way that she was mistaken, she had really seen him signal to that surveince camera.

    ¡°Really Marcel?¡± Arianna¡¯s tone was deep and her brows were arched in such a way that demanded he doesn¡¯t y her for a fool.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel breathed, unable to keep the truth from her anymore.

    Arianna wrapped her arms across her chest and readjusted in her seat. She wanted all of the truth right now.

    ¡°He¡¯s there to erase evidence of our time together,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t understand the need for that and Marcel was quick to exin.

    ¡°I have many enemies, Arianna. They can¡¯t find you else you might never have that freedom you desire when you get it atst.¡± He said.

    Arianna¡¯s eyes widened, those words ying in a loop in her mind. She might never have that freedom she desires when she gets it atst? Does that mean that there were chances he might release her in the future? Arianna was elevated inside.

    But then, Marcel was quite considerate. He was thinking of her safety.

    She grinned at him, ¡°Does that mean that he¡¯s still getting the cake?¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Marcel grinned back at her and he looked incredibly handsome at that moment.

    Damn it, Arianna drew her gaze away immediately. At this rate, she might really die from a heart attack because her heart wouldn¡¯t stop beating fast. Thankfully, Marcel was not close enough to hear it.

    They drove in silence, the air incredibly tense. With what happened today, it was obvious that there was a great shift in their rtionship. They might have fought but their reconciliation this time brought them a whole lot closer than before.

    When they reached the base, Arianna was the first to step out and wanted to leave for her prison, no, room ¨C just today, she¡¯d think of it as that ¨C when she turned to Marcel, saying, ¡°Thank you for today,¡±

    ¡°It was nothing but you¡¯re wee,¡± He said to her.

    Arianna knew she had the right to be outside but right now, she was a captive and yet he let her out. She had to be content with that. For now.

    She turned, about to leave, when Marcel suddenly said, ¡°You said you can take up that mission,¡±

    Arianna halted in her steps, her mind trying to sink in what she just heard.

    Oh, definitely.

    She turned to him, saying confidently, ¡°I can do it,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you do it then,¡±

    Arianna was about to rejoice when he added, ¡°Only on one condition,¡±

    Her face changed, ¡°What is it?¡± Arianna had a feeling that it wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as she thought.

    ¡°You fight me,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

 Chapter 315

    315 Let The Fight Begin

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna gave Marcel a stupid look. Was he kidding her right now? She couldn¡¯t possibly fight against him and win? He was five times stronger than her and knew all those fighting skills and stuff like that. It was a losing battle, only a fool would agree to it. Arianna might be headstrong but she knew how to give up.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± She confessed, ¡°I can¡¯t possibly win against you. That is it, you must be taunting me right now,¡± Arianna red at him for making a fool of her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight me that way and all I would do is to y the defensive. In one word, if you can hit me thrice in five minutes, you win. How does that sound? Interesting, right?¡± Marcel threw the bait.

    Arianna tipped her head to the side contemtively. This was a good deal. She wasn¡¯t confident at defeating Marcel in a face-to-face confrontation, however, stealing punches? She can do that.

    ¡°You have to think about it as well?¡± Marcel goaded her, ¡°It seems you were not prepared in the first ce,¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Arianna gave in immediately, ¡°I¡¯m going to fight you and I will win!¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel smiled at her, ¡°I like your confidence because it would fall the hardest when I defeat you woefully. Our fight begins in an hour, get yourself prepared,¡± He announced out of nowhere.

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna shouted. It was so sudden. She hasn¡¯t even gotten herself prepared, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too quick? One moment you¡¯re telling me about the fight, and the next we¡¯re fighting in an hour. I¡¯m still trying to digest the information, Marcel,¡± She hoped he had a change of heart.

    But instead, Marcel walked over to her till he was standing directly in front of her and said, ¡°A good soldier is prepared at all times. If you¡¯re going to break into my father¡¯s ce, you have to be quick in thinking in case there are changes to the ns. And now, I¡¯m running out of time, so we start immediately. Get your ass ready, Arianna. ¡± was all Marcel said and left her standing there as he went in.

    .....

    Arianna took in a deep breath, she had forgotten how to breathe when he invaded her space. She had to admit though that Marcel in action was kind of sexy.

    Alright, get the dirty thought out of your head, Arianna. You have to fight in less than an hour Marcel. She had to focus and think of how to hit Marcel because she was sure as hell that he wouldn¡¯t make it easy for her. At all.

    For someone who was about to fight the sexy Mafia Lord, all she did was to brush her teeth and get in the shower. Gosh, cut her some breaks, she had to practice good hygiene. You know, smell good ¨C and taste good.

    Stop it!

    Arianna was going crazy with all the lewd thoughts in her head. In the end, she settled on the bed and began to go over the n in her head. She had to prove to Marcel that she wasn¡¯t a fragile, weak barbie. She was strong as well and would give him those punches ¨C it would make her feel good, anyway.

    She dropped to the ground and did some warm-up exercises to loosen her muscles and improve her flexibility. When she was still with Ruth, some of the criminals she had befriended had taught her some basic moves, they shoulde in handyter.

    Arianna wore an oversized t-shirt that she tied at the side of her tummy, showing off her toned midriff, andpleted it with stretchy yoga pants. Trust her, she wasn¡¯t showing off for him. She just wanted to look badass and sexy, okay.

    Not long after, Luca was at the door to inform her that it was time. Arianna nodded and obediently followed him, butterflies dancing in her belly; she was nervous.

    Arianna was led to a part of the base she hadn¡¯t explored and they walked into a very huge room for indoor sports. It was a gymnasium and Marcel was already waiting for her in the middle of the room.

    They weren¡¯t the only people using the room because she could see some other people dueling with their partners, however, they all stopped as soon as she came in, watching her with curiosity. They must be wondering what she was doing here, after all, she was a pretty princess in captivity and had no use here. Arianna hoped to prove them wrong today.

    As expected, Marcel took a good look at her and didn¡¯t say a word. She wondered if he liked what he saw.

    Shut up, Arianna!

    Marcel had already changed out of his suit and donned a workout long sleeve t-shirt showing off all his muscles. Her throat dried up, Marcel was really hot. She was highly tempted to do bad things with him.

    ¡°Eyes up here, love,¡± Marcel called her out for staring and Arianna went red in the face as she realized everyone in the room heard that.

    Theyughed at her and she red at Marcel. Did he really have to do that? But Marcel in question winked at her with a smug expression. He enjoyed what he did. Fine, she would teach him a lesson by kicking his ass.

    ¡°Alright, listen up!¡± Marcel pped his hand, drawing the attention of the men in the room, ¡°I¡¯m about to have a duel with my babe, here -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not your babe,¡± She corrected him and the men hooted. Obviously, they found this entertaining.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to duel with ¡®I¡¯m not your babe''¡± he said intentionally and Arianna rolled her eyes,

    ¡°It¡¯s for a very important deal and you all are witnesses to it,¡±

    Marcel wasn¡¯t going to say what the deal was for, in case they had a spy in their midst. It was a secret. His men would think she was probably bored out of her mind and wanted to y.

    ¡°If she manages to hit me three times in five minutes, she wins and gets her wish. Who¡¯s with the timer, let the fight begin!¡±

 Chapter 316

    316 It Was Over

    Were they kidding her? Arianna muttered because as soon as Marcel ordered the game began, she heard an rm re. It happened that someone turned on the sound effect.

    Arianna knew she can¡¯t make a fool of herself here else the sound of her failure would be louder than the rm sound effect.

    Hence, immediately after the rm sounded, she pulled her body into a fighting stance and the cheers from the crowd told her that they hadn¡¯t been expecting that. The gesture made her feel a little bit proud.

    However, looking at Marcel, he did not pull any pose and looked so calm that one would think he wasn¡¯t even fighting at all. His arrogance only annoyed Arianna, does he think she wasn¡¯t made of sterner stuff.

    At once, she charged at him, her arms drawn back to punch at him, Marcel simply dodged it but she didn¡¯t give up. This was just the beginning. Arianna threw a blow with the other arm but all it did was cut through the air.

    No, she can¡¯t be discouraged. Arianna struck at him relentlessly and when it seemed like she wanted to corner him, Marcel reached out and caught her fist while he pulled her other arm behind her back and pushed her away.

    She stumbled back and there was loud apuse from his men for a job well done and that only annoyed Arianna further. While she was sweating profusely and trying to catch her breath, Marcel looked unruffled. There was not even a single sweat and he looked as if he was ying around with a child instead of fighting her.

    No, she can¡¯t admit that this was over already. Arianna ran forward and leaped into the air,nding in front of him with her arm drawn back and aimed at his face. But Marcel stepped back and blocked the move, pushing her back and she wasn¡¯t able to hold against his weight. He had not been kidding when he said he would only defend.

    Unlike the first time, although Marcel still had the upper hand, the audience apuded her. They were beginning to admit that she had some real skills after all. She was not just a pretty girl.

    .....

    Arianna came charging again, her motto was never to give up and she would definitely get an opening. So she spun and tried to kick out his feet from beneath, Marcel was faster and jumped over the trap. She tried to trip him, but he sidestepped it as well and Arianna was beginning to run out of options.

    Knowing that she was running out of time and hadn¡¯t even gotten one hit, Arianna began to get angry and frustrated. She refused to admit Marcel was untouchable. All she had to do was to hit him three times and she got what she wanted.

    Unfortunately, Arianna forgot that when she let frustratione in, she lost her cool and began to make more mistakes than she had at the beginning. Marcel noticed that and took huge advantage of that when she tried to spear him, pushing her away from such that she stumbled to the ground from the force.

    Once on the floor, Arianna realized how tired she was and justy down there in resignation. She couldn¡¯t defeat Marcel. Arianna hadn¡¯t realized it at first, but now that she witnessed it firsthand, she wanted to give up. What was the use of trying? She wasn¡¯t going to win anyway.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Marcel asked without a smile on his face when he saw her rx on the mat.

    ¡°It took me the fight to realize it but you win, take the cup,¡± Arianna gave up while trying to catch her breath.

    At that statement, booing sounds came from the audience, and looking now, she realized more people joined them when she and Marcel were wrestling. Well, they can jeer all they wanted, she was not standing up from this mat.

    Ouch, her back hurt.

    Marcel stood with his arms on his waist, ¡°So you¡¯re going to give up before the time¡¯s even over?¡±

    ¡°As much as it¡¯s great to win, it¡¯s also essential for one to recognize when they¡¯re fighting a losing battle and I choose thetter,¡± Arianna said.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel shook his head in disagreement, ¡°This is not giving up, you¡¯re just a coward who is afraid of the obstacle in her path!¡± He hissed out.

    At once, Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed, did Marcel just call her a coward? Surely, she must have heard wrong. But he was not done with her.

    Marcel went on, ¡°You asked for a chance as if your life depended on it and I gave you one and this is how you do it. You lie on your ass waiting for some god to answer your prayer, huh? Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Alright, stop it!¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t hear more of it anymore but Marcel went on, intentionally taunting her.

    ¡°I thought you were special but it seems not. You consider yourself the victim in all that¡¯s happened so far but it seems to me that you¡¯re nothing but a pushover¡± Marcel sneered, ¡± I wonder if Elijah knows the maiden he¡¯s risking his life for is nothing but a coward!¡±

    And that did it.

    ¡°I said enough of it!¡± Arianna screamed, charging at him. Marcel has finally driven her to the edge and she is full of rage.

    What does he know about her? Does he know what she went through in the hands of her so-called family and how much she fought back? How dare he call her a coward?

    With a loud cry of fury, Arianna tackled Marcel to the ground and the both of them fell. At once, she threw punches after punches at him, her teeth gritted together. But Marcel strove harder to defend himself, blocking each move even as she pushed herself hard.

    Why. Couldn¡¯t. She. Just. Hit. Him. For. Once?!

    All she did was trap him to the ground but he still was in control because no matter what angle she came with, she couldn¡¯ty a hand on him.

    Already blinded by her fury, it wasn¡¯t hard for Marcel to roll her over and trapped her such that she wasn¡¯t able to hit him amid her struggles.

    Then the bell rang, it was over. Her time was up.

    Arianna stopped struggling.

    She lost.

 Chapter 317

    317 The Deal

    Music rmendation for this chapter ¨C 99 luft ballons ¨C Kaleida (atomic blonde soundtrack)

    ¡ª¨C

    The sound of her failure was very loud. Everywhere had gone dead silent and nothing was heard except the sound of their rough breathing.

    Arianna looked at Marcel, although she had lost, she hadn¡¯t made it easy for him either and that was evidenced by the sweat running down his face. The both of them stared at each other, their chest was heaving heavily as a result of the fight.

    It was at that moment that Arianna realized their proximity, the both of them were on the floor and Marcel was lying directly in between her legs.

    Fuck.

    It was embarrassing considering that they had an audience, but for unknown reasons, Arianna didn¡¯t rouse or stand up, no, she didn¡¯t want to and waited for Marcel¡¯s reaction instead.

    Marcel stared into her green eyes and was lost in there, it was beautiful. But that was until his gaze flickered down to her parted lips and the air between them became charged. She was gasping for air but those lips seemed to beckon him and he wanted to have a taste. His gaze returned to her face and he knew that she felt that too. So he leaned down slowly.

    Arianna had to admit, she wanted him too. At that moment, the people watching them didn¡¯t matter anymore, all she wanted was the feel of him on her lips. So when Marcel began to lean down, she made no effort to stop him.

    .....

    Her heart began to pound loudly and blood rushed to her head as his luscious lips neared hers. She was filled with anticipation and couldn¡¯t wait to taste him ¨C and he wanted to taste her too. She could see it in his eyes as well. Marcel never broke eye contact with her as his lips came closer and closer until they brushed against hers. She shivered, her eyes closing instinctively.

    However, that was all.

    Arianna didn¡¯t get the kiss she wanted and even the brushing of his lips against hers stopped and she opened her eyes to see Marcel pulling away from her. Huh? What was going on here?

    Disappointment filled Arianna, however, before she could ask the sudden questions in her head like why he didn¡¯t take the chance to kiss her? Marcel stretched his hand to her and she looked at it suspiciously before calming down and took it.

    He pulled her up.

    That gesture was followed by loud apuse from his men and Arianna didn¡¯t feel as embarrassed as she thought she would be. Yes, she didn¡¯t win but Marcel¡¯s men were impressed by her guts. She didn¡¯t back down like the spoiled princess they took her to be.

    ¡°You did that on purpose didn¡¯t you?¡± She referred to him taunting and calling her a coward.

    ¡°You needed to be fired up and I decided insulting your pitiful ass would be the best approach,¡± He said smugly.

    ¡°Well, thank you, motivational speaker,¡± There was sarcasm in her tone, ¡°But I still lost,¡± she reminded him.

    ¡°Yeah, that means the deal is over.¡± He dered with no room for negotiation and Arianna knew she couldn¡¯t let that be.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna blocked his path when he tried to leave. Sheughed nervously, ¡°I still tried. I can do it. You can just forget about the wish part and...¡± She looked sideways and noticed the others staring and then came closer to whisper to him, ¡°send me to your father¡¯s ce,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t know where the courage came from but she stepped closer to him till their heated bodies were pressing together and then ced her hand on his chest while biting on her lower lips.

    Yes, she had seen moves like this win men over and was hoping she would seduce Marcel into agreeing to the deal. Crazy, right? Yeah, she must have finally lost her mind after staying here for far too long.

    Unfortunately, even after all of her effort, Marcel said to her, ¡°Sorry, but in this organization, you prove yourself and earn your deals,¡±

    ¡°Also....¡± Arianna gasped, her eyes going wide when he suddenly grabbed her butt and ground against her, earning a shout of ¡°oohs¡¯ ¡® from his men. She went red in the face.

    ¡°I told you, Arianna, you touch me? I touch you too,¡± And with that, he left, leaving her confused, mortified ¨C and horny. Not that she was going to admit it.

    Arianna stood at the spot, her feet glued to the ground. What just happened? And what was that pulsing sensation in between her legs? She took a deep breath. She had to calm down.

    Marcel had a smirk on his face as he was leaving when he heard her shout, ¡°Fine, give me a second chance then!¡± He stopped and turned to her with a raised brow.

    What hade over her? Arianna didn¡¯t know, but one thing was for sure, she can¡¯t let this opportunity pass her by.

    ¡°Same deal but we take it up tomorrow, instead. After all, you popped the whole fight me thing out of nowhere and I wasn¡¯t prepared,¡±

    ¡°And you think you would be prepared tomorrow?¡± Marcel found it hard to believe. What could she do differently tomorrow? She was simply not a match for him. And this was better anyway. He would not have to worry about her getting injured in the process of saving her sister.

    ¡°Yes, I would,¡± Arianna said, her head lifted proudly.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t do second chances, Arianna. Fine then, what would I get out of it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a busy man, yet here I am, making time for you. It can¡¯t be in vain, I have to bepensated.¡± Marcel had her in his trap.

    Arianna gritted her teeth yet there was nothing she could do. This was more important to her.

    ¡°Fine, what do you want, Marcel?¡±

    He said cockily, ¡°I want many things from you, Arianna, and of which, you might not even be able to grant. So I suggest you make the deal yourself. Give me something worth my time,¡± He gave her the power to decide.

    Arianna thought about it, what could she possibly give to Marcel that would make him agree to this deal. She had nothing.

    ¡°Seriously, what do you want? How about I give you ap dance?¡± Arianna suggested jovially and regretted it at thest minute when she saw the glint in his eyes.

    ¡°Deal.¡±

 Chapter 318

    318 Keeping Secrets From Her

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Marcel cursed as he stood under the shower. He still hasn¡¯t been able to calm down even after the cold water sprayed down his body. To be precise, his little brother down there was having a field day.

    If only Arianna knew how much she was driving him crazy. Marcel knew how much self-control he had to summon not to fall into her trap, because the moment she touched him, an internal battle set off inside of him.

    He had been tempted to do what she wanted, especially when she bit down on those pouty, sexy lips. He felt his member harden and would have promised her the world had it not been the presence of his men. They were the anchor that he held onto for his sanity.

    For someone who had given him rigorous training, Marcel wondered what his father would think of him now if he saw in this ¡°pathetic¡± condition ¨C as he would call it. He was at the mercy of a woman and Daniel surely wouldn¡¯t approve of it.

    Daniel would eliminate Arianna if he got the idea that she made his son aka his legacy, weak. So Marcel couldn¡¯t be partial and refused to give her special treatment as she wanted.

    Just as he nted spies amongst his father¡¯s men, Daniel would do the same as well. You could think of it as some sort of check and bnce system except that the so-called spies are in danger when found.

    Back to the issue at hand, why was his little brother so excited? Well, the promise of ap dance. He was anticipating it. Craving it. Marcel knew undoubtedly that he was winning that match tomorrow. Arianna simply dug her grave by suggesting that.

    Arianna was opening up to him and Marcel knew it was only a matter of time before she fellpletely for him. He promised her that he would change her mind about him and that was already happening. Except that his body was a bit impatient.

    With a groan, Marcel reached down and began to touch himself. His imagination featured Arianna doing dirty things to him aroused him and he took advantage of that to please himself.

    .....

    He increased his pace and in no time found his release. Satisfied for the moment, Marcel shut off the shower and ran his hand through his hair, wringing the water out of it before he wrapped himself in a thick towel.

    Marcel walked into his room and dressed up in casual clothes before receiving a text message. He then headed down to his office where Victor was already seated and waiting for him, alongside the soldier he sent out on that errand.

    ¡°Did you get it?¡± He asked, settling down behind his desk as the soldier handed a tablet over to him and he received it.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to retrieve this, someone was after it as well. Good thing that I was faster.¡± The soldier told him.

    ¡°Someone,¡± Marcel thought over the man¡¯s words, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. It seems the woman wasn¡¯t as simple as he thought.

    ¡°You can leave,¡± He dismissed him and the soldier left immediately.

    ¡°So, why am I summoned here? I was busy,¡± Victor told him, turning around side by side yfully with the help of the swivel seat.

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Marcel gestured to him to keep quiet so he could concentrate on the video. He yed the recording right to the moment he left for the restroom and to the moment the woman first saw Arianna, his brows drawn together in intense concentration.

    Marcel focused on studying the woman¡¯s reaction and her facial expressions. Sometimes you could tell what one¡¯s thinking from the look on their faces. The camera couldn¡¯t capture her eye color but that wasn¡¯t the problem since he had seen it already.

    When Marcel was done, he leaned back into the seat with a deep sigh while Victor, whose curiosity had gotten the best of him, snatched the tablet from him and watched it. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t make sense of the video as to why Marcel was so bothered by it.

    ¡°Okay, what am I looking at here?¡± Victor asked, unable to stand it anymore.

    Marcel told him, ¡°I think I just found Arianna¡¯s mother,¡±

    ¡°Okay... what?!¡± He was surprised by the news, ¡°How? When? Where is she?¡±

    ¡°In the video, dumbass,¡±

    Victor stared at the video and then back at Marcel, ¡°Wait a minute, you think the woman in the video is her mother? How can you be so sure of that?¡±

    Thanks to that question, Marcel spent the next minutes telling his cousin of their encounter and his instinct. And by the time he was done, Victor stared at him as if he had grown two heads,

    ¡°So just because the woman has green eyes, you think she¡¯s Arianna¡¯s mother? Marcel, green eyes might be rare but just because two people with the same eye color coincidentally meet at a Cafe doesn¡¯t make them rtives.¡±

    But Marcel disagreed, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Victor. I saw the emotions y out on her face and those weren¡¯t ordinary. There was first shock as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.... then recognition and then yearning.¡± He tried to remember what he had seen.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Victor thought over it as well. Marcel was a sensible human being and wouldn¡¯t talk rubbish if he wasn¡¯t sure of it. He asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t she talk to her then if that was the case?¡±

    ¡°She left Arianna for twenty-three years. If you were the one in her shoes, would you summon the courage to do so?¡± Marcel wanted him to think from the woman¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°I¡¯m shameless, I can do anything,¡± Victor proudly announced, ¡°But I guess, for normal people that¡¯s a no,¡± He reasoned in the end.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I can¡¯t help but think there¡¯s more to that woman than meets the eye,¡± Marcel thought, ¡°She gives off a strange vibe.¡±

    ¡°You think it¡¯s connected to the reason why she had to abandon Arianna?¡± Victor said.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Marcel stood and said, ¡°Nheless, I have what she looks like now, all I have to do now is to find her.¡±

    ¡°What about Arianna, would you tell her about your findings?¡± Victor asked him and he stiffened.

    Marcel breathed, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already keeping secrets at this early stage of your rtionship?¡± He teased him.

    Marcel defended himself, ¡°I¡¯m not keeping any secret. We are currently running on hypothesis, I just want to be sure of my facts before I told her,¡±

    But even as he said that, Marcel knew inwardly that it wasn¡¯t the entire reason. But one thing was for sure, he wanted Arianna by his side whether her mother wanted it or not.

 Chapter 319

    319 It Was Merely Infatuation

    ¡°Wow,¡± Eric breathed as soon as he saw Natalie emerging downstairs. His adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he took a good look at her, ¡°You look beautiful as always, my queen,¡± He did a ceremonial bow.

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Natalie chuckled deeply while rolling her eyes. Sometimes the man could be overly romantic.

    She took a good look at him, he was dressed casually with the sleeve of his shirt rolled up his arms. Eric lookedid back ¨C and sexy. Natalie took her eyes off him at once. She can¡¯t entertain such useless thoughts about him. The both of them.... you know what? Forget about it.

    ¡°You look charming as usual,¡± Was all she said to him.

    Eric stretched his hand and she ced her palm in his as he took her hand. That was Eric for you, he always found ways of treating her like a princess. Natalie wondered what she did in her past life to deserve such kindness from him.

    Together, they walked outside and he led her to the Mercedes-Benz already waiting for them. Whenever she was around, he loved riding in luxury andfort, making sure that her time was worth it.

    Like the gentleman he was, Eric opened the door for her and helped her get in despite the chauffeur standing at the corner and ready to help her out.

    Soon enough, they both settled down and the chauffeur took off just as he informed her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but this outing of ours might take quite a lot of time, so I suggest you sleep and get a lot of rest before we got there,¡±

    But Natalie furrowed her brows instead, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have bothered if it would take this long. I can imagine the amount of stress it took you to find -¡±

    .....

    Natalie was interrupted when he suddenly pressed his finger against her lips and she was stunned, before going red in the face. It was unexpected.

    Eric upon seeing her reaction pulled his finger away, however, a giddy feeling filled his chest when he realized she was blushing.

    ¡°Talk no more,¡± He told her, ¡°I¡¯m the man, that¡¯s my responsibility. Moreover, I had people help me out, it wasn¡¯t even that stressful.¡± Eric lied through his teeth. He had spent the rest of the day finding the best location for this date.

    Date?

    He couldn¡¯t even say that out loud for fear of getting rejected again. Fine, he would go through this the slow but steady way. But one thing was for sure, he wasn¡¯t losing her this time.

    ¡°Even at that, you still...¡± She stopped when he saw his warning look. However, Natalie asked immediately, ¡°What if I drool in my sleep?¡±

    ¡°You would still look cute to me,¡± Eric answered without thinking and saw the way her brows raised in surprise.

    He cleared his throat and answered, ¡°I would call over a makeup artist and she would doll you up to the point you would be like a celebrity on a red carpet,¡±

    Natalieughed, ¡°If you weren¡¯t joking right now, I would think you were flirting with me,¡±

    Eric¡¯s expression changed at that moment and he flexed his jaw before looking at her with an unsure expression, ¡°What if I was? What would you do?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± Natalie didn¡¯t take him seriously though, and continuedughing. She then leaned back on thefortable seat saying, ¡°I¡¯ll take up your offer of sleeping then. Wake me up when we get there.¡± She shut her eyes.

    Honestly, Natalie had no intention of sleeping but she said that to get rid of this awkward air. She had this inkling that Eric felt something for her, no, who was she kidding? He already told her that when they were younger.

    Then, they had been younger and he was a promising son, the heir to his father¡¯s legacy. Natalie had turned him without batting an eyelid knowing that it was never going to work out between them.

    She was five years older than him. Moreover, Natalie was his caretaker and a charity case his family picked up and took care of after those traumatic events. So she knew her ce, neither was she ready tomit the worst mistake of falling in love again. Natalie was scared of it, not when itpletely destroyed her.

    Hence, she rejected his confession and told him that his affection was merely infatuation that would go away with time. Perhaps, his father must have sensed his puppy love as well and moved her away to another country.

    Eric must have moved on because not longter, she heard the news that he had a child. Although they didn¡¯t get married, she knew Eric, he was a serious person and would nevermit such a thing with a person he doesn¡¯t like. So she figured out he got over her and was happy now with his daughter and baby mama.

    So Natalie focused on herself and he dide to visit, a lot of times actually, along with his brothers and daughter. That was how they got to be good friends over the years without any of them overstepping the line. Natalie hoped it remained that way.... maybe?

    Although she had her eyes closed, Natalie couldn¡¯t sleep. Her heart was unsettled after the events of the day, she met her daughter? The woman had never felt peace since the day she handed her child over to her father, but after today¡¯s coincidental meeting, the guilt increased and was pressing down on her chest.

    Who knew what her daughter thought of her? A wayward mother who didn¡¯t care about her? She knew Edward, he was a kind man and would put in a good word for her but still, her daughter must resent her.

    Natalie was sorry for making her think that she was dead, but it was the best thing for the both of them. She didn¡¯t dare to think what that man would do if he had a clue that she has a daughter.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Natalie¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by Eric¡¯s voice and she opened her eyes. Even without looking out, Natalie could guess by that salty smell and crashing waves that they near the ocean.

 Chapter 320

    320 A Mother¡¯s Sacrifice

    Music Rmendation ¨C Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi.

    It was dinner on one of the yacht¡¯s expensive exterior decks, Eric was not kidding at all. They were cruising into their own private paradise aboard the charter yacht. It was beautiful.

    The sun has already faded long ago leaving the cool breeze to apany them with the exceptional cuisine delivered to world-ss standards while looking out across the ocean under candlelight.

    It was simply romantic, if she dared to say. And special and memorable. One could see the efforts Eric put into this outing starting from the dining environment, table settings, decorations and ambience were meticulously nned and executed to theme. Natalie was more than touched. She didn¡¯t know how to pay him back for this or at least make it up to him.

    ¡°This is...is... ¡± Natalie sniffed, clearing the tears that escaped her eyes and Eric froze.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re crying. It makes me feel horrible then, I shouldn¡¯t have nned something that made you cry,¡± Eric looked really ufortable, as if he was in the middle of abor room and watching a child delivery.

    ¡°No,¡± Natalieughed in the middle of the tears that seem to flow much freely now, ¡°They are called tears of joy for a reason.¡±

    She told him and then reached out to ce her palm over his hand that was resting on the table. A gesture that Eric noticed and nced up at her questioningly.

    ¡°Thank you, really,¡± She told him, squeezing his hand affectionately. Natalie then let go almost immediately before the innocent gesture turned into something else.

    .....

    Even though Natalie shed a few tears contrary to his intention, Eric was still ddened by her response. That showed that he was making progress. He did the right thing by taking it slow.

    They spent the next minutes tasting the quality cuisines made by the chefs till their stomach couldn¡¯t contain any of their local delicacies. Then Eric had to leave to answer a call.

    Knowing that it was work-rted and probably important, Natalie didn¡¯t bother him and simply leaned over the rails and looked across the ocean. Now that she was all alone, the thoughts bothering her couldn¡¯t help but return and it was all rted to her daughter.

    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Edward was doing. Natalie had made it a rule over the years never to search or ask about him ¨C it helped her move on and for him to forget about her. Now she thought about it, he must have married already and fallen in love with his wife. That meant her daughter would have a stepmother.

    Natalie felt a stab of jealousy, her daughter would give the love reserved for her to her new mother. After all, the girl doesn¡¯t even know that she exists. She had made Edward promise her never to reveal it to her.

    But then, what if Edward¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t like her daughter? What if the woman abuses and gives her daughter a tough time at home? Her fist clenched as her maternal instinct kicked in.

    But then, she must be worrying over nothing. Natalie saw her at the caf¨¦ today and she looked happy. And that young man must be her boyfriend, they looked cute together. Still yet, her brows couldn¡¯t help but furrow, Natalie was concerned over her daughter.

    When that young man bumped into her at the caf¨¦ , he had a disturbing aura. It was annoying that she didn¡¯t see him properly with her sses on. Mob activities were numerous in this city and it would really break her heart if her daughter got involved with one. She had once been involved with a mob lord and look where that got her.

    In the end, she was still rescued by a crime family. If there was anything Natalie learned over the years, it was that you don¡¯t get involved with the Mafia, because once you¡¯re in, there¡¯s no going out. Your whole life revolves around it.

    That was why she sent her daughter away. Natalie can¡¯t be free, but her daughter could. Free from Daniel, who doesn¡¯t know of her existence ¨C and would never. She made sure of it.

    Natalie sighed, rubbing her temple where she could already feel a migraine brewing. Her past always made her feel this way. horrible.

    ¡°If I knew my progress would be for nothing, I would not have answered this call,¡± Eric said from behind and she turned to see him standing there with a frown.

    He walked over to her, ¡°I brought you here Natalie so you won¡¯t be haunted by the demons of the past,¡±

    ¡°I know, Eric and I really appreciate the effort,¡± She told him sincerely, ¡°However, some denoms stay with you, with every waking hour of your life...¡± She breathed deeply, ¡°With every breath you take till the day you¡¯re granted the mercy of death.¡±

    Their eyes met and he could see the emotions there. It tore him apart. If there was a way he could take away the pains, he would do it without batting an eye. He just wanted to make her happy.

    ¡°You know I can find her,¡± He told her.

    ¡°Oh God, no!¡± Natalie rubbed her palm down her face, she was clearly against the idea.

    ¡°She deserves to know,¡± He imed.

    ¡°She deserves a happier life,¡± She countered.

    ¡°Not when you¡¯re dying inside, slowly,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my cross, Eric. It¡¯s my sin to bear. Moreover, she thinks I don¡¯t even exist. I don¡¯t want to shatter herpletely normal life, please.¡± She begged him.

    ¡°My freedom was taken from me. My family, my life, my affection...¡± Natalie paused as if to breathe, everything was weighing down on her, suffocating her. It almost felt like she was underwater and couldn¡¯t find a way out.

    ¡°It¡¯s my sacrifice. That¡¯s what mothers do, right?¡± She said, her eyes brimming with tears.

    Eric stood at that spot frozen, watching as the tears slipped down her face. His mouth was open but he couldn¡¯t say a word, and then without thinking of what she would say, he went over and hugged her tight while she cried on his shoulder.

    He wished at that moment that he had feeling power so he could heal her soul from the inside out.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Kind of silly, but I actually cried while writing this chapter. Kudos to all the mothers out there, and to those who didn¡¯t get to feel a mother¡¯s love, feel this author¡¯s love. XoXo

 Chapter 321

    321 Help Me Fish Them Out

    ¡°You know, this really isn¡¯t necessary,¡± Aziz said to Adele, trailing behind her. However, Adele in question didn¡¯t even spare him a look and went on looking around the club.

    The woman was not kidding when she told him he¡¯d be working for her from now on. He barely recovered from the torture boot camp only to resume duty. The only good thing she did was to send him a very effective and expensive cream for his face. And just when he thought she had a heart, it turns out that she didn¡¯t.

    His work was basically following her around and he had a feeling that she intentionally did that to keep her eyes on him and make sure he and Cindy never met. All that was left was for Adele Luciano to put a leash around his neck.

    Aziz wondered if his looks weren¡¯t effective anymore? He always got preferential treatment whenever he showed this face but Adele doesn¡¯t seem to be affected by it. Was she even a woman? Good luck to his annoying teammates who thought they could get her in bed. She¡¯d probably cut off their disgusting cocks before they had the chance to reach for their belts.

    Right now, they were at one of the Luciano family clubs and she was running an inspection. As the underboss, it was her responsibility to make sure the family business ran smoothly and reported back to Marcel.

    ¡°You¡¯d tire easily if you talk that way, I still have lots of work to cover up tonight and you are apanying me to each one of them,¡± Adele told him without emotion.

    Elijah¡¯s attention shifted to the heel she wore, how could she even work in those? She was really a strong woman. If he wasn¡¯t already taken by Arianna, Adele would have been his other choice. But then, it was toote. His heart belongs to another.

    Adele blended in with the crowd partying to their heart¡¯s content. Unlike the other times when she was dressed professionally, she looked more casual but chic in her spaghetti strap ck dress that stopped at her mid-thigh.

    No, if he didn¡¯t know her already, Elijah would think that she was one of the normal people who hade to have a good time at the club. Maybe, if she stopped looking around, he wouldn¡¯t fight her out that easily.

    .....

    He was still thinking when she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the middle of the dance floor, alongside other sweaty bodies. His brow raised when she went about dancing and made him look awkward, standing there.

    ¡°Dance,¡± Aziz heard her whisper into his ears, her handsing around his neck so they looked into each other¡¯s eyes. And while he looked bothered, Adele wasn¡¯t and he realized that this was all part of the job. Yep, totally fine. He can¡¯t be the odd one here.

    So Aziz did as shemanded and though it was awkward at first, he soon rxed. Adele didn¡¯t seem to mind since it was her doing all the touching ¨C and thankfully no grinding ¨C but their bodies were pressed close enough he could feel her curves.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted,¡± She suddenly reminded him just when he was beginning to enjoy the moment a little.

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯m,¡± Aziz sighed inwardly, she was a party pooper as well.

    ¡°I just received a report not less than minutes ago that some intruders are in this club tonight and I don¡¯t know their intentions yet. If they¡¯re here to cause trouble, I need to fish them out. So, Aziz, you are going to help me do that,¡± Adele told him with a hushed tone while still dancing.

    ¡°But that is not my Job, Ma¡¯m,¡± He told her, propping a brow. It was gone past the time he was supposed to finish for the day neither was he on the night shift. So yeah, Adele was the one at fault here.

    Yet she was not deterred and instead pulled him closer by the cor, saying with a sweet smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes, ¡°I take it that you¡¯re a very driven and hardworking person. You¡¯re merely a newbie yet you were promoted barely a day after your initiation. How do you see another promotion? Who knows I might send you to work for the boss this time?¡± She threw the bait.

    Elijah gulped, that was exactly what he wanted, working directly under Marcel. The fool wouldn¡¯t even know.

    Adele misunderstood his reaction as him beingpletely taken by her magnanimous offer. After all, it was a dreame true to work directly under the boss, himself, Marcel. If only she knew that Aziz was excited about it for other reasons.

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± He epted the deal.

    ¡°Help me fish out the intruders,¡± Adele said to him, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you, right?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Elijah took the role seriously.

    The both of them went back to dancing, however, unlike the other time, Aziz was more aware of his surroundings. He had some gang fellows to catch.

    While the music yed on, he saw one of them throw his hand in the air and he breathed down, ¡°Five bodies away from your six o¡¯clock, he has a ring on his finger. Doesn¡¯t seem to be ordinary,¡±

    ¡°You could see that much, wonderful,¡± She was surprised and Aziz made a mental note to be careful from then on. For all, he knew this could be some sort of test or trap.

    ¡°Caught one,¡± Adele told him, ¡°Fool is quite an amateur,¡± She snorted.

    ¡°Another on your left, three bodies away, a hint of his gang tattoo peeking out from his jacket,¡± He fished him out.

    ¡°That should be enough,¡± Adele said, leaving the dance floor instantly, ¡°Once I have the three sent out, the others would panic and naturally expose themselves,¡± She said, typing down orders on her phone, probably giving instructions to have them kicked out.

    ¡°And there¡¯s amotion outside,¡± Adele announced after receiving the piece of information from her phone, ¡°I have to check it out,¡±

    But Aziz grabbed her and she looked down at the gesture, yet he didn¡¯t mind her questioning look and went to say, ¡°Let mee with you,¡±

 Chapter 322

    322 The Phantom Ghost, Elijah

    ¡°What is going on, here?¡± Adele demanded as soon as she made it to the underground entrance.

    It was the VIP entrance to ess the club and currently one of their customers seemed to be unsatisfied with their services.

    The valet already had sweat forming across his forehead. He lost the car under his supervision. How was he going to exin that?

    The valet imed that the customer himself came back to collect his car and was wearing the same clothes but the man in question denied such a thing happened. So how was that possible?

    ¡°I¡¯m justing out from the club and you¡¯re feeding me this billshit?¡± The man was beyond livid, veins bulging from his neck and face.

    ¡°Sir, please calm down, we¡¯re going to resolve this issue as soon as possible,¡± The manager of the club said, unsettled by Adele¡¯s presence already. It would be seen as a shoring on his side if he couldn¡¯t handle this issue as soon as possible and Adele steps in.

    Unfortunately, Adele made no effort to interrupt them and stood at the sidelines, trying to see how the case would be handled.

    ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Adele asked Aziz by her side, testing him as usual.

    ¡°The incident doesn¡¯t seem like it happened by chance and must have been nned even before the customer stepped into the club. Looking at his dressing, he must have lost his coat to the perpetrator who stole it and posed like him, having copied his keys. Unfortunately, the nonchnt valet was not observant either and let the perpetrator off. In one word, the car has sessfully been hijacked. ¡±

    .....

    ¡°Brilliant as usual,¡± There was a hint of proudness in her voice when Adele said that, although she didn¡¯t show it, ¡°We have to find the car as soon as possible else that would be a loss on our side and as well, teach those culprits you don¡¯t steal from the Luciano for a reason. Check the cameras, they should reveal everything we need to know and give us a headstart on tracking them down.¡±

    However, Adele didn¡¯t have to bother at all because almost immediately, they heard the loud screeching of tires against the asphalt and a car heading in their direction.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± the VIP customer eximed while pointing at the iing car, ¡°That¡¯s my car. It¡¯s my f*cking car!¡± He was excited.

    At once, confusion furrowed Adele¡¯s brows. What was going on here? Why was the stolen car returning? But one thing was for sure, something was not right here. Adele suddenly had a bad feeling about this and was already reaching for the gun strapped to the inside of her thighs when it happened.

    It all happened all quickly.

    Just as the car neared them with great speed, the car window slid open and revealed the driver, a man with a painted face and her face drained of all blood. Oh shit.

    Even if Adele hasn¡¯t seen him, she has heard of his tales. The phantom ghost, Elijah. The man she was assigned to find and sadly, he found her first. Did he know that she was searching for him? Was that the reason that he came after her this time?

    Adele tried to reach for her gun but he was faster and already shot at her. The only thought in Adele¡¯s head at that moment was, so this was how she died? She saw her life sh before her eyes and the only regret in her heart was, that she didn¡¯t have a family.

    As someone who was always looked down at, mocked, bullied, and criticized all of her life for being an illegitimate child, Adele had dreams of starting her own family and giving her child the love she never received. Sadly, it was quite a pity that she wouldn¡¯t live to see that happen. Or so she thought.

    Adele shut her eyes, waiting for the pain that dide but not in a way that she expected. She felt someone bump into her and together, they fell to the ground.

    The air was knocked out from her lungs upon the impact when they hit the ground and at the same time, the car took off. Despite the pain, Adele stood up and fired at it but it did little damage to the car and the phantom ghost disappeared as usual.

    Adele would have gone after it, which was kind of stupid considering that she narrowly escaped death. However, knowing that she tried at least to catch him would save her bruised pride.

    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t do much when she heard a groan by her side and looked down to see Aziz still on the ground and bleeding.

    ¡°Oh, God!¡± She went pale on the face, her heart missing a beat when she saw the blood.

    Adele went to his side and got on her knees, examining his wound. Aziz took the bullet for her and fortunately, it hit him on the arm else she wouldn¡¯t know what to do right now. Someone dying for her wasn¡¯t what she wanted or expected.

    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay.¡± She calmed him when he moaned from the pain, ¡°You are going to be fine. We just have to stop the bleeding and get you help as soon as possible,¡±

    After Adele said that, she turned to the manager and snapped, ¡°Call Doctor Ben immediately!¡±

    At that moment, she looked feral and ready to kill had he dyed obeying her instruction for even one second. He has never seen Adele this mad and he called the doctor immediately.

    Doctor Ben was a criminal doctor reserved for the Luciano crime family, to be precise, those high up the hierarchy. The fishes at the bottom of the organization had their clinic where they are attended to.

    Adele went over to the VIP customer that was currently traumatized by what was happening and tore off a part of his clothes which she used to tie around Aziz¡¯s wound.

    He screamed when she touched that injured arm and her features softened at once. She was not going to let anything happen to him. She would keep him safe. He was her lifesaver.

 Chapter 323

    323 Help Me Catch Elijah

    ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± Adele breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his brows flutter open. She was standing, unable to sit anymore and do nothing.

    Although she knew Aziz would survive, she hadn¡¯t slept a wink that night, keeping watching over him and making sure nothing happened.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Aziz said, trying to sit up only to wince slightly when he moved the bad arm.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t move, you¡¯d need a lot of rest for the time being,¡± She told him, gently pushing him back down to the bed.

    Aziz sighed heavily, shutting his eyes close for a few minutes only to open them, and saw Adele staring at him in a way that¡¯s quite creepy.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me that way?¡± He needed to know when to run for his life, ¡°Mostly, in horror movies, people turn into monsters when they look that way. I don¡¯t want to end up as a meal in your stomach.¡±

    She red at him, ¡°Are you still in the mood to joke?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I can do to distract myself from the pain. And you still haven¡¯t answered my question?¡±

    Adele sighed, then sat down on the edge of the bed with her arms folded across her chest, ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure you out,¡± she said.

    .....

    He arched a brow at her, ¡°And have you been able to figure me out?¡±

    She leaned over him, ¡°No, leaves me more confused than ever. You¡¯re like a pyramid I can¡¯tprehend yet so enchanting at the same time that I can¡¯t help but want to reach it.¡±

    He gulped, ¡°Is that a love confession?¡±

    She answered, ¡°I hate pyramids.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Aziz said. The answer was even more confusing.

    ¡°Why did you save me?¡± She asked, looking at him with burning intensity. It almost seemed as if the answer would determine whether he lived or died.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He answered, ¡°My body just kind of reacted. You can think of it as a male¡¯s protective instinct towards the female. Or if it makes youugh, saving a damsel in distress.¡± Aziz thought it sounded funny, but it didn¡¯t to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a damsel in distress and you interrupting my duty stopped me from going after him,¡± She protested, sitting back up. Her back was straight.

    He wondered if Adele ever rxed and had a good time because she always seemed in control and ready for action.

    ¡°You would have been dead if I hadn¡¯t interrupted you. And who the hell was that guy? Something tells me you¡¯ve had a history with him.¡± Aziz pried for information while keeping an innocent look.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t have a history with him until today, seems I have fallen in his good grace,¡± That was said with deep sarcasm, ¡°To be precise, he has bad blood with the boss, Marcel. Both of them are arch-nemesis and....¡± She trailed off as if wondering why she was telling him all of this.

    ¡°And?¡± He inquired further, not satisfied with the little treat she gave him. The info was sweet but not satisfying.

    Adele looked him over as if deciding if she was making the right decision by feeding him the sensitive details. But then, whether she liked it or not, he has already gotten himself involved by taking that bullet for her.

    If she doesn¡¯t keep him informed, he¡¯d probably go about, poking his nose in business that doesn¡¯t concern him just to get information on the ident and the perpetrator and might bring unnecessary attention to himself, andnd in hot soup.

    By then, it would be his fault. Moreover, what¡¯s the possibility Elijah himself wouldn¡¯te after him? No, the phantom ghost had more important things than going after some newbie who rescued his target. She should be worried about her safety.

    Also, what has she got to lose except gaining a partner? Well up until tonight, she had been suspecting that Aziz was Elijah. Well, that suspicion has been killed by what happened tonight. Aziz even risked his life for her, he deserves the truth at least.

    With a renewed determination, Adele began, ¡°His name is Elijah, and debuted into the industry months ago and got the title already, he¡¯s famously called the phantom ghost. He¡¯s a frence mercenary who¡¯s known to find his targets, they don¡¯t find him. His record is clean and untraceable. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve been tasked with finding this ghost and I believe that¡¯s the reason he came after me tonight. ¡± She exined to him.

    However, Adele muttered under her breath,¡± I must be close to uncovering him, no wonder he wants to take me out, ¡± She said and didn¡¯t notice the deep look on Aziz¡¯s face.

    Yes, she was indeed close to finding him, that was why he had to push the attention from him, and as well, gain her trust aka killing two birds with one stone. He reasoned.

    ¡°But then,¡± Her face flickered back to him and Aziz¡¯s expression returned to normal. She told him, ¡°Since you¡¯ve heard of this now, it means we¡¯re in this together. You, Aziz, are going to help me find this ghost, Elijah. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s as dead as he rumored.¡±

    Unfortunately, no, he¡¯s very much alive and standing in front of you, Elijah fought back the urge tough hard till tears escaped his eyes.

    If he had known his actions would get to this point, he would have assumed a moreic personality so it wouldn¡¯t seem suspicious if heughed now. You know Joker style, ¡® I have aughing condition¡¯ shit.

    However, he only expressed shock as he pointed to his chest, ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, shocker, right?¡± Adele gestured animatedly, ¡°And before you reject this offer, let me inform you that if we pull this off well, you might be working your way to bing Marcel¡¯s right-hand man. Yeah, you¡¯d be working with that boss directly without any intermediary,¡± She knew it would shock him and it did.

    ¡°p me!¡± Aziz couldn¡¯t believe it, happiness spreading over his face, ¡°That would be like a dreame through.¡± Atst, his ns came to fruition.

    ¡°Yes, indeed. A dreame true for both of us. I have a good feeling about you, Aziz and I know we would work out fine.¡±

 Chapter 324

    324 His Unsettled Affairs

    Adele left the room after she received information that Marcel was there. She met him in the clinic¡¯s hallway and sat down right beside him on the bench.

    Marcel, who had lowered his head, lost in his thought, lifted his face the moment he sensed her. He looked at her thoroughly, scanning for injuries that he thankfully couldn¡¯t find. Adele might not be his sister but she was family and he took care of his own.

    ¡°They said you got shot,¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°One of the boys took the shot for me. He¡¯s the promising newbie I¡¯ve been trying to introduce to you. However, he¡¯s handicapped at the moment, I guess the both of you would meet at a better moment when he¡¯s recovered.¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything but she could tell from the look in his eyes that he gave assent. He asked her, ¡°There was no trace? ¡±

    ¡°Nothing as usual. His n was clean which was not surprising since he had the element of surprise. I think he orchestrated the other gang¡¯s infiltration into the club to distract and lower my defenses. I looked down at them, and got careless. I forgot I was dealing with a dangerous man and almost got killed. However, I¡¯m sober now and he wouldn¡¯t get away with it the next time, ¡± Adele promised him, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She failed Marcel and the thought didn¡¯t sit well with her.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel told her instead, ¡± I should be the one apologizing for putting your life in danger,¡± His gray eyes bored into her dark ones, ¡°He must know that you¡¯re looking for him.¡±

    ¡°And I must be close to finding him,¡± Adele added with determination, ¡°For Elijah to react this way, I must have dug too deep enough that it made himfortable.¡±

    Marcel sighed, ¡°This is dangerous,¡±

    .....

    Adele frowned, and sensing what he was about to do, said immediately, ¡°I¡¯m not taking my hands off this investigation.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to say that when I know you¡¯d only work behind my back and endanger your life the more. You don¡¯t know what Elijah is capable of. The fact that you¡¯re still alive means Elijah doesn¡¯t want you dead yet, he merely rattled you,¡± He added, looking her dead in the eyes,¡± The phantom ghost never misses. ¡±

    Adele let out a grotesque snort,

    ¡°That was a warning then, ¡°A warning that Aziz was currently suffering the aftermath,¡±How merciful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying you should be careful,¡±

    ¡°Fine, dad.¡± She sassed and he red at her.

    Marcel finally stood up, his mission here was fulfilled. However, he remembered something at thest minute and said to Adele, ¡°One of these days, you should hang out with Arianna, I¡¯m sure the both of you would work out fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a busy woman.¡± She retorted.

    ¡°A busy woman in need of friends. Arianna needspany. It¡¯s a nice setup.¡± He demanded.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯lle around like an obedient chaperone and entertain your lovely girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not -¡±

    Adele raised her brows, as if challenging him to deny her feelings for Arianna.

    ¡°... my girlfriend yet,¡± He said instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to butt into your affair, but as a fellow woman, I suggest you clean your gardens first before you decide to y house,¡± She reminded him of his betrothal to ra and his affairs with other women in the past that may or may not have been settled.

    Adele stood up to whisper into his ears, ¡°Hell has no fury for a woman scorned. Don¡¯t wait until you learn to make your move because experience is a painful teacher.¡± And with that, she left.

    Perhaps, because of her warning, Marcel¡¯s expression changed when his phone shed and a name he had forgotten for so long appeared on his screen on his way home back to the base.

    Macy.

    And she¡¯s one of his unsettled affairs.

    ¡°Hello?¡± He said with a deep voice devoid of all emotions as if he was speaking to a stranger for the first time.

    Perhaps due to his unfriendly response, Macy changed her way of addressing him at thest moment, ¡°Hello, Mar-boss.¡± She said,

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked without inquiring how she was doing and that alone was a stab to her chest.

    The Marcel she knew would have called her since the day of that incident. He was slipping through her fingers and she knew that and was desperate to crawl her way back into his grace.

    ¡°I-I just wanted to inform you that I would be back to work soon. I¡¯m fully recovered now,¡± She said and Marcel finally remembered that Arianna broke her nose that day when Macy tried to kill her.

    Fierce, little thing, even in the face of death, she didn¡¯t forget to leave her marks on the enemy, Marcel was so proud of her. At that moment, if Arianna was beside him, he would have reached out and patted her head,plimenting her for a work well done.

    Honestly, Marcel had forgotten all about Macy after that day and even thought he fired her. Turns out that she was merely recovering from the wounds his baby girl gave her. His baby girl? He felt like grinning at the endearment.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about returning so soon, Macy, have more breaks.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She was not expecting that.

    ¡°Take advantage of all the leave that is due and you missed out on because of your dedication to work. Don¡¯t worry about money, you¡¯d bepensated immensely and funded right after this call. Travel around the world, have all the fun you want, two months? Three months? Six months? Take it all and returnter. Good luck on your vacation.¡± He ended the call.

    ¡°H-hello? Hello? Boss? Marcel?!¡± She shouted when the call ended in her ears.

    With great anger, Macy tossed her cellphone to the wall and screamed. She knew this method, having given the same orders in his ce to his other affairs over the years.

    No, he can¡¯t get rid of her like this. She had prepared for this for so long that she can¡¯t give up now.

 Chapter 325

    325 Chicks Fight With Style

    ¡°Do you think that I stand a chance against him?¡± Arianna asked her best friend Mimi who hade to apany her in her final moments before and I quote, ¡°Marcel mauls your ass,¡±

    Mimi tore her gaze away from her cell phone. She was probably sexting Victor and Arianna didn¡¯t mind ¨C as far as she doesn¡¯t know the details.

    ¡°What do you think, Arianna?¡± Mimi sighed, as if she was tired of the questions, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you the truth, or do you want me to tell me what you would love to hear?¡± She offered her the truth.

    ¡°I just want you to console me,¡± Arianna sulked, throwing herself on the bed and bringing her down with her. Arianna fake cried ¨C although she really wanted to for real, she can¡¯t be seen as a crybaby ¨C and Mimiically made the gesture of coaxing her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry sweetheart, the best part is that you won¡¯t die from giving him ap dance. If anything, the both of you might kick things off after the sweaty whining of hips and grinding,¡± She insinuated at them having sex afterward.

    Arianna hardly recovered from that shocker when Mimi added immediately, ¡°By the way, quick question, in case you lose, which I¡¯m not praying you do....¡± She rified when she saw the look of disbelief on Arianna¡¯s face,

    ¡°But when it¡¯s time for thep dance of a thing, can you make it public, or even if you decide to go private, can I record it secretly? I mean, your love interest is an insanely, sexy cold-blooded motherfucker and you¡¯re a twenty-three-year virgin and a damn good dancer, the scene would be awkward, good forical relief, yet hot as sin. It would be like watching good-looking men while sucking down mojitos on a sunny day on the beach and I swear, it would break records on the inte. Yourst video was quite a sensation, ¡± She reminded her whileughing, hopefully.

    However, by the time Mimi was done babbling, Arianna looked at her as if she had finally lost her mind, before her expression morphed into a murderous one. So Mimiughed it off.

    ¡°Haha, joking!¡± She signaled to Arianna to make her face look less serious, ¡°I was just pulling your leg, although if you could still reconsider -¡±

    .....

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Arianna cautioned her, ¡°That¡¯s not helpful at all.¡± She was a bit under tension. It was not enough that everyone was interested in this match, her best friend was not helping matters.

    After the fight with Marcel yesterday, his men finally epted her and stopped giving her the judgmental look. Arianna thought that it was a good sign and was actually happy until she heard that every one of them would be around for today¡¯s match ¨C well except those on watch duty. But Arianna was sure every single one of the event would be recorded on their phones. It would be embarrassing to watch her ass handed down to her but that was not the end of it.

    They made bets too. Yeah, you heard that right. They betted upon this match and each of them ced their money on Marcel. Not even a single fan. Yep, none of them had faith that she would win. Well, except Victor.

    Yeah, Victor ced a bet on her not because he thought she was going to win but because she was his girlfriend¡¯s best friend and he thought it was quite romantic to support Mimi¡¯s rtionship and it made him boyfriend material. The both of them were driving her crazy.

    ¡°I could give you something useful though,¡± Mimi probably said without thinking about it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me ideas, Mimi. There¡¯s barely an hour to the fight and my confidence haspletely gone down the drain. There¡¯s not even as much as little to lit a matchstick.¡± sheined.

    But Mimi frowned down at her, ¡°I¡¯ve never been more serious in my entire life than now.¡±

    Knowing her friend, Arianna sensed the sincerity in her tone and begrudgingly propped her head on her arm, giving her the attention, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m listening. what is it?¡±

    Mimi propped her head as well and stared at her, saying, ¡°The hard truth is that Marcel is going to defeat you.¡±

    Arianna sighed, thanks for the motivational speech, bestie.

    ¡°However, that is only because this is his specialty. In one word, he¡¯s in his element and all you can do is try to identify the crack and manipte it to your favor.¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°And how do I exactly see the crack before even manipting it?¡±

    ¡°Oh God,¡± Mimi sighed, the way a teacher would upon helping out a hopeless student, ¡°We, the female, are the perfect crack in the dominated manhoodsy world.¡±

    ¡°Eww,¡± Arianna said, ¡°And that is not even a word,¡± She referred to Mimi saying, ¡°manhoodsy¡±

    ¡°No, it is not,¡± Mimi admitted, ¡°However, I¡¯m afraid that you, sister Virgin Mary would be burned by it so I preferred to use the less profane form of it, borrowed from my dictionary,¡± She taunted her.

    ¡°Haha, funny.¡± Arianna coughed.

    ¡°The only reason Marcel whacked your ass yesterday is that you faced him head-on like a man which you are not. Sadly, you¡¯re a chick, and chicks fights with style,¡± She said.

    ¡°And your solution is?¡± Arianna still didn¡¯t get the point. If anything, she had a feeling that whatever idea Mimi had in her head wouldnd her in trouble.

    ¡°God, you are so hopeless,¡± Mimi huffed, then gestured for her toe closer.

    As soon as Arianna was within hearing shot, she whispered an idea into her ears that made her go crimson red in the face.

    ¡°That is outrageous!¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t even believe she would suggest that.

    ¡°What about this then,¡± Mimi gave her another idea and this time she actually found it interesting and was worth the chance.

    Mimi proudly told her, ¡°If there¡¯s anything I know about men like the Luciano¡¯s, it¡¯s the fact that their pride is so huge that they should be touching the roof of heaven by now. He wouldn¡¯t even see thating.¡± She joked and Arianna couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    She only prayed that this effort is worth it else it¡¯sp dancing the Mafia Lord who kidnapped her.

 Chapter 326

    326 Falling For Seduction

    ¡°What¡¯s keeping her?¡± Marcel asked his cousin, busy texting on his phone. It was five minutes due for the match to begin already and there was still no sign of Arianna.

    If it was someone else, Marcel would have guessed he or she took off, but that was not Arianna¡¯s style. She woulde here even if her legs were broken and she was limping.

    Moreover, she was the one who suggested a rematch in the first ce and he was giving her a second chance. She would probably not give it up for anything in the world.

    ¡°Can you ask what¡¯s keeping them?¡± Marcel was getting irritated by each growing moment and Victor must be chatting with Mimi.

    Mimi was not here and was chatting with Victor over the phone, meaning that Arianna was probably with her. What were they doing? Arianna finally got his men¡¯s respect, she can¡¯t lose it after working hard to get it.

    ¡°Where are you, babe girl? My cousin¡¯s getting cranky with the minutes passed.¡± Victor enunciated each word while typing and it annoyed Marcel. Not because Victor called him cranky but because he was unting his great love life in front of his face ¨C one he didn¡¯t have.

    A minuteter, Victor answered, ¡°They¡¯re here,¡±

    Marcdk lifted his head to see Arianna step into the room just as Mimi put the phone in her pocket. However, Marcel¡¯s brows couldn¡¯t help but furrow when he saw what Arianna was wearing while Luca escorted them in carrying a huge multimedia Speaker.

    What was Arianna up to? He wondered. It was enough that she wore a long cloak that covered her thoroughly as if she was about to feature in some medieval era movie instead of fighting his ass.

    .....

    ¡°What¡¯s with the charade? This is no party nor do I get your fashion sense? How do you intend to fight me in this thing? It would get in your way.¡± He asked, sincerely worried.

    ¡°Who said you can¡¯t have fun while fighting? Also, fashion¡¯s the new thing now, ¡± She told him, making no sense at all.

    Nheless, she stepped over the line, signifying that the match should begin and whoever had the rm sound effect couldn¡¯t be happier to sound it.

    The moment the rm red, Marcel waited for Arianna to charge at him as usual. No matter what ludicrous n she had up her sleeve, he was confident at defeating her. However, he never prepared himself for when the music started to y from the loudspeaker.

    As soon as the lyrics, ¡°You know you¡¯ll go broke tryna handle me,¡± sang out, Arianna found the strings holding the cloak together and let it fall to the ground earning sharp gasps and astonishment from the crowd.

    Mimi was right in one aspect, they never saw thising. But the reaction she was expecting from Marcel was not this murderous energy. Thankfully, the music, ¡°Treat me,¡± continued to y, making the tension in the air less suffocating. And she was determined to win this match.

    Marcel stiffened at the spot, his gaze taking her in, starting from her head to the sole of her feet. Arianna was wearing a red, one-shoulder mesh sports bra that only covered her chest and her toned belly was fully on disy for all of his men to see. At least the pants were long but it was an ultra-body-con that showed off the wonderful curves he always knew she had.

    At that moment, Marcel might as well have be a fire-breathing dragon because of the way his nose red. What the hell was she thinking wearing those seductive outfits looking so hot and captivating?

    He was the only one who was supposed to appreciate that only and not his men staring at her with lust in their eyes and he bet some of them had their manhood at attention. Marcel felt like killing them one after the other ¨C and was seriously tempted to.

    That was the effect Arianna had on people, especially men. She was like the sun that couldn¡¯t be hidden, instead, it spread its warmth over everyone ¨C even the unworthy scums. But Marcel must have been way over his head because the next he felt was a small pain at the corner of his face and a goddamned cheer from his men. That was when it registered in his head, Arianna just hit him. And nowhere else but his face.

    Anger like no other rushed through his veins, but it was not because she hit his face, the most sacred ce on his body. No, Marcel just realized that he had been tricked and all that remained was two more hits and he could kiss thep dance goodbye. Oh no, that was not happening.

    ¡°Fine trick,¡± Marcel snarled and Arianna shrugged, even having the audacity to wriggle her ass to the entertainment of his men and his detriment.

    ¡°That music has to go,¡± Marcel was firm in his decision. He was thrown off his element, having never attempted having fun while fighting. This was fighting and she was supposed to be serious at it, not making pretty moves with that ass that were distracting. The ass that was supposed to provide him ap dance after this was over.

    ¡°Sorry, Marcel but you would have to turn it off yourself,¡± Arianna told him cockily knowing he couldn¡¯t do it.

    The speaker was outside the line with Luca who was in cahoots with her and stepping over it would mean that he was admitting defeat and she knew Marcel couldn¡¯t do it ¨C although she hoped. It would be less tiring that way.

    ¡°In your dream,¡± Marcel told her clearly.

    Arianna pouted her lips as if she just suffered a huge loss, ¡°What? A girl can¡¯t help but hope.¡±

    At the same time, the lyrics sang,

    ¡°Exceptional,

    You know anything less is uneptable,

    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m flexible

    But only in all the ways my legs can go,¡±

    In rhythm with the music, Arianna lifted her legs in such a way that it waspletely straight with her body and a round of apuse came from the audience who was enjoying the show a little too much.

    They never anticipated this move from Arianna, she brought the fight to a whole new level and the bets were quickly changing hands with more people beginning to ce bets on her. Even if Arianna lost, she gave them a run for their money.

    But while all these were going on, all Marcel could think about was the many things he could do to her with those legs wrapped around his waist. And slowly, he fell for that sweet wine called seduction.

 Chapter 327

    327 The Third Hit

    Music Rmendation ¨C The Motto ¨C Tiesto and Ava max

    Arianna could never win against Marcel because he stood for violence and strength and everything else she couldn¡¯t do. But then she was good with the walk of the gods aka dancing. And the one goddess she decided to be, was the one that could bring him to his knees.

    As much as his cock was being, well, a cock, right now, Marcel knew he had to concentrate on the battle. Arianna already scored one point ¨C which she couldn¡¯t do yesterday until she came up with this method and needed two more to go neither was her time up.

    Marcel knew he couldn¡¯t lose, he would not get the end of it from his men, especially his cousin. He had always reminded Victor that his love for women would be the death of him. Hence, you can imagine what happens if he ¨C Madxdl- can¡¯t get his head in the game because of same woman.

    Yeah, you get the point.

    Although Marcel could live with that, Victor would probably forget all about it when a new sensationes up, but he couldn¡¯t lose thatp dance. He would reap immense benefits from it and he would get to touch her all he wanted without getting hit nor does he need to ask for her permission.

    A deal was a deal.

    Hence, Marcel was serious when Arianna approached him. She didn¡¯t attempt to charge at him blindly like yesterday but danced towards him. It was distracting, like fucking distracting with her swaying hips, but his mind was made up this time.

    So when Arianna threw a punch his way, he caught her palm and seized it. She groaned, trying to pull away but he intentionally held on tight, taunting and showing her that she was no match for him even with her petty tricks.

    .....

    Annoyed, Arianna tried to punch him with her free fist but he caught that one as well and he tugged her closer and she stumbled forward.

    Arianna stood in front of him, still trying to free herself all to no avail. And all this while, Marcel watched in amusement, and almost looked like he was bullying a child. Well, she was a child. What was she thinking trying to challenge him?

    Unfortunately, that ¡°child¡± had pretty amazing tits because his gaze couldn¡¯t help butnd on her chest. The sports bra didn¡¯t hide the swell of her breast that seem to be highlighted by her struggles. Each time Arianna tried to pull her arm free, her tits seem to bounce and Marcel was so drawn to it that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes away.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t call himself a ¡°boobs¡± man and he loved doing some breasts during forey and sex, but right now, he was so fascinated with Arianna¡¯s breast that he even zoomed in on the little bead of sweat traveling down to her cleavage. He was lost.

    ¡°Hey, mister,¡± Arianna called him, ¡°Eyes up here,¡±

    Marcel blinked, as if trying to break out of the spell and looked up. But that was the same moment he felt a sharp pain in his thigh and he had to let go of her, his face distorted. I

    It was then that he registered Arianna just kicked him in the thighs, shockingly close to his crotch and he had a feeling that she intentionally missed kicking him in the middle. Thank God, maybe?

    There was crazy jubtion in the crowd as soon as Arianna made that mark. Everyone had thought that the battle would end with the pretty face scoring only one point ¨C she tried nheless. However, Arianna surprised them by scoring one more.

    At this rate, there was a chance she might really win this thing. All she needed was to hit him once more before her five minutes were up. As if to signal that her time was slowly running out, the previous song ended with a new one ying immediately.

    ¡°The motto,¡± sted through the room and the song was weed by everyone in high spirit already. Although this was a fight Arianna, had turned it into a fun party and they were thrilled with the oue. They had been sure of the winner in the beginning, but not anymore. That second hit changed the tide of the game.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Victor whistled in Arianna¡¯s direction, ¡°Get him, Arianna!¡± He showed his support which made Mimi who was by his side confused.

    She turned to him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she could never win against Marcel?¡±

    But Victor replied shamelessly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been the first to bet my money on her if I didn¡¯t recognize her potential!¡±

    Mimi was dumbfounded.

    Arianna went red in the face when she heard Victor shout his support while Marcel looked like someone just tossed shit on his face. What did he just hear? Wasn¡¯t his cousin supposed to be on his side?

    The tension was high in the air and this was the climax of the match. There were barely two minutes left and if she could hit him for the third time, she would win the deal. The victory was at her fingertip, she couldn¡¯t lose.

    However, Arianna knew Marcel wouldn¡¯t make it easy for her either. With one stroke of luck, she could really win but Marcel would not let that happen. Whatever tricks she had been applying since the beginning wouldn¡¯t work anymore. But a girl got to try, right?

    So, Arianna danced over to him like the gypsy she was and wrapped her arms around his neck and he surprisingly let her. But she knew Marcel was alert and wouldn¡¯t let her pull any surprises on him.

    Moving to the tune of the music, she ground against the unresponsive man, all except, his calcting eyes. She would have thought he was a statue had she not gotten a response down there and a naughty grin curled her lips.

    Slowly yet slyly, her hands reached and were about to trace his erection when he pushed her and she twirled away yfully.

    But on a serious note, It seems, that getting that third hit wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as she thought.

 Chapter 328

    328 Have His Eyes On Her Forever

    Like a dog loyal to its follower, Arianna still went back to Marcel, her arms wrapped around his neck once more neither was heining. But she recognized his tactics, Marcel was intentionally wasting her time. When she danced with him with the hopes of lowering his guard, she was the one running out of time, not him.

    So when she danced around him once more, Arianna couldn¡¯t waste her limited time and struck. She raised her knees at the same time she ced her hand on his shoulder, but Marcel was faster.

    He blocked her kick and took her wrist, and twisted it back. But then, Marcel must have applied too much force because she shrieked as loud as a banshee at the gesture causing him to let go of her immediately with a look of horror.

    Arianna fell to the ground while cradling her wrist he must have broken in the process. Marcel went as white as a ghost when that thought hit him ¨C he injured her. He has hurt her in his quest to win some stupid deal.

    Marcel was so plunged with guilt that he didn¡¯t even realize when his legs were swept out from beneath him and hended on the ground with an ¡°Oof!¡± his breath knocked out of his lungs.

    It wasn¡¯t until Arianna was straddling him with the happiest look he had ever seen on her face since she arrived here that it dawned on him, that she tricked him.

    Even when a mighty roar came from the audience and there was celebration everywhere, Marcel was lost in his thought.

    He knew the reason Arianna won. She didn¡¯t win because he was distracted by her petty tricks, no, it was because he started developing emotions.

    The emotions his father Daniel had worked over the years to eradicate out of him, it was back and stronger. Marcel hadn¡¯t always been this cruel and violent, no, he had been a sweet, young boy, taken care of by his mother. And that was the problem. His father wanted him to toughen up, his mother was making him weak.

    .....

    So Daniel hit his mother most time when she wouldn¡¯t let him train. And then he would tell himter, ¡°You see that anger, resentment, in your chest. That¡¯s what I want! No Luciano is a weakling. Turn those negative feelings into a weapon and when you¡¯re strong enough,e for me.¡±

    So he worked day and night, trying to be smarter and stronger, pushing everyone away except for his mother. Marcel wanted to prove to his father that one could still be stronger and love at the same time.

    But for who? His mother died before he could prove it. Who was he proving it for then? He remembered his father telling him, ¡°Your mother only died because she¡¯s a weakling. This world only has space for the strong.¡±

    So, he decided to be strong from then now. And guess what, while being stronger got him the respect he wanted, it left him empty. Marcel knew something was missing, he couldn¡¯t even tell if he was living or merely existing.

    But that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Arianna, made him feel alive. Those emotions made him blind enough that she even defeated him.

    Thanks to that,mon sense told Marcel that he shouldn¡¯t let her near him, but that was the problem, he needed her near him.

    She made him calm and happy. A feeling that he hadn¡¯t experienced for a while now. Arianna would burn him alive but that pain was a huge reminder that he was alive and not just an existence. He needed her.

    Marcel didn¡¯t need Victor to force the truth out of his mouth any more because he knew at that moment, that even if Elijah returned with his weapons and demanded Arianna, he wasn¡¯t giving her to him.

    Like the wolf that devoured Little Red Riding Hood, Marcel wasn¡¯t letting go of her because he has his eyes on her ¨C for a long time now. Marcel just made up his mind that he would have his eyes on her forever.

    She won?

    She fucking won?!

    Arianna couldn¡¯t believe it! It seemed a bit surreal! She didn¡¯t even imagine herself winning in her imagination after Mimi suggested she used her feminine charm instead of fighting him like a brute.

    Honestly, she had run out of ideas on how to secure the third hit until the pain in his wrist gave her an idea. Be a barbie. Men were naturally protective of women, and what more, one who has a crush on you? So she applied it and it worked in her favor!

    Arianna did a little Victory dance on Marcel? Oh shit! She realized at the end as she tried to stand. She straddled him earlier to suppress and rub her victory all over his face. But then, the match was over and the touching wasn¡¯t permitted anymore.

    But before she could stand, Marcel had already grabbed her waist and pushed her down to him so he could easily whisper into her ears.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been having your fun all this while and now, it is my turn, hence, you don¡¯t get to argue about the no-touching rule. You should start running, now, Arianna, find a good ce I would not find you and hide out until I cool off, because once I get my hands on you, I¡¯m fucking your brains out. You have just a minute until I¡¯m after you like a cheetah. ¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t have the time to be shocked because she could see the truth in those darkened gray eyes. As much as she was attracted to Marcel, fucking her brains out wasn¡¯t her ideal type of sex nor was she ready for sex with him. Now, maybe?

    So she ran like the sh, past her newly formed fans and her bestie Mimi who wanted to pull her into a victory hug. But Arianna gave up all those and ran for her life, no, , in this case.

    All the while, her heart kept beating in her chest. Marcel knows the base like the back of his hands, where could she possibly hide that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find her.

 Chapter 329

    329 The Future Seemed Bleak

    Arianna hid sessfully ¨C In Victor¡¯s walk-in closet. She figured out that Victor¡¯s ce was hardly frequented by Marcel and for very good reasons. Who in the world loves all? Him, Victor.

    Hence, she hid in his closet for over an hour and came upon a piece of disturbing news in the end.

    ¡°How could you be so easily tricked?¡± Victorughed at her.

    He stumbled upon her hidden behind one of the cabs in his closet after she nearly gave him a heart attack. And right now, they were seated in his room, and by ¡®they, she means Mimi¡¯s part of the party.

    ¡°Marcel tricked you,¡± He confessed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    And yes, that was the disturbing news.

    ¡°H-how? W-why... How could he do that to me? Did you know I was frightened? How much my heart skipped a beat when I thought of him finding me and keeping true to his threat!¡± Arianna was flustered, her hands on her chest.

    Her heart had never stopped pounding the entire time she was hiding out in the closet and in the end, it was all for nothing? It was surely an expensive joke and Arianna was greatly annoyed by that. What if she had a heart attack or something?

    .....

    But Victor asked her instead, ¡°Haven¡¯t you wondered why Marcel doesn¡¯t have any friends?¡±

    She rose up angrily, ¡°What has that got to do with the fact that I¡¯m mad and you are the only reason I haven¡¯t gone down there to give him a piece of my mind!¡±

    Yep, she was very mad.

    ¡°Do you want me to tell you or not?¡± Victor asked with a bored tone, unbothered by her outburst.

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Arianna plopped back down on the seat, eager to hear this thing on Marcel. The more she knew about him, the better for her ¨C and she could use it against him in the future. You never know.

    ¡°Well, indeed, Marcel didn¡¯t have a normal childhood, however, he still had the chance to make friends with the children of the soldiers. They doe around sometimes and of course, with other members of our dysfunctional family. But Marcel had a little problem. ¡±

    At this point of the story which was the climax, Arianna would do anything in the world to hear what Victor had to say. Hence, it wasn¡¯t surprising she listened to him with rapt attention.

    ¡°He was extremely covetous and possessive. It became a norm in our family to hide your things from the greedy gray-eyed monster. Although none of them could say that to his face neither could Marcel prove they referred to him as such, since most of the Luciano¡¯s have gray eyes.

    ¡°What am I trying to say? When Marcel liked what you have, he made sure he had it to himself. And I¡¯m not going to lie, uncle Daniel did encourage the behavior. ording to him, his son was going to be the leader of the Luciano family in the future and deserved to have whatever he wanted.

    ¡°His mother was solely against it and tried to reform him to the best of her ability. Unfortunately, bad behaviors are far easier to catch on. Soon enough, his possessiveness extended to not only objects, but to people as well, to me.

    ¡°If I was to hang out with Marcel, I couldn¡¯t y with other family members. What could I do? I was a child and loved my cousin far better than any of my other second cousins who were honestly assholes. Marcel might have acted mean, but they had a hand in provoking him.¡± He exined.

    ¡°So, what is the point of the story? ¡± Arianna asked. As much as it was interesting and gave her more insight into why Marcel behaves the way he does, sometimes, it didn¡¯t rte to why he tricked her.

    ¡°Marcel might have outgrown his childish behavior, however, some things never change. He has a massive crush on you and you just won a fight against him, what do you think would happen after the match ended?¡±

    Mimi inputted immediately, ¡°Massive high fives and hugs from good looking men, including the gay ones, in a ce saturated with testosterone,¡± She took a deep breath,¡± Marcel just denied you a savory experience.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± So that was the problem, Arianna finally figured it out. Marcel was jealous.

    ¡°Nheless, congrattions on winning the bet even though you yed dirty....¡±

    ¡°A win is a win,¡± Arianna stood her ground. The rule of the fight was to sessfully hit him three times and she did that. Creatively.

    ¡°Neither am Iining, which means the initial n of saving Chloe would go as nned and I can sleep much better today knowing there¡¯s a much better chance of sess now.¡± Victorplimented her.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Arianna breathed, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to start.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Mimi corrected her, ¡°You mean we can¡¯t wait to start.¡±

    Her back stood straight as Arianna gave her friend a confusing look, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what do you mean by that?¡± Victor was surprised as well. He had not seen that oneing at all.

    Mimi looked at Arianna as if she had developed two heads, saying, ¡°You probably didn¡¯t think that I would let you go there all by yourself, right?¡± She hoped for a positive answer.

    But Arianna was dumbfounded, and no words coulde out of her mouth. When the shock finally wore off, she said to Mimi, ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re the one who can do this dangerous job, huh? What are you, supergirl? Hunk girl? Immune to danger, is that it? We are going to have toe up with a superb name for you and of course, your costume if that¡¯s your superpower, honey.¡± Mimi didn¡¯t hold back with her tongue.

    Arianna sighed, rubbing her head. She hated when Mimi was being this way ¨C sarcastic and unreasonable ¨C because she wouldn¡¯t know how to handle her then.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it -¡±

    ¡°Then make me get it¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one with a skill here and capable enough to go in there and do the job cleanly, and we both know that.¡± She argued.

    ¡°Yeah, stealing and getting yourself in trouble, Arianna, those are quite your strong suit. I wonder if you remember who gave you the idea on how to win your deal hours ago? I wonder how you¡¯d seduce the guards to leave their post with your zero charm points?¡± Sheughed dryly, ¡°I guess I¡¯m useless after all,¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Arianna defended.

    Victor came in, ¡°Babee on, perhaps we could -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t babe me if you¡¯re not ready to support me!¡± Mimi warned him fiercely, poking him in the chest.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Victor gave up because he was just about to discourage her from going.

    So this was how it felt for Marcel when Arianna offered to go? Victor was sick and worried about Mimi¡¯s safety right now. He didn¡¯t want her to go, he wanted her where he could see and protect her.

    Mimi was not done with Arianna, and went on, ¡°I guess all that promise about being there for each other was just talks, h, h, nonsense.¡±

    She rolled her eyes heavenward,

    ¡°Just like fake promises made to a woman in the middle of sex, you just said those words to satisfy me?! And in the end, you became the badass female ninja who could climb over walls and break into Daniel¡¯s residence and do whatever they want you to do without the help of your bitchy best friend who wouldn¡¯t stop whining her mouth until you give her a good reason she shouldn¡¯t ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Okay! Fine, you win! You woulde along with me, Jesus!¡± Arianna gave in to her request, trying to catch her breath. She always knew Mimi was a handful but this? She was too much.

    ¡°Thank you, my bestie!¡± Mimi threw herself on Arianna, tackling the both of them to the ground as they fell off the sofa while Victor¡¯s hand hung uselessly in the air.

    He was just about to ask if he gets a vote in the matter as well, but it seems the election has been concluded already. Yep decision made, Mimi was going.

    ¡°Get off me, you wild pig!¡± Ariannained when Mimi wouldn¡¯t let go of her.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m so happy right now that we would be together in this exciting adventure and since you don¡¯t have a boyfriend yet, all I can do is show you my gratitude with a kiss!¡±

    ¡°What?! Eww, no!¡± Arianna tried to escape her but Mimi was on top of her and in a more advantageous position. So she smooched her on the face like some dog.

    And while both women were ying around, Victor could only fear for this uing mission because this wasn¡¯t an exciting adventure like Mimi thought, it was a life and death situation. He wondered if any of them knew that.

    Maybe Marcel was not entirely wrong about not wanting Arianna¡¯s involvement in this, not to talk of Mimi. He bet his cousin would go bananas when he heard Mimi was joining her.

    No, Victor was currently going bananas watching both women y around, it didn¡¯t give him hope. At this rate, the future of this mission seemed bleak.

 Chapter 330

    330 The Stakes Were High

    These women would be the death of him, Marcel groaned inwardly while rubbing his forehead. It wasn¡¯t until the next day that he heard the news of Mimi deciding to join the party and was seriously against it.

    It wasn¡¯t enough that he had to look out for Arianna, now Mimi¡¯s added to the circle already? This wasn¡¯t a fucking field trip for crying out loud. Their lives were on the line here.

    Marcel had good reasons for worrying about them. He wouldn¡¯t be there, and neither would his people, to avoid rousing suspicion. In one word, they were operating in the dark and that worried him the most. If anything happened to the women there, he wouldn¡¯t know.

    So he repeatedly pounded upon the issue of their safety and refused Mimi¡¯s zealous desire to join in the risky mission. At least, Marcel knew Arianna, she was a fighter and a quick thinker, and if pushes to shove, she¡¯d be able to figure out a way to save her ass. Marcel was sure of that.

    But Mimi? Marcel didn¡¯t know about her abilities except that she had great energy and good socialization skills if only she could upgrade her decorum andnguage. In one word, those skills weren¡¯t helpful in real-life fighting scenes. However, Marcel underestimated her because the woman could talk the stripes off a zebra and that was how Mimi got him to agree to join her best friend.

    ¡°It would be like Batman and Robin in action. Those two can never do without each other. Although in our case, it would be Batwoman and Robbyn. She fights and I look out for her, sounds like a team, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Mimi imed,ughing brilliantly as if she just solved the most difficult puzzle in the world.

    So here, they are,ing up with a n on how to get into Daniel¡¯s stronghold.

    ¡°So, after ourst meeting, without the presence of the love of my life, and of which I¡¯m sure Arianna has done well on updating her already,¡± Victor said, blowing her a kiss and Mimi reciprocated the gesture happily.

    Marcel and Arianna shared a gaze instantly, the both of them looking really ufortable and wished thend could open up and swallow them up at that moment. They weren¡¯t in support of this cheesy public disy of affection.

    .....

    ¡°So we all thought your psycho father¡¯s residence was imprable, unless, of course, you¡¯re invited there,¡± Victorughed, spreading the blueprint over Marcel¡¯s desk and all of them gathered around it.

    He went on, ¡°And so as your honorable consigliere, I thought it was sensible that I made myself more useful for once. Yeah, dear cousin, I know this is merely a ceremonial position. You have men more useful and resourceful than me yet you put me here. I¡¯m so touched,¡± He dramatically ced his hand on his chest.

    But Marcel warned him,¡± You¡¯d kicked out of that position pretty much soon if you don¡¯t keep talking ¨C ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking,¡± He reminded him.

    ¡°The n talks,¡± Marcel emphasized, tired of his semantics already. He loved his cousin, but he would bash his head if he didn¡¯t get down to business now.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Victor said, to everyone¡¯s relief, except Mimi. She kind of thought his bbering was cute.

    ¡°Anyway, I did more research and it turns out that your father has a cleaning crew,¡±

    ¡°Amercial cleaningpany?¡± Marcel¡¯s brows rose interestedly. He didn¡¯t even look in that direction, and Victor finally proved his usefulness.

    ¡°Yes, people who manage his fortress and make sure every nook and cranny is clean and sparkly. The house is toorge to be managed by his staff alone, moreover, these people do more intensive cleaning like sniffing out bugs, cockroaches, and h h. In other words, he contracted their services and they¡¯re due to visit in three days. Lucky us. ¡± Victor grinned brilliantly, hands outstretched and waiting for the praises to rain on him. Not that they came anyway.

    ¡°So in one word, you want us to pose as the cleaners?¡± Arianna thought.

    ¡°No, you¡¯d be one of the cleaners,¡± Victor told her.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Mimi was confused this time, ¡°We don¡¯t even work in thepany.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry you would, starting from tomorrow,¡± Marcel said, his eyes deep with thoughts and Arianna turned to him. She knew at that moment that he was working on the crazy ns in his head that probably involved blood and violence. And how did she forget ckmailing as well.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Victor agreed with him, looking down at his screen, ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind paying a visit to the owner of the S & M cleaningpany tonight,¡± He grinned at Marcel knowingly.

    ¡°So...¡± Mimi thought over it, ¡°Does that mean that we¡¯d be formal employees and work amongst the other staff there?¡±

    If that was the case, that meant her job here would be on hiatus. Not that she has been doing much here anyway. But then, you know, just asking. A change of scenery wouldn¡¯t be bad and Arianna would need the air.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on that,¡± Marcel grumbled and none of them needed to ask what he meant by that.

    If they were to work like normal staff of thepany, that meant Arianna would have to leave the base and that increased her chances of escaping or being rescued by Elijah and Marcel couldn¡¯t risk that.

    Even without that, his father¡¯s eyes were here and if they moved too much, it was sure to attract attention. If Arianna was going to be leaving this ce to work, that meant Marcel would put her under heavy security, and not only would that distract her in her duty, but draw the attention he dreaded. Their ns might be put in jeopardy because of it. Hence she leaving here can not happen ¨C until the day of the n at least.

    The stakes were high, Marcel realized at that moment and he was suddenly frightened. His hands shaking, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette stick, just as he announced to them, ¡°You can leave, now. I need to think. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be updated on the ns.¡±

    Without wasting time, as if Marcel did him a huge favor, Victor took Mimi¡¯s hand and beeline for the door, leaving Arianna.

    But she didn¡¯t leave.

 Chapter 331

    331 Breakfast In Bed With Their Head As Decoration

    ¡°I never took you as a smoker,¡± Arianna said, her arms wrapped around her chest as she scrutinized him, ¡°Is that your new habit tobat the stress?¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t leave. I told you, I want to be alone.¡± He said, putting the stick in his mouth and leaning against his desk.

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± She demanded an answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a chronic smoker, Arianna. I just take it once in a while, especially when I need to concentrate hard and you¡¯re not doing me any good by being in my way,¡± He told her, searching for a lighter on his desk.

    It was just as she said, Marcel was not a regr smoker else he would have his lighter on him. However, before he could reach for one, Arianna had already snatched the cigarette from his lips to his surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t smoke, it¡¯s not good for your health.¡± She warned him.

    He snatched it back from her, ¡°I never intended to live long on this fucking earth anyway. With what I have done, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if I live beyond my fifties.¡±

    ¡°Your father is in his fifties already and from what I¡¯ve heard so far, you¡¯re a saintpared to what he has done. So don¡¯t end your life before it¡¯s due.¡± She tried to take it back but he seized her hand.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to fear me anymore,¡± He tugged on her hand as she stumbled forward, falling on his chest.

    .....

    By the time Arianna discovered what was going on, she took a step back but couldn¡¯t walk back much since he had her chin in his grip and there was little space between them.

    ¡°Just like now, you have been disobeying me a lottely. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, I would think that you have made yourselffortable here.¡± He smirked.

    But Arianna reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, Marcel, or be deceived by my kindness because I¡¯ll be leaving here the moment I get the opportunity without turning back.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marcel murmured, his other handing down to caress her cor bone and she shivered.

    ¡°I was not wrong to call you a siren then. On the surface, you look so beautiful and enchanting, but beneath that captivating look, is a devouring soul, luring hundreds of unsuspecting sailors to their death.¡± He said, while still caressing her shoulder and loving the way her chest rose and fell to his touch. For someone iming to be in love with his nemesis, Elijah, her body was sure attuned to his.

    ¡°I see that you know your fairy-tale well, Marcel,¡± Arianna said calmly, appearing to have a collected font when her body was truly In fact an internal mess. She worked on regting her breathing first of all but he was not helping her. Arianna could only take long, deep, breaths as if there wasn¡¯t an abundance of oxygen in the air.

    ¡°However, you¡¯re no innocent sailor, Marcel.¡± She told him to his eyes.

    His lips lifted to the sound, ¡°What am I then if you do say?¡±

    ¡°The devil living amongst men,¡± Was what she called him, ¡°You parade yourself as one with the sailors, but your role is to watch theme to destruction without as much as a warning to them.¡±

    He lifted her face and drew closer such that Arianna had thought he would kiss her, but all he did was whisper into her ears,¡± In that case, I guess the both of us aren¡¯t so different after all. One rules the sea and the other, the world. Intriguing, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He drew away, but not without taking her earlobe into his mouth and nibbed. Arianna shivered terribly like one with a fever as a wave of pleasure coursed through her. She pushed him away at once knowing how much her body betrayed her with him around.

    Marcelughed at her gesture, ¡°Sure, run away like the chicken you have always been,¡± He mildly called her a coward for always running away from what she desired, ¡°At the very least, you¡¯re leaving me and I get the peace I wanted in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you would have your peace after I saved you from a potential lung cancer in the future!¡± Arianna retorted, mad at him for reasons she didn¡¯t understand. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she was mad at him or herself.

    ¡°Being a goody-two-shoes does not fit you, Arianna. You don¡¯t care about me, let¡¯s leave it at that.¡± Marcel dismissed her.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, let¡¯s leave it at that while I go have fun with your men,¡± She grinned knowingly, ¡°I seem to have be a celebrity around here after beating your ass yesterday.¡± Arianna taunted him.

    However, what she didn¡¯t expect was that Marcel would reach out with lightning speed, and press her against the desk, trapping her there as he growled warningly, ¡°You would not go near my men.¡±

    ¡°And In that case, you must be fucking out of your mind. You leave me here, bored out of my mind, and y me around whenever you wish to, and you tell me not to socialize around? You might as well, just put me in a prison, or you tone down your possessiveness at the very least. A prisoner has rights as well, get that into your fucking head! ¡± She poked him on the chest and pushed him away to create space between them and he let her be surprisingly.

    There was a short silence between them but the tension was thick and pulsating. Anyone could see the attention between the both of them even though they fought against it.

    ¡°You would not flirt with them,¡± Marcelmanded her but Arianna rolled her eyes towards heaven.

    ¡°You are not my dad and for the record, you don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marcel met her determined gaze, and she nodded without fear of him snapping her neck for disobeying his order, ¡°Sure, go ahead, flirt with anyone you like, I¡¯ll just cut off their heads and present them to you on a tter of golde tomorrow morning. I¡¯m sure you would love breakfast in bed with their heads as decorations on the wall, right?¡± He grinned sinisterly.

    Arianna took in a shaky breath, she had a feeling that Marcel meant every word he just said. So, as much as she would love to taunt and test his threat, she couldn¡¯t have anyone¡¯s death on her conscience.

    She gave in.

 Chapter 332

    332 The Wedding n

    ¡°ra,¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± The girl looked up from the magazine she had been looking at as soon as she heard her mother¡¯s voice.

    She stood up and went to wee her mother, ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re home right on time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you told me that it was an emergency. I had to finish up as quickly as I could to answer my darling daughter.¡± Diana pinched her cheeks yfully while ra smiled.

    ¡°Come on, mother,¡± ra turned and took her by the hand, leading her to the couch she had been on and made her sit with her, ¡°The wedding nner would be here any moment,¡±

    ¡°The wedding nner?¡± The woman was taken aback by the news.

    ¡°Oh God, mom, you seriously didn¡¯t forget about that,¡± She groaned, rubbing her head.

    ¡°Honestly, I actually thought you were pulling my leg, this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve pulled jokes like this one, ra. You are really getting married? Why haven¡¯t I gotten a call about that from Marcel? That isn¡¯t proper!¡± The woman felt insulted.

    At once, sweat coated ra¡¯s forehead while her hands trembled but she intertwined her hands together and hid her nervousness with a smile,¡± Ohe on, mom, you know, Marcel is a busy man? ¨C ¡±

    .....

    ¡°And I¡¯m not?¡± she pointed out sternly.

    ra tugged on her clothes, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, mother. He probably didn¡¯t intentionally forget to tell you and also that¡¯s why there¡¯s going to be a family dinner this Friday,¡± She lifted her phone to show her mother the message she received from Marcel not long ago.

    Diana took the phone from her daughter and carefully read the message, making sure that it was truly from Marcel as she said.

    Even at that, she still looked up at ra with a disapproving look, ¡°Then, what¡¯s with the wedding nner. We are having a family dinner this weekend on how to go about your wedding and you¡¯re working on it already?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand her daughter at all.

    ¡°The family meeting is for formality¡¯s sake and the wedding is two weeks from now, I don¡¯t have time to waste around,¡± she threw her hands up in annoyance, ¡°And mom, I informed you about the wedding already. You should be supporting me!¡±

    But the woman sassed, ¡°Oh yeah, sure you did. Let¡¯s see, how did you inform me once again?¡±

    Diana angrily tossed the phone back to her daughter which she caught and then pulled out hers from her pocket and scrolled through messages,

    ¡°I did receive a notification when I was on stage at a conference days ago. I ignored it and then when I was done with the event, I decided to go through my phone and find out who had texted me in my private line, only to see that it was no one else but my lovely daughter, and thus she quotes, ¡®Mom, Marcel and I are finally getting married, inserts *happy emoji*¡¯ and that was all. You seriously wanted me to believe that?¡±

    ¡°I did call you.¡± ra defended her action.

    ¡°Yeah, you called to tell me toe back home because it¡¯s an emergency and we needed to talk. You didn¡¯t tell me that we needed to talk to the wedding nner as well,¡± The woman pointed out.

    ¡°Okay, fine, it¡¯s my fault. I should have given you enough information and shouldn¡¯t have sprung the whole surprise on you. But then, Marcel and I have always been together and you should have known we¡¯d be getting married any moment from now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get the point, ra? God, I wonder whose birdbrain you took after,¡± Diana face-palmed, ¡°This family! They are looking down on you!¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. Daniel treats me well, more than you can imagine. It¡¯s just Marcel that is the problem. But then once we get married and I give him a child, he¡¯de around. The rowdy ones are always the ones to love strongly. This is my sacrifice, mother, for a better future, for me.¡± ra said while her mother looked at her pitifully. Her poor child, what has she gotten her into?

    At the same time, one of the staff came in to announce, ¡°The wedding nner is here, should I let her in?¡±

    Although the question was thrown at her, ra looked at her mother knowing that her decision would influence her answer.

    ¡°Please mom, help me out. Just this once,¡± ra desperately pleaded with her and even though the woman wanted to refuse her, she couldn¡¯t bear to see her daughter in so much pain. She had underestimated her daughter¡¯s feelings for Marcel.

    So she nodded and a bright smile spread across ra¡¯s face at once. She drew her mother into a hug, promising her, ¡°You are not going to regret this.¡±

    However, the woman was regretting it already. Diana just realized the hell she had pulled her daughter into by using her past marriage as a reference. That must have motivated ra and made her turn this way. She was afraid that her daughter was blindly digging her grave. Sadly, Diana didn¡¯t know how to stop her because ra was already in so deep.

    Just like a bullet shot in the chest was in close proximity to the heart and could cause death if removed carelessly, Diana didn¡¯t know what step to take so as not to push ra one step closer to the grave. What was she going to do?

    ¡°Hi Alexi!¡±

    ¡°Hi miss. ra!¡±

    Diana was roused out of her thoughts when the wedding nner finally arrived and exchanged pleasantries with her daughter.

    ¡°And this is my mother, Diana,¡± ra introduced the wedding nner whose eyes brightened upon seeing her mother.

    ¡°Hi madam Diana. It is such an honor to finally meet you in person. I might not be an avid fan but I respect your efforts and contributions to this society,¡± The woman gushed over her mother.

    ¡°Thank you so much. It¡¯s a good thing having you n my daughter¡¯s wedding,¡± said Diana calmly, enveloping her hand with hers. Unlike the wedding nner, she was able to control her emotion and carried herself with grace.

    ¡°Yes, it was quite a shocker hearing that the daughter of Diana Alberta is getting married, which makes me wonder why it isn¡¯t in the news yet. I mean it would be quite a sensation considering your status in society.¡±

    And at that question, ra and her mother shared a look.

 Chapter 333

    333 Marcel Was Not Worthy Of Her Daughter

    The look between ra and her mother didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the wedding nner who then picked up the tension in the air. It had been there when she arrived but didn¡¯t give it much thought until now.

    She asked awkwardly, ¡°Is there a reason why the news is not out, or is there a reason the news shouldn¡¯t be out. I can keep a hundred percent confidentiality for my client, however, I work with people at the top of the social hierarchy and my presence alone spells wedding bells. ¡± She hinted that she wouldn¡¯t be held responsible if the news were to leak.

    ¡°No,¡± ra stood out before her mother could say a word,¡± The wedding announcement would be made in due time, however, I want thefort of secrecy at the moment. You should know how crazy it gets when news like this is released, especially when it involves a prominent family like ours.¡± She chuckled nervously.

    ¡°Of course, I do understand your fears. Nothing can be more hectic than nning a wedding but then...¡± Alexiughed loudly, pressing her hand on her chest, ¡°That¡¯s why you have me. It¡¯s my role and upation to take the weight off your shoulder.¡± She said before looking around the room and that was when ra realized she was still standing.

    ¡°Please do, have a seat, refreshment is on the way,¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± Alexi squeaked, sitting down immediately.

    Diana sat beside her daughter on the same couch while the wedding nner sat on the next one. Alexi looked the part and was quite young and fashionable in her attire and that was what ra wanted. She needed a wedding nner who understood what she wanted and she couldmunicate with and be understood. Moreover, Alexis was an experienced wedding nner.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re doing your research already,¡± Alexi said, reaching for one of the magazines on the table.

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± ra answered, her back straight and formal, ¡°I was hoping to get inspiration from the magazines and form an idea of what I want andmunicate it to you. That way, your job would be far easier and I would be much happier.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet. You¡¯re kind and considerate and would be added to the list of my favorite clients.¡± Alexiplimented her and that warmed ra¡¯s heart. This wasn¡¯t as hard as she thought it would be.

    She was creating a clean and free environment, Diana noticed and didn¡¯t say anything. At least, her daughter chose a good wedding nner. She couldn¡¯t wait for this to be over so she could talk to Marcel and give him a piece of her mind. As much as the Luciano¡¯s were responsible for their protection, the Alberta¡¯s were not pushovers either.

    ¡°So, where is he?¡± Alexi suddenly asked.

    ra¡¯s brows raised questioningly, ¡°He?¡±

    ¡°He, your fianc¨¦? Husband to be? Love of your life? The man you are going to spend the rest of your life with in the astonishing wedding I n to throw? ¡± Alexi intentionally teased her.

    ¡°Oh,¡± ra finally got what she was saying andughed awkwardly, tugging the tendrils of her hair to the back of her ear, ¡°He¡¯s kind of urm... busy?¡±

    ¡°Eeh...¡± Alexi licked her lips, ¡°In that case, that¡¯s going to be a little setback in our ns.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°As a Wedding nner, my responsibility is to establish a nning timeline and work with you, the bride, and your groom, to choose everything from attire, to ceremony and reception venues, music, and food. In one word, I¡¯m here to Interview both you couples and parents to identify your needs. ¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± ra realized how messed up this was right now. Marcel had told her to n the wedding herself and now this wedding nner was trying to tell her that Marcel needed to be present. It didn¡¯t sound like a great idea.

    ¡°Is his presence really necessary?¡± ra asked, and that question made Alexis¡¯ brow furrowed in confusion as she too began to suspect something was wrong here.

    Yet, Alexi went ahead to exin to her, ¡°Although the bride¡¯s needs are known to overshadow the groom¡¯s, however, this is not only your wedding, it is our wedding, meaning you and your husband. It is your special day to him as much as it is to yours. So getting a clear feel and understanding of both your taste and overall vision is important for my work.¡±

    ra took a deep breath, how was she going to deal with this? But then, as much as Marcel told her to go ahead with the preparation, he promised to be here if she needed anything. Well, she needed him now.

    With a new surge of confidence, ra told Alexi proudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll call him and he¡¯d be here as soon as possible and we can start with the arrangements,¡±

    She had a feeling that Alexi was beginning to suspect that something was wrong with this marriage of hers, after all, this was her upation ¨C nning happy weddings. So she would prove her wrong once Marcel arrives.

    At the mention of arrangements, Diana¡¯s eyes shone with anger and resentment. Marcel had not officially told her about the marriage, how dare he show his face here to n a wedding she hasn¡¯t approved.

    But ra didn¡¯t take her mother¡¯s feelings into ount and as soon as Alexi said, ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±

    She stood up from the conch and went to a corner of the room to make the call.

    ¡°Come on now, don¡¯t fail me, Marcel,¡± ra took a long, shaky breath as she called him.

    She must have forgotten how to breathe because she held her breath the entire time the phone rang. By the time the call ended with no answer, ra was beginning to tremble on the second ring.

    However, even when she called the fourth time, there was still no answer and she couldn¡¯t control herself anymore. With great anger, she tossed the phone on the floor with a guttural scream like a wounded animal scaring both women who had no idea what was going on.

    ¡°ra!¡± Diana went to her daughter having a feeling that this had something to do with Marcel. The woman made up her mind at that moment, she was going to end this stupid engagement. Marcel was not worthy of her daughter.

 Chapter 334

    334 Make Marcel¡¯s Life Miserable

    Music rmendation ¨C ss Heart (feat Sam Tinnesz)

    __________

    ¡°ra!¡± Both women shouted and reacted at the same time. However, before the wedding nner, Alexi could even stand to her feet, Diana had already reached her daughter.

    ra fell into her mother¡¯s arms, breaking down in tears while the other woman watched in confusion, with no clue on what to do.

    With the way Diana was holding onto her daughter, it was obvious that this wasn¡¯t the first time ra was having a meltdown and Alexi felt like a stranger invading something private. It made her feel ufortable.

    Hence, before she could be asked to leave, Alexi said to the woman, ¡°I would take my leave and perhaps, schedule the meeting for another day,¡± when everything was under control, she didn¡¯t add that part.

    Diana didn¡¯t say a word but she nodded her head in understanding and the wedding nner took her leave. This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯s seen drama in her line of work, but this one? She would make a miserable bride. The marriage was doomed before it even began.

    However, it was none of her business whether her client married the wrong partner or not. Her business was to give them the wedding of their dreams and up her reviews. Moreover, marriages these days weren¡¯t even guaranteed. It was a game of luck.

    Back in the receiving room, Diana knelt by her daughter¡¯s side. ra ced her head on her chest bawling her eyes out while her mother rubbed her back soothingly, trying tofort her.

    .....

    ¡°He said he would be here when I needed him, yet....y-yet... he¡¯s not even picking my calls....!¡± ra cried out.

    She felt humiliated and disappointed. Why must Marcel treat her this way? She bet he was with that other woman. What was so special about that ugly duckling?

    ra might not have graduated from Harvard, but she attended one of the prestigious Universities in the world and graduated from it summa cumude. She had her own booming business and came from a respectable family, a royal one at that. Why must he disgrace her like this? Marcel made her aughing stock and she bet that other women must be celebrating her victory. But not for too long.

    ra¡¯s resolve to be with Marcel strengthened upon thinking about the mistress her fianc¨¦ was keeping. She hase this far, there was no going back.

    She tried to conjure the woman¡¯s face but all ra could remember was the shock of red hair. Right now, it wasn¡¯t a matter of whether she liked Marcel or not anymore, this was now a challenge. She was determined to own Marcel.

    Her pride was on the line and she couldn¡¯t let some city pumpkin take her ce. Who was she? She was ra Louise Alberta, a blueblood descended from a long line of royals. If the anarchy were still in power, she would be the queen and everyone else would be nothing but ants that she could easily squash beneath her feet.

    Thinking about it, what would her ancestors say if they were to see her in this pathetic condition. They would think of her as weak and unworthy of the name, unfortunately, no princess with the Alberta bloodline was known to be a weakling. She would not be the opposite.

    While ra had ns, her mother thought otherwise. Hence, after she managed to calm her down and there was nothing but silence between them, Diana finally said, ¡°I think we should call off the engagement or marriage. Whatever, I don¡¯t care.¡±

    As soon as her mother let out those words, ra pushed away from her body as if she had been electrocuted. She stared at her mother intensely as if seeing her for the first time. Diana might as well have grown a horn with that kind of stare.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ra was having a hard timeprehending what she just heard.

    ¡°I want to cancel the marriage promise between you and Marel. You deserve someone better, ra,¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She said sternly.

    ¡°ra?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, mother. You can¡¯t do this to me too!¡± She shifted away from her mother, getting up on her feet.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Diana asked her daughter, standing up as well. She knew this wasn¡¯t going to be easy considering her deal with Daniel, but to think that her own daughter was the one rejecting the suggestion nearly broke her.

    Diana was trying to liberate her daughter from this mistake before it was toote and there was no going back, but the fool wasn¡¯t even seeing the bigger picture. No, this was her mistake, it was all her fault. In her quest to preserve their lives, she has jeopardized her daughter¡¯s happiness and she needed to correct that.

    ¡°Why now?!¡± ra screamed at her, ¡°Why do you have to do this now that I havee this far? Do you even know what, no, who I threw away toe to this point?¡± She referred to Luther, her ex-lover.

    ra was sure that at this point even if she went back to Luther, he wouldn¡¯t ept her back. It has been weeks since they broke up, not that she wanted back in his arms anyway.

    You see, the thing is that when you associate with top-notch people like Marcel, you¡¯d discover that other males fell inparison to him. In one word, ra couldn¡¯t picture herself spending the rest of her life with any other man but Marcel.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s my fault!¡± Diana admitted, ¡°I should have spent more time with you as your mother and given you a listening ear than randomly deciding what was best for you. It is my fault, I take the me. But ra, there¡¯s still time and you can avoid this miserable fate that awaits you!¡± She told her anxiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a miserable fate!¡± ra went on the defensive, ¡°You told me yourself, you were in a loveless marriage with father and yet, you made it work somewhere!¡± She reminded her.

    ¡°That only worked because your father respected me!¡± Diana yelled back, finally losing her calmposure. She pointed to the entrance, ¡°This Marcel, he has no respect for you and that is even deadlier than not being loved at all!¡±

    A tense silence stretched between the mother and daughter after that outburst. The both of them looked each other dead in the eyes, their breath thick and heavy. Their chest heaved with emotion.

    ra suddenlyughed sarcastically,

    ¡°Respect? Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯d earn the respect in no time and Marcel would treat me better like you always wanted. You say a miserable fate awaits me, but I¡¯ll tell you mother, even in my misery, I¡¯ll be the one to carve my path. You were the one to start this in the first ce, see to it that you finish it, because I¡¯m not giving up now.¡± She told her and took her leave.

    Her feet were suddenly rooted to the ground and no speech coulde out of Diana¡¯s mouth until her daughter passed her by and she turned, shouting her name, ¡°ra? ra! Come back here this instant, ra!¡±

    But the youngdy ignored her and didn¡¯t even nce over her shoulder in her direction until she reached her room.

    Once in her room, ra went straight to her drawer and pulled out another phone which she powered on instantly. Perks of being rich was that you could have as many phones as possible ¨C especially for her who had a bad habit of destroying them.

    As soon as the phone was functional, the first thought that came to her mind was to call Daniel. He was the only one that listened to her and was capable of putting Marcel in order. Also, she remembered the way Marcel had reacted when she brought up the issue of his red-haired mistress.

    It was obvious that Marcel wanted her hidden away from his father¡¯s sight. ra was a bitch and she knew that, else she wouldn¡¯t have made a lot of lives miserable. What if she made Marcel¡¯s life a little miserable?

    ra was confident in her acting skills and knew if she cried to Daniel about the redhead, he would grant her request immediately.

    Who knows what he would do to her? Kill and make her body disappear from the surface of the earth? ra was sure of that, after all, wasn¡¯t that what the Luciano family did for a living?

    A sinister smile crossed ra¡¯s lips when she thought of that scenario and she tried to imagine what Marcel¡¯s face would look like if that were to happen. Would he still carry his pride with him or would he crumble down like a child and cry for his loss? That would be quite a sight ¨C a sight she would love to watch.

    She found her soon would-be father-inw¡¯s number and her long and slim finger hovered near the call button. All she needed was a tab and the call would go through, however, ra changed her mind at thest minute.

    Why should Daniel keep fighting her battle for her? She was an Alberta, only cowards hide behind the shadows of others. Moreover, it¡¯s not like this was the first time she tried to make Marcel miserable.

 Chapter 335

    335 Take What¡¯s His

    ¡°His name is David Smith, age thirty-five, and is currently separated from his wife. They both have a daughter, six years of age and I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t love to lose her.¡± Victor summarized before he handed the report to Marcel.

    He took the report and leaned back in his seat, going through the information they had gotten on the owner of the cleaningpany.

    ¡°The daughter -?¡±

    ¡°Adele is retrieving her as we speak,¡± Victor informed his cousin who nodded in approval.

    Honesty, Marcel was not a huge fan of kidnapping kids but he had to get the job done. You see human beings were annoying, resilient, and stubborn, and men like David Smith would need a little convincing.

    He doubted the man had many things he was attached to except his business and family. And while he could screw with his business to get him to agree to the deal he had in mind, that would need time. Unfortunately, time wasn¡¯t on his side and he had just two days to make this work.

    So yeah, he was a bit mad at the moment. When you have your sister and the stubborn woman he fell for on the line, you would go the extra mile to make sure they¡¯re safe.

    Honestly, Marcel doesn¡¯t even understand why he was entertaining this crazy idea. He could easily refuse Arianna from going on this dangerous mission, notwithstanding she won the deal. After all, there was always one possible loophole he could exploit and deny her victory.

    Moreover, she had won through tricks. That wasn¡¯t even considered a victory. In a face-to-face confrontation, the enemy wouldn¡¯t wait around for her to dance. But then, distraction was a strong weapon and Arianna seemed to be good at it.

    .....

    So, he would be killing Arianna if he denied her that. Arianna was a Phoenix with her wings on fire that needed to be spread abroad for people to behold her beauty. But that was the problem, he didn¡¯t need other people to see her beauty lest they n to convert her.

    Arianna was his and his alone and God help him if another rival other than Elijah shows up, he would st his head off and ridden them with bullets. They don¡¯t get to take what¡¯s his.

    ¡°We¡¯d set off -¡± Marcel was just about to say when his phone rang, interrupting him. He looked down at his phone, trying to see who had interrupted him only to see that it was ra calling.

    The risk of this mission had put Marcel in a sour mood, however, the moment he saw that call, his face disfigured immediately. It was enough that he had a lot on his te and the bimbo is trying to bother him?

    Marcel didn¡¯t even think twice before putting the phone on silent and keeping it far away from him else the beeping and lighting of the screen distracts him. He did not doubt that ra had no good reason for calling him.

    Who knows what trick or ckmail she has up her sleeve. Sadly, he was too busy to y her games at the moment. Saving his sister and Arianna from untimely death was his priority, others couldeter.

    Victor who witnessed the whole action didn¡¯t say anything, already having an inkling of who that was. Aside from that, Marcel¡¯s business was his to solve and he had no business to butt in ¨C except of course it involved him and the people he loved.

    ¡°We would leave low-key,¡± Marcel informed him, drawing his attention back to the present, ¡°And although we would leave together, you¡¯re noting with him.¡±

    ¡°You would use me to create a diversion,¡± Victor figured out.

    Marcel looked at him, ¡°We can¡¯t let that old man find out else everything would be for nothing. Moreover, this would be a chance to pluck out the weed I might have missed out on thest time,¡± He hinted that he would purge the spies amongst his soldiers.

    ¡°Remind me never to be your enemy,¡± Victor was fascinated at how his cousin¡¯s mind worked. But he added almost immediately, ¡°And your father¡¯s as well.¡± He was scared of the two of them.

    But then, while father and son were cruel, Marcel had a bit of humanity inside of him. His cousin was some sort of fixer, he was sure of leavingpensation behind when he wrecks havoc. But Daniels drags everything down to the bottom of the sea. However, in the end, Marcel was still his father¡¯s son and no one knows when the humanity inside of him would be extinguished.

    One thing was for sure, though. If that were to happen, he bet it was linked to Arianna. Victor could already feel the war brewing in the future because of her. Honestly, he liked Arianna and was in support of his cousin¡¯s choice, but if she would bring the doom of the Luciano family, he would not allow that.

    ¡°I¡¯ve set everything in ce. You should get prepared, we will be leaving in an hour.¡± Marcel told him, arranging his desk at the same time.

    ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± Victor shouted and made a dramatic salute before turning for the door. However, before he got to the entrance, Victor suddenly said to his cousin, grinning sheepishly.

    ¡°We will be returning tomorrow. Be sure to receive enough hugs from her else you miss her too much. If possible, have a quickie, I can wait a little more.¡±

    ¡°Get out!¡± Marcel didn¡¯t even look at his desk when he grabbed the nearest object and hurled it at his cousin.

    Of course, Victor swiftly dodged it and blew a raspberry at him before running off while the object he tossed at him shattered.

    But then, it was at that moment that Marcel recognized what he had just broken, and his heart shattered into pieces. It was his limited edition Tuscan Bone China cup used by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

    A vein popped in Marcel¡¯s head, his precious cup. Did he just destroy his precious cup? His feet gave out and he had to support himself with the help of his desk.

    ¡°Victor!¡± He screamed at the top of his voice.

    That bastard was going to pay for this!

 Chapter 336

    336 He Ran Away From Home

    Beatrice¡¯s idea of keeping herpany was feeding her tales and adventures of Marcel. Unfortunately, those stories were not useful to her because they were mostly about Marcel when he was younger. Arianna needed real shit on him, not child¡¯s stuff.

    However, the tales were quite interesting and she found herself curious for more, like why the father and son hated each other. She heard rumors that Marcel¡¯s father had been abusive, she just needed more information. Since she has literally nothing to do in this ce, Arianna has grown addicted to gathering information and was on her way to bing a reporter.

    Well, that doesn¡¯t sound like a bad career since she¡¯d get to expose crime families like the Luciano¡¯s ¨C if they don¡¯t kill her first. Yeah, hurray ¨C note the sarcasm. She better figure out what to do with her life once she gets out of here ¨C hopefully.

    The both of them were in the kitchen and she was helping the woman with dinner. Although there were chefs who took care of everything cooking-rted, Beatrice liked to dominate the kitchen and her foods weren¡¯t bad. They tasted like home and she made use of fresh, local ingredients. Arianna preferred it to the sophisticated dishes prepared by the chefs. Beatrice¡¯s food was warm and filled her stomach better. She liked the woman, period.

    ¡°Do you know that Marcel likes to collect stuff?¡± The woman told her while they worked. Arianna was dicing the tomatoes while Beatrice was working on the broli. The woman was making Broli sd with everything bagel seasoning.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± Arianna said, and with good reasons. After that time she destroyed the stuff in his room and Marcel punished her by, you know, spanking her ¨C and she wasn¡¯t thinking about that ¨C Arianna came to know that most things in his room were limited edition.

    Marcel never hit her as the sentimental type considering what he does for a living? If that was the case, does he remember the faces of the people he had taken their lives? It was just hard to believe he was nostalgic when he seemed so... detached?

    ¡°Marcel is in the business of collecting anything ranging from paintings to antiques, figurines, and of course, stamps.¡±

    And thatst one made her brows raise, ¡± Stamps?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s collected over hundreds of them since he was a kid and has a room in here where he stores his ¡®precious''¡± Beatrice tried to imitate Sm¨¦agol¡¯s voice, which didn¡¯t sound creepy at all. Yep, not creepy.

    However, Arianna was now curious to see where Marcel stores his ¡°precious¡±. Who knows what else he was hiding in there? Mimi¡¯s father had a habit of collecting stamps as well and she was sure he and Marcel would be best friends once they met ¨C which she hoped not.

    ¡°Anyway, Marcel was a lonely child, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to grow attached to the hubby. Moreover, do you know that Marcel had once run away from home?¡±

    ¡°He did? What happened? Why?¡± Arianna stopped what she was doing and faced the woman.

    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t stop now after getting Arianna hooked on the story, Beatrice went ahead to finish her tale.

    ¡°That was the period when his mother died, I think so. It was the hardest time for him, the poor boy loved no one else but his mother. Even though his father was around, Marcel might as well have been an orphan.¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°As you must have heard, Sir Daniel is not the best at parenting nor would he win the best father role even in a million years toe. Not that anyone¡¯s going to say that to his face and you shouldn¡¯t either,¡± Beatrice warned her.

    Why would she? Arianna gave the woman a stupid look. She wasn¡¯t suicidal. She was having a hard time escaping Marcel, why would she put herself on the radar of the bigger monster?

    Well, for one, she was infiltrating his house in two days? That was quite an issue but she wouldn¡¯t make herself get noticed, Arianna told herself. She would go in, get the job done and be out in a twinkle of an eye. Yes, Daniel had bigger things than her to think about.

    She went ahead to ask, ¡°What age was he then?¡±

    Beatrice thought over it, ¡°Around ten, I think. That was the same time Victor was taken -¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough, Beatrice.¡± A voice said from behind and the woman was startled, looking like a kid caught doing something bad.

    Arianna knew who it was before she turned, but even at that, she was not prepared for the sight that greeted her.

    Marcel was dressed in a ck suit, with the tie missing as usual. However, there was only one word that could describe him, immacte.

    Even the models she saw in magazines didn¡¯t hold a candle to him, Marcel was all male and as hot as sin. He would have no problem bing a model himself with that look. His genes were indeed blessed.

    She was a bit jealous.

    And of course, his heated gaze caught her staring before moving to Beatrice and he tilted his head to the side which was as a gesture for her to give them space. Of course, the woman didn¡¯t hesitate to leave the both of them. No one ever disobeyed Marcel Luciano ¨C except her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to chase her away, she was telling me something interesting,¡± Arianna told him, trying hard to remember how to breathe. Marcel had this habit of stealing her air whenever he was nearby. And it was much worse with him looking so attractive, her heart missing a beat.

    ¡°Yeah, my childhood is not interesting.¡± He grumbled, still standing at that point and she was grateful for that. Any closer and her face would be as red as an overripe tomato. What was happening to her?

    ¡°You ran away from home when you were young?¡± Arianna asked, trying to distract herself and hoping he gave her the details.

    From the look he gave Beatrice earlier, Arianna was sure the woman wouldn¡¯t continue the tale. She had been talking about Victor¡¯s involvement in the incident before they were interrupted. She needed to know, because there weren¡¯t two Victors in this family as far as she knows.

 Chapter 337

    337 Escaping Him Tonight

    ¡°There¡¯s no use delving into my past, Arianna,¡± Marcel told her and this time, walked across the kitchen taking note of the neat, equipped environment.

    ¡°Not when it¡¯s affecting the future, don¡¯t you think so?¡± She was not close to giving up.

    This time, Marcel retraced his footsteps and headed towards him while Arianna took a deep breath, trying to brace herself for whatever he had in store for her.

    He stopped right in front of her saying, ¡°Drop it, Arianna. Don¡¯t look any further. Don¡¯t be like the curious monkey who had his head cut off while trying to see what was beneath the trap. Moreover, I¡¯m not here to argue with you ¨C we seem to be doing that a lottely ¨C I¡¯m here to apologize for my attitude earlier. You do not deserve to be treated that way and you¡¯re right, I should stop smoking. I won¡¯t anymore, that I can assure you. But you have to start respecting my space as well, stop pushing me, Arianna. ¡±

    But Arianna snorted, folding her arms across her chest, ¡°Whether you smoke or not, that¡¯s none of my.....¡± She trailed off when it suddenly hit her. Arianna¡¯s eyes grew into suspicious nts as she stared at him intently saying, ¡°You¡¯re leaving, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    He nodded, putting his hands into his pocket, ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip and should be back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Should?¡± Arianna took note of that word, ¡°Not would?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s lips tugged to the side, ¡°Why? Are you worried about me?¡± He teased her.

    ¡°In your dreams,¡± She looked the other way when his heated gaze connected with hers. Arianna hated it when he looked at her that way.

    .....

    It was annoying, why was she even worried about him? If anything happened to Marcel, it was to her advantage because she would finally have the opportunity to leave this ce, start a new life and forget everything Mafia-rted.

    Arianna doesn¡¯t have a family anymore, anyway. She¡¯d go somewhere no one knows her andy low so they don¡¯t find her. She would have to give up on her dream of dancing but her freedom was much better than that. Dreams were numerous and she would surely pick up another thing that interested her. But all of these would only happen if Marcel died.

    But then, why doesn¡¯t she want him to die? His death would grant her the freedom she wanted so much and ever dreamed about. Or doesn¡¯t she want that anymore? No, Arianna did want her freedom, but not at the expense of her life.

    What way then? He let her go? Yes, that, probably. But then, Arianna knew even without anyone telling her, that Marcel letting her go was like finding a needle in the dark. There was only one percent chance of that happening, out of a hundred.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Marcel said,ing closer to her than was required. Arianna faced him as her brows furrowed while taking steps back until she couldn¡¯t anymore because her back hit the counter.

    ¡°No, don¡¯te any closer,¡± Arianna told him, her voice wobbly and she hated herself for not being firmer than this. She was supposed to hate this man and not give him any chance at all. She wasn¡¯t supposed to behave like a female in heat.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Marcel said again, and she wasn¡¯t sure what he was asking anymore. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to regte her breath when Marcel finally came too close for her liking.

    ¡°Because if I could remember clearly, you looked disappointed that I didn¡¯t kiss you that day,¡± He reminded her of the first day of their bet, when he tackled her to the ground. The way he looked at her with those hungry eyes and she thought he would kiss and ravaged her mouth at that moment, without giving a fuck to his men watching them. The scene looked hot in her head and God, why was she thinking about that for crying out loud!

    Marcel noticed her silence and took it as a cue to go on, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t thought about why I didn¡¯t kiss you right there and then when it looked like the both of us needed it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking rubbish,¡± Arianna said, and tried to look away but he caught her chin and made her look at him.

    The breath was knocked out of her lungs when she saw the heat in those gray eyes that darkened. Arianna gulped, she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to handle the fire inside there. No, she was afraid to handle it, knowing that it would only consume her.

    He gripped her chin, not really hurting her, but caressing her skin instead and that did funny, fluttering things to her body. His face inched closer as he said, ¡°Well, guess what? It was for this moment.¡±

    She gave him a pointed look, wondering the hell what he was talking about.

    But Marcel smirked, the full-toothed grin he gave whenever he ensnared his prey, ¡°I was building anticipation.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Unfortunately, Marcel managed to wedge a thigh in between her legs and she let out a soft gasp before looking up at him with those wide, innocent eyes. Arianna looked so enticing especially when she bit down on her lower lips that he grew so hard he wished to have his d*ck in her pretty mouth and discover the wonders she¡¯d bring him to.

    ¡°M-Marcel...¡± She tried to protest.

    ¡°Shhh,¡± He shut her up, pressing his thumb across her lips before his eyes flickered down to the pouty, red mouth.

    She must have noticed what he was staring at as well because a little warm breath left her mouth, sending tingles to the finger on her lips. One thing was for sure, she was clearly affected by what he was doing to her.

    So he dragged his thumb across her lips and she trembled as if she was at his mercy. Well, she indeed was. First lesson on the act of seduction, giving your prey the illusion that they had a way out when they really don¡¯t. Arianna was not escaping him tonight.

 Chapter 338

    338 Who Had The Power Here

    If there was anything Arianna prided upon, it was her self-control andck of interest in men. If anyone had told her months ago while she enjoyed her peaceful mundane life that her life would be this messed up in the uing months, she would never believe it.

    She had been too busy trying to make a future for herself that men had been nothing but distractions. Sure, Arianna had crushes but she never acted on any of them knowing she wasn¡¯t ready for any unnecessarymitment. A rtionship was a distraction she didn¡¯t need.

    Many of her acquaintances had called her old-fashioned and would have even thought of her as lesbian except that Mimi¡¯s sexual adventure was well known. But then, Arianna couldn¡¯t understand what made them crazy like that. It was just sex and hormone acting up, why were they making a big deal out of it?

    But now, she understoodpletely. This was life itself and the whole reason for survival. At the end of the day, everyone¡¯s going to return to this cycle, and here she was, except that hers was much moreplicated. Perhaps, this was her punishment for missing out on all the time she could have added a little color to her life. Now, her situation is a code red.

    Arianna took a deep breath before she pped his finger away from her lips. She can¡¯t get tangled with Marcel, he was too much for her. Elijah was a safer choice, with him, she could like without losing her head.

    But Marcel was threatening every single wall she had built around herself and feltpletely bare before him. It made her ufortable because she was defenseless and at his mercy.

    Unfortunately, Arianna hated being at his mercy. She wasn¡¯t a ve to do her master¡¯s bidding, rather she was a strong woman that could either rule at his side or overthrow him. But then, this wasn¡¯t the life she wanted and can¡¯t rule at his side. She had to leave here.

    Arianna tried to keep her face devoid of emotion as she pushed him away, trying to create space between them. But she might as well have been pushing at a wall because he made no move and she sighed.

    She then ttened her hand against his chest, smoothing it down and stopping directly on his heart. She looked at him in wonder when she felt the rapid beat of his heart beneath her heart. He was as affected as she was, however, she couldn¡¯t help but think about the fact he wasn¡¯t exactly a monster because he had the same blood running through her veins. In stories, monsters don¡¯t have beating hearts or the warmth he exuded. But in reality, it was their actions that defined them.

    .....

    Her face flushed when she saw the smoldering heat in the depth of his gray eyes. She shivered because, with the way he was staring at her, he might as well set her on fire. And suddenly, his hand was on her face again.

    Marcel stared at her intently as if he was trying to imprint her image into his head and that somehow made her heart skip a beat. Arianna swallowed hard knowing that she was in hot soup because even though her mind told her she should stop this, she wanted otherwise. Not just her body. Just her selfish curiosity.

    He must have a thing for her lips because his finger was brushing across it again and the sensation it brought made her toes curl. Arianna was turned on, she could tell with the thickening of her breath and the way she was close to bunching his suit. Her core tingled as well and she was super aware of his thigh between her legs. If he makes a move right now, then she¡¯s a goner.

    Suddenly, he said, ¡°Suck it,¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna was stunned until she felt the weight of his finger pressing against her lips.

    ¡°No, no way,¡± She opened her mouth to say when he suddenly ground his thigh against her core and she sucked a sharp breath, at the same time that he sessfully put the finger in her mouth.

    Arianna was shocked at the whole thing before her eyes grew hooded and Marcel was amused at the gesture.

    ¡°Suck it.¡± Hemanded her, moving slightly inside of her mouth.

    Through hershes, Arianna peeked up at him defiantly and was close to pushing him away when she had other ideas. He thought he had the upper hand here, why don¡¯t she show him who had the power here?

    A grin spread across Marcel¡¯s face when she sucked his finger obediently. Too bad, he thought she would put up a fight and already ¡°put in ce¡± measures that wouldbat her unruliness.

    However, what Marcel didn¡¯t expect was for her to treat his finger like a c*ck. She used her tongue to roll around the tip of it and a tingle spread through his body, his eyes widening.

    ¡°What the.....¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t have the time to cuss to the end because she took the whole finger into her mouth and then began to pull back, but not without softly scraping the whole length with her teeth. Marcel groaned from the pleasure the sensation brought on and it didn¡¯t help matters that he had reced his finger with his cock in his imagination.

    Then she used her tongue to tease his finger and Marcel knew that this siren was going to bring him down to his knees if he didn¡¯t do something about it real quick.

    So he lifted his thigh and ground against her and a moan escaped her lips causing her to forget her duty.

    ¡°Suck it!¡± He growled at her and she nodded before hurriedly epting his finger into her mouth once more. She was desperate to feel him again.

    So, while she resumed her duty of sucking his finger, Marcel continued to grind into her with his thigh and she could only release choked and muffled screams of pleasure.

 Chapter 339

    339 I Will Have You

    However, as the heat built on, Arianna let go of his finger and screamed out, ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore!¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯tin and let her be, a smirk tugging his lips to the side. In the end, he won against her. His pride was stroked.

    Arianna cried out her moan, pulling him closer than he could possibly get. She wanted more. They should create a fire, but right now, it seemed as if Marcel was rubbing two stones together and all it produced were sparks. But then, even though the spark was not enough, she still wanted it. She would make do with it at the moment.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna growled, clenching and unclenching his suit with the rhythm of the torrent of pleasure attacking her with no care that it would be rumpledter. Each of his movements scraped against her clit and almost drove her crazy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love, we would fuck sooner than you think.¡± He promised her with a grin full of teeth, looking like a shark at that moment. A shark that got its prey.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna asked with her dazed expression when he suddenly increased his pace and the pleasure reached a crescendo.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t describe it, but you could say that she was close to floating, but just as the climax was about to wash over her, Marcel stopped.

    Her eyes popped open.

    What the hell, she imagined clubbing Marcel to death at that moment, but her imagination could wait. Seeing that the asshole was proving his assholeness ¨C if the word was possible ¨C at that time, Arianna began to push her hips, trying to relieve herself by bucking off his thigh, but he pulled back his leg.

    .....

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Arianna was close to chewing off his head. How could he stop now? When she was close... so close to heaven. She could still feel the throbbing in between her legs, the pleasure had nearly exploded.

    Nearly.

    Nearly was not enough.

    While Arianna tried to catch her own breath, she watched as Marcel¡¯s eyes raked over her with satisfaction. He liked the fact that he left her in this condition and the thought of it made her hands form into fists. The cocky grin made her realize that this was the reaction he wanted from her. She had unintentionally given him control over her. Over her body.

    He chuckled mockingly, ¡°And you say you don¡¯t like me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a huge difference between love and lust, Marcel,¡± She sneered, turning all the frustration on him, ¡°Get that into your brain.¡±

    But he grinned mischievously, ¡°In that case, I hope love satisfies that longing in between your legs.¡±

    And with that, he turned on his heels, intending to leave her like that when Arianna reached behind her with anger and picked the first thing she could get her hands on and hurled it at him.

    Marcel thanked his lucky stars that he had good instincts and ducked on time else the knife that ttered on the floor after hitting the wall could have been lodged in his back.

    He turned slowly to meet Arianna who had a palm on her mouth and looked shocked as well. She had acted without thinking and thought she hurled one of the ingredients at him or something.

    ¡°Damn woman, you are so feral. So because you can¡¯t have me, no other woman can, is that it? I never thought I would die in a crime of passion,¡± He still was in the mood to joke around.

    But unlike him who thought carelessly about his life, Arianna was petrified. Her hands couldn¡¯t help but shake and her heart was pounding hard in her chest. She didn¡¯t like this ce, it was bringing out the worst in her.

    ¡°Hey,¡± She didn¡¯t even know when Marcel got to her, lifting her chin so she could look him in the eyes, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± He said.

    ¡°I almost killed you.¡± She told him.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good news? You¡¯d be free, then,¡± Heughed and she pushed him away.

    But she couldn¡¯t understand the reason for her anger. All she had ever wanted to do since she came here was to hurt him and now she got the opportunity of doing so, why was she feeling guilty.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not easy to kill.¡± Like an annoying octopus, Marcel was back to her side again and this time, pulled her to him by the waist.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She looked at him rmed yet a thrill still went through her. But then, she has learned from the first lesson and would not repeat the same mistake.

    ¡°Compensation,¡± He said, just before he shoved her against the counter and crushed his lips to her in a hungry kiss.

    Arianna put up a fight at first, it was an attempt to grasp hold of her sanity. However, she soon gave in to the moment and kissed him back with the same urgency. Marcel devoured her mouth like he was at war against it and she tugged at his hair, trying to keep up with his pace.

    But he suddenly pulled away and Arianna chased after him causing him to chuckle. Even though she kept denying it, her feelings were obvious and he would make do with that for now. She would fall for him with time, he was that confident.

    He kissed her once again and just like the pensation¡± he called it, Marcel was a lot gentler this time. It was slower, almost to the point of being calledzy, yet deeper. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and he swallowed the sweet sound of pleasure she made.

    Marcel kissed her as if he wanted to remember the shape of her lips, and the taste of her skin and they broke apart in the end. But he leaned his forehead against hers for a few minutes before whispering into her ears, ¡°When I have you, of which I would surely have you, I would make sure, you beg for it.¡± He promised her.

    A thrill went through Arianna at the prospect of that happening, however, she pushed the feelings away and replied boldly, ¡°Keep on dreaming.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, honey, but I don¡¯t dream. Instead, I turn them into reality,¡± He dered, ¡°And speaking of dreams, do remember to have one about me slipping inside of you with my big, fat cock and stretching your virgin walls till I¡¯m settled fully and then fucking the breath out of you.¡±

    By the time Marcel was through with the explicit details, Arianna had gone tomato red in the face and she screamed, ¡°Get out, you filthy son of a biscuit¡±

    ¡°dly,¡± Marcel told her, but not without snatching a short kiss from her lips and taking off before the cleavernded on his head.

 Chapter 340

    340 The Strange Dream

    ¡°Someone sure is happy,¡± Marcel knew it was his cousin even before he caught up to him. But Marcel ignored him, headed for the car that had already been started and was waiting for them.

    But Victor casually draped his hand around his shoulders, saying, ¡°So you did take my advice? Tell me then, what position did you take her from? Epic missionary? Cowgirl? Hoho, doggy style?¡± Heughed boisterously, ¡°That does sound like your thing considering you like the control.¡±

    Marcel suddenly stopped.

    He stopped with him.

    He then looked at Victor and said just two words, ¡°Get lost.¡±

    Marcel was still mad at him for making him lose his limited-edition cup, however, he was in a good mood right now. Moreover, thanks to his advice ¨C not that he was going to admit it ¨C he has made progress with Arianna and so, he marked off Victor¡¯s death sentence.

    Of course, Victor obeyed since they had to get into the car and not because his cousin threatened him. Once they were in, Marcel resumed his professional mode and focused on the task at hand.

    Marcel went through the details he needed on his iPad. They were traveling to the next state where David¡¯s wife resided and it would take them about five hours to get there. Normally, he would have taken a flight but he wanted everything to be done on a low-key. So he would have to endure it.

    After the divorce, although both partners retained parental responsibility for their daughter, his wife gained the kid¡¯s custody easily. David was a busy man and had little or no time to take care of her all by himself.

    .....

    But the man might as well take his daughter away because the woman called his ex-wife gave little time to their child as he thought. She recently moved in with hertest boyfriend and dumped the young girl on her mother.

    Reading the report, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but clench his fist, he wanted to strangle the woman, no, both parents. The child was their responsibility, what the fuck were they doing?

    His own mother had protected him even though she lived with an abusive husband. Why couldn¡¯t David¡¯s wife do the same for her daughter? Marcel knew if he got his sister Chloe back, he would give the world to her if she wanted it.

    Thanks to their carelessness, it had not been difficult for Adele to get the girl and they were waiting for him to arrive. The invitation has been sent out to David and if he loved his daughter as they thought , he wouldn¡¯t try anything stupid.

    Not long after, they stopped at a questionable-looking shop and he and Victor stepped out. To whoever spying on them, it would look like they were here for a business meeting, but everything was just a front and Marcel barely got in before he was shown the way through the back door and he walked into the streets where another car was waiting for him. He got in and started on his real journey.

    He decided to have a short sleep on the way now he had the time. His brain had to be in optimal condition when he workedter in the night. So he shut his eyes and dozed off to dreand.

    Marcel had constant dreams, more like, nightmares, and while one would think that it was the ghosts of the men he killed that hade to haunt him, it was usually about his traumatic past and his miserable future.

    Something was different about tonight¡¯s dream though, he just couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around it. As usual, he was back to being a little kid and he could see everything going on as if he had an omniscient point of view.

    Marcel could tell that he was around ten or so, his mind was a bit scrambled. He looked around his environment which was a little bit familiar yet distant at the same time. He could tell that he had been here a long time ago. This was probably the period his mother died ¨C the hardest time in his life.

    He was in some alleyway with dumpsters and dirt bags littered all over. What was he doing here? This wasn¡¯t his usual rendezvous spot and his stomach was rumbling. Marcel could not control his body, and the next he knew, he found himself rummaging through the dirt as he tried to find any leftovers.

    However, he was in the middle of the search when something flurry passed him by, drawing his attention. Younger Marcel looked down at the small, white, Westie dog and frowned. Was he about to fight for food with this small, annoyingly cute animal?

    ¡°Shhh, go away!¡± Marcel tried to chase it off when the dog came around and started sniffing around the packed nylon bags.

    So he warned it again.

    But the dog was stubborn and went about doing what it wanted without listening to Marcel. Infuriated, he got down from therge dumpster and stomped over to it, intending to send it out of here. But on a closer look, the dog looked too clean to belong to the slum. Maybe it lost its way? He wondered.

    And that theory was confirmed when he heard a young girl shouting, ¡°Rooney! Rooney! Where are you!¡±

    Marcel had always had good instincts, so he went over to the dog and picked it up. Surprisingly, the small thing settled into his arms quickly and Marcel shook his head in disapproval. The dog was too trusting with strangers, the owner had to be more strict with it.

    So he left the alleyway and came out in the open where he saw the young girl calling out for the dog and the moment she saw them, the young girl shouted in delight, ¡°Rooney!¡±

    She ran over to them and snatched the dog from Marcel quite roughly, hugging it tightly as if her life depended on it. Such a sentimental being, he snorted his disapproval. She was too soft, his father wouldn¡¯t like someone like her around him.

    Moreover, she hasn¡¯t even noticed him since she had her dog. Whatever, it wasn¡¯t like he wanted herpanionship anyway. He ran away from home to get away from everybody, he doesn¡¯t need anyone by his side.

 Chapter 341

    341 [Bonus chapter]Be My Boyfriend

    Marcel tried to take a good at this female but some sort of haze covered her face and he couldn¡¯t see anything. It was a dream anyway, so he didn¡¯t try hard to remember.

    Having achieved his mission, young Marcel turned to leave only to hear, ¡°Hi handsome.¡±

    His brows raised at once and he turned to look at her puzzled, pointing at his chest, ¡°Me? Handsome?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± She wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit it, looking at him with the sparkle in her eyes.

    Eyes? He tried to see what they looked like but he couldn¡¯t view anything beyond that haze. It was as if some sort of mental block was stopping him from seeing what he wanted to know. The only thing he could distinguish was her red hair.

    At once, Marcel cleared his throat and asked haughtily, ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Although he didn¡¯t show it, Marcel was still joyous inside that she thought he was handsome.

    ¡°I just want to thank you for helping me find Ronney,¡± She said to him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, just take care of your dog properly, bad people are everywhere.¡± Marcel indirectly referred to himself. He knew from a young age that his family did bad things. And so did him.

    ¡°Sure!¡± She epted his instructions happily, giving him an ¡°OK¡± sign.

    .....

    Seeing there was nothing left to do, Young Marcel was ready to go, ¡°In that case, I -¡±

    ¡°What is your name?¡±

    Marcel frowned, what does she want with his name?

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Please. Please.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Please. Please. Please.¡± She fluttered her brows alluringly.

    ¡°I said, no!¡± Marcel was sterner this time and almost startled her, even Rooney whimpered.

    His name was a bit personal to

    him because it was a symbol of his identity, and lineage ¨C that he wasn¡¯t exactly proud of. What if this stranger recognized his name and began to fear him like the others?

    ¡°Sorry,¡± He said.

    But she pouted her lips and looked the other way, grumpily.

    Young Marcel was burdened with guilt when he saw her sad face. It was his fault that she was this way. He was already ruining their time together. Maybe, all he was ever good at is destroying things, that must be his superpower.

    However, the young girl he thought was sad, suddenly looked up at him with her mischievous eyes saying, ¡°In that case, if you¡¯re sorry, why don¡¯t you be my boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Young Marcel almost choked on his saliva. He then looked at her in disbelief, ¡°You dumb girl! How could you say such things? Also, what do you know about rtionships?¡± He was flustered.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not dumb!¡± She red at him.

    ¡°What do you know then?¡± Marcel challenged her.

    ¡°Rtionship is for people in love,¡± she answered, proudly.

    Marcel shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re a spoilt child! How does a young girl like you know all of this stuff?¡±

    ¡°I am not a spoilt child and I¡¯m seven years old. I read lots of books and there¡¯s a granny in my street who tells me all I need to know about love!¡± She said animatedly, hugging Rooney to her chest with a dreamy expression.

    She went on, ¡°Even my daddy says I¡¯m very smart for my age and how I¡¯m special. I can spell all of my names, and I have all of my father¡¯s numbers and the housekeeper¡¯s in my head in case I get lost. My dad told me that in case I miss my way. Then I shouldn¡¯t wander in lonely, but public ces where bad people can¡¯t get me easily.

    ¡°Then, I can identify a police station or a phone booth and call him or simply charm a kind stranger into lending me his or her phone that I can use for the call. I know my house address and can read the multiplication table offhand from one to ten times. Am I not smart?¡± She asked, her free hand on her chest while the other carried Rooney.

    Young Marcel wanted to burst intoughter, he just found this incredibly funny, however, he was able to control himself. He simply told her, ¡°There¡¯s a huge difference between being smart and intelligent. But you¡¯re too dumb to know that, and I¡¯ll call you ¡®Dummy¡¯ from now on!¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll call you ¡®Stray¡¯ as well!¡± She announced.

    ¡°Huh? Stray?¡± His brows furrowed. That didn¡¯t make sense at all. Well, it didn¡¯t make sense by calling her dummy as well when she was acting her age. She was just too cute and he liked ruffling her feathers.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± She nodded, ¡°Just like Rooney who lost his way earlier, you look lost as well. So Stray would be the perfect name for you!¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Marcel rolled his eyes, he couldn¡¯t be provoked by her childish tactics. His father taught him to be in control of his emotions all the time.

    ¡°So tell me,¡± The pretty yet annoying girl was tugging at the sleeve of his shirt that had dirtied from spending the night here. Wasn¡¯t she even repelled by his sight? He looked dirty.

    ¡°Would you be my boyfriend?¡±

    Marcel looked at her, stunned. Why does she like him that much? Thanks to that, he couldn¡¯t help but ask her, ¡°Why do you want me to be your boyfriend? What do you even see in me?¡± He wasn¡¯t even worth it. Marcel wondered if she would still hold him in the same light when she learns who he was.

    ¡°Well....¡± She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, ¡°First of all, you¡¯re kind. You helped me find Rooney.¡±

    But Marcel countered that statement in his head. He didn¡¯t find the dog, it came to him and neither was his kind. He has done bad things ¨C things she wouldn¡¯t even be able to imagine.

    ¡°Secondly, you¡¯re brave! Rooney likes to bark and bite at strangers, but youpletely tamed him!¡± She said it like she was going to give him an award for that.

    No, he wasn¡¯t brave else he wouldn¡¯t have run away from home. Also, why did that weird dog like him? He didn¡¯t do anything special.

    ¡°Also, you¡¯re handsome!¡± She announced coquettishly, looking away as a blush stained her cheeks.

    Marcel blushed as well but he was quick topose himself. The girl was really bold and this was the first love confession he was getting from a girl. A young, pretty, dumb girl.

    ¡°Soe on, be my boyfriend already!¡± She grabbed his hand and surprisingly, he didn¡¯t jerk back and actually liked it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to love me immediately, Stray. You look like you¡¯re lost, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you find your parents and there¡¯s an empty house down the street where you can stay for the moment. I would have taken you to mine but my father doesn¡¯t like strangers and sends them away. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll sneak out of the house with lots of food and other goodies to keep youpany. What do you think?¡±

    And just like that, Young Marcel agreed to the rtionship because of food and shelter.

 Chapter 342

    342 Know About The Girl

    Marcel woke up with a startle, looking around his environment to discover that he was still in the car and they hadn¡¯t reached their destination yet. He let out an annoyed sigh having been caught off guard by the dream. Only that this wasn¡¯t a dream.

    He could remember it now, how had this particr memory slipped into his subconscious? It happened when he was young and he had forgotten all about it until he dreamt of it today.

    That was the period his mother had died and he had been so appalled by the thought of living with his father alone that he ran away from home. He had nned for a long time to run away with his mother anyway, but the woman took off first before him. She went to a much better ce and Marcel was so jealous of that.

    However, he couldn¡¯t be the only one left behind, so Marcel wlessly nned his escape and just never expected that Victor would interfere. His cousin found out about his escape ns and wanted him to take him along.

    ¡°Two is better one. We would run away together and just as promised, leave happily ever after!¡± The boy had a fool¡¯s dream.

    Marcel knew Victor suggested following him out of loyalty and not because his family abused him. No, he had always been jealous of Victor for having a loving and perfect family unlike his. Victor¡¯s family was normal and his father didn¡¯t beat his wife. They were peaceful. So peaceful that he was envious.

    Thanks to that, Marcel knew he couldn¡¯t bring Victor along, that would only break aunty Carmine¡¯s heart and Victor was her only beloved son. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose him. He had to go alone, Marcel decided upon that in his heart.

    Unfortunately, Victor was too instinctive and annoying. As if sensing he would leave him behind, the boy offered to hold onto the money bag. That bag contained all the money Marcel had saved up as he had promised his mother just so they could leave here.

    Marcel told Victor to wait so he could check out their escape route and his cousin stubbornly held onto the money as a guarantee that he would be back knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape without resources.

    .....

    However, Victor underestimated Marcel¡¯s craziness and burning desire to escape his father. He took off without the money. His father had taught him how to survive in a desert, he would surely survive in a foreign ce without money. The cash his young self had on him was only enough to send him out of the city and from thenceforth, rummaged in the dirt for food until he met her.

    Marcel scoffed at the memory, his brows drawing together intensely as he tried to remember what he looked like. All he could remember was her red hair. Now he thought about it, seems like he had a thing for redheads since he was young. He just didn¡¯t realize it until now.

    Just as the little girl had promised, she provided him with a ce to stay. It was an old, abandoned house and people hardly visited there because they thought it was haunted. Apparently, the family who once lived there happily had been murdered in their sleep by their eldest son. All of them died except the youngest sister who had been with the aunt for the holiday.

    What would drive a child to kill his own parents and siblings. The town folks had imed that a demon who lived underneath the house must have possessed the boy and made himmit those abominable crimes. And so, everyone avoided the house saying that it was cursed.

    But then, that brave little girl made the house that the whole town avoided, her sanctuary. The house was her ying ground and she temporarily took up residence. That was when Marcel began to respect her. She never failed any of her promises and brought him food, drinks, and delicious snacks as she promised.

    She even stole her father¡¯s clothes and used scissors to cut them to his size so he could wear them after he had washed up. The hip area of the pants was enormously loose on him, so he used the torn piece and made them serve as a belt.

    The young girl treated him so well that it hadn¡¯t been hard for him to agree to the marriage. To thank her for her help and make her happy as well, Marcel picked up a bread tie and formed it into a ring, ¡°With this ring, I dere you mine. You are not to love other boys, but me alone till we grow up and get married for real.¡± He said.

    He remembered the way her eyes had lit over the ring. It might have not been made from silver or gold, but it was genuine and she wore it throughout the day happily.

    Because she had not given him a ring, the girl had promised to introduce him to her father the next day. Since they were now engaged, he was no longer a stranger and her father deserved to know about his son-inw. How cute.

    But then, Marcel didn¡¯t get to meet his would have been father-inw because his father¡¯s people found him and took him away before he could say goodbye. He didn¡¯t even get to know her name because he called her ¡°Dummy¡± the whole time while he remained ¡°Stray¡± to her. Perhaps, the universe knew their time with each other was short and let it be that way.

    Although it was in the part, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she was doing now. She was probably married now having forgotten her engagement to him. How childish! They were dreamers then. Unfortunately, adulthood didn¡¯t offer such luxury, no wonder he forgot all about it.

    Moreover, the decision to leave he made that day cost Victor and he didn¡¯t like to remember the events surrounding that period. So it wasn¡¯t surprising he doesn¡¯t remember what the girl looks like anymore. Moreover, it was years already.

    Even at that, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but want to know about that girl? Was she living well? Does her husband know she promised marriage to another when she was younger? He smiled inwardly.

    One thing was for sure though, If they do meet again, they both would have a goodugh over this memory.

 Chapter 343

    343 Tired Of Her Questions

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡±

    Marcel finally stepped out of the car and walked up to the diner restaurant in front. His people had already reserved the ce to have this negotiation.

    One of the soldiers guarding the entrance bowed at him and opened the door to let him in. Vintage movie posters, lunch boxes, and other tchotchkes adorned the walls, while hearty made-from-scratch dishes adorn the menu. The small town¡¯s extra-friendly vibe and the smell of mouth-watering foods made Marcel rx a bit, assuring himself that there wouldn¡¯t be a bloodbath tonight.

    However, the peace was shattered when a sharp cry pierced the air and he looked ahead to see Adele failing miserably to calm the girl. She probably didn¡¯t have enough experience with children knowing that she was treated like an outcast throughout her life by her own family. Moreover, all she was interested in was working hard and getting promoted.

    Marcel somehow understood why she wanted to seed badly, so she wouldn¡¯t be looked down upon by the others. Once she had power, she would be respected. However, having power doesn¡¯t guarantee happiness. Look at him, even in his position of power, his family was still plotting to have him removed. Hopefully, she learns to love herself first.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Marcel said and Adele turned around immediately, bowing her head.

    ¡°You¡¯re here, boss,¡±

    Marcel looked at the young girl. She had blonde hair with blue eyes and tears were still slipping down her cheeks as she red at them. Marcel suspected she had somehow perceived that they weren¡¯t good people.

    Adele noticed him staring and exined to him, ¡°She¡¯s insisting she wants to go home to her grandmother.¡±

    .....

    As if on cue, the young girl cried out, ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait for her anymore, I want my grandmother. Send me to my grandmother. I want to be with grandma,¡±

    Thankfully Adele had the situation in control else the owners of the diner would have called the police on them already for their suspicious activity.

    ¡°You should stop crying, your grandmother isn¡¯ting,¡± Marcel told the girl who peered up at him through wetshes.

    Her brows drew together as it dawned on her, ¡°My g-grandmother isn¡¯ting?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcel nodded.

    And just like that, as if Marcel made the whole thing worse, the girl wailed in a louder voice and Adele looked at the both of them in concern and apprehension.

    ¡°It¡¯s not working,¡± She said to him.

    But Marcel gestured to her to move out of the booth and he took her ce, sitting directly in front of the girl.

    He faced her, ¡°Your grandmother is noting because your father would be here to take you.¡±

    At once, the girl¡¯s eyes widened and she looked at him doubtfully, ¡°Daddy would be here?!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcel answered her.

    She frowned at him, ¡°You¡¯re lying. Daddy is a busy man! Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± She shouted at the top of her voice, throwing a tantrum.

    But Marcel was not annoyed and said to her instead in a calm and gentle tone, ¡°Of course, your Daddy is a busy man, which is why he sent me to keep youpany until he arrives.¡±

    At that exnation, the girl stared at him suspiciously before she eventually rxed into her seat, the tension leaving her body. She lowered her head, ying with her fingers before looking up to ask him, ¡°When would he arrive?¡±

    Marcel checked his watch for appearance¡¯s sake and replied to her, ¡°Not long now. I¡¯m hungry, what do you want to eat?¡± He gave her the chance to make her choice.

    And just as he thought, the girl¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°You would let me choose anything I want?¡±

    He nodded.

    She squealed loudly, forgetting all about meeting her grandmother, and a smile curved Marcel¡¯s lips yet he was heartbroken at the same time. He should be having this kind of fun with his sister, Chloe. Marcel clenched his fist, he would do everything to get her back.

    They ended up ordering a lot; a homemade corned beef hash, house-roasted turkey sandwich, steak and cheese omelet, and eggs benedict with coffee Oreo milkshakes. Just like that, Marcel bought the girl¡¯s trust with the meal.

    ¡°Do you work for my father?¡± She asked in the middle of the meal.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°How do you know daddy then?¡±

    ¡°Acquaintances.¡±

    ¡°Acquaintance, how?¡±

    ¡°We just know each other.¡±

    ¡°Then you both must be friends.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°It does.¡±

    ¡°How.¡±

    ¡°You can know someone without being friends.¡± Marcel was tired of her questions at this point. He had forgotten how inquisitive children could be.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk while eating as well else you¡¯d choke.¡± He cautioned her, hoping she would stop with the questions. But he waspletely wrong.

    ¡°I don¡¯t choke. I can talk well while eating. Grandma says that¡¯s my superpower.¡± She said proudly.

    ¡°Just focus on the food please, not everyone has your superpower.¡± He prayed and It was answered for like two, three seconds before she began again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like talking?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Marcel sighed, leaning back into his seat, and looked at her. He was tired of her unending questions. The girl looked back at him with her innocent doe eyes and the thought of gagging her mouth with a tape vanished immediately.

    ¡°Great men don¡¯t talk much,¡± He said whatever came into his head, and gulped down the milkshake.

    ¡°You must be great then. In that case, what do you do for a living?¡±

    And that question made Marcel¡¯s brows raise as his countenance changed at once. However, the girl quickly added, ¡°Do you own apany like my daddy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Marcel didn¡¯t exactly lie, he had a legitimate business but all of those were just a front to hide what he really does for a living.

    ¡°A lot of women must like you then,¡± The girl said, stabbing at her food idly, ¡°I once heard my mother say she married my father because he owned apany. But then grandmother says one shouldn¡¯t marry for money but love,¡± She lifted her face, looking him straight in the eyes, ¡°So mister, be careful so you don¡¯t marry a woman that loves only yourpany.¡±

    Marcel¡¯s throat constricted at the girl¡¯s words and he grabbed his spoon tight. Just like him, the girl deserved a better parent. So he replied kindly, saying, ¡°Thank you, little one. Mister would listen to your advice.¡±

    She smiled at him and resumed eating.

    But almost immediately, Marcel¡¯s phone lit up with a message. The girl¡¯s father was here.

 Chapter 344

    344 Get Down To Business

    ¡°Daddy!¡± The young girl forgot all about her newfound rtionship with Marcel as soon as her father arrived. She stepped out of the booth and ran into the man¡¯s open arms.

    David was as rigid as a coil when he arrived at this ce but when he saw his daughter was in good health and that she was safe, he calmed down a bit and hugged her tight.

    He didn¡¯t want to let go of her knowing that whatever these people wanted from him would guarantee her safety. He couldn¡¯t let anything happen to her.

    ¡°Daddy! ¡±

    ¡°Nancy!¡±

    She said, ¡°I miss you so much, daddy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I miss you too honeybee,¡± He answered before the girl pulled away and pointed at the booth where Marcel was seated, ¡°And look, daddy, I became friends with your business partner!¡± She announced proudly.

    At the mention of ¡°business partner¡± the man David slowly lifted his head, gulping nervously when his gaze connected With Marcel¡¯s who nonchntly waved at him.

    Without anyone telling him, David knew Marcel was the leader of this group or whatever they are. And it unsettled him that his daughter wasfortable with him already. It was obvious that they were bad people.

    .....

    However, why did they target him? He had no idea. David was not involved in politics and though he hadpetition in his business, they hadn¡¯t resorted to this method until now. He had a lot of questions running through his head right now.

    Marcel stood from his seat while David pushed up to his full length, tugging his daughter to his side and holding her hand tightly. Although he tried to put on a brave front, Marcel could smell the fear reeking off him.

    Unlike him, the man had a lot to lose in this deal because it was just confirmed that he loved his daughter more than anything ¨C David obeyed every instruction they gave him to get here.

    ¡°Hi David,¡± Marcel said to him as if they were best friends reuniting after a long time.

    David sucked in a deep breath, ¡°Hi err...¡± He had no idea of his name.

    ¡°Marcel,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± David was surprised when his daughter filled in the details for him.

    ¡°He¡¯s so cool. I like him, daddy.¡± The girl grinned, showing off her two missing front teeth while Marcel grinned at her in appreciation.

    She went on, ¡°Tell me the both of you are finally going to be friends after this?¡± she pleaded.

    ¡°N-nancy?¡± He looked between his daughter and Marcel nervously, wondering if the man had been angered by what his daughter said. But then, Marcel had a cool face, and that slightly relieved him. Right now, he couldn¡¯t tell if his daughter¡¯s ignorance was a good thing or not.

    ¡°Would you, daddy? Come on,¡± She was still on the topic of the both of them being friends.

    ¡°Urm, Nancy....¡±

    ¡°For sure. Your daddy and I would be best of friends after tonight,¡± Marcel said,ying more emphasis on the word, ¡°friends¡± and that made David urately aware of their meeting today. Contrary to what he portrays, this wasn¡¯t a friendly meeting at all.

    Marcel went on, ¡°And that is why you have to give us space so your daddy and I can discuss well and be friends in the end, don¡¯t you think so, David?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± The man was startled and then when he saw the pointed look Marcel gave him, he answered immediately, ¡°Sure! We need to have a nice discussion.¡±

    ¡°Surely, Nancy, you wouldn¡¯t mind going with Adele this time.¡± Although Marcel requested warmly, everyone else knew it was amand and Adele had started toe towards her to take her away.

    Nancy looked at Adele and frowned, ¡°She¡¯s not fun.¡± Sheined.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she will be this time.¡± Marcel winked at her whole giving a side warning to Adele to be cool.

    She nodded and reached for the girl.

    It was hard for David to let his daughter go, knowing that there were chances he might not see her again if this meeting went wrong. So he stooped down and ced a tender kiss on her forehead, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this will be over soon and daddy will take you home.¡±

    The girl nodded and then turned to Adele, cing her hand in herrger palm as she took her away. As soon as the girl left, a tense silence fell in the diner and he turned to face Marcel who gestured for him to take a seat, in the same spot his daughter had upied minutes ago.

    As soon as they settled down, Marcel took up eating his food from where he stopped and was in the middle of devouring his sandwich when he noticed he was the only one eating.

    He then gestured to the leftover food on the man¡¯s side, ¡°That belongs to your daughter and isn¡¯t poisoned, I just don¡¯t like food going to waste. However, you can still order yours if you don¡¯t want to,¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m in the mood to eat,¡± David told him.

    ¡°Hmm, is that so? You have a beautiful daughter though¡± Marcel chewed loudly, subtly threatening him.

    The man¡¯s heart pressure increased and he began to panic, ¡°Look man, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this. You can tell me who sent you? What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°Now, you¡¯re talking,¡± Marcel pushed his tray to the side and intertwined his hands together, he was ready to get down to business.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I don¡¯t n to kill you or your daughter.¡±

    David was relieved.

    But that was until Marcel added, ¡°But that is if our conversation goes well and you don¡¯t pull a trick on me. It would be quite a shame to force me to put a bullet in your daughter¡¯s head, trust me, she doesn¡¯t deserve that.¡±

    ¡°What do you want then?¡± David knew he had to tread carefully with this man. He seemed powerful.

    ¡°I need your help,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Funny enough, that is not how you ask for help,¡± David sassed of course in his head. This wasn¡¯t the time to be cocky.

    ¡°How may I help you then?¡± He asked, hoping it wasn¡¯t something illegal.

    ¡°Good. Now we¡¯re talking.¡± Marcel gave him a grin as if to say that he has done well.

 Chapter 345

    345 Same Ship With The Devil

    It wasn¡¯t something illegal. It was much more deadly than illegal. He was dealing with the Mafia? How did he get to deal with the Mafia? He doesn¡¯t remember drawing their attention. What did he do to draw their attention?

    ¡°So that¡¯s all I have to do?¡± David asked him, still feeling a bit ufortable with this arrangement. This man called Marcel wanted him to turn two non-employees into full-time employees with a working history in thepany in the space of twenty-four hours.

    Sure, he could do that considering he was the boss, however, Marcel wanted these two women to be on the team scheduled to clean the mansion of one of his biggest clients.

    It was barely three days before the exercise. Also, this was the Mafia he was talking about, what do they want with his client? If anything happened to his client, it was going to be a huge loss for him.

    ¡°Yes, that is all,¡± Marcel assured him.

    ¡°Fine, I can do that,¡± David assured him.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel told him, thankful for the fact that he made the right decision.

    ¡°However...¡± David hesitantly asked him, ¡°If I may ask, what do you want in his house?¡± He gulped when Marcel gave him a strange look that definitely didn¡¯t look friendly.

    Quickly, he went ahead to exin himself, ¡°Not that I¡¯m trying to pry into your business, however, that is my biggest client and if this backfires, I might suffer a huge -¡±

    .....

    ¡°It is none of your business and you don¡¯t have to worry about a loss, you¡¯d bepensated heavily for your cooperation. You might not know this but I have a lot of connections and I can assure you that your life is about to take a positive turn. You¡¯re lucky to have met me. ¡± Marcel promised a huge turn up in his business after this was pulled off sessfully.

    Hearing that, David¡¯s heart leaped for joy, it seems the deal wasn¡¯t all that bad.

    ¡°I would make sure your people are treated well considering they are my old-time workers,¡± David well understood the game and Marcel nodded in approval.

    ¡°Since we are done here, I guess this is where we draw rge curtains.¡± Marcel brushed the crumbs off his suit from his food.

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± David was happy that this was over.

    Marcel stood to his feet and he did the same as well. He stretched out his hand which the man looked at in both surprise and confusion before gently enveloping it and shaking him firmly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s work hard together,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± David answered him. Although this was a breach of contact between him and his client, he loved his daughter more than his job.

    This was the Mafia he was dealing with. The Mafia don¡¯t ask, they took what they wanted, whenever they wanted it and wherever they wanted it to be. David knew if he had refused the deal, they would have found ways to torture his daughter and force him to do their bidings.

    Fortunately, he was a smart man and chose the easy way. David couldn¡¯t let his daughter suffer for what she had no clue about. He didn¡¯t know if Marcel was capable of hurting his daughter as he imed or if he was simply bluffing considering they had been chummy with each other earlier, but then, he couldn¡¯t push his luck. This was the Mafia and his child¡¯s life mattered more than anything else.

    Marcel was just about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and stopped. He faced David and the man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What now? Has he done something wrong?

    ¡°W-what?¡± He asked, shaking slightly.

    Marcel looked him over, assessing with his sharp eyes before saying, ¡°You¡¯re capable enough, so if I were you, I would not trust my ex-wife with my kid. Your child needs stability and loves that the both of you starve her. So trust me when I tell you I¡¯ll be checking up now and then, ¨C even after this deal is over ¨C to see if she¡¯s living a happy life.¡±

    David stood at that spot perplexed, what was he talking about? Also, how could he like his kid when he also ns to harm if he doesn¡¯t get what he wants. He was thrown off bnce by Marcel¡¯s emotion. But one thing was for sure, the Mafia did his research and he had a feeling that his child was suffering and his ex-wife had a hand in it.

    Almost immediately, the door was opened and his daughter came running into the diner. But instead ofing to him, she hugged Marcel instead.

    ¡°Are the both of you friends now?¡± She inquired.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcel ruffled her hair, smiling widely, ¡°Your father and I are friends now, aren¡¯t we?¡± He directed the question at David, a threat lingering beneath it.

    ¡°Yes!¡± He announced, ¡°Yes, we are friends now.¡±

    Marcel turned to the young girl, ¡°Now, you are going to go stay with your daddy. And you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯d have my eyes on you. I¡¯m not leaving you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Marcel,¡± Nancy hugged him, innocently believing his words without understanding the real meaning behind them.

    But David did.

    Marcel had his eyes on him till this deal was over. David couldn¡¯t mess up the deal nor could he back out of it now. He was on the same ship with the devil now. He just hopes the ship doesn¡¯t sink and drown him to the bottom of the ocean where the sharks would make a feast of his body.

    Marcel finally left the dinner while father and daughter caught up. Adele was by his side once he was out, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged the hotel where you would sleep the night and -¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, I¡¯m returning to the base immediately.¡± He informed her.

    ¡°What?!¡± Adele was stunned by the news, ¡°But it¡¯ste already and it would be morning by the time you arrived there. Why don¡¯t you just rest up and -¡±

    But he raised his hand and she stopped speaking at once. Marcel opened the car door, ¡°Thanks for your concern, Adele, but I¡¯ve made up my mind already. There is no ce like home.¡± He said.

    And with that, Marcel got in and the driver took off.

 Chapter 346

    346 End Up Being A Disaster Like The First Time

    This bonus chapter is courtesy of Powy. Thank you for the castle reward!

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    After taking the suit jacket off, Eric plopped down to his seat with a sigh while tugging at his tie till he loosened it and tossed it to the side. He could finally breathe again.

    He had a long day at work today and was extremely stressed. With the Mafia, there was never an end to their trouble and violence and as the head of the Commission, he had to keep everything and everyone bnced.

    He was in the process of rubbing his forehead where he felt a strong headache when the door to his office was opened and Natalie stepped in looking elegant and beautiful in her nightgown.

    Eric watched as she first looked around the room before her eyes fell on him, ¡°I thought I heard someonee in. Turns out, I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still awake. It¡¯s eleven.¡±

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m very much awake because I was worried over your annoying ass,¡± She said, walking over to him with her arms folded across her chest. Natalie then stopped in front of his desk, ¡°You¡¯re back andte. Your daughter called, and I had to assure her for over thirty minutes that you¡¯re alive and definitely a tough man to kill,¡± She hinted that it was a distressing call.

    Upon hearing that, Eric repositioned himself in his seat, saying with a deep breath, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Rose, I¡¯ll call herter. I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡±

    .....

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± She waved off his apology, ¡°The girl was simply worried for her father and she¡¯s quite a darling anyway. After she was able to calm down, we had a great conversation.¡± She tilted her head to the side, assessing him, ¡°And you do look stressed out. Tough day, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± He added under his breath, ¡°After this annoying headache goes away.¡±

    Eric then opened one of his drawers and pulled out a painkiller which wasn¡¯t hard to find since he always kept them close, while Natalie left the room and returned minutester with a ss of water.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eric thanked her as he received the ss and drank it after he popped the pill into his mouth.

    Done, he ced the ss cup on his desk and then leaned back on his sweat, his head thrown back with his eyes shut close. He needed the rest.

    So even when he heard her footstepsing closer, he didn¡¯t react until she was standing behind him and ced her hand on both sides of his head.

    ¡°You know what would help more after the medicine? A nice head rub. It would help alleviate the pain and you would feel better even before the rest.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± He begged her tomence.

    With a deep breath, Nataliemenced the exercise. She was very confident in her skills since this wasn¡¯t the first time she had done something like this. His brothers had always loved her head rubs and usually came to her whenever they needed one.

    As expected, It wasn¡¯t long when Eric groaned out in relief, ¡°God, that feels good. You should start charging for your services.¡±

    She chuckled at his words, Eric was a good joker.

    ¡°Yeah, this is nice. You¡¯re my superwoman, Natalie. You know everything I need, no wonder I like you.¡± Eric only realized what he had said when she suddenly froze and the rubbing action stopped as well. His eyes popped open, the words were out already.

    Natalie took her hands off him as well as if she had been electrocuted, while taking a step back. What did she just hear? No, that can¡¯t be possible. Eric must be pulling her legs or something, right.

    However, the man didn¡¯t say anything and simply stood up to his feet. His hands were in his pocket and he faced her, towering over her in the process.

    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± She tried to confirm. The air was getting thicker and thinner with the tension and Natalie didn¡¯t like it because it made her skin prickle with awareness. His awareness.

    But Eric¡¯s face was passive when he said, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking.¡±

    At that statement, her jaw dropped, unable to believe what she just heard. Did Eric like her? The thought of it made her feel a bit lightheaded.

    ¡°No,¡± She shook her head, unable to believe it, ¡°Eric, we¡¯ve talked about this already. It¡¯s just -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me that it¡¯s infatuation, Natalie,¡± He growled at her warningly, slowly stepping towards her, ¡°You told me that when I was younger, however, I¡¯m a grown man now and I know what I want.¡±

    ¡°Eric, don¡¯t -¡± Her words were broken when she stumbled into the wall and realized she had nowhere else to go. He cornered her into the wall and like a trapped animal she was helpless against him.

    Eric ced both of his hands on either side of the wall so she couldn¡¯t escape. He then leaned closer and she turned her head to the side. But that didn¡¯t stop him from whispering into her ears, ¡°And what I want is you.¡±

    A shiver danced down her spine, Natalie was affected by both his proximity and words. But she couldn¡¯t give in to those feelings. She couldn¡¯t risk it.

    ¡°Eric, you don¡¯t understand -¡±

    ¡°No, Ipletely understand, Natalie. Have you forgotten that I have known you for half of my life?¡± He asked her, and she couldn¡¯t keep staring at the side any longer.

    She met him straight in the eyes and Eric didn¡¯t back down either as he went on to say, ¡°You¡¯re hurt and afraid to love again because you think it¡¯s going to end up being a disaster like the first time. But that¡¯s all in the past, Natalie. How long are you going to wallow in your regrets? We don¡¯t have much time to live on this damn earth anyway, and shoot me in the ass if I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my days with the woman standing right in front of me!¡±

 Chapter 347

    347 How Sex Felt Like

    Music rmendation:- Perfect ¨C One Direction.

    Natalie wanted to run, like literally zoom past him like the sh. However, nothing of that nature happened. Yes, she did run away in her head, but physically, her feet were stuck to the ground and she couldn¡¯t do anything.

    She just stood there like a zombie watching and waiting as Eric pulled down her walls,yer afteryer till there was nothing left and she was bare before him. Till there was nothing left.... to hide from.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep hiding in the dark, Natalie. It¡¯s time to step into the light. Moreover....¡± He reached down and took her hand. Intertwining them together with his, he raised it to her face and she stared at it, mesmerized by the action.

    His hands were bigger and rougher while hers were smaller yet dainty but they fitted each other, it was a beautiful sight ¨C and she loved it.

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody here to separate us any longer.¡± He said.

    Natalie took her gaze off their joined hands and stared at him. She knew that he was referring to the time his father sent her away because he learned of her son¡¯s fascination for her. Her brows furrowed now that she thought about it, did he love her that long?

    His other hand came up to sp her face, his thumb brushing across her cheeks and caressing her sensitive skin. He said, ¡°It¡¯s just the both of us now, Natalie,¡±

    Then, her lips were on his, kissing him eagerly as if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time now. Eric groaned his satisfaction right before he pushed her into the wall and she gasped slightly from the pain. But the moment her lips opened, his tongue was in, dominating and devouring her mouth.

    .....

    Natalie moaned, her hand digging into his hair while the other wrapped around his neck, anchoring herself as she ground against his obvious arousal. Eric moaned, pressing his body further against hers as if he could go any closer.

    Natalie gasped loudly when hisrge hands slipped beneath her nightgown and grabbed her bare ass cheeks and hoisted her up so she could wound her long leg around his waist.

    She moaned, breaking off the kiss and throwing her head back when he ground against her. Her panties were thoroughly soaked and she shivered, her hand tightening around his neck when she felt her climaxing.

    Eric must have known because he began to ground his hips against her, the friction rubbing against her excited clit as she felt a wildfire running through her veins and before she knew it, Natalie cried out her first orgasm.

    Eric pulled her closer and kissed her once more. He kissed her hungrily and deeply like a man starved of food for days. Well, she did starve him this moment for years, he was going to have his full tonight.

    However, even as they kissed, Natalie¡¯s hands were on his buttons and in no time had his shirt off and tossed it to God knows she doesn¡¯t fucking care where. The next, Eric was grabbing the hem of her gown and pulling it over her head. He threw it away, leaving her in nothing but her panties and his eyes took in her breast, her nipples already puckered from arousal.

    The both of them stared at each other, their chest heaving and their eyes dark with lust. Natalie bit on her lower lips nervously while watching Eric stare at her breast, wondering what he thought of them.

    She wasn¡¯t old, nor was she a young woman either, with the, you know, firm breasts and all. Perhaps, having one child might have been a blessing because she met other women over the years whoplimented her breast.

    ¡°Yours actually looks juicy and definitely not sagging,¡± That had been their words.

    But at this moment, Natalie still couldn¡¯t help but feel self-conscious. Does Eric like what he sees? She wanted to know his opinion. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to back out of this before it was toote.

    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Eric told her as if he knew what she was thinking. His eyes were still fixed on her breast, and she sucked in a sharp breath, trembling a little. He liked it, he said she was beautiful.

    Then he lowered his head and his mouth was on one of them. Natalie moaned loudly, her legs almost giving out, but thankfully, her hands were on her shoulder. Eric teased her nipples while he kneaded the other one, and she wished for nothing but for him to suckle it as well.

    Her prayer was answered because his lips were upon the other breast and Natalie held onto him for dear life. She was so soaked that she wanted him to be inside of her right now.

    Eric finally carried her over to the desk and ced her on the edge. He then brushed the rest of his stuff to the ground, including the ss which shattered into pieces, but none of them cared at the moment. They were both burning with need.

    With the desk bare, Eric pushed her down on the wooden surface. His hands reached for her panties and she lifted her hips, helping him pull it down her legs. Natalie didn¡¯t look, but she knew he was taking off his pants and a drawer was pulled open, probably searching for a condom. Thankfully, he knew to be safe.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Eric asked her, hands on her thighs.

    She nodded, anticipation thrumming through her.

    Eric leaned over her, kissing her once more while his fingers slipped into her entrance, checking if she was ready and of course, teasing her as well.

    Thus when he thrust into her, her body was rxed and she readily epted him, pleasure etched on her face as Eric sheathed to the hilt.

    ¡°Eric!¡± She gasped his name, her back arching as he began to thrust her, falling into a rhythm. She wanted to reach for him but they were too far away and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, Eric increased his pace and she was a goner.

    Natalie screamed, feeling a million sensations she couldn¡¯t describe attacking her at once. Afraid of letting the past repeat itself, Natale had steered clear of men and hence, forgot how sex felt like. What it tasted like.

    As Eric continuously plowed into her, she gasped for air until her body couldn¡¯t take it anymore, a scream ripping through her throat as her orgasm took her to worlds unknown. Tears slipped down her eyes from the glorious feeling and Natalie knew that from that moment onwards, her life was never going to remain the same.

 Chapter 348

    348 Got Reminded Of The Dream

    Arianna didn¡¯t sleep a wink a night because she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Marcel. It wasn¡¯t exactly about the moment they shared in the kitchen ¨C okay, she did think about it. But then the point is, she was worried about him and that wasn¡¯t supposed to be.

    ¡°You are supposed to hate him, you fool!¡± Arianna screamed out, biting into her pillow aggressively.

    She tossed and turned on her bed before sitting up and beginning her monologue.

    ¡°What has Marcel ever done for you?! Nothing! Everything he has done so far is to keep your dumb ass caged here!¡± Arianna whacked her face with the pillow and fell back on the bed only to rise again.

    ¡°He kidnapped you, Arianna, for crying out loud. He¡¯s a rogue, brutal, and a killer for Christ¡¯s sake. Those that live by the sword, die by the sword. What would it benefit you to date a Mafia Lord? As if your life isn¡¯t in enough danger? You¡¯re a hostage here or have you forgotten about Stockholm syndrome? Oh my Gosh, it finally got to you!¡± She cried out.

    Arianna fell to the bed on her side, looking like a lifeless human as she battled the thoughts mentally. She couldn¡¯t help it though, it was always her body betraying her. Her heart was the leader of them all. It shouldn¡¯t beat fast and make her feel dizzy whenever she¡¯s around him.

    She knew how to be around Marcel, mean and unyielding; Arianna was a strong woman and willed herself to behave. However, her eyes were always the first to look and then her brain would release those stupid hormones that disrupts her n while her heartes up with the hippity-hop jump. It was annoying.

    But then, even with all the thinking, Arianna still couldn¡¯te up with an effective way to stop catching feelings for Marcel. No, it was just lust. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from lusting after the handsome-looking Mafia Lord of the Luciano crime family. No, she would surely think about it.

    Arianna must have thought hard because she only ended up falling asleep around three in the morning. It must have been a dream or something because Arianna could swear that at one point in the middle of her sleep, she felt a dip in her bed and the next, arms around her.

    .....

    She should have woken up or something but she was just very tired and the sleep was too sweet. And like she said, it was a dream. Amongst other dreams, she had that morning.

    Arianna dreamt about Marcel ¨C Just as he wanted ¨C but then, it was a sex dream. She was on the bed with her legs and hands chained to the sides and she couldn¡¯t even run even if she wanted to.

    She was naked and the look in his eyes scared her because he looked like a predator about to devour her ¨C he reminded her of Samson. If shape-shifting was real, Arianna bet Samson was his other half.

    However, they had mind-blowing sex in the dream and she was still reeling from the feeling when Marcel was suddenly pushed off of her and his position was soon taken over by Elijah.

    Holy God!

    Her blood ran cold when Arianna saw that familiar painted face. Her expression was still etched with shock when he entered her in one thrust and the pleasure clouded her mind.

    Where was Marcel? She wondered because he has not risen since Elijah pushed him away. However, her attention was drawn back to Elijah when he increased his pace, pounding into her much harder this time as if he was trying to punish her.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He asked, a glint she couldn¡¯t understand in his eyes as he continued to plow into her.

    ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Arianna answered, her hands digging into the sheet from the pleasure.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elijah said, as if that was what he wanted to hear. Arianna didn¡¯t notice the change in his demeanor because she was busy enjoying the sex.

    But then, he suddenly asked, ¡°Why did you betray me then?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna said, and that was when she noticed the chill in the air. Although Elijah was still f*cking her, his expression had changed and she felt this sudden urge to look at the side.

    She turned to the right side of the bed only to see Marcel¡¯s empty gray eyes staring back at her with a bullet hole in the middle of his head.

    Arianna screamed and tried to get away but she couldn¡¯t, not with Elijah still inside of her. Unlike earlier, he now had a full-fledged psychopathic smile on his face while lifting a gun to her face.

    ¡°I gave you everything, Arianna, yet you betray me like this?¡±

    ¡°No, Elijah. Please let me try to -¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s toote for that,¡± He smirked coldly and pulled the trigger.

    Bang!

    Arianna woke up with a startled gasp, her heart pounding in her chest. That had been one hell of a nightmare. But it was a reality check-up as well. Elijah was still out there and probablying for her.

    Yeah, ¡°probably¡±, note the uncertainty. It¡¯s been over a month already since shest saw him and weeks since he gave her a sign. A sign to hold onto hope and remind her why she was even fighting in the first ce. Who was she fighting for?

    No, she was not having thisplicated thought this early in the morning, Arianna decided and was about to get out of bed when she finally noticed heavy resting on her stomach. Brows furrowed, she looked down, it was an arm. She knew who it was.

    ¡°What the -¡± Arianna trailed off when she saw Marcel asleep. She had turned around to give him a piece of her mind until she saw his sleeping face, and he looked so cute, innocent, and peaceful. It was not a sight she saw every day on someone like Marcel.

    A smile curved her lips, he must have returnedst night ¨C thankfully ¨C and decided her bed was the best option. He was so annoying, Arianna thought yet lifted her hand to touch his face only to stop halfway upon remembering her dream. She shouldn¡¯t be doing this.

    So with a deep sigh, she took his arm off her waist and was careful not to wake him. Arianna got down from the bed and headed for her bathroom.

    Marcel opened his eyes.

 Chapter 349

    349 Look At Me

    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Arianna screamed as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom only to see Marcel right awake and waiting on her bed.

    ¡°You scared the life out of me,¡± Arianna told him without hiding her annoyance. She was not ready to die yet.

    ¡°You are clearly not dead,¡± Marcel retorted, standing up to his full length with his hands in his pocket and Arianna forgot how to breathe because he was shirtless. Holy Micheal...

    ¡°A-hem!¡± She intentionally cleared her throat, while dragging her eyes away from his chest. Whatever attraction that was between the both of them had to die. Her head was back in the game now.

    ¡°How was your night?¡± Marcel asked her.

    ¡°It was fine,¡± She lied straight to her teeth. How could she have slept well when the nightmare ruined her morning already.

    Arianna walked around Marcel and reached for her bed, beginning to arrange the sheet. To make her surroundings less awkward, she started up a conversation between the both of them, ¡°You know, it¡¯s not funny sneaking into my room like that?¡±

    ¡°I own every room in this ce,¡± Marcel said, watching her. Since Arianna entered the room, she refused to look him in the face, and that slightly annoyed him.

    He drove all night from another state just to share the morning with her, but then, it was beginning to seem like this was a huge mistake. However, Marcel kept on having hope, who knows, it must be one of her hormones acting up. Perhaps she¡¯s in her period or something?

    .....

    ¡°Then you should live in all of them at once,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes at the statement. Marcel had his back turned to her and her eyes mistakenly caught on his hard, tampered muscles and she nearly drooled at the sight.

    Arianna was tempted to run her hands over the exquisite drawing of Samson on his entire back. It was so beautiful and made him look more powerful ¨C majestic. But Marcel turned around at thest minute and she took her eyes off immediately.

    Her heart was pounding hard in her throat and her hands shook but Arianna steadied it. She took a deep breath and managed to calm down. Stop behaving like a woman in heat, she chided herself.

    Arianna moved over to Marcel¡¯s side to arrange that spot, but the moment she was within his reach, he pulled her to his side.

    ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re avoiding me?¡± Marcel asked, scrutinizing her with furrowed brows.

    ¡°M-me?¡± Ariannaughed nervously, pointing to her chest, ¡°No way,¡± sheughed again.

    ¡°Then look me in the eyes while talking,¡± He told her

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna breathed shakily. Sheughed it off, ¡°Why are you being so weird? Stop it, Marcel,¡±

    But Marcel was having none of that. He reached out and grabbed her chin. However, he didn¡¯t make any further movement nor did he lift her face, instead he said to her through gritted teeth, ¡°Look. At. Me. Arianna.¡±

    Unable to disobey his orders, Arianna flexed her jaw and then hardened her heart before lifting her face. But no matter of preparation could stop the current that zapped through them when green eyes connected with heated gray ones.

    Marcel was agitated when she wouldn¡¯t look at him, hence there was a little fire in his eyes. But that red fire in his eyes turned into dark red ones full of burning lust when they continuously stared at each other.

    Arianna shivered down to her spine, ¡°No, Marcel don¡¯t ¨C !¡±

    Her cry wasn¡¯t loud enough because Marcel had already closed his lips on her and she couldn¡¯t breathe. No, she forgot how to breathe as he kissed her hungrily. It was consuming and quite intense.

    Arianna tried to push him away but her touch might as well have been encouraging because she only ended up touching his chest. She felt soft to the bone as Marcel kissed every form of resistance out of her body.

    Unable to fight him any longer, Arianna responded passionately, returning his kiss eagerly. Her hand wrapped his waist, pulling him closer and Marcel groaned to that, as if thanking her for a job well done.

    Marcel then pushed back with her, and her leg hit the bed. Arianna lost her bearing and fell on the bed with Marcel on her, their lips still hungrily joined together.

    They clung to each other as if holding on for dear life while Marcel parted her legs with his thigh. They broke apart for air and Marcel went to trailing kisses down her neck. Arianna sucked a sharp breath, her back arching off the bed, but not for long because he pushed his weight back down on her.

    Their mouths met again in a kiss and it was by no means gentle. It was as if they were making up for the sexual tension between them the past week.

    Her full lips were warm and soft, Marcel nibbled at her lower lip and the feeling was both arousing yet infuriating to Arianna. She dug her hand into his silky blonde hair and yanked it tight, letting him know that she was unsatisfied with his teasing.

    Marcel ground his thigh against her excited clit and she moaned loudly, he quickly swallowed the sound into his mouth. Her grip on his hair tightened, hinting she needed more.

    So Marcel increased his pace, grounding against her harder and harder while she moaned his name, the sweet sounds that should be heard, vibrating into his own mouth.

    Her body tensed up, unable to take it anymore. Arianna brought her lips down upon his shoulder and bit him hard, forming a hickey as her climax took over. She was breathless for a moment, her eyes shut until the glorious moment passed away.

    Her body went limp, utterly satisfied and there was a smile at the corner of her lips. She slowly opened her eyes to see Marcel grinning as well, but that didn¡¯tst for long.

    It was as if her dream somehow merged with her reality and Arianna suddenly saw a bullet hole in the middle of Marcel¡¯s head, the blood dripping from it and spilling on her.

 Chapter 350

    350 Being Friends

    Where did it all go wrong? Marcel could swear he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He let her get off and she enjoyed it judging from the afterglow on her face, however, in the next minute, she had a look of terror on her face. And the next, she was screaming and pushed him off her.

    ¡°Arianna?!¡± Marcel was concerned about her and tried to go over to her but she stretched her hand and shouted,

    ¡°Stop. Don¡¯te any closer.¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t listen. No, he didn¡¯t want to listen. He took another step.

    Arianna added, ¡°Please?¡±

    Marcel finally stopped and she was finally able to breathe. Arianna never wanted to freak out like this, no, she never thought the nightmare would interfere with her normal life. What does it want her to do? Arianna leaned against the wall, her eyes shut in thought.

    ¡°What is the problem? Did I trigger something sensitive to you?¡± Marcel suspected.

    He knew reactions like that and even had soldiers living with post-traumatic stress disorder. Marcel also gets that way sometimes, especially during sleep.

    Arianna opened her eyes, she nearly forgot Marcel was still there. Now, he was going to pry into her issue.

    .....

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± She told him, pushing off the wall. It was her business to deal with the nightmares concerning her cheating on her boyfriend.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push me into getting the truth from your lying mouth my own way,¡± He warned her and she knew he was not joking. Marcel means every word.

    ¡°Fine, you want to know,¡± She walked over to him, her expression serious as she pointed to her chest, ¡°I am being plunged with guilt over cheating on my boyfriend!¡±

    She said it all out hoping that would change things between them. You know, set things straight and he recognizes that this thing between them just can¡¯t work.

    But instead, Marcel said, ¡°You don¡¯t love him,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna went pale, blood draining from his face.

    ¡°Tell me that I¡¯m wrong, do you love him?¡± Marcel boldly asked, towering over her.

    ¡°Of course, I love him!¡± Arianna felt the question was really unnecessary and stupid. Why would he be asking her that when it was so obvious.

    ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m sorry, baby, you wouldn¡¯t be fucking me,¡± Marcel told her the in truth and she went red in the face.

    Arianna tried to speak, to refute this im, but she was too overwhelmed to think straight. She wouldn¡¯t be doing all of this if she didn¡¯t love Elijah. The both of them made an agreement and she decided to love him with all of her heart. The sex part with Marcel was because she was lonely and he seduced her.

    Moreover, when you stayed too much with a male, it was easy to catch feelings for him. Marcel was a very attractive man and she was a jobless youngdy with raging hormones ¨C a virgin who had just begun to explore her sexuality.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t have Elijah in her heart, because, at the end of the day, he was going to be the one she spends the rest of her life with. How would Mimi put it? Marcel was a good fuck while Elijah was the man of her dreams.

    ¡°There are still people who cheat on the one they love. I¡¯ve seen women do that, men, especially.¡± Arianna argued with him. No, she refused to let Marcel confuse her. She went on, ¡°Also, what do you know about love when you haven¡¯t even experienced one?!¡±

    There was a tense silence after Arianna said those words and she knew she just touched a sensitive spot for him. But then, he was the first to begin it.

    ¡°I might not know about love but I¡¯ve seen one,¡± Marcel said with emotion, ¡°My mother wasted her life away for love. She didn¡¯t fuck other men even when my father was being an asshole to her. So yeah, I know love when I see one,¡±

    Arianna gulped, unable to argue this one with him. She doesn¡¯t know much about Marcel¡¯s mother but no other woman would stay in that toxic rtionship if not for love ¨C and fear. Even when Marcel¡¯s father offered the woman to leave, she stayed back because of Marcel. But that wasn¡¯t all, she probably stayed behind because she still loved her husband.

    But then, Marcel was right in one thing, they shouldn¡¯t have begun this in the first ce. The both of them were not meant to be. She was a victim and he was a prey.

    ¡°You won,¡±

    ¡°Arianna -¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t love you either,¡±

    Marcel gulped.

    ¡°You must probably think of me as some whore,¡± Arianna reasoned and that didn¡¯t sit well with him.

    ¡°Rubbish! I¡¯ve never thought of you as such,¡± He came closer, intending to exin it to her better but Arianna stepped back, misunderstanding his action.

    Marcel stopped immediately, ¡°I like you.¡±

    Her eyes widened.

    ¡°I fucking like you.¡±

    Arianna stared at him dumbfounded at what she was hearing. But then, she remembered, ¡°You have a fianc¨¦e, Marcel -¡±

    ¡°Spare me the bullshit, Arianna! You and I know that I feel nothing for her. Else, why are we working hard to make this mission work?¡± He asked her.

    Arianna rubbed her forehead overwhelmed. She knew that Marcel liked her in the first ce but for him to confess that he liked her that deeply already was a shocker.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± She ran her hand through her hair, ¡°Love triangle is not my thing. You just told me that in feeling infatuation for Elijah, and then all of a sudden, you¡¯re confessing you like me after a few hanky panky between us? God, I can¡¯t do this. It¡¯s hard and confusing as it is already. I can¡¯t love two men! ¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± Marcel told her upon seeing how distressed she was already. His n was not to confess to her now, but he had panicked when he sensed her withdrawing from him. His n was never to pressure her, but that seems to be the case now.

    ¡°You made your choice, Elijah, right? I would respect your decision because that¡¯s the right thing. I guess we¡¯d just be friends then,¡± He told her.

    Arianna nodded, ¡°Yes, I think friends would be better,¡± she thought so.

    ¡°In that case, have a nice day,¡± Marcel saluted her and was out of her room as quick as his legs could take him.

 Chapter 351

    351 Winter¡¯s Arrival

    Even after hours had gone, Marcel¡¯s mood still had not improved and so to prevent transferring his aggression to the others, he buried himself in paperwork in the office. Choosing to use ounting to distract himself.

    He was not a man who let his emotion run amok but he has be loose with most of his principles ever since Arianna arrived here. Maybe it was not entirely a bad thing to back down a little. He could use this break to rethink and remold himself as the person he once was ¨C someone who wasn¡¯t weakened by one woman.

    No wonder his father never wanted him to feel this way. Marcel was not sympathetic to his father, Daniel¡¯s actions, but he could see a little reason there. Love made them weak, and a quick example was him making dumb decisions like falling for the girlfriend of his nemesis, Elijah. Yep, his father would be super proud of that ¨C note the sarcasm.

    But then, whenever Marcel remembered his mother¡¯s suffering, he kicked harder against his father¡¯s idea. He liked Arianna, someone who didn¡¯t like him back ¨C so she ims. But then, Marcel knew he would do stupid things if she asked for it, as far as she stayed by his side. Just like him, that must have been how pathetic his mother felt.

    So no, Marcel would rather be the one suffering from the unrequited love than the woman he was to spend the rest of his life with. He¡¯s seen everything firsthand with his mother, so he could think of it as some sort of experience and it wouldn¡¯t be that hardter in the future if that were to happen to him. That was just who he was.

    With a sigh, Marcel went back to work. He had to forget the negative things that happened so far and move on. But then he didn¡¯t move on fast enough because his cousin danced into his office.

    ¡°What a happy da........... ehhhhh?¡± The once happy tune became discordant as Victor recognized the look on his cousin¡¯s face and he groaned.

    ¡°Oh no, no, no, you don¡¯t get to give me that face on a bright and perfect day like this one. Ugh,e on, Marcel!¡± He threw his hands in the air and walked over to his desk.

    Leaning over the desk, Victor propped his chin on it and looked Marcel in the face asking, ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t fight with your girlfriend again?¡±

    .....

    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend,¡± Marcel grumbled without taking his eyes off the paper he was holding.

    ¡°And you two did fight,¡± Victor confirmed. No, it wasn¡¯t even hard to find out. Ever since the day Arianna stepped foot here, Victor has lost count of the number of times Marcel¡¯s mood plunged for the worse. Marcel would soon be the Hulk at this rate.

    ¡°The both of you should just fuck and let go of the tension....¡± Victor trailed off when he felt Marcel¡¯s murderous gaze.

    He cleared his throat awkwardly and moved back to a safe distance, before murmuring, ¡°See? I¡¯m always at the receiving end of it whenever you both have a fight. This is so unfair. ¡±

    But Marcel was not moved by his drama and said to him coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re here to spit out nonsense, you might as well leave this office and go make yourself useful somewhere else.¡±

    He added almost immediately, ¡°Also, I think I heard that our main base requires extra assistance -¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll shut up,¡± Victor gave up immediately while Marcel looked satisfied.

    ¡°So chilly,¡± Victor muttered under his breath, exaggeratedly rubbing his hands down his arm. The blood that ran through his vein can¡¯t be the same as Marcel¡¯s, right. How could he be so cold-blooded?

    Their main base of operation was on a secluded ind and was extremely hard to infiltrate even by the FBI. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t as fun as here and Victor dreaded going back there. So Marcel threatening to send him back there was really low of him. So heartbreaking. Doesn¡¯t he love him anymore?

    Almost immediately, the door to his office was kicked open and a youngdy with dark sses came in before stopping to look around her surroundings.

    Marcel looked up to see who had barged into his office rudely only for recognition to set in. He narrowed his gaze at her, ¡°Winters?

    ¡°Since you¡¯re having a hard time recognizing me, I can safely say that I got prettier,¡± She said proudly, taking off her sses.

    Marcel looked at Victor for an exnation, why didn¡¯t he tell him that she arrived already? He would have given her a grander wee.

    ¡°Well, that was what I was about to tell you until you threatened to ship me off to -¡± Victor was still saying when Marcel bypassed him and went to wee his honorable guest.

    ¡°And of course, he treats me like air again,¡± Victor sighed dramatically, rubbing his chest. It hurts.

    ¡°You little trickster,¡± Marcel pulled the young girl into a hug, squeezing the life out of her.

    ¡°Alright, ouch, let me breathe, buddy,¡± Sheined, trying to slip out of his grip all to no avail.

    Marcel didn¡¯t let her go until he had enough and finally pulled away, ruffling her hair afterward and she groaned in annoyance.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore,¡± Sheined, trying to smooth her hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re neen, you¡¯re still a kid to me,¡± Marcel said.

    Winters gasped, ¡°You keep a record of me, that is so creepy,¡± She teased him.

    ¡°Not as creepy as you spying on people behind the screens,¡± Marcel pointed out.

    ¡°At least, I don¡¯t spy on them in the bathroom,¡± She argued but Marcel didn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°I truly don¡¯t,¡± She breathed, ¡°Except that one time where one of them turned out to be my crush. It was a mistake though, I¡¯m not a pervert¡± Winters tried to defend herself.

    ¡°You need parental guidance, kiddo,¡±

    ¡°Are you volunteering to be one? Eww, no, thank you. Hello Victor, my favorite,¡± She quickly changed the conversation.

    Victor waved back at her, ¡°Hi Winters,¡± And then looked at Marcel with a mean face, ¡°At least, I¡¯m someone¡¯s favorite,¡±

    But Marcel was in no mood to quibble with his cousin. So throwing his arms around Winter¡¯s shoulder, he said, ¡°This is your first time here,e, let me show you the base.¡±

 Chapter 352

    352 Who Was She?

    ¡°You¡¯re not yourself this morning, what¡¯s going on?¡± Mimi asked her friend Arianna who was being unreasonably aggressive today.

    Currently, they were in somerge room learning how to mix chemicals used for cleaning and of course, knowing the right tools to use as well. As much as they were current employees of thepany ¨C thanks to Marcel¡¯s persuasion ¨C they still had to know what they were doing else they¡¯re found suspicious and it somehowplicates their n.

    Once they reached Daniel¡¯s ce, they wouldn¡¯t jump into the mission immediately. The cleaning was estimated tost about two hours, so they were expected to calm down so as not to make mistakes and only move when everyone¡¯s guard is down. Good n, isn¡¯t it? Except that none of them knew that Marcel would really call for a teacher to handle them in that area. He wanted them to be efficient and professional. He was going all out in this n.

    And honestly, the teaching wasn¡¯t so bad. Mimi was intrigued to learn new things in case she needed to make a career choiceter. She got a certificate in business management for the sake of her father and not because she wanted it. Hence, she was in for the learning and the lesson would have been more enjoyable if Arianna wasn¡¯t being bitchy with her questions to the teacher.

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly myself, thank you,¡± Arianna answered curtly.

    But Mimi gave her an unbelieving look, ¡°Yeah, say that to someone who doesn¡¯t know you too well,¡±

    There was no answer from Arianna, so she added, ¡°Did Marcel give you a blue ball?¡±

    Arianna¡¯s head jerked at once, giving her a stupid look, ¡°I¡¯m a woman, I don¡¯t have balls, not to talk of having blue balls. By the way, having blue balls is just a euphemism for general sexual frustration, and trust me, I¡¯m not sexually frustrated!¡± She warned her.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Mimi raised her head in surrender. The girl looks like she would chop off her head anytime and she wanted to be safe, ¡°I believe you,¡± Mimi didn¡¯t believe her one shit.

    .....

    ¡°All you just have to do is calm down,¡± Mimi said, abandoning her seat and equipment and going behind her friend¡¯s back, she began to massage her, ¡°Take the tension off your body,¡±

    Arianna closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of Mimi¡¯s hands, loosening those knots. Mimi was right, she was tensed right now. So she enjoyed the massage without giving a care about the teacher still in the room ¨C and typing down on her phone cheerfully. Yep, this is adult education, please.

    ¡°Marcel says he likes me,¡±

    Mimi stopped, then looked at her friend bizarrely. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it almost immediately and Arianna had a feeling that whatever those words were would have definitely infuriated her. It seems her girlfriend was trying to take her feelings into ount because she calmly asked her, ¡°And what did you say?¡±

    ¡°I rejected him.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mimi shouted, then calmed down, asking gentler with a fake smile, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, why exactly?¡± Arianna pretended to think over her words before answering energetically, ¡°Because I had a steamy dream with Marcel until my boyfriend Elijah decided to crash it and of course, shot Marcel and then me as well after asking why I betrayed him. So yeah, I¡¯m extremely distressed right now.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that is....¡± Mimi scrunched up her face, ¡°one messed up dream. But you can¡¯t have that dream influence the rest of your day. Also, it¡¯s called a dream for a reason because it never happens and is just a manifestation of your subconsciousness. You must have a lot of negative energy surrounding youtely, which is not surprising seeing you this tense. ¡±

    Arianna turned to the side to face her best friend, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, the guilt is eating me up,¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t give the guilt a reason to gnaw at you,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You like Marcel, don¡¯t you?¡±

    And at that question, Arianna¡¯s expression died away. She quickly stood to her feet, ¡°I¡¯m suddenly thirsty,¡±

    ¡°There are water bottles here,¡± Mimi pointed to the cooler at the corner.

    ¡°I need colder ones!¡± She snapped and left.

    Why can¡¯t anyone let her rest? It was always whether she has feelings for Marcel this or that? Even if she somehow likes Marcel, do they think it matters? At the end of the day, she would be with Elijah. He wasing back for her. She knows it. No, she could feel it. The dreams were a sign of what would happen if she let her control slip again.

    Arianna went to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, shutting the door forcibly, only for her eyes tond at the bar in the foyer. The drinks there were tempting and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have one or two shots to shut the annoying voices in her head.

    She headed there and was about to reach for one of the gins on the rack when she had a change of heart. It would be pathetic drinking in the light of day. It would make her look pitiful and she was not pitiful woman.

    So Arianna stomped back to where she came from only to nearly bump into someone in the process.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± She offered a quick apology without looking and tried to move to the right but the person did the same. Arianna sighed and moved to the left this time but it was the same case and to the right again, they both coincidentally copied each other¡¯s move. Or was it still a coincidence?

    Arianna then stopped moving to see who was annoying her, was this a joke? However, she never expected to meet a very, beautiful young girl. It was obvious that the girl was younger than her and Arianna wondered who she was because it was her first time seeing her here.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the first to move then,¡± The girl said, offering her a kind smile and walked away. The girl had a carefree vibe.

    And was heading up the stairs, Arianna frowned upon noticing that. She would have found the girl suspicious had she been nervous but she moved as if she owned the ce. Moreover, a girl like her wouldn¡¯t be able to sneak into the base with the number of soldiers guarding the ce.

    Who was she and what was she doing here? Arianna had an unsettling feeling about this.

 Chapter 353

    353 Have A Nice Time Together

    Song Rmendation:- Warriors ¨C league of legends, 2Wei and Edda Hayes.

    ¡°The responsibilities of a cleaner include various upkeep, maintenance, and housekeeping tasks to ensure the cleanliness of a facility and smooth daily operations. Your duties may include dusting, vacuuming, furniture rearrangement, cleaning up spills, taking out the trash, and asionally performing deep cleaning tasks like waxing or carpet shampooing....¡± The woman stopped upon seeing the figure at the entrance, and she said, chin lifted defiantly,¡±How nice of you to join us again, miss Arianna. ¡±

    Arianna entered the room with her head lowered and didn¡¯t say a word to the woman. The both of them got off on a bad foot, and she had unintentionally transferred her aggression to her. Perhaps,ter, she would apologize. Just not now, there was a lot on her mind.

    ¡°So did you get the colder one?¡± Mimi intentionally reminded her of her outburst earlier on.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I get it. You¡¯re stressed up, I¡¯ll be the same if I was in your shoes,¡± She smiled at her and Arianna took her hand in hers and squeezed gratefully.

    Mimiid back in her seat and sighed deeply, ¡°I always thought love triangles were quite cute and romantic, who knew it was this distressing and would happen to my best friend, instead of me,¡± She said wistfully.

    Arianna looked at her immediately, ¡°What? Why would you wish that upon yourself? Are you not satisfied with your rtionship with Victor? Is there something going on that I don¡¯t -¡±

    ¡°Ladies!¡± The woman cautioned them, they were interrupting her teaching.

    .....

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Arianna apologized for the both of them, and the woman after giving them a long look, went back to her lessons.

    ¡°So it is important to know that when manually diluting cleaning chemicals, always add water to the bottle or bucket first, then add the chemical next. This minimizes the risk of the concentrated cleaning chemical sshing back at you....¡±

    The tired Mimi turned to whisper to her friend, ¡°There is a reason why I hated school?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Arianna groaned inwardly.

    But the woman, oblivious to her student¡¯s turmoil, went on with her lessons. Marcel had paid her handsomely to educate them on the job properly, she couldn¡¯t leave any stone unturned.

    ¡°Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or acidic products, such as drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, or metal cleaners, because it will release toxic fumes strong enough to be fatal. Any leftover bleach can be flushed down the toilet or washed down a drain followed with plenty of water. Additionally, do not dump any household chemicals on the ground. Chemicals may flow into surface waters and eventually into groundwater sources where they can pollute drinking water.....¡±

    The woman was still saying when Arianna heard chucklesing in their direction. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t give much attention to such careless chatter, however, that voice was unmistakably familiar and she could recognize it anywhere ¨C even in her dreams. It was Marcel¡¯s, and there was another female voice in the mix.

    Hence, before Marcel and the mystery girl could step into the room, Arianna already had her eyes fixed on the door. So when Marcel finally stepped in, her gaze first connected with his before taking notice of the hands that secured his arm and the figure came into sight.

    Arianna gasped softly when she saw that it was that girl from earlier. She couldn¡¯t help but feel this sudden dread grip her heart. Who the hell was that youngdy and why was she with Marcel? Arianna knew that it wasn¡¯t his fianc¨¦e, she had already seen that one.

    Moreover, they weren¡¯t even this intimate, enough to grasp his side, nor was Marcel the type to let any woman get close to him. So who was this one? They looked toofortable with each other? Perhaps, she¡¯s a friend? Ex-girlfriend?

    Why does she even care? Marcel could frolic as much as she wanted. It was none of her business.

    Mimi must have noticed her difort because she turned and followed her line of sight. Her friend said, ¡°Wow, she¡¯s pretty. She and Marcel actually look cute together.¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t forget how to breathe, rather, she couldn¡¯t breathe. When Mimi said those words, it was as if someone plunged a knife into her heart and twisted it hard. It not only killed her, but in a torturous way.

    Without even getting to know the youngdy, Arianna decided at that moment that she didn¡¯t like her. Her jaw flexed and she didn¡¯t notice how white her fists had turned from clenching them too much.

    Arianna looked at the girl and sneered, she wasn¡¯t even that beautiful. The girl had blonde hair and baby blue eyes and was the epitome of the barbie doll. The only advantage she had over her was the fact that she was younger. Of course, Marcel liked them young.

    No, it was actually stupid of her to have thought hard of his confession that morning. He likes her? Who was she kidding? She simply told him that she wanted them to be just friends and he got over her that easily? It was quite disappointing. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t made the mistake of agreeing to his confession. Marcel was not worth her anger.

    ¡°Arianna?!¡± Mimi whisper-yelled, slightly startling her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you okay? You look like you¡¯re ready to murder someone right now?¡± Mimi looked at her in concern.

    But Arianna gave her a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes, ¡°Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t I be fine,¡± She turned to look at their iing guest.

    They must be doing some sort of couple marching because it was taking them too long to reach them. Arianna noticed every single exchange between Marcel and the young woman, like when she stood on her toes to whisper something into his ears and he actually smiled.

    That gesture made the furrow on Arianna¡¯s brows deepen, were they kidding her right now. Their zealous teacher upon noticing Marcel¡¯s presence stopped her lessons as well.

    Marcel halted upon reaching them and then pulled Winters to his front, saying, ¡°Everyone, let me introduce to you, this is Winters, a very good friend of mine.¡±

    The youngdy waved proudly, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m winter and it¡¯s nice to meet you. I hope we have a nice time here together.¡±

 Chapter 354

    354 Lost His favour

    Everyone responded to the introduction all except Arianna who didn¡¯t know what to say to her. But that was until recognition set in and Winters pointed at her, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡±

    Marcel looked between the both of them, ¡°You know each other already?¡±

    Arianna answered, ¡°She bumped into me -¡±

    ¡°More like, we ran into each other,¡± Winters corrected her.

    Arianna looked at the young girl, she was quite cheeky.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know each other then. Winter, this is Arianna, and Arianna, this is Winter -¡±

    ¡°Your very good friend,¡± Arianna took the words right out of his mouth. She said curtly, ¡°Yeah, I heard you the first time.¡± She hoped her expression was weing enough.

    While Marcel had introduced Winters to her as a ¡°good¡± friend, he introduced her as just ¡°Arianna¡±, nothing else. Arianna guessed she didn¡¯t mean much to him ¨C Winters probably had much value. And why was she bothered by all of this? She was supposed to be happy that Marcel moved his attention to another person ¨C much quicker than she thought.

    ¡°You are very beautiful,¡± Winters said and that made Arianna¡¯s brows arch, then narrow suspiciously. What was the girl¡¯s intention? Was she trying to pretend like a good person in front of Marcel? Arianna knew her female gender and they were good at pretense. She has seen women do many things just to get a man¡¯s attention.

    .....

    Look at Winters, she had her arms around Marcel when the man had a fianc¨¦e? Or Marcel didn¡¯t tell her about that? Friends her butt. And weren¡¯t girls her age supposed to be in school instead of hanging on to older men?

    Fine, since the girl wanted to y this game, she was in. She would tear off her mask and reveal to Marcel her true intention. She was not backing out of this one.

    So Arianna replied, ¡°Thank you,¡± with a big smile. She was not jealous of the young woman and was merely looking out for this stupid fool, Marcel.

    Noticing the teacher, Marcel stepped closer to whisper into her ears and

    Arianna felt a shiver run down her spine. She was almost tempted to wrap her arm around his waist and pull him closer.

    It would seem like an innocent gesture, as if she wanted to hear him better, but Winters was a woman like her and it was enough to send the message. Winters has no control over Marcel and the both of them have been together, before she came along.

    But before that could happen, Arianna heard Marcel say, ¡°She¡¯s the hacker,¡± and she froze.

    Dumbfounded could not even exin how Arianna felt at that moment. She slowly turned her head to look at the girl that Marcel just called a hacker. No, that¡¯s impossible.

    ¡°She¡¯s too young,¡± And a girl too. Weren¡¯t hackers mostly male? What happened this time?

    Arianna didn¡¯t want to believe it because that only proved that the girl was more capable than her. While Winters was a hacker, what was she again? A thief?

    ¡°I felt the same way when I first came to know about her. But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get over it soon and I have a feeling that both of you would work just fine.¡± Marcel stepped back, returning to the girl¡¯s side.

    Yeah, that feeling of his was wrong. They would never be friends, Arianna didn¡¯t need to see their future to know that.

    Marcel announced, ¡°We¡¯d speak more over lunch, but at the moment, I need to give Winters a good tour of the base,¡±

    ¡°You never gave me a tour of the base,¡± Arianna was tempted to say, but even when her mouth opened, no words coulde out. She only watched helplessly as Winters happily mped onto Marcel¡¯s side like a damn octopus and they both walked out of there.

    Marcel and Winters didn¡¯t walk a long distance before the girl suddenly stopped and faced him, asking, ¡°That woman, Arianna, is something going on between the both of you?¡±

    He looked at her in surprise, ¡°Why do you ask? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°She just seems quite intense and I felt daggers were aimed at me the entire time,¡± Winters would have said to him, but she told him instead, ¡°She¡¯s pretty and I¡¯ve not seen other younger female around,¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about her,¡± Marcel rified, ¡°We¡¯re just friends, nothing else.¡± He intentionally said that seeing there was no need to narrate his history to the young girl.

    Marcel didn¡¯t want to make things harder for Arianna who was still struggling with the confession he made today ¨C Marcel could see it in her eyes. He¡¯d give her the space she wanted and wouldn¡¯t pressure her into epting his feelings. No matter what he did, It seems he lost to Elijah in the end.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Winters continued with her journey, but not without teasing him, ¡°So that means, I can still flirt with you.¡±

    ¡°Grow up first,¡± Marcel brushed her off as he continued with the tour.

    Meanwhile....

    ¡°I like her,¡± Mimi said, staring at the spot Marcel and Winters stood minutes ago.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like her,¡± Arianna retorted, heading over to her seat. She suddenly wished this stupid lesson was over. What was so hard about cleaning?! Then she could go to her room and lock herself in. No, what was she thinking? She had to know what Winters was up to.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like her? Isn¡¯t it a good thing if Marcel finally takes his eyes off you, so you would be able to concentrate on waiting for your darling Elijah?¡± Mimi reasoned and didn¡¯t expect Arianna to say.

    ¡°She¡¯s too young for him!¡± She shouted at her best friend, getting saliva on her face.

    ¡°Geez, calm down,¡± Mimi said, wiping her face with her palm, ¡°Jealous much?¡±

    Arianna was so red in the face that all that remained was sizzling smoke to ooze from her head, ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken here, I am not jealous! I¡¯m only helping Marcel make the right choice and that little girl isn¡¯t it,¡± She defended herself

    ¡°Sure, just as you directed him when he decided to have feelings for you,¡± Mimi answered back.

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that Marcel liked you of his own free will and who he decides to like afterward is his choice as well. So I don¡¯t see what help you¡¯re being here? Also, if I were you, I think I should be calm at the moment. You just lost Marcel¡¯s favor, what do you think will happen to you from now on?¡±

 Chapter 355

    355 The Whole World Was Going Up In mes

    She shouldn¡¯t havee to this lunch meal, Arianna decided as she watched Marcel release a boisterousughter after Winters whispered something into his ear.

    Unknown to the both of them, Arianna was no longer eating and just gripped the spoon hard enough that it might as well bend anytime soon.

    It was as if Marcel no longer recognized that she existed anymore, Winters came and took her ce in his life. If the young girl hadn¡¯t been here, Marcel would be invested in her.

    Thanks to that, Arianna¡¯s view of the young girl only worsened. Winters was here to convert Marcel and Marcel was a fool not to see that.

    ¡°So how long have you both known each other?¡± Arianna suddenly asked, destroying the moment between them.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel asked, startled by the suddenness of the question.

    Victor and Mimi who were both at the table exchanged nces with each other and didn¡¯t say anything else. No, the both of them simply continued their eating and pretending not to know that a bomb was about to detonate in front of them.

    ¡°I believe she¡¯s asking how long the both of us have been friends?¡± Winters stressed the word, ¡°friends,¡± while cing a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention to her. A gesture Arianna all too well noticed.

    ¡°And I believe the gentleman can answer perfectly without your reminder. Marcel has in fact a remarkable memory and good hearing if you haven¡¯t noticed,¡± In one word, who made her his spokesperson, the sarcasm was quite obvious.

    .....

    Mimi chewed her food slowly, she didn¡¯t like this suffocating atmosphere. So she leaned towards Victor and whispered, ¡°Any chance we can avoid this er... impending doom?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Victor answered, bringing his ss to his lips, ¡°I believe that we are to die together with them.¡±

    No wonder his dear cousin stressed the need for his esteemed presence. When did his presence be ¡°esteem¡±? He should have known. Dying together, huh? It sounds fun.

    Mimi sighed, having no idea how to calm Arianna¡¯s tit. So much for iming she wasn¡¯t jealous when she was clearly being possessed by the green-eyed monster at the moment.

    ¡°A-hem,¡± Marcel cleared his throat having sensed the tensed atmosphere. He thought thedies would make good acquaintances, but it turns out he made poor judgment this time. Arianna was usually cordial with everyone, what happened this time?

    ¡°Winters and I have known each other for about two years now,¡± He finally answered.

    Quite longer than the both of them know each other; it was barely two months since she and Marcel met under these special circumstances, Arianna thought. No wonder he and Winters worked fine like oil and fire, only that she ¨C Arianna ¨C would stop Marcel from getting burned.

    ¡°Yes, Marcel and I have known each other for so long that I no longer think of us as just friends, but family now.¡± Winters inputted happily.

    ¡°How funny,¡± Arianna said without thinking, picking at her food, ¡°In that case, your fianc¨¦ should be family as well,¡±

    And what followed next after that statement was a tense silence, Marcel stiffening while the others froze for like a second or so before pretending they didn¡¯t hear that.

    Mimi kicked Arianna¡¯s legs from beneath the table warningly, she should behave. Arianna didn¡¯t look at her but actually shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She hadn¡¯t meant to say those words to him knowing deep inside how much Marcel loathed that engagement. He had even confided in her about it and it took a level of trust to do that. And she just fucked that up.

    Arianna was just about to apologize when Winters stepped in, saying, ¡°Has Marcel told you how both of us met?¡±

    But Marcel in question said, ¡°It is not necessarily -¡±

    ¡°I would love to hear it,¡± Arianna said. She needed to know everything, how Marcel came to know this young girl that was clearly taking liberties with him, and yet he was not doing anything about it.

    If it had been her goading and challenging him like that, Marcel would have... He would have..... He would have done what? Spank her? Kissed her as a form of punishment? Teased her with his finger while grinding against her?

    Arianna grew breathless at the thought. Maybe, it was a good thing if Marcel didn¡¯t punish Winters at all and continued to indulge her. She was a guest after all. A guest that was bound to leave as soon as this mission was over. Perhaps, it wouldn¡¯t cost her much to be a doll for two or three more days. She couldn¡¯t wait for it to be over.

    ¡°So...¡± Winters readjusted in her seat, readying herself to tell her tale. She recounted, ¡°I stole from Marcel.¡±

    At the mention of ¡°stole¡±, Arianna¡¯s eyes widened and her hand trembled slightly while Victor whistled lowly and Mimi scratched the side of her face. This was going to be interesting?

    It was obvious that Marcel was ufortable with the conversation because he said immediately, ¡°You mean to say that you hacked my ount?¡±

    ¡°And stole your funds,¡±

    ¡°Which you reced afterward,¡±

    ¡°Not after you caught me,¡± Winters said, looking at Arianna pointedly.

    ¡°You mean to say that you intentionally revealed your location to me,¡± Marcel knew that he wouldn¡¯t have found her had she note to him first.

    ¡°Yep, unlike me, who wasn¡¯t wise enough to hide from you¡± Arianna cut into the conversation, ¡°It seems Miss Winters is wiser than I give her credit for. Had I known, I would have stolen more than a wallet and I would be a free woman today,¡± The bitterness in her tone was obvious.

    She turned to Marcel and said usingly, ¡°You seem to have a certain fondness for women who steal from you. Except that in this case, Winters is a free woman while I¡¯m yourwful captive,¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that way, Arianna -¡±

    ¡°What way should I think then?¡± She interrupted, ring fire at him, ¡°Well, I should indeed be ttered since I¡¯m here because I¡¯m Elijah¡¯s girlfriend and not because I stole your wallet, your magnanimous lordship?¡±

    Arianna pushed back her seat with a squeak and stood up, dropping her utensils, ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± she then turned and walked out.

    ¡°Arianna, wait!¡± Marcel stood up as well and went after her leaving just Winters, Mimi and Victor left at the table.

    Mimi pushed her food back and then wrapped her arms across her chest, she asked her boldly, ¡°Might I ask Miss Winters, what games you¡¯re ying here?¡±

    But Winters gave her an innocent look, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± and dug into her meal, eating as if the world wasn¡¯t going up in mes.

 Chapter 356

    356 Just A Taste

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Marcel shouted, but thedy in question ignored him, going about her way. She needed to be away from him at the moment because her thoughts were quite chaotic.

    What was that outburst in there? Why was she even angry? That he forgave his current interest, Winters, so easily while he caged her! Refused her freedom! Just because she stole from him and she was Elijah¡¯s girlfriend who stole from him as well.

    Wow, this was all fucked up. Since Elijah stole from him, what would he do to him once he gets him? Surely, Marcel was straight and wouldn¡¯t have the young man chained to his side as well, right? Quite hrious to think of.

    ¡°Arianna!¡±

    Annoyed, Arianna spun around but she miscalcted the distance between her and Marcel and didn¡¯t realize he was very close to her. Hence, when she turned around, she ended up bumping into him and all fell back. Marcel did the first thing that called to his instincts, he reached out and caught her.

    Afraid to lose her to the ground, Marcel unintentionally pulled her up with quite a lot of force and she only ended up being secured to him.

    With his arms around her waist and their bodies pressed together, Arianna¡¯s heart picked up speed. She could feel the heat emanating from Marcel¡¯s body. His musky, earthly, and male scent infiltrated her nose and made her feel a bit heady.

    Her head on his chest, she could feel his pounding heart and of course, feel the hard muscles of his chest that she was tempted to run her hands over. Or maybe, she could...

    She was surely ying with fire but Arianna was no longer thinking straight when she ced her hand on his chest and slowly ran her hand down his chest. And it was to her utmost satisfaction when she saw his chest rise and fall, his breath deepening.

    .....

    She nced up at him in fascination, ¡°You like this,¡± She whispered while feeling his muscles through his chest.

    ¡°Arianna....¡± Marcel called her name, hisst line of restraint threatening to snap.

    But Arianna clearly wasn¡¯t listening because her gaze locked with his gray eyes that were beginning to grow with hunger and asked him, ¡°Tell me then, what of mine? What do you like?¡±

    Marcel tilted his head as if saying no and Arianna thought he was going to reject her ridiculous suggestion until she felt his hands on her back and waist beginning to slide lower and her heart rate increased, already having an idea where this was going.

    Hisrge hands traveled down and cupped her bottom, squeezing tight with no mercy and she gasped softly, heat pooling in between her legs. This was wrong, yet right at the same time. It was confusing and yet exhrating. How could she feel two extremes at the same time? And now, between the wrong and right, it would be determined by which emotion was stronger. The guilt or the excitement.

    Done groping her bottom, Marcel arched his eyebrows at her as if to say, ¡°What now?¡±

    And what now was that Arianna wrapped her arm around his neck while the other reached into his hair and threaded through his blonde locks. It was soft to the touch and she wanted to yank at it during passion ¨C like that day in the kitchen. She wondered if he had felt pain or pleasure when she did that.

    ¡°You said we should be friends?¡± Marcel reminded her of the line they were currently crossing. They were hanging on a dangerous precipice and all it required was just a push and they would plunge to their death. Only if it was death.

    ¡°Maybe....¡± Arianna breathed, trailing off when her hooded eyes caught sight of his lips. His lips were full and luscious, how hadn¡¯t she noticed it until now.

    Or maybe, she had, but just never gave it her full attention until now. Arianna had never felt an urge to kiss human lips as strongly as this one ¨C sadly, even when she had been with Elijah.

    Kissing Elijah had been sweet and Passionate but it had never been all-consuming as her urge to kiss Marcel right now.

    ¡°Maybe...¡± She took another deep breath, yet was pulling him closer by the neck, ¡°Maybe, we can continue being friends after this.¡±

    There was a sh of disappointment in Marcel¡¯s eyes and Arianna saw that which is why she quickly said, ¡°I know it is selfish of me to request that, to y with your resolve, but please Marcel...¡± Her lips brushed across his and electricity passed through them.

    Arianna sucked in a sharp breath while Marcel¡¯s grip on her waist tightened to the point they were almost bruising. She peered up at him through lowered lids, ¡°Please, Marcel.... Just a taste,¡±

    Marcel did not reply but his hand cupping her face was action enough and she shut her eyes, waiting to feel his warm lips on hers.

    With their lips barely touching, the both of them broke apart instantly when they heard someone shout, ¡°Marcel!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Winters stumbled upon the scene and looked between them, ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡±

    Marcel opened his mouth to say something but Arianna interrupted him, ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± She didn¡¯t even look Marcel in the eyes as she said, ¡°I was just about to leave as I intended initially,¡± And with that, she left without Marcel chasing after her.

    ¡°You said nothing was going on between the both of you,¡± Winters said as soon as Arianna was gone.

    ¡°And that seems to be your business, how? And what was that during lunch, Youngdy?¡± Marcel asked sternly, she was not getting out of this one easily.

    ¡°Well, what do you think I was doing if not helping you secure your fairdy?¡± She said loudly.

    ¡°Okay, wait ¨C what?!¡± Marcel looked at her in shock, ¡°You did what?¡±

    Winter walked up to him saying, ¡°With your experience, I thought you would have made her yours already, but here you are, moving around in circles.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint your progress but Arianna doesn¡¯t exactly like me. She¡¯s in love with her boyfriend, not me. I am just a distraction for her. ¡± He confessed.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t like you or doesn¡¯t want to admit she likes you? Those are two different things and trust me, Marcel, thatdy clearly likes you else she wouldn¡¯t want to snap my neck into two.¡±

    ¡°You purposely taunted her,¡± Marcel realized.

    ¡°To help her see clearly.¡±

    ¡°Which is not working -¡±

    ¡°I object to that considering you both were about to suck each other¡¯s lips had I not interrupted.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, why had you interrupted? Thatst kiss would have been Comforting,¡± Marcelined.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t be thest.¡± Winters dered.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel didn¡¯t believe her

    ¡°Why are diamonds a fortune? Because they are rare? Why kiss her so easily when you could make her crave for the very feel of it. Remember what is gotten easily cannot be appreciated. So why don¡¯t you put up a little challenge? Why make yourself so little, O great Marcel or has the mighty fallen?¡±

    Exactly, when did he be such a whelp.

 Chapter 357

    357 Make A Decision

    What has she done? Arianna thought as she paced up and down in her room. No, what had gotten into her? Arianna knew if Winters hadn¡¯t interrupted them, she would have kissed Marcel and maybe, even done something more.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Arianna groaned, running her hand through her hair, and then stomped back to her bed where she pulled the covers over her body. However, still, she was plunged by her encounter with Marcel, the memory ying in a loop in her mind.

    The way his lips had felt when they brushed against her. The electricity that zinged through her body? Had he felt it too? That connection? Mimi was right, she was indeed attracted to Marcel. She felt something for him, maybe, but then, he wasn¡¯t her dream mate. Marcel was not the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

    She was attracted to Elijah as well and unlike Marcel, he was willing to leave his bloody life behind. They would go away, far away from the violence and death, and establish a life there. There they would have children and train them to be responsible people in the society and not part of some underworld madness.

    But then, Marcel couldn¡¯t do the same. Even if she told him, begged him, Marcel would not give up this life ¨C not even for her. Why? Because this was all he ever knew. All he ever has. What he was born for. Just like a sun could never leave the sky, Marcel was waist-deep in this lifestyle and can¡¯t leave it.

    So yeah, she wasn¡¯t thinking about herself only, but her future. Her children deserved a better life than this. She already heard what happened between Marcel and his father Daniel, and although he is not his father, Marcel¡¯s still the man¡¯s son and she couldn¡¯t risk it.

    In one word, she can¡¯t act upon her raging feeling, no matter how tight it kept pulling her like a ma. She can¡¯t do it; Marcel was not for her.

    A knock on the door roused Arianna from her thoughts and she stood to open her door, surprise on her face when she saw it was Winters, thest person she expected.

    ¡°Hi, can Ie in?¡± Winters said when she realized Arianna was not making any move to let her in.

    .....

    This was her chance for revenge, Arianna thought. She could just m the door in the girl¡¯s face and go back to bed, but that would be childish. So she stepped back to let her in.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Winters told her as she came in, staring around her room while Arianna scrutinized her from behind, wondering what she was up to.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Arianna asked, arms wrapped around her chest, heading to her bed and sitting down on the edge while shooting the girl a questioning look.

    ¡°I um...¡± Winters began, fiddling with her hands before letting them fall on her sides, ¡°I want to apologize for my attitude earlier. I had no right making fun of you, actually, I was jealous,¡± She confessed.

    ¡°And you are quite candid,¡± Arianna realized. Aside from Mimi and only because they were friends, she had not seen any other woman express herself directly.

    ¡°When Marcel mentioned that you would be helping with the mission, I thought you were just -¡±

    ¡°Nobody?¡± she offered her a more usible term.

    ¡°I was going to say one of his soldiers.¡± Winters looked at her, ¡°I¡¯m a nice person,¡± She hinted that Arianna should not think the worse of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry as well,¡± Arianna apologized, ¡°I already formed an opinion of you before I could get to know you. I¡¯m not as pompous as you think.¡± She admitted her own shorings.

    Winters paused and took a good look at her, as if seeing her in a new light, ¡°I like you,¡± She said, surprising Arianna who went red in the face instantly.

    ¡°You like me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no wonder, Marcel likes you as well. You are one of a kind.¡±

    Arianna chuckled politely, ¡°You talk as if you don¡¯t like him?¡± she tactically pried for information on her intention towards Marcel.

    Winter told her politely, ¡°I enjoy myself a healthypetition,¡±

    Arianna stood up immediately, ¡°I am not your love rival. I don¡¯t have anything to do with Marcel, you can rest assured nothing happened between us,¡± She tried to defend herself.

    ¡°Really?¡± Winters didn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Arianna said, not only to assure Winters, but herself as well ¨C to her stupid heart that wouldn¡¯t stop beating.

    ¡°Why do you keep lying to yourself?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s clearly written in your eyes, yet you deny your feelings for him, why? For what reasons?¡± Winters questioned her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m entitled to answer that question and you¡¯re beginning to overstep your boundaries here, miss Winters. And do I need to remind you that I¡¯m older?¡± she scolded her.

    ¡°Then act like one!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was surprised at her outburst.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep on blowing hot and cold at the same time. You toss Marcel left and right, use and manipte his feelings as you like, but that¡¯sing to an end now.¡± Winters told her firmly, all traces of a smile disappearing from her face and Arianna gulped nervously, the youngdy was serious.

    Winters lifted her head and went on,

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to make a decision, Arianna, do you or do you not want Marcel? Like I said earlier, I don¡¯t mind having a rival, however, the moment I win Marcel¡¯s heart, you are no longer a rival, but a hindrance to me ¨C a hindrance to our happiness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t fully know what business you have with Marcel, but once I¡¯m his, I¡¯ll have you move to a ce where you wouldn¡¯t be able to see and influence him and there, you can continue the terms of your deals. However, I won¡¯t have you sway him anymore. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not that selfish. ¡±

    For over a minute, there was nothing but tense silence between the women and Arianna didn¡¯t even realize she was not breathing until Winters found the door and left the same way she hade.

 Chapter 358

    358 Dye Her Hair

    Arianna didn¡¯t step out of the room after that confrontation with Winters and Mimi had already returned home to spend time with her family since she¡¯d been sleeping over at the base in preparation for their infiltration of Daniel¡¯s ce.

    Not that Marcel noticed since he was probably having fun with Winters. Moreover, his attention was thest thing Arianna wanted, especially now that she was trying to prove to everyone she wasn¡¯t madly in love with him.

    Arianna didn¡¯t catch a wink that night and one would think that it was because she was nervous about the mission. There was just a day left, till they walked into the lion¡¯s den. But then, it was because of Winters¡¯ warning.

    The girl must really like Marcel to have gone through all of this effort and it was a good thing, right? Winters was determined to make Marcel like her and Marcel doesn¡¯t hate her as he does his fianc¨¦e. They would make a nice couple, right? While she would be sent away until Elijah shows up and faces Marcel¡¯s wrath, or break her out. The thought of it made her heart squeeze in pain.

    Arianna was in a dilemma. Ever since her family sold her out, it was one problem after the other. First Big Joe, then Marcel? Now choosing between Marcel and Elijah. When would her life ever get that normalcy she had once enjoyed?

    Her mood didn¡¯t improve the next morning because they had to go over the ns, meaning that she would have to meet Marcel whom she had been avoiding sincest night. They were going to be in close proximity and then everyone would have their eyes on them, watching the both of them as if watching for them to pulverize or something. When did her private affair be a public issue? It was annoying.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna took a deep breath and put herself into order before stepping into the room.

    As soon as she came in, all eyes were on her, and Arianna was not even surprised to see that she was thest to arrive.

    ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± Marcel said, staring at her.

    .....

    ¡°I was upied with some things,¡± Arianna answered, and honestly, she tried to control it, but still, a flush traveled down to her neck.

    Stop behaving like a teenager falling in love for the first time! You¡¯re a mature woman for crying out loud, she chided herself.

    However, Arianna shouldn¡¯t have bothered herself much because Winters came out of nowhere and ced a hand on Marcel¡¯s shoulder.

    That gesture she noticed sent a chill down her back and Arianna¡¯s heart hardened as she remembered her conversation with Wintersst night. The girl was intent on winning Marcel over and obviously, started working on it. Not that Marcel minded anyway since he hadn¡¯t taken her hand off his shoulder. He must like it so much.

    Focus, Arianna! You shouldn¡¯t give them much attention. You¡¯ve made up your mind already, Elijah would be the one you would spend the rest of your life with. Just the same way the feelings came, they would leave as well. Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing Winters had his attention now.

    But even as Arianna told herself those words, her gaze still lingered on Winter¡¯s action and it wasn¡¯t until Mimi touched her that she was able to drag her sight away.

    ¡°You should sit,¡± Mimi told her and pulled her to the side of the table where she was settled.

    Arianna was seated between Victor and Mimi which meant that she was directly facing Marcel and Winters. This was miserable, could her day not get any worse?

    Marcel stood up, saying, ¡°As we all know, today is thest day to go over the ns and I want to make sure no stone is left untouched. We can¡¯t afford to make mistakes, else you both are doomed.¡± He hinted at Mimi and Arianna.

    The two best friends looked at each other, anxiety in their eyes yet Arianna took her hand and intertwined it with hers. As far as they were together, they could do anything.

    ¡°The first phase of the n was to draw my father out and of which, it worked sessfully. So while the cleaners would being to do their work, the man of the house wouldn¡¯t be around. This is most beneficial to you both....¡± Marcel referred to Arianna and Mimi since both of them were the ones going in, ¡°Because that means that there would be fewer soldiers to stand in your way. My father has as many enemies as I have and definitely wouldn¡¯t be traveling light. Also, servants tend to ck off when the master of the house is unavable, so you have that to your advantage. But don¡¯t be deceived, those men are professionally trained and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot you on the spot when they suspect something off. ¡± Marcel informed them.

    The two of them noted his instruction, just as Victor said, ¡°The second phase of the n and the beginning of your difficulty is getting into the ce. The cleaningpany has fulfilled their part of the deal and thus....¡± He brought out two employee IDs from his pocket and ced them on the table.

    ¡°You¡¯re officially their worker now from another branch abroad with three years of working experience,¡± Victor told them as Mimi and Arianna reached out and took the card, examining the stic.

    But Arianna pressed her lips into a thin line saying, ¡°Don¡¯t we make this too easy for them?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel asked.

    ¡°What if they know my identity already, they would be able to tell that I¡¯m a fraud with a fake name. What if we altered a few things about our appearance instead, making it difficult for people familiar with our faces to recognize us. We could wear a wig and some makeup?¡± She suggested.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Victor said, ¡°But you¡¯d be more suspicious if you were to wear a wig? You forgot that you¡¯d be searched thoroughly before you¡¯re granted entrance, even phones are confiscated.¡±

    ¡°She dyes her hair then,¡± Mimi suggested.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna jerked around, looking at her friend in surprise. She has never changed the color of her hair since her birth.

    ¡°I mean I¡¯m going to miss your red hair, but it draws too much attention. Moreover, dying hair is the fashion these days, no one would find it suspiciouspared to wearing a wig.¡±

 Chapter 359

    359 The Competition

    Arianna was astonished by her friend¡¯s suggestion and she looked around the room to see who was in support of it only to see that everyone was considering it.

    ¡°Mimi is right, the dye woulde off in a week or so if you are in no hurry to get your red hair back,¡± Marcel told her.

    Arianna sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not that. It¡¯s just that this is the first time I¡¯m trying out a different color and I¡¯m beginning to wonder if I would even look good in it?¡± She informed him of her fears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will. You¡¯re a beautifuldy, Arianna and even if you wore a paper bag on your face, you¡¯d still look good, trust me?¡± Marcel said, looking at her deeply and she returned the stare, biting down on her lower lips unsure.

    This time, Arianna and Marcel didn¡¯t only feel the sexual tension between the both of them, everyone else in that room saw that and it made Victor release a whistle deep in his throat. The connection between them both was deep and unavoidable. Those lovely dovey eyes were adorable yet nauseating at the same time.

    Winters was the one who cleared her throat and went ahead to say, ¡°It¡¯s a nice idea. They would both dye their hair and I would have the identity card remade to match their current identity,¡± She then turned to Victor, ¡°You said they would be searched thoroughly, just how many items are they allowed inside?¡±

    ¡°Just their cleaning equipment, why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°My USB can remotely eptmands from me and Arianna would need to plug it into one of theputers in the control room to work. I¡¯m guessing the device would be confiscated as well -¡±

    ¡°If they were to find it,¡± Arianna interrupted, a smirk on her lip.

    .....

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Winter asked.

    ¡°If I can take your stuff without you noticing...¡± And as she spoke, Arianna brought out a small lighter smugly and Winters¡¯ eyes widened upon seeing it, ¡°Then you certainly berate me when you think I can¡¯t slip a mere USB in,¡±

    ¡°Give me that!¡± Winters stomped over to Arianna, intending to take the lighter back. The woman must have stolen it from her when she went into her roomst night.

    However, since Arianna was taller, she raised it above her head and while Winters raised her hand to snatch it, she slipped the ne around her neck as well, saying, ¡°And this?¡±

    If Winters had been shocked earlier, she was scared now and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. She had met many pickpockets and was very careful not to get stolen from them, but Arianna was brilliant enough to rile her up while stealing from her.

    ¡°I never knew you as a smoker, shouldn¡¯t kids your age be under adult supervision?¡± Arianna taunted her and Victor unintentionallyughed by the side and he got a warning jab in the stomach from Mimi.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Arianna,¡± Marcel noticed the joke was going too far.

    ¡°Only because you asked nicely,¡± Arianna finally released both items to her, cing them quietly in her palm.

    Winters received them with a re and stomped back to Marcel¡¯s side, and Arianna guessed she hurt the girl¡¯s feelings with the little drama when it had been merely for fun. Not if it was sensitive to her. Arianna groaned inwardly, she guessed their rtionship was back to level one.

    ¡°I guess the problem is solved since Arianna has proven to us that she¡¯s capable enough to handle herself,¡± Winters said with obvious sarcasm and no one answered to that knowing she was exasperated ¨C not even Arianna.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re in, the next n would be getting into the control room,¡± Marcel said and pulled up a map which he spread over the table.

    ¡°ording to ns, this is the quarters you¡¯re supposed to clean and this is the control room you are not supposed to enter, ¡± He circled both with his marker, ¡°They¡¯re far away from each other and you would definitely be caught through the camera¡¯s heading there.¡±

    ¡°We can act lost,¡± Mimi suggested.

    ¡°And you would be chased back after showing you the way. They are not fools, Mimi,¡± Victor told her.

    ¡°Not if I can help with that,¡± Winters said, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to her. She then pulled out a ring from her pocket, saying, ¡°This is my life¡¯s greatest achievement,¡±

    They gave her nk looks.

    ¡°That is a... ring?¡± Mimi was confused as to how that would help them. But Marcel and Victor were calm, trying to see what she was up to while Arianna purposely kept her mouth shut just so she wouldn¡¯t provoke her again.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just a ring,¡± Winters said, disying the four-carat diamond solitaire ring and pressing the carat only for it to pop in with a blinking red light drawing astonished gasps from everyone.

    ¡°What in the world did you create, Winters?¡± Marcel was in awe, drawing closer to her to take a good look at the ring.

    Arianna looked at both of them and her facial expression changed at once. In the blink of an eye, her performance the past minute was forgotten. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if Winter did that on purpose. Well, on purpose or not, it was for the progress of this mission, she told herself.

    But then, Arianna still found herself asking, ¡°So how does this thing work and how does it help this mission?¡± Yep, she didn¡¯t ask out of jealousy, trust her.

    Winters went on to exin to them, ¡°Closed-circuit television works by the camera or cameras taking a constant sequence of images that are then transmitted by cable or wirelessly, depending on the chosen system type, to the recording device and then on to the disy monitor, which enables then the individual to see the sequence of images as video footage. But then, what this great technical piece of work does is to disrupt the transmission signals sent to the disy monitor, ¡± She proudly referred to her ring.

    She turned to Arianna and said, ¡°In one word, when turned on, it would scramble the cameras within a three hundred meters for a limited time frame, earning you the opportunity to get to the control room. ¡± She rubbed it all over her face.

    Arianna stared back at Winters, she was right. This was apetition. A one-on-one war between two women.

 Chapter 360

    360 A Fire Ruse

    Arianna and Winters stared each other deep in the eyes and if one looked closely, they would see lightning shooting out from their eyes. This was no longer just Marcel¡¯s n anymore, no, they both have converted it into a war.

    Arianna asked her, ¡°Let¡¯s say then, even if your...¡± She looked down at her finger, ¡°great technical ring does work, how would that move the men out of the control room? I bet that didn¡¯t cross your mind.¡± Her expression was smug, knowing that Winters had no answer for that.

    But Winters replied to her, ¡°Of course, that didn¡¯t cross my mind because that sounds like a ¡®you¡¯ problem. After all, I¡¯m not the one slipping into the control room like a thief, I¡¯ll be behind the keyboard doing my magic,¡± She made a typing gesture.

    The smile was pped off Arianna¡¯s face and her hands clenched into fists. This little bug was beginning to get under her skin and the best thing to do to a bug was to squash it beneath her feet.

    ¡°Alright,dies, let us all calm down and think of an amicable solution to our problem at hand,¡± Marcel stepped in as a mediator. He couldn¡¯t side with any of them knowing that was equivalent tonding himself in hot soup.

    If he sided with Arianna, Winters might pull out of this deal and he wouldn¡¯t want to force her to help him, ruining their rtionship formed over the years already. But then, Marcel couldn¡¯t side with Winters either, Arianna would give him hell on earth. In one word, he would rather remain on neutral ground.

    Winters said she was only helping him, you know, to get Arianna to admit her feelings for him. However, with the way things were going, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had gone off track as well or gotten too absorbed in her role because her acting was bing too real ¨C and frightening.

    ¡°We could start a fire,¡± Mimi suddenly suggested, ¡°There are quite a number of mmable cleaning products,¡±

    ¡°No, that is too risky, you could get hurt,¡± Victor was against it immediately.

    .....

    ¡°And I promised David not to cause him any damage. If the explosion were to escte, my father would not ept it and would likely give the man a tough time.¡± Marcel was not in support either.

    ¡°Then we create a ruse,¡± Arianna said, Winters¡¯ head jerking up in her direction.

    ¡°What ruse?¡± Marcel was interested, arms wrapped across his chest.

    ¡°A fire ruse. I still go with Mimi¡¯s suggestion, but on a low scale this time, Instead of burning the whole house down. I¡¯m sure there are smoke detectors and sprinklers set in ce at your father¡¯s ce. With enoughmotion in ce when the cameras go out, I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle more drama when the fire rm sounds, and I know someone good at dramas,¡± Arianna turned in Mimi¡¯s direction, causing the others to stare at her as well.

    ¡°Me?¡± Mimi pointed at her chest under their intense scrutiny.

    Arianna rolled their eyes, ¡°Just give them one of your hysterical performances. There¡¯s so much a human brain can handle, with the transmission problem and the fire rm, every one of them would likely leave their duty post and hurry up to go find out what¡¯s happening. I would then sneak in and do my thing and then hopefully sneak out before they¡¯re back. That way.... ¡±

    And while Arianna was saying all of this, Marcel turned and stared at her in admiration. He wondered if Arianna knew she would make a great criminal mastermind by his side. She was the kind of woman he wanted, strong, independent, resilient and intelligent.

    If Arianna became his wife, even if something were to happen to him, Marcel was sure with the help of Adele and Victor, she would be able to lead the Luciano family ¨C with his father out of the way. He didn¡¯t even want to think about that man. Unfortunately, Victor caught him staring and he looked away.

    ¡°That means I would be sneaking two items in and your smaller lighter would be my preferred choice,¡± Arianna still didn¡¯t give up on goading the young girl.

    Winters scoffed, as if.

    ¡°The idea is feasible, however, the harder part of the n would be leaving the property. Not to mention that time is of the essence, whatever we do must be done before Daniel returns,¡± Victor reminded them.

    ¡°I could drag out time with Daniel,¡± Marcel hardly referred to the man as his father, ¡°You know, buy enough time till all is done.¡±

    ¡°And we could leave the ce after getting the information we need,¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°Without our team, that is impossible. They would suspect something is up if the both of us were to leave without them.¡± Arianna disagreed with the idea.

    Marcel stepped in, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that one, for now, I will think of something before tomorrow and keep you updated.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Winters answered before others could, stepping forward to say, ¡°I think you should have the ring now before I change my mind.¡± She hinted at the fact that the device was priceless.

    But just as Arianna tried to take it, Winters closed her palm and turned her back to her. Arianna scoffed in disbelief, was the girl kidding her right now?

    However, Winters didn¡¯t just turn her back to her, she faced Marcel, ¡°Could you do me the honors? It¡¯s quite awkward for me to put the ring on her.¡± She said to everyone¡¯s hearing.

    Upon seeing that the girl give the ring to Marcel, Arianna panicked immediately, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t ask you to put the ring on my finger, I¡¯m not into women either! You could just give me the ring and I would wear it myself....¡± But she trailed off when Marcel epted the ring.

    ¡°Sure,¡± He said.

    What the hell was the both of them doing? Arianna panicked. Her heart

    began to pound as Marcel came in her direction. Her hands were mmy and beads of sweat rolled down her face and she couldn¡¯t breathe at the thought of Marcel proposing to her.

    Except that, this wasn¡¯t really a proposal.

 Chapter 361

    361 Sweep Someone Off His Feet

    ¡°Ba-dum!¡± ¡°Ba-dum!¡±

    That was how loud Arianna¡¯s heart pounded with every step Marcel took toward her. And it wouldn¡¯t have surprised her if she died from a heart attack at this moment. But then, Marcel was standing in front of her before she knew it.

    They stared at each other for a while until Marcel said, ¡°Your hand,¡±

    However, Arianna hid the wanted hand behind her like a child afraid to take a shot.

    ¡°I-I can do it myself,¡± She choked out, unable to look Marcel in the eyes with a flush on her face. God, why was she blushing?

    But then, Marcel didn¡¯t have much of the word, ¡°patience¡± written in his dictionary and quickly reached for the hand she tried to hide from him. Her strength was nothingpared to his, hence, Marcel already grabbed her hand and raised it in the air.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t breathe properly as Marcel stared at her long and slender fingers. Damn, why was he taking this long to put the ring on? Just get this over with before she does something stupid.

    But Marcel seems to want to take his sweet time because he felt her fingers, caressing the top of her palm and her breathing quickened because that action did funny things to her body. Her toes curled in on themselves and Arianna knew that she was in deep trouble and that she had to stop this madness before it escted.

    It wasn¡¯t until she tried to pull her finger back that Marcel then put it on her ring finger, however, it wasn¡¯t her size and was too tight. Marcel had to remove it and find a suitable finger. In the end, he slid the ring into her index finger and it fitted her.

    .....

    Marcel didn¡¯t let go of her hand immediately and used that opportunity to examine his handwork, taking advantage of the room¡¯s lighting to get a better view. He finally let go of her and she was able to breathe.

    ¡°You may now kiss the bride,¡± Arianna thought she heard ¨C she hoped it wasn¡¯t just a thought. Eww, what was she thinking?

    In the end, It turned out that it was just her imagination and no one had indeed spoken ¨C and she was staring at Marcel¡¯s lips a little too much. At once, Arianna took a step back, breaking apart from this crazy spell intent on binding them together.

    ¡°So this is it then,¡± Arianna chuckled awkwardly, looking everywhere else but at Marcel. What was wrong with her today? And why was the room suddenly hot?

    She would have fanned herself with her hand had it not been for Winters staring at her with her hawk-like eyes. Why was she staring at her like that? Wasn¡¯t she the one who asked Marcel to put the ring on her finger, so then, why look at her as if she stole her boyfriend or something?

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the girl hade to her roomst night to dere boldly her interest in Marcel, Arianna would have thought that all of this was a ruse and the girl was ying matchmaking.

    But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, Winters seems intent on having a healthypetition, that exins why she was giving her opportunities ¨C like having Marcel put the ring on her ¨C even though she doesn¡¯t deserve it.

    Even as righteous as Arianna was, She knew she would never do the same for Winters. When she loves, she loves alone. No sharing at all. So yeah, she was too selfish to give that kind of opportunity to Winters.

    ¡°We have to get our ass moving, tomorrow is the big day! We can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes!¡± Victor gingered them and everywhere spread out.

    But then, while she, Victor, and Mimi left the room, Arianna saw Winters head towards Marcel. Were the both of them going to work together? All by themselves? All alone?

    Arianna was filled with anxiety and curiosity, and it wasn¡¯t until her gaze connected with Marcel¡¯s that she quickly turned to watch where she was going before she knocked into something. In one word, she left the room grudgingly.

    Victor was the one who took care of their needs like calling over a hair stylist for their hair change.

    ¡°This is a disaster,¡± Arianna said, apprehension written on her face.

    ¡°Would you stop squirming like a fish out of water and rx for once? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to go bald from the hair change. Also, would I need to remind you that it¡¯s only for a few weeks and you get your hair back? So please don¡¯t ruin the fun for me,¡± Mimi was more enthusiastic to go through the procedure as she rxed in her seat as the hair stylist worked on the chemicals.

    The both of them decided on brown hair color. Mimi helped the uptight friend choose and Arianna decided that swirling highlights would be perfect for her. The stylist would add dimension to the brown hair while keeping things easy and low-maintenance; warm honey and caramel highlights through a few of the ends, with some lighter pieces around her face

    Unlike Mimi who decided on sweet chocte, changing her blonde hair entirely. She needed some warmth that doesn¡¯t read red, and went for golden swirls instead. Adding golden undertones created a healthy appearance and reflected tons of new shine.

    However, Mimi didn¡¯t read her friend well because Arianna wasn¡¯t just worried about the color change but Marcel and Winters being in the same room together. What if something happens between them?

    What If Winters felt threatened by the connection between her and Marcel earlier and decides to take things a notch up? What if the both of them were doing ¨C

    No! That was impossible! Marcel likes her! He wouldn¡¯t get to that extent already when he still had her in his heart ¨C she hoped so. After all, she knew men and their great exploits.

    Arianna took a deep breath and tried to rx. Maybe this hair color change wasn¡¯t a bad thing, because she intends to sweep someone off his feet today.

 Chapter 362

    362 He Would Kill Her

    ¡°Listen here, I don¡¯t care whether you get discovered or not, all I want is that you keep an eye on -¡± Marcel was still saying when a knock came on his door, interrupting his call.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you,¡± He said hurriedly into the phone and ended the call before shouting, ¡°Come in!¡±

    And maybe Marcel should have asked who was on the door because he never prepared himself for the shock that gripped him when he saw Arianna step into his office, his jaw nearly dropping to his ground.

    If Arianna looked hot when she was a redhead, she now looked dazzling with her newest look. Her features were softened and she looked really innocent that one would never take her as a thief. But above all, she looked like that woman.

    If Marcel had been unsure of their rtionship then, it was confirmed now. Mother and daughter were splitting images of each other and though the woman was a natural brte with a deep, richer darker shade, Arianna wasn¡¯t too far off with this new look.

    Arianna didn¡¯t take any further step just as Marcel didn¡¯t stop staring at her. It was as if that moment belonged to both of them and anything else at that moment didn¡¯t exist. But that was until Marcel remembered Winters¡¯ warning in his head, that he can¡¯t keep being the one on the receiving end of her games. Whether she intended it or not.

    Hence, he broke out of the spell and cleared his throat, saying, ¡°I told you that it would look on you?¡± He shed her an appreciative smile.

    Was that all? Arianna was disappointed. She had expected more enthusiasm and much sweeter words. However, she hid the disappointment with a, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Walking into the room, she noticed someone¡¯s disappearance, ¡°Winters is not here?¡±

    .....

    ¡°She left to shop for some things she would need tomorrow,¡± Marcel said,ing to stand in front of his desk and leaning against it while Arianna chose to settle down on one of the single couches in the middle of his room.

    ¡°Shop?¡± Arianna noticed that particr word, ¡°You let her out of here?¡±

    Marcel sighed, knowing that they were headed down that road again. He said, ¡°Arianna, Winters is not a prisoner here,¡±

    ¡°And I am?¡± She snorted, looking downwards and finding the situation ridiculous.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Marcel changed topics else they would only end up fighting over the issue of her freedom again. They never went anywhere with that particr topic.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want me here? Didn¡¯t we agree to be friends?¡±

    But Marcelughed mockingly, ¡°You and I know that we can never be friends,¡± He said, holding her gaze.

    Arianna looked away at once, feeling guilty to have the truth thrown at her face. She bit the inside of her mouth, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss the terms of our agreement,¡±

    ¡°What terms of the agreement?¡± his brows were drawn together in confusion. What was she talking about?

    ¡°You certainly didn¡¯t forget that I¡¯m not helping you for free?¡± Arianna reminded him.

    Marcel remembered when he made the deal with her. So he shifted on his feet anticipatedly and asked her, ¡°What do you want then, Arianna? Say the word and I¡¯ll get it for you,¡±

    Arianna looked him straight in the eyes, ¡°I need a cellphone, Marcel.¡±

    At once, Marcel stiffened, his entire body closing off as the expression on his face vanished only to be reced with cold fury. She wanted to escape him.

    ¡°That is not happening. Do you take me as a fool, Arianna?!¡± Marcel said with a voice that sent the chills down her spine and she realized what he was thinking.

    ¡°No, no, no, Marcel, it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Arianna stood up to her feet, and hurried over to his side so she could exin it better to him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gained my trust and now you think you have me wrapped around your little finger and you could y me to your tune?!¡± He growled at her.

    ¡°No, listen -¡± She wanted him to calm down first of all.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Marcel jerked away when she tried to make contact with him knowing how much her touch affected him.

    He only ended up pushing her against the desk and trapped her in. Arianna winced when her waist hit the solid structure but that cry of pain might as well be an act to Marcel who wasn¡¯t thinking straight at the moment.

    ¡°You want a cellphone so you could contact Elijah and the both of you can n your escape?! Oh God, don¡¯t tell me you know how to contact Elijah all this while?! And yet, you fooled me with your sweet, innocent fa?ade and even had the nerve to give me attitude when in reality you¡¯re nothing but a stink face betrayer!¡±

    ¡°Pah!¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t know when she reached out and struck him across the face, her heart pounding loudly. What has she done?

    Hands shaking, she looked at Marcel who still had his face turned to the side from the impact of the p. However, when he eventually turned around, her heart leaped to her throat.

    ¡°M-Marcel,¡± She choked out, taking a step back to escape that murderous fury in his eyes, yet there was nowhere to run to.

    Arianna squealed loudly when Marcel suddenly pulled her forward by the throat. Often, she has infuriated and goaded Marcel, but she has never known true fear until now. Looking into Marcel¡¯s eyes alone was the reflection of so many ways he could end her life in a not-so-gentle manner. The animalistic thrill in his face scared her; this wasn¡¯t the Marcel she knew.

    So even though she had a hard time breathing with the way he squeezed her throat, Arianna still went ahead to say, ¡°I never thought of betraying you, Marcel... it was just absurd living in the twenty-first century without a cellphone. Moreover, you have the means to monitor my calls and activities anyway.... T-here was never a time I could fool you...¡± She exined amid difficulty breathing. He was going to really kill her if he continued this way.

 Chapter 363

    363 Her Heart Was Breaking In Two

    Marcel¡¯s grip on her neck eased yet he didn¡¯t take his hand off her throat entirely. Hisrge palm still rested around her delicate throat, making her very aware that he could snap her neck in the blink of an eye.

    The both of them heaved and Arianna dared to look up only for their gaze to connect. She released a shaky breath because the fire in his eyes had died to glowing embers and they were smoldering. Her lips parted unconsciously and his gaze flickered down to it, staring at her full lips with the impurest of thoughts. She could see it in his eyes.

    Arianna¡¯s breath thickened when she noticed the physical anger Marcel felt earlier had turned into a physical hunger. ¨C a hunger she too desired.

    Suddenly, his grip on her neck turned sexual as his finger trailed down her neck, caressing her cor bone and watching the soft rise and fall of her chest with fascination.

    Then his eyes were back on her as he drew her closer, tilting his head when their lips were close to meeting. Her eyes shut on their own as she anticipated the meeting of their lips, but it never came. What is going on?

    Her eyes flickered open and she was surprised to see that Marcel was just standing there, his lips barely inches from brushing across her, but he wouldn¡¯t kiss her.

    Arianna looked at him questioningly, why wouldn¡¯t he kiss her? But all he did was sp her cheeks while his thumb reached out and brushed across her lips, a shiver traveling through her body.

    She sucked in a sharp breath, feeling a heat spread from her lower body and her legs almost gave out. He grabbed her waist and pressed her closer against his body. Arianna felt her head swirl, what was going on here? If this was seduction, then it was working.

    She looked at Marcel, their lips were so close that she could feel the heat and all he needed to do was to lean down and their lips would meet in a union, yet, why wasn¡¯t he doing that?

    .....

    ¡°Is this a game?¡± She breathed, eyeing his lips.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He responded to her surprise because her eyes grew wide.

    Marcel went on, ¡°Yes, this is a game where you are the one to make a move from now on. If you want me, you take me. If you want to kiss, then you take the kiss,¡± He said, then let go of her.

    Arianna was dumbfounded as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. She missed the heat and the feel of his body. But most of all, she craved his kiss.

    Marcel stood a step back under her watchful eyes, ¡°No more games, Arianna, if you want me, you would have toe and im me.¡± He told her squarely in the face.

    Arianna frowned, having understood what Marcel was trying to do. He was trying to make her choose between him and Elijah. He wanted her to make a choice.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfair,¡± Arianna told him, ¡°You can¡¯t just spring this up on me out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel corrected her, ¡°What is unfair is you using my feelings and leaving me drained. I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t be that outlet for the release of your desires anymore. If you want me, then choose me, but if you don¡¯t, then don¡¯t blur the line. Youe here looking all pretty and expect me to do what, kiss you on the lips and say what? You look gorgeous? You did a nice job? No, you do far worse things to me than you know. You ruin me, Arianna! You bring me up only to crush me down, giving me the most miserable death! So no, I can¡¯t do this anymore. It¡¯s either me or nothing for the both of us.¡± He said with emotion.

    Arianna stood on the spot, stunned. She had never thought of it that way. It had been harmless fun, and he seemed to have been up for it. He even benefited from it, right?

    Fuck!

    Marcel liked her!

    He really liked her?!

    She really mean something to him?

    It finally dawned on her.

    When Arianna first came to know of Marcel¡¯s affection for her, she hadn¡¯t taken it seriously, simply thinking that he had a mere soft spot for her. After all, Marcel was engaged and moreover, he was captor. This could be a game, his method to try to use against Elijah, just the same way she intended to use him and get out of here.

    Their attraction had been harmless fun and for Arianna who was testing such waters for the first time, it was fascinating, and in the end, she wanted to know more ¨C feel more. But then, it escted and her emotion got deeper than she wanted.

    Arianna opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. What was she going to say? Sorry? Sorry for what? For willing kissing him all those times without meaning? For wanting to have sex with him just because he was up for it when in reality he wanted more? All their games of cat and mouse had meant more to him than she thought.

    When Arianna didn¡¯t say a word, Marcel reminded her, ¡°All you have to do is to just take a step....¡±

    Arianna looked down at the little mocking space between them. The space didn¡¯t mean anything to him, all Marcel needed was her action ¨C her action of choosing him.

    Honestly, she wasn¡¯t going to lie, Marcel does move her heart and she was tempted to ept the offer. But then, she promised Elijah and wouldn¡¯t want to disappoint him. What if Elijah came back to get her and instead sees that she has cuddled up to the enemy? That would be very shameful.

    Hence, Arianna sidestepped him and left without looking back, having a feeling she would change her mind if she dared to look at him .

    This was the best decision, right? Yet, why did she crumble down in tears as soon as she came into her room? Why was her heart breaking in two?

 Chapter 364

    364 Stubborn As A Bull

    Music Rmendation:- In control ¨C Hillsong Worship.

    __________

    Throughout the rest of the day, Arianna was angry for no reason. She was so suffocated and sad inside that she felt the whole world deserved to be miserable with her. Neither did it help matters that she didn¡¯t Marcel after their encounter, nor Winters as well.

    Who knows, the both of them were together? Since they were friends, Marcel must have gone to her so she could help me lick his wounds. Now that she has given up on Marcel, Arianna was sure that Winters would be over the moon. With her out of the picture, Winters could freely date Marcel now.

    And why was she so bothered about it? Why couldn¡¯t she just stop caring? It was literally none of her business, who Marcel decided to date. It doesn¡¯t concern her anymore...

    Thankfully, Victor came up to her, informing her that she needed to learn a few self-defense moves in case she found herself in a bit of a situation tomorrow.

    Unfortunately, Victor didn¡¯t know he provided her a tform to vent all of her frustration because whatever teaching he provided to her fell on deaf ears. Unlike the ever mercy Marcel, Victor was quite serious in his lesson and Arianna couldn¡¯t remember the number of times her assnded on the practicing mat.

    It wasn¡¯t until the twentieth fall that Victor realized that Arianna hadn¡¯t been listening to his lessons at all because she never applied any moves he taught her in the training. If anything, it was as if she wanted him to use her like some rag doll.

    Hence, when Arianna didn¡¯t rise from thest fall and insteady on the matughing loudly, Victor instinctively knew something was wrong. He had met Marcel on the way out and after his dear cousin told him to teach her basic moves so she doesn¡¯t get herself killed in the mission tomorrow, he stormed out of the ce.

    .....

    So while Ariannay thereughing, Victor left to call Mimi knowing that he couldn¡¯t handle this one ¨C it was beyond him. Neither does he want to be on the receiving end of whatever happened to them.

    Ariannay on the ground, exhausted to the bones as her body hurt all over fromnding on the ground. Although the mat provided a softernding, it didn¡¯t mean it was painless. But the pain was all she needed which was why she tried to stand up to her feet and failed woefully.

    So shey on the floor and began tough. Arianna turned her face to the sideughing hysterically, how did she end up like this? She had once been a youngdy living her life to the fullest? How did she get to this point?

    Arianna made her choice, she chose Elijah. She was supposed to be happy! She was supposed to be on top of the world, after all, she chose the love of her life, Elijah, over her short fling, Marcel. So why was she feeling this way instead? Why was she feeling miserable and sad?

    Soon, Arianna¡¯sughter turned into sobs as she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She could deceive herself and say that she was okay, but deep inside, Arianna knew that she just lost something. No, someone. Someone important.

    And that was the scene that greeted Mimi when she came into the training room with Victor. She stopped short at the scene, stunned to see her friend curled up on the floor and crying.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Mimi¡¯s heart was broken at the sight and hurried over to her friend. She pulled her up from the ground and made her sit up so she was able to wrap her arms around her chest and consoled her.

    Even when Arianna went through tough times at the hands of her family, her friend hadn¡¯t cried this badly. Hence, it hurt her that the matters of the heart could hurt her this badly.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough already! To hell with men, you could do without them. The both of us had been content together, what¡¯s the worst that could happen now?!¡± Mimi tried tofort her all to no avail.

    In the end, Mimi left her to cry all she wanted. Arianna needed to release all that emotions, else she bottled it all up and handled it negatively. Hence, Mimi was with her until she finished crying and just leaned on her arms.

    After that, Mimi helped lead her to the bed where sheid down, and even though it was merelyte afternoon, Arianna slept as if she was having a good night¡¯s rest. The tiredness and the body ache she suffered during the training finally conquered her body and she slept off with Mimi by her side.

    When Arianna woke up, it waste at night but Mimi already got her dinner in bed. She muttered thanks to Mimi and tried to eat as much as she could knowing she had no appetite.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep on living like this. For christ¡¯s sake, Arianna, just tell Marcel you like him,¡± Mimi said and that was the conversation Arianna dreaded but there was nothing she could do but face it.

    ¡°Whether I like him or not, it¡¯s toote for that,¡± Arianna said.

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s too -¡±

    Arianna dropped her spoon and pulled the tray away, ¡°I¡¯ve lost my appetite,¡± and with that, she turned her back to Mimi, and pulled the cover up to her chin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Mimi felt like strangling her idiotic friend. What was so hard about going up to the man she liked and telling him she had feelings for him. It was so frustrating because the atmosphere in the base was depressing. Not to mention that D-day was tomorrow, and they can¡¯t operate with low morale.

    Knowing that was the end of the discussion, Mimi left the room and shut the door only to bump into Victor.

    ¡°Any news?¡± She asked about the update on Marcel.

    ¡°Negative,¡± Victor sighed, hands on his waist. None of them were happy with what was going on, ¡°What about her?¡± He referred to Arianna.

    ¡°Negative as well. She¡¯s as stubborn as a bull.¡±

    ¡°Same with Marcel. I hate this.¡± Victorined.

    ¡°Not unless we take matters into our hands,¡± Mimi said and Victor turned his attention to her.

    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

 Chapter 365

    365 Her Hope Of Privacy

    Arianna stared up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts when the door to her room snapped open. She turned only to see that it was Mimi and no one else and disappointment flooded her. Arianna was close to turning to the other side when she saw Mimi bent down to retrieve something.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Mimi said, picking up a piece of paper from the ground, ¡°Huh, I think this is addressed to you,¡±

    At the mention of those words, Arianna¡¯s interest piqued immediately and she lifted her head from the bed, ¡°Me?¡± she croaked.

    ¡°Yes...¡± Mimi said, looking at the contents of the writing before ncing back at her friend, saying, ¡°I think it¡¯s from Marcel.¡±

    The instant Arianna heard the name, ¡°Marcel¡±, she sprang up from her bed and snatched the note from Mimi,

    ¡°I need to talk to you, please. You know where to find my quiet ce.¡± She read out.

    What kind of stupid note was this? Of course, she knows his quiet ce. But then, a note? He could have juste up to her and...

    ¡°Well? Why aren¡¯t you leaving? He wants the both of you to meet,¡± Mimi looked at her expectantly.

    She shook her head stubbornly,

    .....

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of it? It doesn¡¯t change anything between -¡±

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Mimi screamed so hard she nearly gave the girl a heart attack. Arianna gave her a questioning look, what now?

    Mimi said through gritted teeth with her nails pointed dangerously at her face, ¡°I swear to God, if you don¡¯t leave this room right now, I will tear you from limb to limb until there¡¯s nothing left of you!¡±

    ¡°Jesus! Fine! Tune down the violence, I¡¯m out!¡±

    And that was the cue Arianna needed to get out of the room. Trust her, friend or not, you don¡¯t want to encounter the crazy side of Mimi. She was too scary.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to find Marcel¡¯s quiet ce and as expected he was already waiting for her in the gazebo, Arianna saw his shadow from afar and stopped.

    Arianna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she could do this. She would go over there and have a nice conversation with Marcel. Since the mission was tomorrow, he probably wanted to set things straight between them to avoid unnecessary awkwardness.

    Yes, that was right. They would be working as a team tomorrow and hence needed to be in harmony. She can¡¯t let her emotions get the best of her and ruin what they prepared for a long time.

    All of them had made a lot of sacrifices, even though she had no clue if she would reap her own benefit from this deal ¨C Marcel exploded when she mentioned her need for a cellphone.

    But then, this was important for Marcel ¨C he needed his sister as much as she needed her freedom. Who knows, Marcel might have a change after all of this.

    So Arianna bravely made her way over to the gazebo. Marcel had his back turned to her with a ss of his favorite whisky neat in hand, turning when he sensed her movement.

    There was a tensed silence between the both of them the moment their gaze connected. Arianna stared at Marcel and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had been in the same agony that tortured her because he didn¡¯t seem to be in his finest mood either.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± He acknowledged her presence with the ss in hand and then sat down, expecting her to do the same.

    Arianna hardly settled down when Marcel told her, ¡°You wanted us to meet and talk, what do you want us to talk about?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she felt like she heard wrong.

    Marcel looked at her confusion spreading on his face, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you were the one who wanted to speak to me, you even wrote a note to me...¡± She stopped and thought over the whole thing and it finally made sense to Arianna.

    Of course, why would Marcel write to her when he could easily send one of his men to call her over. Sigh, Mimi fooled her.

    Marcel snorted when he too realized that he had been fooled by his cousin. He had sensed something was off when Victor told him Arianna desperately wanted to see him before the mission tomorrow.

    But he feared that Arianna was about to change her mind about helping him tomorrow, and had to answer. It was not like Arianna¡¯s nature, she would help as far as it involved saving a soul even at her own expense, right?

    Arianna took a deep breath and then cing both hands on her knees, she rose with a deep grunt, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave you to enjoy yourpany then.¡±

    She was about to leave when Marcel said hurriedly, ¡°Please don¡¯t leave.¡±

    Arianna turned to him surprised, a hint of hope growing inside of her.

    But Marcel realizing how ambiguous those words sounded, quickly exined, ¡°They might have fooled us into meeting, but we indeed needed to talk,¡± He added immediately, ¡°I need to talk to you. So please, sit down.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Arianna sat back down, without looking directly at him. She couldn¡¯t look him in the face without remembering what transpired between them earlier in the day. Moreover, she wanted to keep those little ¡°flutterings¡± in check.

    ¡°I want to apologize for my attitude earlier, I might have lost it for a while there and made a huge mistake byying a hand on you which would never happen as long as your stay herests. Also, you would get the cellphone you asked for when you return tomorrow, ¡±

    Arianna turned to him in surprise and said quickly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother yourself with the phone anymore, I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±

    If the mere thought of a phone could bring that much trouble, what would happen then when he has the slightest suspicion she¡¯s inmunication with Elijah. Not that it was going to happen, considering she knows nothing about her boyfriend Elijah ¨C including his phone number. But misunderstandings could arise in the future and she wanted to avoid the trouble now.

    ¡°No, your life is worth more than the phone and you would risking that in tomorrow¡¯s mission. Hence you deserve the phone you¡¯ve ever wanted, it¡¯s the least I can do. And like you said, it¡¯s not like it wouldn¡¯t be monitored.¡±

    ¡°Oh sure,¡± Arianna nodded with an excitement that didn¡¯t touch her eyes. Her hope of a little privacy evaporating in the atmosphere. Well, at least he¡¯s honest, than monitoring her on the secret.

 Chapter 366

    366 Coming To Terms With Her Feelings

    Music rmendation:- Off My Face ¨C Justin Bieber.

    ________

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry as well for ying around with your feelings. You were right, it¡¯s unfair on you.¡± Arianna sincerely apologized to him, meeting his gaze for barely a second before taking her eyes off him.

    She went on, ¡°The truth is that I resented you for taking me away from my normal life. Sometimes I can¡¯t help but imagine what my life would look like had I never encountered...all of this?¡± Arianna said instead, afraid to hurt his feelings with the word she would have used.

    ¡°But the truth remains that I got entangled with the bad side of the society andpared to the bad guys I encountered so far, you¡¯re the kindest,¡± she said.

    ¡°I should take that as apliment but the truth remains I¡¯m not kind,¡± Marcel was quick to correct her.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not. But you are to me,¡± Arianna pointed out, finally looking him in the eyes for the first time since she arrived. However, Marcel was quick to look away, choosing to sip his drink, and disappointment cut through her.

    ¡°The truth is that I wanted to use you when I found out you had a fondness for me, Marcel.¡± Sheughed awkwardly, rubbing her hands together, ¡°I guess it backfired,¡± she muttered under her breath, hoping that he didn¡¯t hear that.

    Marcel heard that yet didn¡¯tment on that. What was the point? It would only give him false hope. He had to make it easy for her ¨C and himself. Even if she doesn¡¯t belong to him in the end, he should be satisfied with seeing her ¨C till the day Elijahes for her.

    .....

    He said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize to me, I understand you. Also, I had no right to demand you choose between me and the love of your life when I¡¯m merely an intruder. Your life is already ruined by meeting me, I can¡¯t ruin your happiness as well.¡±

    Arianna wanted to refute that statement, tell him that he didn¡¯t ruin her and maybe, just maybe... this was fate?

    All this while, she had been striving for perfection ¨C a perfect husband for her would be perfect children and family. But then, the world was imperfect already, and what if some perfections came with rough packaging? It looked worthless and unattractive on the outside yet was a diamond inwardly?

    Arianna opened her mouth to say something when Marcel said, ¡°I guess we¡¯re good then?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± She nodded, pulsing her lips and choosing to close her mouth rather than vomiting those words she wanted to say to him. It was toote for them now.

    After that, the both of them sat in tense silence, unable toe up with a reasonable topic for conversation. It was awkward.

    ¡°What happens tomorrow if the mission flops?¡± She decided to start with a topic not far from home.

    ¡°Well, for starters, you could die,¡± Marcel was quite candid.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arianna breathed. She was beginning to realize the gravity of her actions recently.

    She pointed to his drink, ¡°Can I have that?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Marcel was surprised by her bold request, ¡°But I thought you said you don¡¯t drink -¡±

    He was still saying when Arianna snatched the tumbler from his grip and chugged the remaining content only for her eyes to nearly pop out of her socket in the next seconds.

    ¡°Holy God!¡± Dahlia cursed, entering a coughing fit as the fiery warmth sank down her throat. Her eyes water from the heat and she wondered what in the name of madness had driven her to take such a thing.

    ¡°Easy there, easy,¡± Marcelforted her as she continued to cough. He leaned closer to her and began to rub her back soothingly.

    ¡°That hurts,¡± Ariannaughed when she recovered. She didn¡¯t mean to cry but tears still slipped from her eyes and that was as embarrassing as hell.

    Or so she thought because Marcel didn¡¯t seem to mind when he reached out and brushed the tears away from her face and she froze up.

    The once yful ambiance thickened with sexual tension as the both of them stared at each other unsure. Marcel was right when he said the friendship goal between the both of them was not going to work because the attraction between them was just too strong.

    Her breathing quickened and every fiber in her being wanted to kiss those hips and she knew Marcel felt the same, she could see the desire in his eyes. But as strong as his desire was, his self-control was stronger because he pulled away before they could give in to the temptation and the now all too familiar disappointment filled Arianna once more.

    ¡°You should leave, you have a huge day ahead tomorrow,¡± He cleared his throat and destroyed the moment between them.

    ¡°Yeah, I should,¡± Arianna nodded in agreement and stood up, taking barely three steps when she stopped.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Marcel noticed the change in her demeanor and was worried. Had he said or done something wrong again?

    Fine, it was now or never, Arianna decided and turned. She walked over to the Marcel, stopping directly in front of him, and then, without warning, she plopped down to her knees, getting in between his legs, her hands resting on either of his thighs.

    ¡°A-Arianna,¡± Marcel stuttered, shell-shocked. He was flustered and couldn¡¯t understand what was going on here.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I like you.¡± Arianna finally confessed.

    ¡°What?!¡± His eyes widened to the size of saucers. Marcel was lucky to not have a drink in his mouth at that moment because he would have spat it out on her face from the shock.

    ¡°I like you, Marcel,¡± Arianna said once again, and this time her voice was a lot firmer as if she was sure of what she was saying.

    But Marcel shook his head in denial and reached out to feel her cheeks, ¡°You must be drunk, no wonder you have a glib tongue.¡± He was having a bad time believing her.

    Men? Arianna rolled her eyes. Now she hase to terms with her feelings, he was trying to tell her that she didn¡¯t know what she was feeling. Ugh, so annoying!

    So Arianna did the one that could convince him.

    She kissed him.

 Chapter 367

    367 I¡¯m A Fool For You

    ¡°Aww, aren¡¯t they so cute?!¡± Mimi squealed, staring at Arianna who had finally summoned up the courage and took the lead in kissing her prince charming.

    To make sure their n worked, Victor and Mimi were perfectly hidden at a corner watching the interaction between Marcel and Arianna. They had been thinking of n B when they saw Arianna try to leave, but the lord was on their side this time and the two fools finally got together.

    ¡°You know we could do better than that,¡± Victor suddenly said.

    Mimi turned to him, ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean, love,¡± Victor smirked suggestively and a thrill went through her body at once, but Mimi wasn¡¯t ready for one.

    She took a step back, ¡°Don¡¯te any closer,¡±

    But he did.

    ¡°Nope, Victor, really, don¡¯t!¡± She broke into a sprint, giving him a good head start before Victor went after her. He loved a good chase anyway, the prize at the end was worth it.

    Meanwhile....

    .....

    Arianna moaned against the softness of Marcel¡¯s lips and she took his face into her hands, kissing him deeper, but this might as well have been a one woman show because Marcel didn¡¯t react; he was frozen. Arianna didn¡¯t me him, after all, he didn¡¯t see thating, she only hoped she hadn¡¯t broken him.

    She pulled away but her hand remained on his face, stroking his gorgeous face. Marcel had such fine skin, she was almost jealous. Perhaps, she would steal his toiletriester, he wouldn¡¯t mind that, right?

    Marcel looked at her with his intense gaze muddled with confusion. He looked at her and then at his surroundings as if now realizing what happened. He asked her, ¡°What have you done? Do you even know what you are -¡±

    ¡°Is it toote to choose you?¡± Arianna interrupted him and his gaze widened. But that was all.

    Arianna had expected something else other than the sh of surprise on his face, something extra ordinary like a mind-blowing French kiss or something else like...

    Nheless, when nothing of that nature happened, Arianna began to second guess her action, was it worth it? Or was she toote?

    Sheughed awkwardly, ¡°But then, if you have already moved on or don¡¯t want anything to do with my temperament, it¡¯s fine!¡± She pursed her lips, ¡°Really, yes! fine! We are cool, you know! You could just think of thiste confession as nothing but some.... some rehearsal, you know, for when your future wife purposes.....¡±

    She was still bbering, when Marcel without warning lifted her up and ced her on him so she was seated astride his body on the single seater couch.

    Arianna squealed at the sudden action, she was stunned by his strength neither did she see thating and had to grab on to his shoulder to anchor herself from falling.

    Eyes wide and face flushed, she red at him, ¡°What do you -!¡±

    He crushed his lips against her and she forgot all she wanted to say, desire lighting inside of her instead. Marcel took her lips in a brutal kiss that was suffocating and she couldn¡¯t breathe. Well, to hell to air, not when she was in heaven.

    Arianna pulled him close by the shoulder and his hand wrapped around her waist in a possessive hold, as if saying he wasn¡¯t ready to let go of her. Desire filled her that she didn¡¯t recognize the pain even when Marcel was brutalizing her mouth.

    He dug his hand into her hair and yanked tight and she moaned into his mouth, their tongue shing together as they battled for dominance. But even as strong willed as Arianna was, she couldn¡¯t win against Marcel.

    His action was all male and hard as he kissed her passionately and deep, his hold on her waist tightening to the point that Arianna was sure she would find bruises thereter. The fight drained from her and she gave in to her, offering to take what he gave her as he fucked her mouth with his tongue.

    Arianna guessed that this was punishment for all the times she denied him and yed around with his feelings. It wasn¡¯t until her ck dots began to form behind her eye that she realized she needed oxygen or else she passed out.

    She pushed him away with a loud gasp, trying to catch her breath. The both of them stared at each other, desire deep in their eyes while they heaved, their mouth slightly parted. Was he trying to kill her? It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if Marcel won the award for who could breath the longest. The man was full of surprises.

    Marcel raised his hand and caressed her lips, the action sent shivers down her spine and she felt massive heat pool between her legs; Arianna was aroused.

    ¡°You kissed me,¡± He pointed out while stroking her lips, wet and swollen from his brutal kiss. His chest swelled with pride, the sight looked good on her ¨C he did to her.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna answered boldly and was very aware of the growing tent in his pants. She was sitting directly above his arousal and she had the naughty thought of grinding against him. But no, it was time for speech now. Perhaps, after that.

    She reminded him,¡±And you haven¡¯t answered my question either? Am I toote, Marcel?¡± Arianna slightly shifted her hips against him and felt his body quiver beneath her. She knew the answer before he said it.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Marcel didn¡¯t directly answer, the glint in his eyes offering her a challenge instead. He leaned over to kiss the curve of her neck and then her jaw while she closed her eyes, relishing the feeling.

    ¡°One thing is for sure,¡± He spoke against her skin, ¡°I¡¯m a fool for you,¡±

    And those very words undid everyst wall Arianna put up against Marcel. She clutched her shirt and pulled him closer, and for the second time tonight, took the lead on kissing him. She wanted to remember the taste of his lips because tonight would surely go down memoryne.

 Chapter 368

    368 Creativity Is In Abundance Today

    Marcel groaned as Arianna ground against him, her pace increasing while she shove her tongue into his mouth, stroking his tongue swiftly, and meeting his intensity with her own.

    However, Arianna pulled away and let out a pure cry of desire when he grabbed her waist and bucked his hips against her, aiding the process and dry humping her faster.

    ¡°Marcel....¡± She gasped loudly, her fingers threading through his hair and her nails scratched his scalp, pulling him to get impossibly closer.

    She squealed, throwing her head back as she tipped over that glorious pinnacle. She floated for seconds before descending back on earth, greedily taking in a mouthful of breath.

    Marcel wasn¡¯t sure that he had seen Arianna look sexier than at that moment of her release. The sight was quite stimting. She then looked down at him, eyes dark with desire yet wide with enlightenment as well. She has be corrupted by his darkness.

    Their lips met once more in azy kiss, her hands working on his buttons as she whispered against his lips, ¡°I need you, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°Urm, that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± He said carelessly.

    Arianna froze.

    She pulled back and gave him a questioning look, ¡°Are you kidding me right now? After all of this?¡± She was close to climbing down from him in anger.

    .....

    But Marcel was quick to grab onto her waist, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, then?¡±

    ¡°You can have me after you¡¯re back from tomorrow¡¯s mission,¡±

    ¡°What? Oh.¡± Arianna realized what he was doing. He was giving her the incentive to stay alive.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. That¡¯s a promise,¡± Arianna told him and sealed it with a kiss, but just when Marcel was about to deepen it, she pulled back with a chuckle. Marcel chortled deep in his throat, she was teasing him.

    Arianna whispered into his ear,

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t get creative, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcel said while kissing down her throat, ¡°Creativity is in abundance today,¡± there was a hint of promise in his tone.

    Arianna shut her eyes, getting lost in the feeling of him trailing light kisses all over her neck and cor bone, he then sucked on the dip in her neck and she released a sharp breath. Like the strings of a guitar, Marcel seemed to know how to handle her; he knew which string to pull to make her go up or low.

    His hand moved to her back and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and she raised her hands to make it easier for him. As soon as her shirt was off, his lips were back on hers while utching her bra.

    Her breasts spilled free and Marcel looked at it intently, drinking in the sight and having his full of it. Feeling shy all of a sudden, Arianna tried to hide the view from him by crossing her arms but he stopped her.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t,¡± He warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t obstruct the great view.¡±

    She blushed instantly, unable to look him in the eyes. Arianna had never had problems with her body from the start, but now that she was bare before him, she felt quite conscious. Her boobs were neither small nor toorge, it was the perfect B-cup and she was content with it ¨C at least until now.

    Marcel lowered his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue.

    ¡°My God!¡± Arianna moaned, bucking against him because she was startled by the sudden heat of his tongue on her nipple. She groaned, throwing her head back as Marcel gave her a little more pleasure while fondling the other breast.

    Arianna¡¯s arms curl around his neck, holding Marcel so incredibly close to her chest and almost suffocating him in the process. But Marcel in question must love death because he imed the entire nipple in her mouth and sucked hard until she was quivering with pleasure even while she strangled him.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She continuously moaned his name when he focused on the other breast, sucking against the nipple while flicking the bud with his lips and nipping the edges with his teeth, sending enough pain with pleasure to send her to the edge, only that she wasn¡¯t fully satisfied and needed more.

    Marcel, of course, was d to oblige her. He dropped his lips to her sternum and kissed down, feeling the way her body quivered under his touch. He kissed his way down until she reached the waistband of her short and tugged on it. He needed ess.

    With her eyes slightly hooded and out of breath, Arianna had no problem with granting him the favor and chewed on her bottom lip with expectation. Marcel didn¡¯t readily undress her, rather he readjusted his position with her on him and his hand disappeared into her shorts.

    Arianna¡¯s breath was hoarse at the mere thought of Marcel¡¯s fingers inside of her. But that thought became a reality when he inserted his finger into her wet, tender fold. Arianna shivered around his finger.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna cried out at the instant Pleasure.

    ¡°Sorry, love, but I don¡¯t n to do that to you yet,¡± Marcel teased her, stroking her clit and she couldn¡¯t seem to catch her breath as the sensation overwhelmed her.

    With each flick of his finger against her clit, it seemed as if there was a spark and her body was about to be set on fire. This time, Marcel added more fingers, increasing his pace until Arianna was crying and holding onto his shoulder as if he was her lifeline.

    But Marcel was definitely out of control, flicking her clit with his fingers as if it was his cock until she bucked hard, falling apart as the ecstasy crashed over her. Arianna covered her lips against his in a sweet kiss but Marcel had gone past the realm of sweetness because he had other things in mind.

    His powerful muscles easily carried Arianna up, and turning, he pushed her back into the sofa and began to pull her short down her thighs leaving her in nothing and he was able to get a view of her glistening, wet fold. He was going to enjoy this.

 Chapter 369

    369 Worth Nothing To Him

    Looking at her naked form for a few seconds, Marcel dropped down to his knees in between her legs. Shame was the farthest thing from Arianna¡¯s mind even when Marcel pushed his nose close to her entrance and took a long, deep sniff like a drug addict. Only that she was the drug he was addicted to.

    ¡°You smell good,¡± Marcel said, huskily. His warm breath teases her most sensitive part.

    She was filled with anticipation, having pushed every semnce of shame to the back of her mind. Her lips parted, and she took a long, deep breath, turned on by the look in Marcel¡¯s eyes. Arianna swore she could orgasm from those dark, intense gazes alone.

    He pressed a kiss to her inner thigh and trails them down, dangerously close to her sex and when he reached that ce, gave it one wet swipe with his tongue that made Arianna¡¯s hips arch instinctively at the instant pleasure.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even started already and you¡¯re shaking already,¡± Marcel was amused, peering at her from between her legs.

    Arianna tried to control her breathing, his eyes full of the wicked things he nned to do to her. And though she was quite scared, she craved it. What does he n to do with her body? Love or destroy her?

    And that was all the warning Marcel could give her, because, in the next minutes, Marcel reached behind her and cupped her buttocks forward. He then threw her legs over his shoulder and straight away, feasted on her sensitive clitoris.

    Arianna screamed out her ecstasy, feeling his tongue there for the first time and finally noticing how great he was at oral. She bucked and tried to writhe away from his expertise tongue but Marcel wouldn¡¯t have any of that and was sure to pull her to him each time.

    ¡°I think I.... I... ¡± Arianna tried to articte what she was feeling but couldn¡¯t. Nor did Marcel go easy on her as he continued to suck her clit into his mouth, devouring her like a man starved of food for days, no, months.

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m going to....¡± She couldn¡¯t finish the rest of her words as she trembled violently, Flying apart in beautiful abandon. At this time, she wasn¡¯t of this world yet part of it at the same time.

    And while she thought Marcel would let her go after her first orgasm, he didn¡¯t stop and was punishing her with a tongue. Ariannay gasping for breath on the sofa with no clue on what to do, but one thing was for sure, she was d to have waved and scrubbed down there before this moment else she would be more worried than to enjoy this.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Arianna thread her hand through her hair this time and bucked when Marcel flicked her clit with the end of his tongue in a circr motion before licking along she trembled to her second orgasm and yet Marcel wasn¡¯t even close to stopping. How was he even breathing down there?! Oh, God! She had a lot to worry about yet she couldn¡¯t focus on one. She was overwhelmed with pleasure.

    ¡°Marcel....¡± She called his name, feeling all tingling and tender there, and wasn¡¯t even sure she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Arianna was all boneless desire and satisfaction. She was contented and wouldn¡¯t have another but Marcel had a different opinion.

    Even when Marcel was punishing with his tongue, he introduced two fingers into her entrance and Arianna was a goner.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± A soft cry of pleasure ripped from her throat as he urged his fingers to go deeper while increasing the pace of his tongue sliding against her p*ssy.

    Arianna threw her hand back in delight before cradling his head buried between his thighs and instead of pushing him away, she ran her hands through it as she came again, feeling the wetness spurt and bounce on his face.

    Marcel finally raises his head from between her legs, and stared down at her with a shitty grin on his face. His eyes were burning with smoldering lust, his chin wet from eating her out.

    ¡°I told you I would make you beg for me,¡± He suddenly said with this dark look in his eyes that made her ufortable.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was confused. What is he talking about?

    But he didn¡¯t answer her question and went on to say, ¡°This time, scream harder to be heard,¡±

    ¡°W-what,¡± Arianna suddenly had a bad premonition about this.

    Just as she feared, Marcel¡¯s heated mouth was on her arousal once more and she cried out in both pain and pleasure. Marcel would be the death of her! He was going to kill her with pleasure.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die!¡± Arianna screamed out with him going harder against her opening. His assault heightened with his attack on her tender parts as she gasped, shouted, and sobbed.

    He savaged her cunt without mercy while she held onto his hair, pushing him away yet pulling him closer at the same time. She must be a sucker for his wicked ways and the pressure building since the start came crashing down.

    Marcel finally let go of her and Ariannay on the sofa, trying to catch her breath. He slowly rose and kissed her full on the mouth, the taste of her poignant on his tongue and she took it all in, helpless against him.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t tell what happened much because her eyes were heavy with sleep. But she knew at one point that Marcel had carried off the sofa and left for probably his room. Or so she thought because when morning came, she found herself in her room with no sign of Marcel.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Arianna rose, confusion on her face. She had expected to wake up with Marcel by her side or had she imaginedst night? However, the tingling in between her legs, told her she hadn¡¯t imagined anything at all.

    Then what happened? Or does Marcel not want her anymore? The sudden fear gripped her, did Marcel merely use her and she was worth nothing to him anymore?

 Chapter 370

    370 The Word, Quickie

    ¡°Seriously, why are you absent-minded on this important day?!¡± Mimi came bursting into the room after minutes of her unanswered knocks on the door.

    Her friend came over to her bed and peppered her with questions, ¡°After what happened with Marcelst night, I was hoping you would be at your best form this morning, what¡¯s with this depressing air? What happened? Was the sex bad? I mean that is quite hard to believe with Marcel¡¯s reputation? Or wait a minute, was he too big? I know virgins and first times,¡± Mimi gasped, appearing sympathetic to the so- thought reason for her foul mood.

    But what she got in return was a re from Arianna and she frowned, scratching the back of her head. Did she say something wrong? Or wasn¡¯t that the case?

    Arianna sighed, sometimes she wondered why she was friends with this airhead. Of course, Mimi was able to conclude what happenedst night because she tricked her intoing to the gazebo.

    ¡°Please say something, Arianna. I am dying of both curiosity and anxiety!¡± Mimi demanded, cing both hands on her shoulder and shook her desperately.

    However, her voice turned meek in the next seconds, ¡°Pretty please?¡±

    ¡°Well, if it pleases you, then you should know that we didn¡¯t have any sex.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi found that hard to believe.

    ¡°Well, he said I could have sex with him when I¡¯m back from the mission today. However, he was good at oral, how¡¯s that for some gossip?¡± Arianna had no choice but to spill.

    .....

    You could never hide anything from Mimi, the girl had a way of drawing secrets from one¡¯s mouth. Moreover, she¡¯s her best friend and they¡¯ve shared deeper secrets than this.

    ¡°Oh, my gee! ¡± Mimi squealed, cupping her mouth to limit the noise. However, she drew closer to Arianna, eager for more, ¡°On a scale of one to ten, tell me how good it was?¡±

    ¡°How good was it?¡± Arianna mused over the question. However, when the visual images of Marcel¡¯s tormenting her sexst night popped up in her head, a blush covered her cheeks and Mimi saw all that.

    ¡°He¡¯s that good, isn¡¯t he?¡± She grinned knowingly and Arianna blushed deeper. As much as Mimi was her friend, it was still embarrassing nheless.

    ¡°Although, I¡¯m no longer sure Marcel feels the same way,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the excitement vanished from Mimi¡¯s face, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I think Marcel is not that...¡± Arianna paused upon realizing her line of thought sounded ridiculous. She was doubting Marcel¡¯s affection for her even after everything?

    She went on, ¡°I mean... I don¡¯t even know if this mission will go well. For as much as I know, yesterday might be ourst night together. I was hoping that he would want to make the most of it....¡± When Arianna looked up at her friend, she realized Mimi was still a bit lost.

    ¡°The point is, I wasn¡¯t expecting to wake up in my bed, Mimi but his. I imagined waking up in his arms with him afraid to let me go ahead with this mission, isn¡¯t that what people in love do? Be scared for each other¡¯s safety? But here I am, all alone. You¡¯re even my first guest this morning, congrattions. ¡± Arianna threw her hands up in resignation.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯te to that conclusion without seeking him out first. He must have a good reason for not warming your bedst night,¡± Mimi teased her. Apparently, she didn¡¯t see this as a big deal.

    Unfortunately, Arianna was beginning to have second thoughts about all of it. She had acted on her emotionst night and now that she was no longer high on it, the doubt set in. What if those emotions were being wasted on the wrong person? Yes, she liked Marcel, but what if, all of this was a huge mistake.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll talk to him then,¡± She added immediately, ¡°After I¡¯m done with my morning ritual!¡± Arianna took the clothes she would change into and hurriedly rushed into the bathroom. If she was going to talk to Marcel, it wouldn¡¯t be with a stinking breath.

    Arianna hurried up with everything knowing that she was running out of time. They would go downstairs for a debrief of the n, covering up every possible loophole they might have overlooked yesterday. Their n couldn¡¯t fail, hence they were very borate.

    Arianna was just about to leave when out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed numerous hickeys on her neck through the wall mirror.

    ¡°What the...!¡± Arianna nearly screamed in shock. No wonder Mimi proudly said those words earlier. How was she going to function in her mission today with the hickeys on her? What would people think? No, what was Marcel thinking? If only she knew Marcel merely staked his im in her.

    At this rate, she would have to wear a turtleneck! Arianna was infuriated as she stomped back to her room, ready toin to her best friend, ¡°Mimi, do you know what....¡±

    Arianna trailed off when she saw the devil himself aka Marcel standing in the middle of her room, his hands behind his back with Mimi giving her a knowing wink. Just like that, Arianna forgot the reason she was angry in the first ce.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± She breathed.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Marcel responded, staring at her and noticing the fact she just stepped out of the shower.

    His tant stare made her nipples pucker and Arianna willed her body to behave. Why must she behave like a wolf in heat?!

    ¡°I hope you had a pleasant night?¡± Marcel asked, and she sensed something beneath those lines. What was it? Sarcasm? Sincere concern or was he teasing her again? He nearly drove her mad with pleasurest night? Why was he suddenly being modest? It didn¡¯t suit him.

    ¡± I did. ¡± Arianna said curtly and waited. Yeah, waiting for what?

    Marcel then looked at Mimi who had been staring at them with rapt tension. Sometimes Arianna swore Mimi was living her life through her and it was quite creepy, sometimes.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Mimi understood the cue, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two love birds alone!¡± She pped her hands awkwardly.

    Yep, it was awkward.

    And she stood to her feet and rushed towards the door and opened it to leave. But not without making a sexual gesture with the whole of her fist and Arianna hid her face, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her.

    The door closed and the awkwardness heightened.

    It seems Mimi¡¯s presence had made the tension less, but now it was just her and Marcel, the same couldn¡¯t be said.

    ¡°So...¡± Marcel barely took a step forward when the door suddenly opened and Mimi¡¯s head peeked out.

    ¡°Sorry for the interference, you two lovebirds, but a quick reminder. Anything, you¡¯re going to do, be quick please, we need to be at the cleaningpany by eight. Yeah, that¡¯s the word, quickie!¡± She shut the door.

    Kill me, Arianna breathed.

 Chapter 371

    371 Mission Impossible

    ¡°What are you doing here, Marcel?¡± Arianna asked, her chin jutted out defiantly with her arms wrapped across her chest to stop her breast from ¡°misbehaving¡± and thankfully she was wearing a bra; Marcel didn¡¯t notice that.

    She appeared to look nonchnt when in reality her emotions were raging inside of her. Marcel had always looked good but this morning he looked to be exceptionally ¡°tasty¡± plus the fact she was going on this mission where she wasn¡¯t sure of returning safely. Arianna suddenly wished she had more time to spend with him.

    She med herself.

    All this time she could have spent with him, she spent it instead on denying her feelings for him because she was scared of what the future held for the both of them ¨C she was scared of Elijah. What would he do when hees to the knowledge that his girlfriend had gotten cozy with another man ¨C and not just another man, his enemy, Marcel. That would be a huge p on his face. The thought of that scenario made her stomach recoil in both shame and tension.

    But then, Elijah couldn¡¯t entirely me her either. How could he keep her here all this while? He promised to keep her safe yet he didn¡¯te for her quicker. Instead, he tarried and made her stay with a man as handsome as Marcel who turned out not to be who she imagined him to be.

    Marcel was not a good person but Arianna has finallye to agree that he was an angelpared to the others ¨C like Big Joe. When he wasn¡¯t being aplete asshole, he was nice and caring. And unlike Kenith, he didn¡¯t force himself on her. Although, those kisses ... well, she wasn¡¯tpletely innocent either and goaded him into action. But still.... anyway, she loved the kisses ¨C yes, she finally admitted it!

    ¡°That was not the response I was expecting, seems someone didn¡¯t miss me enough,¡± He said while stepping close and reached out to snake an arm around her waist, pressing her flush against his body.

    A sigh escaped Arianna¡¯s mouth and the fight left her body. She had nned to give Marcel a tough time today, but instead, she ended upining, ¡°You left me.¡± Her hand was on her chest and tracing the firm muscles. Her mouth watered, how could someone look this good.

    ¡°I guess my innocent gesture must have been misunderstood,¡± Marcel murmured against her warm skin, pressing his hot lips across the curve of her neck. Aside from her firm ass, that was his favorite part of her body.

    .....

    Arianna moaned, instinctively rolling her hips against him and he suckled on her soft skin, pulling her flesh in between his teeth and then let go with a sharp nip causing her eyes to widen.

    The hickeys.

    She let go, eyes wide, ¡°You -¡±

    As soon as she opened her mouth to speak, Marcel¡¯s lips were on hers, and kissed her thoroughly.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Arianna murmured in satisfaction, throwing her hand around his neck while the other threaded into his hair, pulling him closer than he could possibly get.

    Her breast was pressed t against his chest and she could feel every bit of him including his arousal forming a tent against his pants and poking at her. They were so glued to each other that they might as well have been naked because their clothing produced little protection.

    So while Marcel deepened the kiss, Arianna returned the gesture with the same intensity, or maybe a little more. Her hand slipped down to cup over the arousal through his pants and Marcel released a throaty groan.

    The mere sound aroused Arianna and her body zing with power. She felt Marcel tremble around her as she continued to touch him down there while his tongue stroked her dominantly. It was refreshing to know that she wasn¡¯t the only one affected by his touch, the feeling was reciprocal.

    They pulled away to get some air and Marcel told her with hurried breath, ¡°It was a good thing you didn¡¯t sleep in my room else I would have kept you upied till you missed today¡¯s mission,¡± He confessed.

    Oh, so that was the reason. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his hands to himself. How cute.

    Marcel growled against the corner of her lips, ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I fought against the urge to kick down this doorst night and devour the unsuspecting you as you slept. I would stick my hungry cock into your tight cunt and bring you into worlds you never knew existed,¡± to punctuate his words, he rotated his hips against her and her legs almost gave out with the amount of pleasure rushing through her.

    Her core dripped with wetness and Arianna couldn¡¯t tell the one that turned her on the more, his dirty ones or his actions, or both. But then, she was breathing hard like someone who had run a marathon.

    ¡°Maybe...¡± Arianna started, her voice breathy and she couldn¡¯t even recognize that she was the one speaking, ¡°We could have that quickie Mimi suggested,¡± To think she was the one agreeing to that, Mimi has corrupted her soul.

    But Marcelughed humorously, a deep rumble in his chest which Arianna kind of liked. It was rich.

    ¡°Sorry, love, but what I intend to do to you in the future can¡¯t and would never be a quickie. I would fuck you so hard that you wouldn¡¯t be able to use those legs for a week. That¡¯s a promise.¡± Marcel said and Arianna trembled down to her spine.

    After what happenedst night, she didn¡¯t doubt his words anymore. If there was one thing she hase to know of Marcel, it was the fact that he delivered well on his promises.

    ¡°So what now?¡± Arianna asked, eyeing his lips. She would be leaving soon for their ¡°mission impossible¡± hence she didn¡¯t need a goodbye kiss but one that would resonate deep in her soul. So when she wants to give up if she stumbled upon a difficulty in this mission, she could draw strength from it.

    But Marcel grinned darkly, ¡°What do you think if not to continue fromst night?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    And the next minute, Arianna¡¯s pants were on the floor with her on the bed while Marcel¡¯s head was in between her legs, satisfying his love for p*ssy.

    May God help her today.

 Chapter 372

    372 Found Out

    ¡°I found something,¡± was Jason¡¯s first announcement after breaking into his apartment as usual. This has be his tradition; sneaking into his ce.

    However, Elijah merely sipped his warm coffee in peace while waiting for the good news. Although his arm was no longer in a bandage, it didn¡¯t mean that it waspletely healed, but he didn¡¯t like the idea of it.

    Seeing himself in a bandage made him appear weak and Elijah hated the thought of being weak. They were brought up to be fine, strong young men nor could he afford to be weak in this particr phase of his life. Right now, he was ying a very dangerous that could im his life ¨C before help could evene. This was the time to be strong, not weak.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked calmly yet was filled with anticipation, hoping that it was news about Arianna.

    Elijah couldn¡¯t exin it, but strangely, he missed her strongly. It was almost as if he was grieving her and he was beginning to regret prolonging this game in the first ce. But then, he was in so deep that he couldn¡¯t stop even if he wanted to.

    ¡°Arianna would being outside today,¡±

    At the mention of that, Elijah sprang up immediately. Arianna wasing out in the open? What was going on? Was this some trap by Marcel to lure him out, by using Arianna? It wouldn¡¯t surprise him if it was.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on, or is this another trap?¡± Elijah needed to be sure.

    But Jason, his brother¡¯s assistant shook his head, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s quite strange.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Strange how?¡±

    ¡°As you wanted, a week ago, Marcel made an impromptu trip, I couldn¡¯t find much about that since everything was kept under wrap. However, I kept my ears close to the ground and I stumbled upon something, Your woman would be making a trip to Daniel¡¯s ce. ¡±

    ¡°Daniel?¡± he tried to remember where he had that name.

    ¡°Marcel¡¯s father,¡±

    At the mention of that name, Elijah¡¯s blood ran cold. Even if he doesn¡¯t remember Daniel as a cruel underlord when he was still in power from his previous research, he knew him as the man who ruined aunt Natalie.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to know about aunt Natalie¡¯s history when Eric was hovering around her like an annoying mosquito. Well, he didn¡¯t know the details much except that Daniel can never find his aunt Natalie ¨C the man ruined her life or so he heard. Seems he and Marcel were bound to be enemies then.

    However, why was Marcel bringing Arianna to his father¡¯s ce? Was this some sort of punishment for what he did? With each pain he inflicted on his people, Marcel would return them on Arianna, is that it? That kind of torture was not lost to him and that was the reason Elijah never wanted to get involved with any woman. He had a soft spot for them and would never intentionally bring harm to them ¨C especially the one he loves.

    ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Jason growled when he took a step forward.

    Elijah shot him a hard look, his body tensed, ¡°I need to rescue her.¡±

    ¡°Are you stupid?!¡± Jason scolded him sternly, ¡°You would be killed on sight, not to mention that you haven¡¯t even healed from your injury.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good at handling myself,¡± Elijah sneered and tried to take another step forward when Jason reached out and grabbed that injured arm, his face slightly distorting from the pain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me tie you up just to make sure you don¡¯tnd your stupid ass in danger. It¡¯s only a fool that would take on both Marcel¡¯s and Daniel¡¯s men!¡± He tried to talk sense into him, but the boy was a stubborn ass.

    ¡°I¡¯m smart. I¡¯ll figure something out!¡±

    ¡°Elijah!¡± Jason growled a warning, his patience already at the edge of his wit, ¡°It¡¯s enough that I¡¯m in cahoot with you in this crazy crusade of yours, you can only imagine what your brother would do to me if anything happens to you!¡±

    Elijah groaned, running his hand through his hair and yanked tight. This was frustrating, he shouldn¡¯t have let this drag on for this long, what had he been thinking?

    ¡± You shouldn¡¯t think the worst, ¡°Jason tried tofort him,¡± Daniel wouldn¡¯t be around nor Marcel from what I know. Which is why I told you everything is strange, the reason Arianna would be breaking into Daniel¡¯s ce,¡±

    Elijah was able to rx a bit, but it didn¡¯t mean he was calm. Whether Daniel was there or not, it didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t concerned for Arianna¡¯s safety.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a deal,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jason nced up at him.

    ¡°She probably struck some sort of deal with Marcel. I know Arianna, she would never keep quiet for this long,¡±

    And that had been the reason he fell for her in the first ce. Her strong will and ferocity was unlike something he had ever seen. Arianna had probably grown tired of waiting for him toe to save her like some princess in damsel and must be making her own way.

    He respected her the more ¨C and of course, was more guilty. He promised to protect her and instead get sidetracked because of his damn pride. He was regretting all of it now.

    ¡°I still need to get to her.¡±

    ¡°Elijah!¡±

    ¡°She might need my help in there and who knows, there might be some opening and I might be able to rescue her and then we can leave this fucking ce and act!¡± He argued.

    But Jason shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s too risky and I know you -¡± The man was still saying when the door rang and both men turned, their gaze connecting instantly.

    ¡°You never told me you were expecting a guest,¡± Jason spoke, already searching for an escape route.

    ¡°Hopefully, that unexpected guest didn¡¯t track you down here,¡± Elijah said, looking around to search for anything that would incriminate him as Elijah. There was nothing.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go down,¡± Jason informed him, peering through the window, ¡°Suspicious movement down there, Luciano¡¯s people. I¡¯ve seen them around quite a lot.¡±

    Elijah breathed, his brows furrowed, ¡°You think they found out?¡±

    Jason cocked his gun, ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± he tilted his head in the direction of the door.

 Chapter 373

    373 Being Domestic

    Elijah¡¯s movements were taut and precise as he headed to the door. Looking through the peephole, he discovered that nobody was there, however, he hadn¡¯t mistaken the bell that rang moments ago. So his finger curled around the trigger, not really pulling, but there, just in case.

    And then, in one swift motion, he unlocked the door, kicking it far open and waiting for his opponent to strike first, but all he saw was someone standing up immediately and his gun was already aimed at his, no, her... head?

    ¡°Adele?¡± His eyes expressed shock and then, he lowered his weapon, exhaling loudly through his nose. He had been seconds away from sting her head off.

    ¡°Geez, that was scary,¡± Adele pointed out his unexpected ¡°wee¡±. She stared at him suspiciously, wondering why he was all tensed up and Elijah upon sensing that, offered an exnation immediately.

    ¡°You never told me you wereing, so when I looked and didn¡¯t see anybody, I thought that it was, you know...¡± He hinted at theirmon enemy, Elijah aka him. This game was no longer funny, it was beginning to get real and he has no idea how it would end anymore.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Adele understood. It didn¡¯t cross her mind that he was struggling because of that incident. He must be traumatized and it was all because of her.

    However, she pushed the guilty thoughts to the back of her mind instantly. Aziz worked for them now and must know that incidents like this one would be a normal urrence.

    Moreover, she had high expectations of him and he shouldn¡¯t ruin that by showing weakness. Adele went back to being the strong woman she was; there was no ce for unnecessary emotion.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for frightening you unintentionally. You must have not seen me through the peephole earlier because I bent to retrieve one of my stuff that fell,¡± She offered him an exnation and that was when Elijah looked down to discover both shopping bags on her sides.

    .....

    He lifted his head, looking at her questioningly,¡± What is this? ¡±

    ¡°I presumed that you haven¡¯t been able to do much with your injured arm but I see that you¡¯re much better than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heal quite quickly,¡± Elijah said, hoping that she took that as a cue to leave. Although it was disrespectful, right now, he had Jason probably hiding somewhere in the house, not to mention that he needed to rescue Arianna. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste more time than he didn¡¯t have. He needed to think, n and of course, suit up for action. And all of them needed time.

    ¡°I see,¡± Adele nodded, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t return the favor,¡± She said, already stepping into the house before he could stop her.

    Elijah groaned inwardly, this was going to be much more difficult than he thought. Hence, he only looked left and right and when he came up with nothing, he shut his door and went after her. After all, who knows where Jason was hiding.

    ¡°Nice house you have here,¡± Adele said, cing the bag on that table before taking off the gloves she had been wearing. She said, ¡°As payment for saving my life, I decided to do something I have never done before,¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡± Elijah asked, having a bad feeling about this. He stood in the room awkwardly while trying to sense where Jason was. He said there were Luciano people outside, so he couldn¡¯t risk leaving through the window.

    ¡°I decided to be domestic,¡± Adele winked at him.

    And that, my dear, is a nightmare, Elijah knew he was going to regret this and it happened as he feared.

    ¡°However,¡± Adele went on, ¡°It seems you are quite a clean freak,¡± She said, observing the surroundings before her gaze flickered to him.

    Adele looked at Elijah as if seeing him in a new light and that unsettled the mercenary who thought otherwise. Has he given her another reason to suspect that he was Elijah?

    ¡°I like tidy men,¡± Adele said without putting much meaning into it and Elijah was able to release a sigh of relief. He was safe. But then, Adele was being strange. Yes, he could feel it. Was she feeling that indebted to him?

    ¡°However, I doubt that your fridge would be stocked. I know men, you are all sozy,¡± Adele said, pulling up both bags and going in search of the fridge.

    ¡°Seriously, you don¡¯t need to...¡± Every one of Elijah¡¯s protests fell on deaf ears as she searched fervently and finally located it in the kitchen with him trailing behind her.

    ¡°Found it!¡± Adele giggled as if she had stumbled on gold. She put the bags down and opened the fridge only to have the smile slip off her face. Because she was staring at a well-stocked fridge to the point that there wasn¡¯t even space for the things she had bought.

    Disappointment washed over Adele immediately. She had lived around men all of her life and knew their careless manner when it came to anything concerning the kitchen, especially the ones from their gang.

    This was the first time she was experiencing one like Aziz and it made her cheeks heat up with shame.

    She had gone out of herfort zone to do something he would really appreciate but it seems she was wrong. No, all of her efforts were in vain.

    Elijah saw the disappointment on her face and was unsure of what to do. It was obvious that she had put much thought intoing here today. He had to help her.

    But then, what about Arianna? He was conflicted. However, Jason said this was a suicide mission, and he might have to listen to him this time. Moreover, he had to gain Adele¡¯s trust, and these little things matter.

    So he waved his hand in her face and she looked up at him with her sullen expression. Elijah smiled at her, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten though,¡± He gave her a chance to be domestic.

    Adele gave him a small smile in return, ¡°Breakfast then,¡±

 Chapter 374

    374 It Would Never Happen Again

    ¡°Do you even know how to cook?¡± The question slipped out of his mouth and Elijah regretted them at thest minute.

    Adele red at him so intensely that if eyes were bullets, no, he was simply thankful she didn¡¯t pull out her gun ¨C he knew she had it on her somewhere. No Luciano goes out without defense.

    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Adele red at him, yet was going through the recipe on her phone, brows drawn together in concentration. She had never cooked in her entire life, but a pancake shouldn¡¯t be too hard to cook, right?

    ¡°You¡¯re not doing it right,¡± Elijah sighed when he couldn¡¯t just look on anymore.

    ¡°Heat over low-medium heat,¡± He walked up to her from behind, and then through the space on her sides, he adjusted the gas heat.

    At that action, Adele nced up at him while he continued saying, ¡± Any further than that and your pancake would burn before it¡¯s done, ¡± Elijah taught her without noticing how absorbed she was in staring at him.

    He then looked down and was quite startled at how close they were. She unconsciously licked her lower lips and his gaze flickered down to that action. Elijah realized that all he needed to do was to tilt his head and he could freely im her lips.

    And Elijah was not going to lie, his heart did skip a beat and Adele was quite an attractive woman. However, his heart belonged to Arianna and no one else. Hence, he was already prepared to move away when something dropped loudly.

    Oh no.

    .....

    He looked at Adele, and the look in her eyes told him that she heard that as well. Elijah gulped, still standing at that point when Adele turned and tried to look over his shoulder, a furrow on her face, ¡°I doubt that you have someone in here with us, but just asking, you heard that, right?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Elijah answered too quickly, arousing more suspicion. Damn, he had to think fast. Jason can¡¯t be caught here else his identity as Elijah was as good as revealed.

    ¡°What? No?¡± Adele doubted that, ¡°But I heard -¡± She tried to move away from him but Elijah instead sped her cheek with his hand.

    Adele was startled, taking one step back. She was not used to having people touch her face, especially men, and the touch must have fumbled with her brain because it made her sluggish to react.

    ¡°W-what...?¡± She blinked in confusion. What was going on here?

    And then without warning, Aziz¡¯s lips were on her. The force knocked the breath out of her lungs and she still had her eyes open even when his lips moved against hers. Did she forget to mention that this was her first kiss?

    Adele had been so busy making a name in the family business that she had no time for dating or petty emotion ¨C as she called them. They made one weak. Moreover, having beenbeled an illegitimate daughter all through her life, all it did was douse any desire she felt for the opposite sex or so she thought because there was fluttering in her stomach as Aziz kissed her.

    Blood rushed to her head and Adele didn¡¯t even know how or when it happened, but the instant he pulled away for air, she pushed Aziz up against the cupboard and kissed him aggressively.

    Like a bird set free, it seems whatever chains that were holding Adele back from acting upon her desires were finally broken and she took it all out on Aziz who unlocked the feelings in the first ce.

    She kissed him harder, her hand fisting in his shirt and pulling him closer than he already was. Adele just had the first taste of pleasure and wanted more of it.

    The kiss was merely a distraction or so Elijah intended it to be. But that wasn¡¯t the case anyway, obviously. Honestly, Elijah didn¡¯t mean to take things this far, he had nned tough the kiss off as some mistake, and then she would concentrate on her pancake, forgetting all about the noise from earlier.

    And speaking about pancakes.

    Elijah tried to speak against her lips, informing her that she had a mere pan on the heat and had gotten too distracted, but Adele was a lost cause. She had gotten too swept up in the feeling and forgotten that she had only an oily pan on fire.

    Almost immediately, the pan went up in mes and both of them broke apart. While Adele squealed and went in search of the fire extinguisher that was strapped on the far end of the wall, Elijah simply rushed over and turned off the heat source. As soon as he was done, Adele sprayed the fire with a dry chemical fire extinguisher causing a nasty smoke to saturate the kitchen.

    While Adele was still coughing and trying to wave the smoke away, Elijah, out of the corner of his eyes, saw Jason trying to sneak out and he gave him the signal while Adele was still distracted ¨C and the smoke provided a good cover.

    He must have been trying to escape earlier when he pushed something down. However, he was finally able to escape.

    This is a disaster, Adele thought as she stared at the mess in the kitchen. This is why emotions are dangerous, they make one get carried away until they make a deadly mistake that costs them ¨C or the enemy sneaks in.

    She can¡¯t afford to make mistakes now especially when she hadn¡¯t caught Elijah. The man could be anywhere and she had gotten Aziz in danger the first time because of her carelessness. She can¡¯t get him in harm¡¯s way again, which means they can¡¯t get involved in the way he wanted them to.

    Hence, when the smoke eventually cleared, she turned to Aziz, ¡°About that kiss -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it was a mere mistake. I can assure you that it won¡¯t happen again,¡± He told her with every conviction in him.

    Adele blinked, taken aback by his seriousness. Nothing coulde out of it, but for him to call the kiss a mere mistake sounded quite harsh ¨C he was even the one who first kissed her. Or was the kiss not worth his taste? She wasn¡¯t exactly an expert at it seeing that it was her first time. Nheless, she pushed the emotion to the back of her mind.

    It would never happen again.

 Chapter 375

    375 Prayer For A Sinner

    Eyes.

    Ever since Arianna left her room, she felt Mimi giving her a knowing look and was highly tempted to pluck it out. It was making her ufortable. But then, she wasn¡¯t the only one, even Marcel¡¯s soldiers somehow seem to have known what transpired between her and Marcelst night and weren¡¯t even looking her in the eyes.

    Oh God, please tell her that she hadn¡¯t exactly performed a porn show for the entire basest night. Now she thought about it, they did it in the gazebo where there were high chases anyone could have stumbled upon them in the act. If they had, they hadn¡¯t bothered to interrupt themst night ¨C but saw it all, apparently. Arianna wished the ground would open and swallow her up. This was embarrassing.

    The only person Arianna found strange was Winters. She seemed fine? With the way everyone was looking at her this morning, she assumed that the girl must have heard the news and would give her the stink eyes out of jealousy. But that apparently wasn¡¯t the case.

    Even when Marcel had his hand around her waist and drew her to his side while going over the n, she had hoped to see traces of mad rage or jealousy, but there was none ¨C and she was a bit confused.

    Either Winters was a hundred percent good at hiding her emotion or there was no emotion to hide in the first ce ¨C Winters had been goading her along and she was the fool to fall for it. It had been a ruse all this time.

    Arianna had to give it up for Winters because she helped her realize her feelings for Marcel. Or maybe that had been the n all along and Marcel might not be totally innocent ¨C he must have a hand in it.

    ¡°We should pray,¡± Victor suggested as soon as we were over with the briefing and everyone looked at him as if he had finally gone mad ¨C including Mimi.

    ¡°What do you mean to pray? We are about to break into someone¡¯s house, you think God answers that kind of prayer?¡± Winters was the one who asked him. Apparently, she thought it stupid as well.

    .....

    ¡°You would be surprised to know God answers all kinds of prayers made with a pure heart and earnest expectation whether you¡¯re a sinner or not. ¡± He retorted, leaving Winters dumbfounded.

    ¡°That same Bible said the prayer of a sinner is like a filthy garment unto him,¡± Arianna countered with a verse and had everyone staring at her like she was an alien creature.

    ¡°What? I¡¯m a Christian,¡± Arianna shrugged and Marcel took a huge gulp out of his coffee.

    Yep, she was, all thanks to her uncle. Back then, when he had a big projecting up, he would go to the church and makerge donations hoping for the priest¡¯s prayers and God¡¯s blessing as well. The man didn¡¯t have any business skills and had to rely on the experts around him to be efficient enough to lead thepany.

    Her father on the verge of death had only made his brother her legal guardian till when she grew up hoping he would take good care of her. In one word, the man was supposed to submit and vacate the seat when she was twenty and old enough to lead.

    But then, her uncle had no intention of doing so in the first ce and showed it in his actions like not letting her read anything about business administration or even taking up a course rted to it in the university, not to talk of going to a business school. The entire family leeched off her. They took what was supposed to be hers.

    Arianna has no intention of taking back the business since it was copsing anyway. Her uncle finally led it to its death. She was patiently waiting for her trust fund which she knew every one of them had their eyes on.

    Perhaps, her father knew this might somehow happen because rumors have it that the trust fund money was worth more than thepany in total. Her father had put all of his resources into it and though Arianna was scared of iming it in the past when the time came, she wasn¡¯t anymore. With Marcel by her side, who would stand in her way.

    In one word, her uncle might have forced her along to church to beg for miracles, but she found sce there. God finally answered her prayer by giving her someone who could stand by her.

    ¡°Hmmm, a Christian being with a sinner,¡± Victor alluded to her and Marcel and she red at him intensely.

    But then, the young man didn¡¯t give up on the argument.

    ¡°Well, since you know your Bible well, then you should remember that God has mercy on whom he decides worthy of it,¡± And with that verse, he won over her.

    Arianna turned to Marcel, ¡°Tell him this is stupid,¡± But Marcel merely shrugged. He was letting his cousin have his way with this one.

    Arianna red at him, day one of them being together and he had already chosen his cousin over her. She could already see it, this rtionship of theirs was doomed to fail.

    With his gleaming white teeth, Victor celebrated his victory and went on ahead with the prayer. He prayed mostly for their safety and the sess of their mission.

    ¡°Amen!¡± They concluded and everyone spread out like bees. There was literally nothing for Arianna to take along except the USB and the lighter ¨C Marcel gave her a much smaller one ¨C since they would be searched thoroughly before they¡¯re let in anyway.

    However, they had to look like regr humans which is why Marcel had a purse prepared for them they would submit upon reaching his father¡¯s ce. As expected of women, most of the contents of the purse were make-up stuff and a phone.

    They wouldn¡¯t go through their phone else that¡¯s an invasion of privacy, but if that were to happen, the device was rtively safe and wouldn¡¯t incriminate them.

 Chapter 376

    376 No Escape ns

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Marcel called her as they were ready to leave. She hadn¡¯t looked at him after that prayer and he must have sensed her irritability because he cupped her face with his broad hands saying, ¡°The prayer was for you, Arianna. I would pray to any God right now if only that would keep you safe.¡±

    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet of you,¡± She swooned yet her face became impassive in the next seconds, ¡°Don¡¯t care. Humph!¡± she threw her face the other way.

    He took his cousin¡¯s side on the first day of their rtionship! Arianna knew that was petty and childish of her to take that as a crime against him when it was for the greater good but she liked to see him rattled a bit.

    And while she was still annoyed with him, Marcel tilted her head and kissed her on the lips, every form of anger leaving her body at once.

    No, this was foul y!

    He deserved a red card for this! But then, who cares when he was melting her insides with the toe-curling kiss.

    By the time they pulled apart, Arianna was gasping for air. Damn, this man was a good kisser ¨C and she has been missing out on a lot. However, as good as this feeling was, Arianna knew she and Marcel had to discuss this thing growing between the both of them soon?

    She couldn¡¯t be a prisoner and still love him at the same time. But then, Arianna knew he couldn¡¯t release her because of Elijah nor did he trust her entirely, so she would have to get him to win him over little by little. Perhaps, by then, he would be able to give her a little freedom.

    Arianna rested her head on his forehead with her eyes shut close and then whispered, ¡°Please, be safe.¡± As much as she would be the one going on the much more dangerous mission, this was his father they were talking about and the man could pull up an unexpected stunt that might get him killed or injured. She couldn¡¯t lose Marcel, especially not now that they barely started dating.

    .....

    But Marcel chuckled deeply as if her worry was unnecessary, ¡°I don¡¯t die easily. I should be the one worrying about you.¡±

    ¡°Then you forget that I don¡¯t die easily either,¡± Arianna reminded him of the events leading to this very moment.

    ¡°In that case, that makes us the perfect couple, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Marcel kissed her temple, then her cheek, and then back on her lips.

    ¡°Oh God,¡± Arianna heard a voice that sounded a lot like Winters and she made a gagging action, ¡°Go get a room, you two!¡± She hollered.

    Arianna smiled, so this was what it felt like to be the third party? She suffered a lot of that in Mimi¡¯s hands whenever Victor was around.

    The both of them pulled away once more to leave when Marcel suddenly tugged on her arm to her surprise, bringing her closer only to whisper, ¡°In case things go downhill, forget about the mission or whatsoever and run, do you promise me that?¡±

    Arianna looked at him, stunned. He was willing to give up searching for his sister if that would put her in danger. It made her heart flutter. Unfortunately, she was Arianna and would never let him make such a sacrifice.

    So she lied, ¡°Yeah, I promise,¡±

    Marcel smiled in relief and finally let her go. At least he could go in peace knowing that she could feud for herself if things go south.

    ¡°Arianna, it¡¯s time!¡± Mimi announced and looking at her side, Arianna discovered that she had already said her goodbye to Victor. Luca would be the one driving them to the cleaningpany while Marcel prepared for the date with ra¡¯s family.

    ¡°See youter,¡± She said those words with conviction. No matter what happened today, she was returning to this man. Marcel was not marrying ra, Arianna was determined to fight for her man. Her man? She liked the sound of that.

    ¡°See youter,¡± Marcel said to her as well, giving her onest hug before letting her go.

    Arianna went to Mimi who pulled her along saying, ¡°You both are so adorable yet annoying at the same time. Now move, we¡¯re runningte already.¡±

    Together, they left the outside and went outside where they climbed into the car with Luca already seated on the driver¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t until their car was driving out of the base and the huge entrance gate was being opened electronically that Arianna realized that this was really happening and she was nervous.

    ¡°You¡¯re nervous,¡± Mimi pointed out when she saw her fiddling with her hands.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± She retorted.

    ¡°I am. But what¡¯s the point? If we seed, we win. If we lose, we die and our pathetic life is over. What¡¯s there to mull over? What haven¡¯t I done...¡± She then turned to Arianna and said knowingly, ¡°Well, except for virgins like you.¡±

    Arianna rolled her eyes towards heaven, leave it to her best friend to make a joke out of everything. She thought over it.

    ¡°Do you know that death is actually a relief, a rest from the shackles of the things of the world, however, it hurts so much to the people we love,¡± She looked her straight in the eyes, ¡°To people, we leave behind,¡±

    ¡°You really love him, don¡¯t you? I mean Marcel?¡± Mimi inquired.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know If I should call it love, however, I know I like him and I don¡¯t want to leave him behind. I don¡¯t want to hurt him, Mimi. He¡¯s had enough of that, already.¡±

    ¡°So no escape ns then?¡± Mimi said.

    Arianna witnessed the way Lucas¡¯ ears perked up and their eyes connected through the rear view mirror. Whether she would escape or not, that¡¯s not a conversation to be discussed under his listening ears because Luca was one hundred percent loyal to Marcel.

    She didn¡¯t answer and Mimi must have understood the signal as well because she didn¡¯t say a word anymore as they both drove to their destination. It was time to concentrate on their mission and try not to die!

 Chapter 377

    377 Annul The Engagement

    With Arianna gone, Marcel got dressed for the meal with Alberta¡¯s family. ording to ns, his father, Daniel, must have left before Arianna and the cleaning crew was to arrive. The thought of Arianna being near his father unsettled him, he couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    Marcel dressed casually, there was no way he was wearing a fucking suit to a family gathering ¨C ra¡¯s family dinner.

    ¡°I still think I shoulde along with you,¡± Victor said, ¡°I don¡¯t trust your father.¡± He hinted that the man would try something funny.

    ¡°You worry about nothing, Victor. If my father is going to make a move, it wouldn¡¯t be in the presence of the Alberta¡¯s ¨C that is for sure. He respects them that much and he wouldn¡¯t want to destroy the image of a prim father-inw he built for ra. In one word, I¡¯m safe, and your main interest should be on Arianna -¡± He added grudgingly,¡± And Mimi, of course. ¡± The girl was risking her life simply because Arianna was her friend, so her safety has be his responsibility as well.

    He went on,¡± I want your eyes on that mansion, if anything happens, I don¡¯t care how but you should get them out.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing to worry about,¡± Victor swore and left to do his job. He was not going to let anything happen to them.

    In no time, Marcel was done dressing up and left for Alberta¡¯s family home. They would be dining there and of course, the whole conversation would be centered around their marriage and the joining of both families.

    Marcel would not object to any arrangement knowing that would only provoke his father into making things more difficult for him. He only hoped he was able to find his sister before then and stopped this miserable marriage from happening.

    The chauffeur drove off to Alberta¡¯s ancestral home and though it looked like he was all alone, there were his men trailing behind him and making sure the road was safe and his enemies weren¡¯t nning an attack. Moreover, the car was bulletproof and Marcel had confidence in his ability to protect himself.

    .....

    In no time, Marcel arrived and hardly stepped out of the car before he heard someone shout his name, ¡°Marcel!¡±

    He looked up and saw ra running in his direction and upon getting close enough, she threw herself on him and Marcel instinctively caught her.

    To the outsiders, it looked like they were young lovers who were reuniting after a long time of staying apart, but to Marcel, he had no choice but to catch her else she brought the both of them to the ground ¨C and getting tangled with ra on the ground was thest thing he wanted. The scene would create misunderstanding.

    Hence as soon as Marcel was steady, he tried to pull away ra who snuggled close to the curve of his neck. And the move bothered him because that was the same spot Arianna hugged not long ago. He couldn¡¯t let her daint that spot with her cheap moves and perfume.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Marcel asked her when she wouldn¡¯t let go of him. Each time he tried to pull her away, she would only wrap her arms tighter, almost suffocating him. If the girl wasn¡¯t dumb, he would have thought that she was here to assassinate him.

    ¡°My mother is watching us and she has the intention of breaking our engagement today and she is solely against our marriage. However, if she sees even a hint of doting affection in your eyes, she might change her mind,¡± ra said close to his ear while she kept up the act of hugging him.

    Marcel was stunned, her mother wanted to break off the engagement today? Holy mother of Jesus, this was good news! God finally answered his prayer! He wasn¡¯t even trying hard and the obstacle was being cleared in his path. He was going to have Victor pray more from now on.

    But then ra must have sensed his excitement because he added immediately, ¡°However, I¡¯m not of the same opinion. Hence, if you act contrary to the image of a loving couple we hope to convey to my mother today, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to inform your father of your hidden woman and the fact that she is a threat to our predestined marriage,¡± She threatened him.

    Marcel stiffened at once, his face washed ashen from the ckmail. ra was growing bolder by the day and it was all due to his indulgence. But then, she has crossed the line by threatening him with Arianna¡¯s life. His father threatening him with his sister¡¯s life was one thing, but a nobody threatening to hurt the woman he loved is another thing.

    At once, Marcel forcibly pulled ra¡¯s face away and tilted her head such that it looked like they were about to kiss when in reality he was strangling her neck from behind.

    ¡°You should rejoice ....¡± Marcel said through gritted teeth, ¡°if we never get married, else I would make your life a living hell,¡± He promised her and then pulled her away.

    But in the same minute, his hand was back to soothe her hair and Marcel presented his arm to her saying with a smile that didn¡¯t touch his eye, ¡°Shall we?¡± Since she wanted them to act, he would give her the best action.

    ra wanted to push him away, how dare he act like nothing happened after he hurt her?! But when she saw her mother staring at them with an unreadable expression, so she immediately hooked her arms around his and they walked in.

    Marcel was not on close terms with Diana¡¯s mother and never expected to be treated like a son-inw, butpared to before, her attitude towards him changedpletely and she was cold and distant towards him.

    Unfortunately, Marcel was notining. If anything, he liked it that way. If this continued, their engagement would be annulled quickly and he would be a free man again. Neither would his father me him for breaking the engagement. After all, Diana herself was the one who wanted it.

 Chapter 378

    378 Down With An Illness

    After the mother and son-inw exchanged pleasantries with a cold tone, they sat down in awkward silence. ra tried her best to make the environment lively but there was only so much that she could do when it was quite obvious that none of them appreciated the effort. So she shut up her mouth in no time and let everything be.

    It was like sitting in a cold, quiet cemetery and while Marcel seemed to always have a message on his phone he had to reply while her mother was busy with the staff who had one or two questions about the arrangement, ra was left all alone.

    The girl ced her hands on herp nervously and then intertwined them together to stay strong. This was not the dinner she envisioned nor the way she wanted it to be. It seems that everything she envisioned never seems to happen whenever Marcel was around.

    They were supposed to portray the image of a loving couple but he was busy with his phone, what mother would believe that they were together. Although they were seated close to each other, there was nothing but distance as high as Mountain Everest between them.

    Hence she drew closer to him such that their thighs were rubbing and leaned over his shoulder saying, ¡°What are you busy with?¡± and tried to peek at his phone.

    But Marcel was quick to close the app and red at her immediately, why was she invading his privacy? They were not close enough for that.

    However, ra pinching his arm reminded him of their deal, no, her ckmail, and Marcel tried to smile, but that turned into a grimace instead. Yet he managed to say to her, ¡°Business,¡±

    ra pouted her lips like a young bride aggrieved with her husband¡¯s neglect of her, ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s always business with you. But don¡¯t worry, once we¡¯re married, I¡¯ll make sure you get the rest you deserve and I know many ways to give you the rest your body needs,¡± She said insinuatingly to her mother¡¯s hearing.

    Marcel felt like throwing up, no, he felt bugs crawling all over his body and he was tempted to toss ra as far away from him as possible. But the woman was here and she was watching them, no, him to be precise, gauging and studying his reaction.

    .....

    What has he gotten himself into with these two women? At least, if ra had half the brain like her mother, she would know better and stay away from him.

    Before ra could continue with her puke-inducing act, Daina was the one that spoke this time, ¡°Where is your father, Marcel? Or did he take this dinner as a joke as well?¡± she asked with all seriousness.

    And It was at that moment that Marcel realized that his father was runningte and it wasn¡¯t like him. The man took his time seriously, not to mention that Arianna and the rest of them must have arrived at his home already.

    Damn.

    What was going on, Marcel became ufortable with what was going on.

    ¡°I would call him,¡± ra offered to do the favor and was on her feet already before her mother could stop her.

    It was Marcel¡¯s duty to call his father, not ra else that would make her seem desperate ¨C for this marriage to work. And Diana made him know that by ring at him further.

    Sadly for her, even Marcel didn¡¯t have his father¡¯s number stored in his phone ¨C because he had the evil man¡¯s number in his head instead and wished to erase it forever.

    With ra gone to call the father-inw of the year ¨C note the sarcasm ¨C it was just Marcel and his mother-inw, and she didn¡¯t talk to him which made Marcel begin to wonder what he did wrong.

    Sure, he didn¡¯t show much interest in her daughter and she knew from the start that this was an arranged marriage, so why look at him that way like hemitted a terrible sin against her.

    But before she could bore a hole in his head, ra thankfully returned to save the day. However, the look on her face made Marcel highly ufortable. ra should be over the moon after speaking with his father, but that wasn¡¯t the case, she was nervous.

    That couldn¡¯t be bad news, right?

    ¡°It seems that we might have to reschedule the dinner for another day. Daniel is not feeling well and is having a bed rest.¡±

    At once, Marcel shot up to his feet and both women looked at him in concern, thinking that he was worried about his father. If only they knew that it was someone else that he was worried about.

    Arianna.

    And she must have arrived there already.

    Oh, God.

    Marcel¡¯s blood ran cold.

    He had to get to his father¡¯s ce at once.

    ¡°Marcel! Are you alright?¡± ra asked in concern when she saw him scrambling for his things on the seat.

    He must be worried for his father which was a surprising development ¨C he hated his father. But then, it seems that even in the face of death, hate cannot stand. Marcel must have realized what his father meant to him all this while.

    Marcel¡¯s brows were furrowed, lips set on a thin line as he took his phone and key, ¡°I need to get....¡± And then he looked up, his eyes slightly widening as an idea hit him and his bodynguage changed instantly.

    He asked ra immediately, ¡°Certainly, you wouldn¡¯t minding with me to visit my father who is suddenly down with an illness?¡±

    Marcel knew thating to his father¡¯s ce all of a sudden would be deemed suspicious. However, if he had ra by his side, the man wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing. Instead, he would think she dragged him along and was trying to make a good man out of him ¨C and that it was working.

    At the same time, asking her toe with him would please ra who thinks he¡¯s going along with the act, and her mother, who finally thinks he¡¯s warming up to her daughter. So yeah, it¡¯s a massive win for him.

    ¡°Sure!¡± ra answered, stunned by his sudden offer, ¡°I would go with you... and see my sick father-inw,¡± She said in such a way her mother wouldn¡¯t have any protest. And Diana didn¡¯t.

    Marcel sighed in relief, it was time to go.

 Chapter 379

    379 The House Of Doom

    Arianna and Mimi arrived at thepany and thanks to the guidance from Luca, they were able to locate their team. In total, they were a team of six ¨C two men and four women.

    ¡°You must be Jade and La,¡± One of the men in the team stepped forward to wee them, his gaze fixed intently on Arianna and staring over her body in a way that made her a bit ufortable. It was one thing to admire her body, but it was another to give her that lecherous gaze Kenith usually has for her ¨C when he was alive.

    And yes, Jade and La was the name they were using for this mission. The name ¡°Jade¡± was derived from her eyes while Mimi simply thought of any nonsense in her head. She previously wanted to be called ¡°L,¡± but seeing how childish it was, settled for La instead ¨C thankfully.

    ¡°And I¡¯m Fred, your fellow cleaning partner for the day, you look more beautiful than on your portfolio,¡± The man was quick to introduce himself before Arianna could even say a word.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna only said, dismissing him as she settled her gaze on the other team members.

    Arianna knew she was a beautiful woman and would surely draw attention, but she never thought one of them would be bold enough to hit on her before they even started. Thankfully, she was the supervisor today and she would assign him as far away from her as possible once the cleaning starts. The least she wanted was some dude ruining their mission just because he couldn¡¯t keep his dick in his pants.

    Suddenly, Fred was pushed aside by some petite figure who introduced herself as grace. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind Fred and his ways because the information reaching my ears is that he has herpes,¡± She pointed out that he was a yer.

    ¡°Grace!¡± He red at her but the girl only chuckled because the deed had been done already. Not that Arianna didn¡¯t know his type in the first ce, but it¡¯s nice to see someone looking out for her even though they hardly know each other.

    Arianna decided she liked the girl and they would have been friends except that they weren¡¯t permitted to make one because as soon as this mission was over, they would disappear from the surface of the earth as if they never existed.

    .....

    Mimi didn¡¯t have a hard time mixing with them because she already got the other two people talking and her friend had never had problems socializing in the first ce ¨C hence it didn¡¯t surprise her.

    After getting acquainted with one another, they settled down for business. Their cleaning equipment and chemicals had been loaded in the back of the bus already, hence they just did thest check before getting into thepany bus.

    They were to work in thepany uniform which consists of a t-shirt that had thepany logo printed on them with pants, shoes, a cap, apron, and a yellow-tinted safety goggle for their eyes. But then, they came to the facility with their normal clothes and would change their uniform at the site aka Daniel¡¯s house so they don¡¯t have to worry about stains on their clothes.

    On their way to Daniel¡¯s ce, unlike what Arianna thought, there was nothing but loud chattering on the bus as Mimi and her new friends made use of their time discussing.

    Arianna had never been big on making friends and would rather have her thoughts to herself while keeping a clean head for this mission, unlike Mimi who talked the stress off. It was her own way of battling the nervousness else she would be a jittery mess.

    ¡°Nice ring you got there, oh my God, it seems the diamond is real,¡± Grace tried to touch it when Arianna jerked her hand to her chest defensively, stunning the girl. Just one push at that diamond in the center and she would have discovered something was wrong with it.

    Seeing her reaction, Grace apologized instantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have done that without your permission,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not used to people being too close,¡± More like pushy, she didn¡¯t say out loud.

    ¡°You must be engaged then,¡± She said.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna choked out, eyes wide.

    ¡°The ring? That must be your engagement ring, no wonder you treasure it,¡± Grace said and Arianna looked down at the ring and nodded immediately.

    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Arianna affirmed. Who was she to disagree with that without creating suspicion? How she wished it was true though.

    But then, Arianna caught herself at thest minute. How could she be thinking of an engagement when they hardly even started dating. Not to mention that she and Marcel hadn¡¯t defined this rtionship yet.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± Grace swooned, ¡°I bet your fianc¨¦ must be so rich, lucky you.¡±

    Was Marcel rich? Probably, else how does he manage his luxurious lifestyle, not to mention the fact that illegal activities pay more. However, she didn¡¯t care if Marcel had money or not, those were just superficial and a bonus to their rtionship. She liked Marcel because he¡¯s Marcel, nothing else.

    Arianna bet Grace wouldn¡¯t say how lucky she was if she knew she was dating a Mafia Lord. Yep, no life is perfect no matter how it seems, she wished to tell her yet kept it that way. After all, they wouldn¡¯t be seeing each other after this.

    Fred was the one driving which meant that she didn¡¯t deal with his flirting or annoying stare, but once in a while, their gaze would connect through the rear view mirror and she would re at him, hoping he kept his eyes on the road and not get them killed.

    And so the journey went because an hourter, he announced dramatically, ¡°And now, wee to the house of doom,¡±

    At once Arianna lifted her head to the outside through the window and gulped, now she saw why Marcel was worried about her.

    Aside from the fact that Daniel lived on the outskirts of the city, ten-foot-high walls surrounded the inside that they were yet to see.

    In one word, this ce was a fortress, and once let in, it was difficult to get out without their approval. Arianna turned and her gaze connected with Mimi¡¯s and she could see the fear in the girl¡¯s eyes as well.

 Chapter 380

    380 Threat

    Fred handed a slip to the soldier at the entrance and after they did a little inspection on their faces, they let them in and Arianna and Mimi were able to breathe. However, both of them knew that this was just the beginning.

    ¡°I hate this ce,¡± The otherdy seated at the back hissed, ¡°It¡¯s so scary and intimidating, not to mention that the men here carry guns around. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, I would say they are the Mafians? Why does the boss even send us here? I¡¯m so scared for my life,¡± Sheined.

    ¡°The boss sends us here because the money they pay puts food on his table and pays his bills and he, in turn, sends our paycheck, does that answer your question?¡± said the other guy that wasn¡¯t creeping Arianna out nor did he stare at her in a way that made her ufortable. If anything, he minded his business.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Miriam,¡± Grace said this time, ¡°Whether they are the Mafia or not, all that matters is that we do our business and get out of their hair, period. They wouldn¡¯t do anything to us if we don¡¯t offend them and hopefully, we don¡¯t.¡±

    And at that statement, Arianna and Mimi looked at each other once more. If only the crew knew they were here to do exactly what they dreaded, offending the Mafia, they would cast them off immediately.

    Fred drove through the miles and miles ofnd separating the properties. Arianna had once thought Marcel¡¯s security consciousness was too much, butpared to this, the vast acres ofnd that kept anyone froming top close to the property was just paranoid.

    Just how many people had Daniel offended that he would rather stay isted from the world than risk his life forming a social rtionship? It was just too much and the severity of this mission was beginning to dawn on them.

    Just like Marcel said, one mistake and they were dead. With the many emptynds before them, Arianna had no doubt that there was plenty of space to bury all six of them ¨C Yes, the life of the innocent cleaners were in their hands as well.

    Finally, they reached the property and Arianna knew the moment they had been waiting for was here. She fingered the USB and lighter in her hand and though she was confident in her skills, the soldiers at the entrance scared her.

    .....

    But their presence sobered her at once, reminding her that she can¡¯t die, especially not here. She refused to became manure for Daniel¡¯s garden. Although she had not met the man face to face aside from pictures Marcel showed before going on this mission, Arianna hoped she doesn¡¯t meet him.

    However, if she does get married to Marcel, that meant the man was her psycho father inw. Okay, that was a subject she was not going to approach for now. Future problems would be solved in the future, for now, there was her present ones.

    ¡°Alright, hand over your phones, people!¡± Grace ordered, bringing out a small bag that she would use to collect them all and probably, hand them over to the guard that had step forward, waiting for them to alight.

    ¡°And this is one of the reason I hate this ce,¡± Miriam murmured, putting both her phone and purse in the bag.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s another?¡± Mimi asked out of curiosity mixed with dread.

    ¡°Oh, you bet,¡± Miriam sneered and Arianna knew that anger was not directed at them, but the three soldiers waiting for them at the entrance.

    They all came down as soon as Grace was done collecting their devices and she handed it to the soldier, who in turn handed it to the other soldier beside him who left with it. No doubt, he was going to hide it where they couldn¡¯t find it until they were done with the job ¨C as if they could steal it in the first ce.

    ¡°I see new faces,¡± said the soldier, who seems to be their leader ¨C or at least, for this search. Arianna had no idea nor did she care. What mattered now was getting inside with the devices undiscovered.

    ¡°They¡¯re from our branch abroad,¡± Grace answered with a furrow on her face when she saw the man approach Jade.

    This was not happening, Arianna groaned when the man stood right in front of her, his gun strapped behind his back when he reached out and grabbed her chin, tilting her head from side to side and checking her out as if she was some sort of goods.

    Arianna clutched her fist so hard because she was tempted to punch that man right in the face, but she couldn¡¯t. It was at that moment that Arianna realized the privileges she had enjoyed while under Marcel.

    These people, they were brutal and savage and had no regard for anybody, especially women, yet Marcel did not subject her to that, if anything, he treated her well and yet, she took liberties with him. If it had been these man, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot her dead ¨C after having his way with her forcibly. She was lucky with Marcel.

    ¡°She¡¯s good product,¡± The man said suggestively, chewing his gum with a smug grin.

    ¡°Get your disgusting hands off me!¡± Arianna hissed when she couldn¡¯t endure him any longer.

    ¡°And feisty as well!¡± Heughed out aloud, his other teammates joining him.

    Animals! Arianna was burning with fury. They should have been taught better manners!

    ¡°We are here to do our job, sir!¡± Grace said sternly, adding immediately, ¡°Surely, you wouldn¡¯t like it if we were to report for harassment,¡± She tried to threatened him.

    However, Arianna knew that was not going to work. These people were on the other side of thew and before Grace would even report them, they would have killed her already. She doesn¡¯t even realize the danger she¡¯s putting herself in by threatening them.

    ¡°We are just here to do our job, sir unless you don¡¯t want that and then, we would dly get back to our boss,¡± Arianna said, shifting his attention back from Grace to her.

    If the news were to get to the boss, David, he was likely going to inform Daniel of the interruptions and the man would get to the root of the matter. In one word, this soldier would be in trouble.

    The soldier must have sensed the subtle threat in Arianna¡¯s words because his eyes shed and he said in a not-so-friendly tone, ¡°Of course not, I would be a fool to interrupt your work, however, these disgusting hands would have to search you thoroughly,¡±

 Chapter 381

    381 What Do You Know About Seduction

    Arriana could sense the evil intentioning off the man before he even started searching her body. Hence, it seemed as if she was scared when she squeaked, ¡°What? There are no females around to do that? Are you kidding me?!¡±

    The soldierughed upon seeing the sudden anxiety in her eyes. That was what he wanted in the first ce, to invoke fear inside of her. He would use his status to intimidate her and watch her squirm before his sight like a weakling.

    Hence, he answered her answer with a shit-eating grin, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    With that look on his face, Dahlia could safely deduce that there was no female around here. Even if there was one, this man would never let her do the job because he now had a vendetta against her.

    Arianna didn¡¯t mean to bring attention to herself, but she couldn¡¯t just fold her arms and watch the asshole bully others simply because he was in the position to do so.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy this,¡± The man rasped, drawing Arianna close to him by the waist, causing her to almost stumble into his chest. Hence before she knew what was going on, his hands were on her body feeling and checking her out.

    Arianna had never felt so humiliated until now. Her body seized up when she felt the asshole¡¯s hands on her and she couldn¡¯t even react, not to talk of taking a step or even exhaling. She forgot how to breathe as if doing so would hurt her lungs while the asshole¡¯s hands went down to grip her ass cheeks and squeezed tight.

    ¡°Alright, now, that¡¯s enough!¡± Mimi tried to step forth, but the other soldier put his gun in her way, reminding her that she was equally in a perilous situation and wasn¡¯t better off than her friend. They were determined to bully them to the end.

    Although her blood was vibrating with anger, if there was one thing the fool failed to notice in his haste to feel her up was the fact that the devices were wedged sessfully between her fingers on both hands as she stood with her hands spread sideways. He made it rtively easy for her and she didn¡¯t even sweat even a bit to hide it.

    .....

    Okay, maybe, she did sweat a little, but that was only a result of the anger churning inside of her. If there was one thing Arianna was sure of, it was the fact that the fool would pay for this before she would leave here. It was a promise.

    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± The asshole soldier said smugly, ¡°Now, that wasn¡¯t so bad, was it?¡± He was rubbing the fact he harassed her all over her face.

    Arianna¡¯s hands fisted and her knuckles turned white as she clenched them harder. She red at the man who only chuckled and went back to harassing the others as he did to her, except that his fellow soldiers joined this time.

    At that moment, Arianna knew there was no way on earth she was following the original n Marcel had in mind for this mission. She watched on as they harassed her friends and the more they did so, she was filled with ideas with ways she could ruin them.

    Marcel had not seen this harassment forting, if not, he would have approved of the current n she hatched. Or so she imed because Arianna knew inwardly that it would take a lot of persuading to get him to approve this current n she had in mind.

    He would probably protest and never hear of it had she brought it up to him. But then, Marcel wasn¡¯t here and he couldn¡¯t see the opportunity she just saw. Arianna was hundred percent sure that it would work. Okay, maybe eighty percent? That had to be something, right?

    Mimi was equally pissed as her as soon as they were done with her. It seems the men had particrly targeted the both of them because they were new to the job? Or so they thought. The other girls, Grace, and Miriam simply stood still with stoic faces and let their hands run down their body as if they were already used to the abuse.

    Compared to them, Arianna noticed that the soldiers¡¯ hands didn¡¯t linger on the women as if they were no fun and were used to their attitude already ¨C as if they were old toys to be discarded once they lost their luster.

    Just as she thought, the harassment had not started today which was why the girls were not fazed with their attitude and hated their guts. They were inured to it.

    Unfortunately, Arianna was not used to it, neither would she let any asshole step over her like that. If she could stand up to Marcel, a Mafia Lord, she would not shrink before mere soldiers. They would feel pain for what they did to them.

    So while they were busy provoking the others and leaving them at the side after being searched, Arianna leaned closer to Mimi and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s a change in n.¡±

    Mimi released a wry smile, ¡°What suicide n do you have for the both of us, Arianna?¡± She asked while looking at her side cautiously in case anyone noticed them speaking and found it suspicious.

    ¡°One that spells trouble for our friend there if he follows the script,¡± Arianna referred to the soldiers still provoking their cleaning crew.

    Arianna saw Mimi¡¯s eyes narrow with malice and just as she thought, she was not the only one bloodthirsty for revenge.

    ¡°Keep talking,¡± Mimi considered it while keeping her eye out for them.

    Hence, Arianna leaned closer and whispered all she had in mind quickly into her ears and that made Mimi shift uneasily on her feet when she was done.

    ¡°Marcel would not like that,¡± Mimi pointed out as soon as she was done, ¡°The both of you merely started dating,¡±

    ¡°He would have to suck it up,¡± Arianna breathed, taking a good look at the asshole poking fun at the males since he couldn¡¯t grab their ass cheeks or something. At least, he was straight. That was good for their n.

    ¡°Let me be the one to do it,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Mimi rolled her eyes, ¡°I should be the one to do so. Also, what do you know about seduction?¡±

 Chapter 382

    382 Time Was Running Out

    ¡°Does the search usually take this long?¡± Arianna asked Grace, all of them were staring at Fred and the other guy unloading their things from the back of thepany bus while the soldiers searched thoroughly.

    ¡°Not really. I guess that they¡¯re trying to show off,¡± Grace rolled her eyes towards heaven finding the act disgusting.

    Arianna and Mimi looked at each other meaningfully. ording to ns, they should have been inside thirty minutes ago but the reverse was the case here. As expected of a n made from educated guesses, there were now many cracks to fill up. Had Marcel interviewed Grace and the others, they would have seen thising and made backup ns.

    Now, even if they went in, they couldn¡¯t waste much time in their act of cleaning. Arianna could not stare at a watch or something since they weren¡¯t allowed one ¨C there were chances of the watch being bugged. If only they knew her ultimate weapon was the ring on her finger ¨C nor could she ask for the time without arousing unnecessary suspicion, but she knew time was against them.

    ¡°If this has been going on for a while now, why do you stille back for the job?¡± Mimi asked them.

    ¡°We take up this job once in a while and no one in thepany agrees to it except us. Hence, the boss pays us extra, and we need the money,¡± Miriam sighed, ¡°It would have been endurable if they let us work in peace. But then, with you guys here, I¡¯m sure S¨¦bastien would be breathing down our necks.¡±

    So the asshole¡¯s name is S¨¦bastien, Arianna took note of that. And she was not bothered with the part of him breathing down their necks, if anything she needed his presence the most now the n¡¯s switched.

    If S¨¦bastien followed them around, it would be hard to create the fire ruse because he would most likely spot the fire immediately and figure out it was their doing. So yeah, this was more reason to move on with this new n.

    Arianna knew the soldier was doing this on purpose to frustrate her in particr. Having worked with the cleaningpany for a while without any hitch, they¡¯ve already grown quite a level of trust and shouldn¡¯t be stringent with their protocols, but someone decided to abuse his power.

    .....

    However, Arianna kept a calm expression throughout the ordeal even though she was anxious inside. But not long after, S¨¦bastien was done with their annoying search and they all went to the truck, picking up one item or the other and carrying them into the house.

    S¨¦bastien and hisckey stood at the entrance, and he, in particr, watched them smugly, his arms ced behind his back. Grace led the way, alongside Mimi and Arianna, then both men at back respectfully. They had made sure to empty the contents of the bus so they wouldn¡¯t have to return a second time ¨C and face S¨¦bastien¡¯s teasing or harassment, depending on their gender.

    However, just when Mimi, who was carrying a crate, was about to pass the man, she slipped and fell on S¨¦bastien. Or maybe, she did fall on purpose and what others didn¡¯t notice was that she touched the man inappropriately in his private area before shended on the floor with a fake wince.

    It was only S¨¦bastien who noticed the action since his eyes went wide because he never expected it and thought it must have been a mistake only to catch Mimi secretly wink at him.

    Wait a minute....

    S¨¦bastien¡¯s chest suddenly swelled with hope, that bitch wanted him? Heughed inwardly. All this while, he thought that she hated him with her intense re and all, who knew that the bitch was just pretending? This is why you should never trust when a girl says no because they could be tactically consenting.

    He wouldn¡¯t miss this one, S¨¦bastien decided in his heart. Although he liked the fiery red-haired one, this one would do. Since they were from a branch abroad, S¨¦bastien knew he had to move fast or else miss his chance and he wouldn¡¯t see her again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Mimi hissed when the man tried to help her up, intentionally putting up an act that S¨¦bastien was able to see through. To the outside, it looked like she resented S¨¦bastien yet she gave secret signals to the man.

    The bitch wanted to y? S¨¦bastien was game. It has been quite a while since he poked his manhood in a bitch¡¯s hot cunt, this could be an opportunity and he couldn¡¯t miss it. S¨¦bastien knew many ways to get her, hence he was not worried.

    Arianna was a bit worried about her friend though ¨C she had seen through the whole acting. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Mimi had gone too far? Touching S¨¦bastien ..... Well, this was all for the n. She would just have to be alert and watch out for her friend else that animal tries something beyond their scheme.

    They arrived at a room where they quickly changed into their working attires and were ready to go. As the one in charge, Arianna assigned everyone the wings to take care of, and intentionally gave her and Mimi the quarters closest to the control room and no one questioned her decision having no idea of their real agenda.

    Everyone picked their tools and set to work. Arianna and Mimi headed to their destination as well and along the way, she couldn¡¯t help but notice the number of cameras and their area of coverage.

    She felt the ring around her finger, hoping to God that this ring worked and was truly able to do those abracadabra Winters had spoken or else they¡¯re doomed, especially now, that she had this risky n in mind. She didn¡¯t need any evidence for what she had in mind, which meant all the cameras had to malfunction.

    In one word, both women vigorously cleaned their assigned apartment so that one wouldn¡¯t even suspect they were up to foul y. However, there was a little problem, S¨¦bastien had not appeared and time was running out.

 Chapter 383

    383 All Hell Let Loose

    Note: Sensitive Chapter Ahead.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s going toe?¡± Mimi asked with worry because it was over fifteen minutes already and there was still no sign of S¨¦bastien.

    ¡°He woulde,¡± Arianna told her with conviction when in reality, she wasn¡¯t even sure. However, she couldn¡¯t kill Mimi¡¯s morale knowing the sess of this mission depended on her now. And if she were to lose confidence, it would be detrimental. They couldn¡¯t go back to the old n, it was too risky with the number of eyes on them.

    Mimi decided to have faith then, if Arianna said the man woulde, then he woulde. Her friend was a strong person, she should be as strong as her too. There was no room for weakness.

    God must have heard her prayer then because S¨¦bastien finally came into the room not long after, marking his arrival by clearing his throat quite loudly.

    Arianna and Mimi looked at the man before they shared a look for a fleeting moment, taking mental note of their n. The both of them pretended not to have noticed him, going on ahead with their work.

    Arianna was wiping surfaces while Mimi vacuumed the floor and S¨¦bastien walked around with his hands behind his back, pretending to observe what they were doing.

    ¡°The both of you are so slow! Come on, work harder!¡± He hollered at them.

    Arianna faced him at once, ¡°I believe we didn¡¯t ask for a supervisor to rate our work?!¡±

    .....

    ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t ask, but I work for the master of this house and I must ensure things are to his satisfaction,¡± He imed.

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Arianna tossed the rag away and ced both hands on her hips, ¡°I can¡¯t stand your attitude, any longer. I¡¯m getting out of here!¡± She looked at Mimi, ¡°Are youing along, Mimi?¡±

    But Mimi shook her head, ¡°Someone has to take care of here, you can go clean another ce, that way we¡¯d cover grounds quicker. Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be fine,¡±

    She told Arianna and a sly smile moved across S¨¦bastien¡¯s face. The bitch was creating an opportunity for them to be together. He couldn¡¯t let it go to waste.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Arianna asked sincerely. The n seemed much simpler whenid out, but now that they were about to execute it, she couldn¡¯t help but fear for Mimi.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Mimi chuckled, waving at her to leave already while S¨¦bastien pretended to be oblivious to their conversation, making more inspections around the room.

    Finally, Arianna left the room, it was one of the many guestrooms in the mansion. However, she didn¡¯t lock the door fully and it barely even made a click. She then turned on the ring. It was time.

    Arianna was not a fan of emotions or hysterical acting which was why she had asked to take Mimi¡¯s current role of a seductress but the girl refused. Now, she hoped her acting was strong enough to deceive everyone.

    The thought that her friend was in danger pushed Arianna to produce the tears she wasn¡¯t capable of and she broke into a run. She headed to the quarters where the others were working and stumbling inside, Arianna threw herself to the ground and wailed, ¡°You have to help me, I think S¨¦bastien is doing something to Mimi!¡± She let the tears flow.

    Without even questioning what was going on, the men rushed out first to go save the damsel in distress. Arianna slowly rose to her feet, a sly smirk curving her lips. It was going well.

    Meanwhile....

    The air in the room changed as soon as Arianna left and though Mimi put on a brave front, her heart was pounding loud and her palms were mmy. What if Arianna was not back in time and that pig did something to her?

    The fear crept in that Mimi almost jumped out of her skin when S¨¦bastien touched her on the shoulder. He had a sleazy grin as he said, ¡°Now that meddling bitch is gone, let¡¯s get down to business,¡±

    ¡°G-get down to what?¡± Mimi stammered. She was all alone with this pig.

    But S¨¦bastien frowned at her, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look now when you¡¯ve been stringing me along...¡± His expression widened, ¡°Or is this one of your acts? A role y perhaps, to act out all of your desires with me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mimi was dumbfounded.

    By now S¨¦bastien had run out of patience. He couldn¡¯t tell whether Mimi was ying games with him or being sincere, but there was no way he was letting her go now. He had made up his mind to f*ck her and even drank an enhancer to boost his performance. In one word, he was so horny that he would rather die than not have sex with her right now.

    Hence, he grabbed a hold of Mimi amid her struggling and tossed her roughly on his shoulder. He then crossed the room and ced her on the bed. Mimi tried to escape him but the man straddled her with all of his strength and she couldn¡¯t fight him.

    S¨¦bastien had intended to engage in some forey but that won¡¯t be the cause because the girl seems to like a bit of violence. Hence his hands went to his belts and when it was free, pushed his pants down to his knees leaving him in only his boxers with his member straining hard against it.

    He then tried to undress her shirt but Mimi battled him fiercely and hended a p on her face that drew a pained cry from her mouth. She was wasting his time and he needed to be done with her before her meddling friend came to check on her.

    Using that opportunity, he then ripped the buttons open, but that was the same moment the door was kicked open and all hell was let loose.

    S¨¦bastien didn¡¯t even know what happened next except the fact that a kick was sent to his face and he found himself flying off the bed while Mimi cowered away.

 Chapter 384

    384 Don¡¯t Fail Me

    One would ask, why was S¨¦bastien confident enough to r*pe Mimi without fears of being caught. Well, for starters, he took her as a slut. Even if she wasn¡¯t, he was capable enough to threaten her to silence. Unless she wanted to die, then she should speak.

    But now, he was the one unable to speak as Fred and the other party stomped on him mercilessly. Both men didn¡¯t need to ask what happened having seen it clearly with their eyes; he was trying to vite Mimi against her wish.

    Grace and Miriam went over to Mimi who broke into a sob, bringing her knees up to her chest. Arianna was concerned about her friend¡¯s safety and tried to check up on her but Mimi red at her intensely, warning her with her gaze to leave. They didn¡¯t have much time left, nor would her sacrifice be for nothing.

    So as much as Arianna cared for her friend, she had no choice but to drag her feet out of there. She had seen a bruise on Mimi¡¯s face, did that animal really hit her? How was she going to exin that to Victor?

    But she would worry about thatter, Arianna pushed that problem to the back of her mind and focused on the task at hand. The ring wasn¡¯t going to disrupt the signals for long, Winters said it wouldst for at most ten minutes. There was no more time!

    Arianna took the passage leading to the control room, thanking her God that she studied the map properly else she would have been lost already. This ce was huge with lots of turns that one could easily lose their way.

    Even before she got to the control room, Arianna heard noises and she knew they were battling the reason for the sudden signal disruption. The door was open already and Arianna simply ran inside, her chest heaving with her eyes frantic and her hair disheveled.

    Her gaze fell on the two men in the room leaning over a nk monitor and they turned to stare back at her. Clearly, they never expected her here. Then, Arianna performed the award winning acting of the year.

    ¡°Sir, you have to help me! No, us!¡± Arianna threw herself on the foot of the first man sobbing loudly, ¡°It¡¯s one of your guards, S¨¦bastien! He... He tried to rape my friend...oh my God! They are going to kill him!¡± She looked at them with crazy eyes, ¡°I think my friends are going to kill him... Jesus, they are going to go to prison for murder!¡±

    .....

    And that was all they needed to hear before they left the control room in a hurry to go find S¨¦bastien and stop whatever the hell was going on there. It wasn¡¯t enough that they needed to find the reason the cameras suddenly went off, now S¨¦bastien just had to cause trouble. If the boss were to hear of this disorder in his mansion, there would be trouble and someone would have to pay.

    Arianna exaggerated the situation by wailing louder, hyping them to move faster and when it was obvious that they could find their way there, she began to slowly lose them by moving back. Neither did any of them notice her action because they were set on seeing what was going on.

    Immediately Arianna broke into a sprint making it to the control room without encountering anyone on the way. There was no time to catch her breath, not to mention that she was a bit dizzy from running too much, Arianna went ahead to find the mainputer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fail me now,¡± Arianna muttered once she found it. She then plugged the USB into its port and waited for the magic to happen.

    Winters was near the base as well so she was able to hack her into their database easily. She must be with Victor and the others in the car.

    ording to Winters, she would receive a signal once the USB was sessfully plugged into theputer and would do the rest of the work like overriding the passwords and firewalls from over there.

    Thankfully, Winters didn¡¯t fail her.

    Withoutying a hand on theputer, Arianna watched as everything operated on its own. Just how capable was this girl called Winters? Arianna was suddenly scared of her and made a mental note to reconcile with her after this was over. It was not worth fighting over a man ¨C Yeah, girls were supposed to look after each other.

    She began to copy the hard drive and what worried Arianna the most was the fact that it was quite slow. Her heart pounded in her chest knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be long before those two idiots found out that she was gone.

    Even without them noticing her absence, she had to be gone from here before the cameras resumed their function. Daniel can¡¯t know of their mission else he might make an extreme move like hiding Marcel¡¯s sister in a ce where they would never find her.

    ¡°Come on,e on!¡± Arianna tapped her foot impatiently against the floor. It was stuck at ny-nine percent and wouldn¡¯t make any move. Arianna was highly tempted to just take the USB and get out of here. But she couldn¡¯t, it had to beplete.

    Hence, the moment it wasplete, Arianna released the breath she didn¡¯t know she had been holding in. Finally, it was done! She pulled it out of the system and turned to leave, only to bump into a man at the entrance.

    Arianna took a step back, gulping nervously. It wasn¡¯t the two men from earlier, but another one, what was she going to do now?

    The look on the man¡¯s face told her that he had seen what she did hence she couldn¡¯t lie or act.

    But then, before she could say a thing, the man stretched his hand, saying, ¡°Give me the USB, I would be able to get it across quickly and as well, save you from further questioning.¡±

    That was when it dawned on Arianna that this was the spy that Marcel nted amongst his father¡¯s men.

 Chapter 385

    385 He Would Never Forgive Himself

    ¡°You should slow down,¡± ra asked in concern when she saw Marcel driving over the speed limit and was no longerfortable with it.

    As much as he was concerned over his father ¨C as she thought ¨C it wouldn¡¯t do Daniel any good if they ended up dead inside. However, she wasn¡¯t sure Marcel was even listening because he showed no other reaction nor did the speed decrease. His jaw was clenched while his eyes were set on the road, his mind far away.

    Hence, ra could only lean back into the seat and make a silent prayer for her soul. As much as Marcel was an experienced driver, nheless, it was still a terrifying experience. All she could see was the blur of cars they zoomed past and she fought against the urge to throw up. She didn¡¯t want to die yet.

    He shouldn¡¯t have sent Arianna there, that was the only thought in Marcel¡¯s mind as he raced to his father¡¯s ce. If his father was at home, that meant the security was doubled and Arianna must be confused ¨C if they weren¡¯t in trouble already.

    The thought of his fatherying a hand on her made him clutch the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. He gritted his teeth hard, wishing he could magically teleport over there and rescue Arianna from this suicide mission he sent her. His stomach churned at the thought that he sent her to her death.

    Marcel¡¯s heart tightened and he felt suffocated. He would never forgive himself if anything were to happen to Arianna. Damn it! He must be cursed or something! Why were people around him always getting hurt or ending up dead?

    His phone rang but Marcel paid it no heed knowing that they would have an ident once his attention got divided. He was driving over the speed limit just to get to his father¡¯s ce and it was already hard work juggling the guilt digging deeper in his chest with each passing minute and concentrating on the road.

    Although he had a feeling that it was Victor calling to inform him of the unexpected twist in their n and for further instruction. If Victor were to step foot into that house, his father would surely know something was up. The man was only enduring to his son ¨C and apparently, ra. Daniel respected his sister Carmine, he didn¡¯t fear her ¨C and her offspring.

    The only reason Daniel even let Victor by his side was that he had no choice. He knew his sister¡¯s disinterest in the family business, nor was she as greedy as their rtives. That made her the only one he could trust even though she hated his guts ¨C she still hadn¡¯t forgiven him for what he did to theirte brother.

    .....

    Moreover, Victor did not hold a candle to his son, Marcel. He was his father¡¯s prodigy, his only child was destined for greatness. Aside from that, he and Victor had been so close since birth that one might even mistake both as twins instead of cousins and Daniel couldn¡¯t separate them. The only time they got separated, Victor almost died.

    Marcel was not repeating that history. Today, he would not lose anyone, especially not Arianna, or else he might as well kill himself and go ask for her forgiveness in the underworld. Although he doubted that anyway, because while Arianna would be in heaven, he¡¯d be in hell rotting away for his sins.

    Thanks to his mad speed, Marcel arrived at his father¡¯s ce in no time. The guards at therge gate were surprised at his arrival knowing father and son didn¡¯t have a great rtionship. However, they let them in upon seeing the regr visitor, ra who was a little green in the face; she looked ufortable.

    As soon as Marcel came to a stop on the property, ra got out of the car as if the devils were on her heels, and then bending over, she threw up on the greenwn. God, she almost died there! What the hell was wrong with that man?! His father was not even dying!

    Marcel climbed out of the car, his eyes quickly darting around his surroundings to see if he was going to spot her. However, there was no sign of Arianna and Mimi, except theirpany bus parked at the corner and visible to anyone. That could only mean that they were sessfully inside and Marcel didn¡¯t know if he should be scared or delighted by the thought.

    What phase of the n were they up to now? What difficulty were they facing? Had Arianna realized how risky this n was and thought to back out or would she stubbornly go on with it? How was he going to solve this mess? Questions like that filled his head, almost driving him crazy.

    His feet moved even before his mind did and he was heading to the entrance guided by two of his father¡¯s soldiers. When he tried to walk in, they stood in his way.

    ¡°Sir Daniel never told us he was expecting you,¡± They looked at him suspiciously.

    Yes, that was the type of rtionship that existed between father and son. None of them trusted each other.

    ¡°So I have no right to visit my father without seeking approval now?¡± Marcel spoke through gritted teeth.

    The question was stupid in the first ce knowing he and Daniel didn¡¯t have a loving rtionship, but he was not thinking straight at the moment. He would do anything that would get into that house right now.

    The two soldiers shared a look but there were still suspicions in their gaze and Marcel felt like rolling his eyes, does his father seriously think he would murder him now he¡¯s sick. He was not a coward to strike when one was at their lowest, he preferred fights with honor.

    Almost immediately, he heard a small voice calling to him, ¡°Marcel,¡± and he looked to the side to see ra squatted down beside her vomit, her back leaning against the car with her eyes closed.

    He walked over and picked her in his arms and then returned to the soldiers saying, ¡°Am with her, are you satisfied now?¡±

    They let him in.

 Chapter 386

    386 Marcel Cares About You

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die,¡± moaned ra, hanging freely from Marcel¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Just stop talking and I won¡¯t murder you myself,¡± Marcel grunted when she wouldn¡¯t stopining.

    He was heading to the sitting room where he would be received by his father. It was the only ce he could go in this house unless summoned otherwise by his father.

    Even at that, Marcel was alert and looked for any sign of them and he came up with nothing. Since there was no form of chaos, that meant she still hadn¡¯t made any move and was still cleaning. Hopefully, Arianna never initiates the n and just leaves the same way she came. His sister could wait a little more, but he could not recover Arianna if she died.

    ¡°Why do I feel dizzy? Do you think I¡¯m suffering from a low sugar level? But I had enough sweets. You think it¡¯s blood loss? I haven¡¯t checked my blood level since the beginning of this month because I¡¯ve been so busy. Talking about being busy, you think it¡¯s the stress?¡± The girl was still bbering when Marcel simply tossed her on the couch roughly and she bounced on it, moaning from his mistreatment.

    Not that Marcel gave a care because he simply turned his back to her and pulled out his phone, going through the many texts Victor sent to him. As he thought, they¡¯vee to realize that his father didn¡¯t leave his house at all.

    [Stand down, I¡¯m here now. I¡¯ll handle it]

    He sent the text knowing Victor would attempt to sneak if he wasn¡¯t around.

    [What do you intend to do? Winters just told me the ring has been turned on, she could see the signal from her device]

    .....

    Marcel read the text that made his heart drop dead. Arianna turned the ring already? He looked around, there was no smoke nor had the fire rm sounded? What was going on here? He couldn¡¯t understand a thing anymore.

    [Keep calm, I¡¯ll take care of this.]

    Marcel lied just tofort him because the truth is that Arianna is a goner if she¡¯s turned on the ring already. How could she think of going ahead with the n in this situation?

    She had even promised to abort this operation if it got too dangerous. Guess she never intended to keep her promise in the first ce. He knew Arianna was headstrong, who knew she was reckless as well. That stubborn woman!

    ¡°You put on a tough front, when in reality you¡¯re all soft inside,¡± ra said out of nowhere and Marcel turned to her, having no clue what she was talking about.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always hated your father, but then at the first news that he¡¯s sick, youe running here? Even right now, the worry is written all over your face and you keep pacing up and down. Why do you keep on hiding, Marcel?¡± ra still thought all those worries were for his father, Daniel.

    Marcel gave her a stupid look before he resumed his passive expression, neither did he make any efforts to correct her impression of him. She could think all she wanted, he didn¡¯t care.

    ra continued speaking, staring at Marcel deeply even though he wouldn¡¯t look at her.

    ¡°I know why you treat me this way. You are afraid of giving your heart to me so you do everything possible to push me away.¡± She imed.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The corners of Marcel¡¯s mouth lifted in wryughter.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m the only woman you would have to spend the rest of your life with. Hence, you can hate me all you want, but in the end, it¡¯s me and you struck in this marriage and thest one you would love.¡±

    For a moment there, ra thought she saw pity in Marcel¡¯s gaze ¨C at least his pity was better than his anger, right ¨C but it was gone immediately.

    Instead, he ced a hand on his chest dramatically, ¡°Aww, that¡¯s the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me.¡± there was nothing but mockery in his tone.

    Suddenly, Marcel walked over to her and then leaned over while she shrank back. He ced his hand on her side and holding her gaze, he said to her, ¡°Is that what you deceive yourself with? Hope?¡±

    He sneered, ¡°Dear ra, you should know when to fight and when to retreat. If I were you, I would give up on me now you still have the chance. Don¡¯t turn me into a bad person.¡±

    ra lifted her head, ¡°It¡¯s toote, I can¡¯t let you go.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a psychopath and I¡¯m scared for my life now, you should definitely go for a checkup,¡± He retorted, and ra went red with embarrassment.

    But that was the scene Daniel stumbled into when he finally graced them with his appearance. He said, ¡°The both of you look so cozy I¡¯m beginning to think that it¡¯s loss not getting you both married immediately,¡±

    Marcel pushed away from ra, his eyes cold and t with his expression hardening as he stood spine straight, facing his father.

    ¡°Father!¡± ra shot to her feet, a blush creeping up her face when she realized the man misunderstood their position earlier. She went over to help him, assuming the role of a good daughter-inw.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to help me, I¡¯m not that old that I can¡¯t sit on my own,¡± Daniel put up his hand, stopping her in her tracks. He sat down, coughing into the handkerchief he had with him and Marcel noticed that.

    ¡°Are you dying yet?¡± He asked, taking satisfaction from his misery.

    ¡°Not soon, at least not until I see you get married,¡± He countered, pping the smile off his son¡¯s face.

    Upon seeing the tension rising between both men, ra stepped in immediately, ¡°You should have seen the shock on Marcel¡¯s face when he heard you were sick, father. He raced to your ce like a madman, that¡¯s to show how much he cares about you.¡±

    When ra said that, Daniel¡¯s brows arched in surprise while Marcel put on his stoic face but he looked a bit annoyed. Why did she have to bring that up?

    Daniel looked at Marcel, an intelligent glint in his eyes as he asked his obedient daughter-inw, ¡°Is that so? Marcel was worried about me?¡±

 Chapter 387

    387 The Issue Of Coption

    ra is a hopeless cause, Marcel realized as shended him in trouble. He knew that look in his father¡¯s eyes, the man was alert and calcting things right now. But then, Marcel couldn¡¯t let him have even the slightest suspicion.

    Marcel snapped at ra immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t talk rubbish!¡±

    ra was startled by his harsh response but was already used to it.. Hence she pouted her lips, trying to gain his sympathy.

    ¡°But I¡¯m just saying.....¡± She trailed off upon seeing the murderous look in Marcel¡¯s eyes and she bit down on her lips, aggrieved. What did she do wrong now? She was just trying to mend the rtionship between father and son, why doesn¡¯t Marcel appreciate it for once?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to scare the poor girl to get your point across, Marcelo,¡± Daniel said to him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± Marcel growled at him. Only his mother got to add that affectionate term to his name, he doesn¡¯t get to have that privilege.

    ¡°See?¡± Daniel turned to ra, as if he just proved a point, ¡°He probably hurried over to confirm if I had died,¡± The man burst into long, boisterousughter, coughing hard in the end while ra stared on, horrified. How could someone joke about that? This family was something else.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that would change with time,¡± ra decided to be optimistic and Marcel snorted from where he sat. That was the worst lie he had ever heard since he became an adult.

    Would he and his father ever reconcile? That was only possible when one of them died. Even though they weren¡¯t killing each other, the animosity between the both of them ran deep and wasn¡¯t something a simple apology would change. Perhaps, if he brought his mother back to life, then all sins would be forgiven. But then, that was impossible. So yeah, he can never forgive him.

    .....

    ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t bother yourself with that, dear child,¡± Daniel said to her.

    See? Even the old man knew that was impossible, Marcel sneered in his heart.

    ¡°The only thing I ask of you is that you concentrate on Marcel and give him the love I never gave him -¡±

    ¡°Thank God, you know that, ¡± Marcel mocked him.

    Daniel didn¡¯t point out his rude interruption, rather he took a deep breath and went on, ¡°Perhaps, when you give him a son, then, he¡¯d understand the hardship of fatherhood, and who knows, he woulde to me for guidance. ¡±

    Marcel was dumbfounded, no, he looked like someone just threw shit on his face. He was feeling so many emotions at the same time; disbelief, fear, anxiety, anger, horror, and then finally shame.

    He was dumbfounded at the thought that his father thought he was giving ra a child? That was never going to happen. Even if all of his ns failed and he ended up marrying ra, she would only bear his title and never have his child.

    But what if ra mistakenly gives him a child? Does that mean he would hate his own seed? The thought made him panic. Would he turn out to be a lot worse than his father all because he doesn¡¯t like the mother of his child?

    No, that was why it would never happen. And the next, Marcel was disgusted at the thought of asking his father for pointers on parenting.

    Marcel was determined to raise his child as far away from this man as possible and with enough love. It would just be him, his child, and his mother. And speaking about his mother, he already knew the perfect candidate for that. Red-haired children wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea.

    ra blushed,ughing modestly, ¡°I think you¡¯re too ahead of yourself, father.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Daniel imed, ¡°I would even be much happier if I got the news of your pregnancy before the weddingmenced,¡±

    And at that statement, the both of them stiffened instantly. While Marcel remained passive, ra looked at him hesitantly and wondered what Daniel would think if she told him that his son hadn¡¯tid a hand on her. They hadn¡¯t even kissed since that first time at the family meeting, not to talk of being in close quarters with each other where anything could happen.

    If she and Marcel couldn¡¯t even have a proper conversation without it turning into a fight, how could they move to the subject of coption? But then, since they were here, maybe his father could give them a boost. All she had to do was to suggest it and she knew Daniel would give Marcel the push he needed.

    ra sat up straight in her seat, having made up her mind already. She began, ¡°Urm... the thing is, father ¨C ¡±

    ra was cut off when a soldier ran across the living room and stopped short upon seeing them gathered there. It was obvious that he had not expected them to be there, especially Daniel ¨C he thought the man was having his bed rest ¨C else he wouldn¡¯t have made that epic entrance.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Daniel asked, seeing the man was nervous.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing, sir.¡± He gulped.

    Unfortunately, Marcel, who already sensed that this had to do with Arianna, butted in instantly.

    ¡°What do you mean by nothing when you¡¯re sweating all over? Did you do something wrong and are afraid of being caught?¡± Marcel saw through him. He only hoped Arianna knew what she was doing.

    Thanks to Marcel¡¯s quick wits, his father suspected the same thing and ra was all but forgotten.

    Daniel asked once more,¡± What is going on?¡± This time, one could sense the threat beneath his voice and the soldier would be as good as dead if he lied to him again.

    The soldier was a wise man or maybe he was that scared of Daniel because he confessed the truth this time.

    ¡°I think one of our men might have sexually assaulted one of the cleaners,¡±

    Oh no, Marcel¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard that report. It couldn¡¯t be... no, that can¡¯t... He was going to kill that bastard!

 Chapter 388

    388 He Was Deeply Humiliated

    Arianna always knew that Mimi could act, but she never saw the full extent of her friend¡¯s acting prowess until now.

    Mimi was shaking terribly while Grace did her best to console her. Her eyes were red and swollen with tears while her lips trembled.

    No, Mimi¡¯s acting was so real and touching that Arianna wondered if she was still acting because she too was getting affected by it and tears slipped down her face unknowingly.

    Arianna surprisingly didn¡¯t find it hard to get in the element because whether she liked it or not, she had to prove to the others that she was affected by her friend¡¯s ¡°misfortune¡±.

    The room was now filled to the brim with soldiers who tried hard to stop Fred and his partner from murdering S¨¦bastien. It was chaos everywhere and Arianna had to admit, it was invigorating, the bastard finally got what he deserved.

    S¨¦bastien had a bruised and bloody face because their male partners had done a number on him before the soldiers coulde to the rescue. With that carefully thought n, all Arianna did was arouse the protective instinct of men towards women.

    And she wasn¡¯t scared of being caught because men would always be the guilty partner in this scenario ¨C as unfair as it sounds. Neither was there evidence to suggest otherwise. If anything, they were the ones with substantial evidence to prove S¨¦bastien guilty. That was what she intended to do, because it was their only ticket out of here ¨C and her revenge as well.

    But what Arianna never expected to see in the next minute was a sudden path being created and Marcel stepped forth in all his sexy ¨C and furious ¨C glory. Okay, what was going on here? He wasn¡¯t supposed to be here? Did the dinner location get shifted or something.

    Marcel could have seen her if he looked harder but he didn¡¯t and she had a feeling that he avoided looking at her on purpose as if he didn¡¯t want to implicate her or something.

    .....

    Instead, his heated gaze was fixed on the crying Mimi, and for good reasons, because in the next minutes, Arianna¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the ground when she sighted Daniel.

    Did she know Daniel? Of course, she knew Daniel because Marcel had shown them ¨C she and Mimi ¨C many pictures of him, if not hundreds of them in case they encountered him ¨C although that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Marcel had strongly assured them that they would not get go meet his father. But then, if they, unfortunately, do meet him, there was a n B.

    Never look him in the eyes with fear.

    Fear was next to recognition.

    One can only fear what they recognize and recognize what they fear.

    And what she feared finally happened.

    How was she going to look at Daniel without fear when she¡¯s already heard of his reputation? Arianna saw that same concern in Mimi¡¯s eyes when their gaze connected.

    But unlike Mimi who took refuge with her acting skills, Arianna merely shrank into the crowd. Call it survival instinct, but she had a feeling that the man shouldn¡¯t see her, or maybe she was just scared to face him. Because even stronger animals know when a predator steps into the jungle, and they all do one thing.

    Run.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Daniel¡¯s voice boomed with authority when he asked that question and the ce fell into a chilling silence except for Mimi¡¯s quiet sob.

    One of the soldiers stepped out to answer, ¡°They im that captain S¨¦bastien assaulted one of their -¡±

    Before the soldier could even finish, Mimi cried out with a pained voice, ¡°You say I im?! You think I¡¯m lying?! Does this look like I¡¯m lying?!¡± She turned the side of her cheek where a bruise had already formed from when S¨¦bastien struck her.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying!¡± S¨¦bastien objected even in his injured state, his lips were busted and must hurt while he spoke, ¡°She wanted it! She was the one who seduced me!¡± He cried out, but the doubts on people¡¯s faces ¨C including his fellow soldiers ¨C told him he was fighting a losing battle.

    ¡°I wanted it!¡± Mimi bellowed, looking frantic. She beat her chest angrily, ¡°You¡¯re trying to say that I asked to be ? Is that it? And you all just stand there and probably are about to defend him, huh? Why don¡¯t you ask yourself, if it had been your sister in my shoes, what would you do? Would you me her for seducing a man all because she¡¯s not physically stronger to defend herself or defend her honor?¡±

    By the time Mimi was done with her speech, the atmosphere in the room had changed and none of the men wasfortable with the sensitive subject anymore.

    Not to mention that Marcel added salt to the injury by turning to his father and saying aloud to everyone¡¯s hearing in sheer mockery, ¡°I guess this is how you train your men? To innocent women? How admirable.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s features hardened and his hands clenched by the sides. It was obvious that his men would get it from him after this was over.

    But that was not all, Miriam came out to announce boldly to Daniel, standing in front of him, ¡°If you¡¯re the boss, then I here toin of how your men have been getting in the way of our work for a while now. This incident might have brought their sins to the limelight and castigated one of them, however, we suffered physical, psychological, and emotional abuse from a lot of them. So I plead you just don¡¯t make one of them a scapegoat, punish the whole lots of them for their crimes, and for those who watched, yet did nothing while they abused us. ¡± She demanded.

    By now, Daniel was wallowing in shame. As much as they were gangsters and they could do whatever they wanted, these were outsiders and also people he employed their services. His men were supposed to be on their best behavior yet they let the power get to their heads.

    Matters like this were sensitive and could easily explode, drawing unnecessary attention to him. Not to mention that it was all happening in front of his son. To say he was ashamed was an understatement. He was deeply humiliated.

 Chapter 389

    389 [Bonus chapter]An Evil Fortress

    ¡°I have heard all of your requests and you are assured that this case would not be waved aside as nothing. I would conduct a proper investigation and would punish them for their crimes severely. Also, you would bepensated heavily for your loss and maltreatment in the hands of my poorly trained men,¡± Daniel promised them and It left a sour taste in his mouth admitting that his men were ¡®poorly trained¡¯.

    But he had no choice but to do it to appease their anger. As lithe as women were, they waged the greatest war with devastating damages and he was not ready to suffer the fury of a woman scorned. Not to mention that Marcel was watching him and like a hawk, he was ready to point out his w. Thepetition between father and son was quite intense and none of them wanted to lose.

    ¡°You better do,¡± Fred warned and then reached for Mimi, pulling her into his arms protectively. Right now, he had no care whether she was an attractive woman that he could hit on, what mattered was that she needed his support, their support.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here,¡±

    At once, Arianna came out of her hiding ce, making sure to use the other¡¯s body as a shield to prevent Dahlia from seeing her. They walked past Daniel and his people and she didn¡¯t even dare to look at the side, Arianna kept her eyes straight till they were out of the room.

    Thank God.

    Meanwhile, ra had enough of waiting. She had no idea what was going on up there and both men stopped her from joining them. She didn¡¯t want to disobey their order or be seen as a gossip, but she was tired of waiting and so she stood up to head there.

    However, when she cut into the corner of the passageway, ra bumped into a bunch of cleaners judging from their uniform, and one of them, in particr, knocked into her.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± The woman said and moved on and ra didn¡¯t think much about it because she was in a hurry to go see Marcel and her father-inw. However, she suddenly halted in her steps, having remembered something.

    .....

    That face....

    She had seen that face before, wasn¡¯t that....

    At once, ra turned around and went after the cleaners.

    ¡°Excuse me? Excuse me?!¡± She shouted after them and they had no choice but to stop in the end. They all turned at once and stared at the youngdy waving after them.

    Mimi and her team looked at the woman in front of them with no clue who she was and their gazes were filled with questions. What does she want from them?

    ra stopped and stared at them as well, checking for the face she had seen earlier but she was nowhere to be found and that left her confused.

    She was sure to have seen Marcel¡¯s mistress among them or had she mistaken? After all, she had been thinking of that woman a little too much these days, ande to think of it, why would she even be here?

    It sounded outrageous.

    ¡°Do you need anything, Ma¡¯m?¡± Grace was the one who asked her. Judging from thedy¡¯s ostentatious dressing and the ne on her neck plus her gracious countenance, she could tell that thedy must be rich or something. Not to mention that she was walking freely with no soldier harassing her.

    ¡°No, nothing!¡± ra woke up from her stupid thoughts, ¡°I must have been mistaken or something? Go on ahead, don¡¯t mind.¡± She turned and left immediately, red in the face.

    That was very embarrassing. What had she even been thinking? Marcel¡¯s womaning here for what? She must be out of her mind or something?! No, ra knew she had to get that fucking woman out of her mind before she lost it!

    ¡°Jade!¡± Miriam called Arianna from her hiding spot not long after ra left, ¡°What are you doing there?¡± She looked at her weirdly.

    ¡°Oh, this!¡± Arianna stepped away from the pir she stood behind, and then touched it, ¡°I was simply admiring it,¡± She lied.

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± Miriam gave her an incredulous look. One of them was almost and the other was admiring a wall ¨C probably losing her mind after her friend was harassed, she thought.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Miriam went ahead to pull her and they quickly went after the others that had left already.

    The truth is that Arianna had not been admiring any wall. No, she had bumped into ra in the passageway, which was quite a shocker. What was ra doing here as well? It was as if their ns were turned upside down and if she had gone with the original script, they would be doomed by now.

    However, as soon as the shock wore off, she knew ra caught a glimpse of her. So call it instinct or something, she knew the girl woulde after her and as soon as they reached the foyer, she quickly hid behind one of the massive pirs and narrowly escaped that witch catching her.

    Yeah, it was a narrow escape and she couldn¡¯t wait to get out of this ce because there was only so much her poor heart could handle. She couldn¡¯t wait to be alone with Mimi so she could properly take care of her friend. All those acting and the emotions must have taken a toll on her and she looked exhausted.

    The cleaning crew didn¡¯t take their equipment because all that mattered was getting out of here before the assholes thought of something else to torment their life. They would probably send their things back to them at the end of the day. For now, they had to return to thepany and report what happened.

    They all got into the car and Arianna sat beside Mimi this time, making sure her head rested on her shoulder. She was never using her friend as bait to catch the bad guys again. She feared how to exin what happened to Victor because he was sure to go bananas.

    They drove off and it wasn¡¯t after they sessfully left the ce that Arianna was able to finally breathe. If Marcel¡¯s base had been a prison, then this ce was definitely an evil fortress.

 Chapter 390

    390 Done ying With Her

    ¡°Marcel!¡±

    He turned only for ra to run into his arms out of nowhere, stunning him as she hugged him tightly. Marcel had been tense since earlier when he found out one of the cleaners was assaulted and he thought it was Arianna.

    Hence, when ra hugged her, he only tensed up the more and stood awkwardly. But ra didn¡¯t care and held him tighter. After her useless imagination where she thought she saw Marcel¡¯s mistress here, ra was uneasy and was afraid to lose him, so she wanted to feel him. To confirm that he was here and real ¨C that she hadn¡¯t lost to that woman.

    Daniel chuckled upon seeing the situation, ¡°We haven¡¯t left for a long time and you miss him already. Young people and their excessive energy, the both of you must take advantage of that now you have the time and youth. Life runs faster than you think,¡± He hinted that they should have lots of sex now they were younger.

    Marcel shut his eyes, trying to rein in the anger and frustration. Thest ce he needed to be was here and ra touching him was beginning to upset him. He needed to see Arianna and confirm that she was unharmed ¨C and as well, understand what went on here.

    From what he saw so far, Arianna looked fine, but he needed to confirm that she was truly without injuries. That damned S¨¦bastien hit Mimi, what if the asshole hit her as well and she was hiding it? If only Marcel knew that Arianna was well except for her damaged pride ¨C S¨¦bastien groped her.

    With them out of here, Marcel knew Victor was already on it ¨C he would guide them back to the base. But until he had Arianna in his arms, he would not befortable.

    She stepped back, then looked at him, ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He glowered at her. What was she up to now?

    .....

    ¡°You look a bit pale, are you worried about something? Or is something bothering you? You¡¯re clearly worried. ¡± She inquired further, brushing off his rudeness.

    ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m thinking of how much of a hassle it would be to n another family dinner when we have just a week to n our wedding ceremony? Perhaps, father should simply speak to your mother when he¡¯s recovered from his illness while we focus on making the wedding arrangement?¡± Marcel suggested innocently when in reality, there was a hidden agenda behind those words.

    And ra must have figured out his objective as well because she suddenly looked nervous andughed awkwardly, ¡°What do you mean by visiting my mother all by himself? It¡¯s a family dinner after all and we should all be together,¡± she signaled Marcel to support her but he pretended not to have noticed her signs even when she was pinching him tight.

    ra¡¯s face turned dark immediately, he was breaking out of their agreement!

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll handle that myself,¡± Daniel said unsuspectingly, not even noticing the tension between his son and his daughter-inw because they both covered it up with a smile.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s all and I¡¯ve confirmed that you¡¯re not dead, we¡¯d be taking our leave then,¡± Marcel said, wrapping his arm around ra¡¯s waist and giving off a sense of intimacy when in reality he was simply warning her from saying or doing something stupid.

    Marcel added, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m sure you want a word with your men and their education,¡± He rubbed salt in Daniel¡¯s wound, having thestugh in this encounter.

    ¡°Goodbye father,¡± Marcel said and without even waiting for ra to say a proper goodbye, he dragged her along.

    His grip was iron around her and ra couldn¡¯t break away as much as she wanted to. It wasn¡¯t until they sessfully made it outside that she broke free and then with an aggrieved roar, she pushed him hard on the chest.

    ¡°You bastard! You broke our agreement!¡± ra was so filled with anger that she pushed him once more but Marcel didn¡¯t react and let her take out all of her frustration on him. No, it annoyed her most that he didn¡¯t even stumble back, he was firm on his feet.

    ¡°You failed me! You of all people know my mother wants to break off the engagement and you did what? Set things in motion? You n for him to go visit my mother unprepared so they could do what? Annul the engagement?!¡± She was furious.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Marcelughed crudely.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± ra reached out and pped Marcel across the face. There was not even an ounce of fear in her eyes, after all, what¡¯s the worst that he could do to her? Moreover, they were still at his father¡¯s ce, he wouldn¡¯t dare.

    But then, Marcel proved to her that he could pretty much do anything he wanted when he reached out and grabbed her hair, yanking her closer and tilting her head up while she moaned in pain.

    He then let go of her hair and gripped her jaw and her eyes teared up. He was hurting her. Marcel was hurting her.

    ¡°Now, this is the way we are going to y this little game of yours from now on,¡± Marcel instructed her, ¡°You are going to obediently get into that car with me and I would drive you to whenever I seem fit before you get off because there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m driving your royal ass home .¡± He chuckled as if the thought itself was ridiculous.

    ¡°After that, you would get home and be a good girl, ra. It¡¯s up to you to decide to tell your mother if you want to end this bad idea of a marriage or go ahead with this version of hell we¡¯re about to enter.¡±

    He dragged his thumb across her face with a smile on his face ¨C the smile of assurance that he usually gave his victims before he ended their life.

    ¡°No tricks there darling, like calling on my daddy and snitching on me like an unfaithful partner, after all, I did keep my own end of the bargain with your mother around. It¡¯s your fault for not telling me that the gesture extended to my father as well.¡± He imed.

    ra whimpered, he was lying. But she didn¡¯t dare to say that out loud.

    ¡°So, are we good to go?¡± He asked her, hoping for a positive answer.

    But there was a look of defiance from ra and it wasn¡¯t until Marcel intensified his grip on her jaw and another round of tears slipped from her eyes, that she finally gave in by nodding her head. Her eyes were shut close in pain, this was the first time that Marcel hurt her physically.

    However, Marcel paid no attention to her petty emotions and patted her head with a sardonic smirk, ¡°Good girl.¡±

    He was done ying with her.

 Chapter 391

    391 He Kissed Her And She Enjoyed It

    They were being followed, Arianna found out. However, she was calm knowing that it was Marcel¡¯s people trying to make sure that they were safe.

    Honestly, Arianna was touched by the gesture. Had it been in the past, she would have thought that Marcel was simply following her to secure his prisoner and make sure she doesn¡¯t escape him.

    And that brought her back to the question, will she escape him though? It was no longer a question of ¡°Could she escape him?¡± because Arianna was sure to have found the way already. Marcel trusted her and that was powerful enough for her.

    However, it was now a question of decision, ¡®will¡¯ she escape him? And of course, it wasplicated as well. Maybe she would, but that would be in the future ¨C if he gave her a reason to run from him ¨C for now, she would spend time with him and explore these raw feelings blossoming between the both of them.

    And yes, as Arianna thought, Victor and the others were in the car keeping an eye on them. However, none of them knew that there was another car slowly trailing them.

    The driver of the car was Elijah and unlike the other times where he had his face painted, it was bare this time with half of it partially hidden by the cap he was wearing. He didn¡¯t exactly have the time to suit up because he was low on information.

    However, while Victor and the others had been watching Daniel¡¯s ce, he was watching them as well up high in another building not far away from their location.

    He was not prepared to save Arianna today, but the opportunity could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. So he had to try. Hence, having known the cleaningpany was their next destination, he moved ahead of them.

    Even as a fake employee, it turns out that making an official statement where one of you was almost raped in a client¡¯s house was quite tiring. They had to go through a lot of procedures and questioning before they were let off for the day.

    .....

    As soon as they made it to the lobby, Victor was there, dragging the exhausted Mimi into his arms. However, no sooner had he pulled away from her that he noticed the bruise on her face and his countenance changed at once.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± He asked no one in particr but Arianna knew that question was directed at her.

    She scratched her head nervously, ¡°There was a bit of a situation but you are assured that justice was served.¡±

    Unfortunately, Victor didn¡¯t share the same opinion as her. He growled at Arianna, ¡°Damn justice, I am going to kill that bastard myself.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Luca blocked his way as soon as he turned, ¡°They barely carried through with this n. Daniel is not stupid, he¡¯d suspect foul y if one of his men turns up dead without his order,¡± He made it clear to him.

    Victor stopped in his tracks at once knowing Luca was right. As much as he wanted to kill the bastard responsible for this, he needed Mimi alive by his side and Daniel was not the type to forgive freely when he came to know what they did. For their betrayal! For their audacity.

    ¡°Please Victor.¡± Mimi took his hand, hoping to persuade him as well, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything reckless for now. I¡¯mpletely fine. Nothing happened. See, it doesn¡¯t even hurt anything.¡± She showed him.

    Unknown to them, while they were busy with their problems, Elijah was at the corner watching them. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the familiar red hair and Arianna¡¯s beautiful face. She hardly changed ever since.

    His blood thrummed with excitement, he couldn¡¯t wait to get her back. He missed her so much and he was a fool to have dragged this game out for so long. He needed her now.

    If only he could cause a distraction that draws the attention of the two men away from her for just a second, then he could grab and take her out of there. Arianna wouldn¡¯t refuse toe with him once he reveals himself to her.

    Suddenly an idea struck him, but just as he was about to execute it, he saw Marcel approaching and he took a step back at once.

    Damn, why did Marcel have to appear now of all moments? That made the situation a whole lot worse now. What was he going to do? Elijah wasn¡¯t sure he would be able to sleep properly tonight if he didn¡¯t get her.

    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t make a reckless move because his face was bare and he felt exposed. Elijah had always felt strong because his identity was hidden and he wasn¡¯t ready to lose that form of security.

    ¡°Arianna!¡±

    ¡°Marcel?¡± She was surprised upon seeing him. Arianna thought they would meet at the...

    ¡°Umm...¡± Every thought escaped her head when Marcel reached out without warning and kissed her. All she could try to do was to brace herself against the onught of emotions that attacked her body.

    Marcel cupped her face and kissed her hard, deep, and aggressively, giving her no chance to reciprocate the feeling as if he wanted this moment to be about her alone, and not him.

    But then when she finally pulled away for air, their lips met once in a much more tender kiss. Her lips moved against his and Marcel pulled her closer by the waist as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of her. He bit on her lower lips loving the sound she made at the back of her throat and probably would have taken things further until he realized they were in public.

    Damn!

    Sadly, this had to wait until he got the information he needed concerning what happened today. He nced up at her and unlike the usual frowns he gave ra, Marcel said to her affectionately, ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he offered her his hand.

    Arianna looked at the hand and took it, smiling in response, and left with him, with none of them seeing the shock-stricken face on Elijah¡¯s face.

    What just happened? The phantom thief had a hard time believing what he saw with his eyes.

    Did Marcel just kiss Arianna and she liked it?

    No, that can¡¯t be happening.

    It can¡¯t be that he lost her.

    That can never happen.

    No, he was never going to agree to that.

 Chapter 392

    392 Marcel Wasn¡¯t Waiting Anymore

    Marcel didn¡¯t ask her anything on their way to the base, if anything he just held onto her hand and leaned back on his seat with his eyes shut. But Arianna was not fooled by that gentle demeanor because she knew that was only the calm before the storm.

    Victor and Marcel were really blood-rted because the other cousin didn¡¯t ask questions as well and that made the girls ufortable. A whole lot of exnation was awaiting them at the base.

    Winter didn¡¯t ride with them and ording to the information they received, the young girl returned home as soon as she received the USB to secure it. And not long after, they too returned to the base and the long-dreaded moment arrived.

    ¡°So....¡± Marcel began, rubbing his palm together, ¡°Do any of you care to tell us what went on in there because it is quite obvious that you didn¡¯t carry out the original n.¡± He asked.

    They were currently in the living room and while she and Mimi sat beside each other on the couch for support, Victor and Marcel loomed over them like parents reprimanding their children over a prank gone wrong. Sadly, Arianna hated it when Marcel hovered over her, it made her feel small and that he was the one in control.

    Arianna took it upon herself to answer, ¡°Well, for starters, the original n would have gotten us killed which was why I twitched it a little,¡±

    ¡°Exactly, what did you twitch, Arianna?¡± Victor growled, impatience in his tone.

    ¡°Back off, Victor¡± Marcel warned him, ¡°I¡¯m the one doing the questioning here, remember?¡±

    Victor took a step back but it was obvious that he wasn¡¯tfortable with the suspense. The young cousin was craving violence, she could smell the blood lust oozing off him.

    .....

    ¡°Answer my question, Arianna,¡± Marcel was sterner this time, ¡°What did you do?¡±

    Unable to keep it a secret anymore, Arianna took a deep breath, and then looking Marcel straight in the eyes, she answered honestly, ¡°We found a scapegoat, led him on, although to be precise, Mimi did all the enticing.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Victor cursed in anger having gotten an idea where her story was headed. He dared to imagine the scene and all Victor could feel was anger coursing through him. He was going to kill that bastard.

    Arianna went on, ¡°He came to collect on his promise of sex, however, we framed him. Who would believe him anyway? He¡¯s a man. There was a bit of acting involved but that provided the distraction I needed to get the job done.¡± She exined.

    There was a short silence until Marcel said,¡± I asked you to pull out of the mission if it got too hard? Why did you not listen?! ¡±

    ¡°We came too far, I couldn¡¯t just give up already. Moreover, it¡¯s your sister that we¡¯re talking here. I knew I had to do something, and as dangerous as it was, I would do that over again if that meant finding her and saving the poor girl from your father.¡± Arianna told him boldly.

    ¡°Arianna...¡± Marcel was short of words, rubbing his temple instead. He had forgotten how stubborn she could be.

    ¡°Perhaps, the next time you decide to engage in such a suicidal n, don¡¯t involve Mimi, would you?!¡± Victor was furious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t -¡±

    ¡°It was my decision,¡± Mimi suddenly spoke up.

    She stood up, ¡°Surely, you didn¡¯t expect that I would go to that mission and only get to be the female lead¡¯s friend, instead of her sidekick? Am I just here for decoration?¡± Mimi asked him, angry as well.

    ¡°That is not what I mean.¡±

    ¡°You certainly made it what you mean!¡± She retorted and walked away.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Victor called after her and when she didn¡¯t answer, he went over to her, leaving Marcel and Arianna alone.

    There was nothing but tensed silence between the both of you until Marcel stood up to his feet and said to her, ¡°Follow me,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t answer her and went on ahead leaving Arianna no choice but to follow after him. Thinking that he had something special to discuss with her, Arianna was surprised when he only led her to his room.

    No sooner had shee in, than he shut the door and without warning, pushed her against the wall and her heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna breathed, the atmosphere in the room changing at once when he pressed her body against her.

    Her heart began to pound in her chest as he leaned over to kiss her. Her eyes instinctively shut on their own and awaited for their lips to meet. But then, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Marcel whispered into her ears instead, ¡°Tell me, Arianna, what else are you hiding from me about this incident?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She gulped, wondering how he knew.

    But Marcel leaned down to kiss the curve of her neck and she shut her eyes to relieve the feeling, but only for a moment, because he pulled away saying, ¡°I know you, Arianna and you never do something for no reason. Your scapegoat, you choose him precisely. What did he do to you?¡±

    Their gaze met and there she saw the approval. Marcel wanted her to tell the truth.

    Lifting her head, she confessed to him,

    ¡°He groped me. ¡±

    She felt him stiffen and there she saw it in his eyes, what Arianna could only describe as a little madness, but it was gone as soon as it came. She didn¡¯t even know what she saw anymore.

    ¡°Good choice,¡± Marcel approved of her using the asshole as a scapegoat.

    ¡°And also, thank you,¡± He added immediately, ¡°Although I¡¯m going to be showing it in a different kind of way.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    His lips covered hers, answering her questions and the breath was knocked out of her lungs. At first, the kiss was sweet and gentle, but the passion soon exploded and they couldn¡¯t keep their hands off each other.

    While Arianna thread her hand through his hair pulling him closer than he was, Marcel was working on the buttons of the shirt printed thepany logo. It had to go. Marcel had enough patience already and wasn¡¯t waiting anymore.

 Chapter 393

    393 Don¡¯t stop, Marcel

    Note :- Snu Snu scene ahead.

    _________

    Arianna knew there was no going back when Marcel pulled the shirt off her, helping him slip it down her arm. Her eyes followed the action of the material falling to the ground and then her gaze was back on him and she forgot how to breathe.

    Marcel¡¯s grey orbs were darker but yet for some reason, they burned brighter and the air was filled with so much sexual energy that she couldn¡¯t help but rub her thighs together.

    God, the man was so sexy and appealed so much sex appeal that she bet anydy in her ce right now would dly take off her pants and wave in the air for him because he deserved it.

    It was good to know that she was not the only one affected by the sexual energy saturating the air because his breathing was deep and fast, his gaze dropped to her chest, making her heart beat faster.

    Arianna was not worried about the state of her bra because he was the man who got them for her and they were sexy. This was the first time she wondered what was going through his mind when he got them for her. Had he by chance... no, this was not the time to think about it.

    Marcel lowered his lips to her nipples through her bra and she sucked in a sharp breath. Her nipples had already hardened to the point that they were like little rocks and poked hard against the material.

    ¡°Dear God,¡± Arianna shivered, her core heating up. He hadn¡¯t even begun and she was melting like butter on heat.

    .....

    His hand went to unsp her bra and as soon as her breasts were free, his lips waged their war against her nipple.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna moaned this time, gasping for air while her hands rested on his shoulder trying to push him away yet pulling him closer at the same time.

    His lips sucked her nipple firmly while his hand found the other breast and started rolling her nipple between his fingers. He made a sound that nearly drove her to the brink as he swallowed, not only her nipple, but her entire are into his mouth and pinched the other nipples hard, the pain exciting her.

    Her toes curled in on themselves and her mouth opened but no words came out of it. Her panties were dripping with her wetness and she was engulfed with a need so intense that Arianna didn¡¯t even realize she was grinding against him while Marcel devoured her breast.

    When he finally broke away, Arianna was the one who pulled him back up and smacked her lips against his, kissing him hard on the mouth. Her tongue moved against his, trying to dominate his, but all they did was duel against each other until they both came up for air.

    Marcel leaned his forehead against hers before kissing his way up to her neck and nipping her ear before whispering to her, ¡°I thought I could wait until ra¡¯s case was settled, but I don¡¯t think I can anymore. I must have you, Arianna,¡±

    Arianna shivered, knowing what he was asking for and didn¡¯t know what to answer him. She was not going to lie, ra bothered her, not to mention that the doubt that Marcel¡¯s feelings for her were genuine still lingered at the back of her head. Does his feelings for her stem from the challenge of getting back at Elijah?

    Aside from that, what if after all of this, he still gets married to ra because she was not ready to be somebody¡¯s mistress.

    Arianna was not the one to destroy a couple¡¯s happiness ¨C even if they don¡¯t love each other. Once Marcel gets married, he doesn¡¯t belong to her any longer, and she would not cause pain to another woman for the fear of karma.

    Moreover, when she loves, the man¡¯s going to belong to her alone. There was no sharing till death did them apart. God, she can¡¯t possibly be thinking of spending the rest of her life with Marcel? Arianna was stunned by her thought. Well... it can¡¯t be that bad...

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Marcel called her once again and she realized that she had been lost in her thoughts all this while.

    This was the point of no return and he was asking her to make a decision. It was either he proceeded or he halted his ns, it can¡¯t be both.

    Arianna looked Marcel in the eye, as much as the future was uncertain ¨C and dangerous ¨C this was the present and she couldn¡¯t destroy the moment. So she gave him her response by kissing him gently on the lips but Marcel pulled back.

    His hand went to her cheek, ¡°I need your words,¡±

    Oh, these men and their words. The men here took words of the mouth seriously and Arianna knew he wanted to make sure that she knew what she was doing ¨C what she was getting herself into.

    Arianna stepped closer till their chest was touching and she could feel his hard erection through his pants poking into her side. For someone determined to stop if she didn¡¯t want that, she wondered how he would take care of that.

    ¡°That seems like a problem,¡± She said instead of answering his question. Marcel didn¡¯t look down but she was sure that he was hyper-aware of what she did to his body because his breathing changed when her hand gilded over his erection.

    She traced the tent, somehow marveled by the sheer size of it as the virgin she was, while Marcel stood incredibly still that one might think that he was strapped to a bomb about to detonate.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± She said, ¡°If I say no, what would you do? To be precise, what would you do about this problem?¡± She hinted to his member, touchinghim more firmly and Marcel gritted his teeth, expelling a hiss. He looked like he was in pain.

    ¡°Answer me,¡± She demanded.

    ¡°I would let you go!¡± His answer was more of a growl as his frustration grew.

    ¡°Then what?¡± She arched a brow at her, knowing that can¡¯t be the end.

    ¡°Then I would touch myself.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°While thinking of what I would have done to you.¡± Marcel looked as if it pained him to say those words. Guess, he finally got what it felt like to not be in control.

    Arianna let out a smirk, having gotten her answer. She said cheekily, ¡°Let¡¯s turn that to reality, then.¡± She gave him her response, ¡°Don¡¯t stop Marcel.¡±

 Chapter 394

    394 Jesus Is Not Here

    Time stopped for only a moment because the next thing Arianna knew, Marcel pinned her to the wall and he was devouring her lips, the kiss so brutal and demanding that she was heaving heavily when she finally came up for air.

    His erection pressing into her guts, he growled against her lips, ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you thoroughly,¡± He promised her.

    Does anyone ever get fucked thoroughly? Arianna didn¡¯t know but she had a feeling that she was about to find out.

    He kissed her once more but this time it was less brutal while she tore at the buttons of his shirt, desperate to get her hands on his bare skin. She can¡¯t be the only bare here and as soon as his shirt was off, she kissed his small, pink nipples and Marcel groaned, his arms around her waist tightening to the point it was bruising.

    He found her cor bone and kissed her there. His lips grazed and teased her skin while she ran her hands down his firm abdominal muscles. Marcel wasn¡¯t bulky but he sure had enough muscles on him and she loved each bump under her fingers.

    It was astonishing the way his stomach flexed under her touch showing just how affected he was by her. Suddenly, Marcel¡¯s hands were on her trouser, and undid it, pulling the fabric down and she moved back to be able to step out of it.

    He then lowered himself to the ground, Arianna gulped, knowing what he was about to do and her core clenched in anticipation. Marcel leaned closer and pushed his nose against her underwear and she blushed badly, why was he smelling her arousal? It was dirty yet erotic and she loved it.

    However, Marcel stunned her when he grabbed hercy pants and ripped it, like literally ripped it off her bottom.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Sheined about his actions. What kind of caveman tactics was this, he could have just pulled it down if he wanted it off that badly.

    .....

    But then, it suddenly hit her, was this the reason he had a set of unuseddy¡¯s underwear she stumbled upon the time she wrecked his room. Tearing panties was his kink?

    It was kind of hot now she thought about it, but let¡¯s be economical here. If Marcel continued with his kink each time they had sex, then she would probably be left with zero panties by the time the month was over. And she couldn¡¯t walk around the base without pants all because she didn¡¯t want them to be destroyed by this certain beast.

    However, jealousy suddenly stabbed Arianna in the guts when she realized Marcel must have done this with several other women. Just how many women has he destroyed their panties? With his ability, she was sure he had made a record. She should give him a medal for that ¨C note the sarcasm.

    However, jealous or not, the emotion was flung out the window the moment Marcel kissed her thigh. His hot, moist lips glided along her thighs, leaving goosebumps in its wake as he traced the skin in a sensual caress.

    Her body tightened when he got incredibly close to her sex and she tried to grab the wall or anything to brace herself knowing what was about to hit her. But there was nothing aside from the wall behind her.

    Instead of his mouth, Marcel moved his hand into her clit and parted her wet folds and Arianna moaned, the sensation was heaven and she needed more. However, Marcel pulled away, and just when she was about toin, his mouth found her clit.

    ¡°Oh my!¡± Arianna cried out at the sudden intrusion. She gasped for air as Marcel didn¡¯t waste time and went into the business of eating her out.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± She cried out, her legs trembling and nearly giving out, but she couldn¡¯t fall either. She couldn¡¯t fall now.

    Arianna wed blindly at the walls, they couldn¡¯t give her the support she needed and she somehow reached out and grabbed the doorknob beside her, anchoring herself while her other hand traveled down and yanked at Marcel¡¯s hair. He was killing her, a kind of sweet death.

    Arianna squealed loudly as Marcel increased his pace, licking and sucking as the orgasm built inside of her. She mped her thighs around his head but he was stronger, using his hand to spread her legs.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna gulped, trying to speak but she couldn¡¯t, not with Marcel sucking and nibbling her towards the edge.

    Her body tightened and she moaned out her climax but Marcel didn¡¯t break the pace. He continued eating her out and this time, made his tongue go rigid and flicked it against her.

    ¡°Jesus...¡± Arianna moaned, trembling from the pleasure, and felt him stop immediately.

    Marcel pulled back and looked straight at her with a shit-eating grin, saying, ¡°Sorry, love, but he¡¯s not here.¡±

    And his mouth was back on her again, grabbing her hips and sucking her clit harder, his face going impossibly deeper before he introduced a finger inside of her, and Arianna knew that she was a goner.

    His finger moved inside of her as he thrust it in and out of her while his mouth sucked her clit faster, forming a rhythm of his own.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Her breathing wasbored and her hips moved against his fingers, feeling her walls tighten.

    Marcel shockingly added a second finger, setting a faster pace now and Arianna couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. His fingers and tongue on her brought her pleasure so wild she thought she would lose her mind. It was the first time she was feeling so much pleasure, not even Elijah had brought her to such a level.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going... going to....¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t articte her words properly as a mind-blowing orgasm washed over her, her body shuddered with her legs trembling and it was a surprise that she was still able to stand.

    Her eyes fluttered close, exhaustion setting in but it wasn¡¯t over yet. Marcel was not kidding when he said he would fuck her thoroughly.

 Chapter 395

    395 She Belived Him

    Arianna.... So beautiful and all his, the thought trilled Marcel. Pulling out of her, he watched, enraptured as she rode out her climax, her mouth open, gasping for air with her rosy cheeks while her nipples hardened from the sensation.

    There was not a single part of her body that he didn¡¯t love; Arianna was made for her. He couldn¡¯t wait to be inside of her, to feel her tight cunt squeezing his cock and milking his hot seed. Yes, he was not using protection for this one.

    Marcel was clean and he bet Arianna was too. She didn¡¯t look like she had that much experience, there was that innocence in her eyes that he would very much taint after this is over.

    If she was on the pills, he had no idea, and he inwardly wished he wasn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t mind it if she became fertile with his child. However, their rtionship was too early and he would have a pill sent to her after this.

    It quite bothered him that she had been with Elijah, but not to worry, after today, he would be all she ever thought about. One thing Arianna doesn¡¯t know was that he was about to own her, body, mind, and soul. Arianna had fallen into his web and he was not going to let her go. Never.

    Arianna climbed down from the ninth heaven, her eyes taking in Marcel who was now standing fully in front of her, her wetness coating his lips and covering his entire chin. She should be embarrassed, but then, she found it sexy. The scene was beautiful, like a piece of art.

    They stared into each other¡¯s eyes, feeding off the lust in both of their gazes and he leaned closer, her sensitive nipples brushing across his chest, the action sending a jolt of pleasure to her core.

    Arianna moaned which was quite shocking to her. For someone who had numerous orgasms in the past minutes ¨C thanks to his skillful hands, tongue, and mouth ¨C Arianna thought she would be satiated and wouldn¡¯t want any more. But to her surprise, her core throbbed, aching for more. And this time, she wanted something fuller ¨C she wanted him inside of her.

    Their kiss was slow yet deep and she tasted herself off him. His hands traced the skin of her back, branding her with his touch. Arianna worked on his pants now; he undressed her, it was right that she undressed him as well.

    .....

    She undid his zipper and pulled the pants down his leg, swallowing when she saw his erection pressing against his boxers. It was huge, more prominent than when his pants were on.

    Arianna was not totally ignorant of dicks, but that doesn¡¯t mean she went around checking them out, at least she was well informed and educated about them. Mimi gave her thorough adult education aka watching pornos. But then, reading and seeing one online was totally different from seeing one close-up.

    Her throat dried up because she had a feeling that Marcel was one of those men adored with huge manhood. She had seen some sex actors with one and wondered how they fit inside the women, but it somehow did. And now, she couldn¡¯t believe she was about to find out herself.

    Marcel raised a brow at the sight of Arianna being spellbound with his dick. Even though some wouldn¡¯t admit it, he was sure most women loved a big dick and Arianna seems to be one of them. Marcel mistook Arianna¡¯s shock as bewilderment.

    He was proud of his endearment and he was much happier that Arianna loved it. So to help his woman get a good view of him, Marcel pulled his boxers down and one should see the shock on Arianna¡¯s face who was still kneeling in front of him.

    Her eyes went wide the moment his cock jutted out, nearly hitting her face had she been any closer. Arianna froze up at the sight, she was right. Marcel was long and thick and there were visible veins around it that made her gulp.

    By chance, does he work out his dick as well because that was the only reasonable exnation for this monstrous cock that kept increasing in size? Just how bigger could he go? And that made her ask the question, how was he going to fit inside of her?

    ¡°Come on, love, you seriously can¡¯t keep staring at my cock all day, I¡¯m so hard it¡¯s painful,¡± He winked at her, ¡°This beast needs to be inside of you.¡±

    Arianna gulped, scared to the bones. He was right in one thing though, his cock was a beast. So she stood up and blurted the first thing that came to her mind, ¡°I¡¯m a virgin.¡± She confessed because her life was at stake here.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel must have heard wrong.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had sex,¡± She rified, ¡°Well, prative sex to be exact.¡±

    Marcel looked at her, his jaw almost dropping to the ground. He shook his head in confusion, ¡°I thought you and Elijah -¡±

    ¡°There was no time,¡± Arianna exined immediately, ¡°We didn¡¯t exactly date that long for that to happen...¡± Before Big Joe took me, and then you. Arianna didn¡¯t add that part nor could she believe they were having this conversation while naked.

    ¡°So I¡¯m going to be your first?¡± The realization pleased Marcel. He was going to mark her first, proving she rightfully belonged to him after all.

    ¡°Yeah, you are.¡± Arianna breathed, the thought of it arousing her for some reason even though she was slightly terrified of the experience.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything, rather he stepped closer and without warning, pushed her up against the wall while she wrapped her legs around his hips. She felt his hard cock beneath her and was tempted to grind her hips against it, but she kept still, curious to know what he had in mind.

    He kissed her neck and she sighed, tilting her neck to give him better ess as he sucked and kissed her skin. Her eyes shut close, relishing the feeling while feeling her core throb, she was aroused.

    Marcel¡¯s breath was hot and heavy on her ears as he bent to whisper, ¡°Let me tell you what it¡¯s going to happen. It would hurt at first, badly, but after that, it¡¯s going to be a sweet pleasure.¡± He promised her.

    And she believed him.

 Chapter 396

    396 How Wet Could She Get

    Arianna was able to rx under his touch and he took her into a kiss so sweet and sensual she was surprised he was capable of such gentleness. Her heart was thumping fast and hard in her chest knowing what was about to happen.

    She took a deep breath and braced herself thinking that Marcel was going to thrust inside of her in the next minute, however, her expression registered surprise mixed with confusion when his hand moved between them and his finger went into her entrance instead. What was he waiting for? She had made up her mind already... but damn, this felt so good.

    Her breath caught in her throat when the same finger slid through her fold, circling yet not quite touching her clit which had be hyperstimted. Arianna groaned in protest and then rolled her hips against his finger, the quick rush of pleasure making her head swim.

    She wrapped her arm around Marcel¡¯s neck, pulling him closer to her chest and the sneaky Mafia lord took the advantage of their closeness to steal her taut nipple into his mouth, making her jerk a bit from the unexpected action while she continued to ride against his finger.

    Blood rushed to her head as Arianna pulled him closer, burying his face in her chest as he sucked harder while increasing his pace and she was squealing loudly. God, this man would be the death of her.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t breathe, characterized by her gasping for air while she threw her head back, lost in this sensation. This was everything she wished for and more. Marcel nipped her nipple and she moaned, her clit pulsating with pleasure as her orgasm built on.

    Everything about her was soft while her cunt was wet and hot, tempting him to just stick his hard cock inside of her, but he couldn¡¯t. This was her first time and he wanted to make that memorable. Arianna obviously wanted him to get on with it but she was still not ready.

    Marcel wanted her dribbling with wetness so that when he entered her, her juice would make his movement smoother and easier. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her. So his finger returned to moving inside of her, thrusting them in and out of her while she ground against it.

    Her breathing was so harsh that she was panting. He released the overly sucked breast and turned to the other one, taking it into his hot mouth and sucking hard and she exhaled a sharp breath. He was a man who believed in fair treatment and that was what he was doing.

    .....

    ¡°Marcel...¡± He recognized that she was reaching that blinding light when her grip around his neck tightened and his hair was being yanked so strongly by the other hand that it sent pain to his scalp. But he didn¡¯t mind that ¨C because he was going to return the favorter.

    She must sound like a pornstar, Arianna went red in the face at the realization after the pleasure rippled through her and she reached the edge. Her body was still recovering from the delicious shudders when Marcel pulled out his finger from her, showing her the silky strand of her wetness that stretched over his digits.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting there,¡± Was all he said, staring at her cum as if it was a beautiful work of art and he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.

    Her face burned in embarrassment at his action, however, that seems to be just the beginning because Marcel took that finger and put it right into his mouth, making a delicious sound that rumbled through her as he sucked her nectar off his fingers.

    There was no way he was faking that reaction, Arianna realized because there was nothing but unaltered satisfaction in his dark eyes that seemed to burn through her. Marcel¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but lust and desire ¨C for her.

    Her pussy pulsated and clenched in anticipation, and as much as she sounded like a female in heat, Arianna needed him right now. If he wouldn¡¯t give her what she wanted, she would take it.

    Hence, her hand traveled down and grabbed his cock, her hand brushing over his mushroom head dripping with precum. Marcel groaned, the sound exhrating her senses and she felt powerful. To think that with just a touch, she could bring this strong man to his knees? She liked it.

    She ran her hand down his length, feeling his hot cock growing in her hand and her pussy spilled more wetness while butterflies grew in her stomach. Arianna was no longer scared of the pain, all that mattered was satisfying this fiery longing inside of her. She needed him badly. Arianna needed him inside of her.

    Hence, she was about to guide him to her entrance when Marcel grabbed her hips, stopping her.

    ¡°No,¡± He said.

    ¡°No, what?¡± She was on the verge of anger.

    ¡°You¡¯re not ready yet,¡±

    ¡°Fucking hell I am!¡± She growled at him and to make her point, rubbed her wet core on his crotch and he hissed through his teeth. It took Marcel all his self-control not to m into her and satisfy his raging cock right now.

    Does she think he had it easy? He was barely holding back else he would let loose the beast inside of him and ravish her till she¡¯s whimpering and crying for him to have mercy on her.

    Oh, that was for sure, he would make her beg. Punish her all of the times she yed with his feelings. He would punish her for making a fool out of him, plus denying her feelings for him when things between them could have been much simpler.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± He easily overpowered her, pinning her hands over her head with one of his hands and leaving her defenseless except for when she ground against him and he groaned. He was right to have named her a fucking siren because she was one.

    He whispered into her ears, ¡°What I have in store for you, there¡¯s no ounce of gentleness in them. So I need you dripping like a waterfall because that was the only way you would be able to survive it.¡±

    Okay, when he does put it like that, it makes it sound dangerous. Deliciously dangerous and she wanted it. Arianna had always been excited about challenges, hence she was determined to see this one to the end.

    ¡°So do you understand?¡±

    There was no response. If anything she lifted her chin in a show of defiance. As if she was going to admit that he was in control.

    Suddenly, Marcel pinched her nipple harshly and a whimper left her mouth as he demanded, ¡°Do you understand me, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± She breathed, her nipples throbbing from the pain yet shockingly, they exploded into pleasure in the next minute. Holy fuck, she never knew pain was a sweet aphrodisiac.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Marcel said and kissed her. He was the one in charge, he showed it in the way he dominated the kiss, his tongue curling in around hers and she only received what he gave her.

    He kissed over the crook of her neck, only to speak into her skin where he sucked, ¡°Be a good girl and I won¡¯t extend it for too long.¡±

    ¡°Extend what?¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes were dazed and she did not know what he was talking about.

    However, she found out in the next minute when he shifted her hips and then cupped her bottom, feeling them before rubbing them on his rock-hard crotch.

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Arianna moaned, her eyes slipping to the back of her head. It felt so good that she couldn¡¯t help but roll her hips against him. But Marcel pped her on the ass, saying with a smirk, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your help.¡±

    Oh no, he can¡¯t do that to her. Her legs trembled and she wrapped them harder around him to brace herself. She needed to touch him to take off the edge or heighten it? She had no idea.

    Her pussy dripped more cum and her orgasm was much faster this time, however, just as she was about to crash over the edge, he stopped.

    God, he can¡¯t leave her hanging like this.

    As she was about toin, Marcel kissed her hard, distracting her from the longing between her legs. By the time he was done, the throbbing was done and she was able to breathe a little.

    However, Marcel slid his cock up and down her wetness and her back arched off the wall, the pleasure hitting her in a double torrent. She shivered involuntarily, her stomach tightening as her body was overly sensitive to everything this time.

    But like earlier, Marcel would not sink his cock inside of her nor would he give her the release she wanted. He would only distract her with the kiss and at the fourth time, Arianna couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He had to stop teasing her. She was so aroused that her cum was dripping down her thighs. Just how wet does he want her to get.

 Chapter 397

    397 Release

    Thank you for your golden tickers ¨C xoxo

    ___________

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna pleaded, her bottom lips trembling. She¡¯s squirming above Marcel, her pussy gasping for some kind of contact.

    She was so wet now that her cum coated down her thighs and Arianna was so desperate for a release that she would have gone on her knees and begged Marcel if he wanted her to.

    Right now, all the pride and shame had left her body and all that made sense to her right now was one word, ¡°Release¡±. Her core tingled and throbbed, waiting for his cock to fill her.

    Marcel must have been considering it because he groaned, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to control myself once I start,¡± The words traveled down to her body and her pussy clenched more.

    Arianna¡¯s voice was husky and needy when she retorted, ¡°Who needs your gentleness?¡± She was capable of handling him.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes darkened further when she hinted at him that she was ready and his lips met hers once more. His tongue was slow andzy as it explored her mouth, however, Arianna could sense movements below.

    His hard length slipped between her wet folds and she moaned as he used it to rub the nub of her clit and then teased her entrance with it. Marcel let her grind against him this time, desperate to get off and she was close to it until he mmed into her without warning and a strangled scream left her lips.

    .....

    Marcel¡¯s dick pushed back the initial barrier to sink inside her heat easily thanks to the fluid aiding his movement, however, the searing pain still passed through her and she stiffened, her fingers digging into his side painfully. It hurts, but then she asked for it. Maybe Marcel was right, after all, she needed his gentleness.

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Marcel breathed against her neck, hearing her loud and breathy whimper, ¡°Just rx and it would soon go away soon.¡± He told her, running his hand through her hair soothingly.

    Arianna gulped, trying to speak but all that registered through her mind was the pain or so she thought, because a delicious sweetness exploded in her core not long after and her body was able to rx. She moaned at the feeling of Marcel filling her and her tight walls stretched around his huge cock.

    ¡°Dear God... ¡± Arianna gasped for air when she realized there was still more of his length to sink inside of her when she already felt very full. Hence, with the pain gone, she settled herself properly over him, taking in more of his length, and her back arched off the wall, nearlying from the action.

    He was buried to the hilt and Arianna shut her eyes, overwhelmed by the rush of searing sensation. It felt so damn good and her pussy clenched harder around him, fueled by her thoughts. It was as if they were weing him home.

    Gettingfortable, she was the one who rolled her hips, and began to move against him, moaning and gasping in the process. In this position, he was so deep inside of her that she had no doubt he could practically touch her womb, and damn, the whole of him fit inside of her.

    A smile touched her lips, but not for long because Marcel pulled out of herpletely and she felt the loss, only for him to m back into her and she gasped, her hand digging into his hair and pulling hard. That felt insanely good, her pussy contracting hard.

    Then he grabs her hips, guiding her hips to the rhythm of his delicious thrust.

    ¡°Marcel....¡± She was breathless, every reasonable thought escaping her head as she tried to focus on nothing but the pleasure he was eliciting inside of her.

    He moved faster and she loved the feel of his hard length slipping in and out of her. His hands then dropped to her hips, steadying her as he mmed into her, hitting against her cervix while she tried to catch her breath.

    She could feel her orgasm building, just as Marcel groaned into her ears, ¡°I won¡¯t be able tost on this one.¡±

    As if she wanted him to.

    Her pussy was overstimted from his previous teasing.

    Then Marcel increased his speed on a chaotic level that knocked the breath out of her. He was so fast and hard that all she could do was grab onto his shoulder and bounce along to his thrust.

    He pumped harder as if the speed of his thrust wasn¡¯t killing her already and her body tightened just before she reached the blinding lights.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She screamed his name, gasping and moaning as an orgasm ripped through her body and his lips covered hers, swallowing the sound.

    She felt him tremble around her, shooting his load of cum inside of her as her body went limp, slumping against him. Arianna waspletely out of breath and exhausted as well, she needed that sleep right now.

    But Marcel proved her wrong as he continued to move inside of her and she was about toin when he mmed into her, a moan leaving her mouth when her pussy clenched and pulsated around him. Didn¡¯t she juste now? She shouldn¡¯t need more. But then, there was her body betraying her thoughts.

    Marcel continued to thrust into her with a force that made her lean forward and bite down on his shoulder hard, she needed him to slow down. And he did, as if he heard her thoughts.

    He then chooses to lower his head and take her nipples into his mouth, the pleasure exploding between her legs. She was starting to see fireworks when he moved incredibly slowly, tititing his hips in such a way she felt him all over like in a circle. Dear God, he would be the death of her.

    Her breathing was rapid, her heart trying to escape her ribcage as this man brought her to heights unknown. But just as she was able to collect her thoughts, the man shattered it when he mmed into her so hard she felt him to her entrails.

 Chapter 398

    398 Looking Beyond The Pain

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna cried out. She could feel him, like really deep inside of her. What was he doing to her body?

    She felt his hand on her hair and he pulled her face up to watch the pleasure twisting her expression while he smirked wickedly, ¡°You like that, don¡¯t you, huh?¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer but rather gasped at the feeling of him sliding in and out of her. Marcel¡¯s movement this time was deeper and longer, tormenting her in a kind of way.

    So when Arianna didn¡¯t answer, he yanked on her hair and she whimpered, the pain only exciting her.

    ¡°Tell me you like my cock thrusting inside of you?!¡± He demanded, mming deeper inside of her, controlling his hips and knowing just the area to hit.

    ¡°Yes, I love it.¡± Arianna cried out, unable to take the torment anymore. He was stretching and pushing against her walls, his cock hitting against her G-spot and making her clench around him.

    Each time she thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to take him anymore, all Marcel had to do was just thrust inside of her and prove her body was just a big ass liar.

    ¡°So you need nothing else but me deep inside of you, my big cock filling you and making you writhe with pleasure?¡± He spoke dirty to her and for some reason, that only heightened the experience.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna said.

    .....

    A whimper tore from her throat when Marcel introduced his finger, moving against her clit while he continuously thrust into her. With the three-edged stimulus of his fingers inside of her, while promising dirty things to her body, his cock slipped in and out of her ruthlessly, it nearly cked her out.

    He was killing her but in a good way. Hence, it wasn¡¯t surprising when she felt her walls tighten, her climax building. Arianna waspletely absorbed in the feeling of his cock slipping in and out of her, fucking her.

    ¡°I think... I¡¯ming...¡± Words failed her and Marcel took that opportunity to fuck her faster and faster till she was screaming as she felt that hot rush of libidinous excitement.

    He met her dted eyes, locking with hers while she let out that garbled scream, her walls tightening around him and milking his cock as he groaned while her body suffered the most mind-blowing orgasm.

    Marcel thrust in harder while she rode out her orgasm, the desire so raw and intense that her back arched while gasping for air. He pumped his hips inside of her before stilling as he found his own release. Hence, they shuddered together, trembling with release.

    Marcel didn¡¯t pull out immediately aftering inside of her inrge bursts, thest of his cum dripping inside of her. He rather let his cock inside of her, enjoying the little aftershocks of her cunt as her body convulsed around him till she finally stilled.

    Then he pulled out and she sighed with both relief and pleasure. Arianna was so tender down there, that she wasn¡¯t sure she could take more of him. He fucked her thoroughly as he wanted. So she sagged against him, exhaustion slipping in.

    Hence, when Marcel carried her in his arms towards his bed, she thought they were finally about to have the long-needed rest only for him to ce her on the edge, and her eyes widened, already with an idea of what he was about to do to her.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± She protected breathlessly, she was so tender and sensitive right now it hurt, only for him to lunge forward, and a scream was ripped from her throat.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She squealed, pain sweet pleasure exploding between her legs as tears escaped her tears.

    Her hands dug into the sheets beneath her fingers, as her leg gave out. She can¡¯t take it anymore.

    Marcel obviously thought otherwise because he pulled her back up, adjusting her hips, and poised her ass up into the air.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± She cried out, clutching the sheet tight and grasping for a hold only to feel a crack on her ass cheek and she moaned.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Marcel cursed, entranced by the sight of his cock slipping in and out of her tight pussy. This was a sight he had envisioned for a long time since the first day heid his eyes on her at the coffee shop. Who knew dreams coulde true?

    He raised his hand and pped her once again in her fat ass and she moaned, her pussy dripping more wetness. Pain was nothing but a heightened form of pleasure if one could look beyond it. And that was what he was teaching Arianna because she sure needed it around him; his world was not gentle.

    And she sure was a fast learner because she stifled it, taking him as he pushed deeper into her body. Her core tightened around him and he cursed out, ¡°You are fucking delicious,¡±

    Arianna whimpered against the pain and fullness he created at the same time, a thousand shivers washing over her.

    Marcel then moved faster and harder until all she could do was moan, purr, scream, squeal, and grabbed the nket tighter as he fucked the daylight out of her. He fucked her savagely hard, using her body for his own satisfaction yet exciting her as well.

    He pushed her face to the side, holding her neck against the bed while he grabbed both of her hands and pulled them back and using his thighs, fucked every sense out of her.

    Her grip tightened around the nket as she whimpered, writhed, and pleaded for him to have mercy on her. But Marcel did not listen as he mmed into her body harder, the pain turning into pleasure.

    She spread her hips, allowing him to go deeper as he ruthlessly plowed inside of her. With the force he knocked into her, Arianna knew inside of her that she wouldn¡¯t make use of her legs for a week after this was over. That was for sure.

    Marcel growled when her walls contracted, her cunt milking his seed while her body undted with so much pleasure that she was thrown over the edge, stars filling her vision.

    Arianna cked out.

 Chapter 399

    399 A Partner As Bad As Her

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Victor called after her but she wouldn¡¯t look back or even slow down because she was pissed off.

    She strode along the way, murmuring and fuming inwardly. Weak! Fragile! That was probably what he thought of her! Who said she couldn¡¯t take care of herself? Victor hadn¡¯t even been there all through her life and yet she survived without him. What makes him think she wouldn¡¯t now just because he moved into the picture?

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Victor caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm, turning her to him.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± She struggled with him but he wouldn¡¯t let her go. It was a desperate fight that she didn¡¯t see herself winning anytime soon if he didn¡¯t let go of her; she would only get hurt.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry!¡± He screamed at her face, face distorted with emotions and she finally stilled, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

    There was a tense silence between them until Mimi ripped her arm free and then looked up at him. The anger was still there, but it had subsided a bit and she was able to reason properly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mimi, I shouldn¡¯t have said those words there -¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Mimi interrupted him firmly, ¡°Just because we are dating doesn¡¯t mean you get to make the decisions in my life. I knew what I was getting myself into when I agreed to that n. And honestly, I considered your feelings when I agreed to it, however, those were desperate times and they required desperate measures. We couldn¡¯t just sit still and do nothing when the window of opportunity was staring right in our faces. ¡±

    Mimi took a deep breath, lowering her head to the ground before lifting them again, staring him straight in the eyes. She licked her lower lips and went on,

    .....

    ¡°I knew you were going to be mad, no, you deserved to be mad,¡± She threw her hands up,¡± I would be if I were in your shoes. However, what I couldn¡¯t take is you belittling me. Surely, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m this fragile barbie doll that needs to be protected from the world, and don¡¯t give me that myopic and toxic femininity shit. Arianna did it, why couldn¡¯t I? Or surely, you don¡¯t believe in my ability?¡± There was hurt in her tone when she asked him that.

    ¡°Of course, not!¡± Victor was quick to answer her. He stepped closer, cupping her cheek, and lifted her face to meet him and Mimi let him.

    ¡°God! You¡¯re a crazy ¨C in a good way ¨C strong and amazing woman and I don¡¯t for one moment doubt your ability, Mimi. You seriously don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten about the purple-haired witch that kidnapped a gang member all by herself,¡± He reminded her of when she went on her one-woman mission of taking out Big Joe¡¯s gang member all by herself.

    Yep, and almost got herself killed had he note to her rescue on time. Okay, maybe, she does do stupid things sometimes.

    However, that incident brought a smile to her lips because she was reminded of how insanely hot Victor looked and the fact that was the day she finally fell for him.

    Honestly, Victor was not the type of man she went for, he was too clingy and sometimes she could swear that there were a few screws loose in his head. Heughed at the oddest of things and was too spontaneous.

    Unfortunately, he had rubbed off on her and though this rtionship wasn¡¯t supposed to be long-term, he has not given her a reason to break it off yet. Not to mention the sex was to die for. And speaking of sex... alrightdy, push that matter to the back of your mind at the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I had unintentionally hurt your feelings in the process of trying to protect you,¡± He apologized with his low, rich, and timbre voice that almost made her want to melt from the inside. How could someone be so cute? He was so adorable. If only Victor knew that Mimi had already imagined him having cat ears and was tempted to run her hand over it ¨C in her imagination.

    ¡°You just don¡¯t know how scared I became when I realizedte that Daniel hadn¡¯t left and like a fool, I let you in, sending you into the lion¡¯s den. Had it not been for Marcel, I would have torn down those walls and got you out of there.¡±

    ¡°Then you would have put yourself in danger.¡± Mimi gave him a little frown, caressing his face and brushing away the hair from his forehead, ¡°I heard Daniel is not a forgiving man, you couldn¡¯t be as stupid as to put yourself in obvious danger.¡± She chided him.

    But Victor wasn¡¯t listening, instead, he lowered his head and his lips traveled to her neck and kissed her skin, her breath hitching in her throat.

    ¡°Are you even listening to what I¡¯m saying?¡± Mimi breathed through her mouth, butterflies fluttering in her belly with the kisses he rained on her neck.

    ¡°Mmmm,¡± Victor hummed against her skin, the aroused sound sending jolts of pressure to her core that made her pussy clench and she rubbed her thighs together.

    Victor then parted to answer her, ¡°I heard you right, but you should know that I would go even into the deepest hell to rescue your sexy ass, ¡± He punctuated his words by grabbing her ass cheeks and squeezed so tight she moaned.

    Mimi stared at him, open-mouthed at his boldness. Well, Victor had always been cheeky in the first ce and that was why the both of them clicked well. She needed a partner as bad as her.

    Victor¡¯s hands went to pull on thepany¡¯s shirt and she closed her hands over his, stopping him and he looked at her questioning.

    ¡°We are outside,¡± Mimi reminded him even though there was no one in sight.

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody around,¡± Victor said, but Mimi knew this ce. Even if there was nobody in sight, there were always eyes watching.

    However, Victor cocked her eyes to the side, grinning as he asked, ¡°Have you ever had sex in the open?¡±

 Chapter 400

    400 He Was Left Dry

    Had she ever had sex in the open? Of course, she hadn¡¯t, but that doesn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t open to the idea of it. Mimi was a hot-blooded twenty-first-century woman and she would sign up for any adventure that made her heart race. Moreover, she would give a good show to whoever decided to watch them.

    So Mimi bit her lower lips sensually and Victor felt his groin tighten. She said to him, ¡°I could always try it with you,¡± Mimi smirked, giving consent and a smile bloomed over his face.

    At once, Victor carried her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked forward with her and pushed her up against one of the trees outside. The sharp pain dug into her back but Mimi was notining, she had always been a fan of quick and rough sex.

    Victor¡¯s lips were on hers immediately, his tongue paving his way into her mouth while she rolled her hips against the evidence tent in his pants, grinding hard against him. He swallowed her sweet moans, his both hands squeezing her breasts through her clothes so hard that it hurt, but the pain excited her further .

    Her core arched, delirious to have him inside of her and fill her up. Victor must have sensed the urgency in her body because he unbuttoned her shirt and didn¡¯t entirely pull it off to aid with the abrasion against the tree bark. Then his lips were back on her, kissing her hard and furiously as if he was at war with them.

    He took her lower lip in between his teeth and nipped at it, she moaned. The sound reverberated deep inside of him and his cock twitched, stretching harder against his pants and craving to sink into her hot and moist cunt.

    She ground against him harder and knew from the way her body tightened around him that she came, her eyes lidded with so much pleasure. He then hurriedly pulled down her pants and his hand traveled in between her legs, rubbing her through her pants and she whimpered, burying her face into her shoulder.

    His fingers made her inner muscle clench deliciously and she soaked her already wet underwear. He then pulled her panty to the side and made contact with her clit and she moaned loudly as he parted her folds, rubbing it.

    Victor sunk his fingers into her wet core, and she squeezed around his fingers, soaking him with her wetness and he added a second figure, thrusting in and out like he was fucking her with his cock.

    .....

    Mimi squealed, lost in the feelings of his fingers inside of her, turning her body into a sensitive mess of nerves and heat. No, she couldn¡¯t think of anything else except for the pleasure Victor was giving her.

    He found his way to her G-spot, evidenced by the way her soft, velvety cunt tightened around his fingers. So he thrust harder and faster, stringing her body along like a violin while she moaned, her body beginning to shake, her wetness dripping down his fingers.

    Then he added a third finger and pushed harder and faster and she came with the bucking of her hips, the pleasure washing over her in waves as she rode it out.

    The orgasm had been so mind-blowing that her toes curled and her mouth opened, gasping for air. Victor¡¯s protruding erection was pressing on her core and she knew he couldn¡¯t wait any longer.

    He pulled down her bra and took one of her breasts into his mouth, licking and sucking her nipple. He then swirled his tongue around the edges and licked in a circr motion while he squeezed the other breast and Mimi¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of her head, a strangled cry leaving her mouth. This was too much.

    The look of bliss on her face made Victor pull away and his hand was unbuckling his belt, freeing his huge, hard angry looking cock that bounced in the air, poking bluntly at her butt cheeks, quite close to her fold.

    Victor looked down at her, she waspletely wet and he used his dick to slide across her wetness, while Mimi whimpered and writhed above him. What the hell was this? Was he seriously teasing her?

    But then Victor was taken by the scene of her swollen pink fold and continued to rub along the white sticky fluid and she dripped with more wetness, looking so beautiful.

    ¡°Fuck asshole! Fuck me!¡± Mimi cursed out loud when he wouldn¡¯t take her as she wanted.

    But as soon as the words left her mouth, Victor mmed into her with a force that knocked the breath out of her lungs.

    Holy God, Mimi moaned loudly as his hard cock stretched and pushed against her walls as it tried to amodate hisrge size. The feeling was delicious and he already started thrusting into her.

    ¡°Yes, yes,e on,¡± Mimi egged him on, her walls stretching around his huge size as she met his thrusts. He grabbed her hips and guided her to the rhythm as he plowed into her with no care about the world or whoever might be watching them. All that mattered at the moment was their bodies melding together and the pleasure it provided.

    ¡°Yes, FASTER!.... Ooh fucking God... ¡± Mimi mewled, moving her hips faster to meet his thrusts, loving the hard length slipping in and out of her. He pumped into her with so much force that made her pussy pulsate and mp around him and she nearly choked on the feeling when he hit her G-spot.

    Instinct overruled the both of them and while Victor was plowing onto her, she was bouncing off his dick, pushing in so deep and he added a finger to her clit, rubbing it so fast that Mimi came apart, suffering an orgasm so brutal her walls clenched tightly around him.

    Her tight cunt milked him badly that he released all of his seed inside of her and he was left dry as they both shuddered from the release.

    Mimi slumped against his shoulder,pletely exhausted and out of breath. That was the best orgasm that she had ever had.

 Chapter 401

    401 Marcel¡¯s Triumph

    Elijah didn¡¯t know how he got home, but he sure arrived safely and the first thing he did upon returning was to go straight to his cab and pulled out a bottle.

    He wasn¡¯t a drinker. No, he has never loved drinking even though his brothers loved it and had taught him that on asions. However, he never liked the idea of drinking because he loved having a clear mind.

    He was a natural-born genius and geniuses don¡¯t like doing stupid things like getting drunk and waking up with a hangover the next day. What was the point of it? Hence, when he did drink, it was in moderation. But right now, Elijah was sure he didn¡¯t have moderation in mind when he poured that drink into his ss and downed it entirely.

    The unfamiliar warmth burnt down his throat but he didn¡¯t care, if anything, he needed a distraction, something to take his mind off the pain that was searing deep into his chest right now.

    He had always been careful, doing and having things in moderation. However, the first time he decided to have a bit of fun, it cost him, Arianna. He only wanted to taunt Marcel, mess around with him a little. Having gotten his way since he was little, Marcel suddenly became an interesting rival and he wanted to beat him the same way he defeated his other opponents.

    His victory must have gotten into his head because he joked around with one thing he shouldn¡¯t have messed with in the first ce, Arianna.

    Elijah chugged down the second round of his drink when he realized how he messed up his only chance of rescuing Arianna at Big Joe¡¯s wedding ¨C andter funeral. Instead, he yed around and missed the chance he could have used and gotten her out easily.

    Instead, he chose the harder way, which was worth it and more fulfilling in the end. But then, this path was proving more difficult andplicated than he thought, not to mention that he just saw the love of his life kissing his enemy.

    At once, Elijah drank straight from the bottle instead, the liquid burning down his throat but he didn¡¯t care. Right now, anyone could cut off his arm and he wouldn¡¯t care. He needed the pain, the distraction. But the drink was the only distraction he could think of, so he decided to drown his sorrows with it.

    .....

    Elijah was going through the stages of heartbreak and at the moment, denial was at its strongest. He returned to that moment and there was no way Arianna could have kissed Marcel, perhaps Marcel had forced himself on her.

    However, he knew what he saw, and if anything, Arianna has been eager to return his kisses. No, maybe Marcel had threatened her or something, after all, it wasn¡¯t umon in their industry for Mafia dons to use their female captives for their pleasure. But then, Elijah dared to say that Marcel had looked at Arianna with affection.

    However, in the next minute, he was pissed off. How could she have kissed Marcel? Was she seriously going to be with the man who kidnapped her? Was she good with being a slut? Or had she been a slut all this while and was just pretending with him?

    No, no, this was all his fault, Elijah broke down in tears. He missed her terribly and was mourning and grieving the loss. He should have been more careful with her. He had promised to keep her safe, however, he broke that promise. He shouldn¡¯t have involved Arianna in his games in the first ce.

    He already imagined their future together. If Marcel hadn¡¯t separated them on that day, they would have left the country and settled down by now. Who knows, she would be having his child already?

    No, all of this was Marcel¡¯s fault, Elijah raged while grabbing hold of the bottle tight. He took another swing of his drink but the content of the bottle was empty and he stood up, staggering to the cab where he picked another one.

    He opened it and took a long drink, his head throbbing with a faint headache. He was buzzed now but didn¡¯t want to stop, no, he would drink himself to stupor. That was the only way he would be able to sleep tonight. Being intelligent was a blessing and a curse at the same time. Even while drunk, he could think clearly the scene today ¨C Marcel¡¯s triumph.

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t toote.

    He could still rescue Arianna and make her like him again. Marcel was her kidnapper, she seriously couldn¡¯t have forgotten him ¨C Elijah ¨C and fallen in love with him. Maybe he would kidnap her as well and make her fall in love with him all over again.

    Elijah went over the memory of the first time they met. He had been taken aback by the scene when she tried to unmask him. He had been so angry then, thinking that Ruth had vited their rules, only for his gaze to fall upon her and he forgot how to breathe.

    Those kind hypnotic green eyes had captured his soul the first time they met and he knew inwardly that she was the one for him. He knew then that he couldn¡¯t lose her and must have her.

    So no, he couldn¡¯t lose her to Marcel. That would only happen when he¡¯s dead. Elijah had always found it stupid when men fought over one woman but now, he understood.

    He understood it finally now. Because when she¡¯s worth it, you fight for her ¨C even to the death. Marcel can only have Arianna over his death. It was time he focused on his mission here in the first ce.

    He took another drink when his doorbell rang and his brows furrowed. He wasn¡¯t expecting any visitor nor was he in a perfect state to fight if it was an enemy. He could barely stand.

    Nheless, he grabbed the empty bottle and staggered over to the door. However, looking through the peephole, he found out that it was no one else but Adele. What was she doing here?

    Elijah could have ignored her there, but then, what gentleman left ady hanging outside?

 Chapter 402

    402 A stronger Distraction

    ¡°Are you going to hit me with that?¡± Adele asked, noting the bottle in his hand. The guy was so God damn paranoid that she was thankful she hadn¡¯t bent down like she did the first time and almost got killed.

    ¡°Nice intro,¡± He said, gesturing for her toe inside dramatically. Elijah didn¡¯t need to ask Adele what she was doing at his ce again because she was obviously his boss and liked doing whatever she wanted.

    Adele came in while he attempted to shut the door, however, the moment she stepped close to him in the short narrow passage, she scrunched up her nose and sniffed him, her brows furrowing immediately, ¡°Did you drink?¡±

    He grinned stupidly, ¡°What do you think?¡± He raised his bottle, ¡°Am having a party. You¡¯re invited, by the way, it would be nice to have a femalepanion,¡± He added sluggishly, ¡°One with more brains than boobs,¡± He hinted at Cindy yet unintentionally referred to Adele¡¯s small chest.

    Adele red at him and would have given him a punch or two if he wasn¡¯t wasted right now. So she said to him, ¡°Thank your God that you¡¯re drunk,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk,¡± He denied it, pointing to his chest while struggling to stand, ¡°I¡¯m a genius, I would know if I was drunk.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Adele tilted her head to the side, a hint of mockery in her tone, ¡°Genius indeed,¡±

    And then without warning, she reached out and kicked him in the thighs and Elijah yelped in pain, hopping on one foot and because he lost his bnce, fell to the ground.

    Standing before him, Adele sneered, ¡°Certainly, a genius who is not drunk would know to have faster reflexes and coordination. Even a limp could do better than that. ¡± She insulted him, her tone cold as she returned back to being the authoritative boss she was.

    .....

    ¡°Get up,¡± Shemanded.

    But Elijah snorted, ¡°This is my home,¡± He pointed out that she had no authority here.

    ¡°Really?¡± She drawled with a creepy smile while her face grew darker, ¡°Should I make you?¡±

    Elijah gulped, there was a reason why he avoided women like her. Control freaks could end your life in a twinkle of an eye. So he was up on his feet in a sh. Even his drunk brain reacted.

    She gave him a sweet smile, ¡°Good boy. Now follow me.¡±

    And he did, without a word.

    However he groaned inwardly,

    ¡°Kill me already,¡±

    Adele went back to his kitchen and halted in her steps, recalling the scene where he kissed her hours ago and they promised never to let it happen.

    Why was she even here? Adele had no idea. But then, she didn¡¯t have anything left to do since today was her day off at work. So she decided to make use of her free time and check up on him. Aziz got shot because of her and she had to make sure that he was fine ¨C even if that means visiting him two times a day.

    Well, as they agreed like two grown adults, it was not happening again, and right now, he was a drunk mess and she had to take care of him. Yeah, you can think of it as her gratitude. You know, she¡¯s paying back her debt to him. Adele hated owing favors to people.

    Pushing the image to the back of her mind, she walked over to the well-stocked fridge and rummaged through it, pulling out a pack of frozen chicken.

    ¡°Chicken soup should do the magic, don¡¯t you think so?¡± She asked, looking over her shoulder as she closed the fridge, heading to the kitchen Ind where Elijah leaned against.

    She stood across from him, holding his gaze and waiting for an answer to her question.

    Elijah groaned irritably, ¡°You leaving me alone would do the magic,¡±

    ¡°Hard pass,¡± She retorted, ying with the chicken.

    Elijah rubbed his temple, he shouldn¡¯t have opened that door for her. He should have just left her standing outside while she rings the bell over and over again, and then she would leave when she gets no response in the end. But no, he decided to be a gentleman because that¡¯s the way he was brought up ¨C respect and honor women. Wow, his Papa must be brimming with pride wherever he is.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to cook.¡± He blurted out and regretted it at thest minute when he felt the tension in the air and of course, her murderous ck eyes.

    But to his surprise, the blood lust diminished and she stared at him intensely as if trying to figure him out or something. Adele said to him, ¡°What¡¯s got you all cranky? This is not like you. Not to mention you¡¯re drunk?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk.¡± He frowned at her.

    ¡°Are we going to taste that theory again?¡± She was smug.

    ¡°You¡¯re not worthy to be my opponent, I don¡¯t hit women.¡± He said.

    ¡°Ooh,¡± Adele was excited at the hint of a challenge she sensed in his tone, ¡°I like the sound of that, but don¡¯t tempt me to turn this into a duel and your kitchen, of course, our wrestling ground. However, you¡¯re changing the topic, Aziz,¡± Her eyes flickered to him, ¡°Why are you like this?¡±

    ¡°Because your cousin is currently ying house with my girlfriend and I¡¯m helpless to stop that except maybe to kill him and get her back,¡± He didn¡¯t dare to say that to her.

    Instead, he turned the other way and said, ¡°Don¡¯t everybody have their shitty days. Well, here¡¯s mine.¡±

    Adele left the chicken in that position and walked over to him, Aziz watching him the whole time. She leaned beside him, ¡°And you think drinking is going to solve that?¡± She asked, brows raised.

    ¡°No, It doesn¡¯t,¡± Elijah admitted,¡± The drink would probably drown it out, but probably only for today while I¡¯ll wake upter with a blood-curling hangover.¡±

    ¡°So how¡¯s it going then? Has the alcohol drowned out that sorrow in your heart?¡± She asked curiously, watching him the way a child would do to a fascinating show.

    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. If anything, I feel much more horrible now than ever,¡± Elijah shook his head, confessing the truth. Why was he even telling her that? He had no idea.

    Great, it must be the alcohol fumbling with his head. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t end up revealing his identity as well because the drunk was making his tongue lose. No, this was dangerous. He had to leave before he said something stupid.

    However, the moment he turned around, she took his face in her palm and brought his attention back to her again. Brows raised, he looked at her in puzzlement with a hint of caution, but she only caressed his cheek saying, ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s because you need a bigger distraction.¡±

    Huh?

    But before he had the chance to say a word, she closed her lips over his.

 Chapter 403

    403 He Was ying With Fire

    Warm lips sealed over his and pushed against it and Elijah froze up as if the world had ended. What was going on here? He could feel her moist, plump lips pressing against his own as she kissed him. The kiss was tentative as if she was confused about whether to go on or just stop the whole dumb thing.

    And she did stop, taking a step back.

    Adele pushed her hair to the back of her ear, looking up at him unsure,

    ¡°I know we agreed not to do this again, but I just thought....¡± She shrugged, ¡°Maybe you needed a bigger distraction.¡±

    Elijah simply stared at her without saying a word. He had always been a fan of strong, bold women and he had to admit that she won him over with that kiss.

    ¡°Please say something,¡± Adele shifted ufortably on her heels. Aziz just stood there like a robot, blinking at her. Did he even hear what she said or has his mind floated away to God knows where? God damn it, she shouldn¡¯t havee on too strong.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to say anything,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Adele had no idea what she meant by that.

    And the next, his hand was in her hair as he pushed her face up to him and kissed her. A small gasp left her mouth but he swallowed it, pushing her against the counter as the edge dug into her back while pressing their bodies together as if he wanted to meld them into one.

    .....

    He tasted of alcohol and Aziz made sure to give her a good taste of it as his tongue plunged into her mouth and explored the depth. The kiss was gentle and passionate at first until the heat increased and it became hard and full of desire.

    Adele moaned when he pulled her impossibly closer, her breast tteningpletely against his chest and they might as well be naked because she could feel every inch of his body, including the hard muscles that she desperately wanted to run her hands over and his strong erection poking into her guts right now. He was drunk and horny.

    Elijah¡¯s hands were all over her body, finally resting on her bottom and squeezing her ass cheek hard against his erection, a grunt leaving his throat. He crushed her lips with his, the heat between them increasing while her clit pulsated with pleasure, her panty soaking with her wetness. She was horny as well.

    They both parted, their breathsing in gasps and deep heaving while Adele stared at him wide-eyed, what has she done. Elijah saw the conflict in her eyes and smiled wryly.

    ¡°You get it now? The kind of distraction I need and I don¡¯t think you can handle it.¡± He could see the hesitation in her eyes.

    Adele looked at him, of course, she knew what he was asking for, she was not a kid anymore. He wanted no strings attached sex and she wasn¡¯t exactly a fan of that. Moreover, this was Aziz, a man she suspected of having ulterior motives around her sister. But then, the same man threw away his life to save hers. He seriously can¡¯t be that bad. Not to mention that she had a feeling he was good at what she does.

    Moreover, it was just sex, and just like him, she wanted no strings attached to it neither was she saving her virginity for marriage. If she was going to lose it, it better be with someone who knows what he¡¯s doing ¨C and trusted. And she was not the one to run from a challenge. This would be their little secret and she would as hell enjoy it.

    So without a second thought, Adele took off her blouse and stood straight, ¡°Who said I can¡¯t handle it?¡± She stood up to his challenge.

    Elijah looked like someone just pped him on the face. He was shocked, never expecting that she would rise to the asion. The boldness alone was enough to turn him on and his dick had hardened in his pants.

    His heated gaze then lowered to look at her white bra cupping the fine swell of her breast. She wasn¡¯t exactly endeared in the breast department but he sure loved her nipples poking against the material, it was seducing.

    So he leaned closer and then lowering his head, took the nipple through the bra into his mouth and she cried out, throwing her head back. He kissed the material, wetting it with his saliva and making the outline more defined before taking her nipple fully into his mouth and sucked.

    Her moans were like sweet music to his ears, egging him on as he continued to suck harder, biting through the material and sending her a jolt of pleasure that made her core drip wetness while squeezing the other breast and watching the way it puckered against the bra.

    He broke apart and kissed her shoulder, moving up to her neck which she tilted back to give him more ess before kissing up to her ears, nipping her earlobe, and then whispered, ¡°You sure you want to do this?¡±

    Adele stared up at him through hooded eyes. It should scare her that she was totally defenseless and under his control, but she wanted it that way. She was so tired of being watchful and in control all the time and for once, she wanted to lose control. She wanted to lose herself in this feeling he elicited inside of her.

    ¡°God damn yes,¡± She breathed, grinding her hips against him.

    ¡°Good decision,¡± Elijah murmured against her skin, his hands moving to her pants.

    He was ying with fire, Elijah knew. He was trying to have sex with the cousin of the man who took away his girlfriend? This would be seen as a form of retaliation from others¡¯ points of view. But only he knew this was his distraction today and perhaps, a dark part of him saw it as a form of revenge as well. What would Marcel do when he heard he fucked his beloved cousin and second inmand?

 Chapter 404

    404 Punishment For Cheating

    Adele would definitely be hurt when she found out atst that he yed her and used her in his games, that was for sure.

    Honestly, she wasn¡¯t a bad person and just had the bad luck of being rted to his nemesis. This is why he would make it up to her by giving her a mind-blowing orgasm today. One that she would never forget in a lifetime. A life-changing orgasm she would use to remember him by ¨C after he¡¯s gone from her life.

    With her pants gone, Elijah took off his shirt, revealing his lean waist and toned chest that she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off. Adele looked at him coyly, which wasn¡¯t like her, and strangely, he found it cute. She stood straight and though she was quite tall, Elijah still easily towered over her and was definitely huger.

    She ced her hand on his chest and gently began to trace his hard muscles. Adele found his small nipples and drew circles on the tip causing his breath to deepen, and moved down the rest of his stomach that had almost zero fat; he was all muscles. Each touch of her fingers set his body on fire and his muscles flexed under her administration.

    Her eyes then caught the fine swirls of hair on the deep V of his stomach that led inside his pants, hiding the treasure. Her eyes sparkled with what one would call mischief and she followed the small hairy trail, her hands trying to sneak into his pants when Elijah caught it and her face flickered up to his, a smirk curling her mouth.

    ¡°What?¡± Adele asked, her voice on a lower octave than usual as she pretended to be oblivious to what she almost did.

    ¡°I see,¡± Elijah mused, a hint of a smile on his face as well, ¡°Someone¡¯s bing bold,¡± His brows arched,

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I teach you a lesson?¡±

    And his hands were inside her panty, locating her clit and rubbing through her wetness.

    .....

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Adele cursed, her hips bucking to his touch and she ced her hands on his shoulder trying to anchor herself as he wrecked her body with his fingers.

    Elijah caught her clit in between two of her fingers and pinched hard, cursing a bust of pain that quickly faded into explosive pleasure to flood through her.

    ¡°Aziz...!¡± She screamed his name, her nails digging into his shoulder while her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he continued to rub along her wetness, circling her clit with his bigger fingers.

    ¡°You love that, huh?¡± He grinned, rubbing her faster while she struggled to speak past the lump in her throat. Her breath was strangled and she couldn¡¯t articte properly, not to mention, she couldn¡¯t even remember what she wanted to say.

    Elijah moved to her entrance and slid one finger in only to meet a lot of resistance and he groaned, ¡°Gosh, when was thest time you ever had fun?¡± He assumed that she wasn¡¯t a virgin.

    Unfortunately, Adele could not answer because she was busy lost in pleasure. She only concentrated on the feel of his fingers inside of her and it was marvelously good. However, it still felt empty as if her pussy longed for something else.

    ¡°Someone is horny,¡± He pointed out as her wetness coated his fingers and he could tell from the way her walls clenched around him that she was about to reach her high.

    Her fingers dug further into his back almost drawing blood as she gasped, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to -¡±

    Her hips bucked and she came with a scream, more of her wetness dripping down his hand. Elijah pulled out and brought his fingers up to her face saying, ¡°See what you did, bad girl,¡±

    Adele stared at his wet fingers, fine silky strands of her cum stretched between his digits, especially the middle one he used to finger her and it was beautiful. She looked at him and said, ¡°Can I have a taste?¡± She bit on her lower lips.

    Elijah looked at her surprised, ¡°You never fail to surprise me,¡± He looked proud of her and then brought his wet fingers close to her mouth saying, ¡°Here, have your full.¡±

    Adele didn¡¯t take it into her mouth directly, rather she stuck out her tongue and began to lick off at her cum that had dripped off his hand and then back up, over the other fingers and ignoring the middle one as if she was saving it for thest.

    She tasted salty and nothing else, yet it was intoxicating like fine wine she wanted to have over and over again till she was bloated. Done licking the other fingers, she then took the middle one into the heat of her mouth and sucked.

    The libidinous sounds Adele made as she sucked his finger was enough to throw Elijah over the edge. He was never a huge fan of voices but he swear he could spend all day listening to her moans without getting tired.

    She sucked his finger as if it were his dick and he had no doubt that she was good at orals as well although he won¡¯t find out since he¡¯d be absorbed with her body soon. As he said, she would be his distraction and she would learn soon how he busied himself.

    Elijah loved the wanton look in her eyes as she sucked. This should be Arianna in her ce and though he felt the guilt in his chest for having cheated on her, he pushed it to the back of his mind. She cheated on him first and he was trying to exhaust all that rage and Adele unfortunately turned out to be the outlet.

    Everything he would have done to her body, the way he had nned to worship Arianna on his bed, he would do that all to Adele. That would be her ¨C Adele ¨C payment for looking out for him in his darkest time. Adele would take Arianna¡¯s ce tonight. That was her punishment for cheating on him.

 Chapter 405

    405 Worshiping Her Body

    ¡°What now?¡± Adele asked him after she was done licking his fingers clean. It was a wonderful experience she would love to try over again. Her eyes were dark and full of desire, she wanted more after tasting a hint of the forbidden fruit.

    ¡°My then turn,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Elijah pressed his body against hers, making sure the tip of her nipples brushed across his smooth chest, sending shivers down her spine and making her gasp in delight.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had your fill, now is my turn,¡± He grinned wickedly and without warning, lifted her by the hips and ced her on the counter.

    Adele let out a small squeak, having not expected that. Thoroughly naked, the surface of the Ind felt slightly cold against her skin but she didn¡¯t mind because her insides were burning and she would endure it if that meant she would be a recipient of whatever Aziz nned to do to her body. She knew the guy and that look in his eyes suggested he had many things in store for her.

    Aziz cleared everything in his way and then pushed her back against the Ind and Adeleplied with him. Leaning over her, he drawled, ¡°I¡¯m going to have a taste of you now, darling, and unlike many others, I like to take my precious time.¡±

    Her heart skipped a beat and her body shivered in anticipation at what he had nned for her. She wanted it. Adele wanted all of it.

    ¡°And you would be a good girl and not interrupt me, else I¡¯ll stop,¡± He warned her.

    .....

    Adele gulped, why would she want him to stop? She doesn¡¯t want him to stop at all. Adele wanted Aziz to take her to that ninth cloud she had always heard about, but not experienced. She was ready for it.

    ¡°Do you get me?¡±

    However, Adele was lost in her own thoughts.

    ¡°Did you understand, Adele?!¡± Elijah growled at her, yanking at her hair which only seemed to heighten the experience.

    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± She choked out, wanting it to begin already.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± He patted her on the cheek and then moved away from her body only to take a hold of the seat beside him and pull it to him.

    Elijah seated down while Adele was spread out to him like dinner. From his position, he could clearly see her pink swollen pussy dripping with her arousal and it was a marvelous sight.

    He then bent and began by kissing her thigh, watching the way her stomach tightened and her legs quivered, her body sensitive to his touch. His finger glides along her thigh, leaving goosebumps in its wake as he traces the skin in a sinful caress.

    Adele¡¯s breath was beginning toe in gasps, because even though it was the faintest of touches, it still did funny things to her body. Her mouth remained open, her mind trying to concentrate on the pleasure.

    He kissed the inside of her thighs, getting increasingly close to her arousal and her back arched off the counter. Even though he was just teasing her, it was still mouth-blowing. Aziz was insanely skilled in what he was doing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me,¡± He warned her again and she rxed back against the surface, her heart pounding incredibly fast against her ribcage. This would be so intense, she could feel it. He hadn¡¯t even started yet and she was a fine mess, she wondered when he started then.

    Elijah then dipped his finger into her slit, parting her folds and a moan left her lips. God, this was delightfully good and she was fighting hard not to writhe her hips to the touch. She¡¯d die right now if he¡¯d stopped pleasuring her ¨C the warning fresh in her head.

    Then he leaned in, taking her clit into his mouth and white-hot pleasure shot through her.

    ¡°Aziz....!¡± Adele mewled, as Elijah wasted no timepping at her clit. He was very slow and precise as if he was studying her body and wanted to lengthen the experience.

    His tongue dragged over her slitzily, taking his good time even when the woman beneath him was writhing her hips and crying out in pleasure. No, he concentrated on the taste of her arousal and the little sensitive nub in his mouth. He sucked her clit harder and her hips bucked only for his strong hand to hold her still.

    The desire rushing through her body was too much and incredible at the same time. Adele could not muster a single thought, it was as if Aziz was destroying her from the inside out. He was not only studying her body but worshiping her at the same time.

    This must be the distraction that Aziz was talking about because even when the first wave of orgasm washed over her, he didn¡¯t stop, he relentlesslypped at her. If anything he changed tactics and made his tongue rub in a circr motion around her clit and Adele knew she would go crazy with desire.

    All her body could think about was his mouth and the wonders it did to her core, so when she hit her second climax which was a bit mind-blowing, she grabbed the edge of the Ind and anchored herself. The pleasure rippled through her, her body shaking with so much pleasure she was sure she couldn¡¯t take anymore.

    But there was Aziz, eagerly sucking her throbbing clit, determined to push her past her limit.

    ¡°Aziz...please....¡± Adele begged him this time and did not listen to his instruction because she released her hand and tried to push him away. He was killing her.

    But he only pushed more, devouring her pussy like a man starved of food for days and he gluttonously wanted more. At that moment, nothing mattered more to Elijah than her pussy, and he dedicated his time to it, taking the sensitive bud into his mouth and nipping at it, drawing a whimper from her mouth.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to.....¡± Adele struggled to speak, the breath hitching in her throat.

    With the way her body quivered around him, her thighs squeezed his head so tight she might as well suffocate him, Elijah quickly added a finger inside of her and thrust faster, alongside with his tongue as she came apart with a great scream, spurting out a great deal of her wetness.

 Chapter 406

    406 It Broke

    What the hell was that? Adele wondered after she rode out her orgasm, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her clit pulsated from the pleasure it was stimted to and Aziz finally pulled out from her lips she was stunned at her wetness coating his lips and chin and some of it on his chest.

    Had she done all that?

    Adele knew that she was supposed to be mortified, but for strange reasons, it was a beautiful sight, not to mention that it looked like she staked her im on him. Wolves would pee on grounds to mark their territory and Adele thinks she just did the same on Elijah. The guy was too valuable to lose. However, she would go about this matter another time.

    She watched mesmerized as his pink lips jutted out and licked his lower lips and the sight made her blood boil with desire. The haze of desire she thought was gone appeared again, her body wanted him.

    Adele sat up and began to lick her arousal off Elijah, but he pulled her back, saying, ¡°You are such a greedy bitch, those are mine.¡±

    But she grinned, ¡°I don¡¯t like my food going to waste,¡± Then she continued her work, pulling him closer as she licked his chin, under his jaw, and then his chest while Aziz¡¯s hands were on her breast, squeezing and pinching as she moaned.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer,¡± He murmured against her nipple, sucking and teasing it. He then grabbed her hips at the same time their lips joined in a rushed and sloppy kiss. They were both engulfed with need.

    Elijah carried her to his room while they kissed, kicking the door closed with his feet. He then ced her on the bed and she knelt at the edge, helping him unbuckle his belt and they let out his throbbing cock that has been unhappy with his confinement for a while now.

    Adele stared wide-eyed at his enormous cock. Having practiced and associated with men most of her life, she had seen numerous dicks, but none of them were as beautiful as Aziz¡¯s. Dripping with precum, he had a smooth member even though the head was almost purple from theck of relief. So she decided to help him.

    .....

    ¡°No, don¡¯t -¡±

    Elijah was still saying when she reached for his cock, pressing her hand against the head before she stroked the tip and he moaned.

    ¡°Tonight was supposed to be all about you,¡± He grunted, fighting against the urge to relish the pleasure. Her hands pumped away at him while he trembled under her touch and would havee then and there had he not stopped her.

    ¡°Not now,¡± Elijah said to her, his hand covering hers, his breath fast and deep. But Adele pouted her lips, she wanted just a taste of him.

    However, Elijah simply went to his drawer and picked out a condom, tore it open, and rolled it over his hard cock. If he was going to cum, it would be right inside of her.

    Hence he returned to the bed and pushed her down with him. Elijah took her lips in his and kissed her hard while his fingers worked on her nipples. He kissed her slowly, yet deeply as if he was encouraging himself for a job well done so far.

    By the time he was done, Adele was aroused once again. Heced his fingers into her hair, still kissing her while his other hand traveled down to grab his cock and rub his head against her clit.

    She moaned into his mouth, writhing below him as he continuously teased her and drove into her without warning. As wet and ready as Adele was, it still didn¡¯t prepare her for the pain that tore through her and a scream ripped from her throat as Elijah forced his way in.

    ¡°Fuck! You¡¯re goddamn tight,¡± Elijah cursed, tormented by the mping and spasming of her tight cunt. His teeth were clenched tight and his jaw muscles rippled from the effort. It wasn¡¯t until a pained whimper ripped from her throat and her pussy squeezed him so much that he almost came, that it hit him.

    He looked down at Adele whose breath hitched in her throat and asked the question he dreaded,

    ¡°Are you a virgin?¡±

    Adele opened her hooded eyes and nodded her head and it seemed like the whole world copsed on Elijah. He pushed back from Adele, almost entirely pulling out of her body when she sat up, rmed and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°You gave your first time to me!¡± Elijah asked her through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Yes, is there any problem here?¡± Adele couldn¡¯t understand him.

    ¡°The point is, you were supposed to give your first time to the one you love, not me. This is just casual sex between the both of us, nothing else.¡± He told her.

    Although Adele knew that before agreeing to the deal, it still hurt her a little the way he ssified this thing between them as nothing. Yes, it was casual sex, however, when she had herst orgasm on top of the Ind, she felt this connection. A sort of intimacy between them. Didn¡¯t it count as progress? Hence, hearing him say those words, sort of hurt her. However, she would see this to the end.

    ¡°Was Iining?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Elijah couldn¡¯tprehend why Adele agreed to this in the first ce.

    ¡°Are you going to leave me stranded in the middle of sex?¡± She shot him an annoyed look.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just -¡±

    ¡°Then, fuck me, Aziz,¡± She added, ¡°Please,¡± Adele felt the pain from earlier wash away, reced by an incredible pleasure she wanted to feel to the end and he was not helping her by staying still.

    ¡°I chose you, so do it now!¡± Shemanded, begging to grind her hips into him, wanting to relieve herself.

    What kind of woman was this? Elijah still couldn¡¯tpletely understand her. However, he pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and thrust into her.

    Adele screamed, the bundles of pleasures unfurling inside of her, knocking her breathless.

    ¡°Come on, faster!¡± She urged him and the next, he was thrusting his cock in and out at a desperate pace that was hard and fast, the both of them leaning into their animalistic side.

    At their uncontroble pace, the mind-blowing orgasm rocked them so hard that they clung hard against each other for dear life, their lips fused.

    Elijah released his seed so hard that he was wrung dry and pulled out of her only to discover that the condom broke.

    Damn.

 Chapter 407

    407 Capture That Bastard, Elijah

    Where was he? Elijah stirred from his sleep groggily. Oh right, this was his room and the headache currently tormenting his head was a mother fucker.

    Elijah sat up with a groan, only to realize that he waspletely naked and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. What had he donest night?

    However, his question was answered when a female snaked her arm around his waist and he stiffened. Holy fuck! Did he let a woman into his bed?

    And that was the moment the events of the day returned to his head and he realized that he and Adele had done it all through the night. Elijah knew he had great stamina but this was the first time he craved sex like a maniac.

    He and Adele had literally done it all around the ce. There was no way he could walk freely in his own house now without recalling each scene and position. Yep, he¡¯s fucked up.

    But then, the thought of Arianna and what he saw yesterday crept into his mind and his heart sank again. The distraction worked fine but for a while, this is today and he¡¯s back to dealing with his problems.

    ¡°Ugh...¡± Elijah groaned, getting off the bed, and he was careful not to wake Adele. With the way they went at it like rabbits the rest of yesterday, she needed the sleep more than him. So he managed to slip into one of the shorts he pulled from the wardrobe and went to search for a remedy to his hangover.

    Elijah felt sick to the stomach from the hangover, this was why he was never a fan of drinking. It made him feel horrible and he couldn¡¯t think or work with a fried brain. He went to the fridge and pulled it open, taking a bottle of water from it. He needed hydration first of all even though the water only upset his stomach.

    But then, he was in the middle of drinking his water when the doorbell rang and he almost choked on it. What the....? Who was at the door? He was not expecting anybody. It couldn¡¯t be Jason, the man doesn¡¯t ring a bell, he sneaks in. And judging from the fact that Jason hadn¡¯te here, he probably knew he had a visitor.

    .....

    Elijah ignored the bell and continued drinking his water, assuming that it was a mistake when the second ring sounded and he knew he couldn¡¯t ignore whoever was at the door anymore.

    He closed the bottle and headed to the door only to discover that Adele beat him to it. When did she even wake up? He was careful not to wake her.

    ¡°Did you check who¡¯s -?¡± He was about to ask when Adele opened the door already and he was ready to get into a fight in case it was an enemy only that it was....

    ¡°C-cindy?¡± She was the least person Elijah expected to find in his ce. Why were all the Luciano¡¯s suddenly bothering him? This wasn¡¯t what he signed up for.

    There was a shocked look on Cindy¡¯s face as she stared at the both of them, and the basket of fruit she held slipped from her hand and fell, the contents spilling to the ground.

    That was when it hit Elijah.

    He was dressed in nothing but his shorts while Adele had wrapped the bed sheet around her body to hide her nakedness. The doorbell must have woken her from her sleep and she decided to answer the door and didn¡¯t give her the time to dress up.

    ¡°Y-you....¡± Cindy pointed at the both of them, her lips trembling and she cupped it. She didn¡¯t need a God to describe this scene for her and tell her what happened.

    ¡°Good morning, Cindy,¡± Adele said calmly as if she hadn¡¯t been caught sleeping with Aziz. There was not an ounce of shame or remorse in her tone for sleeping with her sister¡¯s crush.

    ¡°H-how could you?¡± Cindy cried and took off, abandoning the fruit she came with outside.

    Adele shut the door, breathing, ¡°Good riddance,¡± and turned to face Elijah who stared at her questioningly.

    ¡°You saw through the peephole and knew she was the one and yet opened the door for her to see all of this?¡± He was trying to understand this woman.

    ¡°She would shed a few tears and give me the silent treatment for a while. But in the end, Cindy would grow up and get over her crush as well, or don¡¯t you want that?¡± She looked at him suspiciously, as if trying to confirm if he had indeed been ying her younger sister all along.

    ¡°Of course, I want that. Thank you for doing me the favor,¡± Elijah answered knowing that this was a test. Well, it was nice to know that their having sexst night had not changed their working rtionship in any way.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Adele said, and then before his very eyes, took off the bed sheet and revealed her naked body. His dick hardened immediately and that was very weird. It took a lot to seduce him and the only people who¡¯ve done that are Arianna and Adele. While Arianna had been seducing in a hot, bold yet innocent way, Adele was all fire and brimstone, she dominated him and that was arousing. It wasn¡¯t every day he met his challenge.

    However, he shouldn¡¯t feel that way towards her. Elijah still hadn¡¯t forgotten his mission here in the first ce. Not to mention, even if he came to like her ¨C which is impossible ¨C the both of them can¡¯t be together. He¡¯s Marcel¡¯s enemy and the feeling¡¯s mutual. So while Adele could be a good fuck, she¡¯s definitely not the one for him ¨C his heart belongs to someone else.

    Adele grinned at him, ¡°I¡¯m going to have my bath and you can decide whether to join me or not, your choice and loss.¡± She gave him an option.

    There was no option here, his dick was already hard and he needed a release. Soaking inside her hot cunt doesn¡¯t seem that bad an idea.

    However, Adele added, ¡°Also, when I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll make breakfast and then, we¡¯d discuss how to capture that bastard, Elijah.¡±

    And all traces of desire vanished from his body.

    He was ying with fire.

 Chapter 408

    408 Be Adam And Eve For Today

    ¡°Uggh....¡±Arianna groaned, waking up from her sleep. Her eyes opened and closed and opened again as she stretched her toes, running her hand through her hair.

    Where was she? She couldn¡¯t tell until the images hit her on the spot and she sat up at once with great speed. She remembered it all; Marcel eating her out without stopping that she came so many times and then, him thrusting into her and fucking her so hard she couldn¡¯t differentiate her right from her left.

    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Arianna groaned, going red in the face and having to cover it with her palm. She couldn¡¯t believe that she finally lost her virginity. Oh God, the air was too hot, where was the damn air conditioner.

    However, the moment Arianna attempted to move, she felt a sharp pain shoot straight from her hips and stiffened. Damn, what did Marcel do to her body?

    And speak of the devil.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Marcel appeared in her line of sight, shirtless and her throat went dry.

    Her eyes took in his muscr body, and the six-packs staring right back at her. Damn, Marcel¡¯s body was lethal and she still couldn¡¯t believe that she had him yesterday.

    Wait a minute...

    What happened to yesterday?

    .....

    Her head jerked up at once and she asked him, ¡°Did you just say this is morning?¡± She asked when it was obvious by the bright lighting from the window.

    Nheless, Marcel nodded, ¡°Yes. You slept like a baby throughout yesterday, it was so cute,¡± He grinned at her, revealing those sparkling white teeth that would have won her over if she wasn¡¯t angry right now.

    ¡°You asshole!¡± Arianna screamed to his surprise, ¡°You fucked me till I lost consciousness!¡± She told him.

    ¡°Yes, sweetheart, the sex was so good you slept off right away,¡± Marcel dered proudly as if he deserved an award for a job well done.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± There was a clear difference between losing consciousness and falling asleep and Arianna was so exasperated by his response, that she felt like strangling the life out of him. However, she couldn¡¯t do that, he was too sexy to die.

    Seeing her annoyance, Marcel walked over to her side and sat down. He said to her, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry for losing control, love,¡± He then cupped her cheeks and Arianna literally melted on the inside, almost meowing the way a cat would when its master shows affection. What was happening to her?

    ¡°However, you have to admit that it was a good fuck and many women would love to be fucked that way?¡±

    She arched her brows, ¡°You¡¯re nning on fucking other women already?¡±

    ¡°W-hat?¡± Marcel stuttered, thrown off bnce by the unexpected usation, ¡°No, of course not! You are the only woman I would fuck that way. It was a love fuck, Arianna!¡±

    ¡°Love fuck, my butt!¡± Arianna retorted while getting off the bed while he stared at her, unsure of what to do.

    But Marcel grinned knowingly, ¡°You want me to fuck your butt,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was wide-eyed, her face goingpletely red again when the scene was unintentionally conjured in her head, ¡°You are unbelievable!¡± She huffed and looked away.

    Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, and where the hell were her clothes? The heat in Marcel¡¯s eyes, while he stared at her naked body was making her ufortable because there was no way on earth she was letting him near her with how sore she was right now. He wrecked her body ¨C and she enjoyed it, even though she wouldn¡¯t admit it.

    Marcel threw his head back andughed hard, vexing Arianna with his light teasing, but she ignored him, searching desperately for her clothes.

    ¡°Where are my clothes? What did you do with it?¡± She stomped her feet, annoyed when she couldn¡¯t find it.

    But all Marcel did was lounge on her bed, his hands behind his head saying, ¡°What do you think? I like you, naked on my bed, Arianna. Come on, let¡¯s be Adam and Eve just for today, my love.¡± He proposed to her.

    Arianna stared at him, stunned by his ridiculous proposal. Not to mention, he was trying hard to convince her because she saw him shift on the bed, his muscles rippling with strength, and a lump caught in her throat.

    She suddenly inched to run her hand over the tight lines of muscles of his abdomen, feeling each bump under her fingers and maybe use her tongue to lick down his skin and taste his sweat. She would then swirl her tongue over his nipples and ¨C

    ¡°Shit!¡± Arianna cursed inwardly when she realized she was suddenly aroused by the thought. Damn, Marcel was too dangerous to be around. He was temptation and she couldn¡¯t give in to him. Although maybe she could teach him a lesson.

    Marcel could see the conflict in her eyes and he loved it. That meant he could affect her and counted on that to get her into his bed this morning. And that sure did happen because the next, Arianna was walking towards him and his heart swelled with pride. She couldn¡¯t resist his charm.

    She leaned over him and his gaze went to her two firm breasts dangling over his face, as if teasing him to have a taste and his dick hardened in response. Damn, this woman would be the death of him.

    However, just as Marcel was about to reach for her seductive breast, Arianna reached out and grabbed the bed sheet from the other end and rolled him down the bed and he fell to the ground in a heap.

    That siren!

    Arianna burst intoughter, it was so hrious. That was so easy, how could he have fallen for that! However, she forgot that she was holding onto the bed sheet and with just a strong tug of the material, Marcel sent her falling into his arms.

    As soon as shended on his body, Marcel smirked at her, and said smugly, ¡°Did you win after all?¡±

    And without warning, he flipped her over so she was beneath him and her breath hitched in her throat. Marcel ced both of her hands over her head, while her naked breast was squashed firmly against his chest and he was between her legs.

    In this position, she could feel his arousal pressing against her core and Arianna knew then and there that she would have let him have her if he wanted to. But Marcel only leaned down to whisper, ¡°You should go and brush,¡± and he was off her body, leaving the room entirely.

    It then hit Arianna.

    She had been talking all this while....

    ¡°Ahh!!!¡± She screamed from mortification.

    Kill her now, please.

 Chapter 409

    409 Marcel Was Bad Influence

    ¡°You know that you can¡¯t be angry with me forever,¡± Marcel was at her side not long after she left his room. Well, that was after she took her bath and returned to see he had gotten a change of clothes.

    Arianna halted in her steps and turned to him with a sigh, ¡°Who said I¡¯m angry?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Marcel was confused by her response. She wasn¡¯t smiling and he assumed she was mad over the joke he pulled on her earlier.

    Before Marcel had the chance to say anything else, she pulled him close and kissed him fully on the lips. It was a short kiss and Arianna parted to say smugly, ¡°I brushed,¡± Hence he couldn¡¯t tease her anymore.

    ¡°Who cares?¡± Marcel said, then pushed her back against the wall and began to kiss her.

    ¡°M-Marcel...¡± Arianna tried to remind him that they were in the hallway where anyone could walk in on them, but he wasn¡¯t listening, if anything he deepened the kiss as if saying, ¡°Just shut up and kiss me¡±.

    So sheplied with his demand. He was so bossy yet hot. Arianna kissed him hard, taking his lower lips between her sharp teeth and pulled.

    Marcel groaned, grabbing her hips and she wrapped her legs around him. Arianna finally realized why Marcel got her this little ck dress to wear, it was all so he could get easy ess to her bottom. That trickster! He nned this all along and she couldn¡¯t stop anymore.

    His hands slid over her smooth ass, and rubbed them before squeezing them and a moan left her throat which he swallowed in the kiss. With her blood boiling, the kiss intensified and Arianna rubbed her panties now soaked with her wetness against the tent already forming in his trouser.

    .....

    Marcel pulled her head back and kissed the curve of her throat while grinding against her hips, his moans loud and guttural. His cock was throbbing hard and she must be feeling the same desire coursing through his veins with the way she was rolling her hips against his. The air was saturated with their sexual energy and they would have gone further ahead if only they weren¡¯t interrupted.

    The sound of an item crashing startled the both of them and they broke away. Arianna got down Marcel¡¯s body she had been climbing a while ago like an adult monkey, a blush coating her cheeks when she realized they hadpany. She was private with her affairs and didn¡¯t know what got over her, enough to heavy pett in the hallway where anyone coulde across them? She wasn¡¯t usually this daring. Marcel was definitely a bad influence on her.

    But then, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, it happened that the person who stumbled upon them was Winters and she broke her cup of coffee from the shock. However, unlike Arianna, Marcel felt no shame, if anything he dared Winters to rebuke him in his own house.

    ¡°God, you both are so disgusting. Get a room.¡± She rolled her eyes, bending down to take a look at the mess she made.

    However, Arianna realized that Winters wasn¡¯t the onlypany they had and some of Marcel¡¯s men stood at the corner as if they had been waiting for them to be done and they could cross over to the other side ¡°safely¡± ¨C they didn¡¯t dare to interrupt them. Well, except Winters. The young girl wasn¡¯t scared of anything.

    At once, the men took that opportunity to walk, no, run past them while making the sign of the cross. They were saved.

    ¡°I¡¯m suddenly regretting bringing the both of you together,¡± Winters was not prepared for their public disy of affection. No, theirs was worse.

    ¡°What were you doing here in the first ce?¡± Marcel was not ready to give out any apology. He was in love, was that a crime?

    ¡°I don¡¯t eat cold breakfast,¡± Winters retorted and left them, she needed to clear the mess she made.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Marcel took her hand in his and intertwined them together causing flutters in her stomach, ¡°Winters found out something, but that would be after breakfast and I¡¯m sure you must be hungry.¡± He said.

    However Arianna¡¯s gaze was fixed on their intertwined hands, it was a nice sight and it felt so good. Marcel¡¯s hands wererger than hers with callouses, andpletely swallowed her hands. No, it was a perfect fit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a slow poke,¡± He pulled her along and they headed to the dining room where they met Victor and Mimi already seated together.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Mimi pushed away from Victor and went to hug her leaving Marcel no choice but to let go of her.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Arianna squealed, pulling her best friend into her arms. Both of them did not get the chance to celebrate their victory yesterday because they had been busy with their boyfriends.

    Suddenly, Mimi whispered into her ears, ¡°Please, tell me you both did it?¡± She asked hopefully.

    Arianna didn¡¯t answer but when she went red in the face and scratched the back of her head, she knew the answer immediately.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Mimi screamed so loudly she even startled Arianna by her side. Then announced to the whole world, ¡°You finally lost your virginity!¡±

    At that moment, Arianna wished that the ground would open up and swallow her.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± She went after the girl who was obviously excited out of her mind but Mimi ran over to Marcel.

    She said to him, ¡°Tell me, my dear brother-inw, not that I¡¯m trying to pry into your affairs or something, it¡¯s just for her sake when I educate her further, but tell me, how many rounds did you both go yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Arianna and Victor shouted at the same time.

    ¡°Fine,¡± She stopped while Marcel only grinned.

    ¡°Although, it¡¯s not -¡±

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Arianna was close to crying.

    ¡°Fine!¡± She gave up, ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m very happy for you!¡± Mimi was still saying when Victor reached over and carried her back to his side, sitting her down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± He added, ¡°please¡± Knowing she never starts when she begins her rambles.

    With everyone settled, Arianna was just about to pick the next seat to Marcel when he asked her, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Marcel then tapped his thighs and her eyes widened. He seriously can¡¯t be expecting her to sit in hisp. Nope, not happening.

 Chapter 410

    410 The Third Wheel

    Marcel has been around Arianna long enough to know that fierceness in her eyes was only a refusal.

    ¡°Arianna...?¡± He dared her, eyes meeting her with his own intensity. It was a show of dominance and she didn¡¯t stare him down long enough before she gave in and walked over to him.

    Marcel spread his legs and made space for her to sit in the middle, her backside resting directly against his crotch but he didn¡¯t seek to mind, at least with his passive expression. Arianna couldn¡¯t tell what Marcel was thinking, but she knew that this couldn¡¯t be good. He must have an ulterior motive for suggesting this, this was Marcel for speaking out loud.

    Even Mimi and Victor stared at them strangely as she made herselffortable on the seat. Until Mimi mewled, ¡°Aww, it¡¯s just day one of your rtionship and you both are so sweet already.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s day two,¡± Marcel corrected her.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mimi was confused.

    ¡°I started counting from that moment in the gazebo, ¡°Marcel exined and Arianna blushed when she remembered what went down that night. She fanned her cheeks, what was going on? Why couldn¡¯t she get a break?

    ¡°Aww, he even remembers,¡± Mimi squealed once more drawing her boyfriend¡¯s attention this time.

    Victor pouted, ¡°You have be so emotionally invested in someone else¡¯s rtionship, you¡¯ve forgotten about yours.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Aww, do you feel neglected? Come here, you annoying yet sexy and clingy boyfriend of mine,¡± She pinched his cheeks and then pulled him closer enough to press her lips against his.

    Unfortunately, that was the scene Winters was treated to when she returned. She saw Mimi and Victor making out full-blown in front of the dining table and almost threw up at the public disy of affection. Thinking she would be spared if she looked to the side, only to see Arianna and Marcel. Arianna was seated in between his legs and Marcel said something that made her blush before he buried his face into her shoulder.

    Winters was dumbfounded, what kind of oppression was this? This wasn¡¯t a dinner date but breakfast that she needed because she was very hungry and yet, the couples were making her feel left out, as if she was the third wheel on this date, no, breakfast.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough! Cut it out! Any more kissing or sweet-talking and I¡¯m out of here, for real and nevering back!¡± She threatened them.

    It was enough that she caught Arianna and Marcel heavy petting in the hallway, now they took it to breakfast? No, that was not happening. She can¡¯t be an outcast. If only she had her own boyfriend ...ugh, whatever! Winters didn¡¯t need any asshole that was only interested in getting into her pants.

    ¡°I see someone¡¯s jealous,¡± Mimi teased her and Winters red at her intensely. But she continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grow up more, and I¡¯ll set you up on blind dates.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± She rejected the offer. Winters could only imagine the kind of men Mimi would line up for her. It was enough that she was smarter than girls her age, and none of the men would be able to hold her interest. Besides, she trusted in her ability to find herself a boyfriend ¨C and hopefully, hests.

    Most of Winter¡¯s rtionships did notst a week because she always caught them cheating. She was a hacker who didn¡¯t need to check her date¡¯s phones to know, just a clink of her fingers over her keyboard and she got all the necessary information she needed. So yeah, her skill was both a gift and a curse.

    ¡°If you say so then,¡± Arianna was sensible enough to heed her words, and warned Marcel to behave as well. No wonder, she -Winters- liked her.

    Everyone dug into their food and though the couples didn¡¯t kiss or do anything intimate, Winters still felt left out. She couldn¡¯t stop the flirty looks they shared, and she was envious of the knowing looks they sent to one another. All of them looked so happy and contented in their rtionship and there was nothing she could do. So she let them be.

    ¡°Marcel said you found something,¡± Arianna was the one that spoke up.

    Winters lifted her head and looked at her, taking a bite out of her toast before answering, ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Arianna was eager to hear it. Their sacrifices were not in vain, hallelujah! Had they aborted the mission, then Winters wouldn¡¯t have found out something. She was so happy to have been a help to Marcel.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t talk about work during my meal. While you had your rest yesterday, I¡¯ve been up all night going through hundreds of footage and I need to fuel my brain,¡± Winters told her.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Arianna apologized immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I will feel better after I¡¯m done eating,¡± Winters smiled at her.

    Arianna felt pity for the young girl when she saw the faint dark circles around her eyes. She was working hard for them.

    ¡°Here, have this,¡± Mimi shifted the bowl of fruit to her, ¡°It¡¯s good for the eyes,¡± She pointed out the fact she spent too much time on the screen.

    Arianna smiled at her friend¡¯s kindness and was just about to say something when she felt Marcel¡¯s hands slip beneath her dress and caressed her thighs, shivers danced down her spine. Oh no.

    She tried to shift away only for Marcel to grab her hips and leaned closer to whisper, ¡°Distract yourself unless you want everyone to know what I¡¯m doing to you.¡± She heard his wicked intention.

    Oh fuck.

    Just as his fingers found her clit, Arianna reached out with lightning speed and filled her mouth with the bread toast.

    Oh, God!

    She swallowed down the moan, forcibly chewing on the toast while Marcel¡¯s fingers drummed along her clit. Her hips tried to buck to his touch but Marcel held her still. Thankfully Mimi was discussing with Winters and they didn¡¯t give them much attention.

    Perhaps, because he didn¡¯t want her to get caught by the stern Winters, he didn¡¯t prolong her torture and stroked her at a faster pace until she came with a moan.

    Everyone looked at her.

    Oh, God.

    ¡°Urm, this toast tastes like heaven,¡± Arianna feigned ignorance, pretending to love the food.

    The ignorant Winters didn¡¯t suspect a thing and looked away but not her friend, Mimi, the girl even gave her a wink. How wouldn¡¯t she know when Arianna¡¯s face was currently flushed and there were beads of sweat on her forehead.

 Chapter 411

    411 She Was Born A Boy

    Arianna held onto the edge of the table as if her life depended on it. Marcel still had his finger inside of her and her core trembled around him as she tried to regte her heartbeat.

    Honestly, it was quite thrilling doing something bad under the table with no one knowing ¨C well except Mimi- and was almost tempted to go for a second round, but Arianna still had her morals. Hence she looked over her shoulder and red at Marcel who had this smug expression on his face ¨C he knew what he did.

    With her intense gaze, she warned him to take his finger out of her and stop tempting her. She should have known this was indeed his real purpose for providing this dress in the first ce.

    Marcel gave her a look that said, ¡°Fine since you asked,¡±

    He pulled his finger out of her but not without stroking slowly along her wetness and then the tip of her sensitive clit and a moan almost escaped her mouth again had she not cupped it with her hands.

    That bastard! She red at him.

    Yet, without anyone knowing, he put that same finger into his mouth and sucked it while holding her gaze. Arianna felt her walls clench, getting aroused with just that lustful and burning desire in his head.

    ¡°You taste sweet,¡± Marcel mouthed to her.

    Her nipples puckered and she had to turn her face away with lightning speed before she lost control and do something incredibly stupid.

    .....

    This must be Marcel¡¯s ploy to make her do something stupid in front of everyone and make it seem as if she was more desperate for his attention, but it was not going to happen. Especially not in front of the innocent Winters. The girl has been oppressed already by their sweetness.

    Marcel mightugh now, but she would have thestugh. Arianna was determined to have her revenge on him. He wouldn¡¯t go scot-free for this.

    They focused on their meals, except for the fact that Mimi kept ying mom to Winters. Since the young girlined of being stressed, her dear friend was determined to take care of her. Unfortunately, her tender, loving, care became too much that Winters had to flee the dining and escape her. She was having her meals separately from now on.

    But that move was useless because the meeting was being held in her quarters. In one word, they went to Winter¡¯s room after they were done with their meal.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arianna and Mimi breathed upon stepping into the girl¡¯s room. Perhaps because of her profession, Winters was a very private person and this was the first time both of them were seeing her room and the first thing to note about it was the space.

    Mimi turned to Victor with a pout, ¡°Why is her room bigger than mine?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re not a permanent resident,¡± Victor blurted out until he saw the deadly look on his girlfriend¡¯s face. He cleared his throat and exined immediately, ¡°You don¡¯t exactly live here, babe, unlike the others,¡± He referred to Arianna and Winters.

    And Victor wasn¡¯t wrong about that, unlike Arianna who was technically still a hostage, and Winters whose services were currently employed, Mimi came here from her home. The only reason she hasn¡¯t gone home for the past two days was that she lied to her parents that she was going out of town to spend time with Arianna.

    Apparently, she lied to her parents that Arianna finally moved out of her uncle¡¯s home after finding a job in the next city. Arianna was the only reason her family even rted with her uncle and his wife in the first ce. Hence, now Arianna was gone, they kept a distance from each other. Moreover, after the visit from Marcel, Arianna¡¯s family has been doing well to keep to themselves.

    Mimi looked disappointed until Victor pulled her to his side and reminded her, ¡°You have my room, remember?¡± and she spends most of her time in his room or Arianna¡¯s. In one word, Mimi does not need her room in the first ce when it is always empty; she was merely upying space.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous, I like my space,¡± Winters said to her proudly and Mimi wed the air, how dare that little girl put on airs with her. Mimi gave up on the role of being a mother to her, she liked it better when they bickered. That arrogant ass.

    ¡°I like your room,¡± Ariannaplimented her, looking around.

    Winters kept her space as practical as possible with smart living room storage, functional seating, and a gallery wall. She seems to enjoy the same luxury as Marcel.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Winters said to her, going to pick up herptop from where she dropped it on the table in the center of the room. Herputers and tools were set up in the other room and out of ess for everybody ¨C including Marcel ¨C unless she decided otherwise.

    However Arianna wrinkled her nose at thest minute, ¡°However, it¡¯s too masculine,¡± she hinted at the monochrome decorating scheme. The room simplycked warmth for the girl she was.

    ¡°I almost mistook it for another one of Marcel¡¯s rooms. One would think a male lived here instead of a female. By chance, if you want to redecorate -¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright, I picked it on purpose,¡± Winters said to her, eyes glued to the screen, ¡°Moreover, I grew up as a male, so this is nothing, trust me. ¡± She muttered.

    Arianna looked at Marcel in question in confusion wondering what the girl was talking about. It was at that moment that she came to learn that Winters was actually from a wealthy and prestigious family.

    She had been born a genius from birth and was even done with high school contrary to what Arianna thought. The young girl even got admission to Harvard and had the life everyone would wish for except for one thing.

    She was born a girl.

 Chapter 412

    412 Having Sex With A Boy

    Note:- This is a sensitive chapter.

    A mistake, she had been called.

    Married into a patriarchal family, it had been expected that Winter¡¯s mother would give birth to a male seeing all other women in the family went through the same trend. Sadly, when she went for a scan, it turned out that it was a girl.

    Winter¡¯s mother was from a very poor family hence it could be said that it was a blessing to have married into a rich family. In one word, she adored and worshipped the floors her father-inw stepped on hoping to please him and her husband as well. Her father-inw held the authority in the family and her husband didn¡¯t have the spine to speak up to his father.

    Hence, it was a huge disappointment to the woman when she found out she carried a female. Her father-inw had five boys with no girls, hence pregnancy was carefully nned to give birth to the ¡°right¡± sex.

    Knowing how girl children in the family were not given the due recognition and respect they deserved, Winter¡¯s mother didn¡¯t want the same fate to befell her child. So she tried her best to abort the child, all to no avail. The child was determined to stay.

    Hence she had no choice but to carry the child, however, she lied to everyone including her father-inw that she was carrying a male child. Unfortunately, such a lie couldn¡¯tst forever.

    Thanks to her numerous abortion, the woman had a difficult birth and almost lost her life in the process. She sessfully gave birth to Winters but lost her womb, not to mention that her husband found out her lie.

    Determined to end her life if her husband told his father the truth, she convinced the man as well into her ploy of deceiving the whole family that she had a male child.

    .....

    None of the family members were permitted to see the child and the patriarch didn¡¯t have much thought about it seeing that his six other daughter-inws had male children. Moreover, the woman lost her womb, she must be depressed about that. Hence, everyone let her be.

    Winters knew something was wrong with her body as early as three years old. She couldn¡¯t exactly describe it, but it felt wrong?

    For the fear of her lies getting out, her mother had been obsessively close to her. She was home-schooled throughout her early childhood and when questioned by others, her mother imed she was a sickly child and deserved attention when she wasn¡¯t.

    Her mother exterminated everymunication with fellow ymates and even her cousins in fear her secret would get out. The only people Winters grew up with were her mother, father, and her nanny. Her nanny was the one who took over her mother¡¯s role of keeping a close eye on her when she wasn¡¯t around to do so.

    Her hair was always kept in a buzz cut since it made her look much more masculine that way and Winters almost came to believe that she was a boy until she had an encounter. The nanny¡¯s daughter came to hang out with her and then she saw her pee. That was when it hit her.

    As a smart kid, Winters made more research, and guided by instincts, she figured everything out on her own, after all, it was her body. However, she didn¡¯t tell her mother and yed along. She had noticed the power dynamic in her family and understood her mother did it for her, or so she thought then.

    But then the truth couldn¡¯t be hidden forever because when puberty came, it hit Winters hard. During the end of her middle school, no amount of cutting her head or hiding her boobs could stop the truth.

    Her grandfather had been furious as expected after they hid the truth from him for fourteen years and threatened to cast them out of the family. Although he didn¡¯t make good of the threat, the cold treatment he gave them was as good as it.

    However, to Winters, that was freedom. Freedom to be who she was supposed to be! Freedom to stoop down and pee freely instead of standing upright and standing the chance of wetting her pants in that position!

    Freedom of growing her lustrous dark hair! Freedom on crushing on cute guys without being seen as weird or gay! Freedom to let her growing beasts rest without binding them to hide her sex. It was reliving freedom or so Winters thought.

    When she started her first day of senior high dressed as a girl having grown out her hair during the summer break, Winters had expected to be weed with open arms, however, she was treated like a freak and bullied by everyone. No one understood why she had to live like a boy and that it wasn¡¯t her fault.

    Some of them imed she was actually a transgender while others said she was a pervert who intentionally pretended to be a guy to get close to the other guys. Winters didn¡¯t have any female friends since she acted like a boy throughout her life, only a few male friends. But that was the beginning of her nightmare.

    One of her male friends pretended to sympathize with her situation only to get into her pants. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the news spread throughout the school the next time and she became an object of ridicule.

    She heard most of the guys ask the asshole who took her virginity, ¡°How was it? Did it feel like having sex with a boy?¡± They made crude jokes about it.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, when Winters got home, she constantly got abused by her mother who clearly lost her mind after her identity leaked.

    Her mother would grab her hair and scream, ¡°It is all your fault! Why did you have to grow?! Why did you have to develop those boobs? Why couldn¡¯t you be muscr?! Why weren¡¯t you born a boy?!¡± She would p and hit her till the nanny or her father came to her rescue.

    In one word, Winters was in a dark ce for a long time.

 Chapter 413

    413 Damaged Beyond Repair

    The darknesssted for a long time until one day, Winters snapped. She changed. She became an entirely different person; Winters couldn¡¯t take their shit lying down. She was in charge of her life and no one would make her feel inferior.

    In one word, Winters became a rebel. She made her first debut in school as a changed person by paying back each and every person who made her life a living hell.

    Good with herputers, Winters exposed all of their dirty secrets, ruining their social life or academics. She even went as far as sending one of them to jail ¨C the one who took her virginity. In one word, she framed him. His crime was having possession of cannabis, however, add cocaine to the list. That sounds cute, right?

    Then she made a video of her mother¡¯s abuse go viral and the woman was forcibly admitted to the hospital to avoid facing charges. Her father had always known something was wrong with her mother, but he waved it aside, iming she woulde around. Unfortunately, she suffered from her father¡¯s neglect of her mother¡¯s behavior, so Winter decided to take matters into her own hands.

    And as for her grandfather, with his overwhelming arrogance, authoritativeness, sexist view, and toxic femininity, it turned out that he wasn¡¯t a saint as he imed to be. Winters discovered that he took the life of one of his business partners, amongst others he crushed, just to grow hispanies. Not to mention him abusing his wife might be the reason she died early due to healthplications.

    So she threatened him with that. Although the murder crime had passed the statute of limitation and she couldn¡¯t sue him for that, however, all of his crimes were enough to destroy the conglomerate he built over the years.

    So she convinced him into making her the number one shareholder in thepany. Winters wasn¡¯t interested in inheriting thepany, being an heiress was too much work. However, she was going to be richer than her uncle who he already chose as his heir. So in one word, while her uncle worked his ass off taking care of thepany, she enjoyed her wealth as the top shareholder without lifting a finger.

    Her other female cousins were given a reasonable amount of property as well. Yep, she made her grandfather readjust the will. Winters didn¡¯t care what he gave to his treasured male children, her female cousins would not be left out.

    Winters kept her end of the deal and didn¡¯t release the information she dug up on him. As cruel as it was, this was the world and only the strongest survived ¨C everyone in her life taught her that. Moreover, she was his karma. The man had worked hard throughout his life only to hand his resources to the female sex he detested so much.

    .....

    Aside from that, her grandfather would get his reward in hell. She was sure of that.

    A week after their negotiations, her grandfather died and Winters became the richest young daughter in the family. Of course, most of her family members, including her father, didn¡¯t understand how that was possible knowing their grandfather had no regard for his female children, not to talk of grandchildren, however, there was nothing they could do. The will was legit.

    At her grandfather¡¯s funeral, Winters had cried the hardest and everyone assumed she loved the old man and missed him, without knowing she didn¡¯t hold even a trace of affection for him ¨C not after everything that happened.

    She only wept for the childhood she missed out on, for the normal life she could have had if only her mother did not lied about her gender.

    Winters knew her mother had been scared then that she would be chased out of the family for giving birth to a girl child and losing her womb as well. Her mother never had faith in her.

    But look where she is now! Winters aplished what none of them could have done. What they never thought a girl could do. Hence after she was done with high school, she ran away from home. Fuck Harvard! What does she need that for when she was a young billionaire?

    So Winters dyed her hair silver to mark a new beginning and though she kept her original name, no one could find her with that because she was too good at what she does, nor does she stay at a ce for a long time. What thrilled Winters in this life was a challenge and she found that in the life of crime. She found the underworld to befortable, it was the perfect ce for people like her ¨C damaged beyond repair

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to tell her everything,¡± Winters scowled at Marcel after he narrated almost her life history to his girlfriend, Arianna.

    ¡°You really went through all that?¡± Arianna sniffed, receiving the tissue from Marcel before he handed the box to Victor who snatched a few tissue paper and passed it to Mimi crying as well.

    They were currently seated in the bean bag chairs with Arianna sitting properly on Marcel¡¯sps this time and Mimi wasn¡¯t left out while Winters was alone.

    ¡°It is so sad. I thought I had a hard life, butpared to you ....¡± Mimi blew loudly into the tissue before folding it and giving it to Victor who held it in the air with no idea what to do with it.

    ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t need your pity. Don¡¯t feel sorry for me because I am livingfortably well and happy. So can we concentrate on this now?¡± Winters hated that look in their eyes. She wasn¡¯t weak!

    ¡°Please do,¡± Marcel said, while running his hand soothingly through his girlfriend¡¯s hair to calm her down. She was embarrassing Winters right now. The young girl was stronger than they thought.

    She began, ¡°So, I went through the footagest night, and apparently, there¡¯s this young girl they keep locked away. Care to confirm if she¡¯s indeed your sister?¡± She yed footage and handed theptop over to Marcel.

    Arianna made space so Marcel kept theptop between them and she was able to see the footage clearly as well. The moment she felt Marcel stiffen, Arianna knew the answer to that question.

 Chapter 414

    414 The Escape

    Marcel stiffened behind her, his hand reaching out to touch the screen that was showing a recording of the girl on her bed with her legs brought up to her chest. Although the room wasvishly decorated and it didn¡¯t look like the girl was being held hostage, however, anyone could easily sense the loneliness lingering around the girl.

    She couldn¡¯t exactly make out the young girl¡¯s features from the recording but it was obvious that she and Marcel looked nothing alike starting from her dark hair. After all, she had been adopted but Marcel took her as his biological sister ¨C the young girl was the remaining link between him and histe mother.

    Arianna turned to look at Marcel in concern and though he had a passive expression, she knew he was not okay. The girl was the only family he had left and yet he couldn¡¯t protect her, Marcel must be ming himself for what happened.

    Knowing that Marcel had to put on a brave front, Arianna didn¡¯t say a word and only took his other hand in hers and squeezed it tight, providing silentfort to him.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯d get her back,¡± Her gaze seemed tomunicate with him, and then Marcel took her hand in his instead, caressing the top of her palm while smiling at her.

    Arianna stared at the lopsided smile Marcel gave her and she froze. For some strange reason, Marcel looked incredibly handsome and her heart went, ¡°ba-dim!¡±, ¡°ba-dum!¡±

    What was happening to her?

    Flustered, while her cheeks burned, Arianna looked away at once. She had no idea what Marcel was doing to her.

    Marcel¡¯s brows furrowed when Arianna turned her face the other way, as if she didn¡¯t want to stare at him. Hence he couldn¡¯t see her flushed expression, he didn¡¯t say anything as he handed theptop back to Winters with confirmation.

    .....

    ¡°Your suspicion is right, she¡¯s my sister Chloe. Tell me then what else you found out before I start working on getting her out of that hell hole,¡± Marcel was determined.

    ¡°Well...¡± Winters took a mouthful of breath that caused a bit of suspense as they all wondered what she was not telling them.

    ¡°That¡¯s the part where we have a tiny bit of a problem,¡± Winters said and Marcel flinched behind her. Of course, anything titled ¡°problem¡± was bad news.

    ¡°Just tell me the damn truth,¡± Marcel demanded, having sensed something was not right. His grip around Arianna¡¯s waist was tight as if he was nervous or something and she had no doubt that he probably didn¡¯t know he was hurting her right now.

    ¡°It turns out that your sister escaped from your father¡¯s ce two weeks ago,¡± Winters dropped the news.

    ¡°W-hat?¡±

    Winters yed another recording that showed the girl leaving the room she had been kept in. Winters must havepiled all of the recordings because the next showed the girl sessfully running out of the fortress and the soldiers were toote to stop her. The video stopped and a chilling silence took over the room.

    No one dared to make a sound until Marcel suddenly shot up to his feet with Arianna in his arms. However, he made her sit back down while he stood up and began to pace up and down the room, anger filling him as he digested the information.

    ¡°He lost Chloe! He fucking lost her!¡± He raged while everyone watched without interfering.

    If this was his room and they weren¡¯t present right now, Arianna did not doubt that Marcel would have wrecked the room to blow off some steam. She couldn¡¯t me him anyway because she was annoyed. How could his father kidnap his sister just to convince him into marriage?

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Daniel lost the girl and yet he continued to con Marcel into the marriage when he didn¡¯t have her anymore. It was inhumane and she still couldn¡¯t understand how this family worked. How could a father do that to his son?

    ¡°This must be the reason he wanted you to get married quicker,¡± Victor figured it out, his eyes connecting with his cousin¡¯s, ¡°The more time he wasted, the anxious he grew that you would find out. Your father didn¡¯t want you to know that your sister was missing. He didn¡¯t want you to know that he had no more leverage over you,¡± He reminded Marcel that he was a free man now if that was the case.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes grew wide at the realization while Arianna didn¡¯t even know when she released a relieved sigh. He was now free from ra? The news delighted Arianna the most.

    Yes, Arianna was sure that Marcel liked her, but those feelings were not enough to stop him from marrying ra. Marcel was bound to his duty and family, and if marrying ra would save Chloe, she was sure he would do it without blinking an eye.

    That was why she had worked so hard in that mission just so she could give him a fighting chance against his father and as well, stop the marriage. It finally worked! Now, she didn¡¯t have to worry about ra stealing her man.

    Yes, her man! Marcel was hers.

    Marcel should be happy at the news he was no longer bound to his father¡¯s games, but that wasn¡¯t possible, not when Chloe was out there and missing as well. If anything happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself. How would he be able to face his mother in the afterlife after failing to protect the one person she treasured and handed over to him before she died.

    Marcel lifted his head and looked at Winters hopefully, ¡°Tell me that you have a lead on her.¡±

    ¡°Well, I do,¡± Winters said and everyone sighed in relief, only for her to add immediately, ¡°Just not one you are going to like.¡±

    Marcel clenched his jaw hard showing he didn¡¯t like that response, however, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances,¡±

    ¡°If you say so then,¡± Winters said and then her hands flew over her keyboard as she exined to them, ¡°So I hacked every possible camera around the areas that I assumed your sister must have gone through until I came around one that gave me what I wanted. It turns out that your sister ran into the road and almost got hit by a car.¡±

    At the mention of almost getting hit by a car, Marcel¡¯s breath hitched in his throat. His sister almost died and he hadn¡¯t been able to do anything.

    ¡°The shock must have been too much for the young girl because she fainted right now and the upant of the car stepped out and took her.¡±

    ¡°Took her to where?!¡± Marcel demanded impatiently. He was tapping his feet against the ground impatiently and looked like he would wolf out very soon.

    ¡°I could not capture the te number -¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Marcel threw his hands up frustrated.

    ¡°Ungrateful jerk, I stayed up all night for this!¡± Winters red at him, hating that look he gave her as if she was ipetent or something.

    Arianna got up and took matters into her hand before it escted. She cupped his face, speaking softly to him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Marcel, we¡¯d surely find her.¡±

    Thanks for her concern, Marcel was about to calm down. He held her face and rested his forehead against hers, trying to draw strength from her.

    ¡°Aww, they¡¯re so romantic -¡± Mimi was about to swoon when Victor reached out and closed her mouth with hisrge palm. She was not going to destroy that romantic moment for them.

    ¡°Well, luckily for you,¡± Winters continued, ¡°The car is one of a kind, meaning that it¡¯s a limited edition and customized for just one person in the entire world.¡±

    Everyone looked at her questioningly.

    Marcel asked, ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Reina Spencer,¡± Winters revealed.

 Chapter 415

    415 She¡¯s In Safe Hands

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Victor groaned at that revtion.

    ¡°Spencers,¡± Marcel rubbed his forehead at that revtion. Just when he thought things were getting better, it worsened.

    Arianna looked between Marcel and Victor in confusion, wondering why they had that look on their faces as if the world had ended.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Victor was the one who answered, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that your father-inw doesn¡¯t have a great reputation, likely the most hated person on earth. Not to mention that he doesn¡¯t have a great rtionship with the Spencers. No, Sakuzi hates the very feet he steps on.¡±

    Wait a minute, was Victor by chance referring to Daniel. She scowled at him.

    ¡°He¡¯s not my father-inw,¡± she said.

    No, Daniel would have to earn his ce as her father-inw if she ended up marrying Marcel. But then, that would be a problem for her future self. Right now, she had to concentrate on finding Chloe, more like, releasing her from the Spencers.

    ¡°So, who is this Reina Spencer?¡± She was curious to know.

    .....

    ¡°Reina Princess Spencer, only daughter to Sakuzi Valentino Armani of the falcon gang and wife to Nius Spencer. Her father is a Mafia Lord, although he has been reced by his foster son, Emerald, he still very much holds much power in the gang and the city and as you can probably surmise, she¡¯s the wife to the business mogul, Nius Spencer. In one word, the family is a powerhouse and they hate us, Luciano, all thanks to my proud uncle Daniel, ¡± Victor exined with a bit of humor and Sarcasm.

    ¡°I know, Nius,¡± Mimi suddenly said, earning a stare from her boyfriend, and she rephrased her words at once, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve heard of him. He was quite a yer back in the days.¡±

    Arianna looked at her friend in surprise, this was the first time she was hearing such gossip from Mimi and she had a feeling there was more to the story. Her friend was holding something back.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Mimi rolled her eyes when she saw the look Arianna gave her, ¡± I found out by ident that my mom actually dated the man back then when she had the thoughts of being a star.¡±

    But Winters snickered with herptop in her grasp, earning a re from the youngdy. She cupped her mouth, ¡°No offense, but you might have to go have a DNA test done to confirm if you¡¯re not his child. I mean, the man¡¯s dating list would roll down from the spot where I stand to the entrance.¡° She teased Mimi.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re straying off the issue at hand,¡± Arianna decided to intervene before her vengeful friend took it personally. Winters can be a little direct and rude sometimes.

    Arianna looked up at Marcel, ¡°What did your father do that made them hate your family?¡± she wanted to know and maybe, from there, they would figure out a way to go about it.

    ¡°Well, what do you think? He created chaos as expected.¡± Marcel sneered, ¡°Sakuzi and Daniel were intensepetitors right from the start, however, father¡¯s desire to seed crossed the line when he assisted one of Spencer¡¯s enemies, Miguel. His brother Gerald had been killed by Sakuzi when he was abroad forying a finger on his daughter, Reina, hence he returned for revenge and he went to my power-hungry father for assistance.

    ¡°Daniel, of course, provided them with the weapons their money could afford. They raided Nius¡¯ home, killing his men and almost harming his family but they were lucky to survive. It was a narrow escape from death. Sadly, Reina and her children aka Sakuzi¡¯s grandchildren had been the ones held hostage, hence the man didn¡¯t take it lightly when he found out the truth. It would have been a bloody war had themission not stepped in and solved the issue.

    ¡°However, even if both parties ceased fire, the feud had already been established. Sakuzi hates Daniel and anyone else bearing the name, Luciano. And that is just one of the many, many people my father has offended.¡± Marcel exined to her.

    Arianna nodded in understanding and turned to the others,¡± In one word, Reina doesn¡¯t exactly hate your family, but her father, Sakuzi. Doesn¡¯t that mean your sister is in safe hands, right? ¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly count on that,¡± Mimi argued, ¡°Mothers are naturally protective and Daniel put her life and the life of her children in danger. If I were her, this is definitely my time for revenge,¡±

    ¡°But it happened years ago and as you said she¡¯s a mother. Added to that, Reina is a phnthropist with a deep passion for children,¡± Winters read from herptop, having pulled up the woman¡¯s profile, ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t have the heart to kill an innocent child all because of an event that happened years past. Time heals all wounds.¡±

    She added, ¡°Also, if I could find Chloe¡¯s whereabouts this easily, that means your father surely knows she¡¯s with Spencer as well.¡±

    ¡°Winter¡¯s right,¡± Victor supported her, ¡°If the Spencers really meant to harm Chloe, they would havemunicated with us already.¡±

    ¡°But yet, they haven¡¯t,¡± Marcel argued, ¡°What if they killed her quietly,¡± All he could think about was negative thoughts.

    ¡°What if Chloe doesn¡¯t want to return?¡± Arianna suddenly asked, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel looked at her as if he couldn¡¯t believe she was saying that.

    Arianna licked her lower lips and went ahead to say to them, ¡°I might have lived with my uncle but I spent most of my time at Mimi¡¯s ce because I felt at peace the most there. I mean, from what Winters said so far about Reina, she sounds like a good person. What if Chloe likes it there and doesn¡¯t want to return here anymore? Remember, your father did kidnap her and you ....¡± She trailed off as if looking for the right word toplete that statement.

    ¡°Abandoned her,¡± Marcel said and that left a sour taste in his mouth.

    ¡°You lost her,¡± Arianna chose to say, her features softening, ¡°The Marcel I know would never abandon the people he loves.¡± She spoke with conviction. He should stop being hard on himself.

 Chapter 416

    416 Supporting His Girlfriend

    Marcel stared at Arianna hard and that made her nervous enough that she looked away, shifting ufortably on the balls of her feet. She jinxed the chances of Marcel¡¯s sister returning here and expected him to be mad at her or something.

    ¡°You really mean that?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± And then it hit her that he was referring to what she said, ¡°Of course, you got me back when Big Joe had me and gave me a chance to escape from your father¡¯s ce sessfully. If anything, I¡¯d say you¡¯re a damn spider that wouldn¡¯t let go of his victim once it¡¯s fallen to his web,¡±

    Marcel¡¯s jaw dropped in disbelief, ¡°Wait a minute, are you calling me a spider?¡±

    Mimi shook her head, ¡°Tsk tsk, this girl. That¡¯s not romantic at -¡± But before she could finish the rest of her hands, Victor cupped her mouth with his huge palm, silencing her again.

    Arianna shook her head, panicking instantly, ¡°Of course not!¡± She was breathless, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to say that you¡¯re relentless in getting....¡± She looked up to see the stoic expression on his face give way to a bright smile and realized that he was only pulling her leg.

    ¡°You!¡± Arianna pointed an using finger at him but Marcel simplyughed and pulled her into his arms, smoothing her hair while she breathed in his familiar cologne mixed with his natural masculine scent. It wasforting.

    ¡°Thank you for believing in me,¡± Marcel murmured against her hair, sniffing it before lifting his face to ce a soft kiss on her forehead.

    This is so cheesy yet for some reason, her heart still missed a beat. Sometimes, it was difficult to believe that a man like Marcel was capable of such gentleness, but there he was, making her blush with his sweetness.

    .....

    ¡°Aww,¡± Mimi still swooned, even with Victor¡¯s palm on her mouth. Hence, the man simply gave up, his girlfriend was impossible.

    ¡°Okay, as much as this lovey-dovey moment is beautiful yet irritating at the same time, we still have issues at hand, remember?¡± Winters was quick to interrupt them. Gosh, the couples were so romantic it almost made her gag.

    Arianna pulled part, ¡°Maybe, you can just speak with the Spencers?¡± She suggested.

    ¡°Yep, good luck with that,¡± Victor was not in support, ¡°Nius Spencer would never let a Luciano within hundred meters near his wife, not to talk of ten meters. The man loves his wife like a puppy and would exterminate any threat near her. Unlike his wife, Reina, he probably hadn¡¯t forgotten that your father nearly cost him his children.¡±

    That one was directed at Marcel who looked as stressed up as shit. It was one problem after the other and Arianna¡¯s heart reached out to him. She wanted to reach out and straighten that furrow on his face and help him rx for once.

    ¡°So since formal invitation doesn¡¯t work, what do we do then?¡± Mimi asked, sittingfortably on her mate¡¯s body and Victor didn¡¯t seem to mind. If anything Arianna seemed to sense something was going on with the way her friend bent and shifted her hips, grinding ¨C holy shit!

    Arianna¡¯s gaze instantly went out to Winters whose gaze was glued to the screen and then back to her friend Mimi, who had a daredevil smirk on her face as she continued to grind against Victor with no care for the audience. Were they all full of debauchery or what?

    This must be an underworld thing, because Arianna could sense her soul getting tainted with each day she spent with Marcel. She was gettingfortable with things the previous Arianna wouldn¡¯t like. Or maybe, she had always been this way from the very start and only managed to find herself in an environment that gave her dark side the chance to fester.

    The moment Winters lifted her head, Mimi stilled instantly and Arianna fought against the urge tough. It was so damn funny. The young girl was so stern no one wanted to be caught by her.

    ¡°Or maybe, we can go in quietly and steal your sister back the same way they took her,¡± Winters suggested and everyone in the room froze.

    ¡°Nope, no way,¡± Arianna shook her head firmly. She didn¡¯t like the idea of that and would rather entertain the thought of Marcel meeting Nius face to face than sneaking into his ce like a damn thief. Yes, it was difficult with the feud, but it was the right way to go about it.

    ¡°Her idea isn¡¯t bad,¡± Marcel of course supported Winters and that pissed her off.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this when I¡¯m all for adventure, however, we barely escaped your psychopathic father¡¯s ce yesterday and I think what everyone needs is a chance to recuperate and perhaps, we cane up with better ideas than plunging headfirst in another suicide n, ¡± Mimi was surprisingly reasonable for once.

    Victor pulsed his lips, thinking over it,

    ¡°I support my girlfriend on that one, ¡± he said, kissing the back of her hair as ifplimenting her for a job well done.

    Well, clearly, someone listened to his girlfriend, Arianna red at Marcel who noticed her animosity and didn¡¯t know how to cate her especially when she stepped away from him.

    ¡°The women risked their lives and you haven¡¯t even thanked them properly, Marcel. If anything, I suggest we throw them a party. I¡¯m not saying we should celebrate while Chloe is still in danger, but that way, everyone chills and has fun before dangeres knocking,¡± Victor came up with the idea of organizing a party for them.

    ¡°Fine, a party then,¡± Marcel gave in, gaze fixed on Arianna who wouldn¡¯t look at him.

    ¡°In that case, that means we¡¯re done here then,¡± Arianna was the first to leave the ce and Marcel was about to go after her when Victor asked.

    ¡°Who is in charge of the preparation?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think?¡± Marcel was in a hurry to go after his furious girlfriend,

    ¡°Do whatever you want, both of you,¡± He left.

    ¡°You mean me?¡± Victor pointed at his chest.

    ¡°And me,¡± There was a spark in Mimi¡¯s eyes. She nned to throw a hell of a party.

 Chapter 417

    417 Women Are Expendable

    In a certain basement, a battered man hung from a rope attached to the ceiling. The bloodied man was no other than S¨¦bastien who was receiving his punishment that was worse than death while Daniel watched with no ounce of emotion on his expression.

    If anything, there was nothing but annoyance on his face as if S¨¦bastien was nothing but a bug that he needed to get rid of before he smeared more of his reputation. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the look of disgust on Marcel¡¯s face.

    Daniel was not exactly the best father figure, nor would he receive the father of the year award, however, getting embarrassed in front of his son was never on his bucket list. He hoped to impress his son and that Marcel would admire, not abhor him. Who knows what his son thought of him now?

    Well, he had never cared about what his son thought of him until now, old age must be getting to him. Anyway, everything he did was for him and though Marcel would not see it now, he would realize itter.

    At once, he signaled to his men beside him and they woke S¨¦bastien harshly by sshing him with a bucket of water. The man jerked up with a loud gasp, his body reacting to the cold water. He looked around his environment reflexively before shivering as soon as his gaze connected with Daniel¡¯s, as if he had met the devil.

    S¨¦bastien gulped, his once haughty demeanor was gone, reced by fear and submission. ¡°B-boss,¡± He stuttered.

    If Mimi had seen this scene, she would have definitelyughed till she couldn¡¯t breathe anymore.

    ¡°You seem to have slept well,¡± Daniel said calmly, but hisment was anything but assuring, especially when he added, ¡°After what you did yesterday, disgracing me in front of my son.¡± He sneered.

    Another shiver danced down S¨¦bastien¡¯s spine, ¡°B-boss, I wouldn¡¯t have done that... It-it was the devil¡¯s hard work.¡± He looked like he was about to cry when he said, ¡°I swear it was those women who seduced me first.¡±

    .....

    However, Daniel shook his head pathetically, clicking his tongue, ¡°Even in the end, you don¡¯t own up to your fault, but me it on the innocent devil.¡±

    He turned to the men beside him andmanded them, ¡°Torture him down to the second he takes hisst breath. I want his screams reverberating throughout the room nonstop.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± They bowed.

    And with thosemands, Daniel left the ce with S¨¦bastien screaming after him knowing that his death was settled once the man left here. But it was toote.

    As soon as Daniel left, his assistant was by his side, and the man stopped to ask him, ¡°What exactly has my son been up to these days?¡±

    His assistant stopped, gulping slightly, however, the man stood looking him in the eyes when he answered, ¡°Not much, he has been busy with work as usual and taking up new territories.¡±

    Daniel seemed to be lost in his thoughts until he said, ¡°That was a vague answer, I need details. Look into his activities and keep me informed as soon as possible.¡±

    He knew his son Marcel and the fact he had been quiet all this was what bothered him. Daniel was not a fool to think that Marcel sincerely liked ra, but those feelings were not essential, women were expendable and what he needed was for ra to give him a grandson. And not just an ordinary grandson, but one born from nobility.

    If only Natalie was alive, then he could rub that all over her face. She had rejected him just because he wasn¡¯t a member of the upper crust. But that would not be the case anymore, his rank would be upgraded. He would be the grandfather of a noble child. Her arrogant ass wasn¡¯t even here to see that happen, Daniel didn¡¯t know whether to sneer at the realization or be saddened by it.

    Yes, Marcel was living his unfulfilled dreams. But that stubborn son of his wouldn¡¯t be his problem anymore once he gives him a grandson. Daniel was determined he would have a better shot with his future grandson than his disappointment of a son, Marcel.

    Marcel was too weak and it was all his fault, he shouldn¡¯t have let that damn woman near him. He should have just sent her away as soon as she gave him Marcel, but his damn sister Carmine had insisted the child needed his mother and there were chances the young child would die without her.

    But that slight indulgence had cost him. Although Daniel hade from a peaceful home, he never wanted to live like his pathetic and cowardly father Magnus who was just afraid to take his ce in the family. He knew his father did all those for his mother who wasn¡¯t a fan of violence, and swore he would never be like him.

    But then, Daniel almost fell into the same trap with Natalia because he had been willing to give up everything just to be with her, but she treated his love as if it was nothing. Thanks to her, he became weak and almost lost his vision ¨C well almost. His head was back in the game and he returned to his original vision, getting power.

    Of course, he wanted his legacy to continue, which was why he got Penelope, the closest link and friend to Natelia as his form of revenge when she escaped him through death. He couldn¡¯t get Natalie to give him a seed, but Penelope did the job.

    But she weakened his son and turned him against him. Had Daniel known that would happen, he would have made sure Marcel never got to know her and trained his son the way he wanted him to be.

    However, there was hope with his grandson. For sure, Marcel would try to be a hindrance, but he has prepared for this for a long time and no one would stand in his way. No, the only thing that stood in his way now was time ¨C time for his dream to be fulfilled.

    Daniel was roused from his thoughts when his phone rang and he discovered that it was no one else but ra¡¯s mother.

 Chapter 418

    418 Calling Off The Engagement

    Diana Alberta was seated in a caf¨¦, a mug of hot coffee cupped securely in her hands. Although she looked calm, if one could stare down, one would see her tapping her feet impatiently against the tile as she waited for Daniel, her inw to arrive.

    As much as she would love to have this conversation in the privacy andfort of her ce, she didn¡¯t want her daughter to know. The girl had clearly lost her mind over Marcel and as her mother, she would do everything possible to save her daughter from making a deadly mistake.

    So she did the first thing that came to mind, arranging a meeting with Daniel before it was toote. She had to stop ra from getting all excited about the wedding scheduled to hold next week. Not to mention if she released an official statement, then it was game over. It was now or never.

    Thankfully, the door chimed open and she stretched her neck to see Daniel step into the small coffee shop, relief filling her body. Knowing his history and what he did for a living, she chose this small shop where there wasn¡¯t lots of attention.

    Daniel first sighted her at the end of the room before she could lift her hand and beckon him over. For someone who was supposedly sick, he looked strong and had that serene look that deceived her into allying with him in the first ce. But now, it became obvious to her that the move had been stupid on her path.

    However, that had been fueled by the need to protect her daughter from danger and Daniel had been very convincing. The arrangement had been beneficial and interesting until she saw the dark path she set out for her daughter. But no more, she had to do something before it was toote.

    ¡°You came quite quickly,¡± Diana pointed out as he took a seat in front of her.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re about to be families, and when someone of such importance calls, youe running,¡± Daniel said lightly and chuckled.

    Obviously, he meant that as a joke, however, to Diana who wanted to be the opposite of that, it made her ufortable and sheughed nervously.

    .....

    At once, she asked him,¡± What do you want? The coffee here is great, ¡± Hoping that she would be able to gather her confidence by the time she was done.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have whatever you¡¯re having,¡± Daniel said to her, a smile on his face and it made her rx a bit. Maybe she was worrying over nothing.

    Hence by the time Daniel was served his coffee and took a long sip before setting the mug down, she was ready.

    ¡°How is your health?¡± Diana decided she would slowly work her way into the main conversation, ¡°My daughter can be quite dramatic at times and she almost gave me when a heart attack when she announced you were unwell,¡±

    ¡°Well, as you can see, I¡¯m alive and kicking,¡± Daniel was amused, his gray eyes sparkling with an emotion she couldn¡¯t exactly tell. Anyway, she didn¡¯t read much into it.

    Daniel went on to say, ¡°I guess the thought of joining our children in happy matrimony strengthened me once more.¡±

    Diana¡¯s expression fell when she heard those words and she readjusted in her seat before intertwining her hands together and cing them on the table, leaning closer as she cleared her throat, ¡°About that...¡±

    Daniel¡¯s expression shifted way, before she even let the cat out of the bag as if he already knew what was on her mind and it made her wonder by chance if her naive daughter ra had disclosed her intention to the man.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to join our houses anymore,¡± She stated simply and there was an awkward tension in the coffee shop which was heightened when thest of the remaining customers left the shop, leaving only the both of them there, neither could she see any of the workers there.

    It was suddenly creepy and Diana worked on slow, deep breaths to calm her nerves. It was just a coincidence that no one else was there, just the both of them, and not an attempt from Daniel to scare her, she told herself.

    However, her gaze returned to Daniel and her heart almost leaped into her throat when she saw the dark storm in his gray eyes and he looked deadly at that moment. However, her supposed inw, Daniel, must have realized he scared her because he gave her a ghost of a smile, lifting his brow as he asked pointedly, ¡°And what exactly do you mean by now?¡±

    As scared as Diana was, she said with determination, ¡°I want the engagement canceled,¡± This was for her daughter and any woman in her shoes would do the same. The woman loved her daughter so much that she would go back and forth in hell to save her.

    She went on to add, ¡°I know this would affect our arrangement that we decided upon months ago, however, I coulde up with other things to benefit both -¡±

    ¡°What is the reason?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Diana was stunned by the question, not to mention it was quite rude of him to interrupt her like that. However, she didn¡¯t say anything, having a feeling that she was standing at the edge of a cliff at the moment.

    ¡°What is the reason for wanting to call off the engagement?¡± He asked seriously.

    ¡°My daughter is not happy with this arrangement,¡± Diana said, chin lifted high like the proud royalty she was, trying to exert her own authority in front of this dominant man.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t look that way to me when she visited me yesterday. If anything, your daughter looked more than happy.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Diana was dumbfounded. Was he trying to say that he knew her own daughter more than she knew her?

    Daniel leaned closer such that their eyes were meeting when he said pointedly, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I think the problem is with you and not your daughter,¡±

    Diana¡¯s eyes zed, her jaw clenching.

 Chapter 419

    419 Threatening The Inw

    Tension coiled in her body and Diana looked like a mother hen about to protect her chick from a predator ready to snatch it from the sky.

    ¡°Why are you against your daughter¡¯s happiness?¡± Daniel asked, leaving her dumbfounded. How dare he use her of that?

    ¡°What do you know about happiness, not to talk of my daughter¡¯s?¡± Diana¡¯s words were between a growl and a sneer and that must have warned Daniel off because he apologized in the next minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I was a bit rude, however, the children look happy, why do you want to ruin that?¡± He almost looked concerned about the children¡¯s well-being. Only a fool would believe that.

    ¡°The children look happy? Do you know what happened the day the wedding nner came? My daughter broke down in tears,¡± Diana looked pained as she recalled that scene, ¡°Your son Marcel doesn¡¯t treat my daughter with respect, no...¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°They don¡¯t love one another,¡±

    ¡°Diana... ¡± Daniel called and reached for the woman¡¯s hand as if to providefort or something, however, she pulled back immediately as if she was electrocuted, staring at him with wide eyes, and Daniel upon realizing himself, stepped back as well.

    She and Daniel might be inws but they were not close enough to initiate such physical contact and she could count the number of times she had been with him like this, one on one to discuss the future of their children. No, now she thought about it, their arrangement was almost like a business transaction. God, what has she done?

    ¡°You were once in an arranged marriage,¡± Daniel said, moving her mind from what happened moments ago, ¡°You of all people should know that it would take time for the kids to warm up to each other.¡±

    ¡°That is why we engaged them for over two months, hoping they warmed up to each other,¡± She reminded them that their engagement didn¡¯t start recently, and yet, there was still no sign of affection between both of them. If anything, her daughter was the one ending up with unreciprocated feelings and was being treated like a fool.

    .....

    ¡°Maybe, they need more time...¡± Daniel was still saying when the woman shook her head stubbornly.

    ¡°My husband and I were engaged less than two weeks before we got married to each other. However, what made mine different? The both of us knew what we were getting ourselves into and were determined to make a future out of it, but your son, Marcel? I¡¯m not even sure he regards my daughter as a woman.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll speak to my son and make hime around. I assure you that there would be positive results before the wedding,¡± Daniel suggested, his thoughts alive with different ideas he could use to fulfill that promise ¨C and none of them were good.

    ¡°No, I want out,¡± Diana dered firmly, knowing this was now or never. ra would not appreciate it when she heard the engagement is over and would be mad at her for days or weeks or months ¨C or years ¨C but it was for her good.

    ¡°My daughter is precious and needs to be treated by someone who knows her worth,¡±

    ¡°Diana,¡± Daniel chuckled, ¡°You are clearly blinded by emotions and are not thinking clearly -¡±

    ¡°I want the engagement canceled!¡± Diana snapped and that shut Daniel up at once. Her face was taut and her eyes zing with fiery intensity, told him that he was not going to win this battle.

    The slump of Daniel¡¯s shoulders as if he was exhausted told Diana gave her the illusion that she won and she was able to release the breath she didn¡¯t know she had been holding in. Her daughter would be free.

    A tensed silence pulled tight in the room until Daniel breathed, ¡°I guess I have no choice then,¡±

    Diana¡¯s heart fluttered in excitement, guessing that he admitted defeat. Had she known that she would get her daughter¡¯s freedom this easily, she would have let go of the damn tension and done it long ago when she sensed something wasn¡¯t right between her and Marcel.

    Why had she hesitated though? It was all because of the man standing in front of her. The closer she came to him, Diana realized she might have made a deal with the devil. Hence she thought he would threaten her or something. If only she knew she wasn¡¯t far off with that thought.

    ¡°I guess we would have the wedding without you,¡± Daniel suddenly said.

    Goosebumps broke out on her arms and her gaze narrowed at him when she recognized the subtle threat in those words.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Daniel picked up his coffee and drank it all before cing the empty mug on the table, clearing the foam at the corner of his mouth, and catching her tensed gaze.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one against the wedding, don¡¯t you think the problem would be solved once you¡¯re out of the picture?¡± He smirked wickedly with his bright cunning eyes.

    Diana shot up to her feet at once, eyes wide and furious, ¡°Are you threatening me?!¡± She thundered.

    ¡°Depends on your actions, then yes, I¡¯m threatening you,¡± He said calmly, as if she didn¡¯t have her phone with her and would easily call the police ¨C if he doesn¡¯t kill her first.

    Diana realized she was in a precarious situation however, she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. She was an important personality, a past royalty, and her death would open up multiple investigations that would surely implicate him. He would not do anything to her. Daniel was all barks and no bite.

    So she threw her head back andughed hard, ¡°And you think ra would still marry your son when she suspects you have a hand in my murder? You think you can easily do away with me without getting caught?¡± She found itughable.

    ¡°How is your anti-depressant going?¡± Daniel suddenly asked and her blood chilled immediately. How did he know about that?

    ¡°What do you think would happen when you identally overdose on those drugs or it gets switched with an identical yet deadlier drug?¡±

    Diana wanted to run from this monster but the look in his eyes warned her not to and she couldn¡¯t even feel her legs.

    Daniel quietly stood up to his feet, a smile on his face, ¡°Thank you for the coffee, it was nice even though I prefer mine less... sweeter,¡± He thanked her as if he didn¡¯t just threaten to kill her right now.

    And with that, Daniel left, having made his point already while Diana was stuck at the spot, her heart pounding in her throat.

 Chapter 420

    420 Keep An Eye On Elijah

    When Jason walked into Eric¡¯s office after the summon, no one prepared him for when he asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s my brother up to these days?¡±

    He blinked, taken aback by the question because he had not expected it. So he raised his brows questioningly, ¡°Which of the brothers?¡± there were four of them, hence he couldn¡¯t be directly referring to Elijah, right?

    ¡°The one you have been working with behind my back,¡± Eric told him, all without taking his eyes off the documents he was going through.

    Jason sighed, of course, he must be a fool to think that Eric wouldn¡¯t notice he had been working with his youngest brother. Knowing that Eric hated lies the most, he decided toe clean.

    He said, ¡°He needed my help with a few things,¡±

    This time, Eric put down his pen and finally lifted his head, intertwining his hands together on the desk. He asked hopefully, ¡°I hope those few things you helped him wouldn¡¯t cause trouble in the future,¡± thest thing he needed was his brother causing trouble that would jeopardize his ce as the leader of themission.

    With his father¡¯s death, it had been hard taking over from where the man had stopped and themission still doesn¡¯t trust he had what he takes to be in charge. Imagine Elijah putting him in a hot mess, they¡¯d take that opportunity to feast on him like vultures on a carcass.

    Neither could Eric lose this position either. As the eldest child and son of the family, it was his responsibility to take care of his siblings and with his position as the leader of themission, his siblings that were deep into the criminal underbelly of this city and beyond, enjoyed certain benefits with having their big brother in the seat of power. So yeah, he was taking care of them in his way.

    ¡°They certainly wouldn¡¯t as far as he doesn¡¯t cross the line,¡± Even Jason wasn¡¯t even sure and that made his brows furrow.

    .....

    Eric sank back in his seat, his thoughts far away for a while before he asked him, ¡°You said this is all for a girl, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    He rubbed beneath his chin thoughtfully knowing that this was the first time that little chum was being serious about a woman and that slightly worried him. Since young, Elijah was naturally good at everything that he got whatever he wanted, not to mention that out of the males in the family, they might have spoiled Elijah a little too much because he was thest kid their mother left behind and died.

    In one word, his father and siblings raised him and everyone in the family loved him a little too much. Whatever Elijah wanted, he got it even if it meant going back and forth to hell. Unlike most criminal families, they grew up with love, even with fivepetitive males. Yeah, no girl. This was why his daughter and any other woman in the family were treated like gold. They treated their women with respect.

    In one word, Eric was worried that Elijah might do something stupid if things doesn¡¯t go the way he wanted them to. The kid doesn¡¯t exactly deal well with failure and would think of every other way to correct it. Hopefully, he doesn¡¯t go off the track else he would have no choice but to step in and do everything to stop him.

    So he looked up andmanded his assistant, ¡°Get me everything you can on the woman he ims to love,¡± Until he saw it himself, Eric wouldn¡¯t admit to Elijah¡¯s feelings. For all he knew, his brother could be infatuated with the youngdy he ims to love ¨C hopefully, it wasn¡¯t an obsession. That one would be much harder to deal with.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jason said, turning to leave only for Eric to say,

    ¡°Another thing,¡± Eric added, ¡°Keep an eye on him,¡± he didn¡¯t trust his brother not to stay out of trouble. Elijah can be overconfident in his abilities sometimes he might not be able to see dangering until it hits.

    Eric couldn¡¯t let anything happen to his brothers, especially Elijah. Although it slightly hurt him to admit it, his father loved him the most out of them and he didn¡¯t want to fail the old man. As the current man of the house, their safety was his priority and his family wasn¡¯t short of enemies.

    ¡°Sure, boss,¡± Jason nodded and took a final leave. However, the moment he reached for the door, it was opened from the outside only to reveal Natalie entering with a tray of food.

    The assistant nodded his head in acknowledgment with her mirroring the same gesture even though she didn¡¯t need to greet him, however, that was Natale, sweet and kind. Although Natalie didn¡¯t participate in the family business, she was highly respected by everyone in the gang. Not to mention, now that she got under the sheets with the boss that her status was about to change. Everyone in the organization knew Eric¡¯s had the hots for her for a long time now. He hoped things worked out for them now.

    Almost immediately, a smile appeared on Eric¡¯s face when he saw here in and it seemed as if the sun dropped into the room because he smiled brightly for a long time, it was almost blinding.

    Jason didn¡¯t waste time leaving, he didn¡¯t want to interrupt the lovey-dovey couple and he had to admit, their public disy of affection was kind of annoying sometimes. The boss was almost a fool with Natalie around. But then, he was happy, that was all that mattered.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Eric stood up to his feet, grinning like a fool when she ced the tray in front of him.

    ¡°You mean to stop you from starving?¡± She raised a long brow, ¡°I hardly caught you at home and the instance you return, you plunge yourself into work. Sometimes I can¡¯t help but think you¡¯re married to your job!¡± Sheined, setting the utensils for him.

    However, Eric said, ¡°You know there is only one woman I would love to marry,¡±

    And she froze.

 Chapter 421

    421 Finding Her Daughter

    Natalie stiffened as soon as those words left his mouth and she just stared at outer space for a minute or two before she chuckled,ughing it off, ¡°You¡¯re so good at making jokes,¡±

    Only that Eric was as serious as hell and he made sure she knew that.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking,¡± He said without a trace of a smile on his face and that was when it hit her, he was God damn serious.

    Natalie swallowed deeply, straightening up. She ran her hand through her hair nervously as if she didn¡¯t know how to express what she was about to say, ¡°Eric...¡± She said when he cut her off with a gesture.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re about to say, Natalie, that this could be a mistake? That it¡¯s too early at this part of our rtionship? However, I know what I want and I go for what I want. You might not know this but I¡¯ve always felt deep down that you are the woman I would spend the rest of my life with. I¡¯ve always loved you Natalie even if what you¡¯ve done is push me away and run with every opportunity you have. So that is why I can¡¯t wait anymore, moreover, I¡¯m not getting any younger nor is time on my side, I don¡¯t know when I will die. So before deathes to im my soul, I would want to share that with the woman I love.¡± He confessed to her.

    Natalie stood on the spot dumbfounded by his touching speech. And the truth is that she wanted to spend the rest of her pathetic life with him, however, she had too many ws and he deserves someone better than her ¨C and younger as well.

    ¡°Eric, I....¡± She couldn¡¯t articte it better, however, she had to, ¡°I can¡¯t give you a child. I¡¯m in my menopause already and there¡¯s a fifty percent chance I would not get pregnant -¡±

    ¡°Fucking shit, Natalie!¡± Eric cursed so loudly she almost jumped back startled. Her brows were drawn together in confusion as she wondered what she had done wrong, ming her stupid mouth.

    There was a look of disbelief in Eric¡¯s gaze, ¡°You think I¡¯m marrying you because of what I can get from you? You think I haven¡¯t considered that or do you think this is a joking matter?¡±

    .....

    Natalie looked down at her feet, suddenly feeling stupid as she muttered under her breath, ¡°I don¡¯t know... I just assumed that you would want a child, preferably a son to take your ce and I can¡¯t....¡± She trailed off, still not looking at him. Natalie was so embarrassed. Well, this was unknown territory to her and she didn¡¯t know how to thread through without getting decapitated.

    ¡°In that case, stop assuming stupid things you don¡¯t know about me and believe in the things you know of me. Moreover, I have Rose already and she¡¯s enough for me, ¡± Eric told her, stepping into her space and gently lifting her head, so he could see those beautiful green eyes of hers. She was so beautiful, if only she could see that.

    ¡°I¡¯m marrying you because I love you, Natalie and nothing is going to stop me even if one day, your skin wrinkles and you no longer look as beautiful as you do now; even if your breasts sag, I would adorn them with my kisses; even if you put on weight, you¡¯ve never looked so beautiful; even if you get sick and don¡¯t recognize me any longer, I¡¯ll stay by your side and never leave your side...¡±

    Tears streamed down Natalie¡¯s cheeks because she could sense the sincerity in those words. He was worshiping her whole being and it did funny things to her heart. What had she done to deserve someone like him, Natalie didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Even if your hair turns gray and you lose all of your teeth and can¡¯t eat meat -¡±

    Natalieughed through the tears, cupping her mouth with her palms immediately. The snort was udylike especially when she was in the middle of a romantic proposal.

    ¡°The point is Natalie, you¡¯ve fallen into my web and you¡¯re not getting out of it easily which is why....¡± He pulled out a box from his pocket and pushed down to his knee causing a gasp to draw from her mouth.

    He opened the box, ¡°Would you make me a happy man, Natalie?¡±

    Hot tears rushed down Natalie¡¯s cheeks before she nodded her head, and finally said the words, ¡°I¡¯ll marry you, Eric.¡±

    A broad face painted his face and he slid the golden ring into her middle finger and stood up just as the impatient Natalie pulled him to her and crushed her lips against his. The kiss was sweet yet hurried as if she couldn¡¯t wait to get more of him. However, as soon as they parted, Eric was the one who took control of the kiss this time.

    He kissed her hard and deep, relishing the taste of her lips while rubbing his crotch against her showing her the things she did to his body and a hint of the wicked what he nned to do to her.

    However, Natalie pulled away at thest minute, saying breathlessly with bright eyes, ¡°Oh my God! This means we have to inform the family. Shit! I, no, we have to n a wedding,¡± She realized it was too much work even for the both of them.

    Eric chuckled, he loved seeing her this way, excited and alive instead of the dead look she previously carried. Right now, she looked alive. However, it would mean much more if her daughter was here to see this and share in her happiness.

    Natalie told him not to search for her, but Eric knew that she longed for her daughter inwardly. For sure, the girl would be mad at her, but the only reason that she lived in the first ce was because Natalie gave her away else that bastard Daniel would have killed her.

    So maybe, he can do this for her, finding her little girl. Natalie would be mad at him for sure, but that was better than regretting not seeing her daughter for the rest of her life.

 Chapter 422

    422 Finding Peter¡¯s Sponsor

    Elijah didn¡¯t join her in the bathroom and Adele seems to have pretty much gotten the point because she didn¡¯t speak on it and it was almost as ifst night didn¡¯t happen, thankfully.

    At least she was a pretty reasonable person and didn¡¯t allow that to ruin their working rtionship and Elijah had to admit he admired that. She was a strong woman.

    Adele was determined to look into him and for some reason, goosebumps climbed Elijah¡¯s arms as he wondered why she was so obsessed with finding him. However, he wanted to know who sponsored Peter Ivanov, the man who employed his services through the dark web ¨C not that the others knew.

    From the records so far ¨C the papers scattered on his table before them ¨C there was no evidence to show that Peter had the resources to hire Elijah aka him, hence someone had to have sponsored him to make that move. Someone rich and had a vendetta against the Luciano family.

    Just like him, Marcel seems to have no clue as well and thankfully, that was enough reason to convince Adele to give up finding Elijah ¨C for the moment ¨C and concentrate on finding Peter¡¯s sponsor, because finding the weapons was equivalent to finding Elijah.

    Unfortunately, Peter Ivanov was a dead end because the man ¨C when he was alive ¨C was an orphan, meaning he had no family, except the dog he heard now lives with Marcel, which wasn¡¯t surprising honestly ¨C Marcel had quite the habit of taking what doesn¡¯t belong to him. Elijah hated his guts. But not for too long, he could see his ns alreadying to an end once he made a breakthrough with Peter.

    ¡°I told you, there¡¯s nothing we can find in here,¡± Adeleined, giving up on reading Peter¡¯s records she imed to have gone through over a hundred times.

    Elijah gave her an unbelievable look, ¡°So you give up easily on things that bug your mind?¡± He hinted that he wouldn¡¯t rest until he found out the truth.

    ¡°Clearly we don¡¯t share the same type of obsession,¡± She would rather chase the phantom ghost to the end of the earth than finding a dead man¡¯s sponsor¡¯s

    .....

    ¡°But we share the same passion in bed,¡± Elijah was almost tempted to say and was revolted at the thought. Where did thate from?

    ¡°Come on,¡± He stood up, urging her to do the same, ¡°When you want to find a dead man, you go to his grave, when you solve cases like this one, you start from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°What beginning?¡± Adele groaned, standing up reluctantly. She looked at Aziz, his hair was ruffled from running his hands through it while thinking earlier, but even at that, the man looked good.

    However, in the next minute, her mind decided to y a special trick on her by reminding her of the way her hands yanked that hairst night while she was lost in passion. Damn it, this wasn¡¯t the time for this.

    Moreover, he had made it clear to her thatst night was just a one-night stand and she wasn¡¯t that type of girl that went for emotional attachment. If he wanted it that way, she would y by his rules and hoped he kept it as well. She wasn¡¯t ready for any emotional whish.

    ¡°So, where are we going?¡± Adele asked, readjusting her clothes. Although it was the same asst night because she hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to return home but at least she had showered ¨C in his bathroom and applied his perfume as well.

    Elijah¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but notice her movement and his eyes lingered on her chest a little too much and took his eyes off her before she thought he was into her or something. Nothing of that nature would happen between them. She hated Elijah and would love nothing but to kill him, but then, he was Elijah and very much loved his life.

    So he answered her, focusing on the task at hand, ¡°You¡¯d know when we get there.¡±

    Hourster, they arrived at Peter¡¯s ce and Adele sighed, ¡°Had I known that this was your idea of a beginning, I wouldn¡¯t havee here,¡± She ran her hand through her hair saying, ¡°We¡¯ve searched here thoroughly, and trust me, there was no stone left unturned.¡±

    ¡°His aplice could have been here,¡± Elijah argued, stepping towards the bungalow.

    ¡°He has no aplice, trust me, I¡¯ve been there. Moreover, there¡¯s one of us keeping an eye out for this ce in case he indeed has an aplice.¡± She rolled her eyes as if he was wasting his time here.

    ¡°Then be with me this time,¡± He grinned at her, breaking into the house.

    Once in the foyer, Elijah instructed her, ¡°Take downstairs, I¡¯ll take up,¡±

    ¡°Sure, boss,¡± Adele mock saluted him but did as he said. If there was indeed evidence that they overlooked, she wanted to find it.

    Adele was right when she said there was nothing here because her people ransacked the whole ce and even if there was evidence here, he couldn¡¯t find it with this mess. However, he didn¡¯t give up on his search when he suddenly heard a scream that belonged to Adele.

    Without even a second thought, Elijah ran downstairs with his heart pounding in his throat and his body prepared to fight thinking that there was an attack or something only to find Adele standing on a table while a rat scurried away at thest minute.

    ¡°Help me! Rat!¡± She screamed girly which was unlike her. So the irondy wasn¡¯t that brave after all.

    Elijah burst intoughter while Adele jumped down from the table seeing that the rat was gone, red in the face.

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Adele warned him, embarrassed to the core. She just hated those rodents, they disgusted her and made the hairs on her body stand on edge.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Elijah said, but there was still amusement in his eyes and she knew that this wouldn¡¯t be the end of it.

    ¡°Now, you listen to me,¡± She was irritated. After the damn rat episode! Now he knows her weakness! Men are so stupid and annoying!

    They both made it outside and were about to leave when Elijah suddenly spotted the mailbox out of the corner of his eyes and stopped.

    ¡°What?¡± Adele noticed the change in him.

    ¡°I think I just discovered the only ce you didn¡¯t search. ¡±

 Chapter 423

    423 The Tears kept Coming

    ¡°God, you¡¯re making me dizzy,¡± Mimi groaned for the umpteenth time as Arianna kept pacing up and down the room. She was beginning to regret leaving Victor¡¯s side who was currently busy nning the party without her, however, she needed to check up on her friend who hasn¡¯t been out of her room since she gave that ring look at Marcel that obviously said, ¡°I¡¯m fucking mad at you,¡±

    However, Arianna was obviously not listening and went ahead with herint, ¡°All I ever did was to look out for him, I mean Nius hates his gut and would clearly kill me if he catches him sneaking into his ce. But then...¡± Sheughed mockingly, ¡°He chooses the suicide n by Winters over my safe and considerate one. Yeah, he obviously likes his female buddy over his girlfriend. Maybe I should just break up with him?¡±

    ¡°And go back to being his hostage?¡± Mimi raised a brow at that suggestion.

    ¡°I am still his hostage,¡± Arianna hinted at the fact she couldn¡¯t leave this ce without his permission.

    With a sigh, Mimi shot up to her feet slowly. She then walked over to her friend and ced a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from moving around, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that Marcel did right by supporting Winters over you, you¡¯re his woman for crying out loud, however, could you cut him some ck?¡±

    Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed and Mimi went ahead to exin, ¡°I mean the man¡¯s going through a lot right now with his sister, his crazy father, ra, and then protecting his n. Moreover, I have to admit, you¡¯re a ticking time bomb whenever you¡¯re angry and the best thing one can do is to get away from you at the moment, ¡± She confessed, yet added immediately, ¡°But I love you nheless,¡±

    Arianna managed to calm down and was able to see the truth in her friend¡¯s words. Marcel had a lot going on right now and it was selfish of her to want him to focus on her entirely. God, she was stupid.

    Mimi patted her on the shoulder, ¡°So I have to go check up on Victor and his arrangements, he had this horrible idea of inviting female strippers only, and there¡¯s no way in hell that¡¯s happening without us getting a share of the male strippers as well. Equality to all sex!¡± She chanted, drawing a chuckle from her mouth. And just like that, the girl kept chanting that slogan and left her room.

    Arianna shook her head, Victor doesn¡¯t know what¡¯sing his way. Thinking of it now, it was stupid of her then to think Victor was not good enough for Mimi because of his upation. His way of life was not something to be proud of but both of them were happy and that¡¯s all that matters to her ¨C just the same way, Marcel makes her happy.

    .....

    She and Marcel might not have met in the best circumstances, but perhaps, this was fate, and that is saying much considering Arianna was not a believer in fate and destiny. However, what were the chances that amon orphan girl would meet a lethally handsome Mafia Lord and fall in love. It wasn¡¯t even clich¨¦, although quite cheesy for the falling in love part. However, she¡¯s made the first step already and there¡¯s no turning back, which is why she wouldpromise today.

    She deserved an apology from Marcel for that drama earlier, but as Mimi suggested, she¡¯d cut him some ck. Perhaps, when he gets his sister back, they can go back to their bickering and she ys hard to get.

    So Arianna left her room and went in search of Marcel. However, on the way, amid the busy preparation for the party tonight, she could sense a little tension in the air and happened to see some of his soldiers were injured. However, they straightened up whenever they passed her and didn¡¯t look her in the eyes, but there was no denying the blood on them. At once, Arianna¡¯s heart skipped a beat and a name came to her lips, ¡°Marcel,¡±

    With lightning speed, she found herself running to his room and pushed the door open, striding past his sitting room and entering his living room only for her heart to leap into her throat. There was Marcel, seated on the edge of the bed with his head thrown back and eyes closed. However, she could tell his features were disfigured with pain and as if he could sense he was no longer alone, his eyes shot open and their gaze collided.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Marcel cursed, a look of horror on his face as if he didn¡¯t want her to see him like this. No, she was not supposed to know of this in the first ce.

    He shot up to his feet immediately, a hiss escaping his lips from pain though that didn¡¯t stop him from walking over to her. His heart was pounding in his throat as he called her name softly, ¡°Arianna...¡±

    However, Arianna stood on the spot petrified, not because he looked horrendous with the blood on him, but with the fear that she almost lost him. While she had been angry with him for the rest of the day, Marcel must have been out there, doing God knows what that almost got him killed. He would have died out there and she wouldn¡¯t even know. She felt so horrible inside of her. What if that morning had been theirst time together and they spent it that way ¨C with her being mad at him.

    ¡°No, amore mio, no tears,¡± Marcel was by her side, cupping her cheeks and wiping away the tears that wouldn¡¯t stop flowing down her cheeks, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, you shouldn¡¯t have seen this. My bad, forgive me, ¡± He thought she couldn¡¯t handle him being all bloodied.

    But Arianna could handle him, but what she couldn¡¯t handle was him dying. She was so tired of losing her loved ones; she was afraid of being left alone.

    First, it was her father, then learning her mother abandoned her as a kid and now Marcel was in constant danger, no, he always lived with death knocking at his doorsteps. It was too much for her.

    Hence, the more Marcel tried to console her, the more the tears kept flowing.

 Chapter 424

    424 The Offer In The Bathroom

    Marcel looked as if he was caught between the devil and the dark blue sea. He didn¡¯t want Arianna to cry anymore and attempted tofort her, however, he couldn¡¯t hug her with his bloodied body ¨C which was the reason for her crying in the first ce. Hence, he only cupped her cheeks and brushed away every single tear that trailed down her eyes.

    He had never loved tears, they frightened him seeing that was all he was reminded of each time he thought about his mother. As a kid, Marcel lost count of the number of times he saw his mother crying in secret and that traumatized him knowing there was nothing he could do to change that.

    In one word, tears frightened him and now that Arianna wouldn¡¯t stop crying, he was left anxious and in confusion. He had promised never to make his woman cry like his father did and yet he failed miserably. Arianna was crying and it was all his fault.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my love. The blood you see on my body are more of my enemies than mine,¡± He tried tofort her.

    Arianna tried to stop crying, really tried to, but the aching in her heart was too much and it seems the dam holding them back all this while broke at the sight of the battered Marcel. However, hearing that the blood on him was more of his enemy than his, calmed her down a bit and she was able to ask, ¡°W-hat happened?¡±

    ¡°Gang war,¡± Marcel answered, brushing away the tears from her eyes, relieved that she was no longer crying, but the hups were another thing.

    ¡°Why?¡± She asked, eyes zeroing in on the bruise on his face. Yeah, that mother fucker had managed tounch that one before he ended him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t discuss it while looking this way,¡± Marcel told her, finally letting go of her and beginning to work on his button, pulling the shirt off and tossing it at the corner.

    Her eyes moved from the bloody clothe on the floor and then back to him, her gaze taking in his body and he appreciated the heat in her eyes as she swallowed. Even in this state, she still found him attractive.

    .....

    Her face went beet red when Arianna realized Marcel caught her looking and she forced her gaze to the ground. God, he must think of her as a horny rabbit.

    However, a rich chuckle came from his mouth instead as he lifted her chin and told her, ¡°You can stare all you want, princess. My body belongs to you.¡±

    Her heart missed a beat at that sentence and desire shot straight to her core and Arianna clenched her thighs together to relieve the heat. Something was wrong with her, no, Marcel was doing weird things to her body.

    ¡°I need to wash the blood off my body,¡± Marcel told her and like a mindless zombie, she didn¡¯t even realize she was following him until he suddenly stopped and she ran into his back, stumbling back with a yelp. Damn, he was all hard.

    He looked at her brows raised in surprise,¡± You want to join me in the shower? Although I must warn you about the blood -¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna shouted quickly, flustered. Damn, why was this ce suddenly hot? However, a grin suddenly spread Marcel¡¯s lips to the side as he saw her reaction.

    So he tilted his head to the side, suggesting, ¡°Or you can watch me?¡±

    ¡°No-¡± Arianna was about to reject the offer again when she changed her mind. Why should she be the shy one? Moreover, he was the one who proposed the idea, why shouldn¡¯t she honor the invitation?

    ¡°Fine. If you say so, Marcelo. ¡± Arianna said with a sultry voice, switching on to her seductive mode. She had nothing to be ashamed of, after all, she and Marcel had done it all already and she had seen all there is to see. Moreover, she had to prove to him that she wasn¡¯t as innocent as he pegged her to be.

    Marcel¡¯s smile broadened with a glint in his eyes that held promises and her body tingled in response. Alright, focus on not making a fool of yourself, Arianna!

    He took her hand and led her along, and Arianna tried not to look at his bloodied shirt at the corner and be reminded of the fact she could have lost him today. What in the world happened?

    As expected, his bathroom was spacious and modern, not that this was her first timeing here. Marcel finally let go of her and went into the transparent shower stall and turned on the dial, letting the shower head douse him with water while still in his pants. It washed away the blood from his body, the colored water swirling down the drain until there was not a trace of blood on him and that was when the fun began.

    Marcel turned to look at her and she stared at his wet hair which was now in ringlets and she fought against the urge to just walk up to him and run her hands through it, soothing his scalp until he purred in satisfaction. But no, she was just here to watch, Marcel was not going to tempt her into that shower. So help her, God.

    His hand went to his flyer and she gulped, her throat suddenly going dry and Arianna had to grab the edge of the sink beside her to support herself in case her leg decided to fail her, because she knew deep inside that Marcel was about to give her a run for her money.

    He pulled his pants downnguidly, giving Arianna enough time to stare at his powerful thighs before stepping out of the pants and kicking it outside the stall. He then stood to his full strength and Arianna forgot how to breathe.

    Marcel was all male, hard and muscle, and her eyes greedily took in his ridged abdomen, the nes of his hard shoulder, and the deep V which doved beneath his boxers. And speaking of boxers, the material was so wet that she could see the outline of his ragging arousal and she shivered not from the cold, but from anticipation.

 Chapter 425

    425 A Taste of Him

    Marcel was teasing her, Arianna realized when he tugged on his waistband and wouldn¡¯t let her see the real deal. She almost released a frustrated sigh, but Arianna wouldn¡¯t make it seem like she was the most eager out of the both of them.

    So she controlled the slow warmth burning its way down to her core, her hands grasping the edge of the ceramics harder. Thankfully the surface wasn¡¯t wet else her hands would have slipped by now with the way she was holding on tight. However, her mmy hands told her she wouldn¡¯t be holding on for long.

    Marcel had switched to the warm water now and the fog forming around him made the sight more enthralling as if this was a strip show. Arianna didn¡¯t know what he was nning, but no show couldpare to this one she was watching.

    The asshole called her boyfriend must be testing her patience because he grabbed the shower gel andthered the loofah and began to wash with his boxers on, hiding the prize she wanted him to unveil so much. And God, he was killing her.

    ¡°You look ufortable,¡± Marcel asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he stood under the shower head, washing away the sod off his body. He turned around and she was able to see the hard contours of his back, his firm bottom that she dug her nails into while he fucked her madly, and of course, the exquisite drawing of Samson on his body, and she drank it all in greedily.

    He was like a Greek god, strong and powerful, and Arianna realized how privileged she was to be watching this Adonis have his bath. She had a feeling that none of his past girlfriends had been given a treat like this one because Marcel was a very careful human being and would never lower his defenses in front of someone he doesn¡¯t trust, or know their capability.

    She was only capable of stealing his things right under his nose not attempting the suicide n of trying to kill or attack him. Marcel would snap her neck before she thought of it and whether he loves her or not, he would never forgive her betrayal.

    The moment Arianna had been waiting for finally came when Marcel bent down and pulled down his pants, never standing up until he stepped out of the material. So when he straightened up, Arianna was staring at his hard-on that was standing at attention, and her breath hitched in her throat.

    Marcel¡¯s gaze never wavered nor stray off her face as he stood proudly in the stall, facing her and naked as the day he was born. Arianna looked at his huge manhood, reliving the way he had stretched her fully, and honestly, it was quite hard to believe it fit inside of her. No wonder her body felt as if he split her into two when she woke. Her core throbbed and she looked into his dark, lustful eyes daring her to make a move.

    .....

    Oh, he didn¡¯t believe that she could.

    So Arianna pushed away from the sink and then sashayed towards him, her eyes never leaving him even to blink until she was in the stall, stepping closer to him till their bodies were touching and she was drenched in the shower as well.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes widened honestly when she made that move, he had not expected her to stand up to the challenge and thought she would make hime up to her and convince her instead. It seems his little siren was growing bolder by the day and he was fucking proudly of her. And for sure, now she took the bait by following him into the bathroom, there would be lots of fucking.

    Arianna didn¡¯t know where the courage came from but she had thrown shame out of the window the moment she arrived in this stall. Hence, she rubbed her wet clothes against his body and purred, ¡°You called me here. Here, I am,¡±

    Marcel¡¯s gaze darkened and he grew achingly hard for her when she ground against him and took his mouth in a hard kiss that robbed the breath out of his lungs. She was not a Luciano, but she had the qualities that made one, brave and confident, especially when she reached between them and took his member in her hand, running her hands over his head. Yeah, she would make a good queen by his side ¨C a queen that would bring him down to his knees with the way she was holding him.

    A sharp hiss expelled from Marcel¡¯s lips when she caressed his tip, devouring the sound he made in the kiss while he grew bigger in her grasp, fascinating her. Her hand ran up and down his length, squeezing tight and he groaned causing her to part from the kiss and drop to her knees.

    Arianna ran her tongue over the head of his dick tentatively as if trying to figure out how to work this thing but that was enough to make him growl, proving to her that she was doing it right.

    Then she drew him into her mouth and Marcel let out a husky cry, this siren before him would be the death of him. Even as the shower drenched both of them with its warm water, it didn¡¯t stop Arianna who sucked and licked him as if her life depended on it. It was her first time having a taste of him and she was delirious for more.

    Arianna remembered the way he worked her clit so she dug her nails into his thigh pulling him closer and taking more of him while her other hand grabbed his firm bottom, liking the feel of him.

    He was not going tost, Marcel realized as she took him harder into her moist, warm mouth and so his hands were suddenly in her hair and yanked hard, controlling her rhythm as he began to move his hips, fucking her mouth.

    Arianna gagged and sputtered as his dick went down her throat and when he pulled back, he came, spilling most of his seed into her mouth with the rest of it, trailing down her lips and chin. But her tongue jutted out and licked the rest off her lips as if she didn¡¯t want them to go to waste and Marcel swore he had never seen anything as erotic as that.

 Chapter 426

    426 Just The Both Of Them

    In a sh of an eye, Marcel ripped every single article of clothing on her body till she was in nothing but her birthday suit. He then pushed her back against the wall and crushed his lips on hers in a kiss that made her gasp loudly, devouring the sweet sound as her hand dug into his hair, pulling him closer, feeling the same need burning through his veins.

    The kiss was hard and sinfully sweet as his tongue invaded her moist mouth and explored its depth, tasting her. She moaned into his mouth and he kissed her harder, brutalizing her lush lips while she ground against him, her core rubbing against his throbbing arousal, desperate to sink into her moist heat.

    Marcel tore his lips from her only to slip her nipple into his mouth, her back arching off the wall with a needy cry. He sucked her nipple while his hand dived down to her center, stroking her clit and made her tremble with pleasure.

    ¡°Marcel....¡± She squealed his name and he had to admit that there was something thrilling knowing he had her under his control. He was the only one she desired and the thought of that made his member ache painfully. Sweet.

    He took her nipples deeper into his mouth, this time his mouth covered her are as well while his finger drummed her clit faster and she threw her head back and cried out her bliss.

    She grabbed his shoulder, her nail digging into his flesh deep enough to draw blood but he wasn¡¯t stopping, he stroked her clit faster and faster till her body clenched around and he knew she was nearing her release, so he indulged her desire. He introduced a second finger into her opening this time and thrust in and out, her core tightening around his finger as she reached the ninth heaven, a strangled gasp tearing from her lips. Damn, she looked so beautiful and he couldn¡¯t wait any longer.

    With the amount of fog saturating the shower stall, it cast an erotic ambiance and both of them were under the spell. Their bodies were slick from the warm water and the heat emanating from their bodies. Their gazes were dark and dted with desire and their lips fused once more in a deep kiss as Marcel reached for his arousal.

    He didn¡¯t push her up against the wall, rather he lifted one of her legs and rubbed the head of his cock over her entrance and Arianna moaned, relishing the delicious feelings it elicited in her body. Then Marcel mmed himself inside her up to the hilt with a force that rocked her world.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna cursed at the feeling of fullness he created inside of her. God, she could feel him all the way to her womb. In this position he had her in, the sensation was intensified two times and she could feel him deeply.

    .....

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t even give her time to adjust to the tight feeling of him inside of her when he began to pound away at a merciless space. Damn it, She should have known not to step into this shower when she was dealing with a beast.

    Arianna cried out, her nails raking down his back and digging into his skin as he continuously thrust his hips into her ferociously. Marcel groaned and grunted as he took what he needed from her body as if he needed her to heal him. So she gave him all of her withholding nothing as she cried out, again and again, lost in the feeling of his body owning hers.

    She could only cling to him, face buried in his neck as he pounded in and out of her. It felt so damn good. No, nothing felt as good as this and Arianna knew she didn¡¯t give a damn about the party if this meant they could do this all night. Her orgasm was near the corner with the way her body trembled around him and clenched him tight. But it was still not enough, she needed more.

    Marcel must have been reading her mind or something because he grabbed her bottom and slowed down his pace. He grabbed her bottoms and pushed forward at the same time he thrust into her and her mind shattered. Arianna mewled, moaned, and whimpered, unable to think of anything except the melding of their bodies and the mad pleasure rushing through her veins as if she was high on drugs.

    ¡°Marcel!¡±

    He was the drug she was high on and he drove her to the ruin as she tipped her head back and screamed as the orgasm ripped through her and at the same time clenched Marcel so hard that he lost it and emptied himself inside of her.

    He let her leg down but didn¡¯t pull out of her as he enjoyed the convulsive feeling the aftershocks provided and his cock twitched inside of her in appreciation. The both of them stayed that way, panting with the feeling of satisfaction, and with a smile on his face, Marcel took her lips in a kiss, tasting her sweetly and gently as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

    Marcel pulled out of her and Arianna was shocked to discover that she still wanted more even after what they just shared. Marcel must be turning her into a sex maniac. But who cares, today was just for the both of them. Hence, the once gentle kiss turned passionate and full of hunger for him and Marcel parted with a look of humor

    ¡°La mia p sirena. My little siren, you still want more?¡± He cupped her cheeks, eyes trained on her swollen lips. That was his hard work.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything but the hungry look in her eyes was enough to answer. And did she forget to mention that Marcel tended to speak more of the foreignnguage when he was aroused, as if his brain was scrambled and he couldn¡¯t tell whatnguage tomunicate with since he was proficient in five of them. Nheless, it was sexy.

    So she kissed him hard on the lips, having an idea of what she wanted next.

 Chapter 427

    427 The Best Ride Of His Life

    ¡°Sex in the tub, hot,¡± Marcel gave her a shitty grin that sent heat to her core but Arianna pushed the feeling to the back of her head. This was her time to reign and rule and he wasn¡¯t going to ruin that for her.

    ¡°Get in the damn tub, Marcel,¡± Shemanded him and he turned to look at her in surprise, before he smiled, ¡°I like it when you¡¯re bossy. It¡¯s so damn sexy and look what you do to me,¡± He pointed to his arousal that had grown in size and heat rushed to her cheeks. No, she can¡¯t fall under his control. She was in charge this time and had to obey that.

    So Arianna reached out without warning and pped him across the bottom hard causing his eyes to widen and then narrow dangerously into a slit like a dragon who was awoken from his slumber and for a moment there, Arianna thought she has crossed the line until he smirked darkly, ¡°I¡¯ll get you for that, sooner than you think. But until then....¡± Her expression brightened, ¡°I¡¯ll obey yourmands, mistress,¡± His voice turned husky and seductive at the end, sending heat to her core. Sigh, who was in control here?

    Marcel stepped proudly into the customized jacuzzi bathroom with its blue-colored light and sat downfortably, spreading his legs in the warm, jetted water and her throat went dry. The bathtub was more than enough for the both of them, but until then, Arianna wanted to have her fill of him.

    Today¡¯s experience treated her with the realization that Marcel¡¯s life was in constant danger and she could really lose him in the blink of an eye. So she took her time, taking in every detail of him, like the shine in those gray eyes of him whenever the both of them were about to get dirty; the shape of his nose and his sensuous lips. In one word, his face was sculpted by an angel.

    Marcel looked nothing like his father except for the signature gray eyes of the Luciano family and his blonde hair. It relieved her to know that even if he had the nature of his father, he was nothing like him and she prayed he would keep to that.

    For Marcel to look this good, Arianna guessed his mother must have been a beautiful woman and she thanked the lord for a woman like her, even though it was quite a loss she didn¡¯t get to see her. Arianna would have asked Marcel for more details about his mother, but she knew that was a sensitive topic for him; neither was it suitable for a setting like this one.

    So she walked over to the side and propped her chin up on the edge of the bathtub, her gazezily staring at him, ¡°I wonder what your men would say when they see you sprawled out like this and under his mercy?¡± She asked intentionally, her hand going to draw circles on his chest submerged in the water.

    But Marcel cocked his head to the side with a raised brow, ¡°What do you think they would do, my love? They would probably give you evesting words of thanks for allowing them topare their sizes to mine,¡± Heughed all by himself because Arianna was lost in her own thoughts.

    .....

    Were men that sensitive about sizes? She saw no big deal about it, and she was not going to lie, Marcel tore her apart sometimes it hurt. Nheless, she was never going to reconsider that dick. It was hers.

    And speaking of dicks, she reached out and wrapped her hand around Marcel¡¯s, stroking it gently and he groaned even at the smallest of that gesture. Her heart swelled with pride knowing that she was the only one who could tame the fearless crime lord.

    She hastened her pace and a mangled growl came from his lips only for him to stop her and she looked at him questioningly.

    ¡°If I¡¯ming, it would be inside of you, I¡¯m not wasting my seed in these waters,¡± He told her firmly and a smile crossed her lips. Guess someone couldn¡¯t do without her.

    Without anyone telling her to make a move, Arianna stepped into the bathtub with him. She straddled his hips letting him know that even though she sumbed to his need, he wasn¡¯t taking away her control. The massaging action of the Jacuzzi-style bath and the

    soothing sensation of the water almost tempted her to give up this round but nothing was sweeter than sex neither was Marcel going to let her tease him and go scot-free.

    So she leaned over him, brushing her lips across his and giving him the faintest of kisses that only made him growl in annoyance, but she withdrew from him andughed at his helplessness. It felt good to be at the top, it was exhrating knowing he was below her and at her mercy. Now, he would take what she gives him.

    Without as much as a warning, Arianna lifted her hips and impaled herself on him only for a strangled scream to leave her lips. She had forgotten how huge he was and in this position, she could feel him, the whole of him, sheathed to her cervix and she gasped for air. Marcel moaned long as her tight walls stretched around his huge size like a cobra squeezing its prey to death.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± He hissed through gritted teeth as she moved faster and faster against him. Arianna took both of his hands and ced them on his breast,manding him what to do with them and he indulged her.

    He started to massage, pinch and teasing her nipples that had pebbled from the stimtion.

    ¡°Yes, Marcel, yes....¡± Arianna relished the feeling as she bounced up and down on his dick, then lowered her body and ground herself down on his erection.

    However, what blew Marcel¡¯s mind was when she twerked her bottoms and he was a goner. His mind was shattered and it didn¡¯t even surprise him that he came instantly inside of her, and they shuddered together, trembling with release.

    It was confirmed, he was going to marry this woman. She gave him the best ride of his life.

 Chapter 428

    428 Her Warrior Lord

    Arianna and Marcely in bed together exhausted after their ¡°activity¡± in the bathroom. Marcel had proven over and over again his sexual prowess and she was too tired to find out more of what he had in store for her. So she snuggled up to his side, running her hand through his hair while he enjoyed the soothing sensation.

    Marcel had to admit that Arianna provided the kind of peace he longed for and wouldn¡¯t mind returning to for the rest of her life. He was just afraid that... no, he wouldn¡¯t go there. He would enjoy this moment between them as much as he can and as long as itsts. The future Marcel would worry about his future problems.

    ¡°So, are you going to tell me what happened to you now?¡± She urged him, her hand brushing across that wound on his face.

    ¡°Gang war,¡± It was the same as the information he provided earlier.

    ¡°I need more information,¡± She said to him, their gaze meeting.

    Marcel sighed, ¡°You¡¯re not going to like it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dating a criminal overload, I wasn¡¯t expecting roses and rainbows,¡± Arianna retorted firmly, letting him know that she didn¡¯t view this world in just ck and white, nor was she holier than thou. Just months ago, she was treating criminals like him in Ruth¡¯s illegal clinic. Arianna wasn¡¯t that innocent and she didn¡¯t even know what she was capable of when pushed to the wall.

    ¡°It¡¯s a struggle for territory,¡± He gave up withholding information from her, ¡°As you know my family runs a part of this city, with each criminal family taking firm hold of different regions. But even as the top shark, we still get challenges and that¡¯s what I do, answer them. We protect our territory, hence the gang war and rivalry. ¡±

    ¡°In one word, you go out and fight them?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcel answered as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, however, Arianna looked at him as if he had grown two heads and that made him feel funny.

    ¡°What?¡± He asked, unable to understand the look on her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that...¡± Arianna licked her lower lips, a gesture Marcel was quick to notice yet chided himself to behave. They had enough rounds already in the bathroom and he should be satiated, but the bastard down there thought otherwise.

    ¡°You have enough men, I just thought that you give the order and they fight the war.¡± She shrugged.

    Then Marcel shifted on his side, his head propped up on his arms as he asked, ¡°Then where¡¯s the honor?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked at him, unable toe up with a response.

    ¡°My men respect me because I provide and protect them. I¡¯m the king of my kingdom, and no brave king sends his soldiers to war without leading them. Moreover, I¡¯m a Luciano, we don¡¯t run from a war, rather we stare death in the face and fight for our honor, our ce,¡± He said with a ferocity that told Arianna that this man was willing to die for his family, for his n. He was brave, fierce, and loyal.

    This wasn¡¯t what she signed up for, however, this was Marcel¡¯s life, all he ever knew and all he would ever know and there¡¯s no changing that. Hence, she didn¡¯t bother preaching to him about pursuing other prospects in life that didn¡¯t involve bloodshed and violence just because she was afraid of losing him. This is who Marcelo Xavier Luciano is and she couldn¡¯t change him into someone he isn¡¯t.

    Moreover, Marcel was much safer as the Mafia Lordpared to when he stepped down because his enemies would be upon him like sharks in the ocean. Aside from the enemies from the outside, the then Mafia Lord would never befortable with Marcel¡¯s presence and would view him as a potential threat ¨C what if he decides to im his power.

    Hence, he would surely find ways to get rid of him, and consolidate his position. That was why all Mafia dons had to be careful when choosing an heir and most preferred their blood on the seat of power. Because even as crazy as Daniel was, Marcel didn¡¯t have the heart to take his father¡¯s life.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna drew closer to him, burying her nose in the crook of his neck, relieving the heat from his body and breathing in his musky scent, ¡°Do whatever you want, but just be careful, my warrior lord,¡± She spoke against his cousin sending a thrill through his body.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know which one affected him most, the heat of her mouth upon his skin or the fact she called him her warrior lord? One thing was for sure though, his head was swelling with pride. Maybe, he should reward her a little.

    And as he thought, his hand was caressing her t stomach, rubbing circles that made her breath hitch and her breathing changed, turned on by his gesture. His hand traveled down to her waistband nning to slip his hand into her moist heat when a banging came on their door and they broke apart at once.

    ¡°I know you both are there! Stop fooling around and join us at the party at once! The party¡¯s waiting for no one and no rain check to go frolic like rabbits,¡± Mimi thundered from the outside and Arianna rxed into the bed. This friend of hers does have bad timing.

    However, to avoid incurring Mimi¡¯s great anger, Arianna broke away from Marcel¡¯s arm and bed to go and change. Mimi was gone by the time she went out, but she knew her friend, the annoying girl, would be back to cause havoc worse than the first.

    Arianna dressed in a sexy backless red dress, brighter than the color of her previous hair since the hair dye hadn¡¯te off yet and she was left as a brte. The hem of the dress stopped at her toned thighs while she put on stiletto heels, adding more height to her already tall structure. In one word, Arianna was party ready and had transformed from the redhead next door to a provocative model on a red carpet. Tonight¡¯s party was all about her and Mimi, and she was going to rise to the asion, by blowing everyone¡¯s mind ¨C especially a certain Mafia lord

 Chapter 429

    429 Branded In Her Soul

    The party was held outside, hence Marcel was waiting downstairs for her. Arianna climbed down the twin stairs connecting to the foyer majestically, having caught sight of Marcel ncing at his phone and typing down something without noticing her, probably giving orders to his men. So she took hold of that opportunity to have her fill of him and she had to admit, Marcel did spruce up real good.

    He was dressed in a pure cotton z-ck color shirt that hug his figure and fitted him perfectly. The long-sleeved shirt was designed with some unique thread and had cor pin on a cor and paired with ck pants that showed off those ass ¨C that she stared at it a little too long. His blonde hair was brushed back making him look elegant and as much as the clothes looked good on him, Arianna knew it was his confidence that distinguished him. The man was alluring as hell and no bitch was getting her ws on him.

    Sensing her gaze on him, Arianna turned around and froze and her stomach did a double flip knowing that he was entranced by her beauty. Perhaps, because of the intensity of Marcel¡¯s gaze, it boosted her confidence and Arianna added a sway to her hips as she walked the final flight of stairs and proudly stepped towards him till she was standing in front of Marcel and he still hadn¡¯t said a word.

    ¡°So...?¡± She tipped her head to the side arrogantly, waiting for hispliment or something. However, that gesture only drew his heated gaze down to her chest, staring at the deep V of her dress, giving him a clear view of her cleavage and perhaps a bit of the soft mound when she puffed up her chest.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t take his eyes off as he took in the rest of her body. She applied make-up and styled her hair to rest on a side of her shoulder and perhaps Arianna might have overdone it considering this was just a party happening right outside but this was her night and it was equivalent to a birthday party, meaning that she had to outshine everyone in attendance.

    She waited anxiously for his response as if her life depended on his answer, and when his mouth opened as if to breathe, she was over the moon, chanting in her head, ¡°Say it! Just say, I look good!¡± She was eager.

    However, Marcel breathed, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Arianna smiled until it clicked in her head, her brows furrowing in confusion, ¡°Wait, no ¨C what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not happening!¡± Marcel growled.

    .....

    She frowned, ¡°What is not happening, Marcel?¡±

    ¡°You dressed like a walking temptation and expecting to go to that party where every man out there would ogle and eyefuck you like a deliciousmb amid wolves. That¡¯s not happening, Arianna and no man gets to look at you that way except me!¡± He said with a tone of finality.

    But Arianna rolled her eyes towards heaven as if he was talking fucking bullshit, ¡± You never hit me as a possessive man, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always been one, I hope you know that and get your ass moving,¡±

    ¡°Get my ass moving to where?¡± She didn¡¯t like where this was heading.

    ¡°To change of course,¡± He said as if she was nothing but a child that needed to heed hismand.

    ¡°That¡¯s not happening,¡± Arianna stood her ground.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± He warned her gruffly, telling her that his patience was slowly thinning.

    Arianna threw her hands in the air in reckless fury, ¡°Gosh, Marcel! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making a big deal out of this! It¡¯s just a dress and anyone can stare as long as they want, it¡¯s not like they cany a hand on me, anyway,¡± Honestly, she didn¡¯t even get why they were even arguing about this.

    But he red at her in response, the heat in his eyes only increasing, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a big deal to me and I won¡¯t stand still and watch any asshole conjure lustful imagination of you or even masturbate to it. That¡¯s not happening, Fidanzata, so I suggest you go up there and change, that way, such imagination never happens,¡±

    ¡°But you were the one who get me the dress!¡± Arianna argued.

    ¡°For me. Only for you to wear for me. Not them.¡± He pointed out.

    Arianna stared at him hard but she knew that she couldn¡¯t challenge Marcel, he was an alpha male and it was in his nature to resist her. But then, she was an alpha female as well and she was not going to bow down and stroke his male ego like that. She had no control over people¡¯s imagination and even if she dressed in cardboard, Men would still think shit. So why shouldn¡¯t she look good just because her boyfriend was goddamn possessive. No, that was not going to happen.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna said and Marcel breathed in, the tension leaving his body as he thought that she submitted to his decision. However, she huffed, ¡°Enjoy your party then,¡± She added tly, ¡°without me.¡±

    With the anger coiling inside of her, Arianna turned to leave only for Marcel to grab her arm and pulled her to his side.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Arianna struggled against him only for Marcel to tip her chin up and silenced her with a kiss.

    No, she can¡¯t fall under his spell. Since she didn¡¯t agree to hismand, Arianna bet he was trying to seduce her into epting his will. She can¡¯t let that happen. So she fought hard against him, but that only made Marcel kiss her brutally, exerting his masculine dominance on her.

    Marcel kissed her senselessly till every form of resistance left her body and she was moaning, clinging to him, and craving for more as her body hummed with desire. If this was Stockholm syndrome, then Arianna was a goner because Marcel was now branded deep in her soul and she wasn¡¯t sure that she could function without him.

    They parted when they couldn¡¯t deny their need for air anymore and Marcel looked at her with eyes dark with desire she shivered. His lips were swollen with smudged lipstick and Arianna bet she wasn¡¯t any better off.

    Marcel reached out and rubbed his thumb across her lower lip and a tingle swept through her body. She looked at him with her lustful eyes just as he lowered his lips to whisper into her ears.

    ¡°Fine, you would keep the dress but would not leave my side till the end of the party. And God helps me, Mio Caro. My darling. If any man as much as sends any wrong look your way, I would pluck out his eyes, and that one would be on you.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Note: There¡¯s an illustration of Marcel¡¯s shirt in thement box.

 Chapter 430

    430 Lost To The Music

    Arianna shivered at the ferocity in those words and she wondered if she was doing the right thing by being stubborn about this. She didn¡¯t want anyone to get their eyes destroyed all because they stared at her lustfully, she had a feeling that Marcel was not joking about his threat. May God help her tonight.

    Marcel traced the curve of her naked back and she tried not to be too aware of him. Together, they both left for the party that was already in full swing by the time they arrived. She should have known that Mimi and Victor together were never a goodbination because they both were upied with the attendees. It was nighttime and the clearing was decorated with strings of light that illuminated their paths. Keys of drinks were being dragged in and a stage was set up with a Dj ying numbers that got people ¨C she had no idea about ¨C dancing to the rhythm.

    Arianna¡¯s jaw almost dropped to the ground, how was this even possible? She thought the base was closed off to strangers? She then looked at Marcel to see that he had that tick in his jaw that told her he was about to explode, yet for some reason, he was handling it pretty well?

    ¡°How did -¡± Arianna had lots of questions.

    ¡°Victor. ¡± Was the one word Marcel said, his body on alert while scanning his environment as if expecting an enemy to pop out of nowhere.

    ¡°What happens on asions like this?¡± Arianna was curious and inwardly amazed at his cousin¡¯s handwork at the same time ¨C not that she would say that out to the fuming Marcel. How could he organize all of this in a short time? And wait a minute, was that a celebrity she saw hanging over there?

    ¡°What do you think happens? He has fun and I clean up his mess, making sure no scum sneaks in and cause trouble.¡± Marcel still grumbled under his breath instead of nning how to take advantage of tonight¡¯s fun, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been stupid enough to hand this over to him.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t surprising but Arianna had a feeling that Marcel¡¯s idea of fun was to gather his men and throw a small party for her like that one which Victor made more fun by inviting her to do a pole dance. After all, everyone knew Victor was the fun one out of both cousins. Nheless, that didn¡¯t make her like Marcel less, her boyfriend was fun in his way and she preferred his thoughtfulness to Victor¡¯s spontaneity.

    Well, on the bright side, she was thankful that Victor and Mimi gave up on the idea of calling strippers else all hell would have been let loose with her possessive boyfriend around. He wouldn¡¯t let her other men watch her lustfully, what happens then when she.... No, she wouldn¡¯t think of that bloodbath.

    .....

    As if the universe was teasing her, one of the guests stared her way while bringing his drink to his lips and Marcel seemed to notice that because his body stiffened. Whether he stared at her lustfully or not, Arianna couldn¡¯t tell because she turned instantly and grabbed onto Marcel tight before he wolfed out on the poor man. This was stupid.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s dance,¡± Arianna decided to distract him. Right now, Marcel looked out of ce with his serious and sour expression among the crowd of merry partiers.

    However, Marcel shot her a look of disdain as if she just suggested an abomination.

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes and began to drag him to the assumed dance floor since it had people crowded there and they were lost to the music. Since Victor and Mimi were nowhere to be found, they must be having their own version of fun somewhere ¨C if they weren¡¯t already way ahead of them. Thus, she can¡¯t be left out.

    ¡°Arianna...¡± Marcel groaned, ¡®This is going to be a disaster, she could see the words written all over his face, but Arianna was not giving up on this one.

    ¡°Just have a bit of fun for once in your lifetime, Marcel,¡± Arianna told him, already bobbing to the music while Marcel stood there awkwardly, sticking out like a sore thumb.

    With an exasperated sigh, Marcel was about to leave when Arianna held onto his hand and gave him that puppy eye that he couldn¡¯t resist.

    ¡°Please,¡± She pouted her lips and before Marcel could even say a word, Arianna was already dancing around him. She gyrated against his body, taking hold of his hands and cing it on his chest while the other rested on her waist as she pressed her body closer.

    Those moves did the tricks because his body slowly woke to the music. Arianna was an experienced dancer hence she guided him with ease, and Marcel ended up being a fast learner. He pressed his body closer and she moved her hips against his pelvis, grinding against him. The rhythm pulsed with heavy bass and Arianna felt the vibration down to her very bones as she and Marcel moved to the beat.

    For someone who saw dancing to be embarrassing, there was a smile on his face as he danced with her from behind. They were both so lost in the music that nothing mattered until they heard a shutter sound go off and they turned to see Victor and Mimi grinning at them with a knowing look.

    At once, Marcel stopped dancing and went rigid when he realized what was going on while Victor burst intoughter.

    ¡°Oh my God! I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m seeing, Arianna does bring out the best in you. Nheless, I¡¯m going to save that recording and show that to your grandchildren!¡± Heughed boisterously, spilling the drink in his hand.

    With a growl, Marcel lunged at him, intending to take the phone from him and delete that recording, ¡°Give me that!¡±

    However, Victor was faster on his feet and already dodged Marcel before he could snatch it from him. Hence they started a dog and cat chase while thedies were left to fend for themselves.

 Chapter 431

    431 His Heart Shattered

    An opportunity came for Elijah in the form of an invitation. Although it camete minute, it was a party held at Marcel¡¯s ce but he would be dammed not to attend. He was not going to rescue Arianna, however, he needed to see the man that Arianna had chosen over him ¨C and there was a part of him that wanted to see her as well even though he was full of anger, regret, and resentment.

    Was she happy with Marcel? He hoped not, that was the only way he would feel peaceful ¨C that she made a horrible choice. Elijah hoped thating there would reveal everything to him and he woulde to discover that it was all a misunderstanding.

    That Arianna had no choice but to love Marcel because he threatening her. He prayed that her heart was still with him and everything else was a mere pretense. She was merely pretending to love Marcel to save her head, he hoped for that.

    And then, he would whisk her out of there. It was too risky and he could lose his life, but he would do everything in his power to get her away from Marcel. He¡¯s the reason she¡¯s involved with that Luciano scum in the first ce, hence, if Arianna would prove him wrong about the conception he has about her and Marcel, then he would right everything.

    Adele had an idea of the party yet wasn¡¯t going to attend ¨C and he was grateful for that. Although the girl was beginning toy down her defenses around him, she was still smart and a Luciano who wanted him dead. Elijah still had to be careful not to give away his identity. He had to conform to the character of Aziz and right now, Aziz wanted to party and as well catch a glimpse of the infamous young leader of the Luciano n. Adele didn¡¯t find it suspicious and let him be.

    They were close to something concerning Peter¡¯s case. The asshole has scheduled a mail to his address three weeks after his own death and it was a list of numbers. Adele assumed it was his phone they had no idea about and probably couldn¡¯t find in the search because he got rid of it. Why would Peter leave this kind of clue then, they had no idea but Adele had this hypothesis that he did this intentionally.

    The man must have sensed he would not be able to make it after betraying Marcel and didn¡¯t want to die alone. In one word, whoever sponsored him must be among those numbers and they just had to go through it one after the other. Perhaps Peter should have made the search easier on them if he wanted to drag his aplice down to hell with him. Nheless, it was better than nothing.

    Hence, without Adele to watch and suspect his movements, Aziz contacted his former teammates, and lucky him, they were attending the party as well. In one word, he found the right people to mingle with so he does not stick out like a sore thumb because God knows he wasn¡¯t going there to party.

    ¡°Yo, Aziz!¡± John, the huge man was d to see him, bumping knuckles with him before pulling him into a bro hug. If it wasn¡¯t that he was on a mission, he wouldn¡¯t mind making friends with this man. Unfortunately, friends weren¡¯t on his list, moreover, he would be their enemy once they found out who he was.

    .....

    ¡°John!¡± Elijah pulled back from the hug only to see that he wasn¡¯t alone. The man came with some of their other teammates and he recognized Josie from among them, the one he had beaten ck and blue during thepetition at the torture camp. Well, bygones were bygones, right?

    The both of them shook hands before Elijah focused on the other teammates, exchangingpliments. His role y at the moment was Aziz and had to mingle, unlike Elijah that had to go incognito.

    ¡°You look so different now that you¡¯re with the top bosses,¡±

    Aziz heard the envy in the guy¡¯s tone, apparently, he was the only one that had made such progress among his colleagues. He onlyughed it off, engaging in conversations with them before their ride arrived and they all boarded the car.

    The members of his team were rowdy and chatty and tried to involve him in all of their conversations, and though Elijah tried his best to chip in, his mind was distracted. He anticipated the party and dreaded it at the same time because tonight was going to determine the step he would take.

    They arrived at the base soon enough and as expected of a Mafia¡¯s manor, the property stretched across several acres ofnd and spoke of wealth. Was that what Arianna had fallen for? His dirty money? Well, guess what? He had them too.

    They packed across several other cars on thewn and were led to the open space where the party was in full swing. Like the phantom ghost he was, his teammate didn¡¯t even realize when he broke away from them and went in search of Arianna.

    If what he had seen a day ago was true, then she would surely be here. This was Marcel¡¯s territory and he would love to unt his new conquest, Arianna. Elijah felt a suffocating feeling in his chest when he thought of something.

    What if this was a challenge? The same way he had slept with his second inmand and cousin, Adele, what if Marcel was doing that on purpose as well. To taunt and rub his victory all over his face ¨C he banged his women, what was he going to do about it? The worst part is Arianna might not even know about Marcel¡¯s intention, the same way Adele doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s fooling her.

    Surely, Arianna couldn¡¯t have slept with Marcel, right?

    No, Elijah knew Arianna, she was a brave and smart woman and surely, wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to sleep with the enemy. However, his question was answered when his eyes fell on the crowd of dancers and he saw her.

    Not only her.

    She was with Marcel and they were grinding against each other to the rhythm of the music with nothing but bliss on their faces and his heart shattered.

 Chapter 432

    432 Elijah Knew She Was Together With Marcel

    Arianna chuckled as Marcel and Victor continued with their chase, notwithstanding their men watching them. But they turned around as if it wasn¡¯t their first time seeing such a scene. Everyone knew Victor tended to taunt and goad Marcel into action.

    Mimi giggled as well, leaning close to her to say, ¡°Trust me, when I tell you that he¡¯s secured the video already to his email, so even if Marcel deletes that video, he still has backup. Marcel will never hear the end of it.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped, then she burst intoughter as well. What the hell? She stared at Marcel who was now a blur to her thanks to the distance between them. However, she could tell that he was fucking mad and Victor would probably receive a few blows from him as a lesson before he let go of him. To think he wanted her to stick to his side throughout the party.

    ¡°Here,¡± Arianna turned to see Mimi handing a cup to her and she didn¡¯t need God in heaven to tell her that the content was alcohol.

    ¡°Nope, not happening,¡± Arianna rejected it immediately. She didn¡¯t like alcohol because it muddled one¡¯s sense of reasoning and she needed her brain on track tonight. Moreover, the hangover was hell.

    But Mimi was not taking no for an answer because she said,¡± You convinced Marcel to dance, surely, I would convince you to drink ande on, this is our party, tonight!¡± She raised the cup higher with a bitchy smile.

    ¡°Fine, just one drink,¡± She gave in.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Mimi smiled at her and handed the cup to her which Arianna received and swinging her head back, took all of the drink in one gulp. It didn¡¯t burn like the one she had with Marcel, hence Arianna could tell that it was beer, and all of it was alcohol; it was no good for her. Well, whatever!

    Mimi was surprised when Arianna snatched the other drink in her hand and chug it down as well and she cheered her, ¡°Woohoo, that¡¯s how we do it!¡±

    .....

    Arianna took the third and the fourth... no, she stopped at the fourth drink. She was feeling a bit heady and that can¡¯t be good. She was a smart woman and needed to be able to think fast especially when she had a possessive boyfriend by her side and lustful gazes that had be prominent without Marcel¡¯s presence. Arianna just hoped no one signs his death sentence by walking over and hitting on her. She won¡¯t be held responsible for that.

    ¡°Shit! Marcel wants to kill my polo leone!¡± Mimi cursed and dropped her drink when she looked in the distance and found out that Marcel had finally caught up to Victor and tackled him to the ground.

    ¡°Wait! What is polo leone?¡± Arianna was curious to know. She couldn¡¯t believe that her friend was now into thatnguage shit as well. God, she had to work hard and catch up to them.

    Arianna had flunked hernguage study at school because she saw no need for it knowing that she¡¯d be stuck with her uncle and his family in this city fighting for the right to her father¡¯s property and trust fund. What was the need then? But now, she saw the need. It just sucked that she had noptop or phone else she would have signed up for anguage course or something.

    She was lost in her thoughts when somebody suddenly bumped into her, his hand quickly resting on the small of her back to keep her steady on her feet and it sent shivers down her spine. What the hell? Before Arianna had the chance to look up at him, her thief senses tingled and she felt something being stuffed into her palm that she instinctively held on to.

    He was gone before Arianna could turn around and that made her brows crease in confusion, what is going on here? However, her attention moved to the folded paper in her grip and she opened it with interest, hoping to God that it was a romantic stunt pulled secretly by Marcel. How sweet that would be, a smile pulled at the corner of her lips.

    However, that smile on her face slowly thinned when she read the note.

    [ You look lovely tonight. Miss me? ¨C Yours. E.]

    Arianna let the note drop from her hand, the night breeze blowing it away, but those words had been imprinted deep into her head already. She broke out in a cold sweat as her lips began to tremble knowing exactly who that initial belongs to. It was Elijah, the realization dawned loudly on her.

    She whirled around at once trying to make out the location he was watching her from. Then it hit her, the man that knocked into her. It was him. Arianna searched round and round but there was no one but the dancing crowd withughter on their faces as they enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately, Arianna was not enjoying herself any longer.

    This was a nightmare.

    Arianna always had this nagging feeling inside of her that Elijah woulde back for her, but to think this soon, it didn¡¯t cross her mind. She barely even started dating Marcel.

    Marcel....

    Since Elijah pointed out that she looked lovely, that means that he had been watching her all this while and might have seen her dance with Marcel. Unfortunately, that dance with Marcel had been anything but subtle, it was provocative and was enough to send the message home.

    Oh my God, Elijah knew she was together with Marcel.

    Arianna was so gripped with fear that she didn¡¯t even realize that she was beginning to hyperventte. Why was Elijah here? Had hee to rescue her and she fucked that up by being together with Marcel? What if he does something to Marcel? Marcel doesn¡¯t even know that he¡¯s here nor does he know what her ex-boyfriend looks like, giving Elijah the perfect opportunity to attack him.

    Hence Arianna decided to warn Marcel, but the moment she took a step forward, her world swirled and she lost consciousness, falling to the ground.

 Chapter 433

    433 She couldn¡¯t Lose Him

    Mimi was the first person Arianna saw when her eyes opened and her throat felt parched. She wanted to demand water but her gaze roamed across the room searching for a particr person and when she didn¡¯t see him, her heart began to pound loudly in her throat, hoping to God that it wasn¡¯t what she was thinking.

    A sense of unease filled her, there was no way Elijah could have attacked Marcel, right? Nothing happened, she told herself when though her heart continuously beat faster.

    So she summoned the courage and asked about her boyfriend and Mimi came to sit on the edge of her bed. Now Arianna thought about it, she was lying on her bed instead of Marcel¡¯s. If Marcel was here, he would want her in her bed, not here.

    ¡°W-where is... Marcel?¡± Arianna swore that she would stay strong and wouldn¡¯t waver, yet her voice still broke off in the end especially when she saw the tears forming in Mimi¡¯s eyes and her sympathetic look. God, this can¡¯t be happening.

    Mimi didn¡¯t answer and only squeezed her eyes shut and Arianna felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces even when her friend hadn¡¯t confirmed it with her words. What was there to confirm when she could see written all over her friend¡¯s face, not to mention that she has known Mimi the longest and right now, something was wrong.

    ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry, Arianna,¡± Mimi finally choked out and she let out a wail that sounded like it was a banshee shrieking.

    Arianna cried so sorrowfully and loudly that Mimi tried to pull her into a hug but she pushed her away. Right now, she didn¡¯t need herfort and needed to grieve raw for her loss. She and Marcel barely started, how was this possible? He couldn¡¯t go! He couldn¡¯t leave her just like that! She needed him! Arianna wanted him back, she couldn¡¯t do without him especially now her life just found meaning.

    But then, no matter how much she pushed against Mimi, she wouldn¡¯t let go of her and was surprisingly strong. Hence, a struggle began between the both of them as she tried to push her away but Mimi pushed her to the bed and began to shout her name.

    ¡°Wake up, Arianna! Dannazione, Arianna! Wake the fuck up!¡± The ferocity in those words gave her a bit of rity and she wondered when Mimi began to speak like that? Also, the voice was deeper and rougher and sounded nothing like her friend¡¯s.

    .....

    Suddenly, as if Arianna gained enlightenment of her situation, she rose with a gasp of life like a drowning victim. The moment she came around, her gaze connected with intense gray eyes, and the breath was knocked out of her lungs.

    It was Marcel.

    It dawned on Arianna that she had been dreaming all this while and without a second thought, she pulled him to her, wrapping Marcel in a hug so tight, that her body was pressed flush against him.

    Arianna let out a relieved breath, hugging and pulling him impossibly closer and Marcel didn¡¯t resist, letting her do whatever she wanted. From what he saw so far, Arianna had a very bad dream to have been frightened to this extent and he had a gut feeling it involved him.

    He melted into her hug, running his hand into her hair while the other rubbed circles on her back, soothing her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re safe now,¡± Marcel spokeforting words to her. He didn¡¯t know what she dreamt about, but he was here now and would keep her safe. No one would hurt or steal her from him. He was a selfish bastard and Arianna was the only person he would ever be good to.

    He would rather die than let anything happen to Arianna. Marcel had never felt this intensely protective of a woman aside from his mother and daughter which spoke volumes of Arianna¡¯s importance in his life.

    It still felt a bit surreal to Arianna, hence she broke the hug and cupped Marcel¡¯s cheeks in her hand as she stared at him. She felt his face which was warm and much alive, and a tear of gratitude slipped down her cheeks. Even though the dream was over, the thought of it still scared her to the bones. Arianna was afraid that she had fallen hard for Marcel and couldn¡¯t lose him right now. Aside from Mimi, he was the only family she had left ¨C a different yet special kind of family.

    Hence, she pressed her lips softly against him and kissed him. She gasped slightly upon feeling his warm lips move against his, this was real and no dream. Arianna wanted to feel that this was no dream, hence she deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue inside and exploring his mouth while her hand threaded into his hair and yanked tight. Marcel groaned against her lips, his hand moving to her hips to explore her soft curves.

    She moaned loudly, lowering her head to kiss his strong jaw and then his throat, earning a satisfied moan from him as well. This was the first time Arianna was taking the lead during a make-out session and Marcel hoped to God it didn¡¯t end anytime soon. There was something sinfully arousing about his woman taking the lead and he wasn¡¯t against her dominating him in bed ¨C as far as she doesn¡¯t let it get to her head. He still needed that control over her.

    Arianna trailed the kiss up his throat and snatched his lips once again. However, the kiss this time was passionate and hungry, she clearly wanted more than this. Hence, she fell back down on the bed, bringing Marcel with her while their lips were still joined.

    Marcelmunicated his need for her as well by grounding against her and a moan left her sweet lips which he devoured. Arianna scared the living hell out of him when she fainted and he was too distracted with Victor to notice ¨C how stupid of him. It wasn¡¯t until he saw the suddenmotion that he returned to the scene only to see her unconscious on the floor with Luca trying to revive her and his heart ripped apart.

 Chapter 434

    434 Mine

    Arianna and Marcel were so scared by the experience that they felt the aching need to connect intimately. The thought consumed the both of them so intensely Marcel impatiently wed at her clothing till she was left in only her undies.

    It was at that moment that Arianna realized Marcel must have changed her out of her backless gown after she fainted. Not that she wasining or something, she preferred him changing her anyway and hoped he had his fill of her. If only Arianna knew that Marcel was more worried about her that he didn¡¯t have the time to admire her body.

    He kissed her on the lips, driving his tongue into her mouth and moaning, unable to resist a taste of her before he kissed her jaw, then her cor, and moved down between her breast and she shivered in response.

    Marcel licked his lips, eager to devour the meal set before him and the sight looked hot to Arianna, especially with the dark lust in his eyes. She tried to clench her thighs when her clit throbbed but because he was lying in between her legs, she only ground her hips against his arousal stretching hard against his pants, and formed a huge tent there.

    He groaned out a response and lifted the focus from her breast and instead ran his mouth down her stomach to the edge of her sexy red panties. There was just something stimting about the color red and Arianna wore it well for him. Marcel didn¡¯t even know that the color had be his favorite until now.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna gasped when Marcel tugged the material of the panty between his teeth till he rolled down her legs and she pulled out of it, exposing her wetness to him. Marcel didn¡¯t waste any seconds burying his face into her pussy and began to eat her out.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She cried out, her back arching instinctively but he pushed her back down with his strong arms andpped at her incessantly till her hips were bucking and she was close toing.

    Then Marcel drove his tongue into her tight hole, thrusting in while his finger stroked against her clit and her thighs quivered, fighting hard not to arch off the bed again. And the moment Marcel increased his pace, Arianna fell apart and came with a loud moan. But Marcel spent his time feasting on her pussy until she came the second time.

    He then moved from her legs, kissing her hard as heid im to her body. ¡°All mine,¡± Marcel murmured against her mouth while kissing her hard and deep and she kissed him back with the same fiery passion.

    .....

    Arianna cried out in delight when Marcel squeezed her tit, introducing two fingers into her cunt once again while pulling her bra up, his hungry mouth finding her nipples.

    He would be the death of her, Arianna decided as she clenched around his fingers thrusting mercilessly into her, branding her with his touch. He bit her nipples hard and the double stimulus sent her crashing over the edge. She gasped, riding out her orgasm, and this time, Marcel had the good grace to pull his fingers out of her, however, he focused his wicked attention on her breast. He nipped, sucked, and squeezed her breasts till she was moaning and arching to be filled by him.

    Marcel¡¯s hands hurriedly traveled to his flyers while she tore at his buttons, ripping some in the process, not that she cared at the moment. In no time, the both of them were naked, Marcel¡¯s hands caressing her womanly curves while she let her hands wander down his taunt chest before wrapping her hand around his huge dick.

    The temperature of his cock ran hotter than the rest of his body and it seem to grow bigger in her grasp. Arianna run her hands up and down his length and Marcel groaned, before lifting her chin and kissing her filthily. But Arianna didn¡¯t let the kiss distract her as she continually pumped the length of his cock with her hands.

    Just when Marcel sensed he was close, he pushed her back on the bed and followed after her. Spreading her legs, Marcel guided his cock to her entrance and thrust himself inside of her.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna screamed his name, her hands digging into his back as he sheathed himself to the hilt and her pussy tightened around him. He filled her and the sensation was Heavenly. It also quenched the fear inside of her from the dream as she pushed the memory to the back of her mind and focused on the present.

    Marcel began to move and surprisingly, he was gentle with her as if he wanted to worship her body. His thrust was longer and deeper as he continuously hit her G-spot and Arianna could only moan and writhe beneath him.

    She wrapped her legs around his bottom, driving him deeper into her while she wrapped her hand around his neck while the other dug into his hair. She lifted her hips, facilitating his thrust and Marcel quickened his pace, but he still wasn¡¯t hard on her like the other times they had sex. It waspletely shocking to Arianna that he could be this gentle in the act of lovemaking.

    Then his finger found her clit and began to stroke her at the same rhythm of his thrusts and she felt the pleasure building. By the time, Marcel pulled out of her only to m himself into her, Arianna came with a scream, but Marcel continuously pulled back only to m back into her as he found his own release. Marcel exploded inside of her, spilling every drop of his seed into her as they hung into each other, riding out their orgasm together.

    Marcel didn¡¯t pull out of her immediately, enjoying the convulsive sensation of the aftershocks, relishing the connection they shared at that moment. He pressed his forehead against hers, lifting his lips, and kissed her there.

    ¡°You¡¯re safe now,¡± He whispered against her skin, pulled out of her, and cuddled her protectively.

    If only he knew that Arianna was not worried for her life, but his.

 Chapter 435

    435 If Girls Married The Good Men

    ¡°What did you dream about?¡±

    Arianna stiffened as soon as Marcel asked that question. The both of them were naked under the sheet and she hadn¡¯t been able to sleep after they had sex no, made love. What she and Marcel shared moments ago was something out of this world; he made her feel loved.

    However, because Marcel was pressing fluttering kisses against her neck, Arianna was able to rx under his touch. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was doing that on purpose, but it was working and she confessed, ¡°You died.¡±

    Marcel stopped moving and that was expected. Who would rejoice after being told he would die? Hence, Arianna carefully turned to meet his face, expecting to see a solemn expression, however, it stunned her when she saw Marcel trying hard to put on a straight face and failed.

    Heughed, ¡°Everyone dies, baby girl,¡± and buried his face into the crook of her neck this time, tugging her skin between his teeth and nipped it.

    ¡°It is not funny,¡± Arianna pushed him away because he was distracting her. Moreover, the man was insatiable considering they just had sex not long ago, although they always did go for more than one round. Damn, this was not the time to think about sex.

    She had a scary dream where he died and this was not just the work of her imagination because Arianna had a feeling that dream would havee to reality had Elijah gone after Marcelst night. Who knows, her fainting might have saved his life because she brought the attention to herself and Elijah didn¡¯t have the chance to single Marcel out and destroy him.

    A shiver went through Arianna when she thought of Elijah. It made her uneasy. And to think she was close to seeing what he looked likest night but couldn¡¯t because she was distracted.

    Now that Elijah knows that she and Marcel are together, what was he going to do? He would give up on her, right? She seriously hoped so ¨C even though her guts told her otherwise. From the short time they knew each other, Elijah was a pretty determined person, and that scared her more.

    .....

    Marcel let her push him away andid on his back with a deep exhale before he pushed himself to his side, his head propped up, and raised his brows saying, ¡°I was being serious.¡±

    ¡°You are not serious enough,¡± Arianna argued, ¡°You find dying funny?¡± She red at him. His nonchnt attitude about his safety pissed her.

    ¡°I¡¯m in constant danger, Arianna, I would go crazy if I thought about the possibility of dying every day. However, just because I fear something, doesn¡¯t mean I have to let that fear cripple me. Trust me, my love, I need a sound mind to lead my family.¡± Marcel told her softly, tugging the lock of hair away from her face.

    ¡°You can¡¯t die now,¡± She told him, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Arianna was not a crybaby, but she found out that matters concerning Marcel¡¯s safety made her emotional, especially with a rogue Elijah around the corner.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t tell Marcel about her encounter with Elijahst night knowing that would only provoke him to go after him. It was not enough that Marcel was extremely possessive of her, if she by chance, told him that her ex-boyfriend or lover ¨C she couldn¡¯t even tell what they were to each other ¨C was here to take her away from him, she didn¡¯t know what Marcel would do.

    As much as she loved Marcel, he couldn¡¯t kill Elijah, the guilt would gnaw at her for eternity. It was all her fault that Elijah was returning for her and it was her fault for betraying him as well. But she was not in control of her feelings and it was kind of sick that she fell for her captor in the end. However, she was really happy with Marcel now ¨C okay, maybe not thoroughly with her freedom restricted ¨C but she is contented with him.

    Arianna hoped Elijah respected her wishes since he knew both of them were a couple now. She didn¡¯t want him to risk his life saving her. Marcel didn¡¯t fully trust her at the moment knowing that she might still be tempted to leave him at the offer of freedom, but there was time and she would be able to convince him. He can¡¯t keep her here forever anyway. For sure, It would not be easy, but with love, she would be able to change him and make him trust her more. She just prayed that Elijah wouldn¡¯t destroy her n.

    If only Arianna knew what Elijah looked like or had a chance ofmunicating with him, then she would tell him to give up on her. It was a twist of fate but not everyone was designed to have a fairytale kind of ending. If all the girls married the good men, then who would the bad ones marry?

    Arianna came to the understanding that this was her fate and fighting it would only make things difficult. Society might abhor people like Marcel but at the same time, the world needed him to create the perfect bnce between good and bad. If the world was only filled with good people, then it would be a utopia. Unfortunately, humans were their own problems and the earth was no fucking utopia.

    ¡°Who said anything about dying now?¡± Marcel asked her with all manner of seriousness and Arianna gulped, unable toe up with an answer. He can¡¯t know that she was worried about him because of Elijah. The phantom ghost was her mess and she would clean it up without bloodshed. She can¡¯t lose Marcel the same way she can¡¯t lose Elijah.

    Marcel leaned over her, ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t die easily, Mio Caro. My darling.¡±

    At once, Arianna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He sounded sexy when he spoke those words.

    Marcel dipped his closer as if he was going to kiss her only to say, ¡°Trust me, when I say I would live long enough to have ten kids with you and we¡¯d grow old together,¡±

    Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped.

 Chapter 436

    436 A Need To Work Hard

    Was Marcel proposing to her?

    Although there was no ring on her finger and ra¡¯s case was still unsolved, she knew Marcel meant the words he spoke. Words are powerful, equivalent to promises, and are used strictly because the people here don¡¯t throw them around easily if they don¡¯t intend to keep them. However, what would have seemed romantic was shattered the moment she heard Marcel mention ten kids.

    She gulped, ¡°Did you just say ten kids?¡±

    Marcel nodded seriously, ¡°Yes, my love.¡± He took her knuckle and kissed it, befuddling her brain the more with the sensation, ¡°I pretty much grew up as an only child before Chloe came around, hence I desire to have arge family.¡±

    ¡°But -¡± Arianna was about to protest when he interrupted her.

    ¡°Moreover, I have enough stamina to make enough children and the money to give them the life they want. What do you say to that, shouldn¡¯t we give it a try?¡±

    Give it a try her butt! Arianna flipped a table in her mind. What does he mean by giving birth to ten kids? Where would the kidse out from if not from her hole? Who told him that she was up for that kind of pain? If he wanted many kids that much, he was free to give birth to them himself! She was not up for that kind of suffering.

    Hence, Arianna only smiled, ¡°We would discuss thatter,¡± She said dismissively.

    And speaking about babies, they¡¯ve been having unprotected sex for a while now, neither was she on the pill knowing she had no use for it ¨C the past Arianna had no time for sex. Unless she wanted to begin her journey of birthing ten kids without warning, she would force Marcel to get her the pill tomorrow.

    .....

    But at the moment, Arianna prayed that any sperm inside her wouldn¡¯t get fertilized. God, how could she have been careless to have sex without being under the pills? She was stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

    As much as Arianna loved Marcel, a baby was not in the picture now. There were just so manyplications to solve before they thought about starting a family. There was ra and Elijah. And then Daniel, how could she have forgotten that. This can¡¯t be easy. The thought of having Daniel as a father-inw was traumatic enough. Sigh, of all families she could have gotten into.

    ¡°Also,¡± Marcel was not done with her, ¡°You are banned from ever taking alcohol,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She blinked, surprised.

    ¡°I thought you had other reasons for not taking alcohol, who knew that you can¡¯t handle your alcohol well and would lose consciousness if you take much,¡± He reasoned.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna said.

    Marcel thought she fainted because she was unable to handle her alcohol? If only she knew the shock of seeing Elijah was too much and the alcohol in her system hadn¡¯t helped her panic. Nheless, it was better he thought this way than knowing Elijah darede into his basest night. He would only lock her in if he knew she was in danger of being snatched back by her ex-boyfriend.

    Unfortunately, Arianna would go ballistic if he restricts her, at least she could walk around the base now with Luca by her side to keep an eye on her. So it was better this way. The next time, Elijah makes a move, she would warn him off. Their rtionship or whatever they had is over. He should move on.

    ¡°No, problem,¡± Arianna answered him. She was not a fan of alcohol in the first ce, hence she was not bothered by the arrangement.

    Marcel was pleased by her response, for once she didn¡¯t argue with him over his rules. She was his woman and it was his duty to keep her safe. If alcohol would put her in danger, he would get rid of that as well. Tomorrow, he will have the bar at the corner of the living room moved out of sight else she¡¯s tempted to have a taste of the drinks there one day.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep then,¡± Marcel cuddled her but she shook her head in refusal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like sleeping, let¡¯s talk more instead,¡± Arianna wanted to know more about Marcel.

    Yes, she knew about his dysfunctional family but needed more information on Marcel. she wanted to know his deepest desire and secrets no one else knew about him. She didn¡¯t want to build the foundation of their rtionship based on sex only. Arianna needed to know that inner man, the one others don¡¯t see usually. The inner man that was beyond his cruel and dark exterior.

    However, Marcel was not ready to open up to her on that emotional level, so he gave her an excuse instead,

    ¡°Sorry love, but it¡¯ste already.¡±

    Arianna was not going to say that she didn¡¯t see thating, the truth is she did. But she hoped somehow that she would be able to prate that hard armor, the defenses he put up against everybody. Although he lowered it for her, it was not enough. Marcel was still withdrawing some.

    She was making a gamble by loving someone like Marcel but she wasn¡¯t going to give up, there was no going back now. Arianna would make Marcel love her so much that he would let her in and she would heal those scars inside of his heart.

    ¡°However, if you¡¯re not sleepy yet, I have a better idea of what we could do with our time,¡± Marcel said, his eyes gleaming and a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

    Oh no.

    ¡°No, Marcel...¡±

    She protested when Marcel slipped beneath the covers and spread her legs. Although the bed sheet covered him from view, it didn¡¯t protect Arianna from feeling every single thing he was doing to her body as he kissed, nipped, sucked, and stroked her sex till she was thrashing wildly as the orgasm wrecked through her.

    Arianna knew at that moment that there was a need to work hard. Since Marcel¡¯s determined to kill her with sex, she must be determined to own his whole heart.

 Chapter 437

    437 Goodmorning, Baby Girl

    Even before her eyes were opened, a smile spread across Arianna¡¯s face. For some reason, she was happy and had a feeling that today would be a good day. She reached for the side of her bed and wasn¡¯t surprised to find it empty. Marcel was a busy man and always woke before her.

    She simply got off the bed and went into the bathroom where she brushed and took her bath before going in search of him. However, the moment Arianna opened the door, she was shocked to see Samson lying down beside the entrance and a scream almost left her mouth had she not quickly cupped it with her hand. What the hell was the lion doing here?

    Arianna couldn¡¯t forget thest time she encountered the lion, it had scared the hell out of her, and that had been the day she fought with Marcel. Arianna always felt this animal was kind of intelligent, after all, why would ite to get vengeance for its master Marcel?

    However, she and Marcel are good now. Does it mean the both of them were best pals as well? Arianna hoped so because thest thing she wanted was to be a lion¡¯s breakfast ¨C she still had this idea that keeping a lion as a pet is a bad idea, no matter what tamed it is.

    She wondered if Marcel sent it upstairs or if the lion found its way here all by itself? At least the first optionforted her that the creature wouldn¡¯t harm her since it was Marcel¡¯s idea, but the second?

    Not so encouraging.

    She didn¡¯t share the same bond as Marcel did with it.

    However, Arianna was not a coward, so she pushed her fear aside knowing animals could pick up negative emotions like that. Moreover, Samsony on the ground as usual and he must be sleeping because his eyes were closed and he was snoring loudly.

    Was this where it usually slept? Arianna knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to rx from now in this room knowing that a lion sleeps right outside the door. What if it pounces on her and kills her in her sleep? Damn, why does Marcel have to live dangerously?

    .....

    Arianna decided to tiptoe out of the room since the lion was still asleep and hadn¡¯t noticed her presence, however, in the process of trying to avoid the lion at the door, she mistakenly hit the door frame and pain shot through her leg.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± A yelp escaped her lips as she grabbed her leg and hopped on one foot.

    The lion woke.

    ¡°Mummy!¡± Arianna cried out when Samson woke up from his slumber and stood to his magnificent height, a grunt escaping his lips. She wanted to run but fear crippled her and Arianna stood there, her feet glued to the ground.

    This was her end, Arianna decided as Samson released a woof,bined with the huffing and snorting sounds he made in conjunction with it as he pawed towards her.

    Where the hell was Marcel? Arianna was frightened out of her mind. If she dies here and ends up in Samson¡¯s stomach, she would return as a malevolent ghost and haunt Marcel for the rest of his life. No matter where he hides, she would hunt him to the ends of the earth.

    Arianna felt the lion¡¯s heat even before it got close to her and she squeezed her eyes shut and stood as still as a rock. She would not watch the moment of her death and maybe the pain wouldn¡¯t be that much.

    However, to her surprise, something nudged her leg and she ignored it the first time until she felt it the second time and that made her pop an eye open with the other still closed.

    Huh? Samson wasn¡¯t eating her yet.

    Arianna had to open her other eyes to see the lion running his snout across her leg and call it instinct, she felt that the lion was calling for her attention. So she bent with furrowed brows, her body still on full alert. What if the lion wanted her to bend to his height so it could take off her head easily.

    No, Arianna thought otherwise. Samson was currently huffing and puffing and that sounded like a happy lion to her. The moment she crouched down, the Lion sniffed her and before Arianna could stop it, having seen thating, it licked her soundly across the face.

    That was cute yet ouch!

    Okay, the Lion was in a good mood and wanted her attention. So Arianna reached out, although cautiously at first, and stroked it¡¯s incredibly thick and full mane, and Samson moaned.

    Wow, Arianna was stunned by the scene. She had only seen lions on television and never once up close and the only sound she knew lions made was to roar, hence it didn¡¯t hit her that theymunicated in many different ways using sounds. If only his tongue was smooth, then she would have enjoyed his face licks a bit better.

    Samson tackled Arianna to the ground and from there, it was all out fun and that was the scene Marcel was treated to when he returned to the room.

    ¡°I see you both are bonding already,¡± Marcel said, walking over to them.

    However, before he could reach them, Samson turned and growled at him territorially and that made Marcel halt in his steps, brows arched in surprise.

    Hands on his waist, he told Samson, ¡°You do know that¡¯s my woman you¡¯re getting possessive over?¡±

    Samson snorted, standing his ground.

    ¡°Hey, boy,¡± Arianna called the lion¡¯s attention, scratching his side while running her hand through his mane and Samson purred, his eyes closing in delight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not start a fight, okay? You know Marcel does love you,¡± Arianna spoke to it as if he could understand her. And not surprising, in the end, Samson walked over to Marcel and he pet it on the head.

    She couldn¡¯t tell what Marcel said to it but Samson left the room for them, swinging his tail from side to side happily.

    ¡°You have to teach me how to do that,¡± Arianna said to him, eager to learn his trick.

    ¡°Yeah, I would,¡± He added, ¡°Right after you marry me,¡±

    He snatched her lips in a sweet kiss and when they parted, Marcel said to her sexily, ¡°Goodmorning, baby girl.¡±

    Arianna melted on the inside.

 Chapter 438

    438 Stages Of Love

    Stage one:

    Butterflies.

    [Is anything better than that fluttery feeling you get when you¡¯re first falling for someone new?]

    That described Arianna¡¯s situation better.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel chuckled when Arianna kept hiding her face and buried it in his chest, unable to look him in the eye without blushing tomato red.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Arianna swatted his hand when he tried to lift her face.

    ¡°Come on, I want to see your beautiful face,¡± He told her and finally yet slowly, she looked at him, going beet red in the face.

    Intense gray eyes bore into shy yet glinting green eyes, Arianna didn¡¯t even realize she was drawing the map of the world on the floor with her leg.

    ¡°So beautiful,¡± Marcel muttered, his fingers caressing her cor, leaving goosebumps in its wake while her breathing deepened.

    .....

    He held her chin in his grip loosely while his other hand trailed down her naked arm with his intense gaze never leaving hers, her stomach fluttering with tiny butterflies. Her lips parted with the sensation he was invoking in her, his gaze flickering down to her lips.

    Seeing his concentration on her lips, Arianna unconsciously jutted out her tongue and wet her lips. Marcel growled deeply at the back of his throat, his member hardening in his pants with his eyes darkened with lust.

    A gasp escaped Arianna¡¯s mouth when Marcel pushed her back against the wall without warning and then ground his arousal against her core as her clit throbbed and she didn¡¯t regret putting on the spaghetti strap gown.

    ¡°This is what you do to me, La mia p sirena,¡± He ground against her harder and her back arched instinctively towards him.

    Arianna already knew what that one meant, seeing his sweet name for her was a siren even though she looked nothing like one. Nheless, it still did stupid things to her body.

    [This kind of obsessive thinking about someone and the state of your rtionship is ¡°happy anxiety,¡±]

    Marcel couldn¡¯t get Arianna out of her head and desired to brand his name on her skin and make her know who she belongs to. He dipped his head and kissed the curve of her skin, then her corbone, and slowly moved to her breast, the deep V of her dress giving him an amble view of her cleavage. She wore the dress for him and that made his member ache with the need to im her.

    But before he could lower his head and pay homage to her breast, Arianna pushed him away and confusion crossed his face.

    ¡°I need a doctor,¡± She said, breathing heavily, affected by what he has been doing to her body.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was confused further, ¡°What do you need a doctor for?¡± His expression showed concern wondering if he injured her in the course of their lovemaking. He wasn¡¯t exactly known for his gentleness.

    Arianna rolled her eyes, ¡°Christ sake, Marcel, we¡¯ve been doing it raw and I can¡¯t get pregnant yet,¡± She muttered under her breath, ¡°That is if I¡¯m not pregnant already.¡±

    With the number of times Marcel fucked and spilled his seed inside of her, she was afraid for her womb. Marcel was quite vigorous.

    She went ahead to take his hand in hers, exining to him when he stood at the spot, looking at her like a befuddled Buffalo.

    ¡°As much as I love you, Marcel, I¡¯m not ready to have a child now, it wouldplicate matters and my life is hardly settled as it is right now. When I want to have my child, I want it in the right state of mind, condition, and situation. In one word, I need a contraceptive shot which I haven¡¯t gotten because you¡¯re the first guy that had me nor can I leave here for the hospital, ¡± Because I¡¯m practically a hostage, she added that one in her mind, but Marcel knew that. It was as clear as day.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind you getting pregnant for me,¡± Marcel was thankful that he hadn¡¯t said that out loud else Arianna would have given him her signature re ¨C that was as sexy as hell honestly. But threatening at the same time.

    ¡°Sure, I will call over a doctor,¡± While hoping to God you¡¯re pregnant for me already, Marcel celebrated in his mind.

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t let her out of here, Arianna was disappointed yet relieved at the same time.

    What if Marcel insisted that she had his baby since that would end his impending marriage to ra? Even his father wouldn¡¯t be able to stop that ¨C he wanted an heir, here it is. But then, he didn¡¯t and was providing a doctor to see to that. He respected her decision and her affection for him grew bigger.

    Stage two:

    Building.

    [Neurochemicals including dopamine and adrenaline can physically make your heart pound faster and create serotonin. You two feel like you¡¯re in your own little world and try to learn as much as you can about each other]

    Moreover, this was for the better anyway, what if they go outside and encounter Elijah? She was not ready to deal with the reality that Marcel and Elijah would have to kill each other to have her.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go eat then,¡± Marcel said, tugging her along and watching intently as Marcel intertwined their hands together.

    Stage three :

    Assimtion.

    [Now you figure out if this person is a puzzle piece that can fit into your life. You¡¯re applying all the facts you¡¯ve learned about him so far not just to your personality but to your entire way of living. Can you two make it past infatuation and go the distance?]

    Arianna and Marcel were the only ones at the breakfast table, giving them the privacy they needed as they had their meal in between conversations. Marcel told her about his mother and sister, Chloe, deliberately avoiding the bad memories. If only he knew that she wanted the bad ones too.

    Marcel probably thought she would see him as less than a real man if he showed her his scars. If only he knew that Arianna was born from the scars too. Marcel was not the only one that saw suffering even though she didn¡¯t have a psychopathic father and a criminal family.

 Chapter 439

    439 His legacy

    Speaking of a psychopathic father...

    Daniel rolled out of bed seeing that it was morning, however, he wasn¡¯t alone because there was a woman still asleep on his bed. Even though he was older, the man still had sexual needs that were neglected since his wife died and now were met by his uncountable younger girlfriends. In fact, the one currently on his bed was two younger than his son, Marcel and a brte. They were always brtes ¨C that was his kink, nor was he going to admit that it reminded him of a certain someone.

    He had the money and younger women of this generation were desperate to please older men like him for the cash and he spoiled them well. Daniel didn¡¯t care about the fact that most of them were old enough to be his daughter, because he didn¡¯t force them to climb into his bed. It was merely a business transaction, their body for his satisfaction and they get paid handsomely.

    Once together, Daniel doesn¡¯t care about their own satisfaction, only his. It was his money, hence he deserved the maximum pleasure that they could give him. This wasn¡¯t a rtionship nor was he ready tomit to another female scum on earth. As far as he was concerned, women were just objects of pleasure, for sex and procreation.

    He left the favorite of all his sugar babies on the bed and went into the bathroom to refresh, it was morning. Ever since Marcel took over his role as the family¡¯s leader, he found himself with more time on his hand than he knew what to do with it.

    Although, that gives Daniel more time to look into the family, nor does his bastard son, Marcel, realize how much help he¡¯s rendering him secretly. He kept a close eye on those two rascals, Benjamin and Robert, making sure none of them sabotaged his son¡¯s position.

    As much as Marcel is infuriating him by going against his ns, Daniel was the only one who had the right to rebuke or punish him as he seems fit, no one else. Marcel was his and his alone and no one else had the right toy a hand on his only son, his legacy, his everything!

    Marcel might not understand it now, but everything he has been doing its for him. Power can never leave their side, no matter how much Benjamin and Robert fought to put their scum of children in there. The throne of their family belongs to his bloodline, no one else. If Marcel doesn¡¯t upy that seat, Daniel would rather the whole Luciano family burn in hell.

    Hence, he kept Marcel safe by keeping a close eye on Benjamin and Robert and their scum of children ¨C none of them were as bright as his only son, Marcel.

    .....

    However, Daniel only had one son and his enemies knew once they struck Marcel, they already got him and that made him work harder to protect him, at least until Marcel gave him his grandson.

    Daniel was in his living room going through the news on his tablet when hands wrapped around his neck from behind and the feminine perfume mixed with the musky smell of sex hit his nostril, he knew it was Sandra, his favorite sugar baby.

    Unfortunately, Daniel wasn¡¯t stupid and could see through this maniption, hence he said to her tly without looking at her, ¡°I¡¯ve sent the money to your ount already, so you can leave now,¡± He dismissed her.

    However, Sandra pouted and shook her head in refusal, her hand traveling to the inside of his shirt, and didn¡¯t see his nostrils re. It was unexpected but the young girl screamed when Daniel suddenly turned and yanked on her hair hard.

    ¡°When I give an instruction, you obey them without an objection, do you get me?¡± He breathed threateningly against her face.

    Sandra¡¯s lips trembled and tears formed at the corner of her eyes, but she nodded her head.

    ¡°I need words, bitch!¡± Daniel growled, pulling her hand tighter.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± She spoke louder, the tearsing in a rush now, but the monster in front of her was not affected by it.

    ¡°Get your ass out of here!¡± He pushed her away and Sandra didn¡¯t need to be told twice as she ran upstairs to go pick up her things and get out of here.

    Daniel sat back down on his seat, muttering curses. That was the thing with women, once you gave them a little chance, they grow wild and think they can wrap their tiny little hands around your heart.

    He knew the little thing was merely after his money and wasn¡¯t satisfied with the ones he gave her and wanted to own it all and what better way to fulfill her n of living in wealth but to make him fall in love with her?

    Fall in love?

    Pfft, what kind of joke was that?

    Falling in love was like believing Santa existed and he stopped believing in that fairytale as early as ten when he discovered that his father hid them from a life that should have been theirs.

    Although one woman made him feel stupid for a couple of years, he got over her. Just the way he would let Marcel have his way, but inter years, his son woulde to realize that pussies are receable. All that matters is the legacy one left behind during his time on earth and from what he has done so far, he sure wasn¡¯t a failure.

    Sandra had an ulterior motive for being with him now, so Daniel got rid of her. Just the same way he would get rid of anything that poses a threat to his son¡¯s future.

    The man hardly sat down when his assistant came to him with his report.

    ¡°Now, what is it?¡± He was still bristling from the scene earlier.

    ¡°You asked me to look into Marcel and see what¡¯s uptely.¡± He said.

    ¡°Yeah, sure. What did you find out?¡± Daniel hoped he had something good else he¡¯d transfer that aggression on him.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much he does these days and keeps most of his movements a secret,¡±

    Daniel only hummed low.

    ¡°However, he had a partyst night and I thought there¡¯s something I thought you should see,¡± His assistant said, handing a huge envelope to him.

 Chapter 440

    440 Pay It Tenfolds

    ¡°What is it?¡± Daniel asked gruffly, epting the envelope from his assistant. He was still in a sour mood and was not ready to deal with trivial issues, especially with Marcel being nothing but a stumbling block to his ns.

    Hence, when he pulled out the documents from the envelope, the first thing to slip out and fall on hisp were photographs and he picked up one of the copies staring at the photograph of his son, Marcel carrying a woman who seemed to be unconscious in his arms.

    Whoever took the photograph must have been aiming not to get caught because what he managed to capture was the back view of Marcel and the unconsciousdy¡¯s brte hair cascading down.

    Vexed, Daniel lifted a brow at his assistant, ¡°What the hell is this?¡± his tone showed that he wasn¡¯t one bit impressed by the information.

    ¡°It¡¯s just...¡± The assistant found himself stumbling over his words, ¡°I-I just thought.. You would want to know... you said, you needed to know about Marcel... Y-your son is supposed to be with his fianc¨¦e... ra is not the one in the picture -¡±

    ¡°Just stop!¡± Daniel waved his hand, silencing him with the gesture, tired of his bbering. Nobody told him that his fucking assistant was a stammer until now.

    Daniel rubbed his forehead, easing the headache. He looked at his assistant with furious eyes, ¡°Who told you that I¡¯m interested in the women Marcel fucks?¡±

    Even if Marcel denied it, Daniel knew he and his son weren¡¯t too far different. Women were expendable and were needed for their pleasure, which is why he had turned a blind eye to his son¡¯s sexual rendezvous. He was a man and needed a release. However, what Daniel wouldn¡¯t condone is any woman trying to wrap her tiny ws around his son¡¯s weak heart and try to destroy the engagement between him and ra.

    The only thing Daniel needed at the moment was for Marcel and ra to get married first and give him a son, after that, he didn¡¯t care how many mistresses or concubines his son kept. ra woulde to knowter in their marriage that men are polygamous in nature and her role there is just to keep the family together even if Marcel sticks his dick in more than one pussy.

    .....

    That was the only reason Daniel hadn¡¯t dealt with his assistant yet for bothering him with this nonsense ¨C he needed to know if this bitch is the reason Marcel has been going against his nstely. If that was the case, then he had to step in and get rid of her for good before it esctes. He wouldn¡¯t let his sonmit the same mistake he almost did with that woman.

    Hence, with a bored expression, Daniel decided to go through the rest of the pictures, and in less than a minute, he jerked off his seat with lightning speed, his eyes as wide as the moon, with his hand trembling as he stared at the picture.

    His assistant caught his sudden interest in the photograph and began to exin, ¡°I thought it was strange but your son Marcel has been quite involved with the girltely. So I did some more investigation beforeing here and I came to discover that she has rtions with Elijah, the mercenary who cost us our men in that incident a month ago.¡±

    Unfortunately, Daniel was not even listening to his exnation, his eyes fixed on the youngdy in the picture. Even with the red hair, the resemnce was uncanny, Natalie. Or would have been her, because there was no way that the woman he loved years back would be this younger, even with surgeries, it was impossible.

    Unless it was her child.

    A chill washed over Daniel as realization dawned on him, Natalie had a child and he didn¡¯t know. Of course, it was like Natalie to keep important stuff like this from him so he doesn¡¯t know and use it against her. He must have had her during that time she ran away from him before her death.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± Daniel didn¡¯t even know when the words left his mouth and the assistant looked at him as he finally lost his mind. He had been exining about the girl all this while, wasn¡¯t he listening.

    Daniel then pulled out the background check his assistant did on the girl and began to read through the document. The first thought that came to Daniel¡¯s mind was that the child was his and his son Marcel had been fucking his sister.

    However, as Daniel read down, he found out the date of birth didn¡¯t match, and judging from his jagged memory, that meant that Natalie was already pregnant and gave birth to her before he caught onto her hiding ce and brought her back once again. Right after he had her, more like forced himself on her ¨C the only memory he regretted having.

    But what do you expect? He gave her his heart, the whole of it! And what did she do with it? She had to go fall for that lowly being? What was his name again? He couldn¡¯t exactly remember. But Daniel had been hurt raw and left bleeding, the first time he gave out his heart and he got what in return, huh? So he wanted to inflict the pain back.

    Getting her friend Penelope pregnant hadn¡¯t been in the n, but he never regretted having Marcel. Perhaps, Marcel was the reason he had broken out of her charm and decided she wasn¡¯t worth his attention. Thankfully, she saved him from the guilt and ended her own life.

    However, Daniel didn¡¯t know how to feel seeing that Natalie had a daughter and she was together with his son, Marcel, wasn¡¯t fate funny?

    Suddenly, Daniel began tough, like full-blown hystericalughter as if he had lost his damn mind. But it gurgled to a halt in the end and his expression turned deadly.

    Even though Natalie¡¯s dead, she ruined him, what makes her think then that he would go easy on her daughter? Whatever sin shemitted against him, her daughter would pay it ten folds.

 Chapter 441

    441 From The Beginning

    Many years back.......

    ¡°I told you it would be quite a sight!¡± Natalie admired her room as soon as she arrived while Penelope screamed so loudly her ears almost burst.

    ¡°Geez, I knew I did the right thing by joining you on this vacation!¡± Penelope kicked off her slippers, raced past her to get to her bed, and began to jump on the bouncy bed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me!¡± Natalie let go of her luggage and joined her friend to bounce on the bed until the both of them were tired out of their minds.

    Exhausted, both young women stared up at the ceiling, a smile lingering at the corner of her lips.

    Suddenly, Penelope turned to her, grinning, ¡°I have to say, you¡¯re quite smart.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard, Mama says I¡¯m as cunning as a fox,¡± Natalieughed, meaning that as a joke.

    The vacation was a family trip nned outside the country and though it was Natalie¡¯s idea, what her family didn¡¯t know was that she had an ulterior motive behind it. It was all a n she made to see her boyfriend she had made over the inte.

    Edward.

    .....

    That was his name.

    And though Penelope thought it was unrealistic to fall in love with a guy she hasn¡¯t seen face to face, Natalie knew otherwise. No one understood her like Edward, definitely not her father who was usually away, nning his campaign for his second tenure as governor, and her mother, of course, helping him out.

    Of course, Natalie understood how much her father¡¯s political aspirations meant to him, and she was not going to stand in the way of his dreams, but that was all they ever talked about these days and she had never felt neglected, especially with her elder sister joining her father¡¯s office as well.

    Her sister Lyka had never wanted anything to do with politics and wanted to be an artist, but papa would never hear of that and offered her a more ¡°responsible¡± job in the government house ¨C where he could have his eyes on her. Also, mama said, her sister would help papa with his campaigns as well, and having family members in various positions of power would help in the long run. Mama¡¯s words, not hers.

    Unfortunately, while her elder sister, Lyka was the obedient daughter, Natalie was the ck sheep of the family. After her mother¡¯s failed attempt to make her prim and proper, she gave up on her, leaving everything else on fate. But Natalie knew her mother was simply waiting for her youngest sister to grow up, so she could suffocate her with her aristocratic nonsense. It was quite sad that her younger sister Dorcas is a tomboy and she wished their momma all the luck.

    ¡°What if he¡¯s after your money? Everyone knows your father¡¯s face, Natalie, ¡± Penelope argued, while she unpacked and at the same time, sorted out the clothes she would wear for the dateter in the day.

    Penelope was here as an escort and she would help convince, more like, lie to her mother that they were going for a tour when in reality, it was a date. Natalie already informed Edward that they were in the city and he was making all necessary arrangements to meet them.

    Natalie sighed, ¡°He¡¯s not after my money, Penelope, because he has his. Edward is from a rich family. Also, people know my father¡¯s face only back in the country, we¡¯re in a new ce now, chill your ass, bestie. ¡±

    But Penelope was too concerned for her own good and even though Natalie was older by two years, she always acted like the oldest.

    ¡°That¡¯s what he told you, Natalie! You don¡¯t even know whether it¡¯s true or false. Moreover, he¡¯s five years older than you, would you imagine what your parents would say if they heard that?¡±

    ¡°My parents wouldn¡¯t hear that because they won¡¯t find out and you would keep your mouth shut else you¡¯d stop being my best friend. Also, who says I¡¯m going to see Edward blindly? I might be in love, but I¡¯m not stupid,¡± Natalie says, lifting a pepper spray in her right and a taser in her left hand.

    ¡°If my one true love doesn¡¯t turn out to be who I make him to be, then I¡¯d zap his ass. At the moment, what we have to do is find out how to see Edward without a bodyguard following us.¡±

    Of course, the girls had a n for that.

    As expected, the moment they brought up the issue of touring the city to her mother, she assigned a bodyguard to them instantly.

    ording to her mother, she quotes, ¡°We might not be in the country, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be too careful. You girls can¡¯t cause any scandal that affects your father¡¯s election.¡±

    Of course, cross my heart, Natalie had promised her mother before she and Penelope returned to their room to get ready to leave. They were familiar with the bodyguard their mother assigned to them and just as they were about to step into the car, Natalie made the sign to Penelope and the girl suddenly bent over in pain.

    ¡°Aww, my stomach,¡±

    The bodyguard stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat at once. Penelope was just from a middle-ss family but both families were friends, hence the guards treated her with respect, extending their protection to her too.

    Hence, while the bodyguard was busy with Penelope whose acting was so real, Natalie had already slipped into the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Penelope suddenly said, confusing the guard.

    ¡°What?¡±

    She kicked him in the ce where the sun never shines, although not too hard, so she doesn¡¯t destroy his chance of procreation ¨C and because he didn¡¯t deserve it ¨C but by the time he was able to recover, the girls were long gone and there was nothing he could do about it.

    This was not the first time the girls escaped without guards by their side, he was just stupid not to see through their ns. Now, he only prayed they knew what they were doing and returned safely.

 Chapter 442

    442 At Their Mercy

    Edward was everything she dreamed to be and more, and she had a great time with him, although Persephone couldn¡¯t say the same. Her poor friend was forced to be the third wheel on their date and Natalie made up her mind to make it up to her.

    Perhaps, she might be able to find her a boyfriend before they leave the country. Thinking of which, Edward does have a younger brother, who knows, the both of them might make a lovely couple.

    Her mother called relentlessly, she found out about them tricking the bodyguard and exploring the city without anyone by their side.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for you young girls to tour a city all alone!¡± The woman cried out, but Natale knew her mother was simply being dramatic and overprotective. They were no longer kids, nothing was going to happen to them. Or so they thought.

    They had so much fun that they lost track of time and before they knew it, it was already evening. At once, Natalie and Edward called it a day with a promise to call each other and scheduled another date. Edward wanted to drive them home, but Natalie refused, she knew the way back home with her sharp memory. Moreover, their rtionship had just begun, and she couldn¡¯t introduce him to her parents yet.

    Sure, Edward made the cut with his rich and influential background, but Natalie was a private person and didn¡¯t want her mother butting into her affair. If her father knew of Edward, he might convince him into supporting his campaign and she didn¡¯t want that. Natalie didn¡¯t date Edward because of his money or what she could get from him and sure hoped it remained that way.

    If her father had done well his first time as governor, he wouldn¡¯t feel too afraid running for a second tenure. Although, she heard that he had a stronger opponent this time and the odds seem to be against him, hence, he desperately needed strong backers.

    Whatever that was not his business.

    ¡°See, Edward wasn¡¯t as bad as you thought him to be,¡± Natalie told her as they drove back home.

    .....

    ¡°Fine, you win. But that doesn¡¯t mean I trust him entirely. I¡¯ll be there for your second date as well, I¡¯ll keep my eyes out in case he does anything stupid.¡± Penelope said.

    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Natalieughed, ¡°You would have your own date too if that¡¯s the case and then it would be perfect.¡±

    ¡°Eww,¡± She scrunched her nose, ¡°Don¡¯t set me up on any blind date, Natalie. I didn¡¯te here for a boyfriend and I¡¯m perfectly fine watching and reliving my life through you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Natalieughed while driving when suddenly out of nowhere, someone stepped out into the road and she had to m down on her brakes instantly.

    Natalie avoided hitting the man by a few inches and stepped out of the car, ready to give the idiot a piece of her mind, when the stranger pulled out a gun and a scream left her mouth. Well, not only her, Penelope¡¯s too. None of them expected that.

    The man grabbed her by the hair and pressed the gun to her temple while Penelope cupped her mouth in fright as he barked orders, ¡°You drive! You follow me!¡±

    He entered the back seat of the car with her, the gun now pressed to her side. This stranger was no other than Daniel Luciano who had just been betrayed by one of the men in his gang and he nearly avoided death. Or maybe not.

    Natalie was shivering in fright even though she tried her hardest to be brave. As much as she was concerned about her life, she was more bothered about her friend, Penelope. Had she known, she wouldn¡¯t have been stubborn and gone along with her mother¡¯s idea of going with a bodyguard and now she was in trouble.

    Penelope wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if she hadn¡¯t begged her to join her on this date. Natalie had to do everything possible to make sure nothing happened to her friend. She owed her that much.

    Natalie spared a look at the stranger who held her captive. She had to admit, he was quite handsome, if only he wasn¡¯t holding her at gunpoint. But then, she noticed beads of sweat on him, and he clenched his jaw together which was strange, until she nced down and discovered blood seeping into his shirt.

    ¡°Jesus Christ, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± She finally noticed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Daniel warned her through gritted teeth as he contemted shooting her and just leaving with the car, however, he knew he couldn¡¯t drive in this condition.

    But Natalie didn¡¯t care as she shouted, ¡°You need to go to a hospital!¡±

    He snarled at her, ¡°No hospital for me!¡±

    And it hit her.

    Natalie gasped, ¡°You¡¯re a criminal,¡± She used him.

    ¡°Is that your first time seeing one, princess?¡± He mocked her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a princess!¡± Natalie said defensively, his words touching a sensitive spot. What spelled princess about her?

    ¡°You can¡¯t die in my car else that would cause a scandal and trouble for my papa,¡±

    ¡°And you said you¡¯re not a princess,¡± He found it funny.

    Natalie began to think fast and that was quite amusing to Daniel. For someone held hostage, she was not afraid, or maybe, she didn¡¯t know about him?

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal,¡± She quickly said, and he had to shake the dizziness out of his head. How long could he stay conscious?

    ¡°What deal?¡± Daniel gave her a threatening look to appear in control even though he knew in reality, he was at their mercy.

    ¡°I¡¯m a science major in the university and I can try and take away the bullets, but there is no assurance that you would survive it, there¡¯d just too many possibilities, not to talk of the chances of infection, however, if I do remove the bullets from your body, promise me that you would let us go and we would never speak of this. ¡± She offered him, hopefully.

    Daniel looked at her intensely, scrutinizing and gauging if he could trust her.

    ¡°Do it.¡±

    He lost consciousness.

 Chapter 443

    443 Hope His Luck Shines

    Music rmendation -: Parachute ¨C Kyndal Inskeep

    _________

    ¡°We should leave him here,¡± Penelope suggested as soon as the man lost consciousness, ¡°He¡¯s unconscious and wouldn¡¯t harm us anymore, let¡¯s leave, please,¡± She begged her.

    But Natalie knew otherwise, she couldn¡¯t leave a dying man on his own, not even one who pressed a gun to her head moments ago. She knew it wasn¡¯t just because of the responsibility thates with the profession she was studying, it was her nature. The man might be dying and there were chances he might not even survive even if she took out the bullet, however, she held onto that hope. She would be able to sleep better at night knowing that she tried to save his life.

    However, if Natalie had known in the future that giving this man a second chance at life woulde to bite her in the ass, she would have let him die there. No, she would have finished him off right then and there.

    Hence, without a second thought, she drove to a pharmaceutical store and sent Penelope to buy the equipment she needed. Natalie would have gone to purchase them on her own but Daniel¡¯s blood was on her and she couldn¡¯t step out without drawing suspicion.

    Removing that bullet from the man¡¯s body had been the most taxing experience Natalie had. First of all, she wasn¡¯t a doctor, merely a student; secondly, the equipment was basic; thirdly, there was limited space in the car and she had to operate with merely a torchlight that Penelope pointed her way with a scrunched expression ¨C her friend always hated blood.

    At a point, Natalie came to believe she had no idea what she was doing and was frustrated. However, when she got the two bullets from his stomach and stitched him, a sigh of relief passed through her mouth.

    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Penelope asked her, fear evident in her eyes. It was sote and she bet her mother was already going bananas over the dy and must have summoned a search for them already. Unfortunately, they had an unconscious man with his blood staining their car.

    .....

    ¡°What do you think? We¡¯ve done our part of the deal, it¡¯s all left to his luck now,¡± Natalie decided before the both of them pulled his heavy ass out of the car andid him down by the roadside.

    Thankfully, Edward had taken her shopping today, hence, she was able to cover him from the cold with a few of her clothes. On the bright side, the man had his phone with him even though the screen was broken, but it was still operational. Natalie called the first number in his history, Carmine by name, she bet it was his girlfriend.

    Anyway, amid the woman¡¯s interrogation as soon as she found the phone in her hands, Natalie only informed him of the stranger¡¯s situation and a little bit of their location before ending the call and dumping the phone on his body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope your luck shines enough,¡± Natalie muttered under her breath and returned to the car with Penelope. Both of them were shaken by the incident, but they survived ¨C and would keep it a secret from everyone.

    However, they couldn¡¯t go home with their car in that state. Natalie changed out of her bloodied clothes while they drove the car to a car wash whom she bribed with enough money to keep his mouth shut about the blood he found inside the car.

    Thanks to all those, they returned home quitete and their mother was waiting for them, alongside some officers who had been arguing about making an official search only after twenty-four hours of their disappearance. Nheless, after a remorseful apology, the officers were sent away and her mother decided it was time to chide the both of them mercilessly.

    They were grounded for two weeks, but Natalie was more relieved that no one searched the car and found out about her bloodied clothes. If her mother even finds an inkling of what happened, she would send her out of this country, never to return and she couldn¡¯t do that, not now she was so close to Edward.

    Though she missed seeing Edward and going on dates with him, theymunicated more frequently and things were quiet in their family for about two weeks until her father suddenly joined them.

    It was quite a shocker to Natalie seeing her father was good at sending them away on trips and never bother to join them, but this one seems to be different. Then she heard something, her father needed to meet some people here that would help with his election.

    Natalie didn¡¯t know what meant until one Sunday, her papa came over to announce that he was expecting a victor and needed them to be on their best behavior. To be precise, that warning was targeted at her, Penelope and Dorcas, since their eldest sister did not travel with them. Nheless, even if Lyka was here, her parents were confident she wouldn¡¯t cause any problem for them. Yep, the golden child.

    The announcement had her Mama all excited and she joined the kitchen to present a sumptuous meal, probably to impress her guest while Natalie was bored out of her mind. All she wanted was to curl up on her bed and speak to Edward all night long instead of ying a good girl to a guest she had no idea about ¨C nor does she care.

    Her mother made sure they dressed in the best apparel and like a turkey for Thanksgiving, they all stood ready to receive the guest who arrived right on time ¨C at least, she wouldn¡¯t go hungry for long. Unlike her, Penelope was excited to meet the guest iming to have heard that he was rich, smart, and handsome. As if. Those descriptions fit entitled jerks.

    But the rich, entitled jerk walked through their front door and her jaw dropped to the floor. Natalie was so shocked by his appearance that she forgot the greeting parade their mother made them rehearse. Well, not only her, Penelope too. She could see the same worry in her gaze.

    What was her papa doing with a criminal?

 Chapter 444

    444 Business With Her Father

    He was alive, Natalie didn¡¯t know whether to be relieved or be scared by the news. But deep down, the doctor in her was grateful that he survived and she was proud of her skills; she saved a human life. But her rational mind? She¡¯s fucked.

    What was he doing here? Like a grim reaper that came to im souls, did hee to end her? She never mentioned that incident to anybody and she trusted Penelope not to say a thing as well. What happened then, why was he here?

    However, that question was answered when her father stepped out, ¡°Daniel, you are here!¡± her papa weed him, wrapping his hand in a handshake and that was when it hit her.

    He was indeed the visitor her father was talking about and his name is Daniel. Damn, what is going on here? Does her father know he¡¯s a criminal? What if her father really does know and is determined to go to any extent to win the election? Horror filled Natalie and her stomach recoiled in disgust. What is her father up to? What is he getting himself into?

    Does her mother even know what her husband¡¯s up to? She bet not, that one was an airhead and even if she does know, she would only support her husband in the end. Hence, she couldn¡¯t bring it up with her mother.

    ¡°Here, this is my children and a family friend,¡±

    Natalie was so lost in her thought that she only snapped back to reality when her father began to introduce them to his guest.

    ¡°Shit!¡± She didn¡¯t have the time to brace herself as her gaze connected with his and a gasp left her lips.

    Natalie was not taken aback by his good looks ¨C maybe a little ¨C but by the intensity in his gaze and the reality that he pressed a gun to her head weeks ago. She had nightmares that night and Penelope was still a bit traumatized by the experience.

    .....

    ¡°You have such lovely daughters,¡± Daniel said, his eyes still fixed on her and that made her ufortable as hell. Her fatherughed boisterously, taking that as apliment, not even realizing there might be an added meaning to those words or the fact she knew he was treading on dangerous territory with this man.

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment. Anyway, the food is getting cold, and my wife makes a delicious apple pie I bet you have never tasted in your life,¡± He ttered him.

    ¡°I bet,¡± Daniel mused, following her father¡¯s lead, but not without ncing one final look her way and a shiver danced down her spine.

    Everyone else followed after her papa and his ¡°esteemed¡± guest except her and Penelope.

    Her friend whirled around immediately, ¡°What does he want?¡± Her brows were creased with worry, ¡°We never told anyone about the incident,¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Natalie answered, biting on the inside of her cheeks and she doesn¡¯t like it. She added under her breath, ¡°And I don¡¯t like what¡¯s going on,¡±

    ¡°What are you girls waiting for,e on!¡± Her mother was the one who returned to see them gawking at space.

    Hesitantly, the both of them followed her to the dining and Daniel was seated by his father¡¯s side with her mother took her husband¡¯s right-hand side. On the bright side, her younger sister Dorcas was already seated beside Daniel, creating a demarcation between the both of them thankfully when she sat.

    As expected, their conversation was mostly based on politics and though it was boring as hell, Natalie listened, hoping to God that something would give her a clue concerning this unholy allegiance between Daniel and her father, but gave up when she came up with nothing.

    Even with one seat away, Natalie was quite aware of Daniel¡¯s presence and she thought over and over again why he was here. Was this merely a coincidence or was he here for something? What was he here for? Just who is he? Although she heard from the conversation that he was a businessman or something, she knew otherwise, he was a criminal that would have ended her life had she not been smart enough.

    Unable to take it anymore, Natalie stood up, saying, ¡°I hope to retire early, I¡¯m feeling a bit under the weather,¡± She hoped to be excused.

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Her father waved her off as if she didn¡¯t matter. At that moment, Daniel was all that mattered to him.

    Natalie made a sign to Penelope toe and find her after she was done but she didn¡¯t know if the girl was listening because she didn¡¯t look her way. Nheless, she returned to her room and waited for her friend patiently. They needed to discuss what was going on.

    Not long after, a knock came on her door, and Natalie without thinking, went to open it, forgetting that Penelope doesn¡¯t need to knock because they share the same room ¨C she just barges in. However, before she could realize her mistake, it was toote and she had opened the door for.... Daniel.

    She moved quickly to shut it close, but Daniel was faster and had already moved into the room, pushing her against the wall and closing her mouth with herrge palm so she doesn¡¯t scream and draw attention.

    ¡°Scream and you¡¯d regret it,¡± He warned her, the threat in his gaze real and she nodded obediently.

    Daniel let go of his hand yet he was cautious and ready to make good of his threat if she disobeys him, however, the girl was smart.

    ¡°So this is where you have been hiding, princess?¡± He took notice of her room.

    So, it was a coincidence.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She snarled at him, ¡°You promised to let us go if we don¡¯t say a word and we didn¡¯t, moreover, you¡¯re alive thanks to me.¡±

    He nodded, ¡°Yes, princess, I¡¯m alive because of you,¡±

    At least, he has the balls to admit it.

    ¡°You have nothing to fear, princess, I only have business with your father.¡±

    The hairs on her body stood on edge as she asked, ¡°What kind of business.¡±

    But Daniel smiled at her as if he found this amusing. He ruffled her hair yfully to her annoyance, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know, it¡¯s between us adults. But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll see each other around a lot now.¡± He winked at her.

    *End of shback*

 Chapter 445

    445 Its The Two Of Us Now

    Just as Arianna thought, Marcel sent Samson to keep watch over her. Even without telling him that Elijah graced his partyst night, he had his guards up, and honestly, it was annoying. But Arianna would endure for the moment until she has a way tomunicate with her ex-boyfriend and stop all of this madness.

    The doctor came over, even though it would have been much better to visit the hospital. To be honest, it was quite awkward for Arianna considering that the doctor, even though she¡¯s a female ¨C yep, Marcel would never have a male around her, doctor or not ¨C asked a lot of intimate questions and they all revolved around her sex life and sexual history. She also asked about her medical history and checked her blood pressure, and she might even need a pelvic exam.

    However, the issue at hand was that she and Marcel had been having vaginal sex, so it was hard to predict if she was pregnant or not. It was too early to have a pregnancy test done and her menstrual period was a week away. In one word, if she missed her period, she¡¯s going to be a mother.

    But until then, the doctor asked that they practice abstinence ¨C which was the safest ¨C or they could use protection and no contraceptive pill since there could be some side effects if she turned up pregnant. However, if she doesn¡¯t turn out pregnant, then in their next meeting, they would discuss what type of birth control would work best for her.

    But then, one should see the happiness on Marcel¡¯s face, he was one hundred percent sure that she was pregnant. ording to Marcel and he quotes, ¡°My seeds are potent and with my strong will, I would have enough children surrounding my table in time.¡± He still hasn¡¯t given up on having arge family.

    Thanks to that, Arianna was slightly afraid and hade to believe that she was pregnant. There was another being living inside of her? God, this was messed up. Arianna was not ready to be a mother yet and there was just too much on her te. This can¡¯t be true.

    ¡°You have nothing to be afraid of,¡± Marcel said to her, kissing her temple as theyid down on the bed. Arianna was snuggled close to him and his arms around her waist made her feet protected.

    They said werewolf females mated with males strong enough to provide for them, Arianna felt that way right now because she could feel the assurance in Marcel¡¯s words.

    ¡°I know getting pregnant was not on your agenda and I apologize for my recklessness. I should have been more careful, instead of being engulfed with passion.¡± He apologized to her and that melted her heart.

    .....

    The Mafia Lord keeps surprising her day after day. It was as if the more she stayed with Marcel, she found out that there was more to him. All this while, he has been hiding this part of him and only showed her the side of Marcel, the leader, who knew there was a tender side to him as well?

    ¡°I was engulfed with passion as well,¡± Arianna shared a part of the me. It takes two to tango and she wouldn¡¯t stay here and pretend that it was entirely his fault. She could have stopped him, insisted he used protection, but she wanted the whole of him. To feel him raw. To feel him skin to skin.

    She added, ¡°But we can¡¯t be sure until a weekter. You could be making a huge deal of nothing, Marcel.¡± Arianna reminded him and there was still that part of her that wished it wasn¡¯t true. She loved children, but her child deserved a stable environment and right now, her life was anything but that.

    ¡°I told you, my love,¡± Marcel was confident, ¡°I trust the power of my seed,¡± He said cockily.

    Arianna didn¡¯t want to kill Marcel¡¯s hope, but she secretly prayed to God that it wouldn¡¯te true. This was not the time. So she didn¡¯t argue further about the issue and rxed in his warmth, drawing circles on his chest as she was lost in her thoughts.

    ¡°You¡¯re nothing like your father,¡± Arianna didn¡¯t even know when the words left her mouth. She had been thinking of his sister, Chloe, and the sacrifices he made to keep her safe ¨C by agreeing to marry ra. If Marcel didn¡¯t like the girl, he wouldn¡¯t bother about her, after all, they weren¡¯t even blood-rted. But here he was, doing everything possible to bring her home.

    But to her surprise, Marcel chuckled at that statement as if she made a wrong judgment about him.

    ¡°What?¡± She was confused.

    Marcel smirked tly as he countered her statement, ¡°I¡¯m everything like my father. The same blood that runs through him runs through my veins.¡±

    Her blood ran cold and the expression fell from her face, but only for a second because Arianna was ready to prove him wrong, however, he pressed his finger against her moving lips, hinting that he wasn¡¯t done speaking.

    ¡°The only difference between my father and I are decisions. My father made up his mind to go down thatne and I decide on the path I want. But don¡¯t for one moment think that I¡¯m not capable enough tomit the same atrocity he did, because that¡¯s what I¡¯m born to do, my love,¡± He brushed his finger across her lips and it parted instinctively, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She was insanely attracted to Marcel if he could light her up with just one touch.

    ¡°I¡¯m the viin of this story, not a prince in charming armor and you could have run from me, but you choose to stay, making you that anchor that would always pull me back whenever I dangle too long in the darkness. So I¡¯m telling you now in case you¡¯re mistaken about all of this or what I feel for you...¡± He nced down at her and those eyes of his were deadly serious and dark, ¡°There¡¯s no going back, Arianna, it¡¯s the both of us now. ¡±

    Arianna should be scared out of her mind considering those words from Marcel were giving her the creeper alert, but she wasn¡¯t scared. Because if Marcel was Hades, the king of the underworld, then she must be his evesting love, Persephone.

 Chapter 446

    446 Daddy

    He was scaring her, Marcel could see it in her eyes, but he did that on purpose. Arianna had to know that being with him wasn¡¯t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. Moreover, he was not her typical male with a high moral principle, but he had his moralpass in check.

    In one word, he would intentionally hurt her sometimes with his decision, that was a given considering his upation, but he would try his utmost best to make Arianna happy, and the one thing he would never do is toy a hand on her.

    As the Mafia Lord of the Luciano n, he would have to keep up with his reputation, but Marcel knew the clear difference between respect and fear. Arianna would respect him, but there would be no need to fear him. He would have to earn that respect as well.

    Her mother feared his father, she did not respect him. Not that the fool knew the difference because he was too drunk on the control he had on her, on everybody. Good thing, he was smart enough to see through his maniption and games.

    To Marcel¡¯s surprise, Arianna only pulled him closer, wrapping her leg around his waist and pulling him closer as theyy side to side. She smirked, ¡°We would make terrific parents,¡±

    ¡°You mean, you,¡± He hinted that she was better than him.

    Arianna rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re already daddy material, Marcel. Don¡¯t underestimate the goodness in you even though you¡¯re strangely set on making yourself the bad guy.¡± She couldn¡¯t understand him sometimes, honestly.

    ¡°I¡¯m the bad guy, Arianna,¡± He insisted, and just when she thought that it would turn into an argument, Marcel grinned at her instead, ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me you¡¯re into daddy stuff.¡± His grin was now naughty.

    ¡°What?¡± She went red in the face, ¡°No way,¡± Arianna tried to disentangle herself from him, but Marcel only rolled her over so he was on top of her and the man was as sexy as hell. Damn, he was so good-looking it should be illegal, especially with his bed hair.

    .....

    ¡°Tell me you want me to be your daddy,¡± He told her, his eyes twinkling with dark, delicious promises of what was toe if she agreed.

    ¡°Never!¡± Arianna chuckled, trying to fight him off, but Marcel onlyced their fingers and pinned them to the bed, above her hair. He had her defenseless.

    ¡°Just say the word, Arianna!¡± He demanded, now hovering over her.

    ¡°In your dreams, Marcelo,¡± Arianna stood her ground. There was no way on earth she was calling him ¡°daddy¡±, not because she couldn¡¯t, but because she can¡¯t let Marcel have his way every time. Fine, she admits it, it was a tad bit embarrassing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t dare me, Arianna!¡± He growled yfully into her ears, the heat from his lips causing her to draw a sharp breath while her clit throbbed.

    Arianna didn¡¯t even realize she wasn¡¯t breathing anymore when she said challengingly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you make me?¡±

    And something changed at that moment, the yful ambiance in the room turned intense... somewhat erotic.

    Marcel released a sharp breath as if whatever she just said, turned him on. He leaned back, his hard abdominal muscles flexing while the look in his eyes was equivalent to a storm, a heated storm that would engulf her while leaving nothing behind.

    Before Arianna had the chance to say anything, he ground his hips against her throbbing core and a moan left her lips, her eyes hazy with desire. Oh no, the doctor said it would be best to practice abstinence.

    But Marcel¡¯s lips were on hers before she could say the words out. He kissed her hard and greedily, punishing her for daring to provoke him. Arianna was left at his mercy as he freed his other hand, holding her still with a hand this time while he dug the other one into her hair. His tongue asked for permission, but Arianna denied him, as if she was going to make this easy for him. But she should have known who she was ying with.

    Marcel yanked on her hair and that slight moment of pain was all the time he needed to part her lips with his tongue as he tasted her sweetness. He deepened the kiss, dominating her as he devoured her lips with no care to breathe. Who needed air when it tasted this good.

    But then, his phone rang loudly, startling the both of them such that Arianna was able to free her hands. However, Marcel didn¡¯t give a care as he kissed her neck, burying his face in the crook of her neck and sucking on her sweet spot while the phone rang on and ended.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t evenprehend what she was about to say anymore. She knew there was something important she needed to tell him, more like inform him, but it slipped her mind. Each time Arianna tried to remember, Marcel kissed them away.

    Right now, Marcel was tugging on the hem of her shirt, his hands slipping beneath to cup her breast when his phone rang again and he released a string of curses against her lips. She would have found that sexy, however, the call seemed to be important.

    ¡°Pick the call, Marcel,¡± She said in between a moan.

    ¡°It can wait,¡± Marcel said stubbornly, rolling her shirt up as his lips traveled from her t stomach to the space between her breasts. Her tits were held secure by herce bra she knew Marcel liked and his eyes shone with appreciation.

    He pulled the shirt above her head and he was about to kiss her nipples probing against her bra when the phone rang again and Arianna knew it couldn¡¯t wait anymore.

    ¡°Just pick up the damned phone, Marcel!¡± Arianna was running out of patience and thankfully, her senses began to function at thest minute. She and Marcel shouldn¡¯t be doing this, unless with protection.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel reached for the phone, death awaiting whoever was on that line until he saw that familiar number and he froze instantly.

 Chapter 447

    447 He Was Damned

    Arianna knew something was wrong the moment she felt Marcel stiffen while his demeanor changed instantly and didn¡¯t even need to ask what was going on. There was only one person who could elicit such a reaction from him and that was his father.

    Marcel was not afraid of the old men, however, that reaction was a reflex action he developed as a kid towards his father ¨C when he had been unable to protect himself and his mother. But not anymore, he was a man now and capable of protecting those he loved, there was no need to fear him, and just had to outgrow those feelings.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He answered the call, his tone was t yet on edge. Nothing good could evere out of his father calling him. So he leaned back against the headboard and tried not to think too much, appearing brave in Arianna¡¯s eyes. She can¡¯t see any fear in his eyes, Marcel didn¡¯t want to put that burden on her.

    Arianna knew something was wrong and she wanted to provide a level offort to Marcel, you know assure him that he wasn¡¯t alone in this fight against his father. But at the same time, an idea hit her and a deadly smirk crossed her lips, one that Marcel didn¡¯t see because his attention was on the call.

    She remembered the day he touched her beneath the table, she hadn¡¯t forgotten her need for vengeance and it seems the perfect opportunity has presented itself. She¡¯d see how much self-control Marcel does have.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind the way you address me on other days, but today, I¡¯m particrly peeved, so if I were you, I would watch the way you speak to me!¡± His father spoke through gritted teeth from the other end of the call.

    As if Marcel would listen.

    ¡°Why?¡± He smirked, ¡°If you want someone running around calling you papa, then I can safely inform you that you¡¯re a bitte for that. If you want that so badly, why don¡¯t you go back in time and set some things right, enough to keep my mother alive, and perhaps, I can address you with the respect you want,¡± Marcel sneered openly.

    He enjoyed taunting his father and knowing the man was affected gave him joy like no other. But that was until he felt hands on his zipper and the next thing, his cock sprang free and he looked down to discover the dark look in Arianna¡¯s eyes.

    .....

    Oh no.

    Not now.

    It was her turn and Arianna was determined to torment Marcel the same way he tormented her that day. The naughty side of her couldn¡¯t help but wonder what his father would think of him if he found out his son was having a blow job done while speaking to him. From what she knew of Daniel so far, he would definitely blow up a fuse. But that was on Marcel, he shouldn¡¯t have yed with her without thinking about the consequences. This was her serving him cold revenge.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Marcel struggled hard to concentrate on the phone the moment she curled her hand around his shaft with that fuck-you look in her eyes. Without Arianna telling him, Marcel recognized what this was, her revenge for that day he touched her in front of the others. He didn¡¯t know Arianna was this vindictive and the fact he found that trait sexy as hell must mean that there was a loose crew in his head.

    ¡°I heard you haven¡¯t visited ra so far?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel focused on taking deep, long breaths so he didn¡¯t pant like abored donkey as Arianna ran her head up and down his length. She really lived up to her reputation as his siren. Arianna would lure him to his death.

    ¡°Are you deaf today?¡± Daniel¡¯s tone went up a notch, showing he was angry, ¡°Your wedding ising up this week and yet, there is no response from the groom¡¯s side, are you kidding me right now, Marcello?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean your wedding?¡± Marcel taunted him.

    ¡°What?¡± Daniel was dumbfounded.

    ¡°And second of all, don¡¯t call me that. You don¡¯t get to call my name affectionately,¡± He warned his father firmly, but in reality, Marcel was merely frustrated that he was stuck between his father¡¯s antics and Arianna wreaking havoc on his body. He really wanted to enjoy this moment, but he couldn¡¯t ignore his father, otherwise, the man would make a visit here, and that was the least he wanted.

    Arianna was lying in between his legs, rxed as fuck while he was ufortable as hell as she dipped her head and licked his base and he fought the moan that tried to escape his mouth. Marcel was aching as he grew unbearably hard, and one thing was for sure, once he was done with this annoying call, he would give Arianna what she was asking for. She can¡¯t ask for trouble and go scot-free.

    ¡°What are you talking about, boy?¡± Daniel seemed to be confused this time.

    ¡°All this time, you held me captive to that engagement with my sister¡¯s life and you think I wouldn¡¯t find out that she¡¯s no longer with you?¡± Marcel hissed in the end when Arianna licked up his length and then swirled her tongue around his angry-looking purple head. At least, hissing was a sign of anger and his father wouldn¡¯t think he was having a blow job in the middle of his call. That man took respect seriously. This was damned. He was damned.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the problem?¡± Daniel asked him, ¡°How did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Does that matter?¡± Marcel retorted even though he had an inkling the man was already doing the calction in his head.

    Yes, his father would eventually find out what he did, but the deed was already done and there was nothing he could do. Knowing the old man, he would fight for damage control first since the marriage is more important to him than having vengeance on those who carried out his bidding. Luckily, Arianna and Mimi were safe with him and his father couldn¡¯ty a hand on them.

 Chapter 448

    448 He Was Whipped

    ¡°So because your sister is out of my control, you think you¡¯re safe?¡± Daniel¡¯s voice was taut and cold. The old man didn¡¯t like to be defeated in his games and Marcel just did. Daniel was fixated on power and control and Marcel escaped his leash.

    ¡°Why?¡± Marcel chuckled mockingly, ¡°You want to kill me off now that you have no use for me?¡± He didn¡¯t know what gave him the courage to say something as reckless as that but he must be heady from Arianna sucking his dick.

    Arianna must have been affected by that statement as well because she stiffened but only for a moment as she continued to suck him hard and God, that felt so damn good. Marcel threw his head back, wishing that his father ended the call. This was killing him.

    ¡°As if I would end the only thing that matters to me,¡± The old man answered, ¡°Believe me or not, Marcel, you¡¯re my son and I love you so much.¡±

    ¡°Yep, you have a weird way of showing that affection,¡± Marcel pointed out with a dry sense of humor, ¡°And seriously, that confession is as creepy as fuck,¡±

    No, it sent goosebumps up his arms. It was better he believed that the old man hated his ass, than the reality where Daniel loved him. Marcel shivered, it was creepy.

    However, a groan left his lips in ce of the words he had for his father when Arianna bit his cock. She didn¡¯t bite down hard, more like grazing his sensitive head with her sharp teeth and the pleasure made him grit his teeth hard. Without a care anymore that his father might hear, he reached out and spanked her ass hard and she moaned into his cock.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he shouted into his phone, ¡°You know what, do whatever the fuck you want, I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± He hung up on him.

    He shouldn¡¯t have said that knowing that his father was thest person he wanted to make an enemy, but Marcel didn¡¯t care right now, his mind was already fried the moment Arianna took his cock into his mouth, and now, he was free to do whatever he wanted. She started this but he would be the one to end it.

    .....

    Immediately, Marcel grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked it hard, Arianna moaned around his cock. He wanted control and she gave that to him as Marcel began to fuck her mouth and she took it like a good girl.

    He thrust his cock into her mouth and felt him hit the back of her throat. Arianna took him further down her throat till she was gagging and her eyes were hot with tears as Marcel grunted, his cock getting harder in her mouth, nearing the edge.

    Then she let go of him slowly, nibbling his length and letting his head remain in her mouth, and sucked him harder than he could imagine. It was no wonder to Marcel that he came, spilling most of his seed in her mouth while the others dripped down her chin and she looked sexy as hell as swallowed all of it with a sinful grin.

    Thanks to that wantonness gesture, hisid cock turned harder again and Marcel wanted it buried inside her cunt this time. He could never get tired of her body. Damn Marcel, when did he get addicted to a woman¡¯s body? He was totally whipped and Arianna didn¡¯t know the power she had over him. He could give her the whole world right now if she asked for it.

    The moment she saw that dark, lustful look in his eyes, Arianna knew the beast had been unleashed. Before she could say a word, Marcel attacked her with his lips, pushing her back to the bed as he came down with her. He tasted his cum on her as he kissed her ferociously, his tongue parting her lips to dance a song of tango with hers.

    Arianna moaned loudly when he took the kisses to her neck, sucking the sensitive spot while he tugged on her waistband till she was out of her pants, however, before he could get back to kissing her, she told him.

    ¡°Protection!¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Marcel cursed at the interruption, however, he was going through his drawer at the next minute and found the condom. He quickly undressed with Arianna doing the same but he was faster and sessfully grabbed the edges of her pants, ripping them apart and satisfying his depraved mind.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna yelped, giving him an admonishing look. If he kept destroying her underwear this way, then she would have none to wear soon and might walk around naked. Well, not that Marcel didn¡¯t keep refilling her wardrobe. Still, she liked some of those panties.

    However, the idiot was not listening, or he chose not to, because he wore the foil over his hard dick and took hold of her waist, pushing her closer to him. Her heart hammered in her throat, her body filled with anticipation watching Marcel¡¯s eyes that were hard and full of lust. The tension in his posture told her he had big ns for her and none of them involved the word called, ¡°mercy¡±.

    At once, Marcel grabbed her leg and hooked it over his shoulder while her eyes went wide with a bit of fear. Oh, she shouldn¡¯t be afraid because he was just getting started. Lining himself with her pussy, Marcel drove himself into her with one fierce thrust that knocked the breath out of her lungs.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna sucked in a sharp breath as Marcel braced himself with one hand on the wall beside him and began to m into her tight body with a punishing force. She knew Marcel was not going to have mercy on her the moment he ended that call, but this? It was too much.

    The angle Marcel had her at let him hit her so deep it was overwhelming, his hand finding her clit at the same time.

    Marcel pounded into her clenching pussy so deep that she couldn¡¯t catch her breath between them and when she came, Arianna screamed so hard that she was sure the entire base heard her.

 Chapter 449

    449 Turn His Attention on Her

    ¡°You practically told your father to fuck off, you think he¡¯s not going to do something about that?¡± Arianna asked Marcel on their way to answer Winter¡¯s call. The girl told them she came up with something and since it had something to do with Chloe, Marcel was the first one on his feet after their sexy time.

    He wanted her to have a break considering he hadn¡¯t exactly been gentle with her ¨C Oh, he knew that? ¨C but Arianna stood her ground. So even though she was sore and her body felt like a train wrecked it, that train being Marcel, Arianna still didn¡¯t want to miss any step out of the journey. Perhaps, that had to do with the fact that she was practically jobless and had nothing to do, most times in the base.

    ¡°Oh, sweetheart, trust me when I tell you that he¡¯s definitely going to do something about it. My father loves control, that¡¯s why he has shit on every family member, including his sister, so he can put them in their ce when the time calls for it. Why do you think my family doesn¡¯t push him around as they do to me?¡± Marcel said and that made Arianna¡¯s heart lurch in her throat.

    ¡°When you say, put them in their ce, you mean threaten them?¡± Arianna guessed.

    ¡°Threatening them is by far a blessing, Arianna, you can think way worse,¡± He didn¡¯t exactly answer her question.

    However, Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder what shit Daniel have over Carmine, Victor¡¯s mother? She didn¡¯t want to know, but wasn¡¯t it cruel to threaten his sister too? The woman wasn¡¯t even an active member of the Mafia and Victor had shown zero interest in being the leader. In fact, from what she has seen so far, the guy would rather run far away than be bundled with the kind of responsibility Marcel carries. But of course, Daniel is insecure and paranoid and no one can honestly tell what he¡¯s thinking.

    ¡°Honestly, my father is not that bad,¡± Marcel suddenly said and Arianna gave him the look only for her toplete his statement, ¡°As far as you continue being his royal dog,¡± Marcel smirked at her intentionally knowing that he caught her off with that statement.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything except re at him as they walked on and for some strange reasons, she couldn¡¯t help but feel eyes on her. So she turned back only to feel one of the guards turn back at thest minute. Weird. Couldn¡¯t Marcel feel that?

    However, Marcel simply walked on and she hastened her footsteps to catch on with his long legs. Beside him, Arianna went on to ask, ¡°So you think your father is going to try to retrieve Chloe as well now he knows that¡¯s your focus at the moment?¡±

    .....

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel shook his head, brows furrowed together in thoughts, ¡°Reina might be forgiving towards me, ¡®might¡¯ being the word, however, Nius is quite vindictive and my father is not stupid enough to spook him and remind him that they have a feud he might have forgotten. So, he would focus on other ways to put me on his leash once more, ¡± And I fear he would turn his attention on you, Marcel didn¡¯t add that.

    Marcel wanted to save her that burden and reality where her father is after her for destroying his ns. Arianna knew that his world was dangerous, but how dangerous was it? She had no idea and hoped she would remain clueless just a little more. They say ignorance is bliss and he wanted her to enjoy that as long as itsts.

    The thought of losing her made an ufortable feeling settle in Marcel¡¯s chest and he reached out and pulled Arianna to his front, wrapping his arms around her chest while resting his chin on her shoulder to her surprise.

    What is going on? Why was Marcel being suddenly clingy? Arianna couldn¡¯t understand his mood swings sometimes, and she let him be. But that was until he took it far by kissing her neck and she shrugged him off.

    He was unbelievable!

    Arianna went first before him while he intentionally slowed his steps, enjoying the view from behind. Damn, he was a pervert, Marcel ran his hands through his hair before following after her.

    ¡°Look, who decided to join us,¡± Mimi was the first face to wee her the moment she stepped in. There was a grin on her face that didn¡¯t sit well with Arianna and she has known her friend for a while.

    ¡°Juste out with it already,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes knowing that the girl had something to say to her.

    Mimi said while throwing to hold off herughter, ¡°I know you and Marcel are anything but subtle, but the next time you both, you know...¡± She made her fingers meet suggestively and went on, ¡°Could the both of you be less loud or you choose a soundproof room, I couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything today,¡±

    Her friend put it mildly while Arianna went red in the face. It was so embarrassing and now she thought about it, that must be the reason the guards were looking at her weirdly. She had not been exaggerating when she thought the whole base heard her scream out in passion. Oh God, she wished the ground she stood on could open up and swallow her.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything because you have a dirty mind, baby,¡± Victor appeared behind her friend, Mimi, and turned her around to steal a deep kiss from her lips and that was the moment Winters returned from her secret room she wouldn¡¯t let anyone in.

    She cast a disapproving look at the both of them, ¡°Oh please, I warned severally, no public disy of affection in my room. Don¡¯t corrupt me, your perverts!¡±

    ¡°As if you¡¯re truly innocent?¡± Marcel said as soon as he stepped in.

    ¡°Thanks for the vote of censure, Marcel,¡± She retorted with sarcasm.

    ¡°What do you even do in that room?¡± Arianna was curious about it and knowing that Winters wouldn¡¯t tell her, she decided to apply a bit of reverse psychology, ¡°Do you by chance spy on us?¡±

    ¡°So you think I sit behind the screen and masturbate to the video of both of you going at it like rabbits? Eww and no. But thank you anyway for searing the visual in my head forever. Eww, once again,¡± Winters was disgusted.

 Chapter 450

    450 Trust Anyone But Him

    Everyone settled down, but Arianna still didn¡¯t get to know what Winters does behind closed doors in that room. But she didn¡¯t push her anyway knowing each of them here had one or two secrets they wanted to keep to themself ¨C she didn¡¯t tell Marcel about Elijah and her ns. Moreover, she chose to believe that whatever the girl¡¯s doing is for their good. Yes, Winters is smart and not stupid enough to betray Marcel.

    ¡°You said you found out something,¡± Marcel was impatient to hear the news.

    ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯ve found a way to get us into Nius¡¯ ce,¡±

    As soon as Winters revealed that news, there was a tense silence and they all looked at one another in anticipation.

    Winters said, ¡°God must really be on our side because it turns out that their housekeeper Amanda had an injury and is unable to perform while the kid¡¯s nanny quit less than five hours after employment. Unfortunately, Reina is in desperate need of a nanny because her daughter Isabe is having her kids¡¯ birthday soon and mommy dearest needs to spend time with her daughter to n the party! ¡± Winters feigned excitement and when no oneughed at her dry sense of humor, she cleared her throat and went on, ¡°Where do you think that leaves us?¡±

    ¡°We apply for the nanny position,¡± Arianna figured out.

    ¡°Bingo,¡± Winters snapped her finger in approval.

    ¡°Definitely, not you though,¡± Marcel disapproved Arianna from going and that pissed her off instantly.

    ¡°Are you for real?¡± He can¡¯t continue keeping her here, all because he loved her and wanted her away from danger.

    .....

    But Marcel said to her, ¡°Listen to me, Arianna, I¡¯m not trying to cage you, but Reina is not stupid. She loves her children and would definitely do a background check on them and if she found out that you¡¯re rted somehow to me, I don¡¯t want to think about what she would do.¡±

    ¡°I think Marcel is right on that one and remember, unlike thest time, Marcel can¡¯t break into that ce to rescue you.¡± Victor supported him.

    ¡°You know, you could still do this the easy way by simply meeting up with Nius,¡± Arianna said to him.

    Marcel sighed with a deep breath, ¡°Arianna, we¡¯ve talked about that already and I told you what my father did and -¡±

    ¡°I know, Marcel, but it¡¯s been years already,¡± She argued, ¡°And who knows, Nius might have forgiven and forgotten it already and he¡¯s merely waiting for a brave Luciano, probably not your father, but you, to extend an olive branch.¡±

    ¡°Nice idea, but we are not working with a hypothesis,¡± Marcel said, irritation beginning to show on his face.

    ¡°But Marcel -¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± He snapped at her unintentionally and her features hardened. Oh no. He has done it again, wonderful.

    ¡°Fine. Suit yourself then, my lord,¡± Arianna answered coldly, her words dripping with sarcasm as she turned to leave.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Marcel grabbed onto her arm but she pulled free and stormed away, leaving him to wallow in regret.

    Marcel felt the telltale of a headache brewing and pinched the bridge of his nose. No one told him a rtionship was this hard? It would have been much easier if she just obeyed hismand? Yeah, you want a woman without an opinion, Marcel? Even his consciousness was beginning to taut him.

    It wasn¡¯t until he noticed the awkward silence in the room that Marcel found out that everyone had paused on his behalf.

    ¡°Go ahead, please,¡± He told them while Victor, his henchman, shook his head in sympathy. Yeah, cousin, he was way over his head in this rtionship.

    Winters said, ¡°Since Arianna has been ruled out of the picture, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s just Mimi and I applying for the position of nanny then.¡± She surmised and saw no disagreement in their expression.

    But Mimi was the first to raise her hand in question, ¡°So from what I learned so far, the Spencer¡¯s quite an influential family, and I¡¯m sure many other women want that position of nanny unless you got the news exclusively of course. Even at that, what is the probability we are going to be chosen? I mean, do I need to add any special skill to my CV?¡± She wanted to be sure.

    ¡°I said earlier that luck must be shining on us because Reina¡¯s children are notoriously known in the city for their pranks and they are even called the daredevils. That is why their mother is finding a nanny who is not afraid of losing her life in the process. Good for us, we are desperate enough to be their nanny. ¡± Winters summarized.

    ¡°Are they really that bad?¡± Victor asked, concerned for Mimi. Kids or not, he would start a war with the Spencers if anything happened to his girlfriend.

    ¡°Well...¡± Winters said, going through her phone, ¡°From the reports so far, no nanny has lost their life and in the kid¡¯s most extreme prank so far, a nanny ended up losing her hair in the process...¡± She paused, then muttered under her breath as she went through the photos of the unlucky nanny, ¡°Geez, I love my hair.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, we should wear a wig?¡± Mimi suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, great idea. That would make us look less suspicious.¡± Winters said

    ¡°Reina knows her kids, she would probably understand.¡±

    ¡°No one is losing their hair or their life,¡± Marcel spoke up after a long time, ¡°The n is to find if my sister resides in that house and get her the fuck out of there. Once you both confirm she¡¯s there, you don¡¯t need to stay to the end of it and can just use the excuse of the kid¡¯s pranks to get out of there. It¡¯s not a long-term job. ¡±

    ¡°And if she indeed resides there, what¡¯s next? You break into the ce?¡± Winters knew that was not a great idea.

    ¡°We¡¯d figure it out, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°What if I talk to your sister once I find her, try to convince her to leave with us or something?¡± Mimi suggested.

    ¡°She would never leave with you,¡± Marcel told her with conviction, ¡°I taught her never to trust anyone but me.¡±

 Chapter 451

    451 Mimi Wanted Options

    Arianna was fuming in the backyard¡¯s vegetable garden. There were a lot of gardens here anyway thanks to thergend mass, Marcel even has a vineyard, the one she ran through the night she danced at Victor¡¯s party, hoping to escape him weeks ago, although the escape was an epic failure.

    So she choose the smaller garden where there would be lesspany, although she had a feeling Luca was watching her somewhere. At first, it had been creepy having the male follow her everywhere, but she had gotten used to his presence and he wasn¡¯t a badpany anyway. However, watching her from the shadows was still weird.

    Arianna squatted down in front of the small raised tomato garden bed, about four-by-four feet. She imagined the unripe tomato as Marcel¡¯s head and ranted to it, transferring all of her aggression to the imaginary Marcel. It was a habit she learned from Mimi and at the moment, it suited her mood.

    ¡°Stupid male!¡± Arianna hit the top of the tomato with the small stick she had in hand, ¡°Why can¡¯t you ever listen to me for once?! Or is it that hard listening to a woman¡¯s idea,¡± She rolled her eyes towards heaven.

    If people thought toxic feminism was prevalent in society, then they haven¡¯t met the underworld where women are meant to keep quiet, subservient, and submissive in the midst of male aggression and domination. It was annoying, and that was why Arianna never wanted to be with Marcel in the first ce, she had to give up everything she loved and dreamed to be, just to be by his side.

    As his lover, she was meant to support Marcel¡¯s ambitions, but what about hers? Instead, the little contribution she makes to Marcel¡¯s ¡°ambition¡± was rejected and thrown away as if it didn¡¯t matter ¨C as if it was stupid and unappreciated! Fine, she would stand by the sideline this time and watch his n fail. Arianna hopes he doesn¡¯te crying to her when he finds out in the end that her n was the best.

    ¡°You egoistic jerk! Does your damn pride matter to you more than a clear n! Or you think I would be there to kiss your booboo when you fail?¡± She huffed, ¡°In your dreams!¡± Her smile was wicked this time, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that you suffer and go down on your knees begging me for forgiveness this time!¡± She decided.

    ¡°Does that make you feel better?¡±

    Somebody said from behind and Arianna turned around immediately only to see that it was Victor and she released a sigh, someone has infiltrated her sanctuary. She turned back without saying a word to him; Victor was not weed here.

    .....

    Victor came up and squatted down as well beside her before staring at the bruised tomato in the middle and raised a questioning brow, amusement tugging at the corner of his lips,

    ¡°Is that Marcel?¡±

    Arianna looked at him in surprise, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Mimi,¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Arianna nodded. Of course, Victor was dating Mimi and it was expected that he noticed all of her quirks already.

    She turned to him with brows drawn, her interrogative mode on, ¡°What are your ns for my friend? I know you, Victor and I know my friend, Mimi and I hope the both of you aren¡¯t into casual dating because I swear to God, if you dare to hurt my friend, Marcel¡¯s cousin or not, I¡¯ll rip you apart and make sure there¡¯s isn¡¯t a trace of your bone left after I¡¯m done with ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Whoah, whoah, calm down, alpha queen,¡± Victor chuckled at her sudden aggressiveness. Of course, it was admirable the extent she would go for her friend. But then, if he was an enemy, Victor already knew Mimi was her trigger.

    Arianna took a deep breath, calming her nerves before confessing, ¡°Mimi is the only family I have left. Just the same way, Marcel is putting everything on the line for his sister, I would do the same for Mimi.¡±

    ¡°I know and I can assure you that there¡¯s no need to go to the extent of ripping my bones apart till there¡¯s not even the bone left..¡± He winced at the gory imagination.

    Victor opened his mouth to say something but words failed him, instead, he ran his hand through his hair while Arianna stared at him in confusion.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Victor looked at her for a long time and Arianna blinked at him, silently urging him to open up.

    ¡°I think I want to marry Mimi,¡± He blurted out, going red in the face.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was dumbfounded for about a second until a genuine smile spread across her face, ¡°That is good news!¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Victor didn¡¯t share the same excitement as her, ¡°Mimi doesn¡¯t exactly want to settle down yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± It dawned on her. It was true.

    Thest thing Mimi wanted was to be tied down by a man, that was why she never dated for long, moving quickly to the next rtionship, although most of her exes were douches. Honestly, Victor was the only person she had seen Mimi date the longest. Perhaps, it was the fact Victor was in the Mafia and she didn¡¯t want to make an enemy of him by dumping him coldly?

    No, Arianna shook her head. She had seen Mimi and her friend was definitely in love with Victor even if she hadn¡¯t realized it or doesn¡¯t want to admit it. Why was her friend this way? Arianna had no idea nor did she judge her. Everyone had their lifestyle and a reason for it.

    If her parents were divorced, then it would make perfect sense to Arianna why Mimi behaved that way, she was afraid of making the same mistake as her parents. But no, Mimi¡¯s parents were very much together and a rare marriage in this fast-paced world where broken homes were bing the order of the day. But Arianna suspected it was the thrill, just as men im to be polygamous in nature, Mimi wanted options.

    She told Victor, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you need to work extra hard to make her exclusively yours,¡± Arianna added under her breath, ¡°Then you pray to God for a miracle.¡±

 Chapter 452

    452 Get Him On His Knees

    It was kind of funny to Victor when Arianna said those words, he had to pray for a miracle when Mimi¡¯s full name was ¡°Miracle¡± ¨C her parents must have been wishing for a lot of that when they had her. He better wished for luck then, if that was the case.

    ¡°Thanks for the advice,¡± Victor sincerely thanked her.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Arianna muttered without looking at him, fiddling with the tomato¡¯s green leaf.

    Victor looked at her, sensing that she was still in a sour mood. He moved closer until their shoulders were brushing, drawing her attention, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You should give him time,¡± Victor said to her.

    Arianna didn¡¯t need a God to tell her that Victor was referring to no one else but his stubborn ass of a cousin, Marcel. She didn¡¯t reply but let out a grumble under her breath that didn¡¯t make sense to Victor at all.

    So he went on, ¡°Marcel has been doing well all by himself ever since he came into power and he¡¯s not used to following instructions from other people.¡±

    ¡°Well, he should get used to epting other people¡¯s opinions because I don¡¯t n to be a stupid mindless bimbo by his side.¡± Arianna was outspoken and would not be silenced even after what happened today.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at him too much, he¡¯de around. However changes are not easy to adjust to, but he¡¯d ease into it with time. I like your idea of meeting Nius face to face, but we can¡¯t go in blindly, we still need Intel.¡±

    .....

    Arianna pouted, ¡°At least you like my idea, that¡¯s something.¡±

    A smile quickly crossed his lips and Victor stood up to his feet, ¡°So can you please stop torturing the poor tomato?¡± He gave her his hand.

    Arianna stared at his outstretched hand and then back at the poor tomato as if considering which was better, ¡°Fine,¡± She breathed, taking it and he helped her to her feet.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t take me back to your brother, I need alone time,¡± Arianna has still not given up on her idea of making Marcel beg her on his knees.

    ¡°Ady needs a break now and then,¡± Victor agreed, leading her in the direction of her room and making sure his cousin was not in the way.

    However, Victor didn¡¯t get to lead her all the way to her door because one of the guards called him away saying he had a guest or something, she wasn¡¯t exactly listening. But that left her all alone, and she returned to her room only to see that a certain person was already waiting for her.

    Arianna sighed when she saw Marcel in the middle of her room, he probably sensed her arrival with his sharp instincts, and his hands were behind him as if he was hiding something from her.

    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t joking when you said you owned the rooms in here, however, I do deserve my privacy. But if you still want to y petty, why don¡¯t you let me out of here so I can find my own ce?¡± She said, folding her arms across her chest with a stern look.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re mad at me but I came here to give you something,¡± Marcel said, already pulling out whatever he was hiding behind.

    But Arianna scoffed, ¡°If you think you can bribe me into forgiving you, then you¡¯re in for.... No way!¡± She shouted when she saw both packages he had in his grasp.

    Based on the packets, one of them was the obvious drawing of aptop and the other a smartphone. How was this possible? Had Marcel been reading her mind to know that she needed both of them?

    ¡°I love -!¡± Arianna caught herself at thest minute, remembering that she was still mad at him, or rather, had to pretend that she was still pissed off at him when she wasn¡¯t anymore, thanks to the bribe, no, payment for her past job.

    She snatched the package from Marcel with a calm expression as if she wasn¡¯t moved, when in reality, Arianna was screaming and shouting inwardly. This was a dreame true. She had been bored out of her mind here, but not anymore, her phone andptop were here.

    ¡°Everything has been installed for you and your device is even connected to the base¡¯s Wi-Fiwork,¡± Marcel informed her.

    Arianna¡¯s eyes sparkled at once, ¡°You have a wireless router.... !¡± She lowered her excitement immediately knowing that she had been caught off guard once again, ¡°Of course, you have a WiFi router,¡± Arianna muttered, biting on her lower lips. Although Marcel had a hopeful expression, she had a feeling he was enjoying this by flustering her with all these goodies.

    That fox!

    Arianna walked over to her bed and sat down, she began to uncover the devices from the package until herptop was lying beside her and the phone was held securely in her hand. Arianna was full of happiness even if she tried to hide it, but that was until she remembered...

    ¡°Both of them are bugged, aren¡¯t they?¡± Arianna asked, while looking him in the eyes, daring him not to lie to her.

    Marcel shifted on the balls of his heels ufortably, Arianna was looking at him intensely and he knew he couldn¡¯t keep the truth from her. Not that he was hiding it from her in the first ce, having told her in the past he wouldn¡¯t let her use any device that wasn¡¯t monitored by him, at least until Elijah was caught.

    He nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Of course, he still doesn¡¯t trust her, Arianna digested that truth painfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s for your safety, Arianna,¡±

    As if.

    Arianna knew that it was a half lie, Marcel suspected that she knew something about Elijah she wasn¡¯t telling him and hoped she would reveal that by contacting the phantom ghost. Well, she does know something, but it was not enough to capture Elijah, nor would she let that happen.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Arianna lied with a smile on her face, ¡°I would do the same if I were in your shoes.¡±

    Marcel gave her a lopsided smile, ¡°So, does that mean that I¡¯m forgiven,¡±

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± She shook her head quickly.

    Marcel sulked, but to her utmost shock, he suddenly got down to his knees, ¡°Even if I kneel for your forgiveness?¡± He said, beginning to crawl towards her which was goddamn sexy. God, she can¡¯t think like that! But when Marcel got to her, he positioned himself between her legs, making her cheeks born.

    Without a warning, he pushed her back to the bed drawing a yelp from her lips. However, Marcel pressed his nose against her sex and sniffed deeply as if it was a drug and he was high on it, making her blush harder.

    He threw his head back and climbed over her body, grinning devilishly with that mischievous glint in his eyes saying,

    ¡°Let me worship your p*ssy then and we can go over the forgiveness once again.¡±

    And just like that, Arianna was a goner.

 Chapter 453

    453 Forgiven

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna gasped when Marcel kissed down to her inner thighs, his lips leaving a trail of fire that made her clit that was bare to him throb in anticipation.

    Marcel had managed to get rid of whatever she wore beneath and Arianna was only in her blouse that bunched around her stomach as he continued to tease her. He kissed her thighs, drawing closer to her core that dripped wetness while she writhed beneath him, craving for him to put her out of this misery.

    Thankfully, he grabbed her hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed, and the moment he licked through her center, Arianna was a goner. She bucked her hips forward, wanting more, but Marcel only spread her legs further apart like a meal set before him and he was ready to devour her. He took a good look at her clit pulsing and throbbing with need and his upper lips lifted, knowing that he was going to take his sweet time with her today.

    If there was anything Marcel loved aside from fucking her savagely until he was branded deep into her skin and he was all that she thought about, it was eating her out. Arianna had the sweetest pussy he has ever tasted and he didn¡¯t want to be separated from that heaven. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t breathe while inside of her, but he wouldn¡¯t mind dying inside of her.

    Marcel licked her again and again, intentionally avoiding her clit craving for his attention, but even with his teasing, Arianna was moaning his name and God help him if that wasn¡¯t the sweetest music he had ever heard. Her hands dug into the sheet hard as he continued to stroke through her wetness and when he decided the torture was enough, Marcel finally took her clit into his mouth and she fell apart.

    Arianna didn¡¯tst and it didn¡¯t surprise her since the pleasure had been building with him teasing her earlier. But even when she shook around him, Marcel didn¡¯t react and continued to lick her through her orgasm. It was mind-blowing. The tingles spread through her body as pleasure overwhelmed her and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but reach for his hair between her legs and yanked hard. It was too much.

    Even at that, Marcel didn¡¯t give up and continued to lick and suck her clit till she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She screamed his name, her legs on the sides of the beding around to wrap around his back and pushing him deeper inside her. Fuck! It was sweet torture and as much as Arianna wanted to push him away from her body, she wanted him inside of her at the same time. Her body was a wanton for punishment.

    Marcel made slobbering sounds as he devoured her clit like a man starved, how was he even breathing in there? She had often wondered several times but that seems to be Marcel¡¯s skill and she didn¡¯t mind as far as that skill was used on her exclusively.

    .....

    ¡°Yes....more¡± Arianna breathed heavily, gyrating her hips into his mouth even though her clit was overly sensitive andining from the overuse, but no, she wasn¡¯t going to stop, not when it felt too good to be true. She couldn¡¯t think aside from the pleasure she was receiving from Marcel.

    The tension in her body and the way her legs shook told Marcel that she was close toing, so he made his tongue go rigid and flicked it against the tip of her clit and made the pleasure concentrate on that area until she screamed out, her body bingx on the bed.

    He only pulled out of her to catch his breath, and then hovered over Arianna to stare at her flushed face and she looked beautiful in her post-euphoric state. His chest swelled with pride knowing that he was responsible for that and Marcel couldn¡¯t help but steal a kiss from her lips.

    She opened up for him willingly, moaning into his mouth as he fed her a taste of her sweet nectar. His cock twitched in his pants and he was sporting a raging boner immediately, but Marcel controlled himself.

    One, Arianna didn¡¯t have a condom in here and there was no way in hell he wasn¡¯t pausing to go bring a condom from his room and then continue from where he stopped, no the passion would be extinguished before then ¨C although he somehow doubted that. He was a simp for Arianna and he couldn¡¯t keep his hands to himself with her around.

    However, if he went further, he would be forced to have sex with her without protection and as much as he wanted her stomach swelling with his child, he wanted to respect her decision. He only hoped that the deal was done and she was already pregnant with his child. Marcel knew that this wasn¡¯t the best time, but he was confident in taking care of the both of them. Moreover, Elijah would have no choice but to give up on her.

    Even though it was clear Arianna liked him, Marcel was still insecure. As far as Elijah was still out there, he was never going to befortable and would never fully trust her. He had this fear that the same way he stole her from Elijah, the asshole would do the same. Arianna was not faking her feelings for him, yet he couldn¡¯t help but fear the inevitable. Elijah had to die, for her to be truly hers.

    Marcel broke away from the kiss, before he lost control. He smirked at her, saying, ¡°Did I please you well, mydy? Am I forgiven now?¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Arianna breathed hard, unable to keep being mad at him. It was hard to stay mad at Marcel when he could do wonders to her body with his mere mouth.

    ¡°In that case, here¡¯s a bonus then,¡±

    Marcel dropped back down to his knees without warning and he took her clit into his mouth,pping at her sensitive nub without stopping until Arianna was screaming till her voice turned hoarse.

 Chapter 454

    454 His Sugar Mama

    He has a guest? Victor didn¡¯t get the chance to ask who it was before the soldier left and he had to let go of Arianna. He would have loved to chat more with the woman who had his cousin wrapped around her finger ¨C even though she doesn¡¯t know it yet ¨C but duty calls.

    However, before he could reach the receiving room, someone suddenly jumped onto his back and Victor would have reacted instinctively to defend himself, but her pleasing scent suddenly enveloped him and he rxed immediately having known it was Mimi. She was the only one that could climb his body like a monkey and go scot-free.

    As much as Marcel was the most feared one in the organization, Victor didn¡¯t get to the position of his consigliere just because of family ties, no, he and Marcel had fought side to side and watched each other¡¯s back. Meaning, that if Marcel had blood on his hands, he had double of that since the boss didn¡¯t have to partake in all the missions and had his subordinates for that.

    Honestly, Victor didn¡¯t understand why Mimi was still with him. He knew her personality and she had told him inly as day that she was merely giving this rtionship a try, hence he can¡¯t hold it as a grudge against her if they don¡¯t work out anymore,e the next day. But with each morning, he was hoping for more, which was kind of funny since he was never the type to stick around to one woman.

    Victor bet this was what his father talked about then, that one woman that would make him feel whole. Yes, he was still attracted to other women, but he didn¡¯t burn for them the same way he craved Mimi. Just the same as the body needed blood to function, he needed Mimi to breathe.

    Their sex was explosive but he needed more, that deeper connection and he couldn¡¯t tell if Mimi has caught onto the signal he has been sending to her because she was not saying anything and that confused him the more. Victor didn¡¯t know what step he would take and ruin everything, but he was not giving up. Just like Arianna said, perhaps a brave step was all he needed. But for now, he would enjoy this.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t sneak up on me like that, love. We perceive moves like that as attacks and I might end up hurting you unintentionally one day,¡± He told her.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t, did you?¡± She breathed upon his neck, wrapping her legs around him from behind and he ended up piggybacking her.

    ¡°Your body would always recognize me, Victor,¡± She blew air into his ear before grazing the top with her sharp canines.

    .....

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Victor warned her, getting hot and aroused instantly. Although he was walking with her, he knew that it was only a moment before he got hard and his mystery guest wouldn¡¯t appreciate getting weed with a huge boner. It was highly inappropriate.

    ¡°Ask nicely,¡± Mimi demanded smugly, knowing that she was in control as she kissed the back of his neck and sucked on the skin there till he grunted.

    ¡°Please, Mimi,¡± He begged her obediently. Other days, he would have dared her to do her worst but he had no idea who that was and wanted to present a professional front.

    ¡°Only because you asked nicely,¡± Mimiughed and Victor had to admit, the sound of herughter did funny things to his heart.

    ¡°Now, go boy! Yidi! yah!¡± She spanked Victor on the ass as if he was a horse galloping away and she was his rider.

    If that was another person, Victor would have found that action offensive considering he wasn¡¯t a horse, but this was Mimi and he wouldn¡¯t mind her riding him ¨C although the version he had in his mind was for twenty and above.

    He wasn¡¯t supposed to piggyback Mimi to go meet his guest, but to hell with protocol, because no one was ruining this moment with Mimi for him. He carried her while running along, pretending he was an airne and not a horse as she wanted. At a point, he dived down and shook relentlessly as if the ne had hit turbulence while Mimi screamed in delight, holding onto him so her ass wouldn¡¯tnd on the ground.

    Victor was distracted by her genuineughter that he didn¡¯t realize when he arrived in the living room and when he finally recognized the woman seated on the couch with her leg crossed over the other with a bitch resting face, his expression died off instantly.

    Mimi recognized the tension in his body and followed his line of sight only to rest on a beautiful older woman she could only describe as an irondy with that stormy expression. Mimi narrowed her gaze at once, jealousy gnawing at her chest when she realized that her lover was scared of this woman. He knew of Victor¡¯s hedonistic lifestyle in the past and the first thought that came to her mind was that it was his sugar mama.

    But that was until Victor choked, ¡°Mama?¡±

    ¡°Mama?!¡± Mimi jumped off his back before Victor let go of her. What the fuck? This was Victor¡¯s mother? How could she be this beautiful and honestly, younger than she thought? God, had she been jealous of her mother-inw? Wait a minute, what mother-inw? Damn it! Mimi couldn¡¯t think straight right now.

    Carmine said icily, ¡°Now, I see why you have been upiedtely?¡± Her gaze strolled over Mimi in a way that said she wasn¡¯t impressed.

    Well fuck her, Mimi was not in the mood to impress a woman that didn¡¯t like her. To confirm her thoughts, in the next minute, the woman suddenly shot up to her feet and lunged at her with a paddle in hand. Holy fuck! Where in the world did that evene from? No, that was the wrong thing to think, she was supposed to run for her life!

    But it was toote, Mimi saw her life sh before her eyes, or so she thought because instead of the paddlending on her, it changed direction and hit Victor instead.

 Chapter 455

    455 Prince In Shinning Armor

    Victor was faster, more like, he was lucky because he dodged at thest minute and the paddle missed him by just mere inches and even Mimi had to duck instantly to avoid being a casualty loss.

    This was insane.

    ¡°Momma!¡± Victor looked at Carmine with wide eyes as if he couldn¡¯t believe that she wanted to end his life with that paddle. But to Mimi, she realized at that moment who Victor had inherited his fair share of craziness from.

    Carmine brushed the hair from her face with a huff, ¡°Our family treats a male child special, but I¡¯ll rather stick to your sisters, so God help me as I end your life!¡±

    She raised the paddle once again and lunged at her son. Victor shrieked immediately and tried to run away but his mother was surprisingly agile and blocked his way like a fucking ninja.

    Well, that wasn¡¯t surprising, because even at her age, his Madre coraggiosa was stronger than the average man out there and unfortunately for Victor, he justnded on her bad side today.

    Seeing that he had no other way to run, Victor immediately moved behind the bewildered Mimi and used her as a shield.

    ¡°You bastard! Do you know how much I suffered during your pregnancy?! And this is how you pay me, strenzo?!¡± The woman cursed loudly, getting in front of Mimi and looking for an opening to whack him.

    Unfortunately, Victor mirrored her movements, and she couldn¡¯t hit him without hurting the girl as well. Mimi in question stood still at the spot, afraid that the paddle wouldnd on her head if she made a careless move, so she began to pray inwardly. She still very much loved her life. What the hell was wrong with this family?

    .....

    Carmine was feeling frustrated, no matter how fast she moved, her damn son was faster and would use the girl as a shield. Suddenly, an idea hit her and she wanted to know if that selfish bastard had changed over the months or if this was one of his flings again. She decided to test how much the girl meant to him. So she didn¡¯t target her son, but focused her weapon on the girl now.

    Victor was toasted knowing that his mother wasn¡¯t going to let him go until she beat him to her satisfaction. He swore sometimes that the woman was a fucking masochist, she derived joy from his misery. Joking. But then, he had to take her to a therapist one of these days because she love punishing him.

    However, this one was on him this time, his visit was long overdue. But you couldn¡¯t really me him when anytime he went home, the old woman would nag him about growing up and being responsible.

    Wasn¡¯t he responsible enough? Not to mention that her version of being responsible was settling down with one girl and starting a family. They would argue endlessly about it and he would have to remind her that Marcel was older than him and yet he wasn¡¯t married. But the woman would whine about fate and how it varied individually.

    Heck, he was still in his twenties and the prime of his youth. Why would he waste that by settling with one girl when he could have a variety of them?

    It was just sad that the idea didn¡¯t appeal to him in the past until now he was with Mimi and yes, he was supposed to introduce her to his Momma already, but he couldn¡¯t tell how Mimi would think about it. But now, his responsibility has caught up to him.

    Victor knew he couldn¡¯t use the flustered Mimi as his shield forever and he was already feeling guilty for throwing her into the front line of the battle. He should be man enough to own up to his responsibility of getting his ass whacked, but no, he feared that crazy woman.

    Nor was he getting whacked in front of Mimi ¨C that would be embarrassing as hell ¨C so his beautiful, great, wonderful, loving, and understanding girlfriend ¨C he would kiss her ass at this point, not that he hasn¡¯t kissed it, but you get the point, right ¨C should put up with him for a few more seconds as he figured out how to escape his scary mama.

    But his n was short-lived as he watched his crazy mother aim that paddle at Mimi and Victor reacted instinctively. He turned Mimi around, wrapping her tight in his arms so that the paddlended on the back of his head, and by the love of God, that hurt like a bitch. However, at the same moment, Victor concocted a n and after he was hit, he suddenly dropped to the ground, his acting wless.

    His mother shrieked and the sound of the paddle dropping to the ground as she let it go brought a satisfying smile to his lips, but Victor pushed the happiness away, he was supposed to be unconscious. But there was a slight twitch in his brows when he heard Mimi¡¯s concerned voice and he cursed inwardly, he didn¡¯t mean to scare her. But he¡¯d be damned if he dared to open his eyes. If his mama knew this was all an acting, she would personally send him to the grave this time. Fine, he would make it up to Mimiter by fucking her ass as she has been begging him.

    ¡°Mio figlio!¡± Victor heard his mother¡¯s panicking voice as she pped his cheeks while speaking in their native tongue. Although they¡¯ve established roots here, their parents never forgot to remind them about their ancestry.

    ¡°You¡¯re usually strong, son, brave enough to take my beatings, what¡¯s happening now?! Talk to me son, you know I can¡¯t lose you. How would I live in this world without my little sunshine?!¡± She cried out and Victor was almost tempted to snap out of his acting with a bust ofughter. His mother had sworn that she would take his life moments ago and now, she couldn¡¯t live without him.

    Thankfully, before Victor could ruin his acting, he heard Marcel¡¯s voice, marking his arrival and he knew he was saved.

    ¡°Quick, Marcel, save your cousin!¡± She urged him and before Victor knew what was going on, Marcel pulled him off the ground. However, instead of his cousin throwing him over his shoulder and taking him out of here, Marcel carried him in his arms as if he was a fucking princess.

    Victor opened an eye carefully and red at him, ¡°Bastard,¡± he breathed through his nose.

    But Marcel winked at him, ¡°Sit back and enjoy the ride princess, your prince in shining hase to your rescue,¡± He said to him smugly, pressing his face further till it was pressed against his chest.

    Bastard.

 Chapter 456

    456 The Wedding

    With the way his face was pushed into Marcel¡¯s chest like a child being cradled to his mother¡¯s breast, Victor has been tempted to bite Marcel¡¯s nipple hard enough for him to stop fucking around with him. However, his cousin was a bad motherfucker and would likely drop him to the ground with nothing to break his fall. So Victor respected himself by letting go of the grudges. It was enough that Marcel was helping him out and couldn¡¯t piss him off.

    By the time Marcel got him into his room, Victor only had to contend with keeping up with his act as his mother was determined to check if he was injured. He didn¡¯t hear Mimi¡¯s worried voice anymore and he guessed that Marcel already whispered to her that he was okay.

    He couldn¡¯t tell how much time passed, but when Victor felt like his acting was enough, he finally opened his eyes with a groan. Damn, he should have been an actor, instead of the Mafia. Any chances Marcel would let him go pursue his sudden dream of acting?

    With his, talent, Victor knew he would be bringing home the bucks in no time while the nation chanted his name and fans ran after him. Damn, he was going to be famous and his second cousin Cindy would be jealous as hell seeing that his name is more known. Everyone in the family knew she had a superiorityplex. God helps any man that ends up with her in the name of marriage.

    ¡°Son...¡± Carmine was up in no time, checking up on him, ¡°Are you okay? Do you need help?¡±

    ¡°No, mama, I¡¯m good,¡± He said tiredly and coughing suddenly, only for a ss of water to appear in his line of sight and he nced up to see Mimi handing the ss with a look that told him he was definitely doing her asster. Yeah, his mother wasn¡¯t the only one he needed to appease now.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± He epted the water and moisturized his parched throat and at the same time, nced around to see Marcel was still in the room, staring at him with a look that spelled I-Know-What-You-Did-Last- Summer.

    However, his attention was demanded when Carmine cupped his face, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry my little sunshine,¡± She apologized, ¡°I should have known that the reason you haven¡¯t visited was that you were having a tough time. No wonder, you look so lean,¡± She then turned to Marcel with a deadly re, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you have been overworking my son?¡±

    However, Marcel put up his hand defensively, but that mischievous smile clung to the corner of his lips as he said, ¡°You know I love Victor as much as you love him, aunty. Perhaps, all he needs is a shot, should I call the doctor?¡±

    .....

    That bastard! Victor ground his jaw hard, Marcel knew how much he hated needles, and yet he was teasing him with it.

    ¡°Perhaps, all I need is a little rest and a little meal from you my lovely cousin to replenish my lost energy,¡± Seeing all you do is order me around, Victor might not have said that out loud but the suggestion was thick in the air. He¡¯d see how Marcel gets out of that one especially when his mother insists.

    But Marcel was a smart bastard and quickly spoke up before his mother could say a word. Everyone in the family knew how tenacious Carmine can be.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯d have Beatrice make you something good, and then your girlfriend can feed you while you replenish your lost energy, don¡¯t you think so, Mimi?¡±

    Beat that!

    Marcel grinned, bringing the attention back to Mimi.

    Carmine¡¯s eyes shot to Mimi and the girl answered nervously,¡± Yes,I would. ¡± feeling ufortable under her scrutiny. Victor¡¯s mother hadpletely forgotten about her thanks to the drama from earlier and now, it was the beginning all again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you all to have a happy family reunion then,¡± Marcel took off after fanning the mes.

    As soon as Marcel left, Carmine turned to face Mimi and the girl braced herself waiting for the woman to warn her off her son, ¡°Did my son kidnap you here?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The question left her dumbfounded instead.

    Carmine went ahead to exin, ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping tabs on him, and most of the time, he¡¯s with you. Unfortunately, I know my son and he can never stick to one woman which could only leave me to one conclusion, he brought you here as his ything, you son of a biscuit!¡± The woman¡¯s gaze hardened once again and she moved to hit Victor whose eyes widened instantly only for Mimi to get in between them and stop her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, mother,¡± Mimi quickly defended him.

    However, the woman raised a brow at her, ¡°Mother?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you want me to refer to you with the full name then,¡± Mimi definitely misunderstood her confusion, ¡°It¡¯s not like that, mother-inw, Victor did not kidnap me or anything, we are just a couple,¡± Although he did kidnap me once, Mimi knew saying that would only add fuel to the me.

    ¡°Mother-inw?¡± Carmine choked out, looking like she would suffer from an aneurysm soon while Mimi looked on with confusion.

    By the time she recovered, Carmine pointed to the both of them, ¡°The both of you are a couple?¡± She didn¡¯t seem to believe it.

    Mimi nodded, biting down on her lower lips as she felt suddenly nervous. The woman was Victor¡¯s mother and she hoped to make a good impression even though the drama from earlier warned her never to get on the woman¡¯s bad side.

    ¡°Bont¨¤ gentile!¡± The woman suddenly lifted her hands towards heaven as if she was thanking them or something, before moving to Victor and cupping his face and started showering his face with kisses, ¡°Boy! You finally make me proud!¡±

    Victor was clearly embarrassed but before he couldment on it, Carmine was onto Mimi next and showered her with kisses and hugged her tight. When they parted, Carmine was booming with happiness,

    ¡°You¡¯re wee to the family my dear,¡± She then turned to her son, ¡°So when¡¯s the wedding?¡±

    Shoot her.

 Chapter 457

    457 As If She Were Her Own

    Natalie was lost in her thoughts, unconsciously rolling the ring on her finger when the door to her room opened, rousing her attention instantly.

    She nced up at the figure at the door and was relieved to see that it was Jason, having been waiting for him.

    ¡°You asked for me, Ma¡¯m¡± Jason walked into the room and bowed his head slightly as he stopped directly in front of her. Even without Natalie being Eric¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she was one of the oldest members of the household and was respected, although she wasn¡¯t active in the family business.

    ¡°Yes, please sit.¡± Natalie directed him to the sofa beside her. When he settled down, she turned to face him, licking her lower lips and Jason recognized that move as a show of nervousness. Whatever the reason Natalie wanted him here, he had a feeling his boss had no idea of it.

    ¡°I need your help.¡±

    And there it is.

    ¡°My help?¡± Jason asked, pretending not to have seen thating. He only hoped that favor wasn¡¯t going tond him in trouble. His boss loved the woman dearly and if anything happened to her, it was his head on a spike.

    ¡°Yes, I need information on someone,¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Jason intentionally raised a questioning brow, already guessing it was about her daughter. Eric had asked him to search for her daughter in secret too, it seems she has changed her mind about it. He would be sure to inform his boss that the woman was now showing interest in her long-forgotten daughter.

    .....

    Natalie took a deep gulp before saying, ¡°My daughter¡¯s father.¡±

    At once, Jason¡¯s questioning brows furrowed instantly. It wasn¡¯t about her daughter, but the father? What does she want to know about him when it was years already? Moreover, why was thising up the exact moment his boss proposed to her? Was she having a change of heart? Nheless, it was none of his business.

    ¡°I assume that you don¡¯t want the boss to know about it?¡± Jason asked, holding her gaze as he waited for her answer. Only her response would determine whether he was going to take that risk.

    Natalie nodded, ¡°Yes, Eric can¡¯t know that I¡¯m looking for him else he misunderstands my intention. I just want to know how he¡¯s been living all these years and if possible, thank him for taking care of our daughter all by himself. I don¡¯t deserve to be a mother to her, but Edward deserves...¡± She couldn¡¯t find the right words to express her gratitude to the man.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Jason nodded in understanding. He knew about Natalie¡¯s story and when he wasn¡¯t running errands for Eric ¨C and now Elijah ¨C his other work was covering Natalie¡¯s tracks and making sure that asshole Daniel never finds her ¨C and the fact that she¡¯s still alive.

    It was a miracle that Eric¡¯s father had found her on that dock bleeding and nearly drowning to death. Just to escape Daniel, she had shot herself thankfully, in the stomach and fallen into the water to die, fortunately for her, they were carrying out a secret mission underwater that night and when she fell in, they had been the ones to rescue her.

    Not that Eric would let that old bastardy a hand on her, but it was better safe than sorry. There was a reason why everyone avoided Daniel and it wasn¡¯t only the fact he yed dirty. He was a two-faced bastard and the only time he was truthful was when it benefitted him. Aside from that, anyone entering a deal with Daniel and expecting honestly from him had better well dug his grave.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Natalie smiled at him gratefully, ¡°You don¡¯t know how much that means to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jason stood to his feet and bowed once more, ¡°I¡¯ll see you then when I have the information intact.¡± He had his hands full digging up information for Eric, and did he forget that rascal Elijah, thenstly, Natalie. Now, where was he going to begin?

    As soon as Jason left, Natalie was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Once Jason provided her a means tomunicate with Edward, she would visit him ¨C and maybe catch a glimpse of her daughter. He wouldn¡¯t need to introduce her to their daughter, just make up a lie that she¡¯s a friend or something.

    However, thinking about it now, she doubted it was going to work. Natalie remembered that day she stumbled into her daughter at the caf¨¦, the girl was her copy. The resemnce was uncanny except for the fact she had inherited the red hair from her father¡¯s side. Edward was no redhead but his grandmother had been.

    Luckily for her daughter, she had her father and a whole lot of rtives to take care of her, unlike her own family that ousted her as soon as she became a liability. Natalie took a deep breath recalling her father cutting all ties with her just to push her to Daniel. Her mother had fought hard, but she was not strong enough.

    By the time Natalie opened her eyes, she realized tears were sliding down her cheeks. God, she hated this. It was all in the past, but still, it cut deep inside of her remembering she had a family far away from here yet couldn¡¯t identify with them. At first, she had wished her Papa death, but he was still her father nheless.

    A knock on the door interrupted her train of thoughts, and she jerked in the direction only for the door to swing open in a matter of seconds and a blur ran in her direction, nearly knocking her down to the ground when their bodies collided.

    ¡°Aunt Natalie, I¡¯m back!¡± Rose screamed, throwing her entire weight on her and God knows, the girl was heavier than thest time they met.

    Rose was Eric¡¯s only daughter and child he had with his former baby mama and the girl was quite a handful yet a darling.

    ¡°I missed you, aunt Natalie,¡± The girl pressed cute kisses all over her face and Natalie¡¯s heart swelled with affection. It was true that she didn¡¯t have a chance with her daughter but she would treat Rose as if she were her own.

 Chapter 458

    458 A Baby Brother

    ¡°I see you both found each other,¡±

    Natalie turned around to see Eric leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest with a smile curling his lips. He looked dashing and Natalie felt butterflies in her stomach. Damn, the man was making her feel like a teenager all over again.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Natalie said with those lovey-dovey eyes, yet she didn¡¯t make any move even when she was craving to hug Eric, you know, feel the warmth those muscled arms provided. And maybe, his hands could climb lower and... Take your mind off the gutter, Natalie! There is a kid here and they can¡¯t do anything silly.

    Rose didn¡¯t know how to behave around Eric with Rose¡¯s presence knowing that he hadn¡¯t told the girl yet that they nned on getting married. For that reason, Natalie was nervous because even if the kid liked her, she wasn¡¯t sure she would ept her as a mother. But a woman could dream, right?

    ¡°Aunt Natalie, why are you blushing?¡± Rose pointed out, making the woman¡¯s jaw almost drop to the ground.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Natalie touched her face and began to feel her warm cheeks. God, she was so stupid.

    To make matters worse, Eric just stood on the spotughing, knowing he was responsible for it, and didn¡¯t hide the fact his ego was stroked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Natalie raised her chin, shamelessly denying the ims as she put the girl down. Rose might be eight but the girl was too smart and outspoken for her age.

    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± The girl stood her ground, then turned to her father, ¡°Daddy, look Aunt Natalie is blushing, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    .....

    Oh God, bury her now. Natalie¡¯s cheeks burned, wishing she could disappear from the face of the earth.

    Eric picked his daughter in his arms saying, ¡°She looks cute while blushing, doesn¡¯t she, Rose?¡± He teased her.

    Rose turned to her, ¡°Look, Aunt Natalie, daddy thinks you¡¯re cute....¡± She turned to her father,¡± Does that mean you are going to marry aunt Natalie?¡±

    Bam!

    Immediately, there was an awkward silence in the room, and both couples looked at each other with no clue how to handle that one. Seeing they have no choice but to give the girl some sort of response, Eric cleared his throat and asked his daughter carefully, ¡°What makes you say that, Rose?¡±

    Rose pouted her cute lips, ¡°Well, my ssmate Jonah says his father married his mother because he thought she was cute and now you said aunt Natalie is cute, does that mean you would marry her and give me lots of cute babies?¡± she said proudly.

    Natalie choked on her saliva, what does she mean by cute babies? Just what are children learning these days? When she was Rose¡¯s age, she didn¡¯t know stuff like that. Damn, this world was trulying to an end.

    ¡°Rose,¡± Eric called his daughter¡¯s name in a tone that told Natalie that he too wasn¡¯t in support of that kid called Jonah. He asked her, ¡°Did you get a little boyfriend without me knowing?¡±

    ¡°No ooh?¡± She drawled her response only to meet her father¡¯s intense stare and pulsed her lips, ¡°Maybe...?¡±

    But Eric wasn¡¯t harsh on her, if anything he yed smart on her by saying, ¡°So would you break up with your little boyfriend if I married Aunt Natalie and gave you cute siblings?¡±

    At once, Rose¡¯s eyes widened as if that was the best news she had ever heard.

    ¡°Of course!¡± She screamed, nearly jumping in his arms, and thankfully, Eric had a firm grip on her else she would have fallen to the ground.

    However, Natalie was confused with the games Eric was ying since they were already engaged and she was wearing the ring as proof. She was lucky Rose had not seen it else the young girl would question her endlessly about it. But then her heart was filled with joy when Rose celebrated,

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have two mummies!¡±

    It seems she had been worrying over nothing after all.

    ¡°Now, time to propose,¡± Eric said, putting the girl down, but adding to Natalie¡¯s confusion. What proposal again? However, when she saw Eric wink at her, she hid her hand behind her back tactically. If this was the best way to inform his daughter about their marriage, then so be it.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to hear from your aunt Natalie, If she would marry me. Would you marry me, Natalie?¡± Eric asked her knowingly.

    Rose moved her gaze from her father Natalie, intertwining her hands together as she pleaded with her, ¡°Please, please, please, marry my poor father and be my mommy instead of my friend, aunt Natalie. That way, you would belong to me, alone?¡± She gave her the puppy eyes.

    But Natalie lifted her head cockily and asked, ¡°What would your father do for me if I marry him?¡±

    Eric grinned at her, ¡°All my money would be yours.¡±

    Natalie rolled her eyes, ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll cook for you.¡±

    ¡°Cute, but that only touched my left heart,¡± She teased him.

    Rose inputted, ¡°We would have fun together as a family!¡± She began to count with her fingers, ¡°We would go to outings together, the amusement park, you would take me to my school and I¡¯ll introduce you as my second momma, and my friends would be jealous of me for having two of them!¡±

    Natalieughed, knowing without a doubt, that the girl has won her over. So she said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll marry your father.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Rose¡¯s scream was so loud that they winced inwardly. She was so loud their ears felt like busting.

    ¡°And now, for the final moment!¡± Eric said,ing in front of Natalie and blocking his daughter¡¯s view as he made a few trick moves with his hands, ¡°Abracadabra!¡±

    He lifted Natalie¡¯s hand and a ring appeared, and the girl squealed joyfully!

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a baby brother soon!¡± Rose jumped up and down in celebration while Natalie smiled sadly. She was already in her menopause and wasn¡¯t sure she was fertile enough to give birth. However, she would try, she owed that to the little girl.

    However, Eric was unbothered whether Natalie was able to give birth or not, he loved her nheless. Rose was enough for him. All that mattered to him was making sure his little girl ended whatever childish rtionship she had going on with that little burger called Jonah else the fish in the Bible won¡¯t be the only thing swallowing him soon.

    They could be friends, sure, but there was no way his daughter Rose was having a boyfriend until she was twenty-five. Any testosterone-infested male brave enough to dare him would have him to face.

 Chapter 459

    459 The vendetta was personal

    Elijah was on the floor doing push-ups, sweat coating his fair skin and his body trying to buckle under the pressure but he refused to give up until he broke his usual record. Lately, he has been working out like a mad man trying to push his body to the limit so he could be in his best form and at the same time distract himself.

    When he wasn¡¯t working alongside Adele, he was at home where he would be tormented with the thoughts of Arianna. He had seen her faint that night and that had gored him deeply. He never wanted to hurt her, that hasn¡¯t been his intention, he merely wanted to feed her hope, and remind her that he hadn¡¯t given up on her so she would snap out of whatever delusion she had with Marcel, but it seems she couldn¡¯t take it. She seriously hasn¡¯t fallen for that bastard, right?

    God, no.

    Anyone else, but Marcel. Elijah hated his guts and he was already putting his ns into action. For now, he wanted an invitation to Marcel¡¯s ce, and the only way he could get that was to find Peter¡¯s sponsor. Elijah knew how stuff like that worked. If they could solve the case, Marcel would be grateful for their help and would invite them ¨C he and Adele ¨C to his ce to thank both of them. He has been contributing a lot to the gang and he knew Marcel was curious about him already. Through that opportunity, Elijah nned to see Arianna and figure out how to get her out of there.

    He already handed a copy of the list to Jason to help him, if there was anyone good at finding information, it was him. If only Peter had made things easier by giving them the precise number, but then he wanted to torture their life a little bit. Of course, the man was vengeful, else he wouldn¡¯t have mailed that list to his ce two weeks after his death. He sensed Marcel would end his life and didn¡¯t want to die alone ¨C he was bringing his sponsor down with him.

    With his ns intact, Elijah felt more at peace. Whether Arianna loved Marcel or not ¨C he didn¡¯t believe that ¨C he promised to get her out of this country and would do just that. Marcel didn¡¯t deserve her and was merely using her. She would understand that soon.

    Daniel, his father, was no good, hence Elijah didn¡¯t expect much from Marcel himself and didn¡¯t believe he was truly in love with Arianna. Men like him made innocent and naive girls feel special, only to dumb them in the end after breaking them. Such a fate would not await his Arianna, she was far too special for that, which is why he would save her from that monster, Marcel.

    His phone suddenly rang, interrupting him and Elijah had to give up on his push-up at the one hundred and eighty-two count. His muscles ached, but he pushed up to his feet and picked up his phone from where he had dropped it only for his brows to furrow when he saw the contact shing on his screen.

    It was Cindy.

    .....

    Didn¡¯t Adele say that she would give up on him after the dramast time? Elijah sighed, he didn¡¯t ask for any of this. However, the girl could still be useful in his n in the future, so he needed her on his side.

    ¡°Hello?¡± He answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m at your ce, open up.¡± She said and ended the call abruptly.

    Elijah was dumbfounded, did that kid just hang up on him? He clenched his jaw, that was a huge disrespect to someone of his caliber. Fine, she should stay outside for all he wanted, perhaps, learn a bit of respect that way.

    So Elijah headed to his bathroom and washed up, returning to his living room dressed in nothing but his dark gray sweatpants. He plopped down on the sofa intending to catch a short nap before continuing his job at the Luciano¡¯s only for his phone to light up with a text.

    [I¡¯m still waiting outside ~ Love, Cindy]

    Elijah released a string of curses, couldn¡¯t she give him a break? Fine, he would see what she wanted. Hence, he strode over to the door and peeping through the hole, saw that she was indeed outside and flung the door open. But before he could say a word, Cindy threw herself into his arms, bawling her eyes out.

    ¡°Aziz!¡± She cried out, cing her chin on his shoulder and he was unable to do anything except standing there awkwardly.

    What happened? Elijah wondered, knowing that something must have urred for Cindy to be this emotional and sought him out forfort. However, he got distracted and that was his mistake.

    Elijah pulled her into his arms, consoling her only to see her hand move from his peripheral view not long after and the next he felt was a prickling pain in his neck.

    He pushed away from her instantly with his eyes wide with confusion and disbelief, then he pulled out the injection hanging from his neck only to see that the contents of the syringe were empty. It was toote.

    Fuck!

    ¡°You!¡± Elijah¡¯s face distorted with strong emotion and he lunged at her only for his vision to swirl and he stumbled in his steps and couldn¡¯t get to her. He lifted his head only to find out that he was seeing three of Cindy and shook his head to clear the dizziness away.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t fight it,¡± Cindy said, now kneeling in front of him. Wait, when did he even get to the ground? Great, he was truly fucked.

    The first thought that came to Elijah was that the Luciano¡¯s had found out his identity, but if that was the case, Adele would be the one kicking his ass, not her.

    So whatever this was, it was personal and he offended Cindy who clearly now seems to be the craziest of them all. Elijah didn¡¯t know what ns the bitch had for him, but he didn¡¯t like it. This was all Adele¡¯s fault and he hoped she cleared it out as soon... Fine, he needed her help!

    Well, hello darkness.

    Elijah lost consciousness.

 Chapter 460

    460 Obsessed With Him

    Note :- Sensitive chapter ahead.

    Aziz was runningte.

    How did Adele even know?

    Because she has been checking her phone every five minutes instead of concentrating on her work which was checking on those numbers they got from Peter¡¯s ce. So far she had sent the soldiers to interrogate the few contracts they have been able to trace down. But the workload was too much.

    Unable to take it anymore, Adele picked up her phone and called Aziz. Just because the two of them slept together, doesn¡¯t mean he was going to take liberties with her. She was fucking serious with her job and he had to do the same.

    However, Adele called and called but there was no response and that made her brows furrow. This was the first time Aziz missed her call, he was always alert and attentive to his phone meaning it didn¡¯t have to ring twice before he answered. Did something happen? Adele was no longer feelingfortable. What if Elijah tracked him down?

    Shit!

    Adele didn¡¯t need anyone to give her a sign as she shot up to her feet immediately, something was wrong. She left her office and went outside where she got into her car and drove off. Adele didn¡¯t give a fuck as she drove over the speed limit and thankfully, there were no police to stop her until she reached Aziz¡¯s ce.

    Adele froze the moment she got to his apartment because the door was open and that was the first sign that told her something was not right. Pulling the gun out of her waistband, Adele held it to her side and carefully stepped into his ce before aiming the gun, prepared to st the enemy, but there was nothing. The ce was eerily silent, the type that told her that this ce was vacant and whoever came here was done with his or her mission.

    .....

    However, Adele still didn¡¯t want to give up hope as she checked every single room avable, ¡°Aziz?!¡± She called his name, hoping he wasn¡¯t dead or something. But the house was empty and there was no trace of him. Nor was there damage in the house to suggest that there had been a fight and that was strange, because the Aziz she knew would never go down easily ¨C unless he didn¡¯t have a choice.

    Returning to the living room, Adele pulled out her phone, intending to call her people tomence a search for him when she stepped on something and looked down to discover it was his phone. Well, that was something.

    His phone looked abandoned, confirming her fears that she was abducted. Adele saw her missed calls shing across the screen, but the phone was locked, and even as close as they were in the past days, she didn¡¯t know his password. However, Adele noticed a message too, and thankfully, it was an instant disy of SMS notification and Aziz did not click on it, meaning that she was able to just scroll down and read it.

    [I¡¯m still waiting outside ~ love, Cindy]

    That bitch!

    Adele cursed inwardly, gripping the phone so hard that her veins were almost popping. She should have known that Cindy was obsessed with Elijah, the signs have been there, not to mention her stalker tendencies. But she had brushed it away as a kid¡¯s crush and now look. Adele knew Cindy was going to attempt something stupid and hoped she caught them before Aziz bes traumatized for life.

    Meanwhile...

    Elijah woke up groggily, his head throbbing. He couldn¡¯t say it but he felt assaulted and that was exined the moment his memories returned and he jerked upright at once, or so he tried.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Elijah muttered when he discovered that his hands were chained to a bed?! What the hell?

    Elijah was not afraid of pain, but he panicked when he discovered that he was stark naked and his legs were chained too so he couldn¡¯t move. What in the world was wrong with Cindy?!

    He wished he was free so he could slit her throat right now. It was quite a loss he wouldn¡¯t be able to torture her, but he couldn¡¯t leave evidence that would be traced back to him. He was a fool to have let down his defenses and wouldn¡¯t repeat that the second time.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, darling,¡± A voice carried over to him from the corner and he turned around to see Cindy. Or a depraved version of her.

    She was dressed in a sexy lingerie bra set with garter. However, where her breast should be covered, the middle was exposed and he could see her perky nipples that should have aroused him but didn¡¯t even though his member was hard.

    Elijah didn¡¯t need God in heaven to tell him that she drugged him, that would exin why he was unbearably hard even though he was disgusted at her, at everything!

    ¡°Are you seriously about to rape me?¡± Elijah shot at her, venom in his words. If his eyes were bullet, then Cindy would have been long dead.

    ¡°Rape you?¡± Cindy looked horrified at the thought. She even pressed a hand on her chest as if she couldn¡¯t condone such a thing. What a ir for drama.

    ¡°No honey,¡± Her voice dropped low and Elijah guessed that was supposed to sound sexy, because it didn¡¯t sound that way to him. If anything, goosebumps were all over his arms.

    It wasughable though, what would his brothers say if he one day opened up to them on how a teenager raped him? Damn, they wouldugh him to scorn. However, the situation wasn¡¯t funny right now. He couldn¡¯t do Cindy. She was just a kid to him. Doing her was an abuse.

    Cindy went on to say, ¡°I¡¯m just here to give you a good time.¡±

    ¡°Well, shove that favor up your ass and release me right now because there¡¯s no way on earth I¡¯m letting you near my dick. Try anything funny, and I¡¯ll chop you into tiny little pieces I¡¯ll feed to the sharks when I get my hands on you,¡± Elijah threatened her, hoping that would scare her enough to release him, but to his greatest surprise, all he saw in her eyes was anger.

    Cindy¡¯s face distorted in rage, ¡°You don¡¯t want me near your dick, but you want Adele¡¯s? Christ Jesus! I know you both were fucking behind my back!¡± She screamed at his face.

    How the hell was that her business....?

    That was when it dawned on Elijah, the girl was fucking obsessed with him.

    Hell, no.

 Chapter 461

    461 You Belong To Me!

    Wow, he was in deep shit, Elijah whispered to his soul. He should have noticed the signs of her obsession when she would trace him down anywhere, including the torture boot camp and his ce. But, he didn¡¯t think much about it and assumed it was merely a crush. Moreover, thanks to Cindy, he was able to get close to Adele. He should have thanked her for her usefulness, but now he wasn¡¯t so sure.

    Elijah cocked his head to the side saying, ¡°Yes, I fucked her, so what? I told you, I don¡¯t do kids.¡± He intended to keep her talking until he figured out a way to get out of these ¨C and kill her. And it was working because Cindy yelled at him,

    ¡°You said, you would wait till I was twenty!¡± She used him.

    However, leave it to Elijah to exploit a loophole because he answered, ¡°No, I said I would date you when you clock twenty, go check the agreement, baby,¡±

    Cindy¡¯s eyes were livid as she hissed out, ¡°You should have waited, you should have remained faithful!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I should have, but a man has needs that should be fulfilled.¡± He said nonchntly.

    Perhaps, if Cindy sees how much of a scumbag he is, then she¡¯d know that he¡¯s not worth it and let him go. But Elijah was making a mistake because he failed to understand the strong will of an obsession.

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± She spat icily and that made his brows arch. He didn¡¯t like that glint in her eyes, it made him ufortable.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will help you with your needs then.¡±

    .....

    Oh no, this is bad. ns abort! He should move to n B. But then, what is n B? He didn¡¯t remember having one.

    With every step, Cindy took toward him, Elijah felt his heart pounding in his chest. This wasn¡¯t about to happen. He had to do something.

    Cindy came to sit at the edge of the bed with her lips curled back in a smile that only crept him out. She announced to him,

    ¡°Do you know that I went to a doctor?¡±

    Elijah narrowed his gaze at her suspiciously, what¡¯s this about? What¡¯s she up to now? The girl was going fifty shades of crazy. Nheless, he schooled his expression and waited for the good news.

    Kidding.

    ¡°And?¡± He was curious.

    Cindy looked him in the eyes, ¡°He said this is my fertility week,¡±

    Elijah stiffened as their eyes held, already having an inkling where this was heading and it was not good. He bettere up with a n, soon.

    He gulped the saliva down his throat that had already gone dry from the unexpected announcement, ¡°And?¡±

    Elijah tried to be brave when he wasn¡¯t. There was no way on earth this little imp was going to force him to be a father, especially not to a Luciano whore. He would kill Cindy before that happened.

    ¡°What do you think I have in mind?¡± She was ying games with him.

    ¡°You intend to rape me enough to get pregnant and push the responsibility to me. How brilliant.¡± He sneered.

    But Cindy retorted, ¡°You keep on forgetting something, Aziz, I¡¯m not raping you. You are going to enjoy this as much as I do....¡± She emphasized her point by wrapping her hand around his hardness and he released a sharp breath.

    She smiled knowingly, ¡°See?¡±

    However, Elijah¡¯s eyes were murderous when he stared at her, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me again, Cindy.¡± He warned her.

    Not that the girl listened because in her mind, he was merely ying hard to get and it aroused her further. Sheughed, ¡°This would make it all exciting when you¡¯re moaning and grunting beneath me, Aziz,¡± She ran her hands through his hair and he snapped at her, his teeth missing her fingers by mere inches.

    Seeing that he was determined to bite her hand off, Cindy grabbed his hair and yanked it hard at an angle that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bite her.

    She then pulled his face close to hers saying fiercely, ¡°I gave you the easy way to date me but you rubbed that in my face by fooling around with my illegitimate sister, that whore, and now, I¡¯m going to take what it¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°I would never acknowledge any ill-bred child between us,¡± Elijah told her with determination.

    But Cindyughed viinously as if she had already seen that through, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that because you have no opinion here. You forget one thing, I¡¯m Cindy Luciano and any child bore between us must be honored through marriage. We would be stuck together, forever. Perhaps, I should call you husband, already?¡± She chuckled.

    His blood chilled and Elijah stiffened. It was not funny to him because the girl was mad! He was not getting married to her nor was he fathering any bastard. How did things escte to this level? He hade here to mess with Marcel and rescue Arianna, not to get married to his enemies.

    She pulled him closer, such that her lips were brushing across his, saying, ¡°So why don¡¯t you make this easier for us. Pull down your defenses and let us both enjoy this. You don¡¯t need my sister, I¡¯m all you could ever need, Aziz.¡± She tempted him with her lips and Elijah didn¡¯t fight it.

    Cindy rejoiced inwardly when she sensed his surrender. This was it! The moment she had been waiting for! Aziz epted her willingly.

    She yanked his hair harder and pressed her lips against his, about to deepen the kiss when Aziz unexpectedly headbutted her hard and she screeched, pulling away from him like someone scalded by a hot iron.

    ¡°In your dreams,¡± Elijah told her.

    With a cry of pain, Cindy pressed her hand to her nose only toe up with blood, and her eyes filled with rage while Elijah grinned at her with satisfaction.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m done being nice to you!¡± She bellowed and walked over to the bed, straddling him this time while Elijah growled in a warning and tried his best to use the strength of his hips to jerk her off his body since he couldn¡¯t do much with his hands and legs bound.

    But Cindy was stubborn and held onto him tight, ¡°You would soon learn you belong to me,¡±

    She smirked wickedly and was about to line her entrance with his cock when the door was kicked open and the both of them turned in its direction.

 Chapter 462

    462 A Little Help

    Adele was brimming with rage as she stepped inside their family¡¯s brothel. It wasn¡¯t hard to track down Cindy with her level of authority. Even if her family doesn¡¯t acknowledge it, she was the second most powerful person after Marcel as his underboss. Though Victor was much closer to Marcel, when ites to hierarchy and a show of authority, Victor would have no choice but to bow to her.

    Thus, Adele was instantly sought out by the manager who had creases on his brows as he wondered what brought her here. There was not a trace of a smile on her face and that made the situation tenser.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Adele asked in between a growl and didn¡¯t even need to specify who she was referring to and the manager answered instantly.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out who she was referring to when her younger sister, Cindy Luciano appeared here out of nowhere hours ago and started making demands.

    As soon as she got the information, Adele stepped into the elevator, leading to the top floor. To think that Cindy choose the most expensive room for whatever demonic ns she had in mind pissed her off. This was a brothel, how dare her treat Aziz cheaply. Adele had an idea of what Cindy nned to do, but she didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it, else she jinxed her luck.

    Her fist was clenched by her sides and she was thirsty for blood. God help her if she doesn¡¯t kill Cindy today. The girl was spoilt rotten by her father and brother and they never condoned any of her wrongdoings, but enough was enough.

    Cindy made a wrong move by touching her own, no, her person. Aziz didn¡¯t mean anything to her even though they had sex, but he was one of her people and she protects those that belongs to her. That is it.

    It wasn¡¯t hard for Adele to locate the room as soon as she got out of the elevator because Cindy had the guts to even ce her security at the entrance, probably to stop any interruption from whatever she was doing in there. Her stomach lurched and Adele felt bile rise to her throat at the thought of it.

    Thankfully, the men were her usual security details, meaning that they knew who she was, so when Adelemanded, ¡°Step aside,¡± They did so without hesitation. They were beneath her and would suffer her wrathter if they dared to disobey her order.

    .....

    Adele moved back and then charged forward, kicking the door with a rage strong enough to move mountains. The door opened instantly, almost pulling out of its hinges with the amount of force she applied.

    Cindy and Aziz turned to her, shocked.

    Adele huffed, blowing an irritating lock out of her face. She stared at Cindy straddling Aziz on the bed and for a moment there, thought she was mistaken here and was interrupting the both of them. But that was until she saw the blood on Cindy¡¯s nose and knew there had been some sort of fight and Aziz croaked at that exact moment,

    ¡°Help.¡±

    And the demon was unleashed.

    The rage that has been building for a while now was all Adele could see as she strode over to her half-sister still straddling Aziz and grab her by her short hair, flinging her across the room as if she weighed nothing.

    How dare she?!

    Adele was like a monster released from its prison and raining its vengeance upon her oppressor as she strode over to Cindy still on the floor and moaning in pain. She hurled her up to her feet and Cindy tried to use that opening to punch her but Adele easily dodged it and rammed her knees right into her guts and she bent over in pain.

    Adele was a well-trained soldier unlike Cindy, hence the girl had nothing on her and it was like beating a kid except that she didn¡¯t have mercy on her this time. Cindy saw her life sh before her eyes and knew at this rate that her dear sister would kill her in anger, so she stumbled back, putting up her hand to show that she surrendered, but Adele didn¡¯t give a fuck about that.

    She threw a punch in her face, and Cindy fell, instantly crawling back on her knees in fear and upon remembering her guards were outside, screamed for help. Adele was going to kill her and she was not ready to die yet ¨C not without Aziz.

    Seeing Cindy call for help provoked Adele, she was not done teaching the girl a lesson. But it was toote because the three guards rushed into the room and one of them held her back. However, it became two of them when it became obvious that he couldn¡¯t hold Adele down alone and thest of them took Cindy away.

    By the time they left, like literally run for their life before she transferred her aggression to them, Adele screamed her outrage. Her blood was boiling and her body needed some sort of release, one that required violence. It was a huge pity she didn¡¯t draw blood from Cindy¡¯s lips, that would have been satisfying.

    Then her attention moved to Aziz and greedily took him in. He was sprawled out on the bed with his hands and legs bound and sporting a massive boner. Her brows arched in recognition, she drugged him. Of course, leave it to her crazy sister to rape the guy she¡¯s pinning for.

    Adele looked into his eyes and found out there was nothing like fear or disgust at what she had done to her sister, if anything Aziz looked proud of her and that made her chest swell with pride.

    ¡°You found me,¡± Aziz said.

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Her eyes shamelessly stared over his arousal and she said cockily, ¡°I just never expected to find you in this condition.¡±

    Aziz grimaced as if it was embarrassing he wasn¡¯t able to defend himself against a mere teenager. Not that she med him, her sister was cunning and a bitch.

    At once, Adele turned and closed the door, she didn¡¯t want anyone else to see Aziz naked, she felt possessive for strange reasons.

    ¡°I might need a little help,¡± Elijah confessed, pointing out his helpless state.

    But Adele merely tilted her head to the side saying, ¡°Yeah, which of it? The binds or the cock?¡±

 Chapter 463

    463 At Her Mercy

    He keeps getting entangled in a weird situation with her, Elijah thought as soon as those words left her mouth. He noticed Adele watching his naked form

    and she wasn¡¯t even ashamed of it, if anything she appreciated the good view and for some totally weird reasons, he was d to have caught her attention.

    He said to her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell me that you¡¯re obsessed with my cock?¡±

    Really?

    Adele raised a questioning brow at his inting ego until she saw the faintest smile pull at the corner of his lips and knew at once that he was merely pulling her leg.

    ¡°I¡¯m not obsessed with your cock, Aziz, even if your ego is telling you otherwise. For starters, in my anger to murder my sister, I couldn¡¯t get the keys to your cuffs and would need to unlock them. But then, I¡¯m sure that you wouldn¡¯t want the others staring at that massive boner while they work on releasing you, right?¡± Adele pointed out smugly, knowing that she got him right there.

    Elijah made a low grunt in his throat knowing that if the others caught him in this condition, the gossip would spread and he wouldn¡¯t hear the end of it. As much as he didn¡¯t care what others thought of him, being known as the guy with the ¡°Massive Boner¡± was not ideal either ¨C at least it would score him fame as a guy with a huge dick. Haha, not funny.

    That would be embarrassing as hell and he would bear the stigma till he left the gang and resumed his true identity as Elijah. So now, he would move to n B. Please someone should tell him Adele has n B.

    ¡°What do you suggest then?¡± Elijah asked her as if she held the answer to his prayer.

    .....

    Adele stepped closer to him till her knee was touching the edge of the bed and pushed her hands into the pocket of her zer, she said with a deep breath, ¡°I could help relieve your pain,¡± she spoke as if she was about to make a huge sacrifice.

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean... oh.¡± It dawned on Elijah what she was saying and instead of being revulsed by the thought, his dick only swelled harder. That damn betrayer ¨C he hoped she didn¡¯t notice that.

    Seeing the sudden awkwardness in the air, Adele quickly said, ¡°Or you could wait for the drug to wear off in probably God knows how many hourster and depending on the dosage. However, judging from Cindy¡¯s character, I bet she drugged you enough for the both of you to go at it like rabbits till the end of today. In one word, I¡¯ll probably wait until you die from a blue ball. ¡±

    ¡°Nobody actually dies from a blue ball,¡± Elijah countered, finding the thought utterly ridiculous ¨C and funny ¨C not that he showed it.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just call -¡± Adele was about to pull out her phone when Elijah shouted,

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡±

    Her lips lifted in amusement and she tucked the phone back into her pocket. She then rubbed the tip of her nose, Aziz looked so cute when he was flustered, not that she was going to tell him that.

    Elijah looked at her unsure, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite funny, but you look at me as if I¡¯m a predator about to gobble you when in reality you¡¯d be the one drowning in the throes of pleasure soon,¡± Adele said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that -¡±

    ¡°I would give you a blow job, Aziz, that should be enough to calm you down, hopefully. However, I¡¯m only going to do that if you give me consent. Other than that, is either you wait it out in pain or I call a medical personnel over, you choose one.¡± She told him firmly.

    With the way Adele held his gaze, Elijah knew that she meant every word she just said. He had made up his mind never toy a hand on Adele again, thest time they were together was as a result of apse in judgment. He was drunk and his inhibitions were lowered, causing him to do stupid things. But then, his body was a traitorous bastard and when he remembered the passion they shared in bed days ago, he wanted another taste of that sin.

    He didn¡¯t love Adele and would never love her, however, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t use her to satisfy his bodily urges. Moreover, she¡¯s Marcel¡¯s cousin, the act was revenge alone against the bastard. Both of them were in a war and all was fair in love and war. He would have this fun as long as itsts.

    ¡°Do it,¡± He told her, eyes already dark with lust and determination.

    ¡°Good choice,¡± Adele licked her lower lips as if he was nothing but a sumptuous meal that she was about to devour. Elijah began to second think about his decision because it seems as if he justnded in the lion¡¯s, no, lioness den.

    It was just a simple act of taking her zer off, but Adele turned it into a show that he was unable to take his eyes off as shenguidly undressed. His heated gaze followed the outfit on the ground and turned just in time to see Adele climbing over him until she straddled him, his arousal poking against her back.

    He looked at her in confusion, ¡°I thought you said you are -¡±

    Elijah was still saying when her lips crushed to his and the rest of his words died off forever. He should refuse her, after all, all she promised him was a blowjob and the kiss felt kind of intimate, but when she bit his lower lips, every reasonable thought escaped his head.

    His heart skipped a beat and pounded harder in his chest as her small body pressed him against the bed. Elijah moaned at the loss of his hands on her body because he wanted to bury it in her hair and kiss the life out of her, but at the moment, she was at his mercy.

 Chapter 464

    464 A Taste Of Heaven

    Electricity crackled across Elijah¡¯s skin as Adele deepened the kiss, tasting like the perfectbination of sin and desire. She was the forbidden desire that he wasn¡¯t supposed to touch, yet here he was taking a huge bite out of it and sin had never tasted so good.

    They parted for breath and Adele yanked on his hair pushing him closer to her and Elijah was able to trail a hot kiss down her neck. She sighed blissfully, tilting her hair and giving her much more ess to her neck while her hand glided down between them and wrapped around his cock.

    Elijah hissed against her skin, he knew Adele was bad for him, but not to this extent. He had taken her chastity for Christ¡¯s sake, showing that she has never been with another man, but she touched him like a fucking pro and he craved for no other touch, but hers ¨C at the moment. He sucked harder, almost breaking her skin while she pumped his length with her hands and he moaned.

    Adele felt his balls tightening in her grip and knew that he was close toing, but she let him go, even pushing away from his lips and earning an unsatisfied growl from his lips. He didn¡¯t like her teasing him but Adele onlyughed knowingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a free service, Aziz, I never said I was going to make it easy,¡± She smirked, before getting off him and beginning to undress before his very eyes.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Elijah asked more out of anticipation, than shock. His cock had grown iron hard for her and he wouldn¡¯t mind sinking it into her wet pussy. Adele was a slow yet sweet poison that was beginning to infiltrate his system, and he was unable to resist it but drink more.

    By the time she was done, Adele was dressed in nothing but her underwear and he had to say it was quite a disappointment ¨C he wanted to see her naked. Perhaps, he should thank Cindyter for giving him this rare opportunity.

    When Adele was done, she climbed the bed and sat astride Elijah upside down with her hips poised in the air. She then lowered herself and slid his cock between her lips, tasting the precum at the tip.

    Elijah grunted and he couldn¡¯t tell which one was worse, the fact that he couldn¡¯t touch her or the torture Adele was putting him through by facing her round ass in his direction ¨C and he still wasn¡¯t able to touch her. He was helpless and could only receive all that Adele gave him while moaning and groaning under her careful ministration.

    .....

    Adele pulled away and started jerking him off, her hand squeezing and yanking his cock brutally, and just as he was about toe, she took him right back in to the back of her throat and he exploded hard, nearly choking her, but she was able to swallow it down and released him.

    Without a second thought, Adele kissed him once as their tongue explored one another, her body humming with need. She ground her hips against him keenly,municating her need to him and his body was responsive to hers. The feeling was mutual.

    Breaking away, Adele took off her bra and threw it to the ground, and then yanked his hair tight,manding him, ¡°Take it into your mouth,¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡±

    Elijah didn¡¯t waste a second as he lowered her nipple into his mouth and sucked, Adele cried out, arching her back into him. He held onto her nipples with his teeth seeing he couldn¡¯t go over the limit the cuffs allowed him.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Adele let out a blissful moan when he bit her, the gesture sending a bittersweet pleasure that made her core clench and she got wetter. Elijah ran his tongue across the tip of her nipple before letting go and approaching the other breast, giving it the same treatment.

    Elijah could have done more with his hands unbound, so he could only get creative with his mouth, tongue, and teeth. She continued to grind against his length as he licked, teased, nipped, and sucked her nipple till her orgasm knocked the breath out of her lungs and she was falling and falling....and back to earth.

    Adele was literally panting by the time she recovered, but it was not enough. She wanted Elijah inside of her, filling her up and her throbbing pussy clenching him tightly. Her body felt light and her head was buzzing with no other thoughts but to take him.

    She pulled out of her panties immediately, her core dripping with her nectar and as she straddled Elijah once more, grabbed his arousal in her head towards her entrance and rubbed the head back and forth against her pussy.

    ¡°Adele... !¡±

    Elijah breathed heavily, wishing his hands were free to grab her by the waist and bring her down. But she did him the favor by impaling herself on his cock. Adele was so wet that she slid all the way in until she was buried deep to the hilt.

    The both of them cried out at the intensity, her pussy clenching down around him and the pleasure flowing through his body and making hime alive. It was a taste of heaven on earth.

    Adele held onto his shoulder and began to ride him, her thighs mping around him. She took control of their movements, rocking her pussy up and down his length as she moaned loudly while he watched with appreciation as her tits bounced.

    But Elijah couldn¡¯t let her dominate him forever so he thrust his hips up to hit some sweet spot inside of her that made her squeal louder.

    ¡°Look at me!¡± Hemanded her when she shut her eyes close from the bliss. She might be on top of him, but he wanted to show her who was in control here.

    She gasped when he titited his hips, hitting her at a different angle and she began to tremble around him. The headboard started to bang against the wall as Elijah increased his pace in rhythm with her up and down thrust. He might be incapacitated but she weighed nothing to what he was used to carrying, not to mention that he was pumping with adrenaline.

    The bedsprings creaked loudly mixing with their loud grunts and moans and screams, as he quickened his pace and jerked into her harder than she thought possible and making her pussy mp around his cock, a scream ripping from her mouth as he extended her orgasm with more thrust until he came hot and hard, emptying his seed inside of her.

 Chapter 465

    465 The Date

    Tonight, Arianna was going on a date with Marcel and she was beyond excited. Yeah, Marcel told her that he would be taking her to a fancy restaurant out of nowhere, and to make it original and a bit mysterious of course, she wouldn¡¯t be driving to the destination with Marcel, rather Luca would take her there.

    What was wrong with Marcel? Arianna had no idea, but she loved this change and hoped that itsted forever. First, he got her a phone andptop that she wanted for a long, now he was taking her out of this suffocating base. Although she had a feeling that this was him making it up to her for the drama earlier, she was notining. No, she was happy. This means that Marcel was changing and there was really a chance for the both of them to work this rtionship all the way to the altar.

    Arianna was delirious with happiness that even when Mimi was applying make up to her face, she was giggling and that upset her friend. The only reason Mimi stayed long at the base was that she lied to her parents that she was still vacationing with Arianna who apparently was living in the next state. Yep, her parents only let her out for this long because it was Arianna ¨C she was family.

    Although now and then, her parents would call and demand to speak to Arianna ¨C because they didn¡¯t trust Mimi and knew her tendencies ¨C and apparently, Arianna was the good girl. If only her parents knew that the Arianna they trusted was more dangerous than she was. But they didn¡¯t know that and Arianna would answer the phone and assure her parents that Mimi was okay and ¡°well-behaved¡±.

    Of course, Arianna felt guilty for lying to her parents but this was the best way. If Mimi¡¯s parents ever have half an inch of an idea that their one and the only precious child was dangling with the Mafia, they would do something stupid that would surely get them killed. Mimi¡¯s parents would never believe that their daughter was in love with a member of the Mafia, or rather, they would not ept it.

    Arianna would never believe it either, but here she was and experiencing it firsthand. Victor had already told her his intentions toward Mimi and hoped things worked out for the good because there was a lot of obstacle in their way. Even without being their biological daughter, Mimi¡¯s parents had alwayspared their progress.

    They believed Mimi was childish and would never grow up. Thanks to their endless nagging, Mimi studied business administration just to satisfy them. However, instead of joining her father¡¯s business when she was done, Mimi choose to follow Arianna in working as a barista.

    Mimi¡¯s mother often joked that Arianna was her child that missed reincarnation in her womb which was why she and Mimi were inseparable. So they let Mimi do whatever she wanted, iming that she woulde around. Mimi¡¯s father once told Arianna that he would offer her a job at hispany if that would draw Mimi to take her rightful ce in thepany.

    Rather than joining her parents to criticize her poor friend, Arianna choose to ept Mimi the way she was. Sure, Mimi¡¯s actions and decisions were questionable at times and she often wondered if her friend had a dream at all, but Mimi was a woman in total control of herself. As far as she was happy, what is the point?

    .....

    Hence it wasn¡¯t surprising Mimi was in a bad mood after she met with Victor¡¯s mother, the woman wanted them to get married.

    ¡°Well, she didn¡¯t specify when?¡± Arianna hinted at the loophole, meaning that she and Victor could drag out the marriage stuff until they were ready ¨C and with good reasons.

    Victor had to first buy over Mimi¡¯s parent¡¯s trust and approval ¨C and should not tell her parents what he did for a living, at least for now. Mimi¡¯s parents might be good people but they had the best interest of their daughter at heart and would never let that union work. The same way Arianna got to know Marcel, they had to know Victor and be able to trust him.

    Honestly, Arianna never wanted Mimi¡¯s parents to find out Victor belonged to the Mafia because they would only get disappointed in their daughter. Sadly, nothing can be kept hidden under the sun forever, and hoped the couples can figure it out before shit happens.

    But that was a problem for the future and Arianna focused on the present which included Mimi prying for gossip about her and Marcel. Yeah, Mimi had a one-track mind because, by the time the gossip started, she forget all about Carmine.

    ¡°Wow, you look amazing,¡± Mimimented, powdering her face with the brush onest time, ¡°I¡¯m sure Marcel would be so awed struck by your beauty that he would drag you both to the restroom and continue from where you both stopped earlier,¡± She grinned naughtily.

    ¡°God, not now, Mimi!¡± Arianna covered her face with her palms as her friend reminded her that the entire base knew she and Marcel weren¡¯t exactly subtle. However, a smile still left her lips in the end, sometimes she felt like killing Mimi.

    Mimi went on, ¡°What¡¯s there to be ashamed of, Arianna? It¡¯s better to have lots of sex now you¡¯re younger and it¡¯s enjoyable than when you grow old and your vagina gets all dry with the low libido,¡±

    ¡°Geez, Mimi, do you have any filter at all?¡± Ariannamented, checking her appearance in the mirror and watching through her peripheral view as her friendughed in response.

    Arianna was dressed formally in her designer evening gown because Marcel informed her that it was a high-end restaurant. Her brte hair was curled over her shoulders and Arianna had ns of redying it when it washes off. Arianna loved her redhead but she wanted a break, and perhaps, when she gets bored, she tried blonde as well.

 Chapter 466

    466 Has No Eyes For Them

    Luca whistled as soon as Arianna stepped out, his eyes taking her in appreciatively before he offered her his arms to take as he led her to the Limousine they would be driving in.

    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t gay, I would definitely do you,¡± Luca told her, and Arianna was not even disgusted by thement knowing that he meant his words ¨C and it was never going to happen.

    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± Arianna told him smugly, ¡°Although I¡¯m sure Marcel would end your life first before you could get within five feet of me,¡± Shezily stared at his appearance.

    The huge man wore a fitted tuxedo that did nothing but highlight his manliness. He was oozing sex appeal and if Arianna wasn¡¯t in love with Marcel... Get out! She banished the evil thought in her mind.

    However, as her gaze trailed further down, Arianna remembered Mimi pointing out that Luca was a huge loss to the women¡¯s generation because he had a huge thing. Does he indeed have a huge thing? Even bigger than Marcel¡¯s...?

    Jesus Christ!

    Arianna took her gaze off instantly, going red in the face and hoping Luca didn¡¯t see and thankfully, it was nighttime. She had to warn Mimi off about the kind of information she fed her before she led her into temptation. However, how did Mimi even know Luca had a huge thing? Arianna suddenly shuddered, she didn¡¯t want to know. Mimi was creepy at times.

    Thankfully, they didn¡¯t say anything else as Luca helped her to the back and then walked over to the driver¡¯s seat and drove off. Arianna was feeling nervous which was kind of strange because this date was not that different than the both of them merely spending time together, just like they did in the base all the time, except in a different setting this time.

    But on the bright side, she had time alone without Marcel by her side craving her attention like a love-starved puppy ¨C even though he was in all of her thoughts. But it made Arianna realize that she missed her quiet time, plus the fact that her life now revolved around Marcel.

    .....

    She had no job and money, although Marcel was more than willing to give her that ¨C and the fact she had been stealing a little she hid under her bed. If Marcel noticed the missing cash, he wasn¡¯t saying anything, not to mention, that he left notes carelessly in his room as if he owned the world bank and money was not an issue to him.

    Well, with the number of cars in his garage, money was indeed not issue to Marcel because Luciano¡¯s were old money. While his legitimate business was merely a front to cover his illegal activities, that was not all. Those businesses were used tounder money carefully and the FBI wasn¡¯t able to track the source of his wealth. So both the active and nonactive members of their family were involved in their illegal dealings in one way or the other. And now, she was one of them.

    Arianna might not have done any illegal dealing, but for how long? If she eventually settled down with Marcel, her son would eventually carry on with his legacy while she would be expected to have her husband¡¯s back. She would be an aplice and if anything happened, she was probably going down with him.

    However, she had a feeling that when pushes to shove, Marcel would rather take the fall for everything than let her get imprisoned. Not just because Marcel loves her, but that was just his personality. Marcel might seem like a heartless bastard, but he would go to any length for the people he loved.

    They reached their destination and Luca helped her out just before the valet came to park their car. Marcel was not kidding when he said this was an expensive restaurant starting from the sparkling marble floor to the huge expensive-looking chandeliers hanging from the gilded ceiling.

    For once, Arianna was grateful that she had dressed to the nines like the few high-ss people she walked by, who had their heads held high as if the world was beneath their feet. Thankfully, they minded their business, but some threw her a look and Arianna wondered if she had given herself out by announcing that she was nothing but an orphan, a thief, made into a princess overnight by her fairy godmother, yours truly, Marcel.

    Was she not doing it right? Arianna was a bit anxious over the heels. She was not exactly a huge fan of them since her work never entitled wearing heels for swiftness. Aside from that, Arianna was quite tall, and adding another height to her frame made her feel like an ostrich.

    It was quite afort that Luca didn¡¯t leave right away, guiding her until they reached the entrance. There were two well-dressed guards at the entrance and Luca finally left her go as the men opened the door for her and she walked into an enormous hall that stole her breath.

    It was an elite and expensive restaurant and Arianna had to be careful not to trip and make a fool of herself. An orchestra was ying a soft romantic number and a few people stared at her as she tried to identify the table Marcel was seated at. On the bright side, she didn¡¯t search for long because Marcel stood to his feet and with that gesture, drew attention to them.

    If Luca had been oozing sexual appeal, then Marcel was a damn subus. His blonde hair was brushed and gelled back and highlighted his strong jaw. His tailor-made suit framed his muscr body and Arianna could see a few women ¨C and men ¨C staring at her man and the green-eyed monster rose inside of her.

    That was her man there and no bitch ¨C nor bastard ¨C was lying a im to him. At once, Arianna began to walk towards him, adding a sway to her hips and it pleased her that Marcel was unable to look away from her.

    You see thatdies and gentlemen, he has no eye for you all, haha, in your face! Arianna wished she could shout that out loud to Marcel¡¯s admirers.

 Chapter 467

    467 Lord Marcel

    For the first time in his life, Marcel found himself fumbling like a fool. He hasn¡¯t even been this nervous since the first time he had sex as a teenager and lost his virginity. Heck, he hadn¡¯t even remembered that night because he had been drunk out of his mind, and the barbie that decided to keep him thepany had been his first initiation into sex life. Compared to Victor who did it at age sixteen, he hadsted to his eighteenth year. But that was not the point

    The point is that he hasn¡¯t even felt the kind of nervousness he was feeling now but excitement. Marcel knew what was going to happen that night and he was eager to taste it out ¨C and so was the older barbie. Not that the barbie knew that he was younger because thanks to puberty and his background, Marcel was dripping testosterone at the age of eighteen. He had stocked up muscles in the right ces and girls were simply attracted to men with the bad boy vibe, knowing they were forbidden fruit and like Eve, they wanted a taste.

    The sex was just wham! bam! Thank you! At least for the first session, because when they went for more rounds, Marcel had been grateful to have engaged in this educational session because he learned how to please a woman, not that he still remembered much anyway. The ¡°lessons¡± never stopped over the years and with more of them, he learned how to behave around women and get any woman he wanted ¨C into his bed. But not anymore.

    Even though he told himself that Arianna would appreciate the freedom and escape from the base, Marcel still didn¡¯t know if she would like this cheesy gesture, all thanks to Victor. Left alone for him, Marcel had no idea of romance and stuff like that, because he never saw an affectionate marriage y out between his parents. And the romance he saw on television didn¡¯t touch him at all; he ruled it out as stupidity. People were God damned bored and woulde up with anything to keep them entertained.

    Women love money, right? So he decided to dazzle Arianna with a show of his wealth. If she could love both him and his money, then it was a dreame true. At least, if something happened along the line and the love Arianna has for him turns into hate, she would stay for the money. Yes, even if she hates his ass, she would stay for his money. It was a nice n and strategy, he was delighted inwardly.

    Marcel put much attention into his appearance tonight and even styled his hair he liked to leave untamed. His objective was to look like a prince from far far away and hade to sweep her off her feet. Women buy that shit, right? So he would be her prince charming tonight and let her do whatever she wanted with him. If Arianna wanted the world, then God help earth because he would hand that even to her.

    The nervousness grew with each minute he waited for her arrival, then suddenly, the door opened and there she was, his gorgeous siren looking as if she made a brief stop at the ocean before gracing his invitation tonight. In one word, the wait was well worth it. Marcel drank her in greedily as he stared at her green sequin dress, the color of her eyes. The dress had sleeves and hugged her curves with a split in the middle giving him a tempting view of her thigh.

    Arianna didn¡¯t notice him but he did first and Marcel decided to use that opportunity to appreciate his woman.

    It was just an innocent look but his dick hardened and Marcel cursed under his breath, grateful for the table in front of him hiding the sudden boner. His gaze was hungry as he thought of peeling those clothes from her body when they got home, no, he loved that particr dress on her. Maybe, he would simply push her up against the wall and take her there, while her pointy edge of heels dug into the butt. That would be heaven on earth.

    .....

    Wonderful, Marcel chided himself as the ache in between his legs only grew and he suddenly wished there were just both of them here and then he could bend over their table and plunge into her till she¡¯s screaming and moaning his name in passion while her tight pussy clenched his shaft.

    God, he must be a sucker for pain, Marcel groaned, wanting nothing but to shut his eyes and get back an ounce of control but Arianna turned in his direction and he smiled at her, waving her over. She sashayed towards him and he eyed the sway of her hips while his cock obeyed anything but the word, ¡°calm down¡±.

    Arianna stopped in front of him, and Marcel almost forgot to snap out of the dirty reverie he was engrossed in. He quickly moved to her side and helped her sit before returning to his side.

    Seated, Marcel cleared his throat, saying, ¡°You look quite stunning tonight, mydy, even the stars dull inparison to your beauty tonight.¡± He ttered her with a polished tone.

    Arianna smiled at him, ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you quite the tterer, Lord Marcel,¡± She decided to entertain him.

    Right now, it was just the both of them, Lord Marcel of h h and she, a humble aristocrat who have gone on this date thanks to their families arrangement.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a tter, mydy, but a sincere appraisal of your magnificent beauty,¡± He said with his brows arched, daring her to continue with the game

    She chuckled richly, ¡°I¡¯m honestly thankful for yourpliment, Lord Marcel -¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Marcel,¡± He interrupted her.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna wondered if they were still into their role-y or if it had ended quickly and she didn¡¯t even know.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to stand in formality with medy Arianna, and would rather hear you call me by my name, you make it sound sexy.¡±

    Arianna gasped, her hands ced on her chest in mock shock, ¡°That¡¯s quite scandalous, Lord Marcel.¡±

 Chapter 468

    468 Knowing More About Him

    ¡°What¡¯s scandalous about it?¡± Lord Marcel asked with no trace of shame, picking the ss of wine in his hand and leaning back into his seat, ¡°The fact that I¡¯m attracted to you and want nothing but to sink myself in your marvelous cunt?¡±

    He held her gaze with that hard look in his eyes and Lady Arianna found herself unable to breathe. Her expression was flushed even though her lips were slightly parted in horror. She thought Lord Marcel was a gentleman, even her family had been sure of that before they sent her on this date.

    However, Lady Arianna remembered her home training and the fact she was supposed to remain chaste and pure till her wedding night. She chided him at once,

    ¡°That is inappropriate, Lord Marcel!¡± She has heard whispers of what a man and woman did behind closed doors, but to think that Lord Marcel was quite vocal and vulgar about it, shocked her.

    ¡°Is it?¡± Lord Marcel smirked, ensnaring her with that gaze once again that made her feel like she was nothing but a prey in front of the predator,

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about it?¡± He leaned closer, trying to tempt her with that sweet promise.

    ¡°No,¡± Lady Arianna snapped out of it, ¡°My family must have mistaken what they thought of you. I would need to inform them that their judgment of you is wrong.¡±

    But Marcel was not least disturbed by the threat. If anything, he dropped the ss of wine on the table, his lips twisting to the side as he said, ¡°Poor judgment, or not, why bother about it when at the end of the day we would get married, mydy?¡±

    Lady Arianna didn¡¯t answer, seemingly confused and unable toe up with a response. She has encountered vile men and to think Lord Marcel was one of them made her feel disappointed? She was expecting better.... not this sexy man that was tempting her to do something bad. The horrors, what was she thinking?!

    .....

    However, as if the temptation was not enough, Lord Marcel suddenly took her hands in his, and though she tried to pull them back, he held onto them tightly and she was unable to pull away. He began to rub circles in the center as he spoke the same time,

    ¡°We¡¯re set to get married anyway, so what¡¯s wrong with performing our nuptials a little earlier than usual? Moreover, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious to know what it feels like, mydy, so why don¡¯t you just agree to a night of passion between us?¡± He baited her, his gaze never leaving hers.

    ¡°And I guess this is the point where you charm the ignorantdy and she would end up in your bed, isn¡¯t it, lord Marcel,¡± Arianna was taunting him this time as she burst intoughter. The y had been fun, but it was time to return to reality.

    ¡°What do you think, Lady Arianna,¡± Marcel couldn¡¯t help but join in herughter as well and they weren¡¯t exactly subtle because a few heads turned in their direction, but they didn¡¯t care about the others. It was just the both of them that mattered at this moment.

    ¡°I never thought that I would say this, but I¡¯m grateful that you weren¡¯t born in the medieval era else you would leave a trail of broken hearts,¡± and girls shamed by society.

    Arianna knew how the olden days worked and if the girls were not found bleeding on their wedding night, they would be shamed by the society ¨C except, of course, they had a pretty understanding husband. But that was hard, considering the worth of women was determined by their virginity. Imagine Marcel deflowering a huge number of them and their bleak future in the search of a suitor. Damn.

    ¡°Nah, If I was born in the medieval era, I doubt I would be a lord but a pirate.¡± Marcel said, thinking deeply, ¡°I would prefer being out there in the seas than the boring stuff Lords do.¡±

    ¡°Lords attend royal balls and hostvish balls at their manor,¡± Arianna argued.

    But Marcel grinned at her, ¡°I can assure you that pirates throw far more exciting parties in their ship, although not quitevish, but we¡¯re not restricted to upper-ss demeanor and that¡¯s the fun of it. Freedom,¡± Marcel breathed wistfully.

    ¡°Yeah, freedom,¡± Arianna murmured, biting the inside of her cheek and trying to hide the sadness that tried to envelop her, however, Marcel saw it all yet said nothing.

    Instead, he picked the menu and handed it to her saying, ¡°I hope you eat nothing at the base beforeing because it¡¯s a nine-course meal and we are going to have it all. Are you up for the challenge, my love?¡± Marcel said excitedly

    ¡°I never back down from a challenge,¡± Arianna informed him, restless to begin and the tension from earlier vanishing as they fell back into the conversation.

    ¡°Tell me about your mother?¡± Arianna suddenly said and Marcel stiffened briefly, eventually rxing when he found out she was merely curious.

    ¡°What do you want to know about her?¡± He asked.

    Arianna pulsed her lips thoughtfully, ¡°Well, first of all, I want to apologize for disrespecting your mother in the past,¡± She referred to that time she angrily told him to go fuck his mother, ¡°It was highly inappropriate and wrong of me.¡±

    ¡°All forgiven,¡± Marcel said, ¡°Moreover, I know that you didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    Arianna said just as a chaff moved to their table and began to serve them whatever was written on that menu ¨C she hasn¡¯t been able to pronounce it. She swore those chefs did that on purpose just to confuse people like her and rob people like Marcel of his money. The longer the name, the pricer the food. Sigh.

    ¡°What was your mother like?¡± Arianna decided to start from there. This was a date and there was no way on earth that she was leaving here without knowing something personal about him.

    But then, while Marcel and Arianna were having the time of their life, ra was also heading to the same restaurant with her friends to have dinner and they had no idea of that.

 Chapter 469

    469 Her Reason For Living

    ¡°What was your mother like?¡± Arianna asked out of sheer curiosity.

    As a child who grew up without one, she has often wondered what her mother would look like. Does she have her red hair? Where did she get her looks from, her mother or father? Thoughts like that had always filled her mind and the loss made her feel empty ¨C she would never get to find out.

    But Arianna didn¡¯t know which one was more devastating, the fact that the mother she had always longed for was alive and never bothered toe for her. It made Arianna feel unwanted and sad ¨C just how much had the woman hated her that she never even wanted to see her face. No wonder their father didn¡¯t have a single photo of her on the walls, the woman must not have wanted her to know her identity.

    Anyway, she was good, Arianna already made peace with reality. The woman didn¡¯t want her, so she wouldn¡¯t search for her either even though her father¡¯sst wish was to find her. Sorry, papa, but her life was better left the way it was with lessplication. Arianna waspletely sure that if her father was alive to see the kind of mess that she was in, then he would agree to her decision.

    ¡°My mother was a kind woman,¡± Was all Marcel said and Arianna looked at him questioningly, urging him to speak on, but all she got from him was a confused look.

    Arianna sighed, this was a total disaster. Does Marcel even know about the word opening up? No, it wasn¡¯t going to work this way.

    So she exined to him, ¡°I can assure you that ny percent of people in this world would agree that their mother is kind. It¡¯s engineered into our system to want to defend not only our mothers, but our fathers as well. We would want to only see their good side because that¡¯s what makes our parents our superheroes and that is what I want to know, Marcel. What makes your mother your superhero?¡±

    Marcel swallowed, and the slight difort she noticed around him told Arianna that he now fully grasped the hint of what she wanted from him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know your definition of a rtionship, Marcel, but partners share secrets. They show their weakness, with the hope that it is epted by one another.¡± Arianna said to Marcel, knowing that he had trust issues. Also, that was not the way of the Mafia. What if things changed in the future and she used that against him? She bet Marcel was thinking that.

    .....

    So Arianna reached out and took his hand and squeezed it with assurance,

    ¡°I swear on my life that anything you tell me in here would never escape another ear,¡± She took an oath, and only then, was Marcel able to rx enough to open up to her.

    Marcel took their hand and intertwined them, staring at the action as if it was fascinating, yet he had this far away look in his eyes as if he was lost in those memories that formed part of his personality.

    ¡°My mother never wanted to marry my father,¡± Marcel confessed and Arianna felt her throat constrict with emotion. He barely began and she was already feeling sympathy for him, what would then happen throughout the rest of the story knowing that Marcel had a rough life?

    ¡°Heck, I heard that she had ns of aborting me, but when Daniel heard that he knocked her up and she was already pregnant with a son, he couldn¡¯t let that happen. He needed an heir and a perfect opportunity just presented itself.¡±

    Arianna squeezed his hand tighter as if providing some level offort even though Marcel didn¡¯t show it. But she was no fool, Marcel was hurting inside. It was not easy to open up about experiences like this one, but here he was, doing it all because of her. Both of them were unwanted by their mothers, but unlike her¡¯s, Marcel¡¯s mother changed her mind in the end and epted such a cruel fate because of him.

    He went on, ¡°Her family refused at first, but Daniel went on to threaten them and they had no choice but to give her up rather than bring on his wrath. So they got married and my mother was left all by herself and then, she had me. It was not easy to survive there with my father¡¯s brutality, but she did and the only friend she had was Victor¡¯s mother. Unfortunately, even at that, it was still not enough.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t surprising that she fell into depression with the way my father treated her. I might have been a kid but I understood domestic violence quite well and each time, it was almost as if my father was throwing his aggression on her... as if she made him lose something precious... as if she was undeserving of him and she was nothing but a flea that bothered him...¡± Marcel swallowed hard, thinking about it,¡± It was almost as if he was ming her. ¡±

    His gray eyes bored into hers and Arianna knew he was beginning to perceive the motive behind his father¡¯s action now that he thought about it. Marcel¡¯s jaw was clenched while he was holding onto her tightly to the point of almost bruising her, not that he knew.

    ¡°I asked him to divorce him and run away from here to save her life, I could see my mother withering away before my very eyes, but she wouldn¡¯t listen. Mafia families hardly divorced because of the risks but Daniel had kept my mother away from the family business hence she knew nothing nor would he even flinch if his enemies caught hold of her. If anything, they did him a favor and Carmine wouldn¡¯t use him of murdering her. But my mother was damn stubborn, her only reason for living was me and she wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡±

 Chapter 470

    470 Steal Other people¡¯s Fianc¨¦

    ¡°When you have just one thing to protect, you realize that nothing else even matters, even your life,¡±

    Arianna gulped when she heard those words from Marcel. She didn¡¯t know how his mother died, but she hoped to God Daniel didn¡¯t kill her else she would reconsider marrying into this family. No matter how much she loved Marcel, she loved her life more. Imagine, if Daniel were to realize that she was getting in between his son and his intended bride, ra, he would definitely kill her.

    ¡°She wanted to run away with me and Daniel knew that which was why he kept her like a prisoner. No, calling her a prisoner was mild, my mother was treated like a caged animal. She was never let out and the few times she needed to leave the premises, there were enough soldiers to make sure she never thought of anything stupid. Just like that, he broke her spirit little by little until she was a shell of herself. So then, I decided to take the cross upon myself and saved my mother before I lost her finally.

    ¡°I knew that if we were going to escape my father, we were going to need arge sum of money to cover our tracks, so I began to steal as little as I could from him without creating suspicion ¨C he trusted me anyway. But then, I was a kid and thought everything was possible with sheer will.

    ¡°But before I could finish gathering my little wealth, she died. My mother fell sick and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it except grace her deathbed with my presence. Daniel didn¡¯t even know when she died, I had my mother¡¯s corpse in my arms for hours before Carmine came over and raised the rm. Daniel had left for business out of the country, not that he would havee to visit even if he had been around... ¡± Marcel chuckled as if he found it funny, ¡°I bet he even traveled on purpose.¡±

    The ridiculousughter gurgled to a halt and he stared at her with a pained expression, ¡°Now, you can understand why I can never forgive that man and you shouldn¡¯t either. Doing that is equivalent to betraying me. I can¡¯t kill him and will not kill him because I want him to suffer. I want Daniel to regret every single bad deed he has done to my mother and I want him to wake up every day in agony. ¡± Marcel said, his voice filled with venom.

    ¡°That is why you¡¯re cutting him off, ¡± Arianna figured it out.

    ¡°His legacy is the only thing that matters to him and he intends to mold the perfect heir which is why he can nevere near my kid,¡± He corrected under his breath, now rubbing circles on the top of her palm, ¡°Our kid,¡±

    Arianna let out a sharp breath, he still believed she was pregnant with his child and her hand unconsciously rubbed her belly. Was she really pregnant? She had another being inside of her? Another being that she had to protect from her psychopathic father-inw.

    .....

    ¡°You have my word,¡± She promised him. Moreover, Arianna felt the need to punish Daniel and bring justice for her same-sex and would have been mother-inw that she lost, all thanks to Daniel. She lost the chance of having a mother figure from her husband¡¯s side. Fuck, what was she thinking? She and Marcel weren¡¯t even married yet. Damn, she can¡¯t move too fast.

    ¡°The first course has run cold,¡± Marcel referred to the food in front of them that the both of them had hardly touched thanks to their conversation.

    ¡°We won¡¯t let the same fate befall the second course then,¡± Arianna joked, drawing a smile from Marcel¡¯s lips too.

    And while the both of them were getting cozy with each other, ra and her two friends were ushered into the hall and they searched for their table.

    Lately, ra was under tension and anxiety thanks to Marcel¡¯s radio silence. After the dinner at their ce, Marcel had not called nor was he epting her calls. She tried going to his ce but remembering his warning made her reconsider that. She had no choice but to Daniel and report that, but he asked her to remain calm and that everything was under control.

    However, how could she calm down, when her wedding was this week and she didn¡¯t know what to do anymore? Her wedding dress was ready but she was entirely clueless on the groom¡¯s side. Even her mother that had been against the union suddenly began to help her with the preparation.

    Everything was set to go except for the invitation. How could they give out invitations when the groom hasn¡¯t said a word about it and the wedding was three days away? So she buried herself in the work she has neglectedtely thanks to the wedding preparation.

    ra was done being nice, and starting from tomorrow, she would hand out invitations. She didn¡¯t care how Daniel did it, but as far as his son showed up on the altar that day, she gave no care. She has tried to be amodating in this arrangement, but since he wanted it the hard way, then she was game.

    She sat down with her friends checking out the menu as one of the staff arrived to serve their needs. ra was in no mood to talk and let the girls make her order while looking around. At least, they did well to take her to a proper restaurant rather than one filled with people stinking from poverty.

    ¡°Girl, you have to chill,¡± said one of her friends when she saw her mood, and ra did not doubt that she was falling apart. The girls were the only ones who knew what she was going through.

    But then, how could she rx when she knew the embarrassment she would suffer if Marcel doesn¡¯t show up on their wedding day?

    ra only ran her hand through her hair with a sigh and boisterousughter reached her side and it was strange because it felt oddly familiar. ra turned to the side and nced further down the hall only for her gaze tond on Marcel who looked happy and was instantly shocked. What was he doing here? Then she saw his date.

    ra was first filled with disbelief, then betrayal, anger. How dare he? He was seated with a brte this time instead of the red-haired witch ¨C and it pleased her to know that he dumped her already.

    The brte had her back turned to her so she couldn¡¯t see her face, but ra felt great jealousy and she couldn¡¯t let it be. Marcel asked for this. She had to show that bitch how she deals with people who steal other people¡¯s fianc¨¦.

 Chapter 471

    471 Confrontation

    Music Rmendation:- Physical ¨C Dua Lipa

    ________

    ¡°What is this?¡± Arianna asked when she saw the traditional dish ¨C spaghetti saut¨¦ed with garlic in olive oil.

    ¡°Spaghetti Aglio e olio,¡± Marcel pronounced in one breath while she stared at him, stunned.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Arianna burst intoughter. Honestly, she hadn¡¯t gone through the foods on the menu and was more interested in the order of their serving. As usual, dessert was saved for thest and she was more interested in that one.

    ¡°Come on, say it,¡± Marcel urged her to pronounce it.

    ¡°No, it is too long,¡± Sheined, shrinking back into the seat so he wouldn¡¯t be able to grab her.

    ¡°Just give it a try,¡± Marcel tried to convince her.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna gave in and then readjusted in her seat, clearing her throat. She said, ¡°Spaghetti AGG-lee-oy ee OH-lee-oh,¡±

    .....

    Marcel burst into boisterousughter that drew quite an attention, but he didn¡¯t care. He already knew that Arianna would fail it but he never thought that it would be this funny.

    ¡°Stopughing, it¡¯s embarrassing!¡± Arianna red at him, but the more Marcel stared at her lips, the memory kept ying in his head and he ended upughing the more. However, Arianna pinched his arm painfully enough to shut him up, but the nk look on his face said it was only a matter of time.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel gave upughing, ¡°Come on, let me teach you how to say that,¡± He drew closer and stared at her lips that became tempting enough to kiss. Shut up and concentrate, Marcel!

    ¡°The point is, you don¡¯t go phic and say ¡®AGG-lee-oy ee OH-lee-oh,¡± It took him a great will, not tough again because he was sure Arianna will stab him with that fork in her grip this time,

    ¡°That¡¯s not the Italian way. Instead, say ¡°AH-lyo,¡± then let the ¡®e¡¯ that follows slide in with the ¡°OH-lyo,¡± and you¡¯ll sound like you¡¯re from Napoli.¡± He finished with a wink, ¡°Now, pronounce it for me, baby,¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Arianna wet her lower lips with her tongue and was just about to say it, when, ¡°Oh fuck,¡± left her lips instead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I intend to fuck you just right when we got home,¡± Marcel was amused.

    However, Arianna shook her head nervously ncing behind him and lowering her gaze at the same time as she whispered, ¡°ra is here,¡±

    ¡°Of course, ra is.... Oh, fuck,¡± It dawned on Marcel that Arianna was not joking as all forms of a smile drained from his face. He was just about to turn around and confirm her presence when Arianna told him,

    ¡°No,¡± She stopped him, ¡°Don¡¯t turn around and alert her that we¡¯ve noticed her. It would give us enough time to leave here.¡±

    ¡°Leave?¡± Marcel frowned, clearly not in support of that, ¡°Why should we leave for her?! I¡¯m not a coward that runs away from my problems.¡±

    Arianna pressed closer to the table and held onto his gaze hoping that he saw reasons with her as she said firmly, ¡°This is not a matter of being a coward or not, because from the murderous look on your fianc¨¦e¡¯s face, she¡¯s aiming for a public confrontation, probably to shame me and I¡¯m not prepared for that, not while dressed in this floor length dress and stiletto heels!¡±

    Marcel knew that she was right, a confrontation was inevitable and he couldn¡¯t do anything to ra, not while in public where anyone could record it and send the authorities to him. Even as powerful as he was, violence against women was still a huge issue and so were the powers of theizens. People online would want him to pay for that, not realizing that he was merely defending himself ¨C and Arianna.

    But then, Marcel couldn¡¯t leave just like that, with his tails in between his legs, it was way too embarrassing for his personality. Victor wouldugh at him greatly if he dares to hear of this. However, his attention caught onto the orchestra ying a ssical piano/violin rendition of the song ¡°physical¡± and his lips curled up in excitement as a n formed in his head.

    ¡°We leave with style then,¡± Marcel said, his eyes shining with mischief.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t have the chance to ask more questions as Marcel snagged her hand and pulled her up to her feet, veering her in the direction of the people waltzing on the dance floor, barely seconds before ra reached them.

    ra gritted her teeth when she met Marcel¡¯s empty seat instead and saw the both of them heading to the dance floor that had couples dancing on it. She knew that she couldn¡¯t just storm up there, that would not only cause a scene but disrupt people¡¯s good time as well and that might get her kicked out of here by the guards at the entrance.

    She had to be strategic about this. Marcel thought he was smart, she would show him that she was smarter.

    Hence ra returned to her seat and pulled on one of her friend¡¯s arms, startling her.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°I just found my fianc¨¦ dancing with another woman and you are going to help me put her in her ce,¡± ra demanded, her nail digging into the girl¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Ouch, you¡¯re hurting me,¡± Sheined, ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s your man cheating on you, why take it out on the poor girl?¡± She reasoned.

    ra shook her head as if in disbelief over what her friend said. However, the other one offered to go in her ce and she let go of her arms in annoyance. She would deal with her bullshitter.

    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Arianna asked in suspicion when Marcel dragged her to the dance floor.

    ¡°We would escape after the dance, people wouldn¡¯t think much of it, not after we give them a dazzling performance. I have no doubt you¡¯re fluid at dancing.¡± Marcel smirked, issuing a challenge to her as he ced his right hand on her back, pulling her closer such that their bodies were pressed flush against each other.

    Of course, Marcel was more worried about his pride and Arianna couldn¡¯t see ra anywhere, which was a good sign. She couldn¡¯t cause a scene on the dance floor that would get her kicked out of here.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have asked,¡± Arianna answered to his challenge, her hands resting on his left hand on his shoulder with her right hand holding his. They both fell in tune with Arianna matching his step without stepping on his feet for once and that brought to his lips. This was his woman.

    The both of them were lost in the music until Marcel lowered her into a dip, Arianna leaning back and moving in a circle, however, before she could get back up, something, or rather someone hit her in the head and she felt an instant headache.

 Chapter 472

    472 I Like Your Brand Of Crazy

    ra was seething with hatred as she stared at Marcel dancing with that woman. Whether the redhead or not, she hated any woman close to Marcel. She was the one supposed to be dancing happily with Marcel, not that bitch. He was her fianc¨¦, they should all back off.

    So she looked for an opening to strike and when Marcel lowered her, ra notified her friend with a nod and she twirled her at that moment, her bum intentionally hitting Marcel¡¯s date in the face. The bitch should have fallen to the ground with the amount of momentum she knocked her with, but she only stumbled and Marcel managed to pull her back up.

    Their gaze met and ra was shocked to discover that the bitch was the same person as that redhead ¨C she must have dyed her hair. How dare she! Marcel was no longer dating her in the secret, he was taking her out in public now. Didn¡¯t Marcel say that she was only an important guest? How dare he deceive her. ra knew that if she wasn¡¯t careful, that woman would take her ce and she would not let that happen.

    Their gaze met and ra smirked evilly. She would destroy her tonight.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Marcel asked in concern while Arianna rubbed her throbbing temple. She red at ra who smirked victoriously for securing that strike.

    ¡°We should leave,¡± Marcel would not let her get injured because of his damn pride knowing that ra did that on purpose. He had been carried away that he didn¡¯t see hering and it was his fault.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna refused to his surprise when she had been the one suggesting that moments ago.

    ¡°She¡¯s seen us already. Since she wants to y, I¡¯m game.¡± Arianna said with determination, fire burning in the depths of her eyes. She couldn¡¯t leave here a loser, ra would pay for that move.

    ¡°What do you suggest then?¡± Marcel liked the mes in her eyes knowing that she was up to no good. It was in situations like this that he liked her temper ¨C not when she was using it against him

    .....

    ¡°Carnage,¡± Arianna said with a devilish glint in her eyes, moving in tune to the music instantly. Thanks to that incident, she and Marcel had fallen out of rhythm, but not anymore.

    ra and her evil minion were just two partners away from their position and when they moved in their direction, Arianna and Marcel did too and it was an instant sh. ra reached out and yanked on her hair but Arianna elbowed her in the guts hard, knocking the breath out of her lungs while Marcel tripped her partner, and they both fell, bringing another couple down with them. An instant hush fell over the hall as even the orchestra stopped ying in the chaos.

    ra didn¡¯t move, she was dumbfounded as if she couldn¡¯t believe that she just lost. The couples they knocked down, pushed away from them with irritation, a firm look on their face demanding an exnation. However, ra screeched like a banshee instead, pointing at them usingly and Arianna turned to Marcel, saying just one word,

    ¡°Run.¡±

    Without a second thought, Marcel grabbed her hand and pulled her along as they both broke into a sprint as if their lives were on the line. However, ra would not let them go easily and chased after them like a mad woman. Seeing the situation, Arianna slowed down and pulled off her heel ¨C she couldn¡¯t run fast with it anyway- tossing it at ra as it hit her straight in the stomach and she bent over in pain.

    Arianna grabbed the second heel and hurled it at the minion and it was a clean shot because itnded right on her head and she fell back down, drawing a chuckle from Marcel¡¯s lips.

    Together they ran out of the hall with ra falling behind them. Marcel wanted to head to the entrance but that was the first ce ra woulde running and she wasn¡¯t sure Luca was in sight ¨C they should have noticed him they were on their way out so he could get the car ready.

    ¡°Come on, there should be a worker¡¯s exit!¡± Arianna said from experience of working as a barista. They ran along the passageway until they spotted a staff entering a door and they followed after him into the kitchen creating a slightmotion. Luckily, they located the exit they had been searching for and rushed out, the fresh breeze greeting them upon arrival.

    They shut the door behind them and waited, Arianna, leaning against the wall as she tried to catch her breath. They waited and when nobody came out after a while, the both of them burst intoughter.

    ¡°That was oddly fun!¡± Arianna breathed, her head still reeling from the rush earlier with her body thrumming with excitement. She defeated that bitch and it was satisfying.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marcel came to stand in front of her, boxing her into the wall as he said, ¡°I like your brand of crazy,¡± their breath mingled together and she felt aroused by their proximity. They had exited into the restaurant¡¯s backyard and it was a small garden, nor was there anybody in sight aside from themp post barely illuminating their presence.

    Marcel ran his hand through his hair, and she was unable to look away, staring at his chiseled face before her gaze flickered down to his lips and then back to his heated gaze, the hardness in his eyes telling her that she was not the only one affected with desire.

    Their lips met hungrily, a moan leaving her mouth at the intensity of the kiss. Marcel pressed her back, grinding his evident arousal against her which made Arianna gasp and made way for his tongue to slide in and stroke across hers.

    Arianna fisted her hand in his golden curls, ruffling his hair styled into perfection for the date while his hands slipped beneath her gown and trailed up her thighs until it rested on her bum, and to his shock, she was wearing nothing beneath.

    Marcel parted from her, shocked.

 Chapter 473

    473 [Bonus chapter]Running A Marathon

    ¡°Surprise, surprise, you¡¯ve found it already,¡± Arianna teased him upon seeing the shock on his face. She had tossed her panties away at thest minute without Mimi knowing else she guessed what she was up to. She gets it that Mimi was an open person, but sometimes, there was a limit.

    ¡°You are unbelievable, woman,¡± Marcel cupped her cheeks and kissed her hard this time. His tongue twisted and danced around hers, their kiss heightening from passion to dirty.

    He swallowed her groan of satisfaction and left her face, his hands slipping beneath her gown again, heaping the material around her waist and running hisrge hand over her round and smooth bottom, not giving a care that they were outside and anyone coulde in right through that door.

    Dahlia threw her inhibition out of the window the moment Marcel¡¯s handsnded on her ass, squeezing and kneading her soft flesh while she moaned amorously. Her gaze was dark with desire and she sucked on Marcel¡¯s tongue, kissing him harder. He brought out the worst in her and she kind of loved it. Perhaps, just like Marcel, she was damaged too.

    Marcel¡¯s trailed the inside of her thigh with his hand and a shiver ran down her spine while she pulled away from the kiss, her chest heaving heavily. Her body was taut with desire and she needed a release. And he heard her prayer because Marcel¡¯s finger found her clit and she let out a cry of pleasure. Arianna closed her eyes, trying to relish the beautiful sensation flowing through her body as he continued to stroke her clit.

    However, he suddenly stopped and her eyes flew open in shock. She was about to beg him not to stop when Marcel suddenly lowered down to his knees before her.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Arianna breathed in anticipation knowing much Marcel loved to eat her out. That was his favorite part of the lovemaking, except when he was thrusting into her of course. He imed the sensation of his dick iming her was the best feeling in the world.

    Marcel spread her legs apart and pushed his face into her, his tongue licking right up her center and Arianna released a loud moan. He licked around her wetness, enjoying the taste of her sweet nectar before he proceeded to suck, circle, and bite her clit.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Arianna fought to stand upright with nothing to hold onto except to brace herself against the wall as Marcel wrecked her with his tongue. She didn¡¯t want to scream out in case someone stepped out and found them, however, by the time the pressure of his tongue increased, she was a mess.

    .....

    Her back arched off the wall as the pressure built in between her legs but Marcel pinned her hips back to get better ess. Unable to take him anymore, her hand dug into his hair, but instead of pulling him away, she pushed him closer, moaning incessantly while her head rolled back from the increasing pleasure.

    Marcel released a teasingughter, and she felt the sound echo through her center and made her body hum with pleasure. Arianna became a ve to his expert mouth as he eat her out, meeting the incessant demands of his mouth and the tension in her legs told him that she was close toing.

    With one final sweep of his tongue in her clit, Arianna fell apart, ecstasy exploding through her body like a firework and she swore she saw stars as Marcel continued to eat her out even as she rode out her orgasm. He finally stood straight up, yanking her hair roughly and kissing her hard and quick.

    He made a sound at the back of his throat as he pushed her closer to his body, till there was nothing dividing them aside from their clothes and she could feel his hard body with his arousal poking her stomach. Even at that, they might as well have been naked because their hands roamed each other¡¯s bodies and while Marcel was feeling her bare bottoms, Arianna was hurriedly working his belt without breaking the kiss, she couldn¡¯t wait anymore.

    By the time she sessfully pushed down his pants, Marcel grabbed her waist and with breathtaking strength, pushed her up against the wall while she wrapped her legs around his hips.

    ¡°There¡¯s no protection,¡± Arianna reminded him, her breath fast and thick with desire.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pull out,¡± Marcel assured her.

    The withdrawal method was not safe yet Arianna was not thinking straight because her head was reeling with desire.

    With a nod of her head showing her approval, Marcel grabbed her hips but he didn¡¯t enter her immediately, instead, he intentionally kept her in suspense as he trailed a kiss down her neck, sucking and nipping her soft skin and breathing down upon it such that her shivers ran down her spine and her breath quickened.

    Then without warning, Marcel thrust his hips up to hit a sweet spot inside of her that made her cry out as he filled her inch by inch.

    ¡°Yes....¡± Arianna moaned, her eyes closed while her pussy stretched to amodate him as if weing a familiar friend home after a long time ¨C not that long anyway.

    Marcel groaned before he grabbed her ass tightly and began to fuck her hard and quick. Arianna cried out in delight, her arms wrapping around his neck to anchor herself while rocking her hips at the same time to meet his punishing thrusts.

    However, she couldn¡¯t keep up with his pace and the next she was screaming and begging him to slow down, but Marcel in question was like a beast let loose. He worked harder to keep fucking her right in that angle that turned her pleas into sweet moans and she panted for him, his huge cock mming deep inside of her and making her tight pussy mp around him.

    Arianna ced her forehead to his as she started trembling and he fucked her harder and faster and deeper, her nails digging into his back enough to draw blood till a loud, raw scream broke out from her throat and Marcel pulled away from her barely seconds before he exploded, his cum spurting across the inside of her thighs instead. While the both of them stood there panting as if they had just run a marathon.

 Chapter 474

    474 Offer Her A Job

    Arianna and Marcel sessfully made it back to the base without running into ra nor did she chase after them or stalk the base, guess she gave up already. However, Arianna knew that this wasn¡¯t the end and that ra would definitely retaliate considering ¡°her¡± wedding was just two days away and Marcel had shown zero interest in it. No, ever since Marcel found out that his sister was out of Daniel¡¯s grasp, he pretty much kicked the idea of their marriage to the curb.

    He never wanted to marry ra in the first ce, it had all been his father¡¯s idea and coercion. Things were now moving in their favor even though Arianna had this nagging feeling inside of her that says things might go wrong and Marcel ended up marrying ra. Just because Chloe slipped out of Daniel¡¯s hands doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t have other means to bend Marcel to do his will.

    But then she shifted the thought to the back of her mind and focused on the present. Right now, it was just her and Marcel and she would focus on the moment instead of the problems of tomorrow. Marcel was making calls just as Luca pulled up on thewn and the engine died off and the next he opened the car door to help her out.

    The way they treated her blurred the line and made her confused sometimes. Arianna couldn¡¯t tell if she was still a prisoner or Marcel¡¯s kept woman and that was the problem. What if she and Marcel broke up one day? What would happen? Would he let her go or make her continue her time in his prison? It was fucking confusing. No, she shouldn¡¯t think of this now.

    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Marcel finish the call and he was by his side in a twinkle of an eye, his arms resting on his waist and Dahlia had to swear that it felt god damn natural, as if thatrge hand was meant to stay there.

    ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± Arianna asked without thinking, regretting it at thest minute when she realized that she wasn¡¯t supposed to ask him that. Just because she and Marcel were an item and she helped him out on a mission doesn¡¯t mean he was going to share her business with her. He doesn¡¯t even ept her contribution, not to talk of her asking after his business.

    Hence, Arianna already mentally prepared herself to receive his reproval only for Marcel to answer to her greatest surprise, ¡°It was Adele, she just called to inform me that she was closing in on whoever ordered Peter to steal from me.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s heart missed a beat knowing that the case was rted to Elijah. Were they close to uncovering his identity as well? She had to keep a neutral expression so Marcel doesn¡¯t sense that she was affected by his news. Arianna still didn¡¯t have a clue to locate Elijah, she must have been delusional to think it would be this easy. Marcel was having a hard time locating him with all of his resources, what makes her case special then?

    Well, Arianna had thought Elijah woulde to her ¨C she could sense that he was nearby even if he wouldn¡¯t show his face ¨C and then she would be able to talk to him to stop this madness. But it seems to find Elijah was akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Not to mention that she was tired of his games. If he wanted to talk to her, he should simplye to her and stop hiding in the shadows like a coward. No wonder they called him the phantom ghost. Their hide and seek game was exhausting.

    .....

    Marcel went on to exin without noticing his difort,

    ¡°She has this newbie who¡¯s as smart as her and they¡¯ve been working on the case together. If they pull this right, I think I¡¯m going to promote the guy as a reward, and get him to work here for me. What do you think?¡± Marcel asked for her viewpoint which came as a shock to Arianna.

    Arianna remembered her conversation with Victor and understood that this was Marcel¡¯s way of slowly epting her opinion. She couldn¡¯t just push it on him overnight, rather it was a slow change, and who knows, in the future, she might have a strong voice in his decisions.

    ¡°Increasing his rank is not a bad n. Every employee wants a boost now and then, that would motivate us to work harder.¡± Arianna agreed with his idea.

    A small smile pulled at the corner of Marcel¡¯s lips as he looked away and it pleased Arianna. She liked this peace between them, not that she didn¡¯t like them fighting, not exactly, but the makeover sex was to die for. Well, they haven¡¯t had angry sex yet... Geez, Arianna focus.

    ¡°Could you offer me a job?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was stunned.

    Great! The moment she decided to stop thinking about sex, she decides to make an impossible request.

    ¡°Do you need more money? Is there something that you need that you don¡¯t have? Tell me, I¡¯ll get it for you?¡±

    Arianna bit on her lower lip nervously when Marcel made the offer. But that was the problem, she didn¡¯t need him to buy her anything, or give her more money ¨C or leave them around for her to steal. Of course, he knew.

    She stopped walking and Marcel did too. Arianna looked at the ground drawing a map of the world with her feet as she wondered how to speak to him on that. She was afraid to look up and see the fury in Marcel¡¯s eyes just because she talked about working. Arianna loved Marcel, but she wanted a life too.

    ¡°Talk to me, Arianna,¡± Marcel lifted her face by the chin, fierce gray eyes looking into hers in concern and the fears ebbed away.

    It was now or never. Arianna took a deep breath before opening up,

    ¡°I¡¯m bored here.¡± She exined, ¡°I mean, this is the longest I¡¯ve gone without working and it¡¯s beginning to bother me. I get that you want to keep me safe and make sure I don¡¯t run off, but there are other options. For a start, I¡¯m good at dancing and you have many clubs, perhaps some of your girls need a tutor or something?¡±

 Chapter 475

    475 Movie Or Not

    Marcel was close to exploding when he thought Arianna was suggesting working in his club until he heard the rest of her words and the ravaging jealousy inside of him melted away. He couldn¡¯t even imagine the idea of Arianna working in his club where those lustful men could stare at her ¨C his woman! The thought didn¡¯t sit right with him and thank the stars she didn¡¯t suggest that. It seems like she was beginning to understand his personality a bit.

    Marcel knew that he was a possessive bastard and he had no problem owning up to it. Having grown up in a household where he had almost zero friends or attachment, aside from Victor, he was overprotective of any little thing that interested him. He didn¡¯t have a normal childhood and grew up live with that shattered part of him, so there was no way on earth that he was losing the only thing that mattered to him now. Arianna was going nowhere. That was why he had to get rid of Elijah as well. Yeah, he was a selfish bastard too, add that to his shining personality.

    Looking into her hopeful gaze, Marcel could see how much Arianna wanted this, and damn him if he wasn¡¯t going to do that just to see that bright smile on her face. He understood her point since was never the type to stay in a ce for long. His life revolved around the Mafia and he had to admit that he enjoyed the thrill thates with his job, he could not live without that. So yes, he understood her well.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel said, ¡°I would see what I can do about it.¡±

    The moment he said that, Ariannaunched herself at him with a cry of joy, pressing her soft, luscious lips against his in a kiss that made his heart tumble in delight. Arianna was probably one of the rare women excited at having a job when he offered her enough luxury at her disposal. But then, that was his strong woman and probably one of her qualities that he enjoyed the most.

    Marcel took that opportunity to let his hands wander down, cupping her bottom and pressing her against his arousal that sprang to life. Yeah, with her around, he was never satisfied. However, he let out a groan of dissatisfaction when Arianna pulled out of the kiss too soon and his lips chased after her causing her to chuckle.

    ¡°Nope, Marcel,¡± She shifted her face the other way, dodging his advances. But he did not give up and dropped his lips to her slender neck instead, peppering kisses on her tender skin as she held onto his shoulder only to push him away gently at thest minute.

    Marcel let out a growl, his hands now resting on her waist to keep her from escaping. He was hard and wouldn¡¯t mind them continuing from where they stopped ¨C in thefort of his room, of course. There was no way he was fucking Arianna out here for his men to see, Arianna was his. His alone.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Ariannamented when he wouldn¡¯t stop whining like a love-deprived puppy ¨C and maybe he was ¨C but he finally stopped. Marcel realized that she hadn¡¯t eaten much between the time he spent rting about his mother and ra chasing after them.

    .....

    ¡°The date was a disaster,¡± Marcel winced at his inability to deliver the perfect date he had in mind. If only that woman hadn¡¯t arrived then Arianna would have had the best of her life.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t. We had fun, remember?¡± She reminded him of the way they yed ra, but Marcel had another idea.

    ¡°Yeah, which part of the fun?¡± He teased her knowingly watching as she blushed red and a smile crossed Marcel¡¯s lips before he knew it. God, he loves this woman.

    Damn, he loves her.

    ¡°I need to eat,¡± Arianna was unable to respond to him and chose the easiest way, running away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll alert the staff to prepare something for you.¡± He happily kept up with her pace.

    But she rejected his offer, ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m not about to wake the poor cook thiste at night just because I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°I pay them for it.¡±

    ¡°And I refuse to be inconsiderate.¡±

    Marcel saw that stubborn tick in her jaw and knew that he was not going anywhere with this argument. Sometimes, he kept on wondering if she was the boss or him.

    ¡°Fine, do whatever you want,¡± He added immediately, ¡°But I¡¯ll be the one doing the cooking.¡±

    Arianna stopped, blinking at him in surprise, before asking, ¡°You know how to cook?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    No.

    The only thing Marcel knew how to do was to boil his water and prepare his coffee. Why learn about cooking when he had enough staff that took care of his needs since birth?

    Victor was the chef of the family.

    In fact, the only reason Marcel learned how to make his coffee was that his cousin began to use the knowledge to gain favors from him. So he learned how to make it and ended Victor¡¯s reign of freeloading.

    ¡°Of course, I know. How hard can it be?¡± Marcel boasted as if it wasn¡¯t hard work

    But twenty minutester, Arianna was seen trying to extinguish the fireball in the frying pan while Marcel stood, covered with soot.

    Who in the world burns pancakes?! Well, you¡¯re staring at him right there. By the time Arianna was done, the kitchen was covered with smoke and she learned a valuable lesson never to let Marcel cook again. He was just not... destined for it?

    ¡°What should we do now, I burned your food?¡± Marcel dropped his head like a puppy who knew he did something wrong.

    Ariannaughed at the gesture before ruffling his hair, saying, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not that hungry anymore,¡± not after she filled her stomach with the smoke, ¡°So perhaps, you can go wash up, and then we could cuddle and watch some movie?¡±

    ¡°Cuddling and movies?¡± Marcel said with distaste, crunching his nose as if that was the worst idea he has ever heard, ¡°But then, we could fuck. There are condoms, you know,¡± His eyes lit up naughtily at the idea.

    Arianna gave him a sweet smile that deceived Marcel into thinking she epted his offer,

    ¡°Sorry, but my Lady Vag is closed for tonight. So movie or not?¡±

 Chapter 476

    476 Valeria

    ¡°How could he do this to me? How could Marcel unt her in public when he has never even taken me out for dinner unless you suggested it?¡± ra cried out, burying her face into Daniel¡¯s chest and rubbing snort all over his shirt.

    After the embarrassing night, the first thought that came to her mind was seeking Daniel. ra had been determined to fight her battle by herself, but she couldn¡¯t, Marcel had gone too far and she couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. That was why she was here spilling her guts to Daniel.

    Marcel was stupid not to realize that he had a nice father. ra hasn¡¯t even opened up to her own mother to this level, but she bared her soul to Daniel because he was always there to listen and help her. He was the father that she lost. ra knew that Daniel would always stand by her, no matter what she had told him. Daniel had never failed her, he would not fail her now. That woman better watch her back now.

    Even though she loathed their upation and pretended not to know what the Luciano family was capable of, ra had a feeling that Marcel¡¯s secret lover was in trouble now. Marcel might not love her but Daniel likes her and she was his daughter-inw, which meant Marcel had no say in this arrangement. In one word, she was sure that the wedding would hold.

    But as pleased as she was with Daniel¡¯s impending revenge on that woman, it still didn¡¯t brush away the feeling of embarrassment she received today and ra pushed her face further into Daniel¡¯s chest, crying hard and didn¡¯t get to see the furrow on his face.

    Daniel was beginning to see reasons why his son didn¡¯t like the girl. ra was a crybaby and no member of Luciano¡¯s family was a loser. It was a dog-eat-dog society and all of them fought for their ce in the family and through hard work, got to the position they are today.

    It seems he made a bad choice of a daughter-inw. Instead of raining to him, she should have just solved her problem herself. She could get rid of the girl and nothing would happen to her because he was her backer. For sure, Marcel would throw a tantrum but woulde around in time.

    Even at that, Daniel had no ns of canceling their marriage. To gain, one must lose as well. It might seem hard at first but it got easier with time and that was something Marcel hadn¡¯t understood yet. In a position of power, some sacrifices needed to be made and Marcel was too zealous to take note of that yet.

    However, it wasn¡¯t surprising, because he too made the same choices when he was around Marcel¡¯s age, but life happened and he matured, and he had no doubt his son would too, especially with a Valeria by his side. Fate was really messing with him.

    .....

    As far as Marcel married ra, Daniel gave no fuck if he kept Arianna as a mistress. Yes, that was where she belonged, as a whore, beneath his son. He wished Natalie was up there in heaven watching it happen and knowing that she was unable to stop it from happening ¨C ghosts can¡¯t manipte fate. Haha, in your face, Natalie!

    It would have been better if she had a grave, perhaps he could go piss on it. But then she fell into the damn water! He hoped the sharks made good dinner out of her body because the thought that the wave carried her away and washed ashore at another location where she would be buried irked him.

    The fact that her body was never found bothered Daniel over the years because he has this stupid thought that she survived, but it was impossible. Even if she hadn¡¯t drowned, the bullet to her stomach would have done the work. He snorted inwardly, to think that she would rather die than be with him annoyed him greatly.

    However, if by some miracle Natalie survived, then he would do her the favor by ending her permanently. Yeah, no resurrection, no ghosts the second time. He was unable to kill her in the past due to petty feelings, but not anymore. He has changed over the years and that was why her daughter would bear his wrath. This was the universe giving him justice for what he did to her.

    Daniel would rather die than have a Valeria spawn his heir, and would have had to remind his stupid son of that while he fucked the whore, but not anymore, the girl had to go. He would have tolerated her if she knew her ce but she had to intercept his ns and almost ruined her ce. He would get Marcel on that altar even if it meant getting rid of her.

    Her family had scorned him in the first ce for being low blood and now, this was the opportunity to climb up the socialdder, a Valeriaes to ruin it? It would never happen. She had to go. The Luciano¡¯s would no longer be just a bunch of low lives with their dirty money, their status would be upgraded and they would mingle with the true bourgeois of the society.

    But that would only happen after his son and ra were wedded. Perhaps, when he was done, he would seek the remaining Valeria¡¯s outside the country. Was their old man still alive? If he was, Daniel bet he wouldn¡¯t have time left when hees to demand his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage because If he could remember much, there was still a younger daughter. Daniel might have once loved Natalie, but all that affection was filled with hate now and he would destroy all she ever cared for.

    So Daniel put up with ra¡¯s tantrum even if it was annoying as well. Very soon she would be Marcel¡¯s mess to deal with, but until then, he could not spook. Thankfully, he had shown Marcel firsthand how to put a woman in her ce. In no time, ra would learn her role in this family, and who knows, she might mature as well just as Penelope did.

 Chapter 477

    477 Dirty Little Secret

    Many years back...

    Regalo was dead and Natalie had never been more scared in her life than now. The man was no other than her father¡¯s strongest opponent in the uing election and his death was widely broadcasted in the news. Of course, suspicion should have moved to her father based on the fact that he was the one to benefit most from his murder, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Apparently, Regalo was working with the Cartal and they had a fall out which resulted in his murder. It seems the Cartel had been backing him until they had the dispute that led to the loss of his life. Nheless, her father was under investigation as well, however, Natalie knew nothing was going toe out of it because he had immunity ¨C he had the support of that man, Daniel.

    Natalie finally understood Daniel¡¯s business with her father, he helped him eliminate hispetition and she didn¡¯t know what to make of that. Her father was turning into somebody that she couldn¡¯t understand anymore due to his political ambition. Just how far was he going to go? Until he won? Then what? Arianna knew for sure that there was no going back once one had a taste of darkness. It was luring, sweet, intoxicating yet dark.

    She couldn¡¯t see her father in the same light as before and what made it worse was the fact that she couldn¡¯t talk to anyone about it. Penelope was still spooked from that ident and it was made worse now Daniel literally walked in and out of their house as if he owned it. Natalie didn¡¯t know the deal between her papa and Daniel, but they upped security as well, filling it with Daniel¡¯s people and making it hard for her to sneak out.

    However, Natalie was not the type of person to give up and already found a loophole in their security and a form of escape. She was going to see Edward today and no one was going to stop her. Penelope was noting with her today, she had merely apanied her that day to ensure that Edward was not a bad person.

    Her job was fulfilled and Penelope might have subtly pointed out that her boyfriend was jinxed, hinting that they might stumble upon another psychopath like Daniel on their way home. Of course, thatment didn¡¯t sit well with Natalie, but to avoid an argument, she let her be ¨C her loss anyway. She was the one alone in there, not her.

    Natalie was standing on the wedge she had created from a bunch of stuff she had gathered around and was ready to climb over the wall. She grabbed the edge of the high wall, grateful for her tall height. She pushed herself up, grunting with the effort as she sessfully pushed one leg over the edge while the other one dangled from the inside.

    She swallowed a deep breath, her leg having scraped across the wall in the process but she sucked in the pain, no sesses easily. Done catching her breath, she was about to lift the other part of her body over the wall when someone said,

    .....

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could scale walls too, princess?¡±

    Caught red-handed, Natalie was startled and lost her grip. Before Natalie knew what was going on, she found herself stumbling back down with a curse on her lips and hit the ground or so she imagined because Daniel caught her at thest minute.

    Still reeling from the shock, Natalie didn¡¯t say anything until her brain reminded her about the fact that she was currently wrapped in Daniel¡¯s arms. Shit! She cursed and scrambled to get off him and unintentionally made herself aware of the strength of his arms and the pack of muscles beneath his jacket.

    He didn¡¯t let go of her at first, making her squirm like a fish out of water until she reacted instinctively and bite down on his arm, chomping on leather at first, making sure she bit furiously on the little flesh she caught in between her teeth.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Daniel had no choice but to let go of her before she bit off his flesh. Nataliended on her feet unsteadily but managed to right herself at the end. She expected Daniel to be mad at her, considering she had bitten him hard, but instead she found amusement in his gaze which was kind of ridiculous. He was a criminal, and she thought he wouldsh out at her ¨C or even hit her.

    ¡°The next time you want to nt a love bite on me, try the neck,¡± He teased her, shing his white teeth that would have made any other girl fall under his charm, except her.

    ¡°In your dreams,¡± Natalie sneered, disgust written all over her face. He was in for a big shock if he thought he could use the influence of her father to date her. She didn¡¯t fancy him ¨C even though he was sexy as hell.

    Banish that thought, Natalie.

    ¡°Dreams can always turn to reality,¡± He grinned suggestively.

    Wait a minute, was he seriously flirting with her?

    Weird.

    Natalie shuddered inwardly.

    ¡°You seem to be going somewhere?¡± He raised an eyebrow at the item she piled high to aid her climb the walls.

    But Natalie blocked his view, ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t.¡± She lied even though the truth was staring right at their faces.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Daniel chuckled, ¡°I should have known that you would study the guards¡¯ routine , enough to know when this spot is free.¡± He ran his hand through his hair, ¡°I must say I¡¯m impressed. ¡±

    Natalie narrowed her gaze at him, he was definitely confusing as hell. What does he want from her?

    ¡°Since you¡¯re willing to leave unseen, I bet that whatever you¡¯re about to do would not be approved by your family. But don¡¯t worry princess, I¡¯ll keep your secret and you can im this spot for your secret getaways.¡±

    She red at him, ¡°Stop calling me that, I¡¯m no princess...¡± Natalie paused as if trying to form the thought that was confusing her, ¡°Why would you help me?¡±

    And to answer that question, Daniel began to step towards her and that made her walk back until she hit a dead end, the wall. He then caged her in and smirked like the predator he was.

    ¡°Why, you ask?¡± He smirked devilishly, ¡°Because keeping your dirty little secrets makes us besties, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

 Chapter 478

    478 Taken By You

    This new found rtionship between her and Daniel was weird yet exciting at the same ¨C even though it wasn¡¯t supposed to be. He intrigued her and she longed to learn more about him, however, Natalie still put up her guards. She couldn¡¯t entirely trust him, that was for sure. The man was trouble and a criminal, those were enough reasons to avoid him.

    He kept his promise of not telling her mother what she was up to and for some strange reasons, none of his men patrolled that area whenever she wanted to sneak out as if they already learned her routine. They knew whenever she snuck out and made themselves invincible giving her the illusion that she was able to sneak out easily. However, Natalie was no fool and knew that Daniel had a hand in it. Why was he doing this? It was confusing as hell.

    At the same time, Natalie made sure no one was able to track her activity. Lately, she has been feeling eyes on her and because she didn¡¯t want to draw attention to Edward, she made sure to lead her stalker away before she made it to their dates ¨C or his ce. She knew this was all Daniel¡¯s doing and felt protective towards her boyfriend. Daniel was a dangerous man and she didn¡¯t want him messing around with Edward.

    Today again, she felt those eyes on her and walked in circles for about an hour before she was able to confuse her stalker. What was Daniel¡¯s problem? What does he want with her whereabouts when he imed he would keep her secret? What if he was lying and was reporting her activity to her father?

    However, her bad mood was washed away after she spent time with Edward. Natalie couldn¡¯t exin it, but whenever she was around him, she felt at peace. Edward reminded her of home, warm and cozy, unlike that annoying criminal Daniel that manages to get under her skin. And why was she even thinking about that asshole? Gosh, she had to stop this.

    The evening came too soon and as agonizing as it was to separate from Edward, she had to go home before it waste. Thanks to sneaking out of the house, Natalie didn¡¯t drive which meant that she would have to catch a bus and a damn taxi afterward to get to her ce. After thest incident where she unhappily got acquainted with Daniel, Natalie learned never to be learned. Moreover, her mother might ground her once again if she hung out toote.

    Although she was sure her mother probably had no idea that she was out alone ¨C Daniel always managed to cover up her ass. Why does he do that? She has no idea? He was probably so bored with his big scary attitude that he decided to y nice for once. That was not her business. As far as it worked in her favor, it was none of her business.

    Natalie was standing by the bus stop alongside other people waiting for the bus when a car suddenly stopped in front of her and before she had the chance to ask questions, two men jumped out of it with their faces covered and got a hold of her on both sides.

    ¡°Wait?! What?! What is going on here?! Who are you?! Where are you taking me?!¡± Natalie threw questions after questions, while struggling against them. However, it was no use because the men were stronger than her and they pulled her towards the car while the witness watched on, without doing anything.

    .....

    Seriously, fucking humans! She was getting kidnapped right in front of them and they weren¡¯t even making any effort to rescue her?!

    Honestly, Natalie thought at first that it was Daniel¡¯s men pulling some sort of cruel prank on her until she saw the cold look in their eyes and knew at that moment that something wasn¡¯t right. However, Natalie didn¡¯t have to worry about people rescuing her because they pressed the drugged handkerchief against her nose and she lost consciousness.

    When Natalie finally came around, she was seated down on a metal chair with her mouth gagged, her hands and legs tied up and she was unable to break out free. What the hell was going on here? She knew that her father¡¯s ambition put the whole family at risk of being kidnapped and used to demand ransom which was why their mother emphasized their safety, however for such a thing to happen in a foreign country where she was hardly known was shocking. Of all ces to be kidnapped for the first time, she never thought of here. Natalie assumed that she was safe, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case anymore.

    Natalie made loud noises in the back of her throat even with the clothes painfully digging into her mouth, restricting her from making a coherent speech. She needed an exnation and was going to receive one whether those assholes liked it or not. She was in some sort of abandoned warehouse. Geez, why do these psychopaths have to use creepy ces like this one? If they killed her here, it would take long for people to identify her until she began to rot.

    Her noise finally paid off because one of the men who she surmised as the leader with his intimidating aura came in and she looked at him boldly. Her mother always scolded her about the fact that she was too damn stubborn for her good and right now, she wasn¡¯t going to fear this good-for-nothing scumbag. She was a Valeria, and they knew no fear because their money could solve all of their problems.

    The leader came around to yank down the gag around her mouth and she flexed her hurting jaw before saying casually,

    ¡°Name your price, my father would have it delivered in the blink of an eye. However, you might have to reconsider the way you treat me around here else you might regret it in the long run.¡± There was a threat to her voice but the hardened look in the man¡¯s eyes told her that he was anything but intimidated. Alright, that was going to be a hard nut to crack.

    The man chucked all by himself, ¡°Now I see why he¡¯s taken by you. ¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

 Chapter 479

    479 Zero Interest In Her

    ¡°What?¡± Natalie was confused by what he was talking about, however, a sinking feeling in the pit of her belly told her that he didn¡¯t want her money ¨C and that was the problem. If he didn¡¯t want her money, well, her father¡¯s money to be precise, then that¡¯s pretty much messed up. In one word she¡¯s fucked up.

    ¡°The viper has been careful to cover his weakness all these years until lucknds on my door and you show up. The bastard¡¯s good at hiding his feelings but thanks to the spies I hid nted amongst his people, I was able to find what I wanted.¡± He said, confusing Natalie the more.

    She tipped her head to the side with a sigh saying, ¡°Honest truth, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, and who knows, you might have the wrong girl as well, after all, your minions took me away disrespectfully from the bus stop where your real suspect could be chilling with a Coca-C drink right now. ¡±

    His eyes shed and he invaded her space so much that Natalie had to inch back to avoid him knocking into her ¨C and the wrath on his face.

    ¡°Are you trying to make a fool out of me or tell me I don¡¯t know what I saw?! ¡°He sneered right at her face and before Natalie could say anything, he yanked on her hair hard, drawing a yelp from her lips, ¡°Daniel might be a smart man but he fails woefully at hiding his feelings.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Natalie stuttered, feeling like someone just whacked her at the back of her head with a pan, ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean Daniel has....¡± She trailed off, her expression paling all of a sudden as she shook her head in denial, ¡°Oh no.¡±

    A chilling smile broke across the man¡¯s face and Natalie didn¡¯t know whether to be scared of the fact that he just imed Daniel liked her ¨C which was absolutely stupid and impossible ¨C or the fact that it seems she acknowledging Daniel¡¯s existence just pretty much sealed her fate. He must be Daniel¡¯s enemy and it was fucking FANTASTIC! Someone should get her out of here! She was too young to die! Heck, she hasn¡¯t even slept with Edward yet!

    At once, Natalie began to deny it, for Christ¡¯s sake, she wanted to live. This is why she shouldn¡¯t have gotten entangled with that mad man. She shouldn¡¯t have thought that he was doing her a great favor by letting her leave their vacation house unsupervised.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, that crazy man has zero interest in -¡± Natalie yelped when he yanked her hair again, this one more painful than thest one, ¡°Is that what he told you? To deny your rtionship so you would be safe from me?!¡±

    .....

    Was she fucking crazy? Why would she even dare to date Daniel in the first ce? He was a criminal who seems to be in some gang judging from his rival holding her by the hair right now. It was painful as hell and Natalie fought back the tears having a feeling that depraved men like him take pleasure from that.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a fiery little thing,¡± The man mused, that devilish smile that looked anything but handsome, lingering at the corner of his lips. Just as Natalie thought, he expected her to cry and began to beg on her knees. It wasn¡¯t happening.

    ¡°No wonder he¡¯s so invested in you, your fierce eyes are a wet dream,¡± His hand left her hair to trail down her face until she turned the other away and he let her be or so Natalie thought.

    The next minute he lifted her chin and turned her so she couldn¡¯t look away from him, ¡°But that¡¯s alright, because, by the time I¡¯m done with you, I¡¯ll make sure he feels each and every pain he¡¯s made me pass through,¡± he was now grabbing her chin so tight her eyes watered.

    A shiver went down Natalie¡¯s spine when she saw the threat in the man¡¯s eyes and she wondered what she had done to deserve this. It was like jumping from frying pan to fire, first Daniel, now Daniel¡¯s enemies. Damn it, She should have listened to Penelope when she told her to leave Daniel for dead that day. Had she done that, she wouldn¡¯t be dealing with this shit, right now. However, it was toote toin about the spilled milk, so she could only think about how to get out of this mess.

    However, almost immediately, there was the sound of a gunshot and she stiffened. Well, not only her, the mad man beside her too, and the fear she saw in his gaze gave her sudden hope, because whatever he feared meant that it was good for her. Call it instinct but Natalie knew it was him, Daniel. He came for her and as mad as she was at him for leading her into this mess, she was relieved at the same time. She was not going to die, help wasing!

    ¡°Fuck!¡± The man cursed with panic when the gunshot increased and she knew that it was an exchange between his men and Daniel¡¯s people.

    ¡°I should have known he would track you down!¡± He began to pull at the knot at her leg trying to release it so she could walk. He wanted to hide her away from Daniel. It was too soon and he hasn¡¯t even started any of his ns.

    However, the moment Natalie¡¯s legs were free, she lifted her knee without warning and rammed it into his face and the moment he stumbled back, she took the chance to run even though her hands were tied.

    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t run far because he pulled her back by the hair and she cried out in pain. The moment he got her, a p met her face and Natalie swore she felt her ear ring and saw stars in her vision. She was still reeling from the effect of the p when the man pulled her off the ground to his body and she saw a shadow step out into the light at the same time.

    It was Daniel and he looked like an angel of death.

 Chapter 480

    480 Daniel¡¯s Whore

    Natalie had never seen Daniel mad and to be honest, it wasn¡¯t any different than the passive expression he held when discussing his secret business with papa, however, she could tell the difference. She could tell the anger from the tick on his jaw and the blood that sttered across his cheek made him look more sinister.

    Though he looked amused, there was a dark, dangerous glint in his eyes that made her thank God that she wasn¡¯t the one at the receiving edge of his anger. In one word, Daniel seethed silently and it didn¡¯t look pretty unlike the panicking idiot that had her by the throat and used her body to shield him.

    He feared Daniel, Arianna could smell that off him and it left her confused. Was Daniel really that good at killing people? Was that why he feared him? Maybe she shouldn¡¯t rejoice that much, what if Daniel killed her afterward? No, he was holding business with her papa so she was safe, for the moment. Natalie made a mental note never to provoke him ¨C if she survived today.

    ¡°Have youe to collect your woman? You couldn¡¯t even wait a day, is her pussy that sweet?¡± He sneered.

    Whoah, whoah, what the hell? Natalie was offended. Where was thating from? What gave him the impression that she was Daniel¡¯s whore? She still hasn¡¯t even understood why the man even targeted her in the first ce because as far as she knows, she and Daniel were not together ¨C and would never be.

    ¡°Hey, asshole, I think you¡¯re mistaken -¡± Natalie nearly choked when the man tightened his grip on her neck and she saw a shift in Daniel¡¯s expression. Surely, he wasn¡¯t concerned about her, right? Well, even if he was, it was only because she was his client¡¯s daughter and he was the reason she was here. Yeah, he only cared about her because it would affect his business with her papa, Natalie told herself.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let her go and I would make your death less painful?¡± Daniel finally spoke up and if it wasn¡¯t for his taut body, she would have found his nonchnce offensive. He looked rxed even when the man was almost choking her.

    ¡°Make my death less painful?¡± He scoffed, a crazed look in his eyes, ¡°You might be able to do that but I would take a piece of you with me,¡± Heughed and the next thing Natalie knew, a gun¡¯s muzzle was pressing against her temple and her blood ran cold. She was going to die. God, she was going to die!

    Her heart began to pound faster while her palms were mmy with sweat and the moment Daniel took a step forward, he pressed the gun further against her temple and it did nothing to calm her nerves. Step back, you idiot! Does he want to get her killed?!

    .....

    ¡°Really? Can you do that?¡± Daniel tipped his head to the side with a smile. Wait a minute, an actual smile? Was he kidding her? He was goading the man, not calming him! Daniel would cause her death.

    To prove her point, she felt the man¡¯s nervousness increase, and the gun¡¯s muzzle was now biting into her skin, leaving an imprint. This was it, she was going to die because of Daniel¡¯s caustic mouth and stupidness.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to end her life before you end mine,¡± The man said as if to assure himself that he was in control here and not Daniel.

    ¡°I have snipers in ce already and you should watch your back because that red dot from behind would end your life quicker than you could pull your trigger,¡± Daniel smirked devilishly and Natalie felt the moment the man¡¯s grip loosened as he turned to see what he was talking about.

    It all happened in a split second because the moment he turned his head, Daniel winked at her and call it instinct or something, but she knew that there was no sniper behind them and the wink was a signal. Signal for what? Natalie had no idea but she was not sitting around to find out.

    The man turned back with rage when he discovered that there was no window in his position but a wall, he had forgotten that thanks to his nerves and Daniel just tricked him which wasn¡¯t good. With Daniel here, he knew that he was fighting a losing battle, however, he swore to hurt Daniel in the process too. He had to kill that woman.

    However, that single turn of his head was a mistake and the opening Natalie needed to turn her fate around. She only hoped that this wouldn¡¯t turn out to be a mistake. So she mmed her head back into his jaw and the man cursed, his grip losing around her neck. Unfortunately, he was quick to resume control, his finger curling around the trigger, ready to st her head off but Daniel was faster.

    Bang!

    Daniel fired, the shot catching him straight in the hand holding that gun so he had no choice but to drop it with a curse as blood seeped instantly from his finger and Natalie was able to escape from his clutch. She ran to safety and crouched down, covering her ears with her palms as the second shot rang out.

    The second shot destroyed his kneecap and the man¡¯s scream echoed throughout the warehouse making Natale close her ear further. She was not a huge fan of violence and this one was ying out right in front of her. If Natalie didn¡¯t fear Daniel before, she had a good reason to do so now as she watched the brutal execution.

    ¡°When I make an offer, I make sure to deliver it. I told you I would make your death less painful, you should have taken up the offer when it wasn¡¯t toote,¡± Daniel told the man as he approached him with the stance of a predator. Daniel was in control and he knew that.

    ¡°Go to hell,¡± He sneered.

    A shadow fell over Daniel¡¯s face as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s where you¡¯re clearly headed.¡±

    Bang!

 Chapter 481

    481 Lust After Me

    Everything happened right in front of her and Natalie couldn¡¯t even tell how she was able to stomach the scene without throwing up, but she somehow did.

    Daniel had not been kidding when he said he won¡¯t give him an easy death. He shot the man so many times that she couldn¡¯t keep count anymore and he should be dead already. However, he intentionally missed out on the vital parts meaning that the man was left to bleed out on the floor while suffering the pain of the torture Daniel put him through.

    When he was satisfied with his handwork, Daniel finally put him out of the misery bynding a clean shot between his eyes. Once he died, the environment fell still and Natalie couldn¡¯t even breathe carelessly as she finally stood to her feet, her legs almost giving out in the process.

    Natalie should be afraid of Daniel having seen what he could do, he brutally murdered her kidnapper right in front of her. But then, she couldn¡¯t erase the fact that he almost caused her death by provoking the man in the first ce ¨C she escaped narrowly. So when Daniel came in her direction, sheshed out.

    ¡°Are you crazy?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you know how close I came to ¨C mmm,¡± Natalie was stunned when Daniel suddenly dug his hand into her hair and yanked on it, pulling her close to his body and closed his mouth over hers.

    For over a minute, she couldn¡¯t think as Daniel¡¯s lips pressed against hers in a kiss, no, she couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. Her eyes were as wide as the moon and she stood at the spot frozen as he plundered her lips. Then it hit her, Daniel was kissing her. Holy bananas, what the hell?

    Without a second thought, Natalie tried to push him away, but he wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing her to his body so there was nothing between them except their clothes. She could feel his hard body and was highly tempted to run her hands down his body and trace his hard biceps. No! She shook the ridiculous thought out of her mind.

    With a sudden burst of strength, Natalie was able to push him away andnded a p on his cheek, his face whipping to the side.

    ¡°How dare you?!¡± She was shaking with rage.

    .....

    But Daniel must be an animal because he grabbed her hair again and crushed his lips on hers. There was no gentle exploration this time which she had let happen earlier thanks to the shock ¨C she had not seen iting ¨C now it was pure domination.

    With the rage fueling her, Natalie tried to push him away but he was as immovable as a wall. The kiss was hard and bruising and that infuriated her the more. So she snapped her teeth together, refusing to part her mouth for him. But that animal called Daniel bit on her lower lips and she yelped in pain and his tongue took that chance to invade her mouth, stealing her breath away.

    Natalie let out a garbled protest but he swallowed the sound, and it came out sexual. She could feel her defenses crumbling down little by little and It didn¡¯t help matters that Daniel was a damn good kisser, hence, before long, Natalie was kissing him back.

    But even with her willingness, Daniel didn¡¯t ease the brutality of the kiss. He pushed her roughly against the pir behind her and the pain made her gasp, however, it surprisingly turned into pleasure as he kissed her senseless.

    Daniel just kept on assaulting her mouth until he was satisfied that he had driven the message home ¨C he staked his im on her. Done proving to her that she was his, Daniel eased the brutality of his kisses, softening them. He let Natalie take short breaths, but each time she was close to regaining her rationality, he would swoop down and im her lips, muddling her mind once again. Hence, Natalie couldn¡¯t catch enough breath and was panting in between the kisses.

    What was she doing? She was kissing a criminal? However, the reasonable part of her brain was gone and Natalie could only listen to her body¡¯s urges as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Her hands raked through his hair and clutched a fistful of it, and it was as silky as hell.

    From his reputation, Natalie thought that he would tear off her clothes or something, exploring her body, but he did none of it, kissing her passionately instead until they broke apart finally and Natalie sobered up.

    ¡°Bastard!¡± She lifted her hand to p him a second time but he grabbed her.

    Daniel told her straight in the face, ¡°I deserve the first p because I forced myself on you, but you enjoyed it the second time and I¡¯m not apologizing for that,¡± He imed.

    Natalie saw red, how could he say that? So she yelled at his face,

    ¡°You kissed me forcibly! You took advantage of my vulnerability. So even though I responded to your kisses, it was only because my body was designed to respond to lust, nothing else!¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Daniel said, ¡°You can lust after me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Natalie was dumbfounded. What the hell was wrong with this guy?

    Daniel stepped forward and she walked back, stumbling into the pir behind her in the process and was unable to avoid him. The bastard took advantage of that and boxed her in so she wasn¡¯t able to escape him.

    ¡°You heard the dead bastard, you¡¯re my woman now.¡± He imed her as if she was some property that can be owned.

    Natalie sighed, rubbing her forehead, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking but I¡¯m not your -¡±

    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Answer my question,¡± He demanded.

    Natalie was tempted to say yes, however, her gaze drifted over to the corpse of that man and her stomach did a backflip as a thought hit her. What if she told Daniel about Edward and the psychopath went after him? God, she couldn¡¯t let that happen. Edward can¡¯t die because of her. So she lied.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, and I don¡¯t need -¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s settled then, you¡¯re my woman.¡±

    ¡°What? That is outrageous! You can¡¯t just -!¡±

    But Daniel was already leaving the warehouse, without listening to her own opinion and Natalie had no choice but to follow after him instead of spending time with the corpse. She would convince himter that she can¡¯t be his girlfriend.

    End Of shback

 Chapter 482

    482 Chloe Can¡¯t Wait

    The present...

    Arianna and Marcel slept off on the couchst night in the name of watching movies and judging from howfortable she felt, she knew that Marcel had borne the brunt of her weight. Yeah, his arm must be dead from where she snuggled into all night and he was still asleep.

    She got out of his arms seeing that it was morning and it was the day Mimi and Winters were supposed to go work for the Spencers. In one word, he should be awake already.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna shook him, but Marcel made no effort to wake up. She shook him again, still, yet, there was

    no result and Arianna rubbed her temple, wondering how he was able to live this long when he slept like a log of wood.

    If Arianna was an enemy, she would have taken him by surprise and ended his life already. But then, she knew Marcel won¡¯t be toofortable with her if she was an enemy. He might be in love with her, but he was not stupid.

    Damn it, there was no way on earth she was pulling him up to his feet. Marcel weighed like an elephant and it wasn¡¯t as romantic as people thought, not when she was buckling under his weight.

    However, Arianna knew that Marcel rarely slept this deeply and for him to sleep this long was a luxury. It was either that he was away on a job or he was woken up from a bad dream and wasn¡¯t able to go back to sleep.

    Honestly, the best time Arianna saw Marcel sleep well was whenever they were together ¨C especially when they had sex. It was as if she was his special sleeping drug. The thought made her lips curl up and her heart beat faster just as she came up with a brilliant n to wake him.

    .....

    Arianna knelt on the sofa, careful not to touch his dead arm, and then leaned into him so she buried her nose into the crook of his neck and inhaled his scent that made her feel heady. Arianna could not believe that there woulde a time when she would get addicted to a man like this. It was a short time, but while what she had shared with Elijah was sweet, with Marcel, It was as if she was alive after being dead for so many years. She loved.... him deeply. Yeah, she loved him, Arianna finally realized it. The realization exhrated and scared her at the same time.

    What if Marcel broke her heart in the future? What if his feelings were a show and this was merely an act of revenge against Elijah? No, Arianna pushed those negative doubts to the back of her head. The signs were there, she would not allow her insecurities to destroy this beautiful thing she had with Marcel.

    Arianna began to kiss his neck, sucking and nipping his flesh that his eyes flew open in no time and it brought a little, victorious smile to her lips. It seems like she just found the most effective way to wake Marcel up. But to her surprise, he tilted his head to the side giving her more ess, and dug his hand into her hair, urging her face further into his neck.

    Arianna pretended that she was a vampire, taking his soft skin in between her teeth and biting him hard, before kissing the skin to ease the pain. She trailed fiery kisses up and down his neck, along his jaw, and beneath his chin, feeling the faint stubbles on his face and when Marcel chuckled because it felt ticklish, she felt the deep vibration down to her core. Arianna didn¡¯t even realize that she was ying with fire until she felt Marcel grab her ass and knead it.

    She squealed, trying to jump out of his arms but Ariannanded in Marcel¡¯s trap already and there was no escaping him. Last night, before they settled down for the movies in his home movie room ¨C she didn¡¯t even know that he had one ¨C the both of them changed out of their formal clothes.

    Marcel liked sleeping naked on most nights, iming it was the mostfortable way of sleeping or something, she had not exactly been listening to that night because she was busy threatening him to get clothes on.

    Thankfully, he had the decency of putting on a sweatpant yesterday leaving his chest bare while she wore shorts and a singlet. Arianna was not worried about catching a cold because Marcel¡¯s body always seems to run hot, hence when she snuggled into his arms, she was all warm and cozy.

    But not anymore.

    Right now, Marcel looked nothing but like a big bad wolf about to eat her whole. Oh no, she wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. She hadn¡¯t even brushed her teeth. Hence Arianna had to summon a great deal of self-control to stop his advances.

    ¡°Marcel?¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡± He murmured, kissing her neck while hisrge palms squeezed and kneaded her ass. Arianna bit back a moan, it was very tempting to take up this offer especially now her core was arching, Marcel has turned her into a sex addict because Arianna could not believe that she had a high libido. However, this was not the time and he must know that as well.

    ¡°Mimi and Winters leave for Spencer¡¯s ce today, you need to get prepared,¡± Arianna was close to moaning and taking him up on this offer.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Marcel said, yet made no effort to move. Just when Arianna opened her mouth to say something, he said instead, ¡°Let¡¯s bathe together, I promise to be quick.¡±

    Arianna knew what Marcel was offering her and God damn it because it was really tempting, alluring. However, she knew Marcel, or rather understood the bond between the both of them, and thenguage, ¡®quick¡¯ was not in their dictionary. There was just no time, so she reminded him.

    So she sped his cheek, ¡°Sorry, but Chloe can¡¯t wait,¡± and that seemed to jolt Marcel from his lust-induced state and she knew the moment he gained his rationality.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± His eyes were clear now.

 Chapter 483

    483 The Mission

    Mimi was jittery with nerves knowing this was D-day. Nothing could go wrong, she told herself several times, but yet, she couldn¡¯t help but get nervous. It would have been easier had it been she and Arianna on the mission but with Winters? Well, the girl was smart and there was a first time for everything.

    Moreover, ording to ns, she and Winters were to arrive at a different time to deceive Reina Spencer into thinking they were not together, merely a five minutes difference in their arrival to deduce it as a coincidence yet ensure that they both got the job.

    ¡°Come, let me hug you,¡± Victor said as soon as she was done preparing. He had woken up barely minutes after her and from the look of things, he was even more anxious than she was.

    Mimi didn¡¯t protest and wordlessly crept into the bed as he pulled her into his arms and they cuddled together. They stayed that way for a few minutes, enjoying this quiet intimacy before Mimi finally opened up,

    ¡°Chill, Victor, It¡¯s just a mere babysitting job, not an execution,¡± She teased, and then turned in his arms so she was staring right at him.

    ¡°You heard the report, they¡¯re horrible kids....¡± He dug his hand into her hair, admiring the length, ¡°They could even cut your hair.¡±

    Mimiughed, ¡°Those are just stories and you should know better than to trust rumors. You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m going to be fine. It¡¯s not like we are going to do something bad, except spy on Chloe¡¯s whereabouts.¡± She shrugged as if it was nothing. Nius would only retaliate if they harmed their children, and they meant them no harm.

    The both of them said nothing afterward and Victor drew her closer to his body than she could possibly get. Hugging her tighter, he inhaled her scent before murmuring,

    ¡°I wish we could stay this way forever, have kids, and grow old.¡± He subtly hinted that he ns to settle down with her. Not that Mimi waspletely ignorant any more thanks to his mother¡¯s unexpected visit.

    .....

    ¡°Until then,¡± Mimi said and hope grew in Victor¡¯s heart. She was considering their future together! He wanted to pump his fist in the sky in celebration at that moment yet he settled with cuddling her, it was far better anyway.

    Thanks to Victor petting her, Mimi unintentionally slept off again and woke up barely an hour before her departure.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Mimi cursed as she pushed Victor off her body and scurried off the bed. Getting to Nius¡¯ ce from here would take her about forty-five minutes and she hasn¡¯t even considered traffic, nor has she gone over the ns with Marcel. Damn it, She should have known than to get into Victor¡¯s arms!

    ¡°Mimi, wait -!¡±

    However, Mimi had already run out of the room and to the living room where she knew Marcel would be waiting for her. However, when she arrived there, it was only Winters that was present, Arianna and Marcel were nowhere to be found.

    ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± Winters pointed out without even looking at her and though she sounded cool, there was an edge to her voice. She was irritated with herteness; the girl was strict with time.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got sidetracked,¡± Mimi apologized,ing to sit beside her. She discovered that Winters was dressed formally in her pink pencil skirt and blouse and she had to admit, Winters looked cute and less intimidating ¨C not that she would tell her that.

    This was the first time Mimi was seeing Winters wear a skirt, the girl always wore pants, not to mention color pink. It seemed as if she was staring at a different person.

    ¡°Of course, you got sidetracked,¡± Winters snorted, rolling her eyes as she got an idea of what Mimi was up to even though she did nothing but cuddle.

    Mimi would have retorted, but guilt gnawed at her instead. Winters took this mission seriously to the point that she even dressed up in colors she detested, however, she had wasted time sleeping in Victor¡¯s arms.

    Hence, she didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for Marcel to arrive and as if Mimi conjured him out of her imagination, he appeared almost immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte,¡± Marcel apologized, stepping into the living room.

    ¡°Of course, you got sidetracked as well.¡± Winters didn¡¯t spare him either.

    ¡°Your jealousy would get you no way, Winters. It¡¯s high time you gotid,¡± Marcel told her, ¡°Just say the word and I would line up my best men for you to make your pick.¡±

    Winter¡¯s jaw dropped, but only for a minute and she answered , ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t need a possessive male breathing down on my neck.¡± She had no ns of settling down on Marcel¡¯s turf andying with one of his men would only ruin that n.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t do much without Marcel monitoring her movement, Winters didn¡¯t want the same fate. Most gang members ¨C not all ¨C were violent and possessive. Imagine dating a gang member and he refuses to break up with her even when she gets tired of the rtionship? Winters didn¡¯t want such a thing.

    She ns to date an ordinary guy and if he¡¯s really worth it, Winters would give up her upation ¨C or hide it ¨C and try being normal for once. And maybe, just maybe, if they work out, Winters ns to settle down with him and have lots of children. She would not marry into a rich family and avoid making the same mistake her mother did. Winters didn¡¯t need money, she had it already, even if she doesn¡¯t show it. All she wanted now was love.

    ¡°Possessive men care the most,¡± Marcel said with a triumphed smirk on his face.

    ¡°Or maybe they are simply insecure and are afraid of losing the woman they love?¡± She retorted, arching a brow at Marcel.

    Marcel was just about to rise to the challenge when Mimi interrupted him knowing Marcel would never back down from a challenge like that, there was already that hungry urge to win in his eyes. He was an alpha through and through.

    ¡°Are we leaving or what?¡±

 Chapter 484

    484 Much Help As Possible

    At Nius¡¯ mansion...

    ¡°Have a little patience, Isabe, I will be there with you as soon as I¡¯m done handling your siblings, you of all people should know how rough and careless they can be and with Amanda gone, there¡¯s so much work to do here. Those little chipmunks are driving me crazy with every babysitter they send packing,¡± Reina Spencerined into the phone as she arranged the triplet¡¯s room.

    Normally, Reina would have punished the triplets by asking them to clean their room, but once in a while, she chose to do it herself so she could check up on whatever they were hiding here. Moreover, she was one of the few people who could walk freely into this room without falling into their traps.

    Her children, well, herst children, triplets to be precise, Elsa, E, and Diego were spoiledpared to their other siblings, and one couldn¡¯t exactly me them, not when they had a doting father Nius, and a Mafia grandfather, Sakuzi who indulge them as well. So yeah, they were privileged and a handful.

    Reina had a huge family, first was her daughter, Isabe. Well, not biologically rted to her since her husband Nius had her when he was only sixteen. Histe naive fianc¨¦e wanted them to get married earlier but Nius was totally against it. So when she couldn¡¯t get her way, she thought drugging him and getting pregnant would change his mind.

    Well, aside from the fact that Isabe was the result, it didn¡¯t bring them together, if anything Nius was done with her manipting ass and wanted to live as far away from her as possible. In one word, their engagement was a failure and Nius became a fully-fledged yboy, unwilling to share his heart anymore. But then shit happened and Kay, his fianc¨¦e mistakenly lost her life and it was just Nius and his young daughter, Isabe. But then, the story only got worse.

    Isabe hated his father¡¯s ass thanks to Kay¡¯s maniption and Reina feared that she would have gone as far as taking her father¡¯s life to avenge her mother had she not arrived. Reina never nned on getting entangled with the family that deeply, she only took up the job as a babysitter just for the money. It was kind of attractive and Nius paid her enough to make sure she doesn¡¯t leave his daughter ¨C and his side.

    Surely, screwing your boss wasn¡¯t one of the job experiences needed in a CV, but stuff happened and Reina got so entangled physically, emotionally, and psychologically with not only Nius, but the entire Spencers. However, in the end, love reigned and she had one big, happy family. Isabe was finally able to see that her father Nius wasn¡¯t the monster herte mother conjured him to be and father and daughter were more than close friends now. Isabe epted all of her siblings and loved them ¡°strongly¡±. Yeah, note that word because nobody messes with them and goes scot-free.

    The twins Allen and Ailee were the first toe and though there were special circumstances surrounding their birth, the family got together and lived together in peace. Reina never wanted any more children after the twins, but Nius¡¯ restless dick was always active as they went at it like rabbits and that resulted in the triplets.

    .....

    Reina had sworn to go for a hysterectomy after the birth of the triplets because she was traumatized. Does Nius have a special dick or something? He went from one ¨C Isabe ¨C to two ¨C the twins, Allen and Ailee ¨C and finally three ¨C E, Elsa, and Diego. What if she mistakenly gets pregnant again and this time, gives birth to quadruplets?

    Hence, Reina was still on birth control even though she was in her menopause already. However, she was taking no chances and if there¡¯s anything Nius loves much after their children, it was her pussy. In one word, their going down in age does not affect their love life.

    Reina was supposed to meet up with Isabe to n her grandchildren¡¯s birthday, but here she was still taking care of her own children. Yeah, you get the point of no more children? Reina had be more than a mother to Isabe over the years, they were best friends. Whenever Isabe got in trouble, she was the first person the girl called even before her father Nius because she trusted her.

    After her daughter, Isabe got married to the love of her life and her childhood friend, Pedro, they gave birth to their first child and daughter, Caitlin, automatically making her a grandmother even though Reina was a teeny bit young for that. But then Isabe was born during Nius¡¯ teenage years, hence it wasn¡¯t surprising that the both of them became grandparents quickly.

    But then, for someone who was so hard on not wanting kids due to her traumatic childhood ¨C Caitlyn was unexpected ¨C Isabe went ahead to adopt a boy through their foundation. The baby¡¯s mother was a fifteen-year-old girl who was raped by a distant family member and the family sought the foundation¡¯s help to shelter the girl till she ovee her traumatic experience.

    However, the girl chose to give the child away because she couldn¡¯t bear to look at him ¨C she detested the child and no one could me her for it. The girl needed to recover and Isabe was willing to take him, informing Reina five minutes after she had adopted him legally. Yeah, so much for their mother, daughter rtionship. At least Reina was better than her husband Nius who got to hear the news two weekster.

    Nheless, the whole family epted the child, not that anyone could go against Isabe ¨C the girl was quite scary and can be quite cruel when she wants to, having taken after herte psychopathic grandfather, Adam Spencer. Well, that was a story for another day [You can find out in the book, Taming A Billionaire]

    In one word, her granddaughter Caitlyn Vincent had a brother, Moses barely seven months after her birth. Isabe wanted the bond with the boy to be more than just giving him the Vincent surname, so she breastfeed him to everyone¡¯s surprise. She wanted the both of them to live like twins, however, Isabe underestimated the stress of training twins and that¡¯s where Reinaes in.

    With her experience in raising both the twins and triplets, Isabe wanted her help in their birthday celebration. Well, Caitlyn¡¯s birthday to be exact, but having registered Moses as her twin, it meant both of them. In one word, Reina was way over her head and she needed as much help with the kids as possible.

 Chapter 485

    485 The Children¡¯s Reputation

    Hence, when the bothdies applied for the nanny position, Reina was overjoyed and scheduled an interview with them today. Reina didn¡¯t know how but the news made rounds across the inte iming that her kids were pranksters ¨C she was not going to deny that ¨C however, it wasn¡¯t true what the rumors im her children did to their previous nannies. Nor did it help matters that the kids sent their nannies packing every single day!

    At first, Reina had to pause one time to read the signs, thinking it was an act of retaliation from her kids because she was not giving them enough attention, but that was not the case. Her kids just loved causing chaos and she knew that trait was from their father¡¯s side having been Isabe¡¯s nanny in the past.

    Isabe had not made it easy for her in the first ce but she did not give up and won the girl over with time. But Reina was pissed with nannies of today, sure, her kids were difficult and that was why their pay was very sumptuous, but most of them came quitting at the end of the day, iming they couldn¡¯t deal with them. It was as if they didn¡¯t have a spine anymore.

    All the nannies did wasin and most of them, before evening, already had a view of her children from what they had read on the inte. Hence, all they needed was just one prank from them ¨C especially from Elsa ¨C and they quit instantly. Theyin about how it was simply difficult to care for her kids and one of them even dared to curse them ¨C and Reina made sure she never forgot that.

    None of them was brave enough to get to know her children first. They couldn¡¯t see that beyond the surface this was her kid¡¯s way of trying to get their attention. Not all kids were born to be obedient and it seems all of her children inherited Spencer family¡¯s rebellious streak.

    In one word, Reina didn¡¯t have much hope for the nanniesing today knowing that they would quit at the end of the day. That was why Reina had to clean the kid¡¯s room and get rid of any trap. But knowing her kids, they already saw thising and already had another set of traps saved somewhere else and nning to reinstall them once she¡¯s gone.

    Reina sighed, if only the twins Allen and Ailee weren¡¯t away studying, they would have handled their siblings better. But then, she would have to make do with the nanny today, if only they manage to pass through her interview.

    Knowing her background, Reina had enemies who would try to hurt her or her father Sakuzi, by harming her kids.

    Hence, she had a background check done on the two women who coincidentally applied on the same day and they seem clean so far.

    .....

    ¡°Madam Reina,¡± One of the staff came to inform her, ¡°You have a guest,¡±

    ¡°She is here, already?¡± Reina muttered to herself, checking her time and it was precisely nine. At least, this one was a timekeeper and it impressed her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± She told the staff who left just as the triplets walked into their room in a file. Reina loved that they did things in unison and yet it feared her at the same time. She could swear that the kidsmunicated psychically at times because with just a look, they passed information ¨C that would no doubt lead to trouble.

    ¡°Alright, listen up, young people,¡± Reina snapped her fingers to get their attention and they obediently lifted their heads which made her brows furrow. Never trust when her kids were thispliant.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to your sister Isabe¡¯s ce today to n your cousin¡¯s birthday which means that you¡¯re getting a new nanny today,¡± Reina announced and their eyes lit up like Christmas came early and they exchanged that creepy look thing making her wonder if her kids have a hive mind or something.

    But then her stomach sank at the same time they exchanged looks, Reina knew that meant their nanny was not going tost more than today. However, she was not going to make it easy for them.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t behave today, I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t visit your grandfather¡¯s ce for the holiday.¡± She threatened them.

    Her kids loved Sakuzi¡¯sir because they were free there and could embrace their inner devil. And as much as Reina adored her father and understood his upation, that doesn¡¯t mean she wanted her kids to be part of the Mafia, especially her twelve-year-old daughter Elsa and the eldest of the triplet.

    They had enough money to give Elsa the kind of future she needed to contribute to society, not the Mafia way. Her interest there was beginning to bother Reina and that was why she began to limit their visits to the base. But not for long because Sakuzi would want to see his grandchildren soon.

    ¡°Do you get me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mom!¡± They chorused and the serious expression on their faces calmed Reina for a bit even though she knew inwardly that they would be up to no good once she left.

    With a long look their way, Reina finally walked out of the room, closed the door behind her, and hurried downstairs to go meet her guest.

    Her guest was a young girl with blonde hair and eyes the color of honey, Reina recognized her as Mimi instantly.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± Reina announced her presence and Mimi stood to her feet with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Good morning to you, madam Reina,¡±

    ¡°Please call me, Reina,¡± She told Mimi, taking her hand in a handshake and directing her to sit down beside her on the couch.

    ¡°Honestly, Reina, You look more beautiful in person,¡± Mimiplimented her, attempting to create a light environment.

    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± Reina blushed, sensing her sincerity. She was beginning to like the girl.

    However, this was time for business and Reina cleared her throat, and began,

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have heard of my children¡¯s reputation before applying for this job, right?¡±

 Chapter 486

    486 Crash Course On How To Nanny

    This was a test, Mimi realized, and probably one that would determine her fate ¨C whether she would be given this job or not.

    ¡°Of course, I heard about them, your children are quite famous and who knows, if I end up being their nanny, I could be famous as well.¡± Mimi joked and though Reina didn¡¯tugh outright, there was still a trace of a smile on her face.

    ¡°That¡¯s a given,¡± Reina said, nodding her head and looking a bit lost in thought. Was she making a decision already, Mimi wondered?

    Reina was just about to say something when they were interrupted by another presence and they both looked up to discover that the other applicant just arrived.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte, Mrs. Reina. I was just held up in traffic,¡± Winters gave an excuse, still trying to smoothen out her skirt.

    ¡°I understand and call me Reina,¡± She said, gesturing at her to take a seat opposite them.

    Winters sat down without ncing Mimi¡¯s way because ording to ns, the both of them were not supposed to know each other so as not to create suspicion.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Mimi was the one to wave at her as if they were just seeing each other for the first time.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Winters reciprocated the greeting, breaking eye contact with her after that and focused on Reina. The n was to make sure that they got the job together, but then, if it didn¡¯t work out that way, whoever got the job had to be prepared.

    .....

    ¡°I was just with Mimi before your arrival, she¡¯s your fellow rival, and seeks the nanny position you want as well. I have been speaking with her so far and honestly, I like her already, but then, I¡¯m all for equality, which means that you have to give me a good reason I should hire you. So tell me Winters, why do you want this nanny job?¡± Reina asked her honestly, her head tilted to the side and scrutinizing her.

    For some strange reason, Winters gave her Isabe¡¯s vibe and Reina couldn¡¯t decide if that was a good thing or a bad one. Her daughter Isabe was honestly not that good with children, but at the same time, she protected the ones she loved fiercely. Hence like both sides of a coin, Reina didn¡¯t know which side to trust and the side Winters ns to show her children.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m here for the money.¡± Winters sincerely confessed. She knew Reina did a background check on her considering she was the one that forged the information on the inte and fed it to the amateur investigator that took it without cross-checking. Moreover, she looked into Reina and the woman appreciated honesty above anything.

    She went on, ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie and im that I¡¯m good with children, no, those little things annoy the heck out of me, however, I¡¯ll try and be a good sister to them and give you your money¡¯s worth.¡±

    There was silence for a while until Reina¡¯s lips curved to the side in a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good one and now both of you are giving me a hard time choosing,¡± Reina said, readjusting in her seat, ¡°And that is why I¡¯m not going to choose.¡±

    Although Reina didn¡¯t exactly give her final judgment, Mimi and Winters secretly exchanged looks, having sensed her answer and their hope rose. This is it, their n was working.

    ¡°I¡¯m hiring the both of you,¡± Reina finally made a decision. While Winters had an intimidating aura, Mimi was carefree and the both could bnce each other. Her kids retaliated when they¡¯re treated sternly, but then they couldn¡¯t be indulged too much as well.

    ¡°Oh my God, thank you!¡± Mimi kept up with her acting, looking very happy as she celebrated getting the job.

    Even the austere Winters had to crack a smile so Reina doesn¡¯t question her eligibility for the job. Sure, Winters didn¡¯t need the job since she was wealthy, but this was a mission and she just told Reina that she needed the money, hinting at her poor background. So what do the poor do when they get a once in a lifetime opportunity? They rejoice.

    ¡°I should have drafted a contract already, however, you know the deal with my kids, so here¡¯s the deal. If you survive today and wish to continue with the job, I have no problem with that since I need a long time nanny anyway. But don¡¯t worry, your payment remains the same even if you quit today, ¡± It¡¯s apensation fee for whatever you¡¯ll go through in my children¡¯s hands, Reina didn¡¯t add that one.

    ¡°I should call over the kids and give you a tour of the house,¡± Reina was still saying when her phone rang and whatever conversation she had with whoever was on the line afterwards suggested that she had to leave and Mimi and Winters couldn¡¯t be happier.

    The earlier Reina left, the more time and opportunity they had to search the house and find out where Chloe was hiding ¨C that is, if she¡¯s indeed residing in this house. The universe must be on their side because if Reina doesn¡¯t give them a tour of the house, that means that even if they were caught stepping into rooms they were prohibited from, they could me it on their first time here.

    Unlike Marcel¡¯s ce crawling with his soldiers, Nius¡¯ ce was more rxed, however, there were cameras at certain corners meaning they still had to act with caution.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Reina said to them the instant she was done with her call, ¡°But I have to leave immediately and I would not be able to introduce you to the children, however, the staff would help you with that. You just have to remember one thing, never trust the ribbon on the girl¡¯s hair,¡± She told them in a haste picking up her purse and already heading in the direction of the door.

    Before Mimi and Winters knew what was going on, Reina already left them to deal with the kids and they sat down in the living room with no clue what to do.

    ¡°What now?¡± Winters asked Mimi who merely shrugged. Had she known, she would have taken a crash course on how to nanny because now, she felt like a fish out of water.

 Chapter 487

    487 You Failed The Test

    On the bright side, Mimi and Winters didn¡¯t have to wait for long before a staff member came to attend to them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring the children down,¡± The staff told them and left.

    ¡°You¡¯d take care of the kids while I search the house,¡± Mimi said to Winters, causing her jaw to almost drop to the ground.

    ¡°What?¡± Winters was stunned when she said, ¡°But you¡¯re the one good with kids and I have sharp eyes to deduce where they might be hiding Chloe,¡± She argued with her.

    ¡°And then what?¡± Mimi asked haughtily with her brows arched, ¡°What would you do when you see Chloe? We know between the both of us that I¡¯m the one with the words and might be able to convince Chloe toe back home when I find her. So tell me then, who should go?¡±

    ¡°Fine, do whatever you want,¡± Winters snorted, folding her arms. To think that she would have to spend the rest of the day with spoilt, entitled brats. It annoyed her but there was nothing she could do, this was a mission and Reina would hunt her down to any surface of the earth she hid if anything happened to her kids.

    Mimi and Winters turned almost immediately when they heard the stomping of feet down the stairs and in a blur of motion, three kids were standing right in front of them.

    ¡°Wee to our humble home, our new nanny,¡± The kids said in unison, bowing their heads and surprising the both of them.

    Winters narrowed her gaze at the children wondering what they were up to while Mimi waspletely won over by them. God, the children were so beautiful and adorable! Who said they were devils?

    .....

    Although they were triplets, the two young girls were identical twins while the third was a boy and non-identical. Even at that, all of them were so cute and Mimi envied Spencer¡¯s good genes. She hoped to have kids as cute as them one day. However, when Mimi thought about her future child, all she could picture was Victor¡¯s brte hair and her own eyes with those chubby cheeks she could touch and gently pinch for her child. Damn, why was she thinking about a child now?

    Concentrate on the mission, Mimi!

    ¡°Huh?¡± Diego was the first to lift his head, ¡°How many nannies do we have this time?¡±

    The girls looked at them next, checking them out as if they were fresh meat on the market, and Winters couldn¡¯t help but notice the smirk on one of the girl¡¯s faces and she knew at once that one was the gang leader and was trouble.

    ¡°So, we have two nannies this time, mummy must love us too much,¡± The troublemaker said with a devilish smirk.

    ¡°Alright children behave, those are your nannies for today,¡± said the staff from earlier who brought the kids downstairs. She then gave Mimi and Winters an apologetic smile before introducing the kids, ¡°These are the triplets, Diego is the eldest....¡±

    It was hard to believe that the boy was the eldest considering the way his sisters dominated him. He was too gentle to be the eldest or so they thought.

    ¡°And judging from the ribbon on their hair, the eldest one -¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother about that, Gabby,¡± The trouble maker interrupted her, ¡°A responsible nanny should have done due research about us to show their capability, isn¡¯t it so? Hence, they should identify us themselves,¡±

    Yeah, the kids were super intelligent as well. Winters was challenged and she had never backed out of one.

    ¡°And what would I gain if I do so correctly?¡± Winters stepped forth, trying to stare her down but the young girl stood her ground.

    ¡°If you do so correctly, then we would be good to you guys for the rest of the day,¡± She shrugged, ¡°What do you say about that?¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Winters gave in without thinking twice. The young twin was so rude that she wanted to put the girl in her ce. Moreover, you heard her, once Winters wins, she and Mimi would have less stress taking care of them.

    As expected, Winters already did her research on the twins and found out that the twins were identified by the ribbon or clip on their hair. Red marks Elsa and the pink identifies her younger sister, E. Moreover, she read somewhere that Elsa was the most outspoken among them.

    So Winters answered boldly with her head held high, ¡°You are Elsa,¡± but then, she remembered Reina¡¯s words at thest minute, but it was toote.

    ¡°Wrong, I¡¯m E and she¡¯s Elsa,¡± She giggled mischievously, pointing to the real Elsa behind her who had been quiet all this while and that was when it struck Winters, they tricked her.

    The children switched their characters and Elsa who was normally opinionated hid her character this time and took up the identity of her much-reserved sister, E. Moreover, Winters forgot Reina¡¯s warning never to trust the ribbon on the girl¡¯s hair. They tend to change it up and like a fool, it didn¡¯t cross her mind in her haste to win.

    At that moment, the real Elsa finally stepped out with a devilish smirk that showed off her sparkling white teeth that gleamed like a shark¡¯s right now. Oh no, Winters didn¡¯t like that vibe she was giving off. Why were they after her andpletely ignored Mimi? What did she do wrong?

    Elsa came to tug her hands, shaking them yfully as if Winters would fall for that act. The kids had proved to her that they were very smart and right now, she was being circled by vultures that wanted a piece of her.

    ¡°You failed the test, now you have to y,¡± Elsa announced to her, ¡°But first, you have to catch us!¡±

    Before Winters could even blink, the children had vanished before her eyes, running from her like the sh and leaving only the dust in their wake.

    ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t go!¡± Winters shrieked as she ran after them like a mad woman. If anything happened to them, Reina was going to kill her.

    Left all alone, Mimi stretched her body, filled with anticipation. With the attention moved from her ¨C thanks to Winter¡¯s sacrifice, it would never be forgiven ¨C it was time to look for Chloe.

 Chapter 488

    488 His promises

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Arianna asked, standing at the door entrance watching Marcel dress up.

    With Mimi and Winters on their mission, he and Victor and the rest of his soldiers had a meeting. Judging from the fact that she wasn¡¯t invited, Arianna could tell that whatever they were discussing was not just about Chloe, it was sensitive and they couldn¡¯t let her in. And now, Marcel was dressing up to leave and Arianna remembered that she was the only jobless person here.

    ¡°Love,¡± Marcel shed her that smile that seemed to melt her soul from the inside out and Arianna shook her head inwardly, she was a goner. Her feelings for this man were so strong to the point it frightened her.

    ¡°Come in,¡± He told her, ¡°Why are you lingering at the door like an unvited guest when you know this ce belongs to you,¡± Marcel readily exposed her ns for her. He wanted to make her his wife.

    Arianna came into his room, a smile on the corner of her lips with her heart fluttering happily. She looked like a girl satisfied with the candy her mother bought her, only that Marcel did a better job than her real mother would ever do. God, why did she even bring up that woman?

    Honestly, Arianna couldn¡¯t understand herself. Sometimes, she wished to see that woman, her biological mother that abandoned her, and other times, she wished to have nothing to do with her. But then, there was an arching need to see her at the end of the day and get all of her questions answered, like why did she abandon her?

    Did she hate her that much? Arianna knew that money was never an issue since herte father had enough ¨C at least until he died and her uncle converted them ¨C and was able to take care of her. What then prompted her mother to deceive her into thinking that she was dead and leave her for years? Something smells fishy and Arianna couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    She wasn¡¯t looking for her to start up some loving mother-daughter rtionship with her, no, that would never happen again because it was toote for that. After all, her mother could be living a good life somewhere and as cheated and aggrieved and angry as Arianna was at her, she couldn¡¯t ruin that.

    Marcel stretched his hand for her to take and as soon as she put her hand in his, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, cing his chin on top of her head because as tall as Arianna was, Marcel still towered over her.

    .....

    They stayed that way for a while, just wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, enjoying the warmth of their bodies until Arianna asked, ¡°You¡¯re going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Mmm hmm, duty calls,¡± Marcel answered and Arianna pulled away so that she could look into his eyes with questioning looks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not dangerous, just a few meetings with my clients and I¡¯ll be home to spend the rest of the day with you, amore,¡± He kissed the top of her head and her heart missed a bit. Gah, this teenage love, Arianna blushed red.

    Looking away from him, she took in his appearance and as usual, Marcel was dressed in his designer shirt and jeans, but her brows slightly furrowed when she found out that the top buttons were opened, revealing his bronze chest and his firm chest. As the young leader of the crime family, Marcel always worked out and kept himself in shape and Arianna liked to trail her hands down those hard biceps.

    ¡°These clients...¡± Arianna started, her words coated with an emotion that Marcel was trying to get a grasp on,

    ¡°Are they men or women?¡± She asked, her hands fingering thepels of his shirt.

    That was it, she was jealous, Marcel found out and for some reason, the thought pleased him. The fact that Arianna was jealous meant that she was afraid to lose him, right? So he decided to tease her a little.

    Marcel had a thoughtful look on his face when he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask around but I think I have an appointment with -¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t even wait around for Marcel to finish the rest of his statement before she literally growled, and began to button up the rest of his shirt right up to the top button. ra was already giving her a big headache, what if a more powerful client falls for Marcel this time?

    Instead of kidnapping his sister Chloe, what if the woman gets so obsessed with Marcel to the point that she seduces him and they have a child together? Can she be able to endure that? Would she spend the rest of her days chasing off Marcel¡¯s admirers? That seems like a lot of headaches.

    Knowing Daniel, he would no doubt have the both of them get married especially if shees from a powerful background unlike her. Now that she thought about it, Arianna realized that she and Marcel were not in the same league. If Marcel had gone through the proper way, the both of them wouldn¡¯t be together.

    Marcel was from a powerful crime family and needed to marry someone of the same standing ¨C and she was not that person. Sure, she had a few grand in her trust fund that woulde into her acquisition a yearter, but she has no standing, no connection, no supporters. In one word, she was ordinary.

    ¡°I like it when you¡¯re possessive,¡± Marcel said, nuzzling his face into her neck and deeply inhaling her scent. If Arianna was a drug, then he would happily have her every day.

    Arianna sighed, rousing from her thoughts. She tilted her head to the side, giving him more ess as Marcel began to pepper her neck with kisses and made her shiver.

    ¡°I wish I could spend the rest of the day with you,¡± Marcel murmured into her skin before pushing himself back with a lot of willpower.

    ¡°We could have a quickie,¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t even believe that she was the one suggesting that. What was happening to her?

    ¡°I would love to, however, you¡¯re too tempting and I don¡¯t trust myself around you. So till I return home, sweetheart,¡± He said with a hint of dark promise that made color rise to her cheeks.

    And just like that, Arianna let him go.

 Chapter 489

    489 Holding Something Over Him

    ¡°You can be assured Mr. Altair that your goods would arrive safely across the border without a hitch and on time. Thank you for doing business with us,¡± Marcel assured hisst client of the day.

    ¡°Of course, I trust the Luciano family and their capability,¡± The man said, the both of them standing up to their feet and shaking hands as they sealed their deal. As soon as Mr. Altair left, Marcel slumped back to the seat with a sigh. He was exhausted yet the thought of going home filled him with energy.

    Home? Marcel had never considered the base as home since he had properties scattered across the country and abroad that saw to his need whenever he traveled. As a crime lord and a criminal, he had to be careful with his dealing, and that included his location as well.

    Hotels that didn¡¯t belong to his family were quite risky since his enemies could spy on his activities and assassinate him or even set him up and serve him like breakfast for the FBI. Even with his family¡¯s hotel, he still had to be cautious of his rtives. ¡®A man¡¯s enemies will be the members of his own household¡¯, the Bible didn¡¯t lie about that part.

    His rtives were not brave enough to challenge him face to face for the leadership position, hence they would find sly means to bring him down. Unfortunately for them, Marcel was not shy about dealing with them and they should have learned from the past already.

    In one word, Marcel was not specifically attached to any of the houses until Arianna came around and he began to consider the base a home because of her. Unlike Daniel who destroyed the house, he grew up in after his mother died just so he could destroy any emotional attachment he had for her. His mother¡¯s death almost destroyed him and Daniel didn¡¯t want his legacy to be a pussy.

    ording to him, emotions made one weak. However, Marcel knew otherwise, emotions didn¡¯t make one weak, if anything, they made them stronger. Because he swore to God, if anyone dared to touch a hair on Arianna, he would chase them down to the end of the earth and destroy them even down to the third generation.

    The third generation code was previously used in the Mafia and long abandoned because of its unfairness, w, and cruelty, but for the sake of Arianna, he wouldn¡¯t mind activating it. Thinking about it now, Marcel felt the sudden itch to go home to Arianna which was strange. However, he remembered that Arianna could be pregnant for him and women in that condition craved love and attention, right? Was that why she was suddenly clingy in the morning?

    Shit.

    .....

    Marcel cursed.

    How could he have forgotten about that? However, Marcel needed to look into her request for a job which meant going to his clubs and making the arrangements.

    But then, if Arianna was indeed pregnant with his child, that means no dancing. Not while he was alive and she was with his, no, their child. He would pamper till she was done with the child¡¯s delivery. Then maybe after a year, or two, or three of childbirth, then she can take up dancing, right? Or maybe never.

    Why does she even need to work when he has more than enough money that Arianna could squander all she wants? But Marcel knew that he couldn¡¯t convince her to stop working, not if he didn¡¯t want a war on his hands. Because sometimes, it seems like a dream that he and Arianna were together after the uncountable times they butted heads. Arianna was so damn stubborn.

    Fine, he¡¯d go hometer, Marcel decided to ignore the strange feeling he was getting. He would get Arianna the job first and announce it to herter as a surprise ¨C she would be overjoyed. Having made up his mind, Marcel reached out to grasp the bottled water on the table in front of him only for his hand to mistakenly knock it down and the water spilled to the ground.

    Marcel bent to pick the can up while one of the staff came around to wipe off the water, but it was at that moment that he froze as if something struck his mind. Marcel was not a superstitious believer but at that moment, he sensed deep within him that something was not right, call it a gut feeling or something.

    Was it Mimi and Winters? Did something go wrong with their mission? His mind wandered over to them instantly since both of them were the ones likely in harm¡¯s way. But then, if that was the case, Victor would have called him already. Although Mimi and Winters were not to do anything except search for Chloe, in case their identities werepromised and their purpose discovered, Victor was the backup until he arrived.

    But things shouldn¡¯t go wrong unless Mimi went against his wish and tried to bring back Chloe forcefully. Damn, he warned her against that! Marcel was just about to call his cousin when his phone¡¯s screen lit up instead and it was Victor calling him instead. As if that was not enough, his other phone shed at the same time and his stomach sank, Marcel knew instantly that something happened.

    Without a second thought, Marcel picked up his cousin¡¯s call, asking immediately, ¡°Tell me what¡¯s happened?¡±

    Victor retorted instead, ¡°I should be the one asking what you did to provoke your father?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was confused. What was Victor talking about?

    ¡°Your wedding card is all over the ce with the date printed on Sunday, which is fucking tomorrow! Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡± Victor announced and Marcel felt like all the air was knocked out of his lungs.

    He didn¡¯t even hear whatever else Victor was talking about because he was lost in his own thoughts. At that moment, it crossed his mind that Daniel would only print those cards if he was sure of holding something over him.

    It dawned on Marcel,

    Arianna.

    Shit.

 Chapter 490

    490 The Devil Staring At Her

    Arianna was bored at the base, but the loneliness multiplied the moment Marcel left for his job. There was no Mimi to gossip with and Winters to annoy because they had each gone on their mission as well. Even Victor, who she could bother for more details on Marcel¡¯s past, was away to help the girls in their mission in case things go wrong. To make it worse, Beatrice was on leave, she wanted to spend more time with her family since bing a grandmother and Arianna was not close to any other staff in the house but her.

    In one word, it was just her and Luca. However, there were just so few things Arianna could discuss with Luca whose loyalty firmly belongs to Marcel. Arianna wanted to keep some secrets to herself considering she and Marcel lived together anyway and were a couple, he knew many things about her ¨C both the ones she told him and the ones he dug up about her. A girl gotta keep some secrets and there were things Marcel shouldn¡¯t know ¨C like how she intended to seek out Elijah.

    Hence, Arianna spent most of the day making herself familiar with the phone andptop Marcel gifted her, and to be honest, her mind couldn¡¯t go past the fact that both devices were bugged meaning that whatever she even researched on the inte would be known to Marcel. But then beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers and Arianna believed that with time, when she gained his trust, she would get another phone that wouldn¡¯t need his supervision.

    But even with her phone andptop present, Arianna got bored real quick. It was not like there was someone to call since the only contacts on her phone were Marcel, Victor, Mimi, Winters, Luca, Beatrice, and a few staff she had gotten acquainted with, mostly female, knowing how possessive her boyfriend could get. She refused to be the reason why some poor dude lost his job ¨C and his life.

    Arianna longed to have her old life back where she didn¡¯t have to be scared of making friends, especially the males without an alpha male breathing down on her neck, not to mention questioning their intention. Marcel had warned her to be cautious of what she ate and where she went to even in his base because there might be double agents among his men.

    Nheless, in Marcel¡¯s words, not hers, ¡°Luca is here to take care of you,¡± in one word, if pushes to shove, Luca was to die in her ce. Arianna was so dumbfounded by the ridiculousness of the situation that she didn¡¯t say a word ¨C she didn¡¯t need anyone dying for her. This was not the past or some fantasy movie where a guardian was bound to a higher personality and meant to die in their ce.

    However, Arianna had learned that there were some things you don¡¯t argue with Marcel, especially regarding her safety. Marcel was so obsessed with keeping her safe aka locking her up like rapunzel except that this wasn¡¯t a tower but a fortress. The only difference between his ce and Daniel¡¯s was the fact that his men were more behaved and respected women.

    Silence was better than words when dealing with Marcel on certain issues, and until the scene he fears yed out, Arianna would do whatever came to her mind. Nobody was dying in her ce, especially not her handsome gay guardian, Luca.

    Time trickled slowly and in the end, Arianna found herself in the vegetable garden. Lately, she found gardening an interesting hobby alongside bonding with that tomato she named Marcel. Unfortunately for tomato Marcel, he was harvested days ago, and guilty or not, Arianna had enjoyed that sd ¨C may his soul rest in peace ¨C and now it was time to nt a new one. Yeah, several new tomatoes Marcel.

    .....

    Arianna got tips and guidelines from the female staff in charge of the garden and persuaded her to let her nt the next seedlings. To be precise, she merely suggested it and the woman let her. If there¡¯s anything Arianna learned since bing Marcel¡¯s woman, it was the fact that nobody here refused her anything she wanted. It was nice and exciting at first, but got boring real quick. What would be the fun if she could get everything she wanted easily? Arianna wanted the staff to stand up to her once in a while. She needed a good challenge, you know.

    So she spent time plugging the seedlings into the soil and dribbling a stream of water over the top to ensure a good seed-to-mix contact while the staff watched with approval and pride bloomed in Arianna¡¯s chest. She was doing it right. When the tomato grew, she would name them ording to each of Marcel¡¯s moods; angry Marcel, happy Marcel, moody Marcel, and did she forget to add, sexy Marcel ¨C only the juiciest tomato would get that title.

    Ariannaughed inwardly at the silly thought, this was stupid yet fun. The staff left her alone at some point and she had the chance to explore the rest of the small garden. Arianna was taking note of the next vegetable to learn its nting method when her phone rang and she ignored it. She knew instinctively that it was Luca wanting to know if she was okay there. Although he followed her around, they established boundaries, and Luca was supposed to give her space to do what she wanted.

    She ignored his call and focused on the task at hand. He would probablye to check up on her anyway in the next few minutes since she didn¡¯t pick up. His call came again and Arianna annoyingly switched off her phone. She wasn¡¯t a child but a grown-ass woman for Christ¡¯s sake and they should stop worrying about her like a two-year-old.

    Arianna went back to work until she heard footsteps behind her and sighed, this was beginning to piss her off real quick and she would have to discuss this with Marcel before she retaliated badly. She needed to be alone sometimes for crying out loud. What does ady have to do to get space around here?

    Arianna had her back turned to Luca and didn¡¯t even look over her shoulder when she said, ¡°And now you¡¯ve seen that I¡¯m well and alive, can you leave me alone now?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, considering I came here for you, little girl.¡± said a voice that didn¡¯t belong to Luca and fear crawled up her spine.

    Arianna turned around immediately only to see the devil staring back at her and her blood ran cold.

 Chapter 491

    491 Samson The Lion

    Have you ever stared the devil in the face? Arianna was sure of that now as Daniel Luciano stood right in front of her. Her feet were stuck to the ground as she wondered what the hell was going on here. How did Daniel get here? How did he get past Marcel¡¯s security? Does Marcel know? A lot of questions filled her head and yet there was no answer.

    This must have been why Lucas was calling her, and like a fool, she ignored him. Damn it! Arianna mentally thought of her phone and how she could remind Lucas of her predicament without giving out her actions to the devil standing right in front of her until she remembered her phone was switched off. God, she was dead.

    When time passed between them and Daniel didn¡¯t do anything except stare at her strangely, Arianna began to wonder if something was wrong. She assumed that the instant she met him, Daniel would pull out a gun and shoot her dead, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    Arianna took that opportunity to stare at Daniel as well. Thanks to the missionst time, Marcel showed them a picture of his father so they could avoid him, nor did she get to see his face properly. At that time, they infiltrated his fortress disguised as cleaners because she was hiding from him. It was quite an irony that the man she had been running from, found her instead. Arianna didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at her situation.

    Marcel looked nothing like his father but she could see where all that handsomeness came from, it definitely ran in their genes. Based on looks alone, one could never imagine Daniel was capable ofmitting those atrocities because he looked pristine.

    Unlike Marcel¡¯s blonde hair that he inherited from his mother, Daniel was a brte and those brown hairs were brushed back to perfection that there wasn¡¯t even a strand out of ce. His trimmed beards that grew across his jaw were graying and gave him that perfect mature look and he was dressed impably in his suit. If there was one thing father and son appreciated, it was fine clothes.

    Unlike Marcel, his father wore his suit along with a tie and if he wasn¡¯t standing in front of her in this vegetable garden, she would think he was a businessman on his way to work except that he was a hardened ex- crime lord about to take her life ¨C Arianna was sure of that. Marcel had warned her of what his father was capable of and murdering her in broad daylight wasn¡¯t going to rattle him.

    Hence, Arianna didn¡¯t stay to find out how she would die because she took to her heels without looking back to check if Daniel was aiming at her. She had to escape, she had to fight for her life!

    She went through the back door seeing that she couldn¡¯t run past Daniel and he must have his men blocking the entrance.

    .....

    But the moment Arianna ran out, an arm reached out and grabbed her from behind and she shrieked, the sound never leaving her lips because a hand closed over her mouth.

    ¡°Shh,¡± A familiar voice breathed into her ear and she recognized Luca, a breath of relief leaving her lips. Arianna nodded her head to show that she understood what he was talking about.

    When Luca released her, she turned around, informing him immediately, ¡°Daniel saw me go through here, his men should be after me already,¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± He took her hand and began to guide her out. Although Luca gave her a sense offort, the grave look on Lucas¡¯s face told her that they were far from the word ¡°safe¡±. Not to mention that it was just a vegetable garden and there weren¡¯t enough trees to shield them.

    Hence, it wasn¡¯t shocking that the moment they stepped out, Daniel¡¯s men had them all surrounded and Luca shouted, ¡°Run!¡± engaging the men to give her a way out.

    Arianna didn¡¯t waste any time, she ran off with all of her might and thanks to Luca, sessfully made it to thewn. To her surprise, there was fighting all around her, and instead of a shoot-out as she had thought, the men engaged in hand-to-handbat as if they were waiting for the side to draw the first blood.

    But stopping was a mistake because the next thing Arianna knew, she was knocked to the ground, and before she could even suck in a breath, she was hurled up to her feet quite roughly.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± She screamed at the Buffalo who manhandled her. Arianna kicked and screamed at the top of her lungs all to no avail until they heard a great roar and a suddenmotion and an instant path was created as people ran for safety.

    Safety from what?

    Arianna had her question answered when the man holding her was violently ripped from her and the next thing she saw was Samson¡¯s wide jaw mped around the man¡¯s waist as he screamed in pain while the lion tossed him around like a rag doll.

    She watched in fear and astonishment as Samson bit the man furiously and when he had his fill,unched the bloodied man across thewn and he knocked into others that hadn¡¯t moved away on time.

    Honestly, Arianna thought that Samson would attack her next, having heard that a wild animal that attacked and ate a human is considered dangerous because they have bypassed their fear and view humans as prey. But then, Samson the lion didn¡¯t eat the fool, rather he maimed him.

    But that was not the end because Samson pawed over to Arianna and she held her breath hoping not to go through the same fate as that man. To her surpise, Samson circled her instead and then stepped forward to release a mighty roar at the others who stepped back immediately.

    And a great silence descended.

 Chapter 492

    492 War

    Marcel drove like a mad man back to the house with his heart stuck in his throat. He has been calling Arianna¡¯s cell all to no avail, it was switched off and that wasn¡¯t a good sign. Luca wasn¡¯t responding to him either and though he had informed Victor of what was going on, his cousin was too far away to help quickly. In one word, he was the only one that could save Arianna right now.

    ra must have told Daniel about Arianna after he provoked her the day before. No, he was a fool to think that his father would never find out, he just never thought that it would happen this quickly. He was too careless and now Arianna was going to pay the price if he arrivedte.

    Altercations like this with his father were prettymon, but unlike the other times, Daniel¡¯s purpose this time was to get rid of Arianna. Marcel felt a stabbing pain in his heart when he thought about what Arianna could be going through right now.

    This was all his fault! He promised to keep her safe yet he failed that one promise. At this rate, he should have just let go of her as she wanted, and she would be safe at the very least. But then, he was too selfish. He didn¡¯t want her with Elijah and thanks to that, she was in danger of being murdered by his own father.

    Marcel clutched the wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white, making a swerve to the right as he drove into thepound with the gate already wide open. Marcel didn¡¯t even park properly before he jumped out of the car.

    There was chaos everywhere with his soldiers fighting off his father¡¯s people. On other days, Marcel would have appreciated fights like this because, at the end of it, the fight helped him figure out the weak spots in his security and strengthened it, but not today.

    He was going crazy with fear. His ce was toorge and Marcel didn¡¯t know where to begin to search for her. It scared the hell out of him because every minute he wasted here could change her fate. It was equivalent to the amount of time Arianna spent at the hands of his father. Was she even here? What if Daniel had already taken her out of here just to punish him?

    Marcel knocked everyone out of his path as he let his leg lead him anywhere. By luck, he spotted one of his men being beaten by his father¡¯s soldier and he grabbed the asshole and mmed his fists to his face several times before pushing him away. He then pulled up his soldier, growling at his face, ¡°Where is she?!¡±

    The soldier didn¡¯t need to ask twice whom his boss was talking about because there could only be one woman he was interested in.

    .....

    ¡°The garden,¡± He answered immediately. The instant Daniel¡¯s people attacked them, Luca had given out orders to the soldiers close by to protect the boss¡¯ woman. Daniel had chosen a good time to attack them, when neither Marcel nor Victor was avable.

    And with that information, Marcel hurled him away and took to his heels. He had to save Arianna! However, something happened. Marcel was still running with all of his might when he heard shrieks and a great stomping of feet, and at the same moment, Samson ran past him with great ferocity, stunning him.

    What the...?

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t have time to question what was going on and amped his speed instead. Unfortunately, the animal was faster and by the time Marcel could even get to his destination, there stood Arianna with Samson circling her, only to lurch forward and release a mighty roar that even he felt deep down to his bones.

    Marcel knew that he couldn¡¯t step forward because Samson was all animal at that moment and his instincts were telling him to protect his master¡¯s woman, Arianna. It was risky at first but Marcel was grateful that he had gotten the lion familiar with her.

    Lions were highly territorial and if any fool dared to make a move at that moment, he was as good as dead. Marcel raised Samson as a cub which exined their tight rtionship however, they still established boundaries.

    A great silence fell upon the environment and Arianna turned at that moment, their gaze connecting, and relief left his lips. She was fine. Arianna was alive and not dead. Nothing happened to her. Marcel swore to thank whoever released Sansom from his territoryter.

    Marcel took a step, he wanted to have Arianna in his arms and confirm that she was alive, when out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Daniel and halted. Great anger filled him, how dare he infiltrates his ce and try to murder his woman?! He would murder him today!

    Daniel was a smart man, and knew that he couldn¡¯t win this fight, not with that massive lion protecting the woman. So he ordered his men to retreat and they began to leave one after the other, careful not to startle the lion and lose a limb like the first fool.

    Not only his son, but the lion was even close to the woman now? Daniel couldn¡¯t believe it. He underestimated the little girl. With a pussy and breast, it was easy for a woman to tame a fool of a man, but a lion? It was a great feat.

    Daniel gifted the lion as a cub to Marcel when he was younger so he could prove his capability, and his son didn¡¯t fail him. Marcel was able to make him proud even though he worked with professional lion tamers to achieve it. However, had Daniel known that this was how he would use his gift, to protect his whore, then he would have killed the creature long ago.

    No, Daniel was tempted to do just that. Four or five bullets would be able to put the creature down, however, this wasn¡¯t the day for it and Marcel was too damn emotional, Daniel wouldn¡¯t be surprised if his son turned against him and shot him dead instead.

    Hence, by the time his people retreated, it was just Marcel, his whore, the lion, and a few of his soldiers remaining. In one word, Daniel was all alone yet there was not even a trace of fear on his face. He had faced a much worse scenario and feared Marcel was giving his son power over him.

    Marcel strode over to Arianna and when he got to her, began to check her body for wounds, when he found a bruise on her arm where she was grabbed earlier, his eyes shed and Samson released a low growl having sensed his owner¡¯s difort.

    Turning around immediately, Marcel pulled out his gun and aimed it at his father, ¡°Give me one reason I shouldn¡¯t st off your head right now?!¡± His gaze was hard and cold.

    But Daniel said, ¡°That depends if you want to end my life because of a woman. I didn¡¯t raise my son that way.¡±

    ¡°Just shut up! Don¡¯t you dare try and use father authority on me because that¡¯s not going to work!¡± Marcel ran his hands through his hair and ruffled it, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?! Were you really nning on killing her?¡±

    ¡°Depends,¡±

    ¡°On what?!¡±

    ¡°If you were going to go on with the wedding or not,¡± Daniel told him.

    ¡°What?!¡± Marcel couldn¡¯t believe him.

    ¡°I told you the other day, that the wedding must go on,¡±

    ¡°Chloe is gone, you have nothing on me, now,¡± Marcel reminded him, his gaze getting colder. He was forced into the engagement at first because of Chloe, but not anymore. Perhaps, his sister being with the Spencers was a good thing because even Daniel couldn¡¯ty a hand on her.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Marcel. I have her.¡± Daniel pointed at Arianna and his blood ran cold.

    Marcel stepped forward defensively, ¡°You would not dare,¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t make me,¡± Daniel told him, ¡°You have always been too emotional having inherited your mother¡¯s soft side and unable to see the bigger picture. But that is why I¡¯m here, I would not let you make the same mistake I almost did, ¡±

    ¡°The same mistake you almost made?¡± Marcel furrowed his brows, sensing there was something his father was not telling him.

    However, Daniel had never been the type to reveal his ns to him. There weren¡¯t just skeletons in his wardrobe, there was a graveyard of them.

    He went ahead to say, ¡°Today was just a demonstration of what would happen if you don¡¯t step on that aisle with ra, Marcel. I don¡¯t care how you do it, but you have to give ra the mushy wedding she wants and until she¡¯s legally your wife, I don¡¯t care if you...¡± His gaze strolled over Arianna with distaste, ¡°keep a mistress for your extra fantasy called love. However, my next bloodline must be royalty. But do otherwise, then be prepared to go to war with me.¡±

 Chapter 493

    493 A War He Would Get

    ¡°Why ra?!¡± Marcel went after his father even after he dered war. With his father¡¯s soldiers out of his ce and Samson jealously guiding Arianna, he had nothing to worry about.

    ¡°Why ra of all people?!¡± Marcel wanted to know because it didn¡¯t make sense to him. Honestly, ra Louise Alberta didn¡¯t even have much power, all her family had was fame, reputation, and past glory. Heck, the monarchy system had long been abolished! Hence, they had only the title to go. So, why was Daniel so insistent on the both of them getting married?

    If his father wanted more power, there were pretty other Mafia families that could benefit much more through marriage and they were more influential than the Alberta¡¯s. Not that the Luciano family wasn¡¯t a prominent family on its own. However, why was his father so obsessed with that royal line? Marcel had a feeling that there was more to the story and he wanted to know.

    But Daniel ignored him and walked over to his car instead. The man opened the car door to climb in only for Marcel to snap the door close, and his hard gaze told his father that he wasn¡¯t stepping a foot out of his ce without saying a thing.

    ¡°Why must it be ra? There are many other girls out there? Why must it be her?!¡± He snapped at him, the veins in his head bulging while his gaze was fierce with determination.

    ¡°Because I said so!¡± Daniel snapped back, losing his calm. He faced his son, and both of them would have been at the same height if Marcel hadn¡¯t been taller by a few inches.

    ¡°Don¡¯t feed me that bullshit, father!¡± He called him with sarcasm, ¡°You can fool others, but not me.¡± Marcel stepped closer to the point that they were looking each other in the eyes.

    He said, ¡°I¡¯m your great legacy, as you¡¯ve called me so many times, which means that you would want only the best for me which ra clearly isn¡¯t and both of us know that. However, the only reason you would keep up with that is because of something, her title, why is her royal line so important to you? Why do you want to belong so much?!¡± He screamed in his face.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s for your own good!¡± Daniel screamed back at him with a great ferocity that stunned him, ¡°Everything I¡¯m doing is for your sake so you don¡¯t have to go through the same thing as me! No one would look down on you and your generation toe would benefit from your sacrifice! The Luciano name would never be sullied.¡±

    .....

    ¡°And when we do belong, are you ready to close the family business?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I guess you never thought about your great need to belong and its adverse effect on our family¡¯s business? When you be royalty and schmooze with the upper-ss people who are nothing but wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing, what would you do when you attract the attention of the internationalmunities? How long until you make a powerful enemy and bring our family to ruin? Or would you be their underdog just to get into their good grace and I wonder then, what¡¯s the use of belonging when nothing changed?¡±

    Something shed in Daniel¡¯s eyes and there was a tense silence between them. For a moment there, Marcel thought he got through to his father and that he would somehow change his mind, but Daniel replied instead,¡±

    ¡°Stop thinking nonsense. Our family hassted three generations, what makes you think it would copse now, or are you so desperate to be with your whore that you would spew any nonsense?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not a whore and I dare you to call her that again!¡± Marcel growled, his body poised to attack with his hands clenched tightly at his sides. One more word from his father and he wouldn¡¯t hold himself anymore.

    ¡°Look at you, Marcel,¡± Daniel looked at him with disapproval, ¡°You have lost your way all because of a woman and forgotten all of my teachings!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel disagreed with him, ¡°I didn¡¯t lose my way, rather Arianna made me feel alive and that is something you would never know because you¡¯re a sadistic psychopath that no woman is capable of running, not even your wife!¡±

    Bam!

    A fist met Marcel in the face and he groaned. However, it didn¡¯t deter him, instead, he snarled and punched Daniel to his shock and war broke out. As his father, added to the fact that Marcel had always taken his beatings like a good kid, it shocked Daniel that Marcel dared to retaliate and he knew that it was because of that girl, Arianna, Natalie¡¯s seed.

    Even when dead, Natalie was determined to not only ruin his life, but his son¡¯s as well through her daughter this time. But that wasn¡¯t going to happen, not on his watch. If only Daniel knew that Marcel had merely reached his breaking point and he couldn¡¯t take his shit anymore. Marcel was provoked now because he dared toy a hand on Arianna.

    Marcel had taken his father¡¯s abuses that he usually called, ¡°lessons¡± lying down, but not anymore. No one would dare toy a hand on Arianna, he would protect her to the end. Not even his father would be able to separate them.

    Thanks to the fight, soldiers from both sides rushed to separate their leaders from killing each other. But the fight was quite intense that by the time they were separated, Marcel and Daniel had injured each other seriously.

    Marcel had a ck eye and some bruises on the corner of his face while Daniel was bleeding from the nose, busted lips, and swollen cheeks. At the wedding tomorrow, they will be quite a sight to their quest.

    ¡°You are a big disgrace, Marcel! If only you weren¡¯t one, I would have made a person out of your younger brother than you, a failure!¡± He said.

    ¡°Sure, sure, make a legacy out of the imbecile you bred!¡± Marcel sassed back. Today marks the end of him giving in to Daniel. If he wanted a war, then a war he would get!

 Chapter 494

    494 I¡¯m Not Going Anywhere

    Music Rmendation ¨C In the stars ¨C Benson Boone

    What she feared the most finally happened, Arianna didn¡¯t know how to feel anymore. She was currently seated in Marcel¡¯s bedroom which was deemed the safest with arge number of soldiers guarding the entrance and Luca in the other room with Samson. The windows and doors were tightly sealed so that not even an ant coulde in, not to talk of Daniel¡¯s peopleing in to murder her.

    It still felt like a dream to Arianna honestly, one moment she had been having the time of her life and the next, chaos descended. Even at that, Arianna was not stunned by the violence, but rather by the ultimatum, Marcel had to marry ra. Even thinking about that, made her stomach churn and she wanted to throw up.

    Arianna sank her nails into the bedsheet because the thought of Marcel marrying ra brought out the masochist in her. And to think the wedding day was tomorrow, Arianna wanted to find ra wherever she was and stab her numerous times with a knife till she died ¨C till there was nothing left of her for Marcel to marry. Then Daniel wouldn¡¯t threaten him anymore to marry the bitch ¨C and she would go to jail for murder.

    God, she had to remove the violent thoughts out of her head, Arianna reasoned as she wiped off the tears that slipped down her cheeks. She didn¡¯t mean to cry, but the thinking of Marcel marrying ra made her feel suffocated inside. She felt like dying. She had her doubts from the beginning, but Marcel assured her that it was not going to happen.

    But then, Marcel told her that she was the woman that he was going to spend the rest of his life with and they would have many children. Although Arianna opposed the idea of having arge family, at that moment, if having arge family would stop Marcel from marrying ra tomorrow, then she would do it.

    Wait a minute, wasn¡¯t their suspicion that she was pregnant? Arianna looked down at her still t tummy. What if they told Daniel that she was pregnant, would that stop the wedding....? She remembered Daniel¡¯s words instantly, he wouldn¡¯t ept the child.

    But that should stop the wedding, right? It would buy them enough time to do what exactly? What if she predicted wrongly and wasn¡¯t pregnant? Not only did she stop the wedding, but she deceived Daniel as well and would bear his greater wrath. Maybe, she would discuss that idea with Marcel when he returns? Arianna was desperate to do something and hated to feel helpless. God, when did she even be this pathetic?

    Devastated, Arianna bent and buried her face in herp. She was scared. She was scared of losing Marcel. She was scared of being lonely. Maybe, if he does end up marrying ra, she could stay by his side as his mistress, it was better than nothing, right? Arianna gave in even though she had been against the idea from the very beginning.

    .....

    She let her face remain that way, afraid to lift her head and face reality. Her world was crashing down and Arianna was feeling devastated and overwhelmed. There wasn¡¯t even enough time for her and Marcel to spend more time together before saying goodbye to what they had together.

    Arianna was aggrieved, why was the universe against her? Why must this happen? Unlike ra, she and Marcel had something real, why must she say goodbye to that? Why was life always unfair to her? Arianna was so lost in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t even notice someonee in until he was lifting her face and she smelled his familiar cologne.

    Marcel¡¯s scent made realization set in and Arianna burst into tears. She pushed her face into his chest and cried hard for what she stood to lose If Marcel married ra tomorrow. He would no longer belong to her. Marcel would no longer be her man. She wouldn¡¯t get to hold him, kiss him.

    Even if Arianna does end up as his mistress, she was not the woman Marcel would take to a formal asion. She was not the woman he would proudly introduce to people as his legal wife. She would not bear his children and would only be his second option. She would be the woman people talked about with disrespect and disdain. As his mistress, she would be kept away. She would not be seen and would always be a second-hand member of that household.

    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright. Nothing would happen. I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Marcel murmured into her ears but that made her cry the more because she couldn¡¯t trust those promises anymore when the trust was staring her in the face.

    Arianna didn¡¯t want to say goodbye yet because it could mean forever. She began to regret those moments she fought with him and should have made beautiful memories instead. But then, people usually never know what they have until they¡¯re close to losing it. Why did it hurt so much? She felt like dying.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Marcel called her, but when she kept on sobbing, he pulled her back and that was when her gaze fell on the bad bruise around his eyes and her lips trembled. What the hell? That ck eye hadn¡¯t been there until he went after his father.

    Arianna cupped his face, her hands trembling as she gently traced the injury, ¡°He did this to you, didn¡¯t you?¡± Her gaze was fierce and she dared him to lie to her.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t spared either,¡± Marcel told her.

    ¡°Good,¡± Arianna nodded, her jaw mped tightly. She valued older people but Daniel was a bastard, and she would kick him in the groin if she had the opportunity.

    ¡°Listen to me, Arianna,¡± Marcel told her, cupping her cheeks as well, but there was determination in his gaze as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not marrying anybody but you. I would find a way out of this, do you understand?¡±

    Arianna nodded even though she knew inwardly that there wasn¡¯t a way out of this. There was no more time to find a solution.

 Chapter 495

    495 Strange New Feelings

    ¡°You can¡¯t catch me!¡± chorused the triplets as they darted out of Winter¡¯s reach each time she came close to catching any of them.

    By the stars! Winters groaned with annoyance. They have been ying blind man¡¯s buff for over an hour. That was not all, ever since she failed Elsa¡¯s test, the twins have subjected her to one game or the other and she was fucking tired.

    First, Elsa had dragged her to their room and there, she became their test subject as they applied makeup on her face andughed each time they made a horrible mistake. By the time they were done, Winters looked like a mime and the triplets spent a good timeughing over her before taking funny pictures of her and with them together.

    To be honest, even the phones the kids used were more expensive than hers, Reina and Nius sure cherished their kids and for that alone, they got her respect. Reina hit her as a good person because If she could treasure her kids this well, there was no doubt Chloe would be treated well too. They just had to find her and they would think about the restter.

    Thanks to the kid¡¯s selfish games, Winters came to discover that E has dreams of being a fashion designer when she grows up, and guess who ended up being her mannequin for today? It was her! Winters couldn¡¯t even begin to count the numerous times the pin dug into her body and drew blood. But nobody noticed because the fabric was red and the color of her blood merged with it.

    As an amateur ¡°fashion designer¡±, E stabbed and probed Winters till she was sure that she would faint from blood loss. The worst part? She couldn¡¯t even tell if the kid did that on purpose or not because E looked so passionate wrapping the fabric around her and holding them with the pins as depicted on her designs hanging on the wall. In one word, the kids were problematic and it was no wonder nobody in the city wanted to nanny them.

    Now, she was on theirrgewn, ying blindfolded with them, and was as tired as hell. Had Winters known, she would have insisted on finding Chloe while Mimi dealt with these devils. She was tired; her feet hurt and she was tasty; she needed water. But this was a mission, she can¡¯t mess it up for Mimi and had to endure until she was done.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    Winters didn¡¯t even have the time toprehend that warning because her world swirled and before she knew it, she was falling after bumping into something, or someone judging from the strong arm that quickly wrapped around her waist, steadying her.

    .....

    ¡°Whoah,¡± A deep baritone chuckled, catching her.

    Brows slowly furrowed, Winters was curious as to who was holding her because that was clearly a male. Hence, she tugged off her blindfold only to stop breathing.

    It was indeed a ¡°whoa¡± because she was staring at the most handsome man she had everid her eyes on and Winters forgot how to breathe. Since that incident in her past that traumatized her, men had never appealed to her and at a point, she was beginning to think that she was lesbian until now.

    He had the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, it was captivating and serene and she wanted to stare at them all day. His blonde hair that touched down his nape looked even silkier than hers and she was tempted to run her hands through it and test out the smooth and pleasant sensation.

    His eyebrows were thick with longshes that made her jealous and then his lips.... his lips... it was too kissable and Winters had to establish a great deal of self-control so as not to lunge at him and kiss the hell out of him andbel herself the title of pervert.

    His arms around her waist were strong and steady. Winters actually shivered as his hand traveled down her spine before he pulled away, and she moaned at the loss of contact. She wanted him to hold her forever. Heck! Where was that silly thoughting from?

    ¡°Sorry,¡± The handsome man jerked away from her as if he was electrocuted. Winters didn¡¯t have the time to think about that reaction because they heard a scream from behind them.

    ¡°Akim!¡± Diego was the first one to scream and jump at him and Akim caught him nor did Winters miss the action. She watched immensely as his muscles rippled with strength as he caught the big boy. He must work out a lot because Diego might be fourteen but he was taller than children around his age. And heavier, probably.

    But Akim carried him as if he was worth nothing and Winters was jealous, she wished to be the one in his arms. God, where was this thoughting from? She was never the type to pin after a man no matter how handsome he was or the fact herdy libido chose now to be active. Fuck it all.

    Akim spent almost five minutes uniting with the kids and by the time he was done, Diego was down on the ground while Akim carried both girls on either side. Winters frowned, she wanted the girls of his body. He didn¡¯t belong to them. God, no! Fine, she officially gives up.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us you wereing, Akim,¡± Elsa said, ying with his perfect hair and Winters actually red at the little girl, not that she knew that she was even ring.

    ¡°It was meant to be a surprise, and it worked,¡± Akim said, putting the girls down.

    Winters was relieved by that gesture because she swore to God that she was tempted to do something about it and that confused the most. She never thought of herself as a jealous lover, well, it wasn¡¯t like the twins had done anything to make her love them. But the point is, she doesn¡¯t even know the guy, they weren¡¯t even dating and she was acting all possessive already.

    Thank the lord she was quitting today and she wouldn¡¯t have to see himter anyway. Yeah, she was safe ¨C safe from these strange new feelings.

 Chapter 496

    496 Her Kyrptonite

    ¡°Who is she?¡± Akim asked the twins, his gaze taking her in such a way that made Winters suddenly self-conscious and she stood straight, refusing to back down as she stared him straight in the eyes ¨C those beautiful eyes.

    Get a grip, Winters!

    ¡°She¡¯s one of our nannies,¡±

    ¡°Nanny?¡± Akim¡¯s brows furrowed and at that moment, Winters swore that she would punch him in the face if he dared to look down on her ¨C attracted to him or not.

    Akim looked at her from her head to her toe and back up again as if appraising her before asking no one in particr, ¡°Isn¡¯t she a little bit too young for that?¡±

    Winters stepped forward, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me your age and I¡¯ll be a judge of that?¡± She arched her brows too.

    A smirk curled his lips to the side,

    ¡°I¡¯m older than you and knowledgeable as well,¡± He hinted at taking care of the children but Winter¡¯s mind was already down the gutters.

    ¡°I see,¡± Winters smirked unconsciously. Yeah, knowledgeable in pleasing her body, she thought. Just stop thinking shit. God, she was a lost cause, Winters face-palmed inwardly.

    .....

    The handsome guy stepped forward, his hands outstretched as he introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Akim,¡±

    ¡°Winters,¡± She enveloped hisrger palm with her smaller one. Call it strange or something, but Winters had this feeling that Akim was into her because of the way his hand stroked the top of her palm. The gesture was warm and made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

    Surprised by the gesture, Winters made the mistake of staring into his eyes and was enraptured. For a moment there, it was as if the both of them just existed in that single moment until they heard someone clear her throat and they broke apart immediately.

    The knowing look Elsa gave Winters made her ufortable, the girl was too smart for her age ¨C and mischievous as well.

    Akim asked, ¡°What crime did youmit in your past life to be the one to nanny my monstrous cousins?¡± He joked at her.

    Oh, he was their cousin? Of course, how else would the twins wee him joyfully if he wasn¡¯t rted to them? Winters was surprised by the information. She had been busy researching Reina and her family so as not to make a mistake, so reading about the immediate family members didn¡¯t cross her mind. So she was crushing on a Spencer?

    Winters was screwed.

    Her dream was to date a normal boy and if they were to settle down in the end, they would livefortably with her wealth. She didn¡¯t want to settle down with a rich family like her mother and deal with their binding rules and regtions. Winters wanted to be free. In one word, she had to kill this attraction she had for Akim before it was toote.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a job, nothing else,¡± Winters hoped that her sudden disinterest would kill any form of attraction between them; Akim should get the hint.

    However, E said immediately, ¡°Do you know Mommy got us two nannies?¡±

    Oh no.

    Akim seemed genuinely surprised by the information and looked around the room, searching for the other nanny, and when he didn¡¯t find her, gave Winters a questioning look.

    Winters got her mind back into gears immediately knowing that if they found out what Mimi was up to, it was game over. She needed to cover up for her.

    ¡°Oh, the other nanny. She¡¯s around, probably finding her way around this...¡± Winters gestured to the house, ¡°huge mansion. Moreover, thest thing I remember is your cousins dragging me down to hell for failing to pass her test and leaving her behind.¡± Winters hoped that was enough to shift their interest away from Mimi.

    Akim grinned, the smile doing funny things to Winters¡¯ stomach. Gah, she can¡¯t fall for it. She had to be strong. Don¡¯t fall for his charms, Winters.

    ¡°Oh, that?¡± The crinkles around his eyes increased with his smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you¡¯d stay around for long, you¡¯d get used to it, or maybe, if you ask nicely, I¡¯ll teach you how.¡±

    ¡°No, Akim,¡± Elsa whined, tugging on his arms and giving him the puppy eyes that she was confident he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.

    However, the look on Akim¡¯s face told Winters that if she really did ask, he would tell her how and the thought made her heart skip a beat. And she was really tempted to take him up on the offer but Damn! She had to stop this! Akim is bad news for her. He¡¯s her kryptonite.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see about that,¡± She didn¡¯t give him a specific answer. She was supposed to say no. A firm no. No, she had to get away from him as soon as possible. Thank God, it was just a day. She could survive a day with Akim, her kryptonite.

    Winters¡¯s gaze coincidently connected with Elsa¡¯s and the girl gave her a look that said, ¡®you are not going to win over me¡¯

    Winters smirked, replying through eye contact, ¡®Let¡¯s see about that¡¯. The young girl was so arrogant that it annoyed her. Moreover, Akim was merely her cousin while he could be her boyfriend if she worked hard enough. Wait a minute, does he have a girlfriend? Surely, a handsome guy like him wouldn¡¯t stay single? And why was she even wondering about that?

    Sigh, just a few hours more and she¡¯d be out of his hair.

    ¡°Come on, Akim,¡± Diego said, ¡°Let¡¯s go bake a cake,¡±

    ¡°No, wait -¡± Akim was still saying when he was dragged along by the triplets and Winters followed after them, grateful to have the attention moved from her for once.

    The children were a disaster in the kitchen and Akim wanted to prevent that, else Reina would skin him alive if something happened. However, it was toote, the kids were already assembling the ingredients before he could even blink.

    ¡°There is no egg,¡± Diegoined.

    ¡°There are eggs in the fridge,¡± said E.

    ¡°Get the eggs!¡± Elsa ordered.

    With a sigh, Akim went to get the eggs but Winters beat him to it, hence the both of them grabbed the fridge handle at the same time, his hand covering hers. Electricity danced through her body upon that contact and Winters wondered if he felt that too. However, the both of them withdrew immediately, albeit awkwardly and silence fell upon them for a minute.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Both said after a while and moved at the same time, stepping into each other¡¯s space such that Winters was pressed against the refrigerator¡¯s body and Akim boxed her in unintentionally.

    Unfortunately for Winters, that was the moment Mimi walked in and halted in her step.

    Interesting.

 Chapter 497

    497 Make A Move

    Bury her now, that was Winter¡¯s wish when she saw Mimi at the entrance with a look that said she would never hear the end of it today. Embarrassed, Winters tried to move away, but Akim must be inside her mind or something because he moved at the same time with her and she ended up being pressed to the fridge in such a way that their chest was touching with their breath mingling together, and if she simply tilted her head a little, they would kiss.

    Close up, Winters found Akim had such wless skin that she found it hard to even find the pores on his skin. He must have a strict skincare routine and she was so jealous ¨C how could a guy¡¯s skin be so fine?

    Mimi cleared her throat behind them and they parted immediately, an awkward tension in the air.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the eggs then,¡± Akim said in the end, scratching the back of his hair.

    ¡°Probably, you should,¡± because I just made a huge fool of myself, she added in her mind. Winters walked over to Mimi who had a knowing look on her face and as soon as she came close enough, said,

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    Mimi pursed her lips together, unable to say the words she had in mind.

    ¡°Sure,¡± She told Winters, miming zipping her mouth and throwing the keys away. However, Winters couldn¡¯t do anything about the knowing smile Mimi was giving her and she hated that.

    ¡°Stop thinking about it because it¡¯s not going to work out,¡± Winters said to her in a hushed tone when she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    .....

    ¡°Who told you I was thinking about it?¡± Mimi said innocently, eyeing the young man that Winters seemed to have finally found an interest in.

    ¡°We are never going to be together,¡± Winters said with a sigh, watching long and fully as Akim brought the eggs from the fridge and the kids circled him.

    ¡°Why?¡± Mimi queried, taking an apple from the bowl on the counter and taking a greedy bite, ¡°He has a girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know, but even if he wasn¡¯t....¡± She trailed off without finishing the rest of her statement and earned an arched brow from Mimi.

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t keep me waiting, girl?¡± Mimi wanted to know.

    Winters looked around to see if anyone, to be precise, Akim, was eavesdropping on their conversation and when she saw that he wasn¡¯t, if anything the kids upied all of his attention and he couldn¡¯t even look in their direction.

    ¡°Listen, the reason I do stuff like this is to save up enough money so I won¡¯t everck nor will my children and their generation be poor. My dream is to settle down with an ordinary man and have a small family and we would live happily. But he¡¯s a Spencer, and God knows how much power his family holds, I¡¯m not ready to be caged like that. ¡± Winters made her point and waited for Mimi to counter that.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing this has to do with your mother,¡± Mimi said to her surprise and Winters¡¯ was taken aback by thement.

    ¡°No,¡± She said defensively, ¡°Every step and n I make is to avoid living like -¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Mimi interrupted her, ¡°Every step you take is so measured to avoid making the same mistakes as your mother did that you have forgotten how to have fun. You are not your mother and would never be your mother, the both of you are two different people. Sure, your mother found herself in an unfavorable family, however, it was her fault everything happened because she let it happen, meaning that it was her decision. Now, you have the ability to make your own decision, what would you let happen?

    ¡°He¡¯s a member of the Spencer family and they might be a patriarchal family, so what? It¡¯s not like the both of you are getting married immediately. The two of you are young people and if you¡¯re not ready for a serious rtionship, the both of you could just get to know each other. And who knows, sparks might begin to fly? Although what I see between the both of you is electricity bountiful enough to power a transformer. ¡± She added under her breath, enough for Winters to hear, ¡°Also, he has a nice ass,¡±

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Winters frowned. She knew Mimi didn¡¯t mean it and was merely joking around, however, the thought of her friend ¨C wait a minute, was Mimi even her friend? ¨C checking Akim¡¯s ass annoyed her for some strange reasons.

    ¡°Oh, someone¡¯s jealous already,¡± Mimi teased her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re blushing,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m seriously not,¡± Winters denied it, turning her face the other way, however, the redness on her cheeks was proof enough.

    Mimi came over to her, resting her chin on her shoulder from behind, and saying, ¡°I suggest you give him a shot, and if he¡¯s already together with some chick, his loss, because I¡¯m sure that a badass heroine like you would find a man worthy of your love. But if he is still avable, do not hesitate to ride that ass, well, dick, to be exact.¡±,

    ¡°God, too much information, ¡± The young girlined, trying to step away from her but Mimi¡¯s grip was strong and Winters couldn¡¯t make a move.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Mimi had a serious look this time, ¡°You¡¯re a young girl who hacks the mostplicated technology that even the bravest of men dare not to, what then is a guy that you can not conquer? You just think of him as aputer, a sexy one at that.¡± She motivated her.

    ¡°That is gross and an insult to myputers, however, the speech was inspiring, hence you¡¯re forgiven.¡± Winters said so quietly that Mimi wouldn¡¯t have heard her had she not been listening carefully, ¡°Thank you,¡±

    ¡°What did I just hear? Did someone just say something?¡± Mimi pretended not to have heard it.

    ¡°You heard nothing,¡±

    Winters wasn¡¯t going to repeat herself twice. It was embarrassing.

    ¡°Just go ahead,¡± Mimi gave her a push forward, motivating her to make a move.

 Chapter 498

    498 Chloe Was With Sakuzi

    With a deep breath, Winters was about to take the first step when it hit her, this wasn¡¯t what they came here for. She whirled around immediately, looking at Mimi suspiciously,

    ¡°What happened to looking for Chloe?¡±

    ¡°Oh that,¡± Mimi chewed on her lower lips and didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Winters narrowed her gaze at her,

    ¡°You didn¡¯t find her, did you?¡±

    When Mimi looked away, Winters knew instantly from that gesture that she failed to find Chloe and that pissed her off.

    ¡°This is why ¨C !¡± Winters paused upon realizing that she just raised her voice and now Akim and the children were looking at her strangely, curious as to what was going on.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± She smiled slowly as a cover-up that everything was okay and that it was just a harmless argument, however, that smile died off when she turned to Mimi.

    She told her ¡°I would have found her easier if you let me do it but you said -¡±

    .....

    ¡°I never said that I didn¡¯t find her,¡± Mimi corrected her, ¡°She¡¯s just not here.¡±

    Seeing that Akim, especially, had be suspicious of theirmunication, Winters secretly signaled Mimi and they parted without a word.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Winters said when she approached Akim.

    ¡°Hey,¡± He said.

    There was no other word between them as Akim whisked the egg with the machine and Winters internally cursed herself. She was not usually shy, but Akim left her confused. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was interested in her or not. Guys were usually the ones making a move on her, not the opposite.

    ¡°You seem to know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Winters blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

    ¡°Not at first, but Diego likes to have cake so I have no choice but to learn it, you can imagine.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°Yeah, I can imagine,¡± Winters muttered, her eyes trained on his strong arms. Akim had tied an apron around his waist and rolled his sleeve up his arm so it didn¡¯t get stained, hence Winters could vividly see the disy of his bold veins, heightening his male appeal. Why does he have to be so handsome? She groaned inwardly.

    However, there was no more conversation between them leaving Winters more confused. This is usually the point where the guy tries to know more about her and they exchange numbers and stuff like that. But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case here, was Akim even interested in her, or was it all in her head?

    ¡°This is stupid,¡± Winters said with disappointment, and was about to turn to leave when Akim said,

    ¡°Wait,¡±

    She did.

    Akim was now standing in front of her, the whisker turned off. The kids must have caught on as well because they silently moved away, giving them the privacy they needed. For once, they decided to do something meaningful without being forced to. Mimi bri

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for earlier, you know, boxing you into the fridge.¡± Akim gestured, hoping that she understood, ¡°That wasn¡¯t intentional, believe me.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Wintersughed to clear the tension forming in the air,¡± That was a mistake. We just have this weird power of stepping into each other¡¯s way, haha.¡± God, she wanted to hide.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend,¡± Akim said so suddenly that Winters was startled and blinked thrice to confirm that she heard right.

    Winters exhaled deeply, that sounded like good news. Does it mean that she wasn¡¯t mistaken and Akim was really interested in her? She had high hopes.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not ready yet to be in a rtionship, for personal reasons.¡±

    Bang!

    Winters had been flying so high that she crashed down to earth so badly that she couldn¡¯t breathe. She stood at that spot, her feet glued at the spot with her mouth wide open yet no word coulde out. His words yed in a loop in her head and she took over a minute to understand that he didn¡¯t want to date her. It was all in her head. Akim wasn¡¯t interested in her.

    This was the first time Winters was getting rejected by a guy hence it hit her hard, however, she was able to control her emotions and didn¡¯t shed a single tear. Rejection was a part of life ¨C even though she has been rejected most of her life.

    Moreover, what was she thinking? A workce romance with a rtive of her employee ¨C even though the job was for just a day. Well, they weren¡¯t meant to be together. Maybe, this was for the best anyway. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting married into a patriarchal family or not. Mimi was right, how could she have thought as far as getting married when they hadn¡¯t even dated ¨C which wasn¡¯t going to happen anymore.

    ¡°Of course, I understand. I wasn¡¯t even thinking of us dating, you know,¡± Winters lied through her teeth, covering it up with nervousughter, ¡°I was thinking we could be friends or something.¡± God, bury her now. She was so pathetic.

    ¡°Sure. Friends? Why not?¡± Akim agreed readily and Winters was grateful that he believed her. It was less embarrassing that way. Who knew that rejection stung this much? And she hasn¡¯t been exactly gentle in rejecting her past admirers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if I can go help the other nanny out there,¡± she referred to Mimi who was shockinglyughing with the kids, but those little demons gave her a hard time!

    ¡°Reina wanted us to work together.¡± Winters provided an opportunity for her and Mimi to talk freely without suspicion.

    Akim nodded and she returned to Mimi¡¯s side. The moment the kids saw Winters, they took that as a cue to return to Akim and she thought, maybe they weren¡¯t so bad, after all.

    ¡°Why do I feel you have bad news?¡± Mimi sensed it from her mood.

    ¡°He wants us to be friends,¡± Winters confessed.

    ¡°In that case, all hope is not lost. I¡¯ve seen people move from strangers to friends, then friends with benefits, and finally, happily ever after. Have patience, Winters.¡± Mimiforted her, patting her shoulder.

    But Winters said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me but yourself when Marcel loses his patience and asks about his sister. Where is Chloe?¡±

    ¡°Well, that is the thing,¡± Mimi came closer to say, ¡°I spotted a room opposite the kid¡¯s, so I did some subtle schmoozing, and though they didn¡¯t say a name, I have a feeling that it belongs to Chloe, but then, there¡¯s a little problem.¡±

    ¡°What problem?¡±

    ¡°I think she was moved just days ago,¡±

    ¡°Moved to where?¡±

    ¡°Not where, but who?¡±

    ¡°Who then?¡± Winters was sure she could take the bad news.

    ¡°Sakuzi,¡±

    Damn

    Marcel was not going to like this.

 Chapter 499

    499 Elijah Was All In For The Wedding Happening

    Elijah knew something was wrong the moment Adele picked up that call and her expression changed. Yeah, you got it right. Both of them were currently friends with benefits.

    The proposal hade right after that stunt with Cindy. Elijah wasn¡¯t ready tomit to another rtionship, not after Arianna, ¨C not that he has given up on her anyway and Adele doesn¡¯t know that nor would shee to know. But then, whenever he needed someone to take off his frustration and scratch his sexual itch, she was the one for the job.

    Of course, the rules of their rtionship were simple, no feelings attached and Adele agreed to it without a second thought. Just because they were sleeping together doesn¡¯t mean that she would show him preferential treatment in their working ce ¨C okay, maybe, a little preferential treatment. But the point is, their sexual rtionship wasn¡¯t going to affect their work.

    Hence, since that incident, they have been together and sex had never been so fun. But to Elijah, Adele was merely a distraction, a tool for the satisfaction of his sexual urges, and a means of revenge, because, at the end of the day, his heart was with Arianna ¨C even though she hurt him.

    Since Arianna was sleeping with Marcel, it wasn¡¯t a crime he too was sleeping with Adele, right? Arianna hurt him too deeply that this was the only way that he could retaliate. Moreover, Adele was Marcel¡¯s cousin and it gave Elijah a twisted sense of satisfaction knowing that Marcel would be enraged when he finally finds out that the nemesis he had been searching for, was sleeping with his cousin. He was so smart, he thought.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Elijah groaned in disappointment as Adele rolled out of his bed, searching and picking up her clothes from the various directions they had tossed them hours ago in their haste to have hot, passionate sex. He missed the warmth of her soft body already. Mind you, this was his lust talking.

    ¡°You should get up,¡± Adele told him, forcing her hips into her pants, ¡°Something happened.¡±

    At the mention of that, Elijah got up without a second time. With his identity at stake here, he couldn¡¯t joke around with a single piece of information. That was the only reason he had let Cindy go easily after she almost raped him. Adele promised him that she would punish her and ce a restraining order on her as well. Her people would make sure Cindy doesn¡¯t even get five feet close to him.

    Because he didn¡¯t want any attention on him, Elijah simply let it go and made Adele think that he was a magnanimous person which he wasn¡¯t. Everything he has ever done was for a purpose and a reward. You could almost say that he was a master of maniption.

    .....

    As thest of his siblings, the others inculcated all of their knowledge in him and with little to do, he found his version of fun. He liked Arianna from the start because she intrigued him and swore to make her his wife. Elijah saw all the qualities he needed in a wife in her and wanted her. Falling in love with her was the cherry on top until Marcel decided to ruin it all.

    So he nned to disgrace Elijah and get Arianna back as well. It was equivalent to killing two birds with one stone and the n had seemed feasible at that time. Infiltrating your enemy¡¯s camp, operating right under his nose for a long time and in the end, stealing his captive was a great insult to a gang leader. Marcel would be disgraced, and it would show his incapability, that had been Elijah¡¯s n until one thing went wrong.

    Arianna fell for him.

    Elijah couldn¡¯t understand why she would do that till death. For sure, he took time, however, Elijah never expected that it wouldst this long too, things just getplicated! However, the signs were there, couldn¡¯t she have waited for him? Couldn¡¯t Arianna hold on? Or had he read her wrong?

    Moreover, of all people she could like, why was it, Marcel? Hasn¡¯t she heard of Marcel¡¯s father, Daniel, his reputation and rtionship with women? Why would she subject herself to such fate? Like father, like son, was she so blinded by love that she couldn¡¯t see the connection? She would never be happy with Marcel, just like the way Marcel¡¯s mother was never happy with his father.

    Also, this was the man who ruined Aunt Natalie. Elijah didn¡¯t know the full story but he guessed she and Daniel had history, however, it didn¡¯t work out to the point she had to run for her life and up to date, lives in hiding. No, he would not allow Arianna to have such a fate. He would get her out of there by all means and not even Adele would be able to change his mind about that ¨C no matter how much he enjoyed having sex with her.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Elijah asked, putting on his innocent facade. It was no longer a matter of putting on the mask physically as the phantom ghost anymore, these days, he put on so many masks he was beginning to have an identity crisis.

    Adele hesitated, and he understood instinctively that this was another secret she kept from him. It wasn¡¯t a matter of trusting him or not, as the second inmand, there were a lot of secrets she had to carry for Marcel.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you and it¡¯s rted to our work,¡± Adele told him.

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± Elijah said, expecting Adele to spill more secrets about Marcel that he could use against him when the timees. But to his greatest surprise, Adele began to tell him about Marcel and Arianna, and their great love, h h. It was a surprise he didn¡¯t throw up.

    ¡°In one word, Marcel wants us to pull an all-nighter. We have toe up with a n for him, find something, anything strong enough to be used against his father or even ra. The wedding must not be held tomorrow.¡±

    Well, bless his holy soul because Elijah was all in for the wedding happening.

 Chapter 500

    500 Stick To His Side Like A Parasite

    Marcel didn¡¯t return that night because he was engaged in meetings, meaning that Arianna had to spend the night alone. Although she knew that Marcel didn¡¯t mean to leave her and was busy trying to find a way out of the wedding tomorrow, it still didn¡¯t stop her from missing him terribly. She missed him so badly that it was difficult to breathe.

    Hence, when a knock came on her door, she nced up with hope, thinking it was Marcel only for Mimi to peep in and her expression fell instantly. However, Arianna still managed to put on a smile for her friend.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to try so hard, you know.¡± Mimi knew that she was disappointed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arianna gave her an apologetic look, ¡°I just thought -¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin, best friend. I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± She told her, ¡°Victor¡¯s away as well.¡± Mimi walked into the room.

    Arianna was thankful that she had moved back to her own room earlier, else she wouldn¡¯t know how to stop her friend from climbing into Marcel¡¯s bed. Not that Marcel minded, but the bed felt intimate, personal to the both of them. Moreover, his room smelled too much like him, and with the events of the day, it seemed like the world was crashing in on Arianna, so she had to leave. It was suffocating.

    However, the moment Mimi stepped in, her gaze shifted to the lion lying at the corner of the room, facing the bed, and halted in her footsteps at once. Nope, not happening. She was not ready to be Samson¡¯s food.

    Arianna, noticing Mimi¡¯s reactions to the lion, encouraged her,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s well behaved right now.¡±

    .....

    Believing Arianna¡¯s words, Mimi took a step when the lion made a warning growl at the back of his throat. She was about to cross the territory he was assigned to protect and he didn¡¯t like that.

    ¡°Maybe, he¡¯s still a tiny bit temperamental. Today was too hard on him.¡± Arianna pointed out, shifting her gaze to the lion, ¡°Alright Samson, you don¡¯t have to go all macho on her, she¡¯s a friend.¡±

    Having done that, Arianna gestured to Mimi to move, but Samson released another growl. Although this time it was less threatening than it was still a warning and Mimi felt the vibration deep down to her bones and stopped. As much as she loved her best friend, she was not ready to be a lion¡¯s meal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up with you males,¡± Arianna sighed as she got out of the bed and walked over to Samson, beginning to run her hands through his beautiful mane. The purr Samson produced told Arianna that he was enjoying her treatment.

    With each day that passed, she was beginning to fear the lion less than the first time they met, but that doesn¡¯t eliminate the fact that he¡¯s a predator no matter how tamed he was. Hence Marcel taught her every trick in the book on how to treat him, just like now. Lions were domineering, hence she couldn¡¯t impose on their actions. Just like now, he doesn¡¯t want Mimi near her, so Arianna had to pet him and bribe her way through.

    ¡°Mimi is family, so if you¡¯re going to protect me, you would have to keep her safe too,¡± Arianna told him, scratching and petting Samson in areas that were sensitive to the touch till he gave in. Just like men, lions couldn¡¯t resist women as well.

    ¡°Aww, I love you so much,¡± Mimi pressed her hand to her chest when she finally passed through. She was so touched by Arianna¡¯s gesture that she pulled her into her arms and hugged her friend tight.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arianna said, trying hard not to cry.

    ¡°I know,¡± Mimi answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine too, but I need to hug you right now,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t know she neededfort until Mimi was tapping her back and she leaned into the hug. She was so lonely. They stayed that way for over five minutes and the next, both women were on the bed, hugging each other. It has been a long time since they spent time together like this, just like the both of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, you know,¡± Mimi said, using her hand to straighten the furrowed brows she had formed unconsciously.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± Arianna said without much conviction. The wedding was tomorrow, what could they do now that would make a difference? Would Marcel even go to war for her? Arianna didn¡¯t know the answer nor did she want a war. There¡¯s always a casualty loss in war. War does nothing but take.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Mimi propped herself up on her arm, ¡°Listen to me, Arianna, you havee a long way here and there¡¯s no way on earth you¡¯re giving up on your rtionship just because your-would-have-been handsome-but is an unstable father-inw wants to separate the both of you. That is not happening, youngdy, not on my watch, do you get me?!¡± She told her firmly.

    When Arianna didn¡¯t answer, Mimi shook her seriously, ¡°Do you get me?!¡±

    ¡°Fine, you win! I won¡¯t let Marcel go and would cling to his side like a damn parasite, are you satisfied?!¡± She said at the top of her lungs.

    Mimi smiled, ¡°Now, that¡¯s the spirit. Come on, let¡¯s sleep. Tonight, it¡¯s just the both of us.¡± She pulled Arianna close to her body, and spooned with her.

    Together, they were prepared to sleep when Arianna suddenly remembered,

    ¡°Chloe! Where¡¯s Chloe?¡± She was curious to know.

    Thanks to the incident today, she had forgotten all about the mission to bring Chloe home. Arianna¡¯s heart arched for Marcel, he had too many battles to face.

    ¡°So where is she?¡± Arianna had a bad feeling the mission didn¡¯t go as nned. If Chloe was back, she would have heard of it already.

    ¡°Nah, mission failed,¡± Mimi answered nonchntly, lying on her back.

    Arianna¡¯s heart sank. It didn¡¯t work. Who knows how Marcel is feeling right now? He needed to meet his sister badly.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, we have a second n, and Winters has a temporary job as a nanny already.¡±

 Chapter 501

    501 I¡¯ll Go

    Arianna slept quitete yet woke up very early. Mimi was gone and she was alone again, but not for too long because a message reached her, Marcel wanted her to dress up.

    Of course, the message startled her. Why does Marcel want her to dress up? Was he sending her away as she feared? Or were they going somewhere else? Today was his wedding day. Has he found a solution or was he giving up already? He was not even able to see her face to face. Was he unable to face her because he couldn¡¯te up with a solution? Those questions without an answer troubled her. However, Arianna decided to trust Marcel. He knew what he was doing, right?

    Even at that, it still didn¡¯t stop Arianna from bursting into tears as soon as she made it into the bathroom. She wanted to be strong; wanted to trust Marcel but she was human and was scared too. Hence, she couldn¡¯t stop the negative thought froming in. What if this was the end for her and Marcel? She wanted to believe like her friend, Mimi encouraged, but it was hard with reality staring at her in the face. Maybe, it was time to face reality, instead of hoping for things not seen.

    By the time Arianna emerged from the shower, her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She walked back into her room only for a scream to rip out of her throat the moment she lifted her head and saw Marcel standing in the middle of his room. With Marcel there, Arianna was finally able to breathe and everything seemed to make sense again.

    She drank Marcel in and though he looked good in a change of clothes fromst night, he was extremely stressed. Arianna saw the dark circles around his eyes and his hair was ruffled as if he had been running his hand through it. Arianna felt guilty, she hasn¡¯t even done anything to alleviate his stress. She felt useless. She had nothing to offer him, except bring him trouble. Maybe ra was a good match for him anyway?

    ¡°Why are you crying?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She was roused from her thoughts.

    ¡°Why are you crying, Arianna?¡± Marcel asked, his tone firm andcking emotions with his serious expression that made her swallow down a gulp. Why does it seem like Marcel was mad at her?

    ¡°No ¨C I, it¡¯s just... I..¡± Arianna choked, unable toe up with aprehensive answer.

    .....

    ¡°I told you that I would figure everything out, and you shouldn¡¯t worry about anything or don¡¯t you trust me, anymore?¡± He asked, stepping towards her slowly.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, ¡± Arianna shook her head in denial, ¡°It¡¯s just that...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what?¡± Marcel pressed futher, leaving Arianna no other choice, but to yell out,

    ¡°I¡¯m scared, okay?!¡±

    He stopped.

    ¡°While you¡¯re up all night trying to find a way out of this, I can¡¯t even do anything to help you. I feel useless and that I¡¯m a burden to you,¡± She winced, ¡°Maybe your father is right, you do need ra -¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t finish the rest of her statement because Marcel grabbed her arm and pulled her to him roughly,

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± He warned, trying hard to contain his anger, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that again!¡± Marcel growled at her.

    ¡°I chose you and I wasn¡¯t blind nor stupid while making that decision. While others with their myopic understanding, attempt to choose for me, not you, Arianna, not you too, please, because that¡¯s a huge betrayal to me. Don¡¯t you get it? You being here is a big deal to me. A huge relief that you don¡¯t understand. With you here, I can breathe. I can live again even while being suffocated inside. You don¡¯t know what you mean to me, Arianna. Marcel said, tracing her face with his fingers with emotions.

    Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped open in surprise, her eyes as wide as saucers. Sure, Marcel told her that he loved her, but he never told her why. Why did he choose her of all people? At least, until now.

    He went on, ¡°Sure, you might not be as smart as other women or from a wealthy family, but you give me something they cannot provide.¡±

    What is it? Arianna might not have asked, but her curious gaze said it all.

    Marcel smiled wryly, ¡°You give me peace, Arianna. It¡¯s crazy, but when I¡¯m with you, I feel like I¡¯m home. So I don¡¯t care about your limitations or your qualifications, if anything, I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t deserve you, not after what I¡¯ve done to you, who I am, and what I might do in the future. I would not give you afortable home as other men would. Staying by my side is like living at the tip of an iceberg, but one thing I can give you is my promise. I¡¯m never giving up on you even if the heavens say I¡¯m not meant for you. I would sooner let the world burn to ashes than let you go. ¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t even know that she was now crying until Marcel was clearing the tears from her face. Cupping her cheeks with hisrge palm, he asked her,

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    She nodded without hesitation, unable to say a word because of the excess emotions filling her.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Marcel smiled sincerely at her before saying suddenly,

    ¡°I have to send you away.¡±

    The color drained from Arianna¡¯s face, ¡°No, no -¡± She tried to protest.

    ¡°Shh,¡± Marcel pressed his finger against her lips to silence her, ¡°You said you trusted me, right?¡±

    It was a difficult decision but Arianna nodded in the end and listened to what he had in mind.

    ¡°I have a n to stop all of this, however, I don¡¯t trust my father, which is why I need to send you to a safe ce,¡± He exined to her, ¡°It¡¯s only for today and I¡¯lle back for you as soon as possible,¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t like this, but there was no other choice, moreover, Marcel needed her to trust him and there was no other time to prove that than now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Arianna decided without a second thought.

    Marcel had enough troubles on his te already, Arianna couldn¡¯t trouble him any longer; this was the least she could do for him. Moreover, she was tired of fighting him and Marcel was right. Daniel got into the base easily yesterday, and if Marcel already had plots of opposing the wedding, then she wasn¡¯t safe here.

    Daniel must already have his ns in store knowing there were chances of his son opposing him. She heard her father-inw yesterday, his son, Marcel had always been submissive to his orders until she came around. Her intrusion into Marcel¡¯s life ruined his great ns for him and what other way to correct that but to get rid of her ¨C eliminate the problem from the root.

    Marcel knew that as well, which was why he was trying hard to get her away from here. Arianna was so touched by the gesture that she fellpletely for him at that moment. If there were doubts and hesitations in her heart firmly, he won her over. She has reached the point of totalmitment.

    No matter what happened today, whether Marcel got married to ra or not, she would not leave his side. ra might be entitled to him, but Arianna would fight for him. What the both of them had was real and she couldn¡¯t give up on them just like that.

    Arianna was filled with determination. She was not a loser and if ra wanted Marcel, she would have to fight for him too. Sure, she would be at a huge disadvantage if she bes Marcel¡¯s mistress due to the public¡¯s opinion, and right and wrong are determined by society¡¯s standards. But she wouldn¡¯t give a damn, after all, people knew nothing about them.

    Marcel was relieved when Arianna didn¡¯t argue with him like before and agreed to his ns easily. So he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you time to get dressed, then Luca will drive you there. Daniel knows, if not all of my properties, hence it¡¯s not safe for you. You¡¯d be staying with a friend that my father wouldn¡¯t even dare to cross.¡±

    ¡°And you trust him?¡± Arianna wanted to be sure before she jumped from the frying pan to fire.

    ¡°I trust him more than my father,¡± Marcel was sure.

    ¡°Fine.¡± She agreed, ¡°Anybody is better than your father. When do I leave?¡±

    There was a pained look on Marcel¡¯s face when he said, ¡°You leave immediately,¡±

    Arianna nodded in understanding, there was no time to be wasted. So without giving Marcel a heads-up, she lowered his head and closed her lips over his in a kiss. Marcel responded instinctively as she kissed him long and hard. They kissed as if their life depended on it and they weren¡¯t going to see each other again.

    Thanks to the growing passion between them, the towel slipped off her body and Marcel groaned lustfully. Arianna then pulled away, staring at him deeply, ¡°Is five minutes enough?¡± She was turned on.

    ¡°I can make it worth your time,¡± The look in his eyes held lots of dark promises.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do then,¡± Arianna kissed him once again.

 Chapter 502

    502 Sparks Fly Between Them

    She was already beginning to miss him, Arianna realized as she was being led to the car by Luca. Looking back at the entrance, she saw Marcel standing there, his arms folded across his chest with his apathetic expression on disy.

    If she didn¡¯t know him too well, she would have thought he wasn¡¯t affected by her departure. But Marcel was hurting inside like her too and judging from how protective he was of her, Arianna knew that he was mustering lots of self-control to keep himself from going after her and stopping her from leaving.

    However, walking over to the car brought back a lot of memories for Arianna and they weren¡¯t good. Unlike now that she was walking with her feet freely, She remembered when Marcel handed her over to Big Joe and the memory made her halt in her step.

    What if Marcel was sending her away to a so-called friend of his, forever? After all, this wasn¡¯t the first time he sent her away. The doubt began to creep in but Arianna pushed it to the back of her mind. Unlike that time, Marcel promised nothing, no, he didn¡¯t even look at her as she was taken away, but it was different now. She was going to trust Marcel for once.

    Hence, Arianna turned around and before Luca could stop her, she ran back to Marcel. There was confusion on his face and Marcel looked unsure as she ran back to him, however, she didn¡¯t say anything and merely hugged him, reliving every single second she was cocooned in the warmth of his hug and felt protected.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything either and hugged her tight as if he was afraid of letting her go. He didn¡¯t need to say a word because the gesturemunicated all of his untold feelings and when they broke apart, he sped her cheeks,

    ¡°I¡¯ll being back for you,¡±

    ¡°I know. I trust you, Marcel.¡± She nodded, right before he pressed his lips against hers once again, kissing her passionately. Arianna could swear that she could taste the fear on Marcel¡¯s lips so she kissed him harder, telling him that she was fine. Nothing was going to happen to her. She woulde back to him and they wouldn¡¯t be separated from each other ever again.

    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s no more time,¡± Arianna heard Lucas¡¯ voice from behind informing Marcel that they had to leave. So she became desperate and kissed him harder and quicker as if she wanted to take a part of him with her ¨C if that was possible. But then, Arianna had to make do with the memories and assurance, hence they pulled apart with a sigh.

    .....

    ¡°Be safe,¡± She told Marcel and decided to leave first without looking at him. Arianna knew if she dared to turn back, there was no way she was going anywhere, not without him.

    Once she passed him, Luca gave her a sympathetic smile, but Arianna didn¡¯t need his pity. If he looked at her that way, that meant there was no chance of her and Marceling back together. This was a momentary setback. So she would remain hopeful and when he¡¯s done, Marcel woulde back for her.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say a word during the ride upon Lucas¡¯ attempt to lighten the depressing mood, so when she didn¡¯tugh the slightest, he got the point and gave up. Arianna was not in the mood to make jokes, she just leaned her head against the window and drifted away in her thoughts.

    While she and Luca sat in the passenger seat, there was the driver and a soldier at the front. Arianna knew there was another car tailing them from behind and making sure they were safe from Daniel or whoever else wanted to get back at Marcel through her.

    It was a five hours ride and they finally arrived at the outskirts of the city. Arianna had no idea of this Marcel¡¯s friend but she knew he was equally rich judging from the castle they arrived at ¨C Rich people sure know how to spend their money. The guards at the entrance opened the door for them and they drove in.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Luca announced to her when they arrived. He stepped out and came over to the other side of the car to let her out. Arianna didn¡¯t like this princess treatment and protested against it a few times, but Marcel wouldn¡¯t listen to her ¨C all of his men treated her with respect. The more sheined to him, the more Marcel made his men spoil her.

    Arianna stepped out, her hair wiping at her face from the wind and she tucked it open just as therge entrance door opened and a handsome man stepped out.

    ¡°Of course, leave it to Marcel to choose the prettiest of women,¡± He said with a confident smile while walking in her direction and Arianna arched a brow at him, wondering if he was the one.

    But Luca saved her the stress because he was by her side in a sh, exining to her, ¡°That¡¯s Leon, he¡¯s acquainted with Marcel and is a very rich man with political power.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s quite young,¡± Arianna pointed out in a lowered tone while he approached them. It was obvious that Leon was older than Marcel, but for such achievements, he was too young.

    ¡°With money, everything is possible,¡± was his answer. He added as well,

    ¡°It would benefit you in the future to get along with him,¡± Luca advised her, hinting at the fact that she would be their Madam in the future.

    Arianna cleared her throat awkwardly, a blush creeping up her neck. Wasn¡¯t he going too fast? They weren¡¯t even married yet. Damn, why was this ce suddenly hot? Arianna fanned her cheeks amid the cold wind.

    ¡°You have arrived, mydy,¡± Leon was standing in front of her.

    ¡°Thank you for inviting me to your humble abode, Mr. Leon,¡± Arianna said politely, even courtesy and that brought a smile to his lips.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say a word, my beautifuldy. You are always weed here, ¡± Leon took her hand and pressed a kiss to the top of her palm.

    What a sweet talker, Arianna thought inwardly.

    However, she watched as Leon¡¯s gaze moved to Luca and call it strange or something, but Arianna sensed sparks fly between them.

 Chapter 503

    503 The Wedding

    ¡°You are quite a beautiful bride,¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± ra appreciated her guest whoplimented her white dress.

    Today was Sunday, her wedding day as scheduled and ra looked dazzling in her dress. As a princess who demanded attention, her wedding dress was morous. Sleek and sexy, the mermaid dress fitted ra from the chest to the knee, then red out close to the knee, showing off her curves. The train of her dress was so long that it would require two to three of her bridesmaids to hold it while she walked down the aisleter.

    To everyone else, it looked as if ra was glowing in happiness since it was her wedding day, but inwardly, she was just a breath away from suffering from an anxiety attack. It was her wedding day, yes, but she had no idea where the groom was, since Marcel had not arrived.

    ra couldn¡¯t remember the number of times she had to cover up for Marcel when the guest asked for him and he wasn¡¯t present. He was driving her crazy!

    To save her face, ra would have moved up the date of the wedding, but Daniel was insistent on having the wedding today and was sure that Marcel would attend.

    However, ra couldn¡¯t help but be concerned. While Daniel was confident that Marcel would not defy his order after his ¡°visitation¡± yesterday, ra knew Marcel was different now. Marcel was a changed person and his current personality didn¡¯t care about the consequences when he wanted something.

    Not to mention that the more one pushed him, the more he retaliated. Marcel has broken out of his father¡¯s shackles. Daniel just hasn¡¯t realized that yet. To him, Marcel was probably still the young boy that he shaped into his sessor. If only he knew that wasn¡¯t the case anymore.

    Hence, the moment Tess, her chief bridesmaid arrived in the room, and was about to say something, ramunicated with her eyes and she shut her mouth immediately. If the guest knew that they were looking for the groom, she would be aughing stock in their inner circle.

    .....

    Not everyone hade to celebrate with her today; most of them simply came to ally with her family. Alberta might not be in power anymore but they were still a respectful family. However, the other poption came to satisfy their curiosity, out of jealousy.

    Her wedding announcement popped out of nowhere shocking those in their inner circle, hence it drew quite an attention, and tongues had already begun to wager. Some im that ra was pregnant and this was a shotgun wedding. As royalty, it would be a huge shame to her family if she gave birth out of wedlock.

    The Luciano family were an underbelly of crime and loved to keep a low profile, at least in the past, with Daniel trying to unite their family through marriage, their name would always be on the headlines now. In one word, not everyone knew about them ¨C especially those who kept a clean profile ¨C hence everyone was curious to know about them. As someone from a royal line, ra was expected to marry a man of high profile.

    But then, those rumors didn¡¯t bother ra because if she was really pregnant with Marcel¡¯s child, then it would be a huge miracle ¨C at least, she would be able to tie him down with that. But then, he hadn¡¯tid a hand on her, not since their engagement began.

    The only thing they ever did was kiss and now ra was even beginning to question if what they shared that day was real or if he had been putting on a show. Who knew what he had been thinking at that time? Having known the real Marcel now, ra bet that he used her or something.

    ¡°By the way, what about the groom? I haven¡¯t seen him around and everyone¡¯s so excited to see him!¡± The guest squealed in excitement and went on, ¡°You know, everyone thought you would end up with Luther, but then life works in mysterious ways. I guess when life gives you lemon, you make lemonade.¡± She chuckled modestly, cupping her mouth with her hand.

    ¡°Yes, lemon indeed,¡± Although raughed with her, it wasn¡¯t sincere. Her eyes were trained on Tess the entire time with her heart pounding in her throat. Tess in question, walked over to where she was seated and bending down, she whispered into her ears,

    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±

    ra let out the air that she had been holding in all this while. God, she was saved! she pressed her hand to her chest in relief. It worked, Marcel was going to marry her. Her prayers were finally answered.

    ¡°He wants to meet you before the wedding,¡± Tess further informed her and a smile formed on her face.

    Marcel wanted to meet her now? Had he finallye to his senses and realized that the both of them were meant to be together? Had ra known that it would be this easy, she would have involved Daniel long ago and saved herself the stress. Of course, her father-inw was the best.

    Now, she¡¯d see between her and his damned mistress, who gets toughst?

    Haha, she got Marcel in the end!

    Delirious with happiness, ra turned to her guest and announced proudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is all part of the wedding program and you will get to see the groom soon.¡± She said proudly, graciously standing up to her feet.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to prepare for my wedding ceremony,¡± ra hinted that she wanted her to leave.

    ¡°Sure, I shouldn¡¯t keep the bride of the day busy,¡± Thedy said, trying not to look offended.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding,¡± ra watched her leave the room and as soon as the door was shut, stood up immediately.

    ¡°Where is he?!¡± She questioned Tess, anxious to see Marcel already.

    As if to answer her question, the door opened the next minute and ra turned to wee Marcel with open arms only for the smile on her face to drop when she saw the two burly men standing in front of her. She recognized them, and they worked for Marcel, but

    they were not Marcel.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± ra was angry and bbergasted at the same time. They just killed her hope; she wanted to see Marcel.

    However, both men didn¡¯t say anything and strode over to where ra stood and grabbed her.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± ra was shocked, but before she could say another word, a rag was pressed against her nose and she lost consciousness. In one word, she was abducted before her wedding.

 Chapter 504

    504 ra Must Be Running Late

    The cathedral was filled with guests and after the procession, family members had taken their ces on either side of the altar. Daniel was seated at the front with his head raised high. Before they headed down the aisle, he had been busy socializing and schmoozing with guests who were eager to make his acquaintance.

    Just as he imagined, most of Alberta¡¯s family members had returned home to grace the wedding ceremony even though it was on short notice. Hence, the wedding ceremony was filled with dignitaries and more were to arrive at the reception.

    Daniel didn¡¯t care if his family members attended or not, all that mattered was Marcel marrying ra today. However, it seems the bunch of losers were eager to suck up to him. Hence, his cousins Benjamin and Robert alongside their sons and daughter ¨C he couldn¡¯t see the useful yet illegitimate one, Adele, only the useless one, Cindy or whatever she was called ¨C were beside him.

    Daniel snorted inwardly, his rtives were a joke. Thankfully, his son Marcel was different and all of his hard work paid off. Just a look at his second cousins, Marcel should be thanking him for not letting him turn out that way. But of course, his son was an ungrateful bastard.

    The only person Daniel would have valued her presence was his sister, Carmine, but she wasn¡¯t here. No, unless it was very necessary, the both of them never interacted as family members do. She has not forgiven him for their brother, and probably would do never till she died.

    She was never going to understand that he never intended for Albine to die. Who knew that their crazy uncle would go as far as to eliminate their brother whom he saw as a threat after provoking him? But then, that single move paved a way for their family and they came into power.

    Sure, she has the right to be angry, but for how long? Carmine should be thanking him, because all of the privileges she was enjoying today were a result of his hard work. Wasn¡¯t it hypocritical to me him and reap the benefit as well?

    Daniel turned to his assistant by his side, ¡°Tell me, what is my son up to?¡± He wouldn¡¯t be made aughing stock, especially with Benjamin and Robert present. Both of them would give anything to see that both of them fought against each other. And though he and his son fought, both of them had to present a united front today. Their rtives shouldn¡¯t see their weakness.

    ¡°None so far,¡± The assistant answered just as the bride¡¯s mother walked up to the altar, ¡°Your threat worked and he¡¯s walking in soon, anyway.¡±

    .....

    A smile tugged Daniel¡¯s lips to the side as he nodded his head, Marcel made the right choice as he thought. He was his son after all and could see the bigger picture. Daniel was so proud of him.

    Speak of the devil.

    The both of them looked up as Marcel, the groom himself came up. His son looked impably in his ck suit and his handsomeness didn¡¯t escape the eyes of some of the guests. Daniel lifted his head proudly as his son drew attention without even trying hard. At least, Penelope had done a good thing by giving his son the looks ¨C not that he (Daniel) wasn¡¯t handsome.

    Marcel was followed up by his best man Victor who was dressed in a green suit, not even a dark one, and Daniel groaned in disapproval.

    Leave it to that deviant to wear something unconventional to this holy matrimonial. Victor had always been the weird one in the family and had Daniel known that he would be in that striking color, he would have changed everything. Young people these days were full of nonsense.

    Victor drew quite an attention as well and some of the guests even took out their phone and began to take pictures of him as if he was some celebrity or something on a runway. The attention should be on his son, Marcel. Well, Victor was useful to his son and soon, the attention would naturally move to his son afterward.

    Marcel was a natural-born leader and king, hence the others would always remain under him. Everyone shines but no one shines brighter than the sun aka Marcel. The paired-up wedding party came up next and honestly, even Marcel didn¡¯t know those groomsmen personally ¨C they were picked from God knows where.

    Everything was arranged at thest minute and their purpose was to make sure the wedding was as real as possible. As per the wedding custom, they didn¡¯t want any of that practice missing else it confirms the people¡¯s suspicion that they were hurrying because ra was pregnant and this was a shotgun wedding.

    Alberta¡¯s family¡¯s reputation would be tarnished and Daniel couldn¡¯t allow that to happen to know that was the only reason he forced ra on his son. It was all because of her family¡¯s reputation and background and If something were to happen to that, it would be his loss.

    That was the only reason the marriage was happening. Aside from that, ra doesn¡¯t even deserve his son one bit and there were other powerful Mafia families that he could marry Marcel off to and strengthen both family¡¯s bonds through the union.

    The flower girl and the ring bearer were thest set of people to enter while the audience waited for the bride to make her entrance. Because her father waste and ra was an only child, one of their rtives would be the one giving her away to the groom, Marcel.

    The choir was already singing a hymn, while the whole church turned to the door, awaiting the bride¡¯s entrance. However, when five minutes passed and there was no still sign of ra, everyone knew something was wrong.

    Murmurs began to arise and Daniel¡¯s brows furrowed suspiciously. He looked at his son Marcel at the altar waiting for his bride and his poker face made it difficult to tell what he was up to.

    No, ra must be runningte or something, he assured himself and waited. Thankfully, not less than ten minutester when the tension was high and the murmurs be unbearable, the door opened.

 Chapter 505

    505 The Wedding Was Over

    For over fifteen minutes, there was no sign of raing out and just when everyone was about to conclude her disappearance, the door was opened and everyone turned in its direction.

    However it wasn¡¯t ra standing at the entrance, but her mother, Diana, instead, and that drew a shocked gasp from the crowd. What was going on? Where was ra?

    By now, everyone was already assuming what was going on, hence, it wasn¡¯t really surprising when Diana lifted a paper and announced that her daughter had given up on the wedding.

    There was an instant uproar and Daniel stood to his feet, his eyes zing with fire and he turned in the direction of Marcel who stood at the spot unaffected.

    ¡°What is going on?¡±

    ¡°Why did ra suddenly call off the wedding?¡±

    ¡°Just as I thought, why would ra give up on Luther just to marry this man from nowhere?¡±

    Those conversations came from around him and Daniel heard it all. His hands instantly formed into a fist and hemanded his assistant,

    ¡°Quick, go and find out what is going on?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± He bowed his head and took off instantly.

    He then turned to re at Marcel. This was not ordinary, Daniel knew that his son was somehow involved in whatever was going on. After all, he had always been against the marriage from the very start, and to think that he no longer has leverage over him except the girl ¨C that Marcel must have hidden by now.

    Daniel merely threatened Marcel and didn¡¯t make any more ns because he never thought his son would dare to go against his order. All he needed was leverage or a threat and Marcel obeyed his will like an obedient sheep. But that clearly wasn¡¯t the case anymore, and he needed this incident to see it.

    He should have kept an eye on him yesterday, however, Daniel was not discouraged. The only reason he made no ns nor try to thwart his son¡¯s effort of hiding the girl was because he was confident that he could find her.

    Unlike his son who let petty emotions get in the way of his ns, he, Daniel, would employ any means possible to track down the girl wherever he was hiding her. Marcel just did him a huge favor anyway because he loved the thrill of the chase anyway.

    Marcel choose war and he was not the type to go back on his words. Just as Daniel promised Marcel, he would make sure the girl doesn¡¯t survive today. His son wanted bloodshed, he would get one.

    ¡°This wedding is over, you can leave,¡± Diana announced to the guests present and the murmuring only increased.

    However, Daniel stepped out, saying, ¡°This wedding is over, says who?¡±

    That was not going to happen. Marcel was left standing at the altar, their family would suffer the embarrassment while the Alberta¡¯s would be criticized. Moreover, his ns couldn¡¯t be over just like that.

    ¡°Says me, the groom, who was abandoned at the altar. My bride decided to run off and I would rather die than continue with the wedding. If you¡¯re so eager to watch this wedding happen, you can track down ra and marry her instead. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind considering the both of you are besties,¡± Marcel said in front of the guest, taking off his suit jacket and tossing it away.

    Victor followed after him like a dutiful dog, and when they were about to pass Daniel, the man ced his hand on Marcel¡¯s shoulder, stopping him. Yes, theirmunication looked normal, but only Marcel could tell the amount of pressure his father was applying on his shoulder and he almost destroyed his bone.

    He leaned closer so it looked like father and son were exchanging secrets, but the look in Daniel¡¯s eyes was murderous,

    ¡°The moment you leave this room, you¡¯ve dered your stand and it¡¯s war. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to start a war with me, Marcel.¡± He warned him.

    However, Marcel said smugly,

    ¡°You keep on forgetting something here, father,¡± He came closer as well so they were staring each other in the eyes as he reminded him, ¡°I took the position as the Don from you, you didn¡¯t give it to me. So why else wouldn¡¯t I be able to defeat you in a war?¡±

    The smile vanished from Daniel¡¯s face and he was about to react when his phone vibrated in his pocket and he wasn¡¯t the only person. It was multiple messages and every member of the Luciano family reached for their phones immediately.

    Daniel came to discover that there was a family meeting and his gaze narrowed instantly. What was Marcel nning by calling a meeting? However, the moment he lifted his head, Marcel was nowhere to be seen and had left already. Daniel couldn¡¯t even go after him thanks to the crowd andmotion.

    His assistant returned to his side, announcing, ¡°ra is nowhere to be soon.¡±

    Yes, he knew that, Daniel didn¡¯t say anything. Marcel took her away for whatever he had in mind. His son thought he had won, but he was wrong; this was not the end. Fine, he would see what Marcel nned to do at the meeting. But that doesn¡¯t mean that he had given up on his n, it would merely dy it. He couldn¡¯t hurt his son, Marcel, so Arianna would have to bear the brunt of his anger.

    Meanwhile...

    ra woke up with a groan and tried to move, only to find out that she was tied to a chair and her eyes widened instantly. What the hell was going on here? Real fearprehended her when the memories of Marcel¡¯s men taking her away resurfaced. Why was Marcel doing this? She didn¡¯t even do anything wrong.

    The door opened and Marcel stepped out while ra red at him with hatred. Whatever feelings she had for him vanished after he kidnapped her. Her wedding must have canceled by now with how long she had slept. She would not forgive him for this.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Marcel announced as he picked the chair beside her and sat down. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin then, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 506

    506 y Around With You A Bit

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin what?¡± ra was confused and looked at Marcel as if he had lost his damn mind. She pulled at the binds but her hands couldn¡¯t move. It was tight and digging into her hands and skin.

    She red at Marcel, ¡°Is this a joke or what?! Let me go this instant or I would make sure you encounter worse fate in the hands of your father,¡± ra threatened him knowing that Daniel was the only one that could affect Marcel.

    ra was a fool to have been blinded by her feelings for him and he threw that right back on her face. She gave Marcel her heart and he stomped on it, instead, he chose to love that lowly woman, his mistress. He chose his mistress over her? ra was so embarrassed.

    And now, all that anger and embarrassment had turned to resentment and ra wanted Marcel to be punished for it. Maybe, he should die too.... that way, nobody could have him. When ra couldn¡¯t get what she wanted, she made sure no one gets to have it. She wanted it gone. And in Marcel¡¯s case, ra wanted him gone.

    Marcel snorted as if he found her response funny, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but in your current situation, not even my father would be able to save you.¡±

    ra frowned, what was he talking about? However, conceited and having been pampered all through her life, ra believed that Marcel must be fucking with her and Daniel woulde to rescue her soon.

    ¡°What bullshit?! Get me out of here, now because trust me, I¡¯ll make sure your father ¨C ahh!¡± ra screamed when Marcel grabbed her hair and pulled it so tight, that tears slipped down her cheeks.

    ra didn¡¯t know which one hurt the most, her perfectly made hair for the wedding today and if things went well, they would be married by now, or the pain from him pulling her hair.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m here to massage your spoiled ass?¡± Marcel growled at her face, his eyes hard and ferocious it looked like hell were burning there. He was angry, ra could see that now.

    .....

    ¡°It hurts,¡± Her lips trembled and Marcel¡¯s expression softened a little enough for him to ease his hold, but not entirely. The threat was still there and ra knew that if she made a mistake, he would grab her hair tight again.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me when I did nothing but love you or is it a crime to love you? To want you?¡± ra asked, the tears flowing in torrents now, ¡°Marcel, all I ever did was to want -!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you know nothing about love!¡± Marcel bellowed.

    ra flinched, daring not to make a sound. The current Marcel was acting all strange and violent. She didn¡¯t know what hade over Marcel. It must be that mistress of his. She knew today was their wedding day and must have poisoned Marcel¡¯s mind, turning him against her. All ra needed was to get out of here and she would solve everything.

    ¡°What have you done?¡± Marcel found itughable, ¡°All you did was love me?¡± He sneered, ¡°You were never in love with me, ra. You were only possessive and wanted an idea of me. You never knew or wanted the real me. Moreover, if you indeed loved me, you would never do anything to bring me to harm or distress in the first ce.¡± He told her, but ra only shook her head in confusion.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ra looked sincere and pitiful as he told him, ¡°I would never harm you, Marcel. I would never do that!¡±

    ¡°Then what about Peter?¡±

    ¡°What Peter?¡± ra groaned, tired of this baseless usation.

    ¡°Peter Ivanov. The man you ordered to steal my weapons.¡±

    ra sighed, tired of the pointless interrogation, ¡°Is this what this is all about? Do you think I wouldmand someone to steal your weapons? God! I don¡¯t know who the hell is -¡±

    She was about to finish her statement when Marcel pulled out his phone with lightning speed and showed her the picture of the man on his screen.

    At first, ra blinked innocently, merely blinking at the image before her, however, just as she was about to open her mouth and inform Marcel that she hasn¡¯t seen a man like that in her entire life, recognition hit her and her eyes widened to the size of the moon... Oh God, no.

    ¡°Judging from the incredulous look on your face, I can safely assume that you finally remember him and you aren¡¯t so innocent now, are you?¡±

    ra¡¯s blood ran cold and she lifted her head to see the devilish smirk forming at the corner of his lips. Marcel knew everything and just needed to confirm it from her, which he just did. He caught her unprepared. Now what? What was he going to do to her?

    ¡°M-Marcel,¡± ra stuttered, her sense of self-preservation kicking in. She tried to move so she could grab onto him and beg him to spare her, but she couldn¡¯t. The damn ropes were preventing her!

    ¡°What?¡± He asked emotionlessly.

    ¡°It was in the past,¡± Was ra¡¯s excuse, ¡°I only did that when we were newly engaged, after my mother arranged our marriage without my consent. I had been upset and angry and wanted to take it out on you, Marcel. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you then, I was ignorant. Moreover, I only asked him to just create a small setback enough to piss you off, that was all. ¡± ra had no choice but to confess the truth.

    Marcel finally let go of her hair and took a step back, and another before he burst into long hystericalughter. Heughed so hard that tears began to escape his eyes and he began to p his hands, ¡°A little setback, huh?¡± Heughed harder.

    In the twinkle of an eye, theughter on Marcel¡¯s face vanished and it was as if it was never there in the first ce, ¡°You call that a little setback?!¡± He barked so hard that ra shrieked, startled. She was so scared, that Marcel was going to kill her.

    ¡°You were so generous with your money that Peter employed one of the most annoying mercenaries and a whole armory set to arrive was intercepted at the dork. What did you say to that? Is that a small setback to you?!¡± He screamed into her ears so hard that ra began to sob from the maltreatment.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± ra wept bitterly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to put you in much trouble. I was just so bitter towards you then that I thought it was the right decision. Please forgive me, Marcel,¡± She begged him. ra didn¡¯t want to die now.

    ¡°Forgive you?¡± Marcel sneered. He then lowered his head so he was looking her straight in the eyes.

    He said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit selfish to ask for forgiveness? Had you been someone else, you would have died already for betraying me and you think I¡¯m not merciful enough?¡± His tone was authoritative and showed threat.

    He went on, ¡°But then I would spare you because for once, you seem to have done something favorable to me. Outside these walls, there would soon be a family gathering and thanks to your little ¡°setback¡± ns, I¡¯m under a family rule never to marry a betrayer. The future madam must live by example, don¡¯t you think so? ¡± He smiled wickedly and re¡¯s face fell because she could clearly see his ns now.

    ¡°No, no, Marcel, it was just once!¡± ra argued, fighting desperately against the bond, ¡°Marcel, I would never betray you! So please don¡¯t do this to us! Please, I¡¯ll be better from now on... in fact, you can be with your mistress while married to me, I wouldn¡¯t say or do anything, just don¡¯t give up on our rtionship, Marcel,¡± She pleaded desperately.

    However, Marcel told her, ¡± That¡¯s where you are wrong, ra. There was never a us or a rtionship between the both of us in the first ce. Everything that happened was between you and Daniel, I gave no consent to that. And you forget just how petty I can be,¡± He announced justifiedly, ¡°Just like you decided to take out your anger on me when our engagement was newly formed, I¡¯ve decided to take out my anger on you for betraying my trust.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, you can¡¯t do that, Marcel! Marcel!¡± ra screamed after him as he began to leave, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have done that! It was in the past though!¡±

    But when she saw it did not affect him, she started to swear then, ¡°Fine, take your fucking ass out of here like the bastard you are anyway. Do you think you can be with her just because you got rid of me? Haha, in your dreams, Marcel! Daniel would kill her!¡± She shouted and Marcel stopped.

    Without a second thought, he turned around and began to strode in her direction and fear crippled ra as she realized what she had done.

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m so sorry, Marcel. Don¡¯t kill me!¡± She was still saying when Marcel slipped off the tie he had been made to wear and gagged her mouth with it.

    When Marcel was done, he patted her cheeks, but the look in his eyes was anything but gentle. It was cold and hard, as if he had retreated into being the ruthless killer he was known for. ra¡¯s heart began to pound hard, what the hell has she done?

    Marcel said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after your judgment in the next room, we¡¯d y around a bit, don¡¯t you think so?¡± The dark promise in his eyes was obvious. ra just stepped into the lion¡¯s den and she was beginning to see it.

 Chapter 507

    507 The Family Meeting

    There was great murmuring as every member of the Luciano family present at the wedding arrived at the base. There was great conversation as all of them wondered why Marcel summoned them over, however, each of them knew that this was rted to his wedding. It was hard to believe that he was left standing at the altar, some of his family members found thatughable.

    However, unlike the other family members that were busy with their gossip, Daniel was oddly quiet. No one dared to point out his sudden quietness and simply minded their business else they bear the brunt of his punishment. Everyone in the family avoided Daniel as if he was a pest knowing what he was capable of. No one wanted to get on his bad side.

    While Daniel looked calm on the surface, the truth was that he was burning with anger inwardly. Marcel dared to challenge his authority? He wanted to get his hands on Marcel today, or rather, destroy what he currently treasured more ¨C the girl. Daniel knew that Marcel was merely stalling for time, hence, that annoyed him the more. He couldn¡¯t wait for this meeting to be over so he could tear him from limb to limb.

    Almost immediately, Marcel made his appearance and the chatter instantly died off. They created a path for him to pass through while the others standing settled down. Marcel went to sit at a chair at the head of the table and Daniel looked at him, watching the gesture. He still hadn¡¯t gotten over the fact that his son was the one in charge, nor did everyone in the room fail to notice the thick tension between the both of them.

    With Marcel seated, everyone else still left standing scampered to find their seat and upied it immediately. An awkward hush fell over the hall, contrary to the lively environment moments ago, but Marcel didn¡¯t mind as he stood up to announce,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling an impromptu meeting, but the situation demanded it and I¡¯m sure all of you in this room must have guessed the reason why I called this meeting,¡± Marcel said and a low murmur arose once again as they argued on the matter.

    Marcel went on to say, ¡°The truth is that I wasn¡¯t abandoned on the altar, rather I kidnapped my bride.¡±

    There was an instant uproar in the room after Marcel confessed. What the hell was going on here? What does he mean by kidnapping his girlfriend? There wasmotion all around him. Daniel in question was so livid that veins were showing on his face, however, he didn¡¯t speak out immediately.

    He knew his son Marcel and he wouldn¡¯t make such a rash move without a n in the first ce, hence Daniel was able to control his emotions and waited for Marcel to reveal the card he had up his sleeve.

    .....

    ¡°However, it was done for a good reason and I¡¯m here to announce that ra Alberta broke the one rule of our family...¡± Marcel trailed off, looking straight at his father as he announced, ¡°Harming the Mafia Don of our family.¡±

    There was a shocked gasp, then followed by a cry of outrage from the family members. As much as they hated each other¡¯s ass, blood was still thicker than water and they would rather harm Marcel than let an outsider look down on him.

    Daniel copsed back into his seat at once as everything began to make sense to him. The reason Marcel was cocky enough to go against him, was all because he knew what ra did. His son was confident he would win against him in this case and he did. Marcel was smart, no wonder, he brought it out in front of all of the family members. It was so he couldn¡¯t have any leverage over him anymore.

    Now that his family members knew ra as a betrayer, Daniel was afraid that even with all of his authority and position in the family, he couldn¡¯t make the marriage happen this time. It was beyond him and Marcel knew that when he was nning this all along.

    Marcel went into details, ¡°ra instigated and bribed one of my men to cause me trouble and he ended up contracting the phantom ghost who stole my shipment and caused me the loss of some of my men which you all know.¡± He reminded them of the incident in the past.

    Knowing this was serious, Daniel turned to his assistant sharply, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡±

    His assistant pushed his sses back with his head bowed, ¡°I had no idea either nor could I have predicted that she would do such a thing. ra must have detested Marcel that much.¡±

    Hearing that didn¡¯tfort Daniel, instead, he grabbed his seat¡¯s arm so tight it looked like he would crush it. So his n wasn¡¯t going to work and it was all because of that stupid girl, ra. Daniel knew ra was dumb, but not to this extent. Sigh.

    Maybe, it was a good thing Marcel got rid of ra anyway. With her stupidity, if they got married, who knows the amount of trouble that she would have caused the family in the future? But then, without ra in the way, that meant that Marcel could easily be with that woman¡¯s daughter. No way! Over his dead body! He was not going to let that happen.

    Daniel was still thinking of a n when he saw his cousin Benjamin lift his hand to ask, ¡°If you had known your bride¡¯s sins, why did you still go ahead with the wedding?¡± He was smug, having known that Daniel set Marcel up to it.

    However, Marcel answered, ¡°Why did you think I kidnapped her and ended the wedding? It wasn¡¯t until today that I found out about her crime and I couldn¡¯t forgive her for that even if it was in the past. If she couldmit such a thing while we dated, what would she do then when we get married and know all my secrets and I provoke her? Trust me when I tell you that I thought about this matter thoroughly, Uncle. Any more questions?¡± Marcel said arrogantly and Benjamin only lifted a brow at his attitude.

    ¡°There is nothing more to ask then. I was just concerned about you, you know? I had to know if ra has any more power over you else you end up forgiving her. You do know women have such persuasive powers.¡± Benjamin imed.

    ¡°Oh, that, you do not have to worry about that uncle.¡± Marcel told him with all sincerity with just a hint of sarcasm, ¡°How magnanimous of you to care about me, I¡¯m so touched uncle,¡±

    Daniel always knew his son was a big actor. He watched Marcel ce his hand on his chest and gave Benjamin a grateful look. After all, to seed in this family, one needed a mask that suited all asions.

    Marcel went on to say, ¡°How selfish of me to make my uncle worry about me when you have enough trouble on your te already. I heard just this week that your daughter tried to rape Adele¡¯s assistant¡¯ because the handsome man was ying hard to get?¡±

    At once, there was a great murmuring in the hall and everyone began to look at Benjamin and Cindy for the juicy details. Her family had wrapped up the issue because it was embarrassing, however, Marcel was the Don and big details like that never failed to reach his ears especially when he had a capable assistant like Adele.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry uncle,¡± Marcel told him, ¡°Cindy is still a growing child and It¡¯spletely normal for sexual appetite to surge. It¡¯spletely normal for her to have a huge libido, but if it gets in the way of her normal activities, I would help get a doctor for her. After all, you can¡¯t worry about me and all of your children as well, otherwise, you would age faster than your older brother, my uncle, Robert. Worse, even more than your pals, ¡± Marcel subtly insulted him.

    It waspletely normal his ass! Robert was enraged, but there was nothing he could do. This waspletely his daughter¡¯s fault! He red at Cindy who lowered her head and refused to look him in the eyes.

    ¡°Of course, I would be so much happy if you do that,¡± Robert swallowed the insult and gave Marcel a smile that did not touch his eyes. As the family¡¯s Don, he couldn¡¯t go against Marcel.

    Almost immediately, Robert raised his hand, ¡°Why did you have to gather us here then? You could have just canceled the wedding and none of us would have said anything about it.¡± He questioned.

    Robert knew that it was his father¡¯s arrangement, and Marcel recognized his trickery. His uncle wanted him to admit that Daniel arranged their meeting and forced it upon him. However, Marcel wasn¡¯t born yesterday.

    ¡°Yes, you are right,¡± Marcel admitted.

    ¡°I could have canceled the wedding without informing any of you and calling a meeting like this. However, I love to respect my elders and since all of us were gathered at the wedding anyway, I thought why not exin it all to my family members? Also, it was so you elders wouldn¡¯t have any objection when I decide to marry another one in the future, ¡± Marcel said and Daniel¡¯s gaze sharpened.

 Chapter 508

    508 Daniel Lost His Control

    Marcel didn¡¯t look, however, he felt his father¡¯s heavy gaze on him and if looks could kill, he would have been long dead. However, it still brought him a bit of satisfaction because for his father to be this affected only meant that he was doing it right.

    ¡°As if you¡¯re so important,¡± Robert muttered under his breath, but Marcel heard him clearly and didn¡¯t say anything.

    His uncle went ahead to say, ¡°As the family Don, you might think you¡¯re the busiest, but I can assure you that is not the case. We¡¯re doing our job well which is why the workload is easier on you. What am I trying to say? You are not the only busy person, Marcel, hence, even if you marry three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines, we don¡¯t care, not even your own father would interfere with it. ¡±

    A slow smile crossed Marcel¡¯s lips the moment his uncle Robert said those words and he turned to meet his father who looked like someone just smeared shit on his face. This was what Marcel wanted all along and his uncle just gave it to him without thinking much about it.

    ¡°Three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines,¡± Snorted Victor who had not spoken a word since the meeting began. He said, ¡°Sorry, but my cousin is not preparing topete with Solomon in the Bible.¡±

    Moreover, Victor was sure that his uncle would only find a way to eliminate the children that he would probably view aspetition.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to take it seriously, Victor, I¡¯m sure my uncle meant well,¡± Marcel spoke up for Robert which surprised everyone and caused the uncle in question to frown. What was that sly kid up to now? But Marcel was too happy to care.

    ¡°That means I¡¯m the only one that could introduce a woman to the family as a wife, not even my father can, is that so?¡± Marcel asked innocently, so one couldn¡¯t sense the ulterior motive behind his question.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Benjamin, ¡°Why should your father choose a wife for you when you¡¯re old enough to make the decision? Don¡¯t you think so, dear cousin, Daniel?¡±

    .....

    Although Benjamin seemed to be on Marcel¡¯s side, he had his own reasons. He was only supporting Marcel to stop Daniel from making the right choice for him. All of the women Daniel selected for his son were usually capable and from powerful backgrounds. If Marcel were to marry into such a background, he was afraid that the leadership would remain on their side forever because his wife¡¯s family would back him no matter what.

    In one word, most of them gathered here didn¡¯t care what ra did, it was merely an excuse to stop the wedding from happening and Marcel was a fool to have reported it to them, they all thought. Benjamin heard Marcel was a womanizer, hence he would never make a good choice. So the n was to take advantage of the situation and ensure Daniel never interfered with his life in the future, especially now Marcel was surprisingly helpful.

    So when he asked Daniel that question, the man turned to re at Benjamin so intensely that he gulped down saliva. None of them couldn¡¯t tell what exactly was frightening about Daniel, the man was simply scary.

    ¡°Are you trying to say that I have no say in my son¡¯s love life?¡± Daniel asked icily, finally letting out his oppressive aura. He had been quiet all this while and see what it led to.

    Benjamin was readily intimidated by Daniel, however, Robert the elder brother was bolder and he spoke up,

    ¡°It¡¯s your son¡¯s life, not yours. You already lived yours in case you don¡¯t remember, nor did anyone choose your wife. ¡± He stated challengingly.

    Daniel turned to him with a sarcastic tug at the corner of his lips, and said, ¡°You¡¯re oddly invested in my son¡¯s life, shouldn¡¯t you reserve that concern for your other son who¡¯s suspected of being gay?¡±

    He hit Robert where it hurts the most and the man grabbed the chair¡¯s handle so tight his knuckles turned white. However, Robert put on a straight face, and the only gesture portraying what he felt inside were his hands shaking from fury.

    He heard the rumors about his son and though the world had changed and the Mafia rules weren¡¯t as imperious as before ¨C which was the reason Lance was still alive ¨C they still looked down on gays. Hence, Lance was a big disgrace to him right now.

    Meanwhile, Marcel sat in the corner watching his uncles and father fight it out verbally. He had no intention of stepping in and stopping them until he got what he wanted. He already lured them and they took the bait, it was now left to them to give him what he wanted.

    Robert answered him, ¡°Those are merely rumors and you should know how destructive unverified words are for you to use one so carelessly and use my innocent son.¡±

    ¡°There is no smoke without a fire,¡± Daniel hinted that there must have been an atom of truth in that rumor.

    ¡°In that case, what if I were to spread that Marcel wasn¡¯t really your son and you are impotent which is why you were only able to give birth to the imbecile ¨C ¡± Robert was still saying when Daniel whirled around him and with lightning speed, punched him in the face.

    As the former Don, proceeded now by his son who was doing well in leading the family, Daniel had quite a wless reputation except for that one defect ¨C his imbecile son. Hence, Daniel who was usually collected, lost his control.

    Watching his father and uncles engage in a fight, Marcel felt like face-palming. This was not what he wanted. They were supposed to put up a rule or something that would stop his father from interfering in his marriage choice in the future. But there they were, fully grown adults fighting in their presence. However, Marcel was sure of one thing, his father would be utterly embarrassed ¨C and enraged ¨C by the time this is over.

    So while the others went to separate them, Marcel remained in his seat. Not then, when it seemed the fight wasn¡¯t going to stop anytime soon, Marcel merely gestured to Victor who nodded and lifted his gun upward, releasing two shots in the air.

    They were startled by the gunshot and some of them even ducked under the table thinking that this was an attack or something. So when they stood up, they were embarrassed. They were supposed to be fearless, however, they shivered like chicks at the sound of a gunshot.

    But thanks to the gunshots, normalcy returned and everyone returned to their seats. However, the tension was thick in the air and Marcel knew that if he didn¡¯t dismiss them anytime soon, another fight would break out.

    ¡°Honestly, I expected more from my elders,¡± Marcel said, and though they didn¡¯t lower their heads, he could see the shame in their eyes.

    Marcel turned to his father who was more furious than embarrassed. Daniel was not going to let this go and Robert better watches his back for the next days toe.

    ¡°I understand your point as my father, however, just like uncle said, he has the right to be involved in my life as well. After all, as the Don, whoever I chose as a wife would have a huge influence on the family. Had I not been lucky, I wouldn¡¯t have discovered ra¡¯s deceit, and who knows what she would cause our family in the future?¡± Marcel said and there were echoes of support from the family members.

    But then, they shouldn¡¯t have rejoiced too soon because Marcel said,

    ¡°However, as the head of the family, that means I have the sovereign power and in that case, I want no interference in my choice of a partner, not even from my father.¡±

    There was instant silence the moment everyone heard Marcel¡¯s deration and that was when it dawned on Robert that Marcel just used him. But why? That was what they couldn¡¯t understand. Marcel had no problem epting ra, thedy his father had chosen until her crime was discovered. However, Marcel had always been unpredictable, so they didn¡¯t think much about it. He was probably sick and tired of his father¡¯s controlling ways.

    ¡°I¡¯m the leader of this family and would take the responsibility for whatever decisions I take. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about the woman I marry in the future. This meeting is dismissed, thanks for your time.¡± Marcel said and left before anyone could say a thing, Victor trailing after him.

    ¡°This is not the end,¡± Victor pointed out that Daniel wouldn¡¯t let him go that easily. They were only able to resolve today¡¯s issues because they had been lucky to find out what ra had done thanks to that kid, Aziz.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. But he would lie low for now.¡± Marcel added under his breath, ¡°I hope so.¡±

 Chapter 509

    509 Get Into Her Head

    ra was startled awake as soon as she heard footsteps. Left alone and with nothing to do for the past hour, she fell asleep out of boredom. Hence, you could imagine how she felt to wake up only to see Marcel right in front of her, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest.

    He snuck up on her like a ghost and ra came to a startling realization that if Marcel wanted her dead, she would be long gone by now. And Marcel must have sensed what she was thinking because there was an arrogant smirk at the corner of his lips and that pissed her off greatly.

    Marcel pulled down the gag he used to shut her mouth and ra red at him, flexing her sore jaw.

    ¡°Something great must have happened for you to be this smug, let me guess? You sessfully managed to find a way to get rid of me since our wedding is invalid anyway?¡±

    ¡°Bingo!¡± Marcel didn¡¯t bother to hide his excitement, ¡°Had you been this smart, by chance, the both of us might have worked out. However, I¡¯m not the man to regret my actions, so thank God we didn¡¯t end up together.¡± He sassed.

    ¡°So now what?¡± ra lifted her head proudly, ¡°What are you going to do to me? Are you going to get rid of me so you and your mistress can leave happily ever after?¡±

    She went on with a sneer, ¡°Well, let me remind you, Marcel, you would never have a happily ever after with that woman because I¡¯ll be your mortal enemy and I¡¯ll never leave you both alone.¡± She shouted, ¡°I gave you everything, Marcel! I even gave up Luther for both of us to be together and this is how you pay me back?! In that case, I would never leave you alone in peace!¡±

    ra threatened Marcel, expecting some sort of reaction from him after the provocation. But then, Marcel stared at her nkly as if it was mere air that spoke and it confused her. Why wasn¡¯t Marcel saying something? It was more satisfying when he talks back, only then that she knows he was affected by it.

    But then, after over five minutes went by and there was still no sort of response from Marcel, she felt like a fool. If only ra knew that Marcel was only trying to control himself from murdering her.

    .....

    In the past, insulting his mother would set Marcel off, however, Arianna finally ended up on his list. In one word, calling Arianna his mistress was enough to provoke him to anger. And right now, ra justmitted that crime, hence, Marcel had to muster enough self-control to stop himself from simply wrapping his hands around her neck and crushing her windpipe.

    ¡°I was hoping that you would say that,¡± Marcel finally spoke up, but that wasn¡¯t the response ra was expecting and that made her brows furrowed in confusion.

    Marcel began to circle her like a vulture around a carcass, albeit slowly. That unsettled her and the hairs on her back stood on edge whenever Marcel walked behind her because she couldn¡¯t see him nor could she tell what he was up to. What if he had a gun with him and wanted to end her life? Thoughts like that filled her mind.

    So it wasn¡¯t a surprise ra gasped loudly when Marcel suddenly ced his hand on her shoulder from behind and she shifted ufortably in her seat. Her heart began to pound while beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Her palms were mmy and she unconsciously tested the strength of the bind and God, she couldn¡¯t get out of it. What was she going to do? She began to panic.

    Marcel knew that ra was all bark but no action and would have let her be, however, she insulted Arianna and he wasn¡¯t going to let that go. Aside from that, perhaps, because of their family¡¯s closeness, ra underestimates what he could do ¨C his ability and power. Or perhaps, she just doesn¡¯t believe that he could hurt her because of their history together. Or maybe, she was simply a spoiled brat.

    In that case, he deserved a little respect.

    Marcel had a feeling that ra would continue being a nuisance to him until he put her in her ce. He didn¡¯t get rid of his father¡¯s influence, only to entertain her drama. Moreover, until he got rid of his father and ra, Arianna would never befortable enough to settle down with him. It was all for Arianna.

    So he increased the pressure of his grip on her shoulder till she winced, and the sound satisfied him. However, Marcel didn¡¯t stop her until ra was whimpering and begging him to stop. And he did. Marcel then grabbed her hair from behind and she cried out in pain just as he said into her ears,

    ¡°You are going to be my mortal enemy, is that so? I guess I haven¡¯t told you that none of my enemies get to live the moment I get my hands on them?¡±

    Marcel threatened her and she shivered.

    Marcelughed mockingly but it quickly changed into a sneer, ¡°Since you are never going to leave me alone, why don¡¯t I get rid of you first?¡± He pushed her away as if she was mere dirt and didn¡¯t matter to him.

    Tears began to roll down ra¡¯s cheek however Marcel rolled his eyes,

    ¡°Sorry, but that emotional maniption doesn¡¯t work on me. I¡¯m only a fool for one woman and you don¡¯t make the cut.¡±

    ¡°Then try and get rid of me, then!¡± ra shouted at him.

    As a woman, she felt so insulted that Marcel was praising another woman right in front of her ¨C especially one that she was better than. Her prude was shattered.

    ¡°You think that my family would leave you alone?¡±

    However, Marcel tsk-tsked, ¡°Why does everyone assume that a Mafia only needs to kill to get rid of somebody?¡± He found itughable.

    ¡°What else then?¡± ra didn¡¯t believe him. What was Marcel capable of if not destruction and death? Now she thought about it, what did she even see in him enough to push Luther away? She must have been under a charm or something.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we explore your greatest fear? What do you say?¡± Marcel said and ra looked at him as if he had finally lost his mind.

    Then she began tough. raughed so hard that tears rolled off her cheeks. It was so funny. However, thatughter gurgled to a halt when the door suddenly opened and she saw that annoying cousin of his walk in with a suspicious briefcase and she tensed up.

    What was in here? Was it his torture tool? Marcel was going to torture her? Of course, what else did she expect? ra braced herself because no force on earth would make her beg Marcel for mercy. He wanted to torture her? Then he should go on with it.

    ¡°I see that both of you are having a fun time?¡± Victor teased him, standing in front of him.

    ¡°And I see that you are still working hard as hisckey as always,¡± ra insulted him.

    ¡°Of course, I work really hard, because, unlike a certain somebody, I have a sense of loyalty,¡± Victor backtalked, unlike Marcel, who would have given her the silence instead.

    ra shut her mouth immediately, her attention now fixed on the briefcase the cousin was carrying.

    Victor in question winked at her and that spoke volumes. Thus, the tension in the room increased as he faced Marcel and opened the case. ra strained her neck to get a view but she couldn¡¯t and her anxiety increased. Nor did it help matter when she heard Victor say,

    ¡°You better use that properly, cousin, there¡¯s just one shot of it left,¡±

    What the hell was inside the box?

    Then she saw it and the blood drained from her face.

    Marcel stood to his feet with an injection in hand.

    ¡°What is that? What are you nning to do to me, Marcel!¡± ra yelled, evident fear on her face. Marcel was a bastard and that shot he had in hand couldn¡¯t be something good.

    ¡°You want to know that badly?¡± Marcel smirked, knowing that he was the one in control here, adding to her fear, ¡°In that case, this is Barbiturates, poprly known as the truth serum.¡±

    Oh God, no.

    ra¡¯s anxiety finally reached the limit and she desperately struggled against the bind. Marcel couldn¡¯t get into her head. If he knew what she feared the most, then he was going to use it against her. That was the punishment he was talking about. God, how could she have been stupid?!

    ¡°No, don¡¯t bring that close to me!¡± She screamed and struggled when Marcel got close to her. She can¡¯t let him get that needle inside of her.

    ¡°Please, Marcel!¡± She resorted to begging him this time but he didn¡¯t listen to her. Victor came over and held her down as Marcel injected the substance.

    ¡°No!!¡± ra released a tormented wail as the deed was done.

    Marcel better kill her, please because

    he can¡¯t get into her head. He was going to destroy her.

 Chapter 510

    510 Leon Was Interested In Marcel

    She couldn¡¯t stand this anymore, Arianna groaned inwardly as she stared at the awkwardmunication between Luca and Leon. Even if her host, Leon didn¡¯t say anything, she had caught him eye fucking Luca a few times.

    However, Leon only smiled smugly as if he hadn¡¯t been checking out Lucas¡¯ ass and went ahead. He had quite the confidence and Arianna didn¡¯t say anything, he was her host after all. Hehe, she would only have to activate her matchmaking then.

    Luca didn¡¯t spare much look at Leon, yet Arianna could smell the attraction between them like a police dog and it was a burning inferno. Thinking about it now, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this had been the same case with her and Marcel.

    Had the both of them had the hots for each other and didn¡¯t notice? Or maybe, she was the one too stubborn to admit their attraction, after all, Marcel had never failed to tell her he wanted her. Arianna knew that she was too stubborn for her good.

    Currently, she and Leon were having avish meal and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the meal was just for the both of them or if there was amunity of people yet to arrive at the table because it was too much. If looking at the mansion was not enough to convince one that Leon was wealthy, then the numerous cousins would. Arianna was so full she couldn¡¯t move. Aside from that, the man was a good entertainer as well.

    ¡°No, not anymore,¡± Arianna chuckled, wiping the tears that had slipped down her cheeks as a result of the numerous Jokes Leon was telling her.

    ¡°Okay, just one more then,¡± Leon agreed. He then asked her, ¡°Why does Humpty Dumpty love autumn?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Arianna knew she would fail the question even if she bothered to answer.

    Leon was ted that she couldn¡¯t answer his question and said proudly,

    .....

    ¡°Because he always has a great fall.¡±

    Arianna threw her head back andughed hard, and in the process, her gaze fell on Luca who had a small smile on the corner of his lips. What a pretender! If there was any doubt that Luca was interested in the man, it was cleared now.

    Luca was standing just a few meters away from her and even when Leon asked him politely to sit beside her, he refused the offer iming he was doing his job ¨C trailing behind her like a ghost. Arianna wondered if she was the reason he wasn¡¯t responding to the green lights Leon was giving him. As far as Arianna knew, Luca was as single as a pringle, nor did he have a love interest ¨C until now.

    This was why Arianna nned to go straight into her room after eating, giving Leon the chance to win Luca over and he wouldn¡¯t have any more excuses. What a great n, Arianna was confident it would work. Luca wouldn¡¯t know what hit him, hehe. He couldn¡¯t escape love this time.

    ¡°So how did the both of you meet?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You and Marcel,¡± Arianna pointed out, ¡°He didn¡¯t get the chance to tell me the rtionship between the both of you, only said that you¡¯re the only person he could trust at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. It¡¯s quite funny, actually,¡± Leon confessed, a blush coating his cheeks.

    ¡°I want to hear it,¡± Arianna¡¯s interest piqued.

    Leon wiped his face with his palm and then started, ¡°The truth is that I hit on Marcel, you know, full-blown steamy looks and powerful innuendos,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna shouted, shell-shocked. What the heck was he talking about?

    ¡°Yep,¡± Leon admitted.

    Wait a minute, she narrowed her gaze at him suspiciously. Her guards were up now and Arianna couldn¡¯t believe that she had another rival in line. As if ra wasn¡¯t enough, Leon too? A more powerful, handsome rival?

    God, why couldn¡¯t Marcel give her a break? Why does he attract attention from all around ¨C even men now? It was because of his face, Arianna guessed. He was too handsome for people to handle! Perhaps, she would have him wearing masks like Elijah from now on to save her the trouble. Fighting for his love was bing too challenging.

    Does Luca know that too? Is that the reason he was keeping his distance? That betrayer! Leon was in love with Marcel and he didn¡¯t tell her, Arianna quickly concluded.

    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Leon offered her an exnation when he saw the look she was giving him.

    However, Arianna simply lifted her hand and silenced him, trying to digest all the information she just heard. No wonder, Marcel couldn¡¯t exin their rtionship to her and gave her the trust bullshit ¨C he had a lot of exining to do after this.

    She took one long, deep breath before lifting her face to look at Leon once again, ¡°Tell me....¡± Arianna gulped as if it was too hard to ask, ¡°Did the both of you....¡± She brought her two fingers together to touch insinuatingly.

    ¡°Oh, God, no,¡± Leon answered, looking disgusted, which was a good sign, right?

    ¡°We didn¡¯t get to that extent,¡± He said to her relief.

    Arianna didn¡¯t know that she was holding her breath until he said those words, ¡°Then, what the hell happened?¡± She asked, annoyed.

    ¡°Well, we met at a club. To be precise, I met him at his club, and honestly, it was a mistake to think of him as gay. However, I met him at the bar alongside Victor, I didn¡¯t know the both of them were rted because they were giving off gay vibes, not to mention that Marcel was too good-looking for his own good and the gay ones tend to be too handsome,¡± he hinted at the stereotype surrounding gay people.

    Arianna knew he was telling the truth, just as Mimi didn¡¯t have any filter when ites to talking shit, Victor was touchy-feely. However, that was just his personality and it was merely bad luck Leon stumbled on the scene.

    ¡°What happened next?¡±

    ¡°Well, what do you think I did?¡± Leon asked her back, picking up a ss of water and gulped it down.

    Arianna could already guess he walked up to Marcel, but she needed to hear from him.

    He went on, ¡°I couldn¡¯t give up on such an opportunity, the both of us know that your man is too damn attractive.¡±

    A blush crept up Arianna¡¯s cheeks when he said that while her heart swelled with pride. Her man, Marcel, was too damn attractive.

    ¡°So I walked up to him and touched him on the shoulder,¡±

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Arianna gasped with a sense of premonition, ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Yep, I did.¡± Leon admitted ruefully, lifting his right hand for her to see, ¡°He broke my middle finger before I could blink. Thankfully, he only broke it, not destroyed it. He questioned my intention and seeing the murderous intention on his face, I had to exin I was interested. God, that was the most embarrassing day of my life. ¡±

    He deserved the punishment, Arianna thought inwardly. As much as she felt sorry for Leon, he had to go and hit on the wrong person, her man, Marcel. The twisted side of her relished his punishment.

    ¡°So, how did the both of you be friends?¡± Arianna was curious ¨C and suspicious as well. Marcel was wary of ra, so why would he keep someone interested in him by his side?

    ¡°It turned out that it was his club, and when Marcel found out that I wasn¡¯t his enemy, he took me to the hospital and treated me. And from there, we be sort of buddies, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Buddies, huh? That means you¡¯re no longer interested in him, right?¡± Arianna asked, hopefully.

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Leon rolled his eyes, feeling insulted, ¡°I lost my interest in Marcel the moment I found out that he was a pussy lover and not an asshole,¡± He said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± Arianna was more than happy to hear he wasn¡¯t attracted to Marcel anymore. Imagine having topete for Marcel with someone of his caliber, she would lose.

    Leon might not be as handsome as Marcel, but he was hot. Not to mention he was rich and was friends with Marcel already. That was a big disadvantage.

    She stood to her feet, ¡°Thank you for the wonderful meal. I would love a rest now.¡±

    But Luca was beside her the moment she pushed the chair back and Arianna stopped him, ¡°I only want to take a nap, Luca, ¡±

    So Arianna stated, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me, please, my room is not that far. However, it would please me greatly if you can do me the favor of keeping my host, Leon,pany. I¡¯m retiring early which is quite rude considering he cleared up his schedule to amodate me today, and I¡¯m sure Leon wouldn¡¯t mind yourpany, right? ¡± She faced her host, expectantly.

    ¡°Of course, not. I would love hispany.¡± Leon didn¡¯t fail and even had a pleasing smile. It seems they were on the same page here. Well, anything to keep his eyes off Marcel.

    ¡°But -¡± Luca protested.

    ¡°No, but,¡± Arianna tapped his chest and skidded down the hall happily.

 Chapter 511

    511 Self-Preservation

    ¡°Are you going to stand there all day?¡± Leon said as Luca remained on the spot without making a move. After Arianna gave him the order to keep Leonpany, all he did was lean against the wall and pretend he doesn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my position?¡± Luca asked with a disinterested gaze. No, the frown on his face could give the impression that he hated Leon¡¯s ass even though this was the first time they were ever meeting.

    ¡°Your mistress¡¯ order was to keep mepany, but I¡¯m so bored that I could die,¡± Leon pointed out with a sigh, stabbing his cold food with his fork nonchntly.

    ¡°Thest time I checked, keeping someonepany doesn¡¯t necessarily involve talking. If you¡¯re not satisfied with my presence alone, you can dismiss me and we both save ourselves the headache. I need a nap as well.¡±

    ¡°You need a nap on duty?¡± Leon looked at him with a teasing smile, ¡°Marcel is going to kill you once he hears you left his woman unprotected.¡±

    ¡°However,¡± Leon added immediately, hisshes lowered before lifting his head to take in Luca from the top of his head to the sole of his feet and then back up again, appreciating his body, ¡°You could sleep in my bed, it¡¯s extra soft and feels like heaven and Marcel wouldn¡¯t even know,¡± He hinted at something Luca clearly understood because his gaze was now staring intently on the man who was not hiding he was interested in him.

    ¡°Thank you for the tempting offer, but no,¡± Luca said with his jaw clenched and his gaze hardened.

    ¡°It¡¯s a no then,¡± Leon nodded, looking visibly hurt by his offer as he gulped down a ss of water.

    However, if there¡¯s anything that Lucas¡¯ learned in this profession, it was the fact that looks were deceiving. So even when he saw the hurtful expression on Leon¡¯s face, he looked away. He has made up his mind already, he was not going for Leon even if he was hot as fuck and the attraction was pulling him along.

    .....

    ¡°You hate me.¡± Leon pointed out, holding his gaze as he asked, ¡°Why?¡± He wanted an answer.

    Luca gulped, wondering why he was finding it hard to say it. However, after a few minutes of awkward silence between them, he finally said, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, I only hate your personality.¡±

    ¡°You hate my personality, huh?¡± Leon mulled over his words, finding them quite amusing, ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°What aspect of my personality do you hate?¡± Leon looked really serious when he asked that, as if he would change if Luca wanted him to.

    ¡°Your numerous boyfriends,¡± Luca asked, ¡°Does people¡¯s heart seem that easy to you?¡± He pointed out that he has heard and read his rendezvous printed all over the tabloids for everyone and anyone to read. The papers always seem to find a new topic to talk about him every day. However, the title of ¡°fuckboy¡± was bestowed on him.

    ¡°Oh, a loyal one I see,¡± Leon muttered, confusing Luca. He then pushed his seat back with a squeak, standing up to his feet.

    ¡°You¡¯re scared then,¡± He pointed out, making Luca re at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you,¡± Luca said firmly, his gaze hardening. Saying that he was afraid was equivalent to saying that he was weak. He was a well-trained soldier from Luciano¡¯s family, what could he be possibly afraid of? He wasn¡¯t even afraid of death. Luca was provoked by thatment.

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t afraid of me, you wouldn¡¯t be scared of taking a chance on me, Luca,¡± Leon called his name for the first time and Luca had a boner instantly. Fuck, he sounded too sexy, calling his name.

    No, this was bad. Code red. He couldn¡¯t get entangled with this womanizer. Sure, there was a shortage of the kind of people he liked out there, but that doesn¡¯t mean, he would date anyone thates along his way. Leon King was too bad for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s called self-preservation,¡± Luca told Luca and watched intensely as he came in his direction.

    Leon came to stand right in front of him and then said, ¡°Self ¨C preservation, is that it?¡± He smirked, ¡°I call that cowardice.¡±

    Luca growled in warning, Leon was inciting him to action and it would be quite bloody if he responded. However, blinded by his anger, Luca didn¡¯t know that he took a step forward in a haste to intimidate and rise to his challenge Leon. And now, he is Leon¡¯s space such that bodies were brushing against each other intimately and he could see him from up close.

    Close to each other, Luca could see each one of his handsome details and a shiver went down his spine whenever their chest touched, he could feel his hard chest ¨C someone does work out, and not fuck all the time. Well, fucking was also a form of exercise...

    Christ Jesus, focus on the task, Luca! He had gotten far too distracted and he had to check up on Arianna and make sure she had taken a nap as she imed. Well, not that she could slip out of here, nor could Daniel Walz into here and kidnap her.

    There was a reason no one dared to cross Leon¡¯s family, they were wealthy themselves. Just as Luciano¡¯s family was an old Mafia family, Kings n was blessed with the ability to make wealth. The family was so rich that even politicians came to them for funds during elections. In one word, they owned the financial sector and had numerous banks to their name across the globe.

    And guess what, the heir to all of this, was no other than Leon King. Yep, one more reason Luca was not going there. He wanted a life partner, not one he could have a bit of fun with and Leon was not the one for him. Moreover, their worlds are different, it just wouldn¡¯t work out for both of them.

    ¡°Your eyes speak of anger,¡± Leon said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Luca acquiesced, ¡°Provoke me again and you wouldn¡¯t look so pretty anymore,¡± He warned him.

    But Leonughed to his surprise,

    ¡°Who told you I don¡¯t like it rough?¡± He added, ¡°Moreover, your eyes speak of another emotion....¡±

    Leon drew so close that their breath was exchanging, and they were staring into each other¡¯s eyes,

    ¡°Lust.¡± He said.

    Luca gulped, lowering his gaze instantly, ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Leon cupped his left cheek and kept his gaze on him so he wouldn¡¯t look away. Luca could have pushed his hand away, but he didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t. For reasons unknown.

    ¡°Because of what you read in the tabloids? You should know better than to trust the newspaper nowadays always looking for contents without crosschecking the facts.¡±

    ¡°Fine, you¡¯re not a fuck body as the tabloids describe you, but that doesn¡¯t mean any of your rtionships hassted and that is the difference between the both of us. I¡¯m not here for a one-night stand, Leon King,¡± He ced much more emphasis on his surname and his background. Luca was hinting at his responsibilities and the fact they couldn¡¯t be together.

    ¡°Then make me understand,¡± Leon said with so much sincerity Lucas¡¯ heart hurt for him. He finally understood that someone from such a background could never have a normal rtionship. People always wanted someone from him and he couldn¡¯t tell which one he could trust ¨C or love.

    Luca gulped, he could feel his walls crumbling down and he couldn¡¯t tell if that was a good sign.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t feel this attraction between us, Luca...¡± He whispered his name again sexily, his lips brushing across his with the faintest touch. Hence, when Leon¡¯s lips pressed against his firmly this time, he didn¡¯t fight him and let him in.

    His lips were the softest he had ever tasted and the tentative kiss soon turned passionate as Luca reached for his blonde locks and clutched a fistful of his hair as he kissed him harder. Leon groaned in pleasure, then ground against his arousal.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Luca cursed against his lips, quickly pulling away.

    Surprised at his action, Leon gave him a questioning look, wondering if he had changed his mind already. However, without warning, Luca turned him around and pushed him into the wall.

    Alright, he was loving this, Leon was smug.

    But Luca didn¡¯t give him the chance to smile because his lips were upon him once more and he kissed him harder, pushing his tongue into his mouth. Leon might be older, but Luca knew he was dominant in this rtionship. Wait, was it a rtionship?

    However, Luca was distracted from his thoughts when Leon tugged on his polo and pulled it over his head, tossing it away to the corner. He kissed him once again, before trailing kisses down his neck.

    Leon then kissed his nipples and Luca knew he was a goner. He couldn¡¯t resist him any longer.

    ¡°Room!¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±

    They both looked for privacy knowing it was going down for real.

 Chapter 512

    512 She Wasn¡¯t Alone

    Arianna curled up on the bed, lost in her thoughts. With her all alone, she finally took off the mask she had been wearing in Leon¡¯spany. She didn¡¯t want to bother her host, nor would Luca let her rest if he knew that she was worrying over Marcel. He had told her uncountable times that Marcel was fine and he woulde back for her. However, now that she was all alone, it was too lonely.

    ¡°Fine, he¡¯de back for her,¡± Arianna recited to herself as she turned, facing the ceiling and staring at it. This ce was not an exile. Marcel didn¡¯t give her off to his much friendlier acquaintance, Leon, unlike Big Joe in the past. This was all for her safety. He was hiding her from his father, Daniel. Arianna told herself as she slept off.

    And just like that, Arianna slept off and had a dream. In that dream, she was in a world without shape and form, it was darkness all around and she couldn¡¯t see in it. But that was until Marcel appeared, and he came along with the light. It was just the both of them in a bright space and they were dancing all by themselves.

    Arianna could feel it; she was happy. Right there in his arms, she was safe and protected and nothing else mattered. But that was until the darkness came again, covering them with its thick shadows. However, in that darkness, there was a spotlight illuminating both of them, hence they could see properly and hold onto each other¡¯s hands. They weren¡¯t letting go.

    Suddenly, a third spotlight appeared out of nowhere and had a red light, illuminating a face with a malevolent smile that was all too familiar to her. It was the face of the man that had tried to kill her in the garden and the reason all of this was happening, it was Daniel. Arianna gulped nervously, but she held onto Marcel¡¯s hands tightly, she wasn¡¯t going to let go.

    However, Daniel held onto Marcel¡¯s arm and began to pull him, trying to separate the both of them. Arianna stubbornly held on, that big bully wasn¡¯t going to take Marcel from her. But then, a fourth spotlight appeared and to her horror, it was Elijah. It was the Elijah she fully remembered, with the face paint and that electric blue eyes.

    ¡°God, no,¡± She whispered with a dread right as he grabbed her arm and began to pull her away as well.

    ¡°No!¡± Marcel screamed, tightening his grip on her, but then, a fourth spotlight appeared and it was ra. She had a bitchy smirk at the corner of her lips and without an ounce ofpassion, she pulled at Marcel.

    Then again, a sixth spotlight appeared on Arianna¡¯s side and she saw a strange woman, but like Elijah, she couldn¡¯t see her face except for green eyes that looked identical to hers. Arianna didn¡¯t get the chance to think about it because the woman grabbed onto her arm, saying with so much hatred and conviction in her tone,

    .....

    ¡°You must get away from him!¡±

    And just like that, spotlights began to pop up one after the other until an uncountable number of people were pulling at her arm and trying to separate her from Marcel. Arianna tried her best to hold on to him but there were just so many of them opposing their union. Their hands were already slipping and both of them were now holding onto just one finger.

    Unfortunately, the pull from both sides was too much, and like in slow motion, she saw as that particr finger slipped free and she and Marcel broke apart,

    ¡°No!¡±

    Arianna¡¯s eyes snapped open and she woke with a sharp gasp, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. What the hell? Rubbing her palm down her sweaty face, she wondered about the dream. It was as weird as fuck.

    Looking out therge window, Arianna found out that she had slept till nighttime. Well, that wasn¡¯t surprising, she has been stressedtely nor has she been able to sleep well after Daniel attacked her. Marcel didn¡¯t even know it, but she was traumatized by that incident. Arianna just didn¡¯t want to bother him, Marcel was going through a lot. She can handle herself.

    Standing to her feet, Arianna walked into the bathroom and sshed cold water on her face since she still felt jittery from the dream. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and one thing was right, the fear in there was real. Perhaps, she should call Marcel after she is done, after all, it was night time and there should be news already.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t keep procrastinating anymore, she had to find out what happened. If Marcel married ra in the end, then she would talk to him and figure things out with him. Yes, she would do just that, Arianna decided when she heard a noise in her room.

    Her attention moved to the door while her brows furrowed together. Who got into her room? Was it Luca? Is he done with Leon already? Arianna couldn¡¯t help but smile at what she did. Wait a minute, was he here to check up on her or inform her about Marcel? It was about damn time.

    Without a second time, Arianna ran out of the bathroom, expecting to find Luca in her room with the good news, but when she arrived, there was nothing. Huh? That was weird. By chance, did he leave when he didn¡¯t find her here? But knowing Luca, he would have caused a ruckus already if he suspected that she was missing.

    Arianna looked at the floor and saw the cause of the noise earlier. It was the thick collection of interesting stories Leon had gotten her earlier in case she got bored. Both the stool she had ced it on and the books had fallen to the ground as if someone knocked into them by mistake.

    Almost immediately, Arianna¡¯s gaze shifted to the window, only to see that it was opened and the curtain was fluttering with the cool night breeze which was strange ¨C she didn¡¯t leave the window open. Her survival instinct kicked in and at that moment, Arianna knew that she wasn¡¯t alone.

    Someone was in here with her.

 Chapter 513

    513 I Missed You Arianna

    She had to act natural, Arianna couldn¡¯t give out to the intruder that she had noticed his presence and at the same time, figure out what to do. It couldn¡¯t be Marcel¡¯s men, they wouldn¡¯t sneak in through the window, but the door because they had been authorized to keep her safe.

    Marcel had sent her here because he wanted to keep her safe from his father. And though he said Daniel couldn¡¯t offend Leon, he didn¡¯t exactly say this ce was imprable. Arianna swallowed down thickly as she realized something, since her death couldn¡¯t be traced back to him, had Daniel hired an assassin after her?

    What was she going to do? She needed help and for the first time, she regretted living in such a spacious room. Before she would run to the door, the assassin would have killed her already. What was she going to do? It dawned on Arianna that she was on her own here.

    With an exaggerated sigh, Arianna bent down and pretended to pick up the books, but in reality, her hearing was as sharp as a wolf and she was trying to find out where the assassin was hiding.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sick and tired of being kept in here,¡± Arianna intentionally murmured with a huff, taking her time to raise the stool and pick the books one after the other.

    The assassin finally moved, silently and swiftly, but Arianna heard it. When you learned how to steal from a bunch of thieves, you would discover that swiftness is a needed skill as well. Stealing in a crowd, a millisecond was enough to determine your life. She tensed up but Arianna willed her body to calm down.

    If she panicked, she would end up dead. But if she could think clearly, she might be able to escape through that door on time and call for help. Hence, while Arianna was picking the book, her hand curled around a ballpen and hope surged in her heart. She would defend herself with it.

    By the time Arianna stood up to her feet, she could feel the assassin from behind and the hairs on her back stood on edge. Without warning, Arianna whirled around with precision, aiming for his throat, but she was wrong. He knew she had the pen. Hence, when she lifted it to stab him, he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

    Arianna grunted while struggling, however, she found out that he was too strong and tried to punch him, he was faster too and grabbed the other hand with his iron grip. He then lifted both of her hands above her head, while Arianna persisted like a fish out of water.

    .....

    She saw his face, and couldn¡¯t recognize him. Arianna had not seen him anywhere, nor in Marcel¡¯s army.

    And for her to see an assassin¡¯s face meant that he didn¡¯t intend to keep her alive tonight. But then, Arianna was determined, she was not dying tonight.

    So she headbutted him with all of her strength and he groaned, letting go of her. Kicking him right in the face, the force pushed him away and she saw that as an opportunity to run away. Arianna took to her heels and had just grabbed the doorknob only for him to pull her by the hair and she shrieked, however, he cupped her mouth so her scream wouldn¡¯t get out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t scream,¡± He warned into her ears, but Arianna had never been one to obey instructions, especially not from one nning to end her life.

    Arianna bit his palm and he let go instantly, but the moment she let out a shout, his hand palmed her mouth again. For an assassin, he wasn¡¯t showing any killing intent, Arianna found out, however, she was not staying to find out why.

    But in the process of fighting against him, the assassin missed his footing and fell. Unfortunately, since he held on to Arianna tightly, it meant that the both of them fell to the ground with Arianna on top of him.

    By the time Arianna recovered from the fall, she was confused about what was going on. The assassin was a strange one. And then, she looked down into his eyes out of sheer curiosity and froze.

    No way.

    Those electric blue eyes stared right back at her and it hit her, the only person she had seen with that special kind of eyes.

    Elijah.

    That moment of hesitation from Arianna was all the opening Elijah needed. He rolled the both of them so that he was on top of her while she was beneath him on the floor.

    Eyes wide and realizing the kind of ambiguous position the both of them were in, Arianna tried to push him away, but Elijah was faster and pinned both hands above her hands. He overpowered her and she couldn¡¯t escape.

    ¡°You! What are you -?!¡±

    The rest of the words were swallowed because Elijah imed her lips in a kiss.

    What the hell? Arianna was horrified by the act, but there was nothing she could do as Elijah kissed her hungrily as if he waited so long for this. When she mped her teeth together and refused to let him in, Elijah bit on her lower lips and almost drew blood had she not whimpered loudly.

    His tongue then slipped into her mouth and kissed her demandingly and passionately. Arianna tried hard to not feel, but she was fighting a losing battle. Elijah was her ex and she didn¡¯t realize until now, that there were still some lingering feelings left. Hence, she couldn¡¯t fight the lust for long and found herself kissing him back.

    Arianna was transported to the past when it was just the both of them and things were perfect between them. Her now free hands dug into his hair and pulled hard as she kissed him hard and he moaned.

    Bang!

    The sound of the moan reminded her of Marcel and it suddenly hit Arianna what she was doing. Oh no, she broke up the kiss and the both of them came up for air. While Arianna had a bewildered look on her face as to what just happened, Elijah¡¯s was filled with nothing but adoration.

    He traced her face with his hand happily as he said,

    ¡°I missed you so much, Arianna.¡±

    Arianna gulped, what has she done?

 Chapter 514

    514 Every Choice Comes With A Cost

    ¡°Get off me!¡± Arianna pushed him off her when she realized the misleading position the both of them were in.

    Thankfully, Elijah let her go and Arianna was able to stand up to her feet. Her lips were swollen and still tingling from the kiss the both of them shared ¨C which was a huge mistake. She must have lost her mind for a moment there. Everything had taken her by surprise. But that doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that she had kissed Elijah and cheated on Marcel. The guilt was beginning to gnaw at her conscience.

    Hence, when Elijah took a step toward her, Arianna stepped back instantly as if he was dangerous. Elijah noticed the action and frowned.

    ¡°I am not going to hurt you,¡±

    ¡°I never thought you would hurt me,¡± Arianna told him, yet made sure that there was still that distance between them.

    However, Elijah didn¡¯t believe her, and said, ¡°Why are you acting cautiously in front of me then?¡± He scrutinized her bodynguage and she seemed distant. If anything, Arianna seemed wary of his presence.

    When he thought of the both of them meeting again, Elijah had thought she would be joyous to see him, not this. He didn¡¯t like the current look Arianna was giving him ¨C as if he was a burden that she couldn¡¯t wait to offload.

    Arianna took a deep breath before wetting her lower lips and looked up at Elijah, saying, ¡°I¡¯m just making sure that we don¡¯t cross the line, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Elijah asked, taking a step forward.

    .....

    ¡°Elijah...¡± Arianna lifted a warning brow, her body taut and ready to make a move if he dared to take another step towards her.

    Elijah stopped and lifted his head, his eyes narrowed with suspicion as he said, ¡°It¡¯s Marcel, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t say a word nor refute his im. If anything, she dropped her gaze and that was all the affirmation

    Elijah needed. She acknowledged the truth.

    He nodded his head in understanding, his jaw clenched hard as reality dawned on him.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait for me?¡± He used her and hot rage shimmered through Arianna. How dare he use her of that? She had waited for him for months! Not to mention that Elijah was the reason she didn¡¯t ept Marcel¡¯s feelings for her sooner, because she had respected what they shared even if it was for a short time. She held back because of him and this is all he has to say to her.

    ¡°Says who?¡± Arianna hissed with so much venom in her tone. She forgot all about drawing boundaries as she covered the distance between them and stood face to face with Elijah. Her gaze was burning with molten anger and if Arianna could shoot out fire from her eyes, he would be long dead.

    ¡°I patiently waited for a month, where were you, Elijah?!¡±

    ¡°I was trying to -¡±

    ¡°Had he killed me would you have the guts to ask me that question?¡± She asked him furiously, not caring about guilt trapping him.

    She went on, ¡°I was tossed and moved around like I was a fuckingmodity, so don¡¯t fucking tell me you didn¡¯t have the opportunity to get me out of here. So don¡¯t me me for deciding to be with your enemy while you were taking your sweet time.¡±

    ¡°I never gave up on you, Arianna,¡± Elijah said. He then grabbed her hand and ced it on his chest, ¡°Why do you think I risked everything toe see you now?¡±

    ¡°To stop me from seeing Marcel because you can¡¯t stand the thought of the both of us together, wasn¡¯t that the message you were sending at the party that day?¡± Arianna said crudely as she snatched her hand back.

    Elijah paused for a moment upon seeing Arianna had it in for him today. This wasn¡¯t how he imagined their union to be. They weren¡¯t supposed to be fighting.

    ¡°Fine, I admit it,¡± He confessed, ¡°I was mad, but you can¡¯t me me, Arianna. Of all people, why Marcel?! I never stopped pinning for you. Did you really have little faith in what we shared?¡±

    Arianna looked him straight in the eyes, trying to figure him out. However, no amount of reason could change the present. It was all in the past.

    ¡°No, I treasured what we shared, Elijah,¡± She confessed, ¡°However, people change, you should have thought of that when you left your ex-girlfriend with a handsome man like Marcel who turned out to be the opposite of what I thought him to be.¡±

    For a moment, Elijah didn¡¯t say anything until he burst intoughter. A long hystericalughter that told Arianna that whatever she just said sounded like a joke to him.

    ¡°Handsome man like Marcel?¡± Elijah scoffed, ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°Do you even know who Marcel is or has he blinded you with his sugary words and maybe a few moves in bed?¡± His tone dripped with so much venom. The thought of Arianna and Marcel in bed blinded Elijah with so much fury he wanted to end the fucking bastard.

    ¡°You would not speak of Marcel like that?!¡± Arianna defended him, ¡°What we share is genuine -¡±

    ¡°Wake up, Arianna!¡± Elijah snapped at her with a ferocity that startled her, ¡°Look around you, Arianna, you are merely a toy he would use and discard when he¡¯s be bored.¡± He warned her.

    ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°For someone who ims to be genuinely interested in me, you were quick to abandon me at the airport,¡± She reminded him of their separation.

    Elijah groaned, ¡°I did it so I would be able toe back for you. Come on, Arianna, the both of us knew that I would be dead had Marcel caught me that day.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know that. However, that¡¯s the huge difference between you and Marcel. While you would run away to save your life, Marcel would rather the both of us die together just to keep me safe. He has a strong sense of loyalty, nor am I ming you for your choice since it¡¯s human instinct to want to preserve one¡¯s life. However, your decision that day was a life changing one and like every choice, ites with a cost. ¡± Arianna told him, ¡°I can¡¯t leave Marcel. Not even for you, Elijah. ¡±

 Chapter 515

    515 It¡¯s Your Choice

    Those words were like a knife stabbing Elijah in the chest and he couldn¡¯t breathe. Arianna was his dream ¨C one that was slowly fleeting away. No, he can¡¯t give up on her. If she could fall for Marcel, perhaps, he could make her love him again.

    He grabbed her arm, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Arianna! You have clearly been bewitched by Marcel!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a child, Elijah! I¡¯m an adult and I know feelings!¡± She scolded him, trying to pull her arm free all to no avail.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be with Marcel,¡± Hemanded her

    ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± Arianna scoffed at the authority in his tone. She was not his sister or girlfriend ¨C not anymore.

    ¡°Absolutely not, Marcel!¡± He refused to let the both be together. Marcel was not worthy of Arianna. He would only make Arianna miserable just the same way his father Daniel ruined his Aunt Natalie¡¯s life.

    Arianna was merely blinded by Marcel¡¯s charms and the motherfucker has had no problems deceiving many women in the past. Just like ra who he just dumped, Arianna would no doubt meet the same fate and he couldn¡¯t let that happen. He would rather die than see the both of them together.

    Elijah would rather have Arianna hate him for the cruel choices he would make and the both be together than let her spend the rest of her life with Marcel in suffering. Just like his father Daniel, Marcel would never make her happy. A monster only begets a monster. Arianna just hasn¡¯t seen what Marcel is capable of and he would make sure to show her that.

    He pulled Arianna to him by that arm so that their bodies were pressing together and the rm went off in her head once again. They were crossing into dangerous territory and Arianna couldn¡¯t let anything happen between them. The first time might have been a mistake, but not the second one. The second time would be a choice made by her.

    .....

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Arianna struggled all to no avail and all Elijah did was lock her arm behind her so she couldn¡¯t move. With his free hand, he lifted her chin but Arianna red at him defiantly, daring him to kiss her again and see if she wouldn¡¯t bite his lip off.

    As if Elijah knew what was best for him, he didn¡¯t touch her and said instead, ¡°It¡¯s quite funny, Arianna, you call me your ex but the both of us know that we never broke up. You were the one that made that decision on your own and I never gave consent.¡± He pointed out and all blood drained from Arianna¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yeah, you thought, right,¡± Elijah smirked wickedly, ¡°As far as I know, you are still my woman and I don¡¯t acknowledge anything going on between you and Marcel.¡±

    Arianna tried to speak up but Elijah pressed his finger against her lips, hushing her.

    ¡°However,¡± Elijah continued, ¡°I¡¯m no saint either, which means your sins are forgiven. But then, you should prepare yourself, I¡¯m taking you out of here, and there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do about it.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s heart sank, but at the same time, anger filled her. She shook her hand and was able to pull out of his grip. ring up at him, she said, ¡°You have no right to make decisions for me. I told you that I¡¯m happy here, why can¡¯t you respect that for Christ fucking sake?!¡±

    ¡°Happy as a prisoner?¡± Elijah found itughable, ¡°He went on to say,¡± Fine, let¡¯s admit that the both of you are indeed together, what happens when the both of you break up? Would you remain there as his prisoner or would he toss you to the street like a rag?¡±

    Arianna groaned in annoyance when she thought of how to exin it to him,

    ¡°Marcel would never do that, okay? He¡¯s not as cruel as you think he is. He takes good care of me -¡±

    ¡°Yeah, by keeping you caged?¡± He sneered, ¡°Could you hear yourself, Arianna? Would your past self think like that?¡±

    Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed together as she found out that indeed that there was truth in what he said. Being together with Marcel had changed her thinking somehow. Or was it Stockholm syndrome speaking? No, Arianna pushed the thoughts to the back of her head. She has gone over this issue already and this was the choice she made.

    ¡°It¡¯s my decision, Elijah. Even if I decide to stay away from him, I¡¯ve been exposed to Marcel and his enemies woulde after me. Staying with him is the best solution,¡± nor would she be penniless if he decides he doesn¡¯t want her anymore, Arianna added in her mind.

    She has been stealing more of Marcel¡¯s money and keeping them in a ce he wouldn¡¯t be able to find it, nor was he wasn¡¯tining. If anything, Marcels seems to be dropping more for her to find as if it was fun to do.

    ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m giving you a choice, Arianna?¡± Elijah asked her coldly.

    ¡°And I¡¯m not leaving,¡± Arianna stood her ground even though her heart was pounding in her chest. She was afraid that Elijah would do something extreme, but she couldn¡¯t give in to his demands either.

    Seeing her blunt refusal, Elijah¡¯s face darkened and though he let go of Arianna¡¯s hands, the hollow and cold look in his eyes told her that she just sessfully provoked him.

    ¡°It seems that you have forgotten who I am,¡± He said with a sense of foreboding.

    Arianna released a shaky breath, ¡°You would not hurt me.¡± She was sure.

    ¡°No, not you. I would never hurt you, Arianna, ¡± He admitted, ¡°But not Marcel.¡±

    Her gaze shifted to him instantly, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±

    ¡°Push me and we¡¯d see.¡±

    ¡°I would hate you,¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care as far as I saved you from Marcel,¡± Elijah wasn¡¯t moved by her threat.

    Arianna shivered, she was in deep waters and she didn¡¯t know how to navigate around it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, but I¡¯ll be in touch.¡± He informed her, ¡°You know my real face now, hence, it¡¯s left to you to inform Marcel about it and get me killed or keep your mouth shut about it and I¡¯ll rescue you. It¡¯s your choice, Arianna.¡± Elijah told her, moments before he dived out through the window and left her alone with her thoughts.

 Chapter 516

    516 Her Nightmare

    ra woke up with a groan, her hand grabbing her head as she felt a heavy throbbing. Where the hell was she? She couldn¡¯t see a thing because it was dark.

    Suddenly, it hit ra as her memories returned. Thest thing she remembered was Marcel trying to get the truth out of her mouth. Oh, no. She rose to her feet, but the moment she did, the light suddenly came on and blinded her.

    ra shielded her eyes from the blinding light and after a while, she was able to focus her sight. She looked around only to discover that she was in some sort of ss prison. It was eight feet wide and high, the size of a shipping container which left her more confused, why did Marcel put her here?

    Nheless, ra felt ufortable especially when she had shes of him prodding her mind, she felt used and molested. With Marcel having gone crazy, ra was afraid of him even though she didn¡¯t show it in her expression.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± ra screamed his name as she pushed against the ss, trying to find a way out of it. It was a one-way ss, meaning that ra couldn¡¯t see anything from her spot, and she had a feeling Marcel was watching her.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Get me the fuck out of here?!¡± She screamed orders at him. ra wasn¡¯t ustrophobic, but the thought of being here for God knows when till Marcel decides otherwise was enough to make her be one.

    It was just a mistake, how dare he take it out on her? As if she was the only sinner in their rtionship?! He wasn¡¯t a saint either! He had taken in a mistress during the time of their rtionship when he should have remained faithful! How dare he punish her! He lost mere weapons!

    Moreover, they¡¯ve broken up anyway, why was he taking it out on her? Marcel was nothing but a bastard! Free now, she would find a better man than him. She wondered if Luther would change his mind if she went back to him.

    There was a weird sounding from the corner and ra turned to it, her brows furrowed. What the hell was that? Everywhere in the weird cell was sealed except for a little opening in the wall that looked like a pet p, except that it was much smaller and ra couldn¡¯t go out through it even if she tried.

    .....

    However, there was a sudden movement and ra watched as a flurry thing jumped in and the moment her gaze took it in, a scream left her lips.

    ¡°Aah!¡± ra shouted as the little cute furry mammal, with long ears, short fluffy tails, and strong,rge hind legs stared at her.

    No, no, no, this was her nightmaree true. That was when it hit her, Marcel was able to get her to talk with that truth serum and she had told Marcel what she feared the most ¨C being in close contact with a rabbit.

    God, no, please, tell her this was not real. However, staring at the rabbit pacing around in her cell was as real as day and ra couldn¡¯t breathe. She turned to the ss and began to pound on it.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She screamed at the top of her voice. ra couldn¡¯t stay in here with that terrifying creature, she was going to die.

    However, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, another rabbit popped in and ra screamed like a banshee. She turned to the ss hurriedly and began to pound her fist on it heavily.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry, Marcel! Just let me out here!¡± ra apologized desperately, her breathing deeply as if she was going to faint. She had gained the phobia after a traumatic rabbit attack during her childhood, since then, the idea of a rabbit or even the image of them scared the living hell out of her.

    However, there was no response from Marcel and by the time ra turned around, there were about seven of the rabbits in the cell with her, and more seem ready to arrive because she saw a head popping out of the pet p.

    ra stumbled back, however, she felt one of the little creature nip the back of her leg and she shrieked, jumping without restraint on her heels as if wanting to stomp the rabbit to death.

    But then, the thought of stomping one of the rabbits to death, its disgusting body impaled on her heel frightened the hell out of her either way and in the process of dodging the creature that was nearly filling up the space in the cell, her heel bent and ra found herself falling.

    All of the rabbits now counting fifteen ran for their lives as she fell to her ass. It was the most humiliating day of her life, but ra didn¡¯t give a damn as she crawled back, tears streaming down her cheeks.

    She was so sorry. She wouldn¡¯t challenge Marcel anymore, no, she would leave him alone for life. Marcel can live happily after, with his mistress, she wouldn¡¯t bother them anymore. However, it was toote for ra because Marcel couldn¡¯t hear those apologies.

    ¡°No, get away from me! Don¡¯te close!¡± ra shrieked, swatting away at any rabbit thate close to her. But then, for how long would thatst because the little space was already overflowing with rabbits and she could guess there were about thirty of them now.

    In one word, each time she sessfully chased one away, two reced them and she wasn¡¯t able to stop them from wing and scratching at her. Some even pulled at her hair in their haste to crawl away as ra screamed relentlessly ¨C some were even mating right in front of her.

    ra pulled her legs up to her chest while covering her ears with her hands to block their unending noises with her eyes closed. She had to believe that she wasn¡¯t real.

    ¡°This was a dream, a nightmare. It wasn¡¯t real and she was going to be okay,¡± ra chanted like a lunatic while the rabbits rained chaos in her cell.

 Chapter 517

    517 Bring His Woman Home

    ¡°Leporiphobia,¡± Victor turned to Marcel by his side, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m seeing someone with such phobia.¡±

    The both of them stood in front of the ss cell watching ra who was putting up a show for them.

    ¡°With ra, you shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± Marcel meant it. The girl would have been the death of him had they ended up marrying. And he meant that literally.

    ¡°Those who suffer from this phobia may find the appearance of rabbits unsettling and the fear that rabbits will attack them,¡± Marcel exined, watching as ra curled in on herself. It had taken them time to set all of this up, but it was worth it.

    ¡°This might have asting psychological effect on her,¡± Victor said, his gaze on his cousin. He was pointing out that Marcel¡¯s method might have been a little bit too harsh.

    Marcel arched a brow, ¡°Really? You think I went too far?¡±

    Victor gulped down saliva without saying a word. He knew better than to question Marcel¡¯s decision right now.

    Marcel took a step forward till he was standing right in front of his cousin. He then reached out and lifted his chin so they were staring into each other¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve be too softtely that everyone has forgotten the real man residing beneath the surface,¡± He said with a sudden hardness in his gaze.

    .....

    Victor didn¡¯t break his gaze knowing that his cousin was right. Arianna changed something in Marcel and he had been a lot more magnanimous than before, but that doesn¡¯t erase the fact that he was Daniel¡¯s heir. Everything Daniel knew, he knew as well, because he was his father¡¯s son.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I spoke out of line, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Victor told him.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel nodded, ¡°As much as I love your contributions as my consigliere and my brother, I¡¯m still the leader of this family and you don¡¯t make the decision for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do well to remember that,¡± Victor promised him. As his close rtive and worker, it was sometimes hard to remember his position and blur the line sometimes.

    Marcel turned to stare at the ss and Victor followed his gaze, resting on ra who seemed to be muttering something they couldn¡¯t hear. Following the shape of her mouth, he bet it was gibberish.

    ¡°I¡¯ve condoned ra¡¯s behavior for far too long and it¡¯s high time she knows who she¡¯s dealing with. I¡¯ve been pushed around by my father a lot, I can¡¯t let a mere ant like her step over me and go scot-free. If she wields that kind of power, now that we¡¯ve separated, who knows what kind of trouble she would cause me... or even Arianna, ¡± He added at the end slowly.

    ¡°So you¡¯re cutting off her wings before it sprouts too wide,¡± Victor finally understood.

    ¡°You can call it that.¡± Marcel caressed his chin thoughtfully as he went on to say, ¡°She would be dead if it wasn¡¯t for my rtionship with her mother. It was Diana¡¯s misfortune to have an irresponsible daughter like her.¡±

    He went on, ¡°With a bit of help from a therapist, they should be able to get her mind back on track. Release her after an hour ofmunion with the rabbits andmunicate to her mother that I want her as far away from me as possible. Whether they go abroad or not, I don¡¯t care. However, her daughter¡¯s dead if she¡¯s caught five meters near me. ¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Victor was confused by the series of orders from his cousin. However, before he could ask anything, Marcel was already taking his leave.

    ¡°I want her gone by the time I¡¯m back,¡± Marcel demanded.

    ¡°Where are you going to?!¡± Victor asked him confused.

    Marcel looked over his shoulder to answer him, ¡°To bring my woman home!¡±

    Of course, it was to get Arianna. What was he expecting? That Marcel was leaving to fix him a drink or what? Victor was beginning to miss the time it was just the both of them together before the women came. Not that he regretted Mimi and Ariannaing into their lives, no, it was the best feeling. But these days, they were busy solving one problem or the other or spending time with their women that it was bing hard to get a one on one time with each other.

    ¡°That is good, but what about the rabbits? What do I do with them?!¡± He asked.

    ¡°Feed them to Samson!¡± Marcel hollered back.

    ¡°What?!¡± Victor was horrified, as he stared at the cute things his cousin wanted to feed to that ferocious lion called Samson.

    He thought Marcel had changed, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. He was still as ckhearted as ever and there was no way on earth he was preparing a feast for the lion. However, what was he going to with thirty-something bunnies? He hasn¡¯t exactly thought of it when he purchased them.

    Marcel didn¡¯t wait for his chauffeur to drive him this time and got into his Sienna, driving to Leon¡¯s ce. He kept tabs on Arianna and so far, there was no cause for rm. She was perfectly safe.

    However, as Marcel drove on, he discovered that he was being tailed and that made him frown. Was it his father? Was he still unsatisfied with today¡¯s result? Or was it someone else ¨C someone that wanted to harm him?

    Marcel was already reaching for the roof of his car where he hide one of the many guns in the car when the car tailing him suddenly took off. The car didn¡¯t have a te number hence Marcel wasn¡¯t able to memorize it, however, he would make sure to get to the bottom of this.

    Thanks to the little creepy incident, Marcel was a lot more careful and he made sure that he wasn¡¯t followed when he reached Leon¡¯s ce. He would rather die than bring danger to Arianna.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± .

    The thought of meeting her brought a smile to his lips. So when he packed properly, he stepped out and met one of the soldierse to meet him instead of the one he ced in charge of his woman¡¯s safety.

    ¡°Where is Luca?¡± He asked.

 Chapter 518

    518 A Close Call

    ¡°I think you got a message,¡± Leon said when the phone¡¯s light shed on his face. He had not meant to take a nap, but when you just have the best sex of your life, sleepes naturally.

    Luca groaned, taking the phone from his grip without looking at it. He wanted to sleep after what they had just done, but he couldn¡¯t. However, the offer was too tempting and he had stolen a bit of sleep, knowing Arianna was in safe hands, his men would have alerted him otherwise if something were to happen.

    That was why he readily epted the phone in case it was important. However, the moment he opened the message, his eyes nearly dropped to the ground and every trace of sleep left his eyes.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Luca cursed, getting off the bed in a hurry with Leon noticing his distress.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, worried.

    ¡°Marcel is here.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Leon said without further questioning.

    Luca was cking off duty, the Marcel he knew would skin him alive if he knew that, especially when it involved protecting his woman. Perhaps, he shouldn¡¯t have tempted Luca and waited till he was free. However, Leon knew inwardly that he might not have gotten another opportunity like that one, and the mood was right.

    He had to help him.

    .....

    Luca was as confused as hell as he didn¡¯t know where to start. Where was his damn cloth? No, Marcel would see the sleep in his eyes, he had to wash his face. No, there was no time for that.

    ¡°Calm down,¡± Leon said, cing a hand on his shoulder to assure him, ¡°I¡¯ll buy time for you,¡± He told him, picking his shirt from the bed and putting it on before leaving through the door.

    Luca was finally able to breathe, but he couldn¡¯t linger here anymore and had to get out of here, after all, he couldn¡¯t tell how much time Leon could hold Marcel off. This was why he couldn¡¯t get distracted, but the deed has already been done. It was good to know this was a one-time thing and he wouldn¡¯t have any more reason to see Leon in the future. They had fun and now it was time to return to reality.

    Meanwhile....

    Marcel doubled his steps in the hallway that he was almost sprinting. He could not wait to see Arianna, hence one could guess how annoyed he became when a sudden interference came his way.

    ¡°Marcel, my man!¡± Leon intercepted him out of nowhere, throwing all of his weight on him and Marcel who wasn¡¯t prepared for the extra pounds of flesh lost his footing and together, they fell to the ground.

    Marcel groaned as the breath was knocked out of his lungs. This was the kind of wee he wanted from Arianna, not the little son of a biscuit he would kill once he¡¯d got up on his feet again.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this romantic?¡± Leon grinned at him as they remained on the floor. He went on to say, ¡°Are you sure Arianna wouldn¡¯t give in to the idea of a threesome between us? After all, I heard two hot men going at it arouses women,¡±

    And that was it!

    Marcel rammed his knee into him, missing the spot where the sun never shines with just mere inches, however, Leon still felt the raw pain on his thigh and rolled off him

    ¡°You are still as savage as ever,¡± Leon rubbed the spot where Marcel almost murdered him.

    However, Marcel growled at him animalistically, as if there was no man but a beast inside of him. The idea of sharing Arianna not just with Leon, but with any other man fueled Marcel with great rage. Arianna was his and his alone, no asshole was sticking his herpes-infected stick inside her cunt, that pussy was meant for him alone.

    Seeing the murderous look on Marcel¡¯s face, Leon knew that he had crossed the line this time and knew to back down.

    ¡°It was just a joke,¡± He exined.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try such an expensive joke on me again especially when it involves my woman, or else I might forget we¡¯re allies,¡± Marcel passed the warning across and Leon nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Come on then, let me show you to her room,¡± Leon said, standing to his feet and banishing the remaining pain by sheer will. He has offended Marcel and he had to make up for it. But on the bright side, he just bought enough time for Luca.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and followed him, the silence between them was tense. Not long after, they arrived at the room and Leon released a small breath when he saw Luca standing at the door.

    He made it.

    Marcel stopped before him, ¡°Where were you when I sent a text of my arrival?¡±

    Luca straightened up, ¡°Nature calls,¡± was the quick answer he gave Marcel.

    Honestly, he never thought that Marcel woulde to pick Arianna himself which was why he let himself loose in the first ce. Luca thought he would bring Arianna home instead; he had everything under control until Marcel arrived.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and was about to pass through when he stopped suddenly and Lucas¡¯ heart stopped with him. His features were puckered up as he sniffed close to Luca and Leon held his breath the entire time.

    Marcel stopped with a thoughtful look on his face and for a moment there, Luca swore that he had caught him until he said,

    ¡°Your poop must have smelled badly you even applied perfume.¡± He shook his head and grabbed the doorknob, going into the room and shutting it right after him.

    Luca released the breath he had been holding in and Leon didn¡¯t look any better. The perfume Marcel smelt on him belonged to Luca and he applied it because there was no time to refresh and he didn¡¯t want Marcel getting the smell of sex on him.

    ¡°That was close,¡± Leon muttered, leaning against the wall.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Luca admitted, it was a close call indeed.

    And would never happen again.

 Chapter 519

    519 Would Marcel Believe Her?

    Sharp movements from the outside alerted Arianna that someone was right outside her door. Good thing Elijah left already or she wouldn¡¯t know how to deal with that.

    Her mind was spiraling and Arianna found herself unable to breathe. What was she going to do? She finally saw Elijah¡¯s face. In the past, she would have been excited at the prospect of escaping, but not anymore, not now that she has a life with Marcel. But then, she couldn¡¯t tell Marcel about Elijah either, no, she couldn¡¯t. He would kill him.

    God, what was she going to do? Arianna ran her hands through her head in both confusion and annoyance. She might have seen Elijah¡¯s face but there was no way tomunicate with him and change his mind.

    He was trying to get himself killed and she didn¡¯t want his death to be on her. It would kill her. But she couldn¡¯t lie to Marcel as well, not when Elijah was too forward with his feelings for her. What if the next time he threatens her to get into bed with him? What would she do then?

    Arianna was torn within.

    Seeing the shadow cast between the little space beneath the door, Arianna quickly got into bed. It wouldn¡¯t help matters if Luca caught her pacing up and down the room and reported it to Marcel. For now, she would keep a calm head and think of how to solve this problem.

    Marcel can¡¯t know of this. He was too hot-headed and would plunge deeply into searching for Elijah. That can¡¯t happen yet. Not now. There were other desperate issues to solve, like ra and Daniel. This one would have to wait.

    Luca didn¡¯te into the room, he just stood there and after a while, Arianna was almost tempted to climb out of the bed when the doorknob clicked and she forced her eyes closed immediately, willing her body to rx and assuming a sleeping state.

    It wasn¡¯t Luca, Arianna realized with a furrow of her brows. With her eyes closed, her hearing was heightened and she was able to pick up sounds easily. Arianna could tell the footsteps apart having spent time studying them, it wasn¡¯t Lucas¡¯ yet it felt oddly familiar. What was she missing?

    .....

    And while she was lost in her thoughts, the footsteps came closer till she felt a dip in her bed and Arianna¡¯s body went rigid. A stranger was climbing into her bed? But it didn¡¯t make sense, Luca wouldn¡¯t let anyone else into her bed but Marcel unless he was tired of living.

    Then it hit her, the same time Marcel¡¯s scent washed over her and her heart galloped. Marcel was here, her heart fluttered like the wings of a butterfly, however, guilt crept in at the same time when she remembered what happened between her and Elijah moments ago. She didn¡¯t deserve Marcel, and Arianna was plunged with guilt.

    ¡°Hey love,¡± Marcel murmured, kissing down her exposed neck and leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

    Arianna managed to murmur something iprehensive to convince Marcel that she was deep asleep and funny enough, Marcel chuckled, finding it cute. The gesture seem to motivate him either way and Marcel continued to attack her neck with kisses, leaving Arianna no choice but to force her eyes open.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± She murmured sleepily, hoping that was enough to convince him.

    ¡°Wake up, sleepy head,¡± He said, his kisses now moving upward, kissing her cheeks and brushing across her lips teasingly.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Arianna tried to gently pull Marcel away from her ¨C she couldn¡¯t act intimate with him, not after what happened with Elijah ¨C however, he was persistent and trapped her beneath him with his body.

    ¡°Why? What is wrong?¡± Marcel finally asked, having sensed her resistance.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna pretended to be dumb.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel like you¡¯re not happy to see me?¡± Marcel pointed out, regarding her intensely.

    Arianna¡¯s mouth fell open and closed at the same time. What was she going to do? She can¡¯t just tell him that Elijah came out of nowhere and kissed her? It would destroy everything they¡¯ve built so far. Marcel was possessive and quite sensitive about Elijah, so you can imagine what would happen if she told him the truth.

    Would Marcel even believe her? That she wanted nothing to do with the kiss and her feelings for him haven¡¯t changed one bit even with Elijah¡¯s return? Arianna doubted that. He would be too blinded with rage and betrayal to see the truth staring right at him. That was why she couldn¡¯t tell him the truth now.

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m just surprised to see you!¡± Arianna denied it, hoping to God that he believed her.

    Unfortunately, there was still that look of suspicion in his eyes and she gulped. She had to do something to draw the attention away from her.

    ¡°What about ra?¡± She said, startling Marcel with the suddenness of the question.

    ¡°Oh,¡± A smile slowly crept up Marcel¡¯s face. Arianna was jealous and eager to hear the details of the wedding, he thought. If only Marcel knew that was exactly what Arianna wanted him to think.

    ¡°What do you think happened?¡± He teased her.

    Marcel then climbed over her carefully so he was straddling her without pushing all of his weight on her. Her breath caught in her throat when he intertwined their fingers together, pressing them to the bed, and leaning over her so they were staring right at each other¡¯s face, their breaths interchanging.

    Arianna was distracted by his delicious body pressing down on her and asked without thinking, ¡°Did the both of you get married?¡±

    Marcel rolled his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re such a dummy,¡± He called her, making her pout her lips.

    ¡°Would I be seducing you right now if I had a bride at home waiting for me at home to fulfill our nuptial, not that I ever nned on doing it with ra even if she was thest woman on earth?¡± He confessed boldly.

    Arianna was relieved. Although she looked calm, beneath the surface, she had been anxious about the news. But it looks like she had nothing to worry about in the end. Marcel did it again. He fought for both of them.

    ¡°How did you do it?¡± She was curious to know.

    ¡°You ask too many questions,¡± Marcelined as he leaned down and kissed her, the heat of his mouth and the force of the kiss stealing her breath away.

 Chapter 520

    520 He Was Shameless

    Arianna moaned, trying to pull her hands free so she could run them into his hair which was so silky the sensation was heavenly. However, Marcel wouldn¡¯t let them go and pinned her hands above her hands to show his dominance over her and Arianna snorted into the kiss in a show of defiance.

    Marcel smiled against her lips, grinding his hips into her and making her moan again. That was it, Marcel kissed her slowly as if he had all the time in the world and nothing else mattered at that moment. Arianna would have believed that as well if she didn¡¯t remember the deadly secret she was keeping from him. Depending on how she handled it, that secret could have Elijah killed while destroying her rtionship at the same time.

    Nheless, Arianna melted into the kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth and her tongue chased after his as they kissed harder. It was a good thing that they came up for air because she could feel Marcel¡¯s control slowly slipping away and no matter how good his rtionship was with Leon, they couldn¡¯t do it here.

    To her surprise, Marcel reached out and brushed his thumb across her lower lips saying, ¡°That was just a preview, we would continue from where we stopped when we get home.¡± He promised her with a devilish glint in his eyes that told her that she wasn¡¯t getting any sleep tonight.

    Arianna gulped with both fear and anticipation. She loved Marcel, but she loved sleep and his giant cock.... let¡¯s not go there.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Marcel tugged on her arm before his gaze fell on the window by the side.

    ¡°You slept with the window opened?¡±

    Arianna stiffened.

    However, she quicklyposed herself knowing Marcel saw nothing. It was just a question. Yeah, just a question.

    .....

    ¡°It had been hot earlier and I decided I needed a little air,¡± Arianna lied, cursing herself for not closing the window after Elijah left.

    Was this how it was going to be between them now? Lies upon lies? Arianna sincerely didn¡¯t want this, but there was no other option except, to tell the truth, which was impossible right now. In return, she swore to make it up to Marcel. She would surely pay for that kiss. Nor would it happen again.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold nowadays, make sure to keep yourself warm, I don¡¯t want to catch a cold,¡± Marcel said, caressing her cheeks.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was confused by that statement. Souldn¡¯t she be the one catching a cold if that were to happen?

    Marcel exined, ¡°If you catch a cold, I¡¯m next in line to contact it considering I can¡¯t stop kissing you.¡±

    ¡°Then you can consider it a break then. My lips can rest as well, don¡¯t you think so?¡± She said.

    ¡°Trust me, love, no illness can make me stop kissing you,¡±

    ¡°Not even mouth sores,¡± Arianna added smugly.

    A smile crossed his lips, ¡°Good try,¡±

    And before Arianna could tell what he had in mind, Marcel carried her off the bed without warning, a shriek leaving her lips.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She gave him a warning look

    But he told her, ¡°Better get used to all my affectionate moves, love, because there¡¯s no one to stop me from loving you now, meaning I¡¯ll shower you with lots of it.¡±

    Ba-dam! Ba-dam!

    Arianna¡¯s heart began to pound hard in her chest. That was the most romantic thing a man ever told her and her heart was beginning to swell with happiness.

    In response, she leaned closer and pressed a short kiss on Marcel¡¯s lips, surprising him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna told him, a bright look in her eyes as if Christmas came early.

    ¡°A-hem!¡± Marcel cleared his throat, color climbing appearing on his cheeks as he said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re even blushing.¡± Arianna pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± He denied it, looking away as he walked towards the door.

    ¡°But I¡¯m staring right at it.¡± Arianna was adamant, poking fun at him. It wasn¡¯t every day that Marcel blushes hence she wouldn¡¯t let go of an opportunity like this one to tease him.

    ¡°One more word and I¡¯ll drop you,¡± He warned her.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Arianna huffed confidently, forgetting that her lover was a madman.

    So the instant she poked fun at him again, Marcel dropped her and Arianna fell t on her ass, shock apparent on her face. She couldn¡¯t believe that Marcel stayed true to his words and dropped her.

    ¡°You!¡± Arianna stood to her feet, wagging a finger at Marcel with her face red with embarrassment.

    However, Marcel pulled down her finger withughter spilling from his lips and without a second thought, ced both of hisrge palms on her ass and began to massage it while Arianna stood on the spot, dumbfounded.

    What the....

    But then, Arianna had to admit that his hands were magic and before she knew it, all of her anger melted away and all she could feel was Marcel fondling and squeezing her ass cheeks. Of course, this was his idea all along, Arianna found out.

    ¡°Tell me, how did you feel now?¡± Marcel grinned knowingly while Arianna was speechless. He was shameless! Simply shameless!

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s just go,¡± Marcel ced his hands on her shoulder and began to guide her towards the entrance. When they got outside, Leon and Luca were still outside waiting for them.

    When Leon heard that Marcel hadpletely fallen for a woman, he didn¡¯t believe it until now. The sincerity he saw in his gaze as he stared at Arianna was enough to tell the tale and he felt guilty for making that joke earlier.

    Leon stepped out, ¡°It¡¯ste, the both of you should spend the night here,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mere nine,¡± Marcel answered him.

    ¡°And it¡¯s a four hours drive from here,¡± He added, ¡°at the least,¡± Leon insisted.

    Marcel turned to Arianna as if wanting to hear her opinion.

    Arianna ced her hand on Marcel¡¯s chest, ¡°Leon has been good to me to all day, it wouldn¡¯t kill us if we spend a night unless you have somewhere important to be tomorrow -¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Marcel answered before Arianna could finish speaking.

    ¡°Good. We will stay then.¡± Arianna smiled at Leon who smiled back as if in agreement.

    She would be able to sleep better while Leon would be able to get more sexy time with Luca. It was killing two birds with one stone, and Arianna felt smart.

 Chapter 521

    521 Kill Him

    ¡°Here, sit,¡± Marcel said, pushing out a seat for Arianna to take after their enthusiastic host, Leon, graciously invited them to dinner.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna said, genuinely impressed by Marcel¡¯s caring attitude today. It was sort of sweet and romantic and she wouldn¡¯t mind getting used to it every day.

    Marcel sat down beside her, just as Leon appeared and sat at the head table. Luca was behind them as usual and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but notice the quick exchange between them even though Luca froze his expression.

    She didn¡¯t know how things went between them earlier but Arianna nned to bother Luca about the detailster after they returned to the base.

    ¡°I had the kitchen prepare a bit of everything since I couldn¡¯t tell what you liked,¡± Leon said precisely to Marcel, but the male in question was busy cutting Arianna¡¯s steak into little bits.

    ¡°I¡¯m good as far as she likes it,¡± He grumbled, still cutting the steaks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can do it,¡± Arianna tried to take the knife from him, but Marcel wouldn¡¯t let her. He was almost treating her like a fragile aristocrat that hadn¡¯t done any work since she was born.

    ¡°Stay still,¡± He told her firmly.

    Okay?

    .....

    Arianna had no choice but to obey, leaving everything to him. Marcel had rolled up his sleeve hence she could see the strength of his muscles, her gaze trailing up to the opened buttons revealing his taut chest and then that handsome face. His brows were set in concentration as if he was in a surgical operation when it was just meat.

    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t really have to cut it into much smaller pieces, I can chew my meat well,¡± She tried to tell him he was wasting his time and energy doing so. She wasn¡¯t a baby with no teeth for crying out loud.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, there is always a need to be careful, many people have died from choking on their food,¡± He imed.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m always careful,¡± Arianna argued.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not taking any chances when ites to you, love. I told you, we¡¯d be making lots of kids, Arianna, ten the least.¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything but Unfortunately, Leon choked on his drink at that moment, his eyes watering up from the reaction.

    ¡°See? Even stupid people choke on a drink, what more a lump of meat?¡± Marcel ruthlessly used him as an example.

    That is not the case, he was not stupid! Leon tried to say. He only choked on his drink because he was unfortunate to have been eavesdropping on the both of them flirting with each other at that moment. Sadly, Leon was unable to say a word and was coughing instead.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call for help?¡± Arianna was concerned, seeing him in a coughing fit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Marcel said nonchntly, his focus on the current dish that he was searching for and pulling out the bones in the fish, ¡°The bastard is so rich, he wouldn¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was confused by what he meant. How was being rich going to help him out in this situation? He needed help, not money.

    Marcel dropped to the spoon and exined, ¡°He loves money too much. In one word, there¡¯s no way he would die and leave his money behind,¡± He said it straight to his face.

    Like magic, Leon recovered, ring at Marcel.

    ¡°I hate you,¡± He said.

    ¡°And I hate you too,¡± Marcel said casually, as if it was a thing between them.

    Leon wasn¡¯t through because he asked, ¡°Why am I always the one suffering in our rtionship?¡±

    ¡°Mind your words, we were never in any rtionship,¡± Marcel told him seriously, though his wordscked threat. If anything, It was almost as if they were fooling around.

    ¡°Haha, Arianna already knows about our special rtionship,¡± He stated boldly.

    Marcel snorted, ¡°If that¡¯s your attempt at making her jealous, then you lost greatly.¡± He turned to Arianna, ¡°You weren¡¯t jealous, right, love?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was startled by the question. Color rushed to her cheeks,

    ¡°Of course not, I wasn¡¯t!¡± Ariannaughed awkwardly, ¡°Why would I be jealous?! The both of you didn¡¯t even do much,¡± She lied through her teeth. Why wouldn¡¯t she be jealous when Marcel was too handsome and even the gay ones wanted him

    ¡°I trust you,¡± Arianna said, wrapping her hands around his arm and resting her head on his shoulder like an obedient tigress while Marcel patted her head gently and then passed Leon a smug expression. See? She trusts me.

    Leon was annoyed beyond words, the both of them were oppressing him with their public disy of affection. Do they think they were the only couples in this house?

    His gaze moved to Luca who tensed up and looked away. But even at that gesture, Leon didn¡¯t take his eyes off him and when Luca looked back, he was still staring at him, which made him shift on his feet ufortably. Why was he staring at him? Does he want Marcel to find out what they did? Fuck, just look forward!

    Luca was beginning to squirm by the time Leon wouldn¡¯t take his gaze off him, but luckily for him, Marcel was upied with Arianna, feeding her food. But for how long?

    Just look away, asshole!

    God! If Marcel caught him, he would make Leon pay. Yeah, make him pay, how? Leon was too powerful. Maybe in bed...?

    Nope, not going there.

    This was too dangerous, he was not going to do it ¨C not while on duty. Shit! Duty or not, no fucking Leon. The man was too much for him. Just like cigarettes, Leon King was bad for his system.

    ¡°The food is delicious, ¡± Arianna said intentionally and Leon had no choice but to look away while Luca released the breath he was holding in. That was close.

    ¡°But notpared to the one at my base,¡± Marcel grumbled, feeding her another bite without understanding the look that passed between Arianna and Leon.

    Arianna had seen what happened.

    ¡°Well, thank you nheless,¡± Leon said innocently while his lips curled to the side in a devilish smile which Luca saw and red at him murderously.

    He would find himter tonight and kill him.

    Hopefully.

 Chapter 522

    522 What Is Your Kink

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for bed then!¡± Arianna rushed into the room before Marcel and threw herself on the huge bed. The both of them were done with dinner which ended up anyway with him and Leon bickering like lovers. The rtionship between the both of them was seriously weird. They weren¡¯t friends nor enemies or lovers, just allies.

    Definitely weird.

    Maybe the both of them were lovers in their past lives or something. Or she was just making a huge deal out of nothing.

    Anyway, Arianna pulled the sheet over her body, yawning loudly and pretending to be tired even though she slept not long ago. But the fact is that she doesn¡¯t want to have sex with Marcel tonight, not while they¡¯re in his ally¡¯s house. It was ufortable as hell knowing Leon¡¯s staff would be the ones clearing the sheet the next day after they¡¯d messed it up.

    Moreover, what if Elijah is still around the corner and kills Marcel in the middle of their lovemaking? It would be like her nightmaree true the other day. So no, no lovemaking. One of them should remain alert today.

    But then, Marcel must have had a different idea because he was beginning to take his shirt off.

    She gulped, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He gave her a cocky grin, ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing?¡±

    ¡°Marcel, we can¡¯t -¡±

    .....

    ¡°We can¡¯t, what?¡± He asked, dropping the shirt off and now moving to his zipper.

    ¡°We can¡¯t have sex, Marcel! Not while here,¡± She said hurriedly when he started pushing his pants down.

    ¡°Geez, get your mind off the gutter, woman. Who said anything about having sex or have you forgotten I hardly sleep with my clothes on.¡± He arched a brow at her, a grin at the corner of his lips.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna finally remembered, lowering her head as she went red in the face. She should have known, and why does she feel Marcel goaded her on purpose. That shameless man.

    ¡°I would never force you to have sex with me, Arianna, unless you¡¯re into that kind of -¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my kink.¡± She interrupted him, ¡°Trust me,¡± She said.

    ¡°Nor would I leave my seed on the sheet for that freak Leon to find,¡± Marcel said, climbing into bed.

    ¡°Your rtionship with him amuses me,¡± Arianna said.

    ¡°Yeah, just as I¡¯m curious what your kink is?¡± Marcel sat in front of her, holding her gaze so she wasn¡¯t able to look away.

    ¡°What is your kink, Arianna?¡± He asked her, this time drawing closer with their bodies touching.

    Arianna gulped at being found out, her tongue darting out to wet her lower lips. Marcel noticed that as well and would have kissed her by now if it wasn¡¯t the fact he wanted an answer from her.

    ¡°Blindfolds,¡± She said.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You heard me, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°Oh, blindfolds are your thing.¡± He tilted his head to the side unsure, ¡°Do I need to tickle a certain body part with that or...¡± He pretended to be clueless.

    Arianna burst intoughter.

    ¡°Of course not, silly,¡± She pped him on the chest yfully.

    Arianna cleared her throat and went on, ¡°By cutting off my visual cues, I don¡¯t know what to expect and that increases my excitement and makes the climax more satisfying,¡± She confessed, a bit embarrassed.

    However, instead of Marcel criticizing her choice, he smiled widely as if she was one in a million.

    He said instead, ¡°So you mean if I do this... ¡± Marcel covered her eyes with hisrge palm, and without warning, caressed her cor bones, and she gasped loudly, shivers climbing down her spine.

    ¡°You like it?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± She rasped, her heart picking up speed.

    Still covering her eyes, he trailed his fingers up her neck in a feathery touch and lowered his head to kiss her shoulder.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± just that touch and Arianna melted like a puddle.

    ¡°You do like it then,¡± Marcel pulled back, pleased at his findings. He knew that once he started, there was no going back. So there was no need to fan the mes by starting what he couldn¡¯t finish.

    Arianna was red in the face when he took his hand off, but she was happy as well. She was happy to be with someone who epted her wholefully.

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Marcel asked.

    ¡°What is your kink?¡± Arianna came closer, wanting to know more. She would do anything to please him.

    He gave her a cocky look and bent to whisper in her ears, ¡°What do you think, love? It¡¯s your pussy, of course,¡±

    Arianna was dumbfounded, was he kidding her right now?

    To prove his words, Marcel went on to say, ¡°You don¡¯t know much I enjoy eating you out, Arianna. You taste like sunshine with a mix of heaven.¡±

    He did mean that.

    ¡°And dominance,¡± He suddenly added.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you can dominate me on the bed, my heart¡¯s all yours, my love.¡±

    Alright, that¡¯s something she can work with, Arianna¡¯s eyes sparked with the idea of the challenge. She couldn¡¯t wait to dominate him on the bed.

    ¡°Alright,e here,¡± Marcelid down on the bed, urging her into his arms, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that kind of look if you can¡¯t finish what you started, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s time, I can do that.¡± She snuggled up to him, wrapping her arm possessively around his waist.

    ¡°What of forever?¡±

    Arianna froze for about a minute before ncing up at him with a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Is that a proposal?¡± She asked when she finally found her voice.

    ¡°Yeah, just one without the ring,¡±

    Arianna gulped with emotion, unable to believe this.

    Marcel cupped her face with hisrge palm, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about ra, she won¡¯t bother you ever again, and as far as my father, I have him under control. He wouldn¡¯t ever object to our marriage, I¡¯ve made sure of that. In one word, you have nothing to worry about anymore, It¡¯s just the both of us, now. Nothing woulde between us again. ¡±

    No, you¡¯re wrong, there¡¯s Elijah now, Arianna wanted to say so badly. However, she shut her mouth and leaned into his embrace instead.

    Marcel has yed his part, now it was left up to her to find a way to make Elijah leave without the both of them tearing each other apart.

 Chapter 523

    523 Marcel Wants To See You

    ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    Elijah was startled when Adele stepped out of the shadows. How did she even get into his house? He didn¡¯t remember giving her a key to his ce.

    ¡°How did you get in?¡± He answered her question with a question.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got skill,¡± She said, stepping towards him.

    Well, thank God he didn¡¯t have any more implicating evidence in there.

    Ever since his rtionship with Adele became intimate, Elijah was careful with his stuff hanging around. But then, there was a secretpartment Adele wouldn¡¯t be able to find even if she sneaked around the ce because it required his handprint to open it. So unless she was cutting his hand off, because there was no way on earth he was opening that for her, she wouldn¡¯t be to find it.

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± He said, stepping closer as well.

    ¡°Neither have you answered my question,¡± She was in front of him now, and wrapped her arm around his neck.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were quite nosy,¡± Elijah grinned, teasing her by brushing his lips across hers without really giving on.

    .....

    ¡°There are many things, Aziz, you would find out you are yet to learn about me,¡± Adele said seductively, pressing her lips against his firmly and sealing their kiss. She moaned at the sweet contact of their lips, pulling him closer by the jacket he was putting on.

    Elijah didn¡¯t hesitate one bit to give in to the kiss. He didn¡¯t love Adele, but this was a role he couldn¡¯t give it up anymore, not now. He loved Arianna, but suddenly breaking off things with Adele would spark off suspicion ¨C and her wrath. And hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

    He didn¡¯t want Adele to give him a tough time till he was done with his mission here. In one word, he was using her to get what he wants. Moreover, as he nned earlier, this was all a ploy to get back at Marcel for stealing Arianna from him ¨C not that he wouldn¡¯t get her back. However, Adele was his cousin and second inmand, and by the time Marcel found out what he did, he would be humiliated beyond words.

    Adele pulled away from the kiss and grabbed his jaw, she scrutinized him, ¡°Tell me, Aziz, where have you been?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere in particr,¡± Elijah lied wlessly, ¡°I just wanted to get some air into my head, and why are you so curious about my whereabouts?¡± He wondered if she found out something about him.

    ¡°Because...¡± She pressed him closer to his body, rubbing her breast against his chest, ¡°I came bearing good news and when you didn¡¯t answer the door nor could I get you on the phone, I thought Cindy had struck again and let myself in. But it seems I had been worrying over nothing,¡± She offered him an exnation.

    Well, he was busy breaking into Leon king¡¯s ce after hearing Arianna was being kept there. It wasn¡¯t easy sneaking in at all, but he pulled it off, didn¡¯t he? And he deserved a little reward.

    Elijah pulled her to his body by the waist, grinding the evidence of his arousal against her and showing Adele just how much he was hard for her. For a show, his dick does easily get hard for her. It was all for fun, he said.

    ¡°Tell me, what was the surprise?¡± He asked, while kissing her neck.

    Adele relished the feeling of his hot breath on her neck, tilting her head to the side as Elijah kissed down her neck while she shut her eyes. When she opened them again, it was to say, ¡°Maybe, we should do this before the good news, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good idea,¡± Elijah nodded, dropping short kisses all over her face, and neck.

    And her lips were back on his again in a hurried kiss, her hands wing at his jacket as she fought to rip it off him. Elijah wasn¡¯t idle either, his hands were working on her blouse, taking it off her body and she was in her bra.

    He ced his hands on her boobs and squeezed them and Adele moaned into the kiss. She impatiently ripped the buttons off his shirt, some of them popping free in the process but she didn¡¯t care because right now, she was crazy with need. She wanted Aziz.

    Adele worked on his zipper while Elijah unhooked her bra, her breasts spilling free. He then lowered his head and took one of the hardened nipples into his mouth.

    ¡°My God,¡± Adele gasped at the sensation, her head falling back from pleasure. Elijah ran his tongue against her sensitive nipples, teasing her for a bit before sucking them properly and making her core throb

    ¡°Fuck! I need you now,¡± Adele pushed him away and got rid of every piece of clothing on him till they were standing in front of each other naked like the day they were born.

    Their lips were upon each other in a hot, desperate kiss and Elijah gripped her bare ass, lifting her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His tongue slipped in, exploring the depth of her tongue and tasting her sweetness and she kissed him back fiercely.

    Her pussy arched for more, so when he shifted his hips and his cock thrust right into her, driving his cock all to the base without a moment of hesitation, Adele let out a strangled gasp. She loved the way her throbbing pussy squeezed tight around him, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Adele cried out as Aziz gripped her ass tightly and he began to fuck her. Her nails dug into his shoulder as she clung to him, panting as she moved her hips in time with him.

    ¡°Faster!¡± Shemanded him and he upped his pace, fucking her so hard that she swore she saw stars, but that was still not enough.

    ¡°Faster Aziz!¡± Adelemanded him and he quickened his pace, his cock mming so deep inside of her that she was unable to catch her breath.

    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Adele tipped her head back as the pleasure built and built until she burst and came apart with a loud cry.

    Elijah mmed into her onest time,ing inside of her as the aftershocks of pleasure rocked the both of them.

    ¡°That was wonderful,¡± Adele breathed.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elijah admitted. Adele was a good fuck, not that she needed to know that. So he didn¡¯t protest when she lifted his chin and kissed him before he managed to ask.

    ¡°You said you have good news?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± She said, ¡°My cousin Marcel wants you over at his ce. He wants to see you.¡±

    Elijah paused for a while as if trying to digest the information, ¡°That is fucktastic.¡± A smile shed across his face. His n worked.

    ¡°Exactly, let fuck again,¡± She kissed him again hard.

 Chapter 524

    524 Communion With The Toilet

    Arianna woke up before Marcel and it was for one reason, she felt wet and ufortable. Hence, she pulled out of his strong arms and climbed out of the bed to see what was wrong only for her jaw to drop to the ground when she saw the bright stain on the bed.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Arianna groaned when she discovered that she has just gotten a visit from Lady Flo. It came earlier than expected and Arianna did not doubt that it was affected by the stress and anxiety she was going through.

    She forgot to keep records as well and now she just stained Leon¡¯s bed, it was embarrassing. However, this meant that she wasn¡¯t pregnant, and Arianna didn¡¯t know how to feel about that. Sure, she was all about not having a baby yet, however, Marcel was over the moon at the prospect of her being pregnant.

    He had been sure that his sperm was potent enough to get her pregnant, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case now. Arianna did not doubt that he would be disappointed greatly by this news.

    Suddenly, Marcel stirred from his sleep, opening his eyes as confusion set in when he saw her standing at the edge of the bed and staring at him strangely.

    Marcel sat up slowly, thinking that something was wrong and he didn¡¯t want to alert the enemy. He surmised the enemy had gotten into their room while he slept and held them, hostage,manding Arianna not to alert him to their presence or he would kill him. No wonder, he was followedst night.

    With lightning speed, Marcel suddenly pulled out the gun hidden under his pillow and turned around, aiming at the door only to see that there was nobody in sight? Huh, that was strange.

    ¡°Marcel....¡± Arianna breathed, her hand on her pounding chest.

    Wait a minute, Marcel slept with a gun under his pillow? What if something went wrong at night and he mistakenly pulled the trigger, and one, if not two of them dies. She would have to speak to him on that. He should find other spaces to keep his gun within reach, not under the pillow.

    .....

    Marcel turned around, ¡°Why are you standing....¡± The rest of his words trailed off when his gaze fell on the stain on the bed and his expression died off.

    At first, Marcel couldn¡¯t understand what he has just seen until it hit him out of nowhere. He looked at Arianna standing right in front of him and then at the bed and back at Arianna again, making the connections.

    ¡°My period came,¡± Arianna exined to him, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. Although Marcel schooled his expression, the tension in the air was palpable.

    ¡°I guess that means you¡¯re not pregnant then,¡± Marcel nodded his head in understanding

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m not,¡± Arianna confirmed.

    Marcel suddenly put on a bright smile with a p, ¡°All hope is not lost, I still have more than a million quality seeds to nt into your womb,¡±

    Arianna scoffed in disbelief, his ego was out of this world. However, she didn¡¯t say any a word knowing that he was still sad beyond that exterior. Marcel was merely covering up.

    He climbed out of the bed,¡± I guess you need yourdy things. I would call Luca to take care of that,¡± He pulled out his phone already, texting him.

    ¡°Yes, I need it and I¡¯m so embarrassed I stained Leon¡¯s bed. I should have been more observant of my body changes.¡± Arianna muttered, her head lowered.

    ¡°You have nothing to be ashamed about,¡± Marcel said, lifting her head so he could look at her beautiful face. Arianna was biting down on her lower lips nervously and she looked so cute.

    ¡°If itforts you, I¡¯ll have the bed thrown away and get him a new one.¡± He offered.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna shook her head, ¡°No, that¡¯s a waste of resources.¡±

    ¡°You seem to forget that I¡¯m a third-generation rich man, baby girl. Money is not a problem for me,¡±

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve been throwing money around carelessly for me to steal?¡± Arianna asked him.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marcel shamelessly admitted it, ¡°I did It because it was fun and you were so cute. You don¡¯t know this but you look like Jerry, the mouse in the cartoon stealing all of the cheese Tom, the cat, intentionally ced on the way to lure it to his trap.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a mouse now? You are unbelievable?¡± Arianna snorted, however, there was a trace of a smile at the corner of her lips.

    ¡°Yeah, a cute house mouse,¡± He pinched her cheeks yfully causing Arianna to re at him.

    Marcel ced his hands on her shoulder and then rubbed them down the length of her arms. He took her hands in the end, asking,

    ¡°How do you feel? I heard girls get sick on their period. Chloe doesn¡¯t even talk to me when she¡¯s on hers, ims I¡¯m not a woman and would never understand.¡± He was worried.

    Arianna chuckled, ¡°Well, she might be a bit right on that part because on our period, we experience shit like abdominal or pelvic cramping, lower back pain, bloating and sore breasts, food cravings, headache, and Fatigue. Oh, did I forget to mention, mood swings and irritability,¡± She added sweetly, although the smile didn¡¯t touch her eyes, ¡°Try not to offend me during this period, love. ¡±

    Marcel gulped, why do women carry so much load? He was bbergasted.

    ¡°So is it hurting?¡± Marcel asked unsure. His hand already slipping beneath her blouse and he began to rub her bare tummy as if that would cure her pain, ¡°Is it working?¡± Marcel was hopeful.

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet, babe, but no, it¡¯s not working. Luckily for me, I hardly get intense mental cramps, however, I do have what is called period poop.¡± Arianna informed him.

    ¡°Period poop,¡± Marcel¡¯s head was swirling with so much information that was as weird as fuck and he wanted to get the fuck out of here, but he couldn¡¯t. This was his woman Arianna and he had to be with her even in the... creepiest scenario.

    ¡°Yeah, that happens whenpounds called prostandins tell my uterus to contract to give me uterine lining the heave-ho ¨C that¡¯s why cramps happen.

    But prostandins can migrate to other areas, including my gastrointestinal tract. This is why I do poop more often or have diarrhea during my period, it¡¯s because the same hormones that cause cramps are romping around my midsection. In one word, I¡¯m about to go havemunion with the toilet, don¡¯t wait up for me, Marcel. ¡± She tapped his shoulder and left for the restroom.

    Unfortunately, Marcel didn¡¯t understand a single thing Arianna said aside from thest line, she needed to use the toilet.

 Chapter 525

    525 Woman Things

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Marcel asked while Arianna was hunched over the toilet.

    It had taken a lot of persuasions to stop him from keeping herpany in the toilet. She means, period poop smells bad, why would he want to inhale that horrible gas all in the name of love? Arianna wouldn¡¯t even do that for him... urm, maybe she would .... just a little... no, no, never.

    Hence, they came up with a better solution, conversing through the phone. At least, he wouldn¡¯t breathe in her smelly poop and they could talk at the same time. See? Good thing he got her a phone.

    ¡°Better,¡± Arianna replied, definitely not in the mood for talking, not when World War III seems to be taking ce in her colon. However, Marcel was trying his best to show his support and she appreciated that.

    ¡°I mean, what does it feel like? I¡¯m trying to understand your condition.¡± He told her which was surprising. The Mafia Lord wanted to understand her condition. Arianna knew Victor would have a goodugh over this if she told him that.

    ¡°Oh, about that? It feels...¡± Arianna thought over it, ¡°Like I don¡¯t want to leave the toilet at all? In my condition right now, I want to spend the entirety of my day butt-ass naked, and wait for my body to do its thing because I don¡¯t know what the hell it¡¯s trying to tell me. Well, except to poop, you get it, but sometimes I don¡¯t even release at all, just the urge.... ¡±

    Arianna trailed off when she heard Marcelughing uncontrobly from the other side of the line.

    ¡°Alright, buddy, care to tell me what¡¯s funny?¡± She wondered what she said wrong.

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and continued tough so hard even Arianna forgot she had to poop. She just sat in the toilet with her brows raised, her curiosity piqued.

    .....

    When Marcel was finally able to get over hisughing fit, he told her, ¡°You said ¡®release¡¯,¡± Marcel emphasized that word.

    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Arianna groaned, that dirty-minded asshole. She should have known.

    ¡°Do women release?¡± He was stillughing.

    ¡°Oh yes, we do,¡± Arianna answered firmly and Marcel¡¯sughter was cut short when he realized she was serious this time.

    With a deep breath, Arianna went on to say, ¡°Women release, and that is called female ejaction. It is that thick, white liquid thates out of the urethra of a woman during a sexual orgasm, Marcel. So yeah, we do release and I hope that answers your question. ¡±

    An awkward silence fell over them and for a minute there, Arianna thought that Marcel had abandoned the call until he said, ¡°You should have been a doctor,¡±

    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s not my thing,¡± Arianna shook her head in denial.

    ¡°But you worked at Ruth¡¯s ce,¡±

    ¡°Because I needed the money,¡± She exined more, ¡°Although just like you, Ruth seems to hold the opinion that I¡¯m a natural in the field as well, however, none of my family members are doctors. Perhaps, it¡¯s from my mother¡¯s side, but I can¡¯t tell since I don¡¯t actually know her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Marcel said a tiny bit forcibly if she might add and that was suspicious. Was there something he was not telling her?

    ¡°So why don¡¯t you want to be a doctor when you¡¯re so good at it? I mean I would benefit immensely from it. ¡± Marcel asked, drawing her attention from the sudden question in her mind.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s suffocating,¡± Arianna confessed.

    ¡°Suffocating?¡± Marcel was curious to know.

    ¡°It is a nice upation, but I¡¯m just not cut out for that. When I¡¯m in that white coat, I feel trapped, however, when I dance, I feel free. Also, there is nowhere on earth I¡¯m treating you, that¡¯s doctor¡¯s policy, we don¡¯t operate on our loved ones, so don¡¯t go around getting injured with the hope I¡¯m there to stitch you up, ¡± because she would lose her mind if he really does get hurt.

    Arianna took a deep breath and surprisingly found out that she was done.

    ¡°I think my period poop has ended?¡± She announced as she began to clean up.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel sounded greatly relieved and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had traumatized the poor man.

    ¡°Luca got you your woman things, however, there¡¯s a bit of a problem. He said he has no idea what type and brand you use, so the old, sweetdy at the store made him buy everything.¡±

    Oh no, Arianna already sensed what was about to happen.

    Marcel went on to say, ¡± He got you sanitary napkins, menstrual pads, panty liners, tampons, and... ¡± There was a slight pause before he went on to say, ¡°Menstrual cups...?¡± women are so weird.

    Without a second thought, Arianna opened the bathroom door and caught Marcel leaning against the entrance as if he had been waiting for her all this while.

    She tugged on the huge cellophane bag he was holding ¨C did Luca buy the entire store or what ¨C but Marcel held on tightly and she lifted her brow questioningly.

    ¡°What?¡± She shot at him, annoyed. Arianna needed to shower now because she felt icky inside.

    ¡°Do you women really put that cup thing inside -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± Arianna warned him.

    However, the long, scrutinizing look Marcel gave her from top to bottom as if he was already imagining her using the cup made her cheeks heat up.

    ¡°Ask another question!¡± Arianna said quickly, going red in the face. Why can¡¯t men just admit they would never understand femininity?

    Marcel grinned and that was all she needed to know that he had it out for her.

    ¡°Have I ever made you release?¡±

    Alright, Arianna groaned inwardly, he really wanted to know everything.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s hard to know when you¡¯re always eating me out.¡±

    ¡°So I do then,¡± Marcel was smug.

    ¡°Yeah, you do, Marcel,¡± Arianna decided to stroke his ego this time, just because he kept herpany in the toilet because it was never happening again. He was prideful enough already. Yeah, it was just a form of thank you.

    Arianna shut the door and was thankful to see that Marcel even got her a set of new clothes. Aww, that was so sweet, however, staring at the many contents in the bag, she wondered which one she was going to use without drawing questions from Marcel. And what the hell would she even do with the rest of them?

 Chapter 526

    526 Story About His First Love

    ¡°Should I carry you?¡± Marcel asked as they stepped out of the room.

    It had taken Arianna quite a lot of time to clean up and Marcel used that opportunity to shower thanks to Leon¡¯s help, although he didn¡¯t shave and she was beginning to like that five o¡¯clock shadow he was sporting. Arianna has never seen him grow a beard, but it was obvious that it would look good on him.

    Arianna cleared her throat ¨C and her thought ¨C and answered him,

    ¡°I¡¯m having my menstrual period, not a stroke, Marcel,¡±

    But he ignored her slightly sarcastic response and went ahead to ask,

    ¡°How much does it hurt?¡±

    Arianna halted in her steps, she turned to face him with her lips pressed,

    ¡°I am not fragile, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°Just let me take care of you then.¡±

    .....

    Arianna sighed, ¡°You do know that you¡¯re one annoying husband material,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± He admitted with a cocky grin.

    ¡°Cocky bastard,¡± Arianna breathed, rolling her eyes towards heaven.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks for loving my cock,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Before Arianna could even talk, Marcel carried her off her feet, princess style and she had no choice but to let him be, knowing he would never give up until he got his way.

    Thus Marcel carried her over to the living room where Leon was waiting for them.

    ¡°You could have stayed for breakfast,¡± He said to them, amusement lingering at the corner of his lips when he saw the way Marcel carrying her in his arms.

    ¡°No, thank you, it¡¯s time we left already,¡± Marcel replied tantly and Arianna red at him,municating with her eyes for him to behave before she turned to Leon with a sweet smile.

    ¡°He means to say that we¡¯ve encroached long enough, and oh, I¡¯m sorry for your bed.¡± Arianna apologized.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. If anything, I should be the one thankful for your enjoyablepany, and your help as well,¡± He winked at her.

    Arianna winked back at him, understanding the signal, and Marcel who was quick to catch on the exchange was ufortable with that.

    He looked at both of them suspiciously, what was the meaning of that? Why does that look like Arianna was keeping something from him? Is there something he doesn¡¯t know? Why would Arianna keep secrets with Leon? He was her boyfriend, shouldn¡¯t he know everything? Questions filled his head.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± He decided right away.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was startled at how quickly he wanted to get out of here. Well, she had Leon¡¯s number and Arianna had a feeling that she just made a new friend.

    ¡°Have a nice day!¡± Leon shouted after her.

    ¡°You too, Leon!¡± Arianna replied to him, while Luca who was trailing after them red at him and she frowned at the whole interaction. Have they not worked out their differences yet? She even gave them a chancest night.

    Arianna sighed, the attraction between the both of them was real and they would make a nice couple. However, this was her limit and if Leon really wanted Luca, then he had to fight for him.

    ¡°This is not the car I came with,¡± Arianna noticed the new Mercedes-Benz awaiting them

    when they reached the outside, still in his arms.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Marcel answered her as one of his men opened the car door and he ced Arianna inside before climbing in after her.

    ¡°I ordered them toe with a more spacious one so you could lie down and have a nap before we get home,¡± Marcel exined to her.

    ¡°We¡±, ¡°Home¡±, Arianna liked the sound of that. They were going home, it was so sweet... behave, Arianna!

    ¡°Come on,¡± Marcel patted his thigh and Arianna ced her head on it andid down, stretching out her legs properly.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± Arianna exhaled, ¡°I like this bonding.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Marcel had to admit that it was kind of nice bickering and talking with her like this. He began to run her hands through her hair, massaging her scalp as Arianna closed her eyes, and enjoyed the treatment.

    They stayed that way for a while with her enjoying Marcel¡¯s skillful head messages until her eyes suddenly popped open and she told him,

    ¡°Tell me a story,¡±

    ¡°A story?¡± Marcel was surprised.

    ¡°Yeah, a story about your life. Tell me an interesting tale about it that I don¡¯t know,¡±

    ¡°Trust me, Arianna, the story of my life is gory and unhappy. It is not interesting at all,¡± Marcel refused.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t have happy memories?¡±

    ¡°I do, but it¡¯s hard to recover under the piles of shit that has happened to me so far. Moreover, most of my happy stories are rted to my mother and I don¡¯t want to talk about her at the moment.¡± He breathed.

    ¡°Oh, so that so,¡± Arianna bit on her lower lips, disappointed. However, she had to respect his decision and if he wasn¡¯t ready to talk about his mother, then she would let her be.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just...¡± Marcel took a deep breath, ¡°enjoy the silence,¡± while he was still talking, it suddenly came to her mind.

    ¡°Tell me about your first love,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The first girl you loved before me! Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s nothing like that, Marcel.¡± Arianna thought he would have a lot to share with his past reputation.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing like....¡± Marcel trailed off, his brows suddenly arching when he remembered, ¡°Well, there is something.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s face split into a wide smile at the idea of Marcel telling her about her first love. She shifted on Marcel¡¯s thigh so she was staring up at his face when he began.

    ¡°Well, I met my first love when I was ten actually...¡±

    ¡°Ooh, it seems someone was never innocent in the first ce,¡± Arianna cheered him and Marcel went red in that face, which was kind of cute honestly. Arianna only wished she had captured that moment with her camera.

    ¡°Keep on teasing me and I won¡¯t say the rest,¡± He warned her.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t bother you anymore, cross my loving heart,¡± She promised him. Arianna then closed her mouth, eager to hear this story about his first love.

 Chapter 527

    527 Not For The Second Time

    ¡°It¡¯s quite funny but I think my first love was a redhead,¡± Marcel said and Arianna gave him a funny look.

    ¡°You think, or are you sure you¡¯re not making up stories about me?¡± She arched a brow at him.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling the truth. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been years since the encounter and I can¡¯t exactly remember what she looks like,¡± Marcel exined to her that he wasn¡¯t making up any story. This was real.

    ¡°Fine, let me hear the rest of it,¡± Arianna decided to give him a chance. Moreover, why would Marcel create such a fake experience? It was not like him ¨C his pride wouldn¡¯t let him.

    ¡°So the story goes like this...¡± Marcel began, ¡°I kind of ran away from home after my mother died because it became increasingly hard to live with my father, you get the point.¡± He didn¡¯t go into details. But at that time, he couldn¡¯t stare his father in the face anymore, not after his betrayal.

    Arianna knew there was more to the story, however like Marcel said earlier, he didn¡¯t want to talk about his mother. So she didn¡¯t try to manipte or push him into telling her more.

    ¡°I was just a young boy, I think I was ten or going to eleven at that time. What was a clueless young boy doing in a city he had no idea about? I only knew I wanted to get away from my father and anywhere was fine by me. However, I wasn¡¯t prepared for how cruel the world was to orphans. I got lost, not that I knew the way in the first ce, I didn¡¯t make any ns for my future, all I took was satisfaction in the fact that Daniel would be worried sick with worry, he just lost his heir.

    ¡°I got beaten by bullies and robbed, although I stood my ground, however, they were numerous and I was nothing but a lone wolf. In summary, I slept in the streets and pretty much lived like a beggar until I saw her. The small bold, brave girl was looking for her dog when she found me with him and outrightly flirted with me. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s kind of cute,¡± Marcel chuckled at the memory without noticing the way Arianna suddenly stiffened.

    He went on to say, ¡°She took me in. There was this empty house down her street, she kept me hidden there and brought me food and toys to keep mepany. Whenever I smelled, she would sneak me into their house to have a bath with her strawberry-scented soap. It was quite a sweet experience with her, no wonder she¡¯s my first love, ¡±

    .....

    He sighed, ¡°You could almost say that she was treating me like a -¡±

    ¡°Stray,¡± Arianna said the first name that came to her mind.

    ¡°Exactly, you got it!¡± Marcel conformed to it, ¡°That¡¯s what she called me. She said I was like a stray dog that had run away from his....¡±

    Marcel paused.

    It hit him.

    How did Arianna know that?

    He froze while Arianna sat up robotically, her brows furrowed in a frown. What was going on here? Both of them didn¡¯t say anything, just lost in their thoughts.

    But that was until the haze that had covered Marcel¡¯s memories was lifted and the memories of his first love with her adorable missing teeth and smile somehow merged with the face of the current Arianna sitting right in front of him.

    ¡°My God,¡± Marcel breathed as he focused hard and recovered the other missing fragments of his memories.

    ¡°My name is Arianna, what about you?¡± Her childish voice echoed in his head and Marcel swore under his breath. She had been right under his nose all this while and he failed to recognize her. Goodness, gracious, fate must be fucking with him!

    However, unlike Marcel who finally connected the dots, Arianna was finding it a bit difficult toprehend what was happening. She had been much younger when she chased Marcel as a child, hence the memory was almost lost.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± Arianna shook her head in confusion, ¡°How did you get those memories? I never told you -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Stray and you are my first love, Arianna,¡± Marcel figured it out.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Marcel cupped her face, looking as if he just won the jackpot with his expression,

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, Arianna, you promised to marry me if I agreed to be your boyfriend in the end?¡± He reminded her.

    And she did remember, the color draining from her face,

    ¡°Oh my God, p me,¡± Arianna muttered, the shock apparent on her face, ¡°This is unbelievable.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Marcel admitted out of happiness, pulling Arianna to his chest and hugging her tight, ¡°I cannot believe that I got to see you again.¡±

    However, to his greatest surprise, Arianna pushed him away with a scowl, pointing an using at him,

    ¡°You left.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You promised me that you would be there the next day, but then you left. Do you know how many times I went by our secret ce waiting and hoping that you would somehow pop out of the blues and tell me that it was all a joke and you never left? I haunted that house like a ghost for months, Marcel! You didn¡¯t even say goodbye?!¡±

    Arianna remembered at once how much betrayal she had felt at that time. She thought she made a friend ¨C or a boyfriend.

    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t,¡± Marcel retorted, ¡°I never meant to leave you in the first ce, Arianna, not without a proper goodbye. But then, Daniel found me and he took him away without a second thought. I was just a child then and I couldn¡¯t do anything. I couldn¡¯t fight back.¡± He confessed the truth to her.

    Arianna swallowed down the emotions clogging her throat. Although it felt stupid but that experience hurt her as a child and she had always thought she did something bad and he left her all alone ¨C her first boyfriend broke her heart. Who knew he was the same as her current boyfriend Marcel? This must be a sick joke from the universe. She still found it hard to believe.

    ¡°However, that was in the past, Arianna, we are in the present and you are with me now. And no one, not even my father would separate us again,¡± Marcel promised her, his voice deep with emotion.

    He lowered his head and sought her lips and Arianna opened up to him without hesitation. Marcel kissed her gently as if to make up for the heartbreak he caused her as a kid. But then the passion ignited and he was kissing her hard and brutally, as if staking his im on her and she returned it with the same fervor, moaning into his mouth.

    If Arianna wanted him to be her Stray, he would be, dly, however, no one was separating the both of them again. Not for the second time.

 Chapter 528

    528 ying Footsie Under The Table

    ¡°Thank you for honoring our invitation,¡± Natalie smiled sweetly, weing Karen who took a seat at the dining table.

    Karen was no other than Eric¡¯s baby mama and Rose¡¯s mother. They had invited her for a meal officially, since she already knew of their intention to marry, which was the reason for this big, merry breakfast today.

    Since Karen was Eric¡¯s baby mama, Natalie talked with him and felt that it was essential that they keep her in the loop. After all, the both of them were about to get married and it was a big change in the family. Natalie would be Rose¡¯s new mother, Karen deserved to know their ns for her daughter. She should know that her daughter was safe with her and Natalie wished they would be friends. It would be much better that way.

    Karen was much younger than Natalie and quite a beautiful woman as well. It was obvious that her daughter Rose inherited her features, although her hair color was clearly from Eric. While Natalie was a brte, Karen was blonde and clearly belonged to those models on the runway.

    With an hourss shape and her slim structure, there was a sophisticated aura around Karen. Not to boast or something, but Natalie could clearly see why Eric and Karen didn¡¯t work out. While Karen belonged in fashion magazines and camera lights, Eric was all dark and deadly. She could never fit into his dark world, and neither could Eric keep a woman like her down.

    Karen needed the spotlight as much as the earth needs sunlight and she could not be an obedient wife to Eric ¨C she was wild. And a dark, twisted piece inside of Natalie was thankful the both of them couldn¡¯t be together.

    But then, just because they can¡¯t be together, doesn¡¯t mean Eric wouldn¡¯t want her. Karen was hot and Natalie was trying hard not to feed her inferiorityplex. Not that Natalie wasn¡¯t attractive, but what man in his right senses wouldn¡¯t want a younger, attractive woman¡¯spany to an older one, and Karen carried herself so well it was as if she was attending a fashion show instead of a simple family breakfast.

    Thankfully, Karen was married to her celebrity husband and Natalia didn¡¯t have a reason to suspect that she was still after Eric even though she literally had everything. Nor does her husband-to-be, Eric hit her as a cheating spouse, Natalie truly hoped so.

    Because this was thest time she was attempting to give her heart out. She can¡¯t escape from a psychopathic ex-lover in the past only tounch herself into marriage with a chronic liar who chased after her for years. She can¡¯t afford to experience that. Hence, let this be her insecurity speaking.

    .....

    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine,¡± Karen said just as her daughter Rose took the seat beside her with a full grin that exposed her iplete teeth.

    ¡°Mummy look,¡± Rose tugged on her arm, drawing her attention to Natalie, saying, ¡°You¡¯re with my other mommy now, and that makes it two mummies! I¡¯m the luckiest kid in the world!¡± She announced dramatically.

    ¡°Yes, you indeed are,¡± Eric answered her question,ing to take his ce at the head table. He said to Karen in particr, ¡°Isn¡¯t she adorable?¡± Referring to their daughter.

    ¡°Of course, she is,¡± Karen said with pride, ¡°She¡¯s her mother¡¯s daughter, after all.¡±

    Natalie didn¡¯t say anything, smiling wryly instead. Thatment hit deep inside of her and she couldn¡¯t help but think about her own daughter. The girl wouldn¡¯t be as proud of her as Rose is of her mother thanks to her option and she had to live with that. However, Natalie doesn¡¯t regret it, what she did gave her the chance to live. If Natalie was given another, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do it all over again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for myteness, I had some issues to settle on the phone,¡± Eric apologized to both of them to be precise.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, the food¡¯s already here,¡± Natalie said in understanding.

    ¡°You still do thatmission shit?¡± Karen asked with little respect for his work. She had never favored his line of upation and was never subtle about it.

    ¡°If you mean if I have taken over my father¡¯s position in themission, then yes. However, it would please me, if you mind yournguage, there¡¯s a kid with us,¡± He warned her, reigning in his anger. Karen has always been a self-centered bitch and it seems that even time hasn¡¯t changed that about her.

    ¡°Well, I forget that it¡¯s generational.¡± Karen took a deep breath of relief, digging her spoon into the sd that had been specially prepared for her. Before she was invited, Natalie got her diet schedule and prepared it ordingly.

    ¡°Thankfully, Rose is a female and wouldn¡¯t have to take up such a bullshit position. My daughter would live happily without the gore and death, ¡± She turned to Rose who had no clue what they were talking about, and smoothed her hair proudly.

    Eric said nothing to her tauntingment nor did he attempt to correct her that the position of the head of themission wasn¡¯t generational and was obtained through hard work and wiles. Sorry to ruin her hope either, but Rose had his blood running through her veins and he had seen great strength in the girl. She was made for this.

    However, if Rose grows up and doesn¡¯t want his position, Eric would not force her and would let his nephews take his ce. His brother and twin Ephraim were already procreating like rabbits, one of his sons would rule in his stead then. Or he could adopt, a lot of options were opened for him.

    Knowing that each time Karen opens her mouth to answer Eric, it will be nothing but disaster, Natalie interferes and draws the attention to herself instead before World War III breaks out. The whole breakfast thing was her idea, and she wanted it to seed.

    ¡°Tell me about yourself, Karen,¡± She said, having noticed the woman loved being the center of attention, ¡°What are yourtest projects? I¡¯m interested to know about them.¡±

    And just like that, Karen¡¯s eyes lit up as if someone fed her chocte. Yolk! Not that she would actually eat chocte, the calories in there for crying out loud! But then, you know, they say chocte is a woman¡¯s best friend. So you get the point.

    Karen began to talk, going on and on and on and on while in reality, Natalie looked to be listening when she wasn¡¯t because she was ying footsie with Eric under the dining room table.

 Chapter 529

    529 No Standing Down

    They couldn¡¯t y footsie under the table forever and by the time the breakfast was over, Eric had to take up another ¡°important¡± call meaning that it was just Natalie and Karen together. After the staff cleared the table, Rose found her way as well, deciding she had enough of her ¡°mummies¡± and leaving both women alone to talk freely.

    ¡°When is the weddinging up?¡± Karen asked, swirling the flute in her hand nonchntly. It was a shock that she had even epted the champagne without calcting the calories andining about it. Seems she needed a bit of sugar after all.

    ¡°If things go ording to ns, Eric and I are thinking about the end of this month, perhaps?¡± Natalie shrugged, taking a sip of water. She didn¡¯t want champagne this morning, they would give her migraines.

    ¡°Hmmm, is that so?¡± Karen crooned and then while drinking, let her essing gaze run over Natalie.

    When she brought down her flute, she said, ¡°Well, I have a world ss designer as a friend and although she has a busy schedule, she would make you a wedding gown if I talk to her,¡±

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so thankful for that,¡± Natalie appreciated her help before saying, ¡°However, Eric and I have been nning -¡±

    Karen cut her off, ¡°This is me helping out for the wedding. I want to be friends with you, but if you can¡¯t stand my attitude like Eric too, then it¡¯s fine by me. I have better ces to be here, anyway.¡± She imed.

    Natalie paused, wanting to say something but her mouth only opened and closed helplessly. Eric was right, Karen was really self-centered. But then, Natalie could really sense the sincerity in her offer to be fri even though she was rude.

    But Natalie was doing it for the sake of Rose ¨C she didn¡¯t want the girl to be stuck in the middle of the family conflict. It was enough trouble that Eric couldn¡¯t stand Karen¡¯s obnoxiousness, someone had to be the peacemaker of the family.

    .....

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Natalie agreed and Karen¡¯s face split into a broad smile. However, in less than a second, she narrowed her gaze at her again, beginning to scrutinize her body, making her self-conscious.

    ¡°Nice body you have there but you¡¯re still fat,¡± Karen finished her assessment of her body.

    Touch¨¦, Natalie¡¯s brow touched her hairline. Alright, thatment sparked off a great anger inside of her and she wasn¡¯t going to stand for it. Just because she was standing down for peace¡¯s sake doesn¡¯t mean she was a pushover. If Karen wants this new friendship to work between them, then she had to learn how to respect boundaries.

    Natalie wasn¡¯t fat at all and could easily pass for an under-twenty woman in the street due to her body shape. Obviously, Karen¡¯s idea of an ideal body shape was to be as thin as a broom and she was highly provoked by that. Who said she didn¡¯t love her body?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Eric doesn¡¯t like sickly thin women with little to zero fat for cuddles and a fat ass to squeeze,¡± She said with her head lifted high and Karen¡¯s mouth fell open while her eyes grew wide, having not expected that response from Natalie.

    Obviously flustered by her sharp remark and sensing Natalie was offended, Karen tried to do damage control, ¡°W-well, every man out there has a preference -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thankful you know that,¡± Natalie cut her off and Karen was finally able to see that this was an act of retaliation from her and she wasn¡¯t able to respond.

    ¡°Well...? ¡± Natalie was waiting for her to finish what she started, clearly having won the argument. A small smile graced her lips.

    Karen cleared her throat, ¡°The thing is that you still have to lose weight. After all, you would be the star of the asion and what bride doesn¡¯t want to be look good,¡± she looked at Natalie hopefully, waiting for an answer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. Although I can¡¯t wait to see that designer friend of yours,¡± Arianna made sure to show Karen that she appreciated her effort and at the same time made her stance clear. This was her wedding, not hers and no one would manipte her all in the name of building a friendship.

    Although Natalie hasn¡¯t yet told Karen that this was a small wedding involving just family members and a small number of friends. It wouldn¡¯t even be published in the newspaper or news hence there was no need to go all out. Although Natalie desired a big wedding, this was all measures set in ce so Daniel doesn¡¯t find out that she¡¯s alive. They were being careful.

    ¡°You know it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re finally marrying,¡± Karen suddenly said and the atmosphere changed immediately. They had gone from light talk to a grave discussion in the twinkle of an eye.

    ¡°You think so?¡± Natalie said, filling her ss after her throat suddenly went dried and chugged the entire content. Apparently, discussing your fianc¨¦ with his babymama wasn¡¯t weird at all. Yep, not awkward.

    ¡°Of course, duh,¡± Karen rolled her eyes, drawing Natalie¡¯s attention to her fakeshes, ¡°The fool¡¯s been pinning over you for years.¡±

    Although Eric told her that he liked her from the start, hearing that from Karen gave Natale a special type of satisfaction and thrill.

    ¡°So you¡¯re not jealous that he¡¯s marrying me at all?¡± Natalie held her breath, waiting for her answer while gauging her reaction in case she lies to her.

    ¡°Oh, God no!¡± Karen barfed. She shuddered as if it was too horrible to think about,

    ¡°Trust me,¡± She said, ¡°The only reason Eric and I are in this mess of parenthood is because of one fucking night of drunken mistake and wish every single day of my life that I change the past. However, Rose is the only good thing that came out and I can¡¯t change that.¡±

    ¡°But as far as I can recall, the both of you have been friends, how did you two go so fast to hating each other¡¯s asses?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a saying, don¡¯t fuck your friend...¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of such a saying,¡± Natalie frowned, confused.

    ¡°It is my saying, and you just heard it now!¡± Karen said a little too forcibly. Natalie must be thinking now she¡¯s dumb? She might not have done well at school, but that doesn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t intelligent, humph!

    ¡°What I am trying to say is that Friends look good as only friends, but as co-parents, it¡¯s a disaster,¡± was Karen¡¯s Great advice. She was so smart.

 Chapter 530

    530 Punish Her Daughter

    ¡°We must prevent disasters like that from happening, hence the warning has been issued and if their n doesn¡¯t respond to that, you can rest assured that themission will have no sure but to step in,¡± Eric spoke into the phone just as the door to his office was opened and his assistant and second inmand, Jason, stepped in.

    Upon seeing him, Eric said to the caller from the other end, ¡°We would talkter,¡± And he ended the call, pushing the phone into the pocket of his pants.

    He turned to face Jason,

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Without a word, Jason stepped forward and ced a transparent folder on his desk and Eric stared at him questioningly, brows raised.

    ¡°It is the information you wanted on the girl,¡± Jason reminded him.

    The moment his assistant mentioned the girl, Eric stiffened and the atmosphere in the room changed instantly. He lifted his grave expression. instructing his assistant,

    ¡°Close the door,¡±

    The information he was about to read was about Natalie¡¯s daughter and he didn¡¯t want anyone eavesdropping on the conversation he was about to hold in here. Until he was through, he would be the one to break the news to Natalie and didn¡¯t want her finding out by chance else she feels betrayed.

    .....

    With the door closed and knowing that it was only him and Jason, his trusted assistant, Eric pulled out the files and began to read them. At first, it was only mere anticipation on his face, but the further he read, it was reced by sheer curiosity, but not long after, the blood drained from his face and there was nothing but dread on his face.

    Eric staggered back from the shock of what he saw on the papers. He didn¡¯t know how he read the rest of them because his hands holding the papers were shaking so terribly it would have slipped from his hands, but they didn¡¯t. And by the time Eric was done reading, he let the paper fall from his hands, looking so damn confused.

    From the calm look on Jason¡¯s face, Eric could already surmise that he knew everything on this paper which wasn¡¯t surprising since he was the one who gathered the information in the first ce. Eric stood at that spot with no clue what to do, he was bewildered, what did he just read?

    He then ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it till it was disheveled and it looked like he was losing his mind. Or maybe, he had really lost his mind? Eric didn¡¯t know which one shocked the most, the fact that Natalie¡¯s daughter was currently with the son of the man who had made her life a living hell, or the fact that his brother was in love with the daughter of the woman he wanted to marry or the fact that both Daniel¡¯s son, Marcel, and his brother, Elijah were both in love with Natalie¡¯s, daughter, Arianna.

    No, no, this was fucking crazy, Ericughed out loud. He began tough so hard that even Jason became scared that his boss had lost his mind. What was he going to do? Should he call Natalie to help with what was going on? However, Jason didn¡¯t get the chance to decide because Eric¡¯sughter gurgled to a halt.

    Theughter died off and all that was left inside of Eric was hot, boiling anger. Was this a fucking joke or what? The universe must be fucking him or something! Without a second thought, Eric swept everything on his desk to the floor. He was livid! He wanted to burn everything, no, the world to the ground.

    Eric was a boiling cauldron of anger, but the annoying part was that he didn¡¯t know who, or what he was angry at. He bet that Elijah didn¡¯t even know that he was dating the mother of the young maiden he was desperately fighting for, because he hadn¡¯t returned home. No, he cut offmunication with them and didn¡¯t know he was marrying Natalie, Arianna¡¯s mother.

    Eric was sandwiched between guilt and anger. Guilt in the sense that he knew deep down inside of him that he wouldn¡¯t give up Natalie for Elijah to have a shot of happiness with Arianna, no, he was too selfish for that and he had waited for far too long for Natalie only to have the opportunity snatched away from him by his brother?

    No, that was not going to happen.

    As the eldest brother and child, he had already made a lot of sacrifices for the family, but Natalie was out of the question. He was not giving her up. Elijah was still young and had many other opportunities at love, but Natalie was meant for him alone. Elijah should find another.

    And that as well resulted in the anger Eric was feeling. As the eldest child, it was his role to resolve conflict and put the family together, not destroy it. But what would happen now when Elijah learns the truth? Would his younger brother back down or would everyone expect him to give in as usual?

    Most of all, if Arianna feels the same way Elijah feels strongly for her, then it was game over because Natalie would back down for her. The woman already felt too much guilt for abandoning her daughter over the years, if she learns that Arianna loved Elijah, she would sacrifice her own love for them. It would be her making up for her daughter for all those years ¨C And Eric didn¡¯t even want to think about it.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, her daughter was with Marcel, Daniel¡¯s son. From the information so far, it seems that Marcel was ignorant of the past and only held her hostage. But that didn¡¯t ease Eric, because even without Marcel ending Arianna¡¯s life and all, what if Daniel finds out about her identity? That psychopath would take out all of his anger on her. He would punish her for her mother¡¯s crimes.

    Natalie can¡¯t find out about this.

    Eric lifted his bloodshot eyes at Jason,

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it, but get me, Elijah, here as soon as possible!¡±

 Chapter 531

    531 Deceased

    As sassy as Karen was, she was goodpany and Natalie saw hope that perhaps this friendship thing could work between them. But that would be if she tapped down on her smugness and egoism a bit.

    Not long after, Karen had to leave, however, it seems that Eric was busy in his office since Natalie couldn¡¯t even get him toe out, and she let him be. It was for the best anyway, seeing that Karen and Eric in a room together would only result in an explosion, Natalie then saw Karen out by herself and the woman left.

    Back, Natalie went to Eric¡¯s office and knocked on his door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± She heard his voice and entered his office.

    Call it strange or something, but Natalie sensed that there was a shift in the atmosphere and Eric wasn¡¯t looking at her.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± She asked out of concern, knowing one thing could bother him like this and it was work. As the head of themission, he had to oversee all Mafia activities in their state and serve to mediate conflicts between families. It was quite demanding.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Eric answered, looking at her for once and noticing a hint of sadness in his eyes which he blinked away and it was gone just like that. Perhaps, she was imagining things, Natalie thought unsure.

    ¡°Karen left already,¡± She informed him.

    ¡°Oh yes...¡± Eric readjusted in his seat. He stood up from his seat and walked over to her and before Natalie could say a word, he just hugged her.

    .....

    Sure, Eric did not fail to express his affection for her all the time but she couldn¡¯t help but feel that the hug this time was unwarranted, but what could she do other than lean into the warm embrace? Whatever happened in his work this time must have affected him greatly, Natalie assumed and hugged him tightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Natalie told him, rubbing his back soothingly.

    Eric finally pulled back only for his hands to fall on his shoulders and squeezed affectionately.

    ¡°You know I love you, right?¡± He asked suddenly, which was surprising to Natalie. Why was Eric suddenly being clingy? Was he in heat or what? It was quite funny to watch.

    ¡°Of course,¡± She answered with more assurance than the other times. Any doubt she had concerning Eric¡¯s feelings for her was cleared after spending time with Karen today. The visit ended up better than she had expected.

    ¡°Then, never forget that because I¡¯m never letting go of you. You are mine, Natalie Valerie.¡± Eric said with a strong conviction in his tone and hardness in his eyes that made herdy bits tingled.

    She was so liking this domineering side of him. Right there and then, Natalie melted from the inside out. It was even a miracle that she was still standing on her feet.

    ¡°Never!¡± Natalie promised him, her eyes sparkling with the number of feelings she had for him

    Hence, Natalie left his office a happy woman, giving him the privacy she needed to work, and returned to her room. Contrary to what people thought, She wasn¡¯t jobless and had a hospital she owned. The years she had spent taken in by Eric¡¯s family, she had used the opportunity to finish her studies and even have an MD, which was the highest degree for physicians and surgeons.

    The only good thing Natalie could do around here was treat Eric¡¯s people. Her hospital was one of the tops in the nation thanks to Eric¡¯s investment ¨C that she never asked for but he does so anyway. Now that she thought about it, Natalie found it sweet that he was supporting her upation.

    Natalie¡¯s identity as the owner of the hospital was strictly confidential and she only goes around to visit once in a while and engages in one or two demonstrations of her great medical skill. Natalie achieved all she wanted in life except that she was alone ¨C no family, no daughter.

    After her father had ruthlessly cut her off, Natalie had not asked around for them in fear that Daniel might be keeping an eye. Moreover, she didn¡¯t trust any of her family members, if they could disown her to keep their asses safe, she does not trust them to keep her alive status a secret.

    Knowing who Daniel was, he must have relished telling them that she was dead and perhaps, it was better they remained this way. No one was getting hurt ¨C except her. She was the one taking the brunt of everything.

    Natalie was about to prepare for another visit to the hospital when she saw a folder. At first, her brows furrowed in confusion as she went to pick it up, wondering who he had left it here until she saw the title on the paperwork, and her heart missed a beat.

    It was Jason, Eric¡¯s assistant and she had almost forgotten she had begged him to look into Edward for her. He must have dropped it off when she was busy bonding with her new friend, Karen. Natalie¡¯s heart began to pound hard in her chest as she was filled with anticipation of finally meeting him. It was ages, who knows how Edward is doing?

    She opened the folder and began to go through the information hurriedly only for her to go incredibly still when she met a word boldly written next to his name, ¡°DECEASED¡±.

    The file fell from her hand and Natalie screamed or tried to because she quickly cupped her hands with her mouth, afraid that someone would hear and report back to Eric.

    Without a second thought, Natalie picked up the document and rushed into the bathroom, turning the shower on to the maximum, she began to scream. Natalie screamed so hard that her voice was hoarse and hurt. How could this be possible?

    All those years she had thought that Edward had gotten married after she left him with their daughter and was living happily ever after with his family. So how could he be dead?

 Chapter 532

    532 His Prey

    The past.....

    ______

    ¡°What now?¡± Natalie groaned when a knock came on the door. It wasn¡¯t Penelope because she was sitting right beside her, nor was it her family members because they don¡¯t knock but bang in. There could only be one person responsible for that and her heart picked up speed instantly.

    Natalie and Penelope shared nervous looks before their gaze moved back to the door. Her best friend was the only person she had opened up to about what was going on between her and Daniel. Of course, her friend was scared for her because they didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Her mother was too absorbed in pleasing her husband and making sure her children didn¡¯t ruin the family¡¯s image and cause a setback right after her papa won the election, hence she couldn¡¯t see what was happening right in front of her nose ¨C that her daughter was in a threatening rtionship.

    Her papa on the other hand was too busy and Natalie could count the number of times she had seen him since he won the election. ¡®He was busy with things, he would say, and didn¡¯t know that his partner in crime was messing around with his daughter. Not that her father would do anything even if Natalie told him the truth and that was what scared her the most. Would the man even believe her? Not to mention go against Daniel and jeopardize his political career? Perhaps, she knew the answer inwardly, which was no wonder she hesitated opening up to her papa.

    And Daniel knew all that which was why he was confident she wouldn¡¯t tell on him, at least, until hees out with their rtionship ¨C as he ims. As far as Natalie was concerned, she knew nothing of what he was talking about. This was all on him and she was an unwilling victim and she was unlucky to have gotten tangled with such fate.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go,¡± Penelope grabbed her arm the moment she stood up to answer. She shook her head desperately, ¡°You can make your stand clear, you don¡¯t belong to him,¡± Her friend tried to convince her.

    However, Natalie swallowed, ¡°Avoiding Daniel only makes things worse. He¡¯s good at deflection and he would always find a way to get what he wants. I don¡¯t want to get you involved in this, Penelope.¡±

    .....

    Her friend wanted to stand her ground and say she wasn¡¯t scared, but she was. Penelope hadn¡¯t forgotten that first encounter with Daniel and all of this would have been over if only Natalie had left him to die. But she didn¡¯t listen, and now, all of them were suffering the consequences, Penelope med her inwardly.

    ¡°He would not hurt me, I¡¯m sure of that,¡± Natalie assured Penelope when she wasn¡¯t evenforted by it at all. The fact that Daniel wouldn¡¯t hurt her meant that someone else would bear the punishment and she didn¡¯t want to see that happen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just see what he wants and I¡¯ll be back, I promise. It¡¯s not as bad as it looks, ¡± She chuckled as if it was easy, gently peeling off Penelope¡¯s grip on her. The girl¡¯s grip was surprisingly strong on her as if she didn¡¯t want to let go.

    Without a second thought, Natalie walked over to the door, and with a deep breath, she summoned the courage to open the door. It wasn¡¯t Daniel outside her door, but it was one of his people.

    ¡°The boss wants to see you now,¡± The man said to her and she nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± Natalie went back to her bed and picked up her purse and after giving Penelope one final hug, she left with him.

    Daniel¡¯s men were crawling all around their residence and Natalie did not doubt that they would cover up like usual when her mother asked around for her. Her mother was foolishly dumb and for once, Natalie was grateful that her intelligence came from her father¡¯s side ¨C even though she loathed the man.

    They drove in his Lexus LS400 and Natalie was silent throughout the entire journey. She didn¡¯t want to bond with any member of his team because friendship resulted in sympathy and she was the victim here. There was no way on earth she would understand Daniel¡¯s reason forpelling her into a rtionship with him.

    No, she would never understand. She would not love him even though her body was a betrayal and she was a raging hormonal teenager. But she loved Edward and she had dreams to fulfill ¨C dreams that Daniel doesn¡¯t understand. She wasn¡¯t cut out for his Mafia world and actually wanted to do something meaningful with her life.

    And because she loved Edward, she was going to break up with him. He didn¡¯t deserve this. Edward deserves someone better than her who would remain faithful to him and doesn¡¯t have to deal with all of the shit she is going through right now. Not to mention that he was in danger of Daniel and that was enough to make Natalie do something. Moreover, it was the right thing to do. She owed him that.

    They arrived at Daniel¡¯s ce which was quite nice honestly, not that she was going to tell him that before he had the wrong idea that she was settling into his world, because that would never happen. Natalie was taken to the backyard where she found Daniel making a barbecue and his face split into a wide smile upon seeing her.

    Natalie didn¡¯t even have the chance to say a word before he swallowed up her entire frame in a hug and she got to realize just how small she was. With his broad frame, Daniel could easily break her into two if she pushed him to the limit.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± He said, leaning down to ce a kiss on her lips, but Natalie turned her face to the side at thest minute and it ended up as a chaste kiss on her cheek or so she assumed.

    After Daniel pecked her cheek, he didn¡¯t pull away and instead, took her skin in between his teeth and bit her. Natalie yelped from the pain, but he kissed the spot, soothing it with his tongue before he trailed small kisses down to her neck, and her breath caught in her throat.

    Natalie pushed him away and Daniel stumbled backughing maniacally which infuriated her. She didn¡¯t get to see the look he gave her was that of a predator who knew he had his prey cornered. His prey just doesn¡¯t know that yet.

 Chapter 533

    533 Their Rtionship Was Doomed To Fail

    ¡°You are not eating,¡± Daniel reminded her and got no reply. Instead, her gaze flickered down to the bacon wrapped around a piece of kielbasa, held together with a toothpick that he spent his time preparing and her response was the stubborn flex of her jaw and a defiant look in her eyes that dared him to do his worst.

    And of course, Daniel didn¡¯t let it go. He pulled his chair towards her till they were sitting next to each other and Natalie¡¯s body tensed up in anticipation. She waited for Daniel to hit her or something because she had been expecting it for a while.

    For a man used to killing people, he wouldn¡¯t mind hitting a woman, right? She has provoked him long enough. Natalie needed reasons for her to hate him and there would never be a chance of them getting together. He can¡¯t keep on treating her nicely with the hope of winning him over. Natalie knew who he was and he already proved that by forcing her into this damned rtionship!

    When Daniel¡¯s hands moved, Natalie shut her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the p tond on her face. But that never happened, instead Natalie felt him fist his hand into her hand and he pushed her forward, smacking his lips over hers with a ferocity that knocked the breath out of her lungs.

    Aside from his usual intimate form of greeting, Daniel had not initiated any forceful kiss between them aside from that day she was kidnapped hence Natalie forgot that this was usually his bargaining chip. She pushed against him but it was useless as usual and he was an immovable rock.

    She tasted the bacon from his lips and that must be the whole point of the kiss because his tongue ferociously chased after hers and it wasn¡¯t until dots began to appear behind her vision and she was close to dying fromck of oxygen, that he finally let go of her and she gasped loudly.

    ¡°Y-you!¡± She choked, pointing at him.

    However, Natalie went from ring at him to quiet down like an obedient puppy when she saw that cold glint in his eyes. She was really pushing him and Daniel doesn¡¯t seem to like that.

    ¡°Since you can¡¯t seem to eat what I prepared, I thought to give you a taste. Do you want another taste?¡± He asked sweetly yet she could sense the threat beneath those words.

    .....

    Without a second thought, Natalie picked up the fork and began to feed herself. Her tastebud exploded with the deliciousness of the food, however, she kept a stoic expression, pretending to be unaffected by his kindness.

    Giving Danielpliments was equivalent to encouraging his behavior and she didn¡¯t want that. Their rtionship was toxic, couldn¡¯t he see that? No, he saw that, he just refuses to admit it.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Daniel held her hand the entire time they eat and no matter of pulling could set her free. It was all so infuriating that Natalie felt like exploding. She wanted to let it all out!

    This?!

    Whatever he thinks that was between them could never work. He can¡¯t just force feelings on her, they don¡¯t work that way! She wanted to yell at him, but she simply kept her mouth closed.

    When they went done with the meal, Daniel took her on a stroll. To others, they looked like a young couple in love, even though Daniel was very much older, and looked good together. If only they knew that she was enduring. Natalie was trying not to mess this up and let it backfire.

    So all the while, while they walked, Daniel did all the talking and she had to only answer when necessary with concise answers. It went on until Daniel suddenly stopped and she stopped as well, lifting her face to look at him and wondering what it was all about this time.

    He said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t love,¡±

    Oh thank God, can he release her now?

    ¡°But I won¡¯t give up,¡±

    Oh, God, no!

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop proving to you that I¡¯m worthy of you, Natalie. If there¡¯s any aspect of myself that you want me to change so we can be together, I¡¯ll dly do it.¡±

    Yeah, change your feelings towards me, Natalie sassed in her heart.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to love me, Natalie, I just want you to not reject me. I¡¯ll do the loving, just don¡¯t chase me away.¡± He pleaded with her.

    But Natale closed her eyes painfully, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, you don¡¯t force -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the gentleman you want,¡± Daniel cut her off having sensed her rejectioning, ¡°I would treat you so nice that you won¡¯t ever regret giving me a chance,¡± He said with a vulnerable look in his eyes that made Natalie¡¯s heart wrench. He looked sincere. He sounded sincere. But then, her heart was not for him, what was she going to do?

    ¡°You know what, do whatever you want,¡± Natalie gave up when she saw that no matter what she said Daniel wasn¡¯t going to let her go. This wasn¡¯t love, it was infatuation, an obsession! He would only keep on bothering her and her parents were of no help. No one was on her side. She lost Edward anyway, what was the point?

    A huge smile crossed Daniel¡¯s face when he assumed her weary response as her epting him. Joy like no other filled his chest and he pulled her into a tight hug, nearly crushing her lungs Natalie let him do as he pleased. She was tired of fighting. It was not easy pushing Davie away and she wanted a break.

    Moreover, they were young and it was mere rtionship and like every other young love, it was doomed to fail, Natalie took sce in that. She wasn¡¯t ready to settle down and once the semester started, she would get out of here. Also, this was a mere vacation and her family would eventually return to their country after their father was done wrapping things up. Natalie knew the both of them wouldn¡¯tst in a long-distance rtionship and that was her n.

    If only Natalie knew that was where everything began to fall apart.

 Chapter 534

    534 Run Away Together

    Her mother didn¡¯t question her whereabouts as usual. The fact that her mother was easily fooled wasn¡¯t surprising to her, moreover, Natalie is an outdoor person and Daniel must have taken advantage of that excuse. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, her mother and Daniel were literally best friends and she was confident that he was taking care of her daughter. Yeah, he was taking care of her very well ¨C if only she knew.

    It was kind of pathetic but Natalie broke up with Edward through a text message. It was for the best because it seems that she just made a huge mistake. Natale shouldn¡¯t have told Daniel to do whatever she wanted, that had been said on a whim because she was tired of him bothering her. Sadly, Daniel was doing exactly whatever he wanted, and right now, he was posing as her boyfriend.

    When did he officially ask her out? She had no idea, but that was the situation she found herself in. Hence, one could imagine what would happen if Daniel finds out that she has a boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend. He would kill Edward out of jealousy and Natalie was not ready to attend his funeral.

    However, Natalie must have some affinity with bad luck, because one day she got a call downstairs from her mother and ording to her, a friend was there to see her.

    Natalie came downstairs in a hurry to see the so-called friend and wasn¡¯t prepared for the shock that grabbed her when she saw Edward in her house, in flesh and blood. Oh God, no, all blood drained from her face. At this rate, she would die from a heart attack.

    She stood at that spot, her feet rooted to the ground as she tried toprehend what was going on. Edward was here to see her? In her house overflowing with Daniel¡¯s men? Natalie was about to have a panic attack. Why isn¡¯t anyone listening to her nowadays? She told him strictly not to visit her!

    Natalie looked around in panic wondering whether Daniel¡¯s men were staring at them, but they seemed to be going about their business and Edward was smart enough not to initiate physical contact with her. Now she looked at Edward, he wasn¡¯t his usual bubbly self, acting cautiously as if he knew what was going on. Natalie nched as she made the connection, Penelope told him.

    ¡°Follow me, let¡¯s talk in my room.¡± Natalie tried not to draw too much attention as they headed upstairs and as soon as they were inside, she locked the door with lightning speed and then whirled around on Edward.

    ¡°ARE YOU FUCKING OUT OF YOUR MIND!¡± She whisper-yelled at him in case someone was eavesdropping on their discussion ¨C she wouldn¡¯t be surprised by that since Daniel was literally the ruler of her ce now. However, Edward simply pulled her into his arms, stunning her.

    .....

    He must be out of his mind, Natalie thought, yet she didn¡¯t pull out of his hug. Strange enough, she was relieved that Edward knew what was going on and that she didn¡¯t break up with him on a whim. Still, she feared for his life, Daniel was unstable and a threat to him.

    She didn¡¯t want anything happening to Edward, yet instead of pushing him away, Natalie greedily embraced him because this was the first time in so many days that she could finally breathe. She was a bad person, really.

    By the time they pulled away, she began the interrogation, ¡°What the hell are you doing here?! You must have no regard for your life!¡± She kept her voice on the low.

    ¡°Penelope told me everything,¡±

    Just as she thought.

    ¡°We need to get out of here?¡±

    ¡°We?¡± She corrected him, ¡°No, you need to get out of here before the news gets to him,¡± Natalie told him, wishing that he would just listen to her for once!

    ¡°We can run away together.¡± Edward suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care, where. All you have to do is pick a ce and we would go there without looking back,¡±

    ¡°And you would ruin your future for me?¡± Natalie smiled bitterly, shaking her head in refusal, ¡°No, that is not happening. I won¡¯t be the reason for that because I will never forgive myself.¡±

    ¡°No, I love you, Natalie, I don¡¯t care about the so-called future. Moreover, I have enough money that I would never get poor if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about,¡± He assured her.

    However, Natalie still wasn¡¯t convinced and wouldn¡¯t look him in the eyes in case her heart betrayed her and she ended up running away with Edward. It was a terrible idea. A very terrible one.

    ¡°Have you seen the look in his eyes?¡± She referred to Daniel¡¯s eyes. But of course, there was no way Edward could have seen such up close else he would be dead already.

    She went on, ¡°He has this glint in his eyes whenever I¡¯m around. His eyes lit up like the stars in the sky whenever Ie around as if I¡¯m the only good thing that has ever happened to him. What do you think he would do when you take me away?¡± Natalie asked him and when he didn¡¯te up with an answer immediately, she continued.

    ¡°This is my battle, Edward. You can¡¯t step in else you might end up being coteral damage and I don¡¯t want that to happen to you,¡± Natalie told him sincerely.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Natalie. This...¡± He gestured with his hands, ¡°Whatever you¡¯re in with him, it¡¯s not normal and I¡¯ll do anything in my power to get you out of it and I don¡¯t care even if it costs me my life. I just want you to live a happy life, Natalie,¡± He told her, tears slipping down her eyes which he cleared away, baring her heart to him.

    ¡°Oh, Edward...¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t stop the tears from falling. However, she shouldn¡¯t have let down her guards because that was the moment the knock came on the door and she knew the harbinger of death hase for them.

 Chapter 535

    535 Her Life

    Natalie¡¯s soul flew out of her chest the moment she heard that knock. She knew that sound; mastered the very pattern of Daniel¡¯s knocks, hence she could tell that he was standing right outside her door.

    ¡°Oh God,¡± Her stomach lurched and she went deadly pale. All her fears hade true and Daniel was going to end Edward right in front of her. This was a nightmare. What was she going to do?

    She whirled around,

    ¡°You have to jump,¡± Natalie said to him.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You have to jump out of the window now! Anything to get out of here,¡± She was already pushing him in the direction of the window.

    ¡°No, are you crazy?! I¡¯ll die from this height,¡± Edward stared at her as if she had lost her fucking mind.

    ¡°Then what are you going to do!¡± She felt like pulling out her hair from frustration. Natale had aged ten years already, ¡°He¡¯s here already!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll face him,¡± Edward said confidently and while Natalie could have admired his bravery, right now he was asking for death.

    .....

    ¡°Natalie, open up!¡± Daniel¡¯s voice echoed from the outside while pounding on the door making her heartbeat skyrocket.

    He knew!

    Daniel knew that she was with Edward in her room!

    Running away was not going to work anymore since he knew of Edward¡¯s presence. She had to open the door for Daniel and let it all y out. However, Natalie had made up her mind, she would do everything to make sure Edward leaves here safely ¨C even at the expense of her own life.

    Hence, she moved to open the door with Edward protectively at her side and although he wouldn¡¯t show it, Natalie knew that he was nervous as well. Who wouldn¡¯t be fearful when Daniel was unpredictable as hell and God knows what he would do when he sees them?

    However, the moment Natalie was about to unlock the door, she heard her friend, Penelope¡¯s voice from the outside, and her brows furrowed, unsure. What now?

    ¡°Hi Daniel,¡± Penelope said, and Natalie had no choice but to press her ear to the door to properly hear what was being discussed.

    ¡°Where is Natalie?¡± There was an irk to Daniel¡¯s voice and she knew that he was slowly losing his patience.

    ¡°You can open up now, Natalie, it¡¯s only me,¡± Penelope announced, leaving her confused. Why does it seem like Penelope was expecting something from her? Was she missing something here? She was confused.

    Penelope was oddly calm, which was unlike her friend. She was so scared of Daniel that she hated being in close space with him yet there she was conversing with her. Was this a secret sign or what?

    Nheless, Natalie opened the door slowly, her breath hanging in her throat when she saw the oddly cool expression on Daniel¡¯s face, it was like the calm before the storm. She would survive this, Natalie told herself as she put on a smile, looking happy to see Daniel ¨C when she wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Hi,¡± She was still saying to him when Penelope pushed past her and to her greatest surprise, hugged Edward right in front of her, and that slightly shocked ¨C and angered ¨C her. Even Edward was confused as to what was happening.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Daniel was quick to ask and Natalie¡¯s heart began to pound in her throat. What was she going to say?

    ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend,¡±

    Yeah, wait ¨C what?!

    Natalie was dumbfounded when Penelope said those words instead, turning around to watch as she threw her arms around Edward and pulling him to her side. Penelope acted so close to Edward that for a moment there, Natalie thought her friend had betrayed her until it hit her. It was all a lie, Penelope was acting. Her best friend was trying to save her ass.

    Best friends were lifesavers, Natalie finally realized that. And having been around Penelope for a long time, Natalie was able to quickly catch on to the script. She said immediately,

    ¡°Yes, Edward here is Penelope¡¯s boyfriend. However, because her mother forbids her from having a rtionship without her approval while away, I have no choice but to cover up and lie to my mother that he¡¯s a friend. Both of our mothers are close, so mom can¡¯t know, else the secret is out.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Daniel asked with his brows perfectly arched in suspicion and Natalie slightly panicked, thinking that Daniel had seen through their acting. But that was until Edward wrapped a possessive arm around Penelope¡¯s waist ¨C and Natalie pretended not to have seen that nor was she jealous. Edward stretched his hand towards Daniel,

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Edward,¡±

    ¡°Daniel,¡± He epted his handshake, enveloping their hands together with their eyes meeting. Unlike Daniel who red at him as if they were going off to war, Edward was surprisingly docile which was a good thing. If he was hostile to him, then Daniel would know undoubtedly that something was up.

    ¡°Thanks for saving my ass again, bestie, but I got to go,¡± Penelope said while dragging Edward along, ¡°Thanks once again for covering up for me,¡± She waved as they left.

    It wasn¡¯t until they sessfully left through the door that Natalie was able to release the breath that she had been holding in. Edward was safe. He was finally safe, Natalie took one long, deep, breath. She then moved her gaze, only for it to connect with Daniel¡¯s intense ones and she gulped.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Natalie finally acknowledged his presence without interruption, trying hard to hide her nervousness.

    ¡°So he has been here with you the entire time?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± She croaked, noticing the change in the atmosphere. The temperature had significantly dropped.

    ¡°The two of you have been alone in this room all this while,¡± He said dryly, looking around the room as if trying to find evidence of her cheating on him or something.

    ¡°Nothing happened, we just talked. That¡¯s all.¡± Natalie tried to clear the air, never expecting that Daniel would move, and grabbed her jaw so tightly it hurt.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± He growled at her face.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a friend,¡±

    ¡°Just a friend?¡± He sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t try to lie to me, Natalie,¡±

    ¡°I am not lying to you! Why would I even lie to you?! God, you¡¯re hurting me, Daniel!¡± She tried to loosen his grip on her jaw but it was too strong.

    It wasn¡¯t until the tears began to flow down her cheeks that Daniel suddenly withdrew his hands, the realization of what he¡¯s just done, dawning on him.

    ¡°Natalie... ¡± He tried to touch her but she flinched away from him.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I was just so angry -¡±

    ¡°Get out!¡± Natalie yelled at him

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡±

    ¡°I said get out!¡± She bellowed at him and with an apologetic look, Daniel left her alone knowing she¡¯de around with time while Natalie was gripped with fear. Was this going to be her life from now on?

    End of shback.

 Chapter 536

    536 The Scars

    ¡°I have a lot of questions in my mind,¡± Arianna said, ncing up at Marcel. Currently, she was lying across the car seat, her head rearing on Marcel¡¯sp.

    ¡°Hmmm, What questions?¡± Marcel asked, running his hands through her silky, long hair, d that the dye hade off and it was back to her natural red color he loved so much. Not that he wouldn¡¯t love any other color she decides to put on in the future, however, Red was Arianna. It was the color he knew her from the first time he set his eyes on her, hence his favorite.

    Ever since, Marcel came to the discovery that Arianna was the same person as his first love from childhood, his love for her grew exuberantly. Marcel felt high on happiness even though he took no drug. She was his drug.

    It was as if he just found the other half of his soul and everything was normal, perfect. Arianna was the perfect woman for him and if it wasn¡¯t for her monthly flow in the way, when they got home, he would have shown her just how much she meant to him. He would have her beneath him writhing and screaming in pleasure till she¡¯s begging for mercy ¨C that would note.

    Unfortunately, there was no eating her out or making love to her for four days which was like huge torture for him. It was still day one and Marcel couldn¡¯t wait for it to be over already. So tell him, how was he going to wait for three more days?

    Although he could do it with her in theter days when the flows are lesser and she¡¯sfortable enough for it, however, Marcel wouldn¡¯t. The way he¡¯s feeling now, he wanted to worship her body. He wanted to show her just how crazy he was about her. Heck! If Arianna wanted them to get married now, he would do it without batting an eye or thinking about the consequences.

    However, Marcel knew Arianna and she wasn¡¯t impulsive, she would want to think everything through. Moreover, if he were to get married to Arianna, it would be thoroughly prepared and the whole world would hear the promation of his love for her. So yeah, he had to calm down, Arianna was going nowhere.

    ¡°Go ahead, ask your questions?¡± Marcel urged her to go on. He was feeling so generous right now he could give her the entire world if she asked for it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder, what would our life look like if your father hadn¡¯te for you that day? Would my father have taken you in and raised you? Perhaps fate would have been so kind to him and he wouldn¡¯t have died then. But most of all, do you think we would have been together today? ¡± She peppered him with questions as if he was God with all of the answers to life¡¯s unanswered questions.

    .....

    ¡°Well...¡± Marcel started, his brows creased in thoughts, ¡°I can¡¯t say that I have the questions to all your answers, however, I¡¯m kind of grateful that we got separated.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna sat up in a sh, staring at Marcel with huge, questioning eyes. Why was Marcel happy they got separated? She thought they were on the same page here?

    ¡°No, don¡¯t get me wrong, Arianna,¡± He took her hand and exined to her, ¡°If I had stayed back with you, my father would have found me either way and he would have gotten rid of you.¡±

    And her blood ran chilled at the thought of Daniel killing her as a young, innocent girl. That was cold-blooded. How sure was Marcel that Daniel was really his father because she was beginning to see the differences between them?

    ¡°I liked being around you as a kid and my father would have perceived that as some sort of weakness. Perhaps, he would have even killed you right in front of me to teach me a lesson that peoplee and go¡± He added slowly, while beginning to trace her face,

    ¡°even the special ones.¡± He muttered.

    ¡°I honestly fear for you, the things you have to go through in the hands of your father.¡± her voice was breathy as a result of the emotions Marcel was invoking inside of her with his touch.

    It was distracting.

    It was seducing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask...¡± Arianna leaned closer, trying hard not to focus on his lips that were slightly parted. He could feel the intense attraction between them too.

    ¡°Where are the scars? You had a tough childhood, I presumed some scars would be on your body to tell the tale. However, aside from the tattoo of Samson on your back, there¡¯s no -¡±

    ¡°I erased them,¡± Marcel said, still caressing her cheek, however, his eyes were so dark with desire her core tingled. But her head registered what he just said.

    ¡°You erased them...as in...¡± She trailed off suggestively.

    ¡°Yeah, surgically erased them,¡± Marcel confirmed her thoughts and Arianna didn¡¯t say anything except nod her head in understanding, the emotions choking her. She just didn¡¯t know what to say without bursting out in tears and Marcel didn¡¯t want her sympathy.

    Arianna watched as Marcel began to take off his clothes until his waist above was exposed to her. She had to push her mind out of the gutter and remind herself that this was Marcel opening up to her and couldn¡¯t let a little lust ruin it.

    ¡°Most of the scars are on my back and a little on my stomach because I refuse to let him touch my face....¡± He grinned wryly, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have noticed, I take after my mother and that pisses Daniel a hell lot. Whenever he stares at me, it¡¯s like -¡±

    ¡°Staring right at your beautiful mother and that guilt traps Daniel, so he does nothing but take it all out on you as the bully he is,¡± Arianna didn¡¯t want to interrupt him, but she had to summarize it beautifully for him.

    ¡°Yeah, exactly that,¡± His smile increased and Arianna boomed at him, d to know he epted her exnation. If there was one thing Arianna regretted, it was never having the chance to meet his wonderful mother, Penelope. She would have loved to get to know her because she sounded like a pretty amazing person.

 Chapter 537

    537 The Love In His Eyes

    ¡°Turn around,¡± Arianna told him, and Marcel obeyed hermand without hesitation. She focused on the artistic ck ink drawn over his back and traced the tattoo with her hands, everything finally making sense.

    ¡°That is why you have the tattoos drawn, because even scar revision does not erase a scar but helps to make it less noticeable and more eptable.¡± Arianna figured it out.

    Now she touched his back a bit more carefully, she could feel slight creases and it made her expression distort in pain. She had never taken time to look at his skin before because most of the time she was distracted with sexy time and digging her hands into his back out of passion. Had she been hurting him by chance?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± Marcel answered her as if he had been inside of her head.

    She looked at him in shocked wonder, ¡°Are you telepathic by chance?¡±

    He looked at her over his shoulder,

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be telepathic when it¡¯s written all over your face. So no, I don¡¯t need that guilty look on your face, love. Hurt me, all you want, I would only get high on the pain because I don¡¯t mind you iming me.¡±

    Arianna went red in the face, and lowered her gaze immediately. Marcel would be the death of her. Why does he have to be... Geez, she wanted to hide her face.

    ¡°You know you are quite cute when you blush,¡± He continued to tease her, his expression smug having known what he was doing to her.

    .....

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Arianna beat him yfully and then buried her face into his back so he wouldn¡¯t see her red face. She was not really a shy person, just reserved, but just a word from Marcel, and she was blushing like a teenager. It was cringy ¨C yet sweet.

    With her face pressed to his back, Arianna was able to see the tattoo very closely, and whoever drew it deserved an award because it was so simr to the real lion and it captured Marcel¡¯s rtionship with the creature. His affection for Samson. To Marcel, the lion was family. A better family than his father could ever be.

    Arianna moved her lips to that spot where she felt the crease and kissed it tenderly. Upon that action, Arianna felt Marcel stiffen at first, however, he rxed and she gently trailed kisses to various ces till she couldn¡¯t go any lower because of her position.

    The tattoo crept down to his arm hence Arianna kissed up to his shoulder and Marcel released a groan which was a telling sign that he was getting aroused and she stopped. Arianna couldn¡¯t start something she couldn¡¯t finish and as much as she loved to tease him, it was unfair on Marcel too.

    Hence, she only leaned on his back from behind, wrapping her arm behind him as she enjoyed the intimate moment between them.

    ¡°Some scars aren¡¯t worth keeping because they¡¯re nothing but bondage,¡± Marcel was the one to break the silence,

    ¡°It¡¯s quite funny, but I think the reason I had them removed was because I didn¡¯t want to present my damaged self to the woman I would spend the rest of my life with even though I don¡¯t believe in love,¡± He confessed and Arianna felt her heart breaking.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Marcel, with or without the scars. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re damaged or not, that doesn¡¯t change one bit what I think about you. I already made up my mind about you and there¡¯s no turning back now,¡± Arianna told him fiercely in case he was getting stupid ideas about letting her go, because he felt he doesn¡¯t deserve her. Stupid man!

    Marcel finally moved and Arianna let him go so he was able to turn and they were now staring at each other.

    ¡°What did I do to deserve you? Honestly, I feel like you¡¯re a godsend. Are you hiding a pair of wings behind?¡± He teased her.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you find out yourself?¡± Arianna answered, her eyes flickering down to his hard chest and she licked her lower lips, a move Marcel found hot and became hard down there.

    A groan left his lips from the response, and Arianna looked at him, their gaze connecting.

    Well, fuck this!

    Marcel pulled her up with incredible strength, roughly pushing her back against the seat and boxing her in so she wasn¡¯t able to feel anything aside from his hard frame. His lips were hard and hot against her mouth and Arianna raked her hand through his hair trying to brace herself. Everything was going too fast.

    She groaned as Marcel pushed impossibly close to her body as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of her while kissing her senselessly. He wanted to rip every single piece of clothing on her and just sink himself inside of her, but Lady Flow was in the way.

    Arianna moaned as Marcel coaxed her tongue with hers and started a dance of their own. Her free hand caressed down his bare chest while the other yanked on his hair while they kissed without a care in the world, at least until their car stopped. They were home.

    But then Marcel wouldn¡¯t stop, his lips on hers were devouring and hungry as if he wanted to brand himself on her skin. Well, he was seeding because he was all she could taste and was a breath away from asphyxiation.

    He finally moved and Arianna was finally able to gulp in mouthful breaths. However, the love she saw in Marcel¡¯s eyes made her unable to breathe, then she smiled, one of joy and gratitude. Marcel smiled in return and in no time, they found themselvesughing like naughty teenagers.

    Marcel got out of the car after he had his shirt on and helped her out. His hair was ruffled and his lips swollen and Arianna had no doubt she looked any better. Her lips were still tingling and the thought of what they did had her giggling inwardly.

    Together, they walked hand in hand into the base expecting to have a semnce of peace after the journey. However, Arianna was dumbfounded when she stumbled into the foyer overrun with what she could call the War of the rabbits, with every soldier trying to catch the creatures running around.

    What the hell?

 Chapter 538

    538 [Bonus chapter]The Attraction Between Them

    She didn¡¯t sign up for this, Winters groaned in annoyance as she walked out of her temporary room in the Spencer¡¯s residence, sleepy-eyed.

    Where was she going to begin with the debrief?

    Well, after they failed to get Chloe out of here, only to find out that she¡¯s holed up at Sakuzi¡¯s ce, Marcel ordered her to remain here. While Mimi had to quit, leaving her behind because ¨C Victor had a high libido and couldn¡¯t afford to stay away from her ¨C it was too risky to have both of them here.

    In one word, she was here to spy on the Spencers, especially on activities rted or connected with Chloe, Marcel¡¯s sister . From the few days she was here, Winters was able to confirm that Chloe lived here and contrary to what Marcel thought, she wasn¡¯t maltreated or tortured. If anything, they treated her as one of their own, which wasn¡¯t surprising since the Spencer¡¯s are known for their warm hospitality ¨C as long as you don¡¯t get on the triplet¡¯s bad side.

    Why was Chloe moved then? Winters wasn¡¯t able to get an answer for that one, but one thing was clear, Chloe was in safe hands ¨C for now. If Marcel doesn¡¯t get her from Sakuzi soon, Winters feared Daniel would soon rise up to the challenge, especially now the marriage between him and ra can no longer happen. Daniel liked to be in control and his obsession with making Marcel¡¯s life miserable wasn¡¯t going to end just like that.

    This was not the end, that was for sure.

    Well then, why does she have a room in Spencer¡¯s residence? After Mimi gave up and she epted Marcel¡¯s orders of staying put, Reina wanted her to be a live-in nanny. But she rejects the idea, knowing that she needed to return to Marcel and update him on her findings. Also, no offense, but Reina¡¯s children were devils, there was no way on earth she would spend the whole day stuck with them.

    Although they were warming up to her and their pranks were bing less infuriating, it doesn¡¯t excuse the fact they¡¯re still imps. Winters grew up alone and was not used to taking care of others, not to talk of three disobedient and stubborn kids? It was impossible.

    Winters has seen Reina¡¯s husband, Nius around and he was a really cool man ¨C as long as you¡¯re not threatening his family. One should be open to lots of public disy of affection with Nius and Reina around, like they don¡¯t give a fuck, and Winters some how wished her family had been like that, you know. However, you can¡¯t change the past and wishes were a fairytale. This is reality.

    .....

    Reina had to spend the night over at her daughter Isabe¡¯s ce and pleaded with Winters to stay the night with a promise of reward, hence was given a room to reside. And yes, her room was in the same room as Akim¡¯s, wonderful, right?

    But then, Winters was a good kid and didn¡¯t attempt doing anything naughty with Akim. Moreover, both of them are friends now. Really coool friends, if you know what she means. Akim helped her out in handling the kids ¨C that is if they were to be called kids. The triplets were twelve for crying out loud, but Winters guessed she would never be able to understand rich people..

    They tucked in the kids for bed after hours of ying video games and the both of them returned to their respective rooms with sweet goodbyes ¨C and no kiss at all. Not even a peck on the cheek. Nor was she disappointed. Yep, she was cool. She was enjoying the friend zone. No sweat at all.

    And while she tossed and turned in bed all night, unable to sleep for strange reasons ¨C she didn¡¯t want to admit ¨C

    Winters never once had the thought of sneaking into Akim¡¯s room. Yeah, her mind was as innocent as day.There was no way on earth she had been corrupted by Marcel and Mimi. If Akim wanted them to remain friends, then friends they would be. She swore on Marcel¡¯s thing (hopefully Arianna never hears that).

    It wasn¡¯t surprising she woke up with dark circles beneath her eyes the next morning. Winters hadn¡¯t been able to sleep a winkst night and she was happy that she would finally leave this ce today. Back at the base, she would sleepfortably and she already missed herputers, being a nanny was not her thing at all.

    Wiping at her eyes, Winters groggily walked out of the door like a zombie, she wanted a ss of water. However, she suddenly walked into a wall and stumbled back, stunned. ncing up, Winters found out that it wasn¡¯t a wall, but Akim¡¯s chest and boy oh boy, he was bare.

    Winters forgot how to breathe as her eyes glued on Akim¡¯s hard, lean body. She swallowed the lump in her throat as her gaze lowered, slowly taking in the hard ridges of his stomach to the deep V that vanished into his pants ¨C and she shamelessly enjoyed the show. Damn, she has been corrupted.

    Winters nced up to see that Akim has been watching her devour him with her eyes and a blush crept up her cheeks. God, she wanted to die.

    ¡°Sorry, I should have been decent,¡± Akim crossed his arms across his chest, hiding the perfect view.

    What a disappointment.

    God, get your head back in the game, Winters.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I enjoyed the view....¡± Winters trailed off when she realized what she just said. Oh no. When did she be as horny as Marcel and Arianna?

    Winters knew she had to rein in her hormones before she did something that would ruin her great friendship with Akim. Good thing, she was going back to the base today.

    ¡°I should go,¡± Winters moved as fast as her legs could take her. She can¡¯t do this anymore, pretend there was no attraction between them?

    Winters fanned her chicks. Akim was too much temptation.

    As if God was on her side today, her phone rang and Winters picked it with joy upon seeing that it was Reina calling, but that joy didn¡¯tst.

    Winters¡¯ face changed in the next minutes when Reina announced that she wasn¡¯t returning today due to some circumstances and she wanted her to stay one more day.

    Well, isn¡¯t it amazing?

 Chapter 539

    539 Hello Brother

    Someone was following him, and Elijah sensed it as he continued to walk with ease. The fun part of being trailed is by pretending you weren¡¯t being followed and beating them in their own game in the end.

    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder who it was this time. Was it Luciano¡¯s men again? He thought that game had gotten old? Moreover, he and Adele had spent the entire time in bedst night and she even gave him a day off topensate him for his help in helping Marcel in ra¡¯s matter. Does she still not trust him? That was his intention.

    However, finding out about ra was as easy as pie. All he had to do was to seek help from Jason. His brother, Eric¡¯s second inmand was so good at tracking people down his skill was almost unrivaled. He was like a hell hound that would sniff one wherever he hid and that made him the man for the job.

    But it seems even after what he had done, Adele still doesn¡¯t fully trust him. He thought he had her wrapped around his finger, but that was Adele, strong and untrusting, Elijah released a slightly sarcastic smirk. She was duty bound to Marcel and It wouldn¡¯t be like her if she foolishly trusted him like that. However, he would remedy that today because the best way to win one¡¯s trust is to confront one¡¯s suspicion.

    Elijah was on a leisure walk when he was followed, hence he cut into the street and took a series of turns that he was sure would befuddle his tracker. And while he waited, hiding in the alleyway, his tracker came into view and Elijah grabbed him, pushing the man up against the wall only for surprise to sprawl across his face when he saw who it was.

    ¡°Jason?¡± Elijah croaked, surprise making him lose his voice.

    Without a word, Jason brushed his hands off him and straightened his suit with a frown. But then, Elijah was too distracted, he didn¡¯t see the attacking. Jason suddenly grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him, pain furrowing his brows. Was this asshole sparing with him in the middle of the street? He can¡¯t be serious.

    However, Elijah forgot one thing, Jason was his brother¡¯s subordinate and no matter how much the man helped him out, his loyalty stilly with Eric and that included carrying out his order.

    He had gotten toofortable with the man and that cost him because Elijah felt a piercing stab behind his neck and it wasn¡¯t until the shock wore off secondster that he discovered that the man just drugged him.

    .....

    ¡°You!¡± Rage filled Elijah and he began to attack Jason, but the man was his teacher, nor did he have any no urge to harm him, so he went on the defensive.

    ¡°Why?¡± Betrayal stabbed into Elijah¡¯s chest as he continued to fight him but it was obvious it was a losing battle. Whatever Jason shot him with, it was beginning to work because his legs felt like jelly.

    ¡°Something came up and Eric needs you home,¡± He told him.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t go home... ¡± Elijah tried to summon his strength back which was impossible.

    ¡°I thought so, which is why I had no choice but to use this method. The drug would paralyze your bodily function until you finally pass out, so you should cooperate and I get you out of here with dignity, rather than drag you along like a criminal. Your choice. ¡± Jason coldly offered him.

    He couldn¡¯t run away in this state, Elijah weighed the options in his head and none of them were positive because it ended up with Jason catching up with him. And one thing about Jason was that he was cold and detached whenever on a mission, Elijah did not doubt he would make true of his threat of dragging him along if he dared to run. He had no choice but to surround to the devil.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Elijah decided, taking a step only to discover that his legs hadpletely given up on him and he was in danger of falling. However, the ever faithful to his words, Jason, was there to catch him and pulled him up to his side.

    ¡°What drug is this?¡± Elijah asked, having not seen something like that. Even his tongue was beginning to feel like lead in his mouth. Whoever designed this was crazy.

    ¡°Ask your brother Ephraim, he has been busy with his experimentstely and he would be happy to know I used you as a test subject,¡± Jason said dryly.

    ¡°Haha...¡± Elijah could onlyugh with sarcasm because his tongue felt heavy and he wasn¡¯t able to speak.

    Perhaps, going home was not exactly a bad thing because he needed drugs like this one if he wanted to burst Arianna out of Marcel¡¯s prison. However, it was risky as well, especially if Adele looked around for him, he didn¡¯t have any backup n. Hopefully, she assumes he¡¯s just enjoying his day off.

    Elijah leaned on Jason the entire time and the moment they came to the roadway, a car pulled up as if it had been waiting all this while and Jason opened the door, dumping him inside before climbing in after him.

    He didn¡¯t have anyints as the car drove off except for the fact his body was shutting down. Elijah panicked a little when he felt the general body weakness, it almost felt like he was dying or maybe he was. What if Jason gave him the wrong dose?

    His eyes finally closed and he seamlessly journeyed through endless darkness until he registered pain for the first time. However, Elijah didn¡¯t want to wake up because he felt a great peace until he felt the second stinging pain and that cleared the haze he was in.

    Elijah forced his eyelids open only to make out a blurry outline of someone standing in front of him and patting his cheeks. When the sleep cleared from his eyes, it was Eric standing before him and he waved at him.

    ¡°Hello, little brother,¡± He said with that overbearing arrogance in his tone, ¡°Nice of you to drop by.¡±

    Elijah groaned.

 Chapter 540

    540 Arianna Is Natalie¡¯s Daughter

    Elijah rxed when he found out that it was no one else but his brother Eric and then an emotion called annoyance filled him and he groaned in frustration. What was so important that he had to drug him to move his ass here?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to send feedback to our brother that his drugs work just perfectly. He would be d to know our little brother was a fine test subject,¡± Eric told him, unsmiling with his lips pressed together and he groaned again.

    While Eric might be stern, he was kinder than his twin brother Ephraim, who could be referred to as the crazy one in the family with his unconventional methods. Nheless, all of his brothers treated him well and would never mean him harm which was why he ran away in the first ce. He wasn¡¯t their little brother anymore that needed to be shielded from the world. Elijah needed to get out of their umbre and make his own world.

    Elijah knew that Eric was not just speaking for saying sake, it was an indirect threat that he would haul his ass back home that way if he doesn¡¯t answer his sermons in the future.

    Well, lessons learned. Elijah didn¡¯t want to feel this way anymore, miserable. His body was still weak as if he was a child taking his first steps and he knew it would take him time to fully recover. So he rxed back into his seat, his eyes shut as he asked Eric,

    ¡°Fine, dear brother. What is so important that you went through all of this trouble to get me home?¡± He wanted this over with.

    ¡°Natalie is here,¡± He announced.

    ¡°So I heard,¡± Elijah answered, feeling a bit guilty inside he didn¡¯t visit her. Unlike most of his siblings who had grown up by the time Natalie came into their lives, she was the closest thing to a mother Elijah had and knew, having practically raised him.

    No, if it wasn¡¯t for the age gap and the fact that his brothers kept his biological mother¡¯s memories alive, he would have believed Natalie was his mother. She was so sweet towards him and he was extremely protective of her.

    .....

    That was why he preferred to add the title of ¡°aunt¡± to her name, and the others picked it up. It served to remind him that as much as she wasn¡¯t his mother, she was still family. Hence, it was a shame he didn¡¯t visit earlier and had to be forced home. Fine, he would make it up to her after he¡¯s done dealing with his current problems.

    ¡°We are getting married,¡± Eric announced out of nowhere.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s good......¡± Elijah trailed off when the implication of what his brother just said dawned on him. ¡°Damn,¡± He cursed, already weighing the pros and cons of this union in his head.

    Everyone in the family knew Eric has been simping on the woman for years, but to think his brother finally went after her was unbelievable. The thought of them getting married gave Elijah mixed feelings because he was used to thinking of Natalie as a mother figure, and now she was going to be his sister-inw. Oh fuck, he was going to need time to adjust to this one.

    ¡°Does Rose even know of this?¡± He asked.

    ¡°My daughter approves and is eager to let her officially be part of the woman,¡± Eric answered, yet the way he shifted on the balls of his feet spoke of nervousness. Perhaps, it was pre-wedding jitters, Elijah thought.

    ¡°And Karen?¡±

    ¡°Karen would always be Karen, but she took the news surprisingly well. Her focus is on her daughter¡¯s well-being and hopes she isn¡¯t neglected with the addition of a family member,¡± his brother put it mildly, but Elijah could already picture the way Karen presented those words and winced inwardly. Even years of co-parenting couldn¡¯t get the both of them to get along.

    However, this couldn¡¯t be the reason Eric called him home having thought it was an emergency and that was proved when his brother said,

    ¡°I know about the girl you¡¯re seeing?¡±

    For a moment there, Eric was tempted to ask which of them he was talking about, Arianna or Adele? When it finally dawned on him that ever since he hooked up with Adele, the line between them was beginning to blur. When did he even begin to consider her an option?

    No, he had to get his head back in the game.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Eric called her name, and nheless, his demeanor changed entirely. How did his brother know about... Ahh, Jason, of course. He was the only one that could tell him that.

    However, why was his brother suddenly noticing thedy he dated? He never showed such interest before. Call it an itch or premonition, Elijah sensed something wasn¡¯t right here. His sixth sense has never failed him.

    ¡°What do you want with Arianna?¡± Elijah narrowed his gaze suspiciously. He trusted his brother, but not when he was showing interest in the woman he loves. He was hiding something from him.

    But Eric only lifted his head and as huge as his brother was, they still shared the same height and it pleased Elijah, a sign that he has grown up.

    ¡°Promise me you wouldn¡¯t freak out when I say this,¡±

    ¡°Say what?¡± Elijah was eager to know and that was his problem, always eager to try everything.

    ¡°Arianna is Natalie¡¯s daughter,¡± Eric confessed, expecting some sort of reaction from his brother, for him to say something but Elijah stood as still as a statue.

    However, he tilted his head a whileter, trying to understand something.

    ¡°Wait, Aunt Natalie has a child? A daughter?¡± Elijah first processed that piece of information. He was very smart and quick at understanding things, but for some reason, this very one befuddled him.

    ¡°And she is Arianna...?¡±

    Call it recollection or recognition, Elijah got reminded of those forest green eyes. He always had this feeling that Arianna felt oddly familiar, but couldn¡¯t ce his finger around it until today. He just couldn¡¯t fathom that Arianna would be family because he never knew Natalie was married nor to talk of having a child. But he knew now and it was devastating.

 Chapter 541

    541 How Strong Was Her Love

    Elijah was freaking out.

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not possible. How do you know that she¡¯s her daughter? Who said so? How does Natalie go from being a single woman to a woman with a daughter?! Is this some sort of sick joke or what?!¡± He was pacing up and down the room, trying to understand this, his brain full of activities.

    ¡°Elijah!¡± Eric shouted at the top of his voice and then caught him on the shoulder. Grabbing his head in his palms, he ordered him, ¡°Calm down. Take long deep breaths. Yes, just like that.¡± He guided his little brother who wasn¡¯t taking the news all too well.

    ¡°Now sit and let me exin everything,¡± Eric pushed him back down on his seat, directing him like a child nor did Elijah protest. He was too far gone in his thoughts to object.

    ¡°This is huge, but I want you to control yourself, Elijah, You¡¯re a Draven and that¡¯s what men in our family do, we stay in control.¡± He psyched him, preparing him for the secrets he was about to release.

    When Elijah was calm enough, Eric began by telling him all about Natalie, her history with Edward, Arianna¡¯s father, and then Daniel of course, and how everything went sour. He rted the circumstances surrounding Arianna¡¯s birth and then Natalie¡¯s death, or so Daniel assumed and how their family came to her rescue.

    By the time he was done, Elijah¡¯s head was swelling with so much revtion.

    He thought he knew about his aunt Natalie, or perhaps, Natalie now, but he was wrong. And to think he was in love with her daughter, Arianna, just how messed up was that.

    Although there was now prohibiting inws from marrying since they weren¡¯t blood-rted, however, that could mess up the family tree nor were some people amodating to that. Heck, Elijah felt like he was going crazy from all of his thinking.

    .....

    ¡°Natalie doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve found her daughter or the fact that the daughter she had given away to save her life is currently in the hands of the son of the man she loathes so much. Honestly, brother, I don¡¯t know what would happen when she finds out,¡± Eric sighed, pinching the bridge between his nose. It was obvious that keeping this huge secret from his bride was taking a toll on him.

    And yes, unlike his brother, Elijah knew what would happen if Natalie finds out about this, all hell would let loose. If he could feel this much rage over what he just heard, then Natalie would be a goddess of carnage when she hears her daughter is in the hands of the son of the enemy, Marcel.

    Elijah always knew nothing good woulde out of Arianna being with Marcel. He always felt it deep down in his bones that he wasn¡¯t right for her, but like poison, Marcel was slowly seeping into her mind and she didn¡¯t realize that. But not anymore, he now knew the truth and would get her out of there by all means, even if that is thest thing he would do for her. She woulde to thank himter.

    ¡°We have to tell Natalie,¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Eric growled a warning. He dare not tell her.

    ¡°She has a right to know!¡± Elijah insisted.

    ¡°Yes, but not now! She barely survived the guilt of knowing she abandoned her daughter for years, Elijah. What do you think would happen when she realizes that all of her efforts had been for nothing? Years that she could have spent by her daughter¡¯s side?¡± He tried to make him see reasons with him.

    ¡°You¡¯re scared,¡± Elijah whispered, seeing through his brother, ¡°You¡¯re scared that she would call off the wedding ns, reject you and crawl back into her former shell.¡±

    Eric clutched his shaking hands, feeling bare and exposed before his brother, and was unable toe up with an answer because it was the truth. He knew Natalie like the back of his hand and knowing the truth would break her.

    Moreover, was it selfish of him to get what he wants for once? He wanted Natalie with every fiber of his being and he couldn¡¯t stomach the thought of her rejecting him. A future without her looked bleak.

    Elijah felt pity for his brother Eric when he saw the deste look on his face. Having gotten a taste of it when he saw Marcel and Arianna together, he knew what it felt like and it wasn¡¯t pleasant at all.

    He stood up to his feet and went over to his brother, cing a hand on his shoulder and squeezed affectionately. Eric had always been a pir of support in the family, hence his brothers would haveughed their asses off if they had seen this scene of himforting him instead.

    ¡°I understand your concerns,¡± he said,

    ¡°However, you forget that hell has no fury like a woman scorned, and in Natalie¡¯s case, not once, but twice. Do you think she would have the time to break down?¡±

    Eric lifted his eyes to the sky, blinking away the emotions in his eyes,

    ¡°I hope so brother. I hope so.¡± He said.

    ¡°That is why we need to tell her now.¡± Elijah couldn¡¯t wait for Arianna and Marcel to be separated. The more time she spent with Marcel the more he poisoned her mind. And what would Arianna say if he told her what her mother passed through in the hands of Daniel? Would she be able to look at Marcel the same way? How strong was the love she ims to have for him?

    ¡°No, not now,¡± Eric shook his head in refusal.

    ¡°Brother!¡±

    ¡°Not until we get her daughter back!¡± He barked at him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say you tell her everything, and then shees to worry about her daughter?¡±

    ¡°Fine, we get Arianna back.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± At least his brother Eric agreed with one of his ns.

    ¡°It¡¯s literally my fault that Arianna is held captive by Marcel, but I already have a n in ce to get her out of there. However, I think I would be able to get her home faster if you lend me your help,¡± Elijah suggested, a smirk at the corner of his lips and that drew his brother¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What do you need?¡±

 Chapter 542

    542 Found The One You Love

    Natalie cried so much that she wasn¡¯t capable of producing tears anymore. It wasn¡¯t until hourster that she realized she was sitting on the bare floor thanks to her state of despair and got up to her feet with effort.

    Staring up at the vanity mirror, Natalie realized that she was a mess. Her hair was disheveled while her eyes were red and puffy. Eric couldn¡¯t see her in this state, Natalie realized. The both of them were getting married and she didn¡¯t want him to begin to doubt her interest andmitment to it.

    She ¡®loved¡¯ Edward, and it was all in the past, but right now, she felt like a horrible person. Edward sacrificed a lot for her and she didn¡¯t even get to thank him onest time before he left this world. The guilt was suffocating her. All she ever does was bring pain and misery to the people around her.

    Perhaps, it would have been a good thing if Edward never met her. Yes, Natalie wished she could turn back the hands of the clock and take on the punishments for him. Edward had a bright future ahead of him until she came in and ruined it all, and for that, she would never forgive herself for it.

    Knowing that Eric woulde for her once he was done with his business, Natalie began to make herself presentable. She quickly washed her face, but it didn¡¯t eliminate the redness and puffiness around her eyes, damn! In the end, Natalie had no choice but to apply make-up. It eliminated the traces of her crying, however, she wasn¡¯t the type to apply makeup while at home and Eric was surely going to question that.

    As if she had foreseen the future, a knock came on her door barely after she was done. Checking herself once more in the mirror, Natalie took a deep breath and left to open the door only for her jaw to drop.

    ¡°Elijah?!¡±

    Before Natalie could say anything else, the young man pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight while she stood there stunned. It wasn¡¯t until after a few minutes that she hugged him back, missing his familiar warmth.

    Out of the five siblings she had watched over while they grew, Elijah was the one she had been closest with. At first, he had treated her like a mother until Ephraim destroyed that notation, wanting him to honor the memories of his biological mother instead. And then he took her as a sister, an older one who took care of his growing ass and through his rebellious phase. In one word, Elijah was more than a son to her, he was a friend, and most of all, family.

    .....

    ¡°You finally came,¡± She exhaled, her chin resting on his shoulder while she patted his back.

    ¡°Yeah, about that, I¡¯m so sorry for arrivingte,¡± Elijah apologized to her.

    ¡°This is why they say it¡¯s better to have a female child than a male one,¡± Natalie said and Elijah pulled back slightly to look at her.

    ¡°Why?¡± He was curious.

    ¡°Because you boys forget all about your old folks once you get a girlfriend,¡± She teased him

    ¡°Nope, not you, aunt Natalie. You¡¯re always in my heart,¡± He gestured, ¡°Cross my heart.¡±

    She chuckled, finally letting go of him. However, she took a good look at Elijah and he had grown into a fine young man.

    ¡°Just a few years gone and you were this small....¡± She gestured to his height, ¡°And now, you¡¯re huge. It¡¯s kind of unbelievable. Life indeed takes us fast¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elijah scratched the back of his head, shifting his weight from feet to feet, something he does whenever he¡¯s nervous.

    ¡°So please, have a seat and tell me, what can I get you?¡± She was prepared to even go into the kitchen and prepare his favorite ¨C at least that would keep her distracted.

    ¡°No, nothing, Natalie, I¡¯m good. Actually, I am not here to stay.¡± He told her the truth.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Natalie got the point and she changed her ns. She sat down instead, urging Elijah to sit with her.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not staying, I bet you have enough time to entertain this olddy,¡± She baited him and Elijah wasn¡¯t able to resist her.

    He sat down knowing that he owed her this at least. Although Elijah knew that he wouldn¡¯t be leaving here without dropping one or two secrets. How he wished he could drop the main gist.

    ¡°What are you up to recently? Honestly, I never imagined you would be thest person to visit even after hearing of my return. Although Ephraim was more than happy you weren¡¯t around so I wouldn¡¯t cuddle you like a baby. While Elvis and Ezra were all in for the baby treatment as far as Ephraim wasn¡¯t looking. ¡± Natalie narrated what had happened in thest gathering when their brothers returned to see her.

    Elijah burst intoughter as he pictured the scene. God, he missed his brothers. And one might ask, why did all of his brothers begin with the letter ¡®E¡¯?

    ording to the story their father told them before he too died, well, his mother had always wanted female children, so when the first twins came, Eric and Ephraim, he named that thought because they were twins and all, they had to have matching names, you know.

    However, when her second child came and it was a boy, she thought, a name beginning with E again since they¡¯re all males, it¡¯s going to match. However, she threatened her husband the E-name series would continue if she doesn¡¯t get a female child in the next pregnancy. So when the fourth and the fifth came along, she made good of her threat.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Elijah suddenly asked Natalie when he saw the tiredness and a bit of puffiness in her eyes. But it was hard to tell with all thatyer of makeup which was strange, the Natalie he knew hardly put on makeup at home.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your eyes?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Natalie thought she hid it well, ¡°Something got into my eyes and there was lots of scratching involved. The point is I don¡¯t want your brother worrying over nothing, he can be quite dramatic.¡± She came up with a convenient excuse

    ¡°Yeah, I heard, the both of you are nning to get married. Congrattions.¡± He sincerely thanked her.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie smiled at him in appreciation, until she remembered something, ¡°And what about the girl? Eric told me you¡¯ve found the one you love?¡±

    Elijah was startled by that question, having not expected it from Natalie, the mother of the woman he loves.

    ¡°Yeah, fine. We are good.¡± He said when there was nothing good at all about all of this!

 Chapter 543

    543 Rabbit Stew

    What in the name of the lord is going on here?

    Arianna was stunned as she stared at the rabbit creating havoc in the house. Just what the hell happened while she was away? And she was gone for just a day! Just one day! Why can¡¯t men ever keep the house organized for once? Ugh! Men!

    She turned her using gaze on Marcel who turned away immediately. Of course, he knew what was going on and she would find out by all means.

    Arianna took a deep breath in and out, the feminine nature in her wanting peace and orderliness in the house. Hence, she bent down and proceeded to help the men to catch the rabbit when Marcel stopped her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He gripped her arm to stop her from picking up one of the creatures that crawled up to her feet.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Arianna went ahead to pick the bunny up, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were breeding rabbits,¡± She began to run her hand through its fur, and that gesture greatly annoyed Marcel. Why was she touching it that way? Must she touch everything?

    And no, he wasn¡¯t breeding rabbits! Why would he rear such annoying creatures? And where was Victor? Marcel had a niggling feeling his cousin was behind the rabbit¡¯s rampage. He should have known than to trust Victor with this simple job. Had Samson been here, this nuisance would be cleared away in the twinkle of an eye.

    He was lost in his thoughts when the next thing he saw was the rabbit almost being shoved to his face,

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Arianna was fishing forpliments.

    .....

    But instead of apliment, Marcel red at the creature, wishing he was the one in her arms right now and not that weird-looking fluffy yet annoyingly beautiful thing. No, he wasn¡¯t going to share Arianna¡¯spliments with this thing. First Redhair, then Samson, and now this? Why were even animals trying to separate them?

    ¡°Isnotfineatallsocanyoupleaseputthethingdown,¡± Marcel mumbled immediately.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Without saying a word, he took the damn rabbit from her and went ahead to ce it in the cage his men made avable to capture them.

    ¡°I liked that one,¡± Ariannained, but Marcel wasn¡¯t listening. No, each time Arianna tried to grab one, he would capture it and ce it in the cage.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She couldn¡¯t tell what was his problem.

    ¡°Stay safe, they¡¯re not good for you,¡± Marcel made up an excuse to keep her from them. However, Arianna still managed to grab onto one and he faced her,

    ¡°Hand it, Arianna. No rabbits allowed here.¡±

    ¡°Yet they¡¯re here. How did they get in, Marcel?¡± She started her interrogation.

    ¡°They were used for an experiment and since they¡¯ve fulfilled their purpose, it¡¯s time for them to go.¡±

    ¡°Well, can one of them stay?¡± Arianna tucked the rabbit to her side as if protecting the cute little thing from the big, bad wolf, Marcel.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel refused right away. Samson and Redhead were already taking much of her attention, add another cute rabbit to the mix and he would be battling for her attention with them. All of her love was supposed to be reserved for him, not those things.

    Moreover, this was not a ce for a rabbit and each of the animals had its purpose. Samson could tear apart anybody thates near Arianna while Redhead could warn her of danger, but the rabbit? Nope, nothing at all. Completely useless except for snatching her love and affection and time ¨C and hugs.

    ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°Nope, not happening.¡± Marcel refused, turning away so he wouldn¡¯t look into her eyes and be charmed by her. However, Arianna was a stubborn one and got in his front so he wouldn¡¯t be able to look away.

    ¡°Please, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± He groaned, ¡°No rabbits in the base. It¡¯s too fragile for this kind of ce.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it well if you let me,¡± She came up with a countermeasure that didn¡¯t sit well with Marcel.

    ¡°Yeah, it would take up your time, not happening.¡± Marcel tried to turn away, but Arianna wrap her hand around his neck and step closer to him so their chest was touching.

    ¡°Ummm, Marcel? Please? Please?¡± She pouted her lips, giving him a cute look that he was unable to resist.

    Marcel shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know Arianna, it¡¯s not -¡±

    She shut him up by smooching him on the mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to seduce me. ¡± Marcel could see what she was trying to do, and did he stop her? Not at all.

    ¡°Is it working?¡± Arianna asked, kissing him once more on the lips and when Marcel tried to deepen it, she pulled back, kissing him on the neck instead.

    ¡°Maybe? I might need more motivation,¡± There was a twinkle in Marcel¡¯s eyes and Arianna grinned, knowing she was winning.

    She trailed a zing kiss down his nose, scraping her teeth across his throat and he groaned in approval.

    ¡°Yes, do it again,¡± He must be in paradise.

    Arianna batted her eyelids, still kissing his throat, ¡°So does the rabbit get to stay?¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck, he can stay as long as he wants,¡± Marcel could promise anything at that point in time just so she could pleasure him.

    Arianna smiled against his skin, she won. She then kissed across his neck once more, moving up to bite the skin beneath his jaw before tasting his lower lips, taking it between her teeth and bit hard enough that Marcel groaned, and she felt his hard-on poking her belly.

    Having enough of her teasing, Marcel grabbed her cheeks and kissed her senselessly. He didn¡¯t care that the rabbit was pressed between them as he focused on stealing every bit of the air Arianna was breathing, he was jealous of that too. Arianna was his and his alone. Marcel was so absorbed in the kiss, he only pulled back when that little creature nipped him on the nipple and he yelped in pain.

    Marcel red at the rabbit. So this is how it was going to be from now on, huh? It wasn¡¯t even up to an hour after being epted into the house and it already dered war on him.

    Fine.

    Marcel was suddenly hungry for rabbit stew.

 Chapter 544

    544 Marcel Junior

    ¡°What do you think we should name him?¡± Arianna asked Marcel who was scowling at the rabbit in her arms for some strange reason. She was absent-mindedly stroking through the animal¡¯s fluffy coat.

    ¡°How do you even know it¡¯s even a he?¡± Marcel asked, hands on his hips. It had taken him enough courage to walk Arianna back to their room after their men saw her get the best of him. And now, his men would think that he was a henpecked husband. Well, he liked the sound of ¡°husband¡±, just not ¡°henpecked¡± part.

    God, what would his father think of him if he saw him in this condition?

    Weak! pathetic! Pussywhipped! The words would be endless, with one or two beatings to reset his brain. Nope, thank you, he was happy the way he was. The first time Marcel actually felt like he was alive after his mother died and he was going to ruin it just because of what his men thought of him. He was good the way he was. He would rather be a fool for Arianna.

    ¡°Look at this,¡± Arianna told him, turning the rabbit around so he could see beneath the animal¡¯s belly. She began to demonstrate to him,

    ¡°In female rabbits, there is a v-shaped or mountaintop appearance. From the side, it can look like a pyramid and it will be sticking up or out somewhat. However, male rabbits are recognizable by two oblong testicles, which appear above their genitalia. She added, ¡°And thankfully, it seems you had it neutered, so we don¡¯t have to worry about rabbit rearing after all, because they give birth in litter.¡±

    Whatever Arianna said, Marcel had no idea, it simply flowed from one part of his ear to the other because he was more absorbed in watching her talk. Does Arianna even realize the shine in her eyes whenever she talks about something interesting? She was beautiful.

    ¡°Sometimes I forget just how bright your future was until I kidnapped you here,¡± Marcel muttered unknowingly and Arianna stiffened.

    For over a minute, there was nothing but tense silence between the both of them until Arianna gave him her bitch resting face.

    .....

    ¡°Really? Are we going to talk about this again? ¡± She thought they talked about this already.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth though?¡± Marcel said,ing to sit at the edge of the Bed, ¡°With the amount of knowledge in that head of yours, you should be in Harvard or something, doing whatever geeks do to graduate summa cumude and then have a great career and get married to a wonderful husband that doesn¡¯t deal with illegal shit and endangers your life constantly. ¡± The guilt was eating Marcel up whenever he thought how better her life would have been if Arianna hadn¡¯t met her.

    ¡°Are you breaking up with me?¡± Arianna asked him out of nowhere.

    ¡°Of course not! Never!¡± Marcel¡¯s eyes red at the idea of it. Arianna was going nowhere, it was the both of them for the rest of time.

    She crawled over to him on all fours on the bed and upon getting to him, pressed her fingers against his lips, saying firmly,¡± Then you shut your mouth and never speak of this again,¡±

    Arianna tilted her head to the side, scrutinizing him as she said, ¡°Do you think I would even be alive if you haven¡¯t taken me? My uncle sold me to Big Joe. He wrote me off, Marcel, and then you saved me! You actually gave me a new life,¡± She told him until every doubt he had in those beautiful gray eyes vanished away.

    ¡°If Big Joe had gotten to me, I¡¯ll miss these beautiful muscles,¡± Arianna purred seductively, lifting his shirt a little to slip her hand inside and trace the hard ridges of his stomach and she felt his stomach flex.

    ¡°You¡¯re ying with fire, Arianna,¡± Marcel warned her, yet his lips were already on her shoulder, peppering her skin with kisses and Arianna turned her head to give him better ess.

    He groaned in pleasure as Arianna caressed his chest with both of her hands and he could feel himself growing hard. Just one touch from Arianna and he was turned on, that was just how much power she had over him.

    Deciding to return the favor, Marcel was just about to slip his hand beneath her shirt when he mistakenly touched something between them that startled him and as a reflex action, he picked it up and tossed it away. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the rabbit.

    ¡°Marcel Junior!¡± Arianna shrieked, pushing Marcel away to rescue the poor animal.

    ¡°What the hell, Marcel?!¡± She whirled around on him, protectively hugging the rabbit to her chest.

    ¡°The mother fucker scared me! I thought I was touching you, not a creepy rabbit!¡± Marcel said in his defense. He wanted his girlfriend, not a fucking rabbit. Another reason, he had to get rid of that rabbit, it was already causing him trouble. Antagonizing him.

    ¡°Language, Marcel, ¡±

    ¡°And why would you even name it Marcel Junior, that title is reserved for my kid, not some rabbit!¡± He argued animatedly.

    Arianna sighed, ¡°If you can¡¯t take care of a rabbit, what more a kid? You can think of him as a warm-up to fatherhood, or trial run or whatever,¡±

    Marcel gave her a deadpan look. It was not funny.

    Arianna looked away, feeling a bit guilty, had she taken it too far? However, she wasn¡¯t going to admit it. The rabbit makes for good practice for fatherhood, in her defense.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, what did you even do with the other rabbits?¡± She was curious about it. If he couldn¡¯t take care of one rabbit, what about thirty others?

    ¡°Donated it to charity,¡± Marcel said without blinking.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually good, you surprise me sometimes, Marcel. ¡± Arianna praised him.

    Yeah, charity breakfast for Samson, not that Arianna needed to know. Samson was eco-friendly and good at getting rid of them. And he shamelessly epted the praise.

    Perhaps, as an apology for sending the rabbits to an early grave, he would ept the rabbit being called.... called... whatever! Whatever she wanted to name him.

    ¡°Have a rest, love, I got things to do,¡± Marcel quickly stole a kiss, eyeing Marcel junior one more time before taking his leave, or else Arianna starts probing into the charity stuff because they were all in Samson¡¯s belly by now.

 Chapter 545

    545 Get Through This

    As soon as Marcel left, he ordered ginger tea to be brought up for Arianna. He imed to have researched and found out ginger is a wonder herb that can effectively ease menstrual cramps. Arianna epted the drink with a smile on her face. At this rate, Marcel would spoil her rotten and though she wanted to move around, she decided to obey his instructions for once.

    With what happenedtely, Arianna knew that he had a lot to clean up, but then, he had been busy taking care of her and pushing his duty aside. Though he wouldn¡¯t say it, Marcel was concerned about her safety, with how his father had tried to kill her thest time.

    Marcel wanted her where he could keep his eyes on her and Arianna sure hoped it didn¡¯tst for long. His intention might be noble but she would go crazy cooped up all day. Not to mention that Mimi would be leaving soon and she would be all by herself again.

    A knock came on her door and she stood up to go open it. As a safety precaution, Marcel wanted her to lock her doors from now on. As if she conjured her, Mimi was standing right in front of her door.

    ¡°Hi,¡± She waved nervously and before Arianna could say anything, Mimi already walked into her room and she closed the door after her. You¡¯re wee.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Arianna stood in the middle of the room with her arms on her waist. That was not the kind of wee she expected from her best friend. Although she was away for just a day, she still missed her.

    ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°Me too. I have something to tell you.¡± Arianna told her.

    ¡°Okay, you go ahead first.¡± Mimi gestured, sitting down on her bed.

    .....

    ¡°Or we can both say it at the same time,¡± Arianna suggested instead. That way, they won¡¯t spoil each other¡¯s fun.

    Mimi took a deep breath, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do that. It¡¯s alright. At the count of three. One... two... three..¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant!¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?! Oh, shite!¡± Arianna was shocked out of her mind. How is this possible? Oh right, it happens when the female and male genitals meet and Mimi and Victor have been doing that a lot since they met. Focus!

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Arianna breathed shakily.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s messed up. I know.¡± Mimi agreed, now pacing up and down relentlessly while her friend struggled toprehend what was going on.

    ¡°I thought Victor used protection and you¡¯re on the pill, how did that even happen?¡±

    ¡°Well, condom is not hundred percent effective and I think I might have missed a month thanks to all the craziness happening around us, and then it happened. I mean, you should know this, you¡¯re the doctor here for Christ fucking sake, Arianna!¡± She was freaking out.

    ¡°Alright, calm down,¡± Arianna grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her from panicking, ¡°Just take a deep breath.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not going to solve -¡±

    ¡°A deep breath, Mimi,¡± Arianna insisted and she hesitantly closed her eyes and took a deep, long breath until she calmed her tits.

    ¡°Sit down and let¡¯s talk this out,¡± Arianna nudged her to the bed and made her sit, pulling out the chair by her side and sat down as well, facing her.

    ¡°First thing first, we¡¯d go by procedure, how did you know you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Arianna was still asking when Mimi pulled out the stick and she took the pregnancy test from her.

    Arianna nced down, it was two lines. Damn. She was right. Mimi is indeed pregnant. Wow!

    ¡°So who else knows about this? Have you told Victor about it?¡±

    ¡°What, no?!¡± Mimi was horrified at the idea of telling him.

    ¡°But why? Victor would be ecstatic to know that you¡¯re carrying his baby,¡±.

    ¡°Exactly the point!¡± Mimi wanted to rip her hair off, ¡°He would be ecstatic enough to tell his mother and then he would be married by the end of the week.¡±

    Mimi added with a very grave tone, ¡°I am not ready to get married. No, I¡¯m not getting married.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Arianna was trying hard to understand her. She couldn¡¯t tell if Mimi had gamophobia ¨C a fear ofmitment or fear of marriage. Even at it, that phobia can be developed through a painful breakup, divorce, or abandonment during early childhood or adulthood, making her afraid tomit to someone she loves.

    However, Mimi had a wonderful childhood and her parents were in love and still together. Sure, she had lots of breakups ¨C with her always doing the breaking up ¨C but none of them were traumatic. Mimi always moved on, finding her next victim which Arianna had always found admirable. If Mimi was a boy, then she was a yboy, until she met Victor.

    Although it may be due to a mixture of things rather than a single cause, it just doesn¡¯t make sense for Mimi to be scared of marriage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Mimi told her, ¡°I¡¯m not ready for this! I don¡¯t want to get pregnant! I don¡¯t want to be a mother! I¡¯m not ready to be a mother! I had ns for my future until this came along and now, I have to think of a little life inside of me. I can¡¯t even take care of myself, not to talk of a child! My child! What would my parents think of me?! Of Victor! He¡¯s a fucking consigliere! Do you think my parents would fucking ept him! They had great ns for me! What if they chase me out for bringing shame to them?! They would think I¡¯m a failure! Gosh, I¡¯m twenty-three! I¡¯m still young! ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Arianna was quick to gather her into her arms, ¡°Hush, you¡¯re thinking too much, that¡¯s not good for a mother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all too much,¡± Mimi burst into tears.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s too much to handle. However, you forget that I¡¯m here. Together, we¡¯d go through this. I¡¯m not leaving you alone.¡± Arianna assured her.

    They would get through this, hopefully.

 Chapter 546

    546 The Prince And The Hacker

    ¡°Could we y for an hour more?¡± E, Reina¡¯s daughter and one of the triple-trouble begged Winters.

    ¡°Nope, not happening. You guys promised that you would go to bed peacefully if I let you have ice cream for dinner. I¡¯ve already broken one of your mother¡¯s rules, hence it¡¯s up to you to keep your part of the deal,¡± She held them to their words.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Elsa, their ringleader stepped up, ¡°Just like mom says, our word is thew. We made a deal with you and we would keep it,¡± She turned to Winters with her head lifted, ¡°We would go to bed as we promised. See you tomorrow then,¡±

    Elsa strutted in the direction of her room with her sister, their arms hooked around each other¡¯s, and Diego, their brother was about to join in when Winters pulled him back by the scruff of the neck.

    ¡°Your room, mister,¡± She pointed out with a sweet smile and reminded the boy he was too old to share a room with his sisters, triplets or not.

    ¡°This is unfair, I thought we preach gender equality,¡± He argued.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Winters agreed, and just when his hope rose, she killed it, ¡°Go take it up with your mother, not me.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Diego lowered his head and stomped in the direction of his own room.

    Poor boy, but nah, Winters was more than grateful to have sent them to bed. She would be leaving tomorrow, how happy she was. She has missed her babies aka herputers and once she gets home, she would hug and kiss them and then spend quality time with them since it was her day off.

    .....

    However, Winters was quitting her nanny job after Friday for a good reason. She has sent information to Marcel, the party was happening on Friday and Winters was hundred percent positive that his sister would be there.

    The birthday party was all the kids could talk about the entire day and then she heard it, Chloe wasing as well. So the moment Marcel has her sister, she would vanish as well. The Spencers might be kind but they weren¡¯t dumb, they would know that there had been an inside Job and Winters wasn¡¯t staying around to find out what happens to moles.

    After making sure the kids kept their promise of going to bed ¡®peacefully¡¯, Winters returned to the living room and plopped down on the sofa with a sigh. She was exhausted yet couldn¡¯t sleep. Moreover, it was just eleven, and back at the base, this was the time to have fun with her on the dark web. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have her set up with her nor could she risk ying around with theputer set up here. They can¡¯t know she¡¯s a hacker. It was too risky.

    ¡°You should be given the nanny of the year award,¡±

    Someone said from behind and Winters was startled at first until she recognized the voice and rxed.

    Akim came to sit down beside her on the sofa. He turned to her,

    ¡°You¡¯ve learned to handle them. This is the fastest I¡¯ve seen the kids obey a non-rted person.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m incredible,¡± Winters grinned at him cockily.

    ¡°Yeah, your ego deserves a bit of stroking but it needs a gauge as well.¡± The both of them burst intoughter while staring at each other and without warning, the atmosphere heated and theirughter gurgled to a halt.

    Winters was the one who looked away first, clearing her throat and rousing him from the spellbound.

    It was awkward.

    ¡°So you¡¯re a prince,¡± She said, the title feeling a bit heavy on her tongue. This was another reason she couldn¡¯t get entangled with Akim.

    So, she was not dealing with a patriarchal family, but a monarchy. Amazing, life keeps throwing ridiculous surprises her way.

    A hacker and a prince?

    What a nice fairy tale. It was never going to work. Akim¡¯s role was to keep national security and her role was to break into national security.

    Damn, she was doomed.

    ¡°So you finally found out,¡± Akim said, licking his lower lips as his throat suddenly felt dry. She now knows his identity, what happens next? Would their rtionship change? Would she keep him at arm¡¯s length because of his power or be with him because of what she could benefit from him?

    If only he knew Winters was more interested in watching the action of licking his lips.

    ¡°Yep, the triplets talk a lot,¡± Winters admitted, having a hard time taking her eyes off his lips.

    But she did.

    Maybe, she was good at this self-control thing and she would keep it up till Friday till thingse to an end.

    No Akim.

    No stupid hormones.

    She would pull her wits together and continue with her life. There was nock of handsome men and she would sleep with enough until she gets Akim out of her system.

    Yeah, that was the n.

    Except none of the men are princes.

    ¡°Does that change anything between us?¡± Akim asked her hesitantly.

    Winters looked him dead in the eyes, brows arched, ¡°Do you want things to change between us?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± He answered.

    ¡°Good.¡± She let it be.

    ¡°However,¡± There was a mischievous smirk at the corner of her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I should courtesy to the honorable prince of Lincolnshire once?¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t please!¡± Akim wanted to stop her but Winters was already on her feet and ready to courtesy when he pulled on her arm and she lost her bnce, stumbling into him and the both of them fell to the sofa with her on top of him.

    There was nothing but silence and the thumbing of their heart as they remained in that awkward position. Akim and Winters could only blink at each other, none of them having a clue how to respond to this situation.

    ¡°This is quite afy position,¡± Winters tried to lighten the atmosphere, but it didn¡¯t work, not with the way they were locked intimately.

    ¡°I should probably stand,¡± Winters thought it was the right thing to do, but sadly, because their legs were entangled, she only ended up grinding against him and Akim groaned.

    ¡°No, bad move, don¡¯t move at all!¡± He begged her, already going mad with the pleasure she aroused in him.

    Damn, she would be the death of him.

 Chapter 547

    547 Trust You With My Heart

    She felt it, the moment something pressed into her belly and Winters froze. Oh, she finally understood why Akim was in such distress and she went beet red in the face. Nor did it help matters that Akim was wearing sweatpants which meant there was no restriction like the jeans and everything was quite pronounced, hence she could feel everything, and boy, he was huge, Winters gulped down saliva.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t move and give me a minute to calm down,¡± Akim told her

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think getting off would be much -¡± She was trying to move again when he stopped her.

    ¡°No!¡± He grabbed her arm.

    Winters gave him a questioning look.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t look at me the same way if I dare to let you go now and I¡¯m embarrassed as hell.¡± He admitted, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing up and down.

    ¡°Well, if it helps your embarrassment, then you should know that I¡¯m kind of holding myself from kissing you right now,¡± Winters refused to look him in the eyes, shame coating her cheeks.

    It is over now. She failed to keep their friendship and Winters bet Akim would be out of here early tomorrow so they don¡¯t get to see each other. He told her already, that he wasn¡¯t ready for a rtionship, it was the best way to keep them from hurting one another.

    ¡°Then maybe you should kiss me,¡±

    .....

    Winters¡¯ head whipped around so fast she almost suffered a whish, her eyes wide with surprise.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to kiss me?¡±

    However, Winters shook her head in confusion, ¡°But didn¡¯t you say -¡±

    ¡°I know what I said, Winters, and I was a dick. It¡¯s obvious that we are insanely attracted to each other and fighting it would only make the both of us miserable. My battle is not with the past, not you. So are you going to take advantage of the one-time chance to kiss the royal prince of Lincolnshire or not?¡±

    A smirk curled Winters¡¯ lips to the side as she said, ¡°What an honor you bestow on me your loyal highness, and wouldn¡¯t I be a fool not to make good of that?¡±

    Winters lowered her head and Akim lifted his to meet her halfway, but she only let her lips ghost over the corners of his mouth and Akim let his head fall back to the armrest.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think this is not an honor, but a torture,¡± He groaned.

    There was a wicked glint in Winter¡¯s gaze, ¡°You made me work for this, what makes you think you¡¯ll get it easily.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m scared,¡± He teased her.

    ¡°You should be,¡± Winters said just before she ground against him and Akim moaned, then she stole his air.

    She slid his lips over his, the softness and the heat of his mouth taking her breath away. Something warm coils in her stomach and Winters continues to kiss him slowly as if taking her time to study the shape of his mouth. But Akim realized a guttural sound and deepens the kiss, his arms wrapping across her waist just as Winters sat astride him.

    His tongue swiped into her mouth and she moaned, taking his minty taste with her. Her breath was ragged as she dug her hair into his blonde hair and pulled, he moaned loudly into her mouth, her core tingling with desire. Her body was no longer hers as she gave in to the fire burning between them.

    Akim suddenly sat up with her, his hands cupping her bottom with their mouth joined together and began to grind her against him.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Winters let out a breathy moan, her eyes falling close from the pleasure. Her hand moved down to the back of his neck, pulling him flush against her while the other raked down his back.

    ¡°Give me more,¡± She told Akim breathlessly as he used her hips to rock him, their breathsing in gasps. He increased the pace and Winters rocked against him.

    And when Winters toppled over the edge, she came so hard she didn¡¯t realize her fingers were squeezing his scalp tight and almost immediately, Akim cried out his release. The both of them were panting so hard by the time they were done and staring at each other only for a smile to appear on their faces.

    Akim nted his lips over hers, kissing her hard and passionately. He kissed her neck, his teeth scraping her chin, and used his tongue to trace her pulse down from her jaw to her corbone. He kissed the dip on her shoulder while cing his hands on her chest, kneading her breast.

    ¡°You need to clean up,¡± Winters said in between a moan, referring to the wet patch on his trousers.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Akim stole one more kiss before standing up to his feet. He then offered her his hand, saying, ¡°Do you want toe to my room?¡±

    She froze knowing what he was suggesting.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Winters said and his face fell in disappointment.

    She stood up to her feet and even with her height, Akim still towered over her. But that didn¡¯t stop Winters from raking her fingers along his shirt, pressing into the hard muscles there andmunicating her need.

    Winters sped his cheek with her hands, ¡°Baby steps,¡± She said, ¡°Do not be impatient, Akim. You love fast, you split fast. Love isn¡¯t meant to be hurried, it¡¯s savored,¡±

    In one word, Winters wanted to go slow. You know build anticipation, trust, affection, those things. She wanted something.... real.

    Damn, she¡¯s a lost cause.

    ¡°I loved before and it didn¡¯t go well,¡± Akim told her and her heart sank.

    ¡°So you¡¯re giving up already?¡± Winters felt her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. In the end, she¡¯s all alone.

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is....¡± Akim wrapped his arm around his waist to her astonishment, ¡°I¡¯m a fool for love. So can I trust you with my heart, Winters?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± She answered and Akim broke into a huge smile, hugging her tight.

    Maybe things weren¡¯t so bad after all?

    Yeah, except for the part where she was yet to tell him that she was a hacker and a spy in his household.

    Welp.

    Why is love so hard?

 Chapter 548

    548 He Was In Deep shit

    ¡°All I told you was keep the rabbits out of here, but you do directly the opposite of...¡± Marcel trailed off when he saw his cousin Victor drinking early in the morning and he halted.

    Sure, Victor indulged a few times, but those few times were rare and the somber ambiance surrounding his dear cousin was suffocating. Having known his dear cousin since he was in diapers, Marcel knew instinctively that something was wrong.

    Without a word, Marcel dropped down beside him. Victor didn¡¯t speak to him even as he picked up the bottle of whiskey and poured himself a drink. Seeing there was another cup, even if Victor didn¡¯t say it, Marcel knew that he wantedpany and that person was him.

    Throwing his head back, Marcel drank his alcohol and he dropped the ss and looked at his cousin,

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Victor halted for a moment before swinging down his drink. He lowered his head and then lifted his head, sniffing,

    ¡°I think Mimi wants to break up with me,¡±

    Marcel swallowed a lump in his throat. He had his suspicions and it seems that he was right.

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± He tried to minimize the damage done, ¡°For all, we know it might be all in your head, or perhaps, you did something to her and can¡¯t remember. Women do bear grudges,¡± Arianna was a living testimony.

    .....

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to console me, Marcel, I¡¯m not weak. The signs are there, the cold shoulder, theck of attention. She doesn¡¯t even want to have sex with me anymore and that¡¯s speaking volumes, Marcel! I mean, our sex life is something to write home about. And if I annoyed her as you im, why can¡¯t she talk to me?! It¡¯s all confusing. One moment, I thought I had my whole life sorted out and now, it¡¯s falling apart. I found out there¡¯s nothing. ¡±

    ¡°Hey, ¡± Marcel ced his hand on his shoulder and made him face him, ¡°Then face it and get it all sorted so you can start rebuilding.¡±

    ¡°You mean after she¡¯s broken up with me?¡± Victor said sarcastically, taking a drink directly from the bottle.

    ¡°Then what are you going to do then? Sit around and wallow in self-pity, is that it? Sure, the drink would numb the pain, but then what? Your problem is right there, staring at my face.¡±

    ¡°Then what about you? If Arianna decided to leave you, what would you do? Go after her like the capable man you are....¡± Victor intentionally incited him, but when he saw the look on Marcel¡¯s face, it dawned on him.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Victor snorted, ¡°You were never nning on letting her go. The great Marcel would tie her down to his side just like his daddy. You both are so different, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s jaw flexed and his fists shook by his side, but he managed to rein in his anger and said to his cousin,

    ¡°I get that you¡¯re hurting inside and you¡¯re a bit tipsy, however, one more jab at me or dare topare me with that man and I would give you the beating you desire so much right now,¡± He warned him.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that the truth, cousin? Arianna is a captive here no matter how you put it. She¡¯s just lucky enough to have fallen for you else it would be history repeating itself all over again. ¡± Victor sneered

    And that was it.

    Marcel grabbed Victor by the cor and pulled him up to his feet fiercely,

    ¡°Now listen to me young man, you are going to get yourself sober and then you talk with Mimi and set things straight, you hear me?¡± He tapped him on the cheeks as if that would sober him up and when Victor didn¡¯t reply, Marcel grabbed his chin.

    ¡°Look at me, Victor, we, Luciano men never give up on what we want and you are going to do exactly that! I don¡¯t want to see your sorry ass the next I see you. I want my consigliere in action, not this pathetic ass you are right now!¡± Marcel pushed him away and Victor stumbled back a few times but it was obvious that the words got to him.

    Marcel was about to leave when he retracted his step and turned to Victor Saying, ¡°You should thank your God that I love you else your brain matters would have scattered across the ground by now. ¡± He referred to Victor daring topare him to Daniel.

    Victor lowered his head in shame, he hadn¡¯t meant to say those words, but he had just been angry and the best he could do was transfer that aggression on Marcel, the closest person.

    Suddenly, Marcel¡¯s phone rang and he picked it up with a snarl, ¡°What is it now?¡± He was still reeling from Victor¡¯s provocation.

    ¡°Boss, you need toe to see this,¡±

    It was Luca and Marcel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. For Luca to call him directly meant this had to do with Arianna. It was not good.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Go make yourself presentable first,¡± Marcel told him and hurried off.

    Luca wanted him in the living room which meant that it wasn¡¯t a threatening situation, however, the urgency in his tone suggested otherwise.

    Marcel increased his pace, ignoring his men on the way offering him greetings. However, it was satisfying to know Arianna was safe else they wouldn¡¯t be this rxed.

    He nearly ran into the living room shouting,

    ¡°What is it?!¡± until he saw Arianna unharmed and seated on the sofa with her legs crossed over the other with a fierce look on her face that told him whatever it was, he was in deep shit.

    Her friend Mimi was by her side with an offensive look that was directed at him and he frowned. Alright, what was going on? He was about to ask when he caught movements at the corner of his eyes and turned to see....

    ¡°Macy,¡± Marcel breathed.

    ¡°Boss,¡±

    Damn.

 Chapter 549

    549 I¡¯m the Queen Now

    Have you ever looked at someone and decided you hated that person for life? Arianna was hundred percent positive about that feeling for Macy.

    She had managed to calm Mimi and talked her through her problem and together, they were about to go find Victor and tell him the truth when they stumbled into the bitch in the living room.

    The nerve!

    Arianna could vividly remember that day; the day the bitch tried to dry-drown her. She couldn¡¯t forget the torture, the pain she had to go through all because of that woman, and here she was standing as if nothing happened and looking radiant as ever.

    Honestly, Arianna thought Marcel killed her off or something since she hasn¡¯t set her eyes for a long time, but it turns out the bitch was alive and kicking. And yes, she would dly support Marcel this time if he wanted to kill her because the act was justifiable for once.

    Arianna had the urge to shovel a body.

    It seems the feeling was mutual because the woman¡¯s eyes widened slightly, then narrowed on her when she finally recognized her. Arianna could see shock, bitterness, then the rage in those eyes.

    Oh, how delighted she would be if they could have a rematch right now because she had a lot of pent-up energy and a lot she wanted to say with her fist! That woman managed to get the best of her that day only because two men were holding her down but not anymore.

    Arianna was not a trained fighter, however, she was streetwise and was trained with a backbone. She associated with people from the slum and there wasn¡¯t the word ¡®giving up¡¯ in her dictionary. Macy might be trained and all, but she fought dirty and with the amount of adrenaline pumping through her body right now, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she lifted a trunk.

    .....

    ¡°What is she doing here?¡± She heard Mimi hiss by her side.

    Oh, it seems that she wasn¡¯t the only one with a score to settle with the bitch.

    ¡°I should be the one asking what the both of you are doing here,¡± The bitch finally talked and Arianna had to restrain herself from tackling her to the ground and beating the daylight out of her.

    Arianna knew Marcel and the woman had something in the past which wasn¡¯t surprising, men were predictable ¨C and dick heads. However, that wasn¡¯t her business, Arianna wouldn¡¯t shame a fellow woman because of a man even though she was as jealous as hell. But then, that woman tried to kill her and that wasn¡¯t something she forgave easily.

    ¡°Really? You want to know?¡± Arianna¡¯s words were sarcastic and dripping with animosity. Even the soldiers by the side noticed the tension in the air and backed off. They all knew it was not advisable to butt into a showdown between women. A casualty loss is still a thing.

    Arianna sashayed into the living room and sat down confidently on the single sofa usually reserved for Marcel, crossing her leg over the other, saying,

    ¡°I¡¯m the queen now, bitch, what are you?¡±

    Macy¡¯s eyes came alive with mes while her nostrils red and she clenched her hands into fists by her side. She has not seen thising. She should have known this was the reason Marcel didn¡¯t want her to return to the base. He was getting into bed with that whore.

    ¡°Yes, bitch, she¡¯s the queen now. What are you?¡± Mimi supported her friend, beginning to massage Arianna¡¯s shoulder from behind. And maybe, that was a bit over the top? But whatever, Arianna was going to enjoy her friend¡¯s support.

    And she knew that one, Macy red at Mimi. Didn¡¯t Marcel hire her or something? Just what was going on here? Why are the two barbarians acting like they were in power? The Marcel she knew would never ept that.

    And speak of the devil.

    Macy was hopeful as soon as she set eyes on Marcel, however, she couldn¡¯t understand why he was rushing into the room as if the devil was on his heels. Or maybe he was excited to see her.

    However, her face fell when she saw Marcel ask, ¡°What is it?¡± looking in the direction of that woman with his breath ragged as if he had been truly worried ¨C worried over the woman, the realization devastated her.

    Macy took a step back and Marcel finally turned, his gaze finally settling on her, and her throat constricted with emotion. Instead of excitement in his eyes, Macy saw anxiety in there as if he never wanted her here in the first ce. Or maybe he never wanted her here after all. He has moved on, the startling realization knocked the breath out of her lungs.

    No, Macy refused to believe it. It was not true. That bitch must have something over him and is threatening him with it. Marcel was never this week. Marcel would never let a woman turn him into a pussy. It was impossible.

    ¡°Macy,¡±

    She heard Marcel call her name and hope grew in her heart. Perhaps Marcel had not forgotten her after all.

    ¡°Boss,¡± She hardly took a step when she saw that woman stand up and went to Marcel. Before her very eyes, she kissed him and Marcel didn¡¯t stop her.

    Macy felt her heart break into a million pieces as she watched that woman exert her control over Marcel and something inside of her died.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you when you¡¯re done with her,¡± Arianna muttered to Marcel as soon as she broke away from the kiss. Casting onest look at Macy, her lips curled to the side and she turned to Mimi, ¡°Let¡¯s go, bestie,¡±

    ¡°dly,¡± Mimi took her hand as they walked away in style.

    As soon as they left, Marcel turned warily to his former second inmand. Macy has always prided herself on masking her emotions, but right now, she let it all out and Marcel didn¡¯t know how to deal with it.

    ¡°My office now,¡± was all he ordered and left. No matter their rtionship, he couldn¡¯t afford to set off a bomb called Arianna because Hell hath no fury like a woman in love.

 Chapter 550

    550 The Best News Of His Life

    ¡°What is it?¡± Arianna sighed deeply. She then turned to meet her friend who had been staring at her as if she developed two heads.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Mimi shrugged, ¡°I just never expected it, that¡¯s all. I already prepared myself for a bit of action, you know pulling of hair and a bit of karate here and there,¡± She made some ridiculous moves to prove her point and thankfully, didn¡¯t fall on her butt.

    Ariannaughed at her, ¡°Well, thank you for the demonstration Mimi, but that¡¯s me being mature here. I was trying to save Marcel¡¯s face and not prove to his entire soldiers that he has a possessive, rabid girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Aww,¡± Mimi mimicked a proud mother¡¯s tone, ¡°Who¡¯s my girl? My little girl¡¯s all grown up,¡± She teased her.

    ¡°Alright, stop it,¡± Arianna told her amidughter. She then wrapped her arm around her neck and pulled her to her side while grinning.

    The both of them walked on as Arianna said, ¡°Moreover, I trust that Marcel would do the right thing.¡± She hoped so else all hell would break loose. Arianna can¡¯t stand the face of that woman around here, not to mention the fact that she and Marcel had something in the past. It should all belong in the past.

    As if reading her mind, Mimi asked her, ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t? What would you do? Trust me when I tell you, that woman has a grade A in bitchery,¡± She referred to her first time encountering Macy.

    Arianna pulled away from her, her brows creased as she thought hard, however, said in the end, ¡°He would. ¡± And that was final. Marcel would do what was right, she believed so.

    She moved on, ¡°Moreover,¡± Arianna felt the need to speak up and defend her decision, ¡°I understand why Marcel wants her alive, she¡¯s a valuable asset to him. Just like I can¡¯t Elijah dies, he can¡¯t end her life just like that. So you can think of this as me being fair.¡±

    .....

    And the moment Mimi heard those words, she halted in her steps and looked hard and long at her friend which made her brows arch questioningly.

    ¡°What now, Mimi?

    Mimi came close to her and looked around to see if there are others around and when there was none, she asked her,

    ¡°Tell me, the truth, Arianna, you know what Elijah looks like, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Oops.

    She found out.

    Arianna swallowed, finding her throat suddenly dry and that gesture was all that Mimi needed to know.

    ¡°You knew,¡± Mimi was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Not until recently,¡± Arianna grabbed her hand trying to exin to her. She looked around and when there was no one watching, she quickly confessed, ¡°Elijah revealed himself to me the other night. And when I say reveal, I mean without the face paint and all.¡±

    ¡°You now know his face,¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°And you kept it all to yourself?¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t exactly have the chance to speak to you until now, did I? I would have told you if you hadn¡¯t figured it out with your quick wits.¡± She gave her reasons.

    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Mimi gasped loudly, ¡°You haven¡¯t told Marcel yet.¡±

    ¡°God, no!¡± Arianna said it as if it was the most horrible idea she has evere up with,

    ¡°Are you insane? Do you know what Marcel would do with that?¡±

    Mimi inched closer, dropping her voice to a whisper, ¡°You still have to tell him the truth nheless, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much Marcel hates Elijah, Mimi. He would kill him, no, they would tear each other apart and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for such loss.¡±

    She quickly added, ¡°That is why I have a n. I¡¯m trying to convince Elijah to give the guns back to Marcel. If he can do that, I think Marcel can have a change of heart and perhaps spare his life. Then Elijah can safely leave the city without a hair on his body being harmed, that¡¯s all I owe him. I told him already that I¡¯m together with Marcel. The both of us can¡¯t work out anymore and I believe he woulde to terms with that. ¡±

    It was a good n but Mimi shook her head, unsure, ¡°I don¡¯t know Ari, keeping stuff from a man like Marcel sounds like a bad idea. Honestly? I think you¡¯re ying with fire here. A very, dangerous fire that might end up scalding you too if you aren¡¯t careful enough,¡± She warned her.

    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Arianna told her, ¡°It would work out, no, it has to work out, else Elijah is as good as dead.¡±

    She looked forward, ¡°And Victor is here.¡± Arianna informed her friend. They were on their way to see him and instead, met him halfway.

    Mimi turned to look at him and Victor halted in his step as well when he saw her. The both of them didn¡¯t say anything, just one long silence as they stared at each other.

    Although she promised to support her friend, Arianna couldn¡¯t help feeling like she was infringing on a moment that didn¡¯t belong to her. She cleared her throat,

    ¡°I should leave,¡±

    And before Mimi could say a word, she had vanished down the hallway, leaving the both of them in awkward silence.

    ¡°Can we talk?¡± Mimi finally summoned the courage to speak.

    But Victor told her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to beat around the bush for that. I get it if you don¡¯t want to be with me anymore. You can leave if you want to, I¡¯m not going to stop you ore after you or anything,¡± He would not kidnap her to an ind like his mother did to her father even as seductive as the idea was.

    ¡°You idiot!¡± Mimi walked towards him andnded a p on his face, shocking Victor as his eyes went wide. What did he do now?

    ¡°How can you say that to a woman carrying your baby?!¡± Mimi yelled at him, tears bursting from the corner of her eyes. God, why was she being emotional? She hated being emotional.

    ¡°What?¡± Victor felt like he heard wrong. What was Mimi saying? She was carrying his baby?

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant for you, you idiot!¡± Mimi told him, tears still flowing down her face.

    ¡°Jesus, Christ, I am going to be a father?!¡± It finally dawned on Victor and without warning, he carried her off her feet and twirled her around as she screamed in surprise.

    ¡°Victor!¡± Mimi pleaded for him to put her down.

    But the moment her feet touched the ground, Victor sped her cheeks and kissed her till she could no longer differentiate her right from her left.

    It was the best news of his life.

 Chapter 551

    551 Stay By Your Side

    There was nothing but tense silence as Macy followed Marcel to his office. Even the other soldiers who knew her stayed away from her as if they didn¡¯t want to draw trouble for themselves. Every one of them knew from the tension in the air that it wasn¡¯t going to turn out well for Macy, especially with the bossdy around.

    Yeah, the men had befortable enough with Arianna to give her the title of ¡°Bossdy¡±. Even without that, it was quite obvious to everyone that Marcel was wrapped around her finger. Take, for example, a rabbit living in the base now, and one should know that Marcel doesn¡¯t wee rabbits. So yeah, the best way to survive was to get on Arianna¡¯s good side and from the showdown earlier, she doesn¡¯t like Macy. In one word, Macy¡¯s done for.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say a word to Macy until he got into his office and Macy arrived not long after, shutting the door behind her.

    ¡°Sit down,¡± He told her, but Macy remained standing and Marcel¡¯s jaw clenched. As much as he owed her an exnation, he hated having his orders disobeyed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, boss,¡± Macy said, looking around in confusion, ¡°Am I dreaming or what? What is she doing here? She¡¯s not supposed to be here, is she? What about Elijah? Have you caught him?¡±

    But Marcel didn¡¯t answer her, rather he went to a shelve and brought out a gin and a ss. He set it up on his desk, opened it, and poured himself a drink while Macy watched uneasily. She had this feeling that Marcel was not telling her everything and when he does, it would go down the shit hole.

    ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s going on, boss?¡± Macy tried not to show her emotions, but she was failing to contain them. Her right hand was shaking and she had to steady it with the other one.

    She and Marcel had been the best team and everyone in the organization knew it. Her devotion and loyalty to Marcel were unquestionable and her services were the best ¨C including in bed. Although she knew that there were chances Marcel wouldn¡¯t end up with her, she hoped to gain his heart nheless.

    When Marcel was engaged to ra, she was neither envious of her, because she pitied the young woman. Macy knew that Marcel loathed ra, she was just a business transaction and her role was to provide an heir for him. But Macy would be contented if she had Marcel¡¯s heart and affection, because a married woman without her husband¡¯s attention was equivalent to a woman.

    .....

    That was why she wouldn¡¯t mind being Marcel¡¯s mistress ¨C and that was the n. ra would only be his wife on paper, while she would control Marcel¡¯s home, heart, and resources. Marcel already trusted her and knew her capacity, and together, they would have been a formidable couple.

    But that was until Arianna came along. Macy knew that there was something about that woman and she should have trusted her intuition. Marcel doesn¡¯t look at her like before even while standing in front of her and that shattered her heart. What has that woman done to him?

    ¡°Many things changed while you were away, Macy,¡± Marcel told her.

    ¡°Yeah, many things like what?¡± She scoffed, ¡°You have been fucking the bitch, is that it? I warned you boss. I did warn you, not that you listened. You weren¡¯t supposed to sleep with the enemy and look what happened, she has poisoned your -¡±

    Macy didn¡¯t get to finish the rest of her words before Marcel suddenly lunged at her and she let out a frightened squeal. Marcel was looming over her with wide, fierce eyes, it was chilling.

    ¡°Call her a bitch once more and we would not have this friendly conversation anymore,¡± Marcel growled at her, stunning her.

    Macy¡¯s heart began to pound hard in her chest, not from anticipation, but from fear, ¡°My God,¡± It dawned on her, ¡°This is why you didn¡¯t want me here. You never wanted me to get a rest, you were just keeping me away from her.¡±

    Marcel downed another of his drink before selling to her, ¡°Perhaps, if you haven¡¯t been quick to drown her during your first encounter, Arianna would have tolerated you a bit. However, as you know it, she doesn¡¯t want you here and I think that¡¯s the solution.¡± He concluded.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Macy stepped forward, beginning to beg him, ¡°You can¡¯t do that to me, Marcel. You know that the both of us work perfectly well, you can¡¯t do without me,¡± She tried to persuade him to change his mind.

    ¡°That is where you are wrong, Macy, no one is indispensable. Also, I¡¯m sorry if I had unintentionally given you ideas about the both of us, however, you¡¯re smart Macy and I¡¯m sure you knew our rtionship was purely business and that I no longer require. You would report to Adele from now on, she would have news for you. ¡± Marcel said to her.

    ¡°No, Marcel, you can¡¯t do this to me,¡± Macy cried out, desperate to change his mind, ¡°You know it deep down that I¡¯m the one perfect for you.¡± She ced her hand on his chest and tried to wrap her arm around his neck as Marcel tried to stop her.

    When it be obvious that she wasn¡¯t going to stop, he bellowed at her with intensity, ¡°Enough!¡±

    Marcel caught her hands in the air while Macy lowered her head and began to cry.

    ¡°I can¡¯t live without you,¡± She confessed to him, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t love me, just don¡¯t send me away, Marcel. I want to stay by your side like before. I promise I won¡¯t have expectations, just like old times.¡±

    However, Marcel shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Macy, but I can¡¯t lose Arianna over this. We made a great team, but that was all in the past and now I want to create a future with her,¡± He rejected her coldly.

    Unfortunately, that was the moment the door clicked open...

 Chapter 552

    552 Tell Him The Truth

    ¡°Some people never change, do they?¡± Victor muttered dramatically as he stepped into the room and saw her, his ex-girlfriend. And as soon as Macyid her eyes on him, she let go of Marcel instantly, stepping back and creating space between them.

    But Victor nonchntly walked into the room with a gait that said he gave no fuck about her and plonked down on the sofa facing the both of them, preparing to watch the show. He had almost forgotten that Macy existed until now. He should have known she would shamelesslye back here and to think he was about to share the good news with Marcel. Ugh, she just ruined his mood, Victor bitched inwardly.

    ¡°Victor...¡± Macy breathed when she saw him and was about to take a step forward when she remembered who she was with and her current position. Hence, she stopped herself, yet her eyes didn¡¯t move from him as the memories hit her hard.

    Although she mentally braced herself beforeing knowing that she would meet Victor here without a doubt, it still didn¡¯t prepare her for this method. Those eyes that adored her in the past were hard and so cold she swore he could freeze her up with his gaze alone.

    ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t spoil the show with my arrival. No, the both of you shouldn¡¯t stop on my ount,¡± His tone was sarcastic and unweing.

    It was no news to Marcel that the both of them hated each other. Why they disliked each other? He had no idea, it was a puzzle he could never solve, and has hoped Victor would open up to him when he was ready to talk.

    However, Marcel was more relieved by the fact that it was his cousin that walked through that door and not Arianna. He understood how misleading his position with Macy looked moments ago and if Arianna had seen that, he was done for sure. One thing was for sure, it was not happening again.

    ¡°Hey, Victor. It¡¯s been a long time,¡± Macy attempted to start a conversation with him, albeit, awkwardly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, please,¡± Victor groaned, closing his eyes as if it was too much to handle, ¡°We are not friends here, so don¡¯t try to butter up to me, unlike my cousin, it¡¯s not going to work at all.¡± He told her straightforwardly.

    .....

    Marcel red at him while Macy rubbed her palm down her face before running her hands through her hair in frustration. Why were both of the men that meant a lot of things to her giving her such a hard time?

    ¡°Should I tell him or should you tell him because I¡¯m good with either option?¡± Victor wanted to reveal the truth.

    ¡°Victor,¡± She gave him a warning look.

    ¡°Tell me what?¡± Marcel was intrigued now knowing there was something the both of them were keeping from him.

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Victor rolled his eyes towards heaven, ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re the victim here when both of us knew who was really hurt when you decided to have your cake and have it?¡±

    ¡°Victor, please...¡± Macy went to beg him, however, the deadly look he gave her stuck her feet on the spot.

    ¡°Alright, can somebody tell me what is going on here?¡± Marcel looked between the both of them intensely. They were clearly hiding something and one of them had to open up.

    ¡°Tell him now,¡± Victor insisted, his patience running out. He had waited long enough for her to tell Marcel the truth and owe up to her mistake, but she didn¡¯t. He was not going to let that little bitch manipte his cousin into feeling for her situation no matter how tight their rtionship had been. Macy was an epic bitch and that was it.

    ¡°Please, no...¡± Macy begged him, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks. But that was it, Marcel has had enough.

    He turned to her now, and demanded, ¡°You will tell me the truth, now! What is this all about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it...¡± She shook her head, the tears flowing down her face and Mach had to cup her mouth to stop the sobs.

    ¡°God, you are such a drama queen,¡± Victor could not take it anymore and said to Marcel, ¡°Well, dear cousin, you should know that your previous assistant and I were an item before she decided to fuck you literally and ditch me afterward after cheating on me because I wasn¡¯t you, the man with the big guns, the Mafia Don with power! How¡¯s that for an exnation?¡± He revealed the truth by himself while Macy was by the side crying. It was over.

    Marcel¡¯s blood ran cold when he heard that piece of news. He slept with his cousin¡¯s woman? That was like their number one rule, you don¡¯t steal Fratello¡¯s girlfriend. It was their code of honor. However, Macy knew that and still offered herself to him? How sick could that be?

    No wonder Victor loathed her. It finally made sense to him ¨C exined the animosity. His cousin had to bear the pain of knowing he was fucking his woman the entire time. Even if the both of them broke up afterward, she still cheated on him ¨C with his cousin.

    ¡°Get lost,¡± Marcel whispered, lifting dead and cold gray orbs towards her.

    ¡°Marcel, I can exin, I really didn¡¯t mean to....¡±

    ¡°I SAID GET LOST!¡±

    She didn¡¯t have to think twice about the order, Macy ran out of the office and out of the base without looking back. It wasn¡¯t until she was far from the vicinity and was sure that Marcel would be able toe after in his anger that she was able to release the breath she was holding in. Then she screamed.

    Macy screamed so hard that her throat be husky and the people walking around the neighborhood looked at her strangely, but she didn¡¯t care. She knew she messed up, but how could Marcel do this to her?

    The only reason she has forgiven Marcel for Killing her father was that she thought they were going to be together. She abandoned her revenge n so they could be together. But what does she get in revenge? He discarded her like tissue paper when he was done with her, huh?

    No, she was not going to take this. If Marcel was not going to be with her, then he had to pay for his crimes. And since he didn¡¯t have mercy on her, she wouldn¡¯t hold back either. This was not the end. She would make sure to make him regret this moment.

    Macy wiped the tears from her eyes. Since she can¡¯t have love, she would have revenge. She would make Marcel regret ever choosing that girl. It was a promise.

 Chapter 553

    553 You Must Be Thirsty

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner?¡± Marcel asked his cousin when he could finally look him in the face without thinking how much he fucked him over.

    It might not seem like a huge issue, but if Marcel were to reverse the case, it would be Arianna fucking Victor and dumping him afterward with his cousin having no idea they were together. It was pretty messed up ¨C and he couldn¡¯t imagine that happening.

    Arianna was his!

    [A/N: Yeah, yeah, we know! Get it over with, alpha man!]

    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Victor shrugged, ¡°What¡¯s done is done and sometimes ignorance is bliss. Look at the awkwardness between us now, it would have been much better without you knowing about it.¡±

    ¡°Then why? Why did you expose it now?¡± He asked, wondering if it was revenge against her for what she did to him.

    His cousin stood up and went to Marcel, ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t stand still and watch her manipte you. No offense, dear cousin, but you can be quite blinding when ites to loyalty. People who are loyal to you can still betray you. Aside from that, I¡¯m hundred percent Arianna¡¯s fan and I¡¯m here to do her dirty work. ¡±

    The both of them burst intoughter. It was so hrious to think that his cousin has been thoroughly won over by his woman, Arianna. If only Marcel knew that after she convinced Mimi to tell him the truth, Victor swore allegiance to her forever.

    ¡°And I have good news,¡± Victor said.

    .....

    Marcel¡¯s brows raised in anticipation.

    He took a deep breath and then smiled so wide Marcel thought the sun had dropped down to the earth. Alright, he was curious now. What could make his little cousin this happy because just an hour ago he was as gloomy as a dark cloud? Marcel wondered if he should be concerned about his mental health?

    ¡°Mimi is pregnant!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s having my baby!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Instantly, both cousins went for a celebrity cheat bump before Victor hopped onto his back and Marcel happily carried and veered him around like a rotating helicopter before dropping him on the sofa and tackling him.

    ¡°You little imp! You got a woman pregnant already?! Oh, I¡¯m so disappointed in you!¡± Marcel mimicked how usual parents would act when they heard such news, however, their family wasn¡¯t conventional.

    It was essential that they got married early and started a family considering risk was part of their job. Imagine if Marcel were to die without an heir to rece him, that would be tragic. It would cause a power imbnce and struggle as well. There was no immediate sibling to take after him since Chloe wasn¡¯t even considered part of the family.

    So yeah, Victor was merely twenty-four years old, a year younger than Marcel, but in the eyes of the other family members, he was a grown man. Moreover, starting a family meant one had attained maturity and it was a bonus to get respect in the family. Victor was about to be celebrated in the family.

    Hence both men fooled around happily on the sofa until they had exhausted the hell out of themselves till they couldn¡¯t move andid down there panting.

    ¡°So, how do you intend to tell Mimi¡¯s parents you got their daughter pregnant? You haven¡¯t even introduced yourself to them as her boyfriend?¡± Marcel reminded him how screwed he was.

    ¡°Yeah, about that? That is a problem I would figure outter, but for now, I need to bask in the glory of an expectant father.¡± He said, withplete bliss on his face.

    Marcel smiled at his cousin, he was happy for him. But deep down, there was a tiny bit of jealousy as well. How happy would he be if Arianna was pregnant for him? However, this was his cousin¡¯s day, no sad face, no regrets.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, cousin,¡± Marcel said, patting him on the shoulder proudly before he stood up, ¡°I need to go find Arianna.¡± She must be waiting for him already.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I need to find Mimi as well. God! We should have a party about this and celebrate as much as we can before Mamma decides to burst in and make my life hell with her arrangements.¡±

    ¡°Anything, you want, man. It¡¯s your day.¡± Marcel told him and left.

    But once Marcel made it outside, he leaned against the door and took a deep breath before going to find Arianna.

    He went into her room and found her on the balcony, looking outside. Even if she noticed his presence, Arianna didn¡¯t show it as she kept looking out, so Marcel slowly crept up on her and wrapped his arm around her waist, burying his nose into her neck and inhaling her scent. It was kind of weird but her scent had some sort of calming on him.

    Arianna didn¡¯tin, if anything she leaned into him and shut her eyes closed, enjoying the moment with him.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you heard the news?¡± She said, opening her eyes.

    ¡°Mmmm,¡± Marcel murmured, kissing her neck and she relished the feeling. Arianna liked it when he did that.

    ¡°Are you disappointed that I couldn¡¯t get pregnant for you?¡± Arianna suddenly said and he stiffened, before turning her around to meet him.

    Marcel cupped her cheek and said firmly, ¡°I might be a bit envious of my cousin¡¯s good luck, but I would never be disappointed in you, Il mio amore. If anything, I should be the one disappointed for not fucking you hard enough to nt a seed. But then, you want us to wait, and I¡¯ll wait, dly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna was grateful for his understanding and the fact she wouldn¡¯t have be pressured to start a family with him.

    ¡°And you should not worry about Macy, she would not being here again,¡± He promised her, kissing her smack on the lips.

    ¡°That is good,¡± Arianna said. She won¡¯t have to get rid of the bitch, herself then. What a considerate boyfriend she had.

    She then picked a ss of water from the table beside her, ¡°Here, you must be thirsty, have this.¡±

    Marcel took the water from her unsuspectingly and drank it thoroughly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± He handed the ss back to her, and then his hands were on her waist again, pulling her close to him as he began to kiss her. They were still making out when Marcel began to feel strange. His vision was a bit blurry

    ¡°What...?¡±

    He looked at Arianna who had a smirk at the corner of her lips and then he was falling.

 Chapter 554

    554 [Bonus chapter]The Game

    Note ¨C Snu Snu chapter ahead..

    ______

    Marcel¡¯s head was pounding, his mouth was dry and tacky, and where the fuck was he?

    It was dark as if everywhere had been intentionally sealed off to keep the light out. However, Marcel¡¯s memories returned and he slightly panicked, what did Arianna do to him?

    As if to answer his question, the light came on, slightly blinding him with its suddenness, although it was colored. However, what shocked Marcel the most was seeing Arianna standing before him, dressed in.... Holy mother of God.

    She was wearing the sexiest yetplicatedcy lingerie he had ever seen her put on ¨C he didn¡¯t even get that for her. The matching red bra and panty set with belt and thigh bands were featured with strappy, high leg, metal ring, sheer mesh that showed her curve beautifully.

    Marcel¡¯s throat dried up as his gaze lingered on the high-cut thong bottom that highlighted her leg line. The lingerie set enhanced her femininity and made her more charming.

    However, the fact that her breasts were more full and stood upright didn¡¯t draw Marcel¡¯s attention, rather it was because it was a naughty open bra and he could see her nipples and entire are as clear as day. Arianna was dripping hot as sin and he groaned as his cock reacted.

    And speaking of cock?

    .....

    Marcel was naked as the day he was born and that was when he realized what was going on.

    ¡°Holy shit, Arianna,¡± Marcel cursed as he pulled at the cuffs restraining both of his hands and feet to the bed. In one word, Marcel was incapacitated and he couldn¡¯t even retaliate if Arianna did anything to him right now. Not that she would do anything to him, he trusted her, right?

    Well, she did drug him and that was one piece of trust off the table. Although he would love to see where this game ends. She started it and he would be the one to end it.

    ¡°Nice view from here,¡± Arianna smirked devilishly, taking a picture of him in that position.

    ¡°You drugged me,¡± Marcel red at her, unhappy about that fact.

    ¡°Oops, sorry,¡± Arianna said, but it was not sincere at all and he knew it.

    ¡°Alright,¡± She confessed, ¡°It was a tiny bit of revenge for that time you sent back to Big Joe for my great wedding even while I was on my knees begging you. You were a cold bastard, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°I thought you forgave me and it was all in the past?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe her

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t ever believe a woman when she says it¡¯s all in the past. We just like getting our revenge in style,¡± Arianna reminded him cheekily.

    Marcel snorted exaggeratedly, he was a fool to have fallen into her trap.

    ¡°Moreover...¡± Arianna purred, beginning to climb onto the bed on all fours and the view was so deliciously hot, that Marcel grew harder. God, what he would do to her if he wasn¡¯t cuffed right now, ¡°A little birdy told me he would love to be dominated by a woman and I know I couldn¡¯t do that without a little bit of help,¡± She smirked at him knowingly as she leaned over him, however, Marcel only gave her a nk stare.

    Her nostrils red at his aloof attitude, ¡°Or perhaps, you only like it when you have the upper hand and the woman is beneath you,¡±

    ¡°Or maybe you don¡¯t know the rules of being a predator when you started this game, Arianna? The winner isn¡¯t who starts first but who finishesst. ¡± Marcel told her with a dangerous yet lustful glint in his eyes.

    Arianna raked her nail down his throat and pouted, ¡°We¡¯d see about that then.¡±

    Then she reached for the nightstand and pulled a bottle of water, she shook it, ¡°Thirsty?¡±

    Marcel snorted and looked away, however, the way he swallowed down told Arianna that he really wanted some.

    ¡°I see, you don¡¯t trust me,¡±

    Marcel arched his perfectly thick brow, ¡°Who knows what you have up your sleeve this time?¡± Although he looked mean, his tone was yful.

    ¡°Oh honey, you would be surprised by the many things I have up my sleeve,¡± And to prove her point, she caressed his chest, and his hard abs flexed beneath her hand, Arianna was smug. She had control here.

    ¡°However, let¡¯s treat our trust issue first before we get into the game, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Arianna pulled the cap off and then she took enough water in her mouth before leaning down to press her lips against Marcel¡¯s and fed him the water, building trust between them that there was nothing in the water.

    But the moment Marcel finished drinking, their lips met together in a kiss until Arianna decided it was enough ¨C although Marcel grumbled ¨C and sipped from the can again before repeating the same pattern.

    Now it was confirmed that there was nothing in the water, Marcel could drink directly from it but he didn¡¯t want to. This method adopted by Arianna was much safer and sweeter, to the point he drank the whole bottle without even knowing it.

    And with the water finished, her lips settled fully on his and Marcel moaned loudly. Arianna plunged her tongue into his mouth and tangled it with his. Their tongues moved against each other in sync, kissing each otherzily yet sated.

    As much as he would love to fist his hand into her hair and cupped her bottom while he kissed the life out of her, Marcel had to ept the fact that she was in power and he would have to take whatever she gave him. Marcel had never been turned on this much in his fucking life. She was fucking perfect for him.

    Arianna moved to kiss the corner of his lips as if she didn¡¯t want to leave any ce untouched. She kissed along his jaw and further down his throat until her face was buried in his neck. Finally, Marcel could see why she loved him kissing her neck because it felt like paradise.

    He had been missing out on a lot and for once, Marcel wouldn¡¯t mind sitting back and enjoying the pleasure. He would let her do whatever she wanted with his body while he enjoyed the ride.

 Chapter 555

    555 Queen Of The Moment

    Music Rmendation ¨C Mimi Webb ¨C 24/7.

    ¡°So, how does it feel to be beneath me?¡± Arianna asked as she continued to kiss his neck, using her tongue to trail the tattoo of Samson that peeked extended over his shoulder and down his shoulder.

    ¡°Fucking amazing,¡± Marcel said, his breath ragged.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna stopped immediately. That was not the response she had been expecting. She means Marcel never gave her the chance to take control this much.

    ¡°After today, love, I think you might have to do the work and be on top for a while. My new favorite position is beneath you,¡± Marcel announced shamelessly.

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna was dumbfounded. What was he rambling about?

    However, Marcel pushed himself up on his elbow as much as the chains could let him move and crashed his lips over his and she had no choice but to kiss him back. She moaned loudly into his mouth, her hand sliding into his hair and holding his mouth against hers, kissing him with a great need that the both of them felt down to their bones.

    Arianna suddenly hated being on her period because she was as horny as a rabbit and being on top of Marcel, riding him to her heart¡¯s content didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea. Just her bad luck.

    Although they could still do it if she wasfortable enough, it was not like Marcel was going to go down on her, right?

    .....

    Nope, not happening, Arianna pushed the dirty thought down to the deepest part of her mind. All that blood, she shuddered. Not going to happen.

    Moreover, she was doing this to satisfy Marcel¡¯s kink. Arianna wanted to show him that she can give him pleasure like he gives her. In one word, it was Marcel¡¯s day and he was going to love it ¨C without the fucking. She was going down on him instead.

    While he kissed her senselessly, Arianna skimmed her hand along his ridged abdomen, across the nes of his broad chest. So when she pulled away from the kiss, her lips trailed down his chest slowly like she had all the time in the world and Marcel threw his head back from pleasure.

    She let her tongue close around his small, pink nipple and sucked it hard. Marcel¡¯s needy growl echoed across the room, motivating Arianna as she let her tongue go rigid and flicked it around the tip of his nipple.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Marcel hissed through clenched teeth, his hips bucking off the bed, and Arianna had never felt so powerful. She was the queen of this moment and Marcel was merely a mortal whose fate was in her hands.

    With a smirk at the corner of her lips, Arianna moved to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment and by the time she was done, Marcel had grown so hard it was painful.

    He needed a release.

    But Arianna didn¡¯t listen to his needs and continued to explore the rest of his body, tracing the deep V of his waist till it led to his straight cock begging for attention. Yep, both he and his cock were desperate for a bit of touch at this point.

    Arianna smirked wickedly as she stared at his hard length. His cock was asrge as she thought, thick and veiny and the bead of precum at the tip made her mouth water for a taste.

    But she sat high on hisp instead, pushing down on his hard cock till she was straddling him and Marcel wanted to cry out in both pain and pleasure. The friction with her bum provided some sort of relief but it wasn¡¯t enough, it was equivalent to giving him a spoon of ice cream when he wanted everything.

    As much as Arianna was the one giving the pleasure, she was turned on as well, her nipples aching for his mouth. So she reached and yanked his hair forward, pushing his face to close to her chest as she ordered him,

    ¡°Take it into your mouth,¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I like it when you¡¯re all bossy,¡± Marcel said, his eyes

    ¡°Shut up and suck it!¡± She barked at him and Marcel didn¡¯t waste time to close his mouth over her entire are, kissing her nipple and Arianna cried out in pleasure, her back arching instinctively.

    She felt her nipple swell and harden in his mouth. Marcel¡¯s tongue swirled around the hard nub and Arianna released a cry of pure pleasure. His warm tongue flickered against her nipple and her breathing became rapid.

    Arianna tasted so good. Marcel wanted more. His mouth left her breast before moving to the right one to make sure that she was thoroughly satisfied. He continued licking and sucking her nipples till she was unable to form incoherent words.

    She tried her hardest not to lose herself too soon but he sucked her nipple so damn good, his expert tongue wreaking havoc on her breast that she was only able to respond with a moan.

    Remembering that this was not about her but Marcel, she reached for him with his mouth still on her breast, pumping her hand up and down his huge cock while grinding against his length at the same time.

    Marcel growled loudly, the primal sound vibrating into her body and she answered with her own moan. Arianna managed to find her rhythm and soon she was stroking and grinding against him.

    His teeth mped around her nipple when she increased her pace. It was painful, but Arianna was lost in the throes of passion to care. She pumped her hand even faster than before as Marcel rocked into her touch and he was kissing her breast deeper and harsher.

    They both pushed one another to the point of climax till Arianna shuddered, trembling with release while Marcel groaned and suddenly, hot, sticky squirts of his seed jutted out andnded on her hands, down her bum, and his thigh.

    However, Arianna didn¡¯t care for any of them because she was glowing with the aftereffect of the orgasm. What they just shared was mind-flowing. She leaned down and kissed him yfully, saying against his lips,

    ¡°We should clean you up and continue with the next phase.¡±Arianna giggled, heady with desire.

    Oh, there was more.

 Chapter 556

    556 Breakfast Tomorrow

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Marcel cursed when he felt Arianna¡¯s tongue on his cock. It was merely a lick of her tongue and he was beginning to breathe as if he ran a marathon.

    The salty, slightly bitter taste of his precum was the first thing Arianna tasted when she licked his tip. Pride bloomed inside of her as the man lying in front of her shuddered at her touch.

    He pulled against the restraint but he couldn¡¯t get out of it and Arianna knew if his hands weren¡¯t hindered, he would be the one directing her ministration right now, now he could only urge her on knowing he was as good as dead if she dared to stop.

    Arianna wrapped her hand around his huge cock, still marveling at the sheer size of him and wondering how she was going to take him without gagging. But then, she had never been the one to walk away from a challenge, so Arianna dragged her hand up the full length of his shaft and Marcel groaned loudly, his cock growing harder in her grip.

    Opening her mouth as wide as she could, she took Marcel¡¯s shaft in her mouth, moaning as she swirled her tongue around his head, sucking his salty essence.

    Marcel groaned, his hips bucking slightly and pushing him further into her mouth, moving against her roof and down her throat. Arianna took him to the back of her throat, her eyes watering as she fought her gag reflex, continuing to deep throat him. Marcel closed his eyes, breathing deeply, and Arianna drew back to breathe.

    His eyes were dark with need, the heat in his eyes making her stomach unfurl with desire. So she leaned forward, finding her pleasure by taking her cock into her mouth once more. Arianna moved her head back and forth, taking his huge shaft in and out, using her tongue to stroke his length and her mouth was full of him.

    Arianna reveled in the sound of his continuous groans, his face tight with pleasure. She kept going, her lips moving up and down the full length of him while he pulled at the cuffs without sess. Marcel growled in frustration as Arianna continued her sweet torture

    She spluttered slightly, however, Arianna refused to force him out of her mouth even when her lungs were beginning to protest. If anything, Arianna continued working him deeper, doubling her effort, desperate to see Marcel lose control.

    .....

    Marcel shuddered, trembling with release and a cry in his throat as Arianna brought him to ruin and he released a load full of hot cum that she swallowed down her throat, choking in the process.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t even get to relish the orgasm because he was concerned about her, thinking that he had hurt him or something, but Arianna only grinned at him like an idiot. Even children were warned not to take things into their mouths, her cheeks reddened.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Arianna told him, pushing away her sweaty hair that got in the way.

    ¡°Oh thank God,¡± Marcel threw his head back down on the pillow in relish, ¡°Care to get the cuffs off now?¡± He didn¡¯t want her to hurt her enough.

    ¡°Tough luck, my friend. But that was just the beginning.¡±

    Before Marcel could protest, Arianna shut him up with a kiss, sharing his taste. She was not as fragile as he thought, it was time he made peace with that.

    So while he was distracted, Arianna wrapped her hand around him and next her mouth was on his dick, sucking his balls one after the other while her hand pumped his length relentlessly and Marcel was moaning in a jumble ofnguages that she couldn¡¯t understand.

    But one thing was for sure, whatever she was doing to Marcel was definitely working and Arianna felt so powerful. This time, she sucked Marcel so intensely while working him with her hand until she felt his frame beginning to quake and when he came, Marcel exploded so hard that he saw stars and he released for over two minutes, exhausting every single seed he had in him until he was panting for breath.

    It was fucking amazing.

    Not minding that his cum was dripping down her chin, Arianna leaned over him till their lips were touching and Marcel kissed her as if his life depended on it. Arianna was fucking amazing, he wondered if she knew that.

    Just like he does for her, Arianna cleaned him up and herself as well before going to unlock the cuffs on him. The moment Marcel was free, he grabbed her waist and without warning, turned her beneath him.

    Knowing that Marcel would surely retaliate for what she did to him, Arianna was not startled when he had her beneath him in a sh, her hands ced above her head.

    ¡°I warned you the winner isn¡¯t who starts first,¡± Marcel reminded her, his eyes hungry with need.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Arianna admitted, ¡°But then, you forget something important here, Marcel, I¡¯m on my period,¡± Her expression was smug knowing he wouldn¡¯t touch her. She had victory today and the next three days.

    ¡°Hmmm, such a convenient excuse,¡± He chuckled deep in his throat, the mere sound of it making her clit throb.

    Damn woman, lower your libido, Arianna mentally warned herself.

    ¡°I¡¯lle back for you when you least expect it,¡± He promised her.

    ¡°Nheless, thank you for the good time,¡± Marcel kissed her on the lips, face, and neck till she was red with embarrassment.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± She pushed him away, trying to hide her face from his enthusiastic lips.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Marcel couldn¡¯t tell since everywhere was locked up. She really put a lot of work into making this work.

    She checked her phone,

    ¡°Fifteen minutes past the hour of three,¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, ¡°I need to go, babe. Where are my clothes?¡±

    Arianna walked to her wardrobe and pulled it out where she had kept it clean and handed it to him

    Marcel took the clothing from her and wore it. When he was done, he ced a peck on her cheeks, saying,

    ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do, but I¡¯ll be around for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Arianna let him go. She needed the rest anyway. Her jaw was beginning to hurt from too much blowjob he gave Marcel.

    Damn.

    ¡°Also...¡± Marcel remembered when he reach the door, ¡°Adele ising with that capable partner of hers for breakfast tomorrow, I thought I should inform you on time.¡±

 Chapter 557

    557 A Card In The Hands Of Daniel

    ¡°It¡¯s good to finally have you back,¡± Marcel weed her.

    Winters opened an eye at a time, staring at Marcel who stood over her, the sun casting a shadow on him in that position.

    ¡°I never thought I would say this but I kind of missed your annoying face. You never know what you have until you lose it, I finally understood that saying after days of being stuck with those little imps.¡± Winters breathed, sitting up on her lounge chair.

    The first thing Winters did after returning to the base was to catch up on the luxuries she had missed while nannying those kids. And that included rxing on the poolside.

    Marcel had a pool in the back yard and with thendscaping and patio furniture, the pool area was ripe for rxing. He called it his personal oasis, not that it was personal anymore with Arianna and Mimi¡¯s arrival. Winters came to know about it thanks to them and today she just felt like luxuriating for once without herputers.

    If there was anything she learned from her part-time work as a nanny, it was the fact that she had to get out and have some more fun. Hacking was fun to Winters, but it turns out that living was much more fun. So here she was in her bikini with a book in hand ¨C which she couldn¡¯t read without an image of a half-naked Akiming to mind ¨C until Marcel decided to track her down and ruin the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m ttered that you even missed me,¡± Marcel took the lounge chair beside Winters and sat down, ¡°You don¡¯t exactly show it.¡±

    He took off his shoe, feeling the green, soft grass beneath his feet. The lounge chair was an elevated, upholstered chaise lounge with cushions that are three inches thick, and several positions for reclining so one could stretch outfortably. But before Marcel had the chance to do so, his cousin, Victor made his appearance.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure that you didn¡¯t miss me,¡±

    .....

    Victor said and instead of choosing the other vacant lounge seat beside Winters since there were three of them in total, he chose to walk over to Marcel, pulling his legs up and sitting down, before cing his cousin¡¯s legs back on his thighs while Marcel watched dumbfoundedly.

    Marcel chose not to say anything knowing his cousin was only drunk on happiness. Knowing he was about to be a father put him in a good mood throughout the day.

    Victor ced his hand on his chest dramatically, ¡°Little Winters, It¡¯s kind of heartbreaking that you never once thought of me even while I kept praying for your safety,¡± He pouted.

    Winters gave him a long look then turned to Marcel, asking,

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±

    Marcel shrugged, ¡°Mimi is pregnant for him. Apparently, being a father is enough to put him on cloud nine for the rest of the day.¡± there was a hint of jealousy in Marcel¡¯s tone.

    ¡°You say that now, but wait till nine monthster, when I have my little Poo in my hands, you¡¯d love her as much as I love her,¡± Victor said dreamily.

    ¡°You¡¯d name your child, Poo?¡± Winters frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mimi would never let him name their child,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°As if you¡¯re any better at naming,¡± She snorted.

    Marcel scowled at her.

    ¡°You named a snow white chihuahua, redhead, no offense to your naming deficiency,¡± Winters said defensively.

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing your naming prowess when you have a child with your prince charming Akim,¡± Marcel sassed.

    Winters stiffened at once, then her hands clenched, Mimi!

    Of course!

    What had she expected from that loudmouth? She would tell everyone!

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re far ahead with your thoughts? We¡¯re just getting to know each other.¡± Winters found it ridiculous that Marcel thought they wouldst. Because they wouldn¡¯t. Winter was sure of that.

    ¡°A little piece of advice from someone who has far more dating experience than you, be sure to tell him the truth after you¡¯re done with this. Even if the both of you don¡¯tst, he deserves to know that what he had with you was real. That¡¯s the least you owe him.¡± Marcel told her and because he was holding her gaze, she couldn¡¯t look away.

    Winters saw the sincerity in those words and it was weird seeing Marcel care about her. Not that he never cared, buttely, he was bing quite protective of her as if she was family or something. But that was not the case, they were merely business associates.

    She cleared her throat and looked away, ¡°Stop acting like you¡¯re my elder brother?¡± She muttered.

    ¡°Do you want me to be your elder brother?¡± Marcel asked her seriously as if her answer would change everything.

    And again, Winters found herself dumbfounded and at a crossroads.

    Does she want Marcel to be her elder brother even if her name doesn¡¯t get to be in the family registry? Unless Marcel decided to adopt her legally?

    It was a very appealing offer, but Nah, she wanted nothing to do with a psychopathic Daniel and an overprotective Marcel. Winters wanted to spread her wings high and fly away and being held down by the Luciano family was not on the list.

    She appreciated Marcel extending his protection towards her considering the number of enemies she had made in the course of her work. But anything beyond that, she wanted out.

    Winters still stands by her decision of having a small family where one knows her and being part of Luciano¡¯s family was putting a target on her head. It was enough running from thew, she didn¡¯t want gangstersing after her too just because she has the Luciano family name.

    ¡°That was a magnanimous offer, but no, thank you.¡± She refused it bluntly

    But Marcel persisted, ¡°We are not like your previous family, Winters. Once you¡¯re one of us, no one wouldy a hand on you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just the way your father didn¡¯ty a hand on Chloe,¡± She reminded him of his inability to protect his sister.

    Daniel was only able to treat Chloe that way because she didn¡¯t have Luciano¡¯s blood running in her veins; she was adopted.

    Winters didn¡¯t have Luciano blood and she wasn¡¯t about to be a card to be yed in the hands of Daniel.

 Chapter 558

    558 Brilliant Mad Man

    Marcel swallowed down a lump in his throat when Winters said those words to him. He was unable to protect his sister from his father and that was on him. It was a shame that would follow him for the rest of his life. A smear on his reputation, one he wouldn¡¯t be able to remove for a long time.

    ¡°I was weak then, but now I am stronger. I would protect you with all I have,¡± He promised her, but Winters but shook her head in refusal.

    ¡°No, would do Marcel,¡±

    ¡°But -¡±

    ¡°She said no, Marcel,¡± Victor was the one who grabbed his arm and stopped him before he made a mistake he would regret.

    ¡°The girl has made her decision, cousin, and you must respect that. You can¡¯t protect everyone, Marcel, that is not your duty,¡± Victor stopped him right there.

    No wonder Daniel called him weak. While Daniel was a viin through and through, Marcel hadpassion and that was the problem. Viins don¡¯t havepassion, only heros do and they were no heroes.

    ¡°Fine then,¡± Marcel set his jaw firmly, ¡°Let¡¯s move to the ns then. What do you know about the party on Friday? How sure are you that Chloe would be there,¡± He needed to remind himself that Winters was not Chloe and his sister was all that mattered to him. If Winters wanted to get herself killed, then she should be his guest.

    ¡°I¡¯mpletely sure that she would be there, it¡¯s all the kids could ever talk about. Contrary to your thoughts that Chloe is being maltreated there, the kids treat her quite well and I think you should be more worried about whether your sister would be willing toe home with you.¡± Winters summarized.

    .....

    ¡°She woulde home,¡± Marcel was sure of it.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Winters arched a brow at him and went ahead to say, ¡°I mean, the girl just escaped your father and God knows what she went through in his hands. And finally, she found herself in a home with children her age who treats her like one of them, what makes you think she would want to return here? To guns and violence?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s hands began to shake knowing that Winters made a fine point. As a kid, all he ever wanted was to escape this hell hole with his mother, but, his sister managed to do so ¨C without him ¨C and was living fine whenever she was. What was the probability she would want to return to a ce her brother failed to protect her?

    He swallowed nervously and Victor sensing the tensioning off his body, squeezed his thigh assuredly. Marcel, noticing the gesture, took his legs off his body immediately, he didn¡¯t want his pity. This was his cross to carry.

    Fine, do it alone then, bastard, Victor let him be. When Marcel was being unnecessarily stubborn, the best thing was to leave him alone. He¡¯de aroundter.

    ¡°Tell me more about this party,¡± Victor asked her.

    ¡°The party is held by Reina and her stepdaughter, Isabe Spencer. Isabe is the child Nius had in his youth and they want the party to be organized in the Spencer residence and all family members are said to be in attendance.

    However, you should know that Isabe is a natural genius, sadly, cold and scary and I¡¯m sure your father Daniel would love to make a rtionship with her,¡± Winters intended to be sarcastic and Marcel knew that nor did he say anything. His father was a cold bastard, everyone knew that. Next!

    ¡°But then Reina¡¯s kind nature must have rubbed off on her because Isabe has mellowed down a bit. motherhood must have changed her tremendously after the birth of her daughter. And for someone who was hardcore on not having kids, she and her husband Pedro adopted a boy through their foundation. The baby¡¯s mother was a fifteen-year-old mother who was r*ped by a distant family member and the family sought the foundation¡¯s help to shelter her as the

    the girl tried to ovee her traumatic experience.

    ¡°With her power, Isabe made sure the rtive suffered life imprisonment with hardbor. However, the baby¡¯s mother wanted nothing to do with the child and after an incident where she nearly killed him, Isabe adopted the child as hers. Hence her own daughter Kaitlyn had an instant brother when she was barely four months old. It¡¯s said that Isabe loves the child so much that she even breastfed him to everyone¡¯s shock and now the family refers to the kids as twins. In one word, the birthday party is for both children and you would be damned by Isabe if you ruin it. ¡±

    Winters gave Marcel a clear warning, Isabe was not someone you messed with and went scot-free. No, the entire Spencer family might look harmless, but they were fiercely protective of their own.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about her party, nor would I go through the trouble of causing a scene. I¡¯ll just go in, get my sister, and then leave them to continue the rest of their party.¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°And how exactly do you n to do that exactly? Sakuzi is Reina¡¯s father and for a huge asion like that one, he would surely be in attendance and his soldiers would be crawling around the ce. What makes you think they wouldn¡¯t recognize you at first nce when entrance is by invitation only?¡± Victor pointed out the w in the n.

    ¡°That is exactly why I had Winters get me the guest list,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to apply Elijah¡¯s method, masking.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Both Winters and Victor shouted.

    ¡°I went through the list and picked out one of the easiest targets. Nahid, he¡¯s a curator for a museum and purchases arts for Reina and he was invited to the party too. Unlike the others, Nahid has a reallymon face and I have people working on his mask already. On that day, my men would abduct the real Nahid while I put on the mask and rece him. ¡± Marcelid out the n.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Winters shook her head, ¡°Even if you wear his face, there are differences in height, body size, and even tone. How are we going to replicate that?¡±

    ¡°I told you he¡¯s the best target, I¡¯m a few inches taller than him and from my sources, he has been away from the country for a year and Reina only sent the invitation because she heard he would be back and wanted to catch up with him. He might be leaner than me, but a year is enough for a man to add weight. Moreover, the soldiers at the entrance only need my face and my invitation. I would make sure to avoid Reina for the rest of the night seeing she¡¯s the only one that can tell the difference,¡± Marcel told her, having nned it thoroughly.

    ¡°God, I love risks,¡± it thrilled Victor.

    ¡°And as for the voice part, isn¡¯t that your field? Manipting voices shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you, little hacker.¡± Marcel grinned at her.

    Winters was short of words and when she finally spoke up, she asked him,

    ¡°Have I ever told you you¡¯re a brilliant madman?¡±

 Chapter 559

    559 [Bonus chapter]She Was Ruined

    ¡°I¡¯ll have everything ready and we can talk about it when I arrive tomorrow then,¡± Adele got off the phone with Marcel, her attention moving back to the picture of that woman on her desk.

    Natalie Valeria.

    There were several papers on her desk, however, Adele picked them all, arranged them, and put them into a folder. Marcel required that information tomorrow.

    She was in the process of pulling out a drawer and cing the folder inside when the door to her office was opened and her favorite staff moved in with the food she had ordered.

    ¡°Lunch is here,¡± The woman announced in a sing-song, lifting the food. Since she was close to Adele, the woman began to set the food on the table in the middle of the room when the smell hit Adele¡¯s nostril and her stomach lurched.

    It was as if World War Three began in her tummy as bile rose to her throat and Adele found herself running to the toilet as if the devil were on her heels. It was a good thing she had a restroom installed else Adele wondered what she would have done in this situation.

    Adele leaned over the toilet seat and began to throw up everything she had for breakfast. She couldn¡¯t exin it but the smell of her favorite spaghetti and meatballs upset her. She was still heaving when the woman named Sherry came to her side and pulled her hair away from her face so it wouldn¡¯t get in her face and her vomit.

    ¡°Here, there you go, easy,¡± The woman told her, rubbing her back soothingly until she was done.

    Sherry came well prepared because she handed a bottle of water to Adele and she took it, gurgling the taste of vomit out of her mouth before washing the corners of her mouth too and standing up to her feet. Adele turned the handle and flushed the table before walking out of the restroom with Sherry guiding her weary steps.

    .....

    Adele was suddenly weak and had to be helped back to her office. But the moment the smell of the food hit her nostrils, her stomach reacted again and she yelled at the woman while cupping her mouth,

    ¡°Get that thing out of here!¡±

    The woman didn¡¯t even need to be told twice, she packed everything and got rid of it. She had to ventte the whole ce and had to spray the office with an air freshener before Adele could settle in.

    Adele plopped down on her seat, rubbing her temple with her hand, still feeling a bit sick and unable to exin what just happened. She wasn¡¯t usually this way and that food was her favorite.

    ¡°What happened, ma?¡± Sherry inquired and from the concerned look on her face, it was obvious that she was worried about her.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Adele muttered to herself, unable toe up with a reasonable exnation.

    ¡°For a moment there, I thought you were pregnant or something. It was simr to when I had my second child, I had an aversion to spicy food. Just a whiff of it, I¡¯ll throw up so much one would think I would throw up my intestines as well...¡± The woman kept on talking without knowing that Adele had zoned out after her first sentence.

    She was pregnant?

    Adele felt like someone just bashed her in the head with a hammer.

    No, it was impossible. It can¡¯t happen. Adele was sure of that until she remembered that her period was long overdue yet hadn¡¯t seen it. Adele had been so busy with work ¨C and Aziz ¨C to realize she hadn¡¯t gotten her period and now she realized it, it felt like a Mac truck just hit her.

    Impossible, Adele refused to believe it. This could just be a mere stomach problem and she was putting much meaning into it when it would go away with time. But then, what kind of stomach upset would make one hate her favorite food? Unless it was cooked with really bad ingredients and she had a sensitive nose like a dog?

    No, she and Elijah had been very careful, but not from the beginning... Once, a condom even broke...

    It dawned on Adele, all strength leaving her body. What has she done?

    Sherry was still rambling on when Adele lifted her head and asked,

    ¡°Can you get me a pregnancy kit?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± the woman was stunned before her eyes widened in understanding. She swallowed before nodding and left the room to get what Adele wanted.

    As soon as the woman left, Adele ran her hand through her hair and yanked on it in frustration. No, she had to calm down. For all she knows, it might be nothing. She had to have evidence.

    So Adele waited, and though it was just a few minutes, it felt like forever. Every minute she waited seemed to eat at her soul, hence when Sherry returned, Adele snatched the kit and went into the toilet, locking the door.

    Her heart was pounding so fast she found it difficult to breathe, but Adele calmed herself down. She had found herself in life and death situations that were direr. But then, this was her life she was talking about here. If she was pregnant, it was something she had to bear forever and Adele was not ready for a baby.

    After making her decision, Adele took out the pregnancy kit and followed the procedures written on the pack. She dipped the stick in her urine and waited for the result. She could have taken it earlier, but Adele waited an additional fifteen minutes, mentally preparing herself to view the result.

    And when she did, the result was as clear as day. It was two lines.

    She was pregnant.

    ¡°No!¡±

    Adele released an inhumane roar that sent Sherry running to the door and began to bang on it, demanding her to open up. However, Adele didn¡¯t open it, instead, she broke down in tears.

    She was ruined.

    As an illegitimate daughter, Adele swore to raise her child in the confines of marriage so her kid wouldn¡¯t experience the same maltreatment she underwent. But she failed to keep to that promise.

    She failed her child.

 Chapter 560

    560 Wiggling His Ass For Her

    Marcel kept his promise!

    Arianna was excited when new numbers chatted her up and it turned out to be the dancers Marcel told her about. There were about three of them, however, Lydia, who seems to be their leader, said they were eight in number, however, she wanted to get to know Arianna first before sending the others else she gets overwhelmed.

    However, Arianna was far from the word ¡®overwhelmed¡¯, after being cut off from the world for a long time. Aside from Marcel and Luca and Mimi, there was no one she could chat with online. She couldn¡¯t even install Facebook because Marcel warned her ofplications ¨C she couldn¡¯t understand.

    Hence, it was extremely relieving to finally have people she could talk to and they were all girls. Sure, she loved Mimi, but there was fun in diversity. Mimi would be her best friend for life, but Arianna needed to know others and who knows, Mimi might love them too.

    Although Lydia said she wanted to get to know her first, it turns out that the other girls were hesitant to chat her up because of Marcel. Arianna didn¡¯t know what reputation Marcel built outside, but the girls would never be free around her. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing, to be honest ¨C Arianna was not ready for a backstabbing bitch. At least, they know what happens when one of them goes sniffing around her man.

    Yeah, her man.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t tell why the sound of that got her giggling inwardly like a fool.

    Alright, behave, Arianna!

    In the end, they had to create a chat group and she spoke with every one of them and was able to schedule a meeting. Arianna would check in with Marcel and once he was okay with it, they would have their first meeting and dance rehearsal at the base. She was sure he would make a dance hall avable for them.

    .....

    Arianna was giddy with excitement, she couldn¡¯t wait to begin. It has been a long time since she got this anticipation of starting something she loved. Sure, working for Ruth had been educational and fun, but dancing had her heart pumping. It was freedom.

    Once the girls arrived, she would need to understand the girls¡¯ personalities and upations. Although working for Marcel, she already had a hint of what they did for a living, she needed to be sure. There were different dances for different asions. Arianna could not call herself an expert dancer, but by associating with like-minded people, they could grow together.

    Arianna took a deep breath, it would go well. She would make it work.

    Having rested well ¨C although her jaw was still a bit sore ¨C Arianna decided to have a little walk and get some fresh air. It was when she got outside that she saw a scene that blew her mind away.

    Samson was there lying on the bare grass, but there was something else. Because lying on his side was redhead and If anything, Samson wrapped its huge paw around the chihuahua¡¯s smaller body protectively and they were both asleep.

    ¡°Aww,¡± Arianna¡¯s heart melted instantly. She couldn¡¯t call this love, no, it was great affection. Samson had taken Redhead as his little brother and anyone be damned who would daree between them.

    Unable to leave the beautiful scenery alone, Arianna took out her phone and captured the moment with her camera. She used the photo as her screen saver before sending it to Marcel with a caption,

    [A beautiful scene, right?]

    Arianna hit the send button and waited, enjoying the tranquil scene.

    Her phone beeped secondster and she hurriedly opened the chat, only to see.

    [Yes.]

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna frowned. Just that?

    She was expecting more words, you know praises and all for the breathtaking moment. Arianna shook her head, why do men always say a few words?

    She typed,

    [Do you think Samson would ept Marcel Junior the same way he epted Redhead?]

    The moment Arianna sent it, she saw him typing and got her reply not up to two seconds

    [Yeah, in his stomach]

    ¡°You -!¡± Arianna calmed herself down. Note to self, she was not bringing the rabbit around Samson until they had a civilized conversation on who to eat and who not to eat. Marcel Junior was part of the family, whether he liked it or not.

    Arianna reacted,

    [Why are you so mean? What did Marcel Junior do to you?]

    [You gave my sacred name to a rabbit, why do you expect?]

    [It¡¯s just a name and a rabbit, it¡¯s not a huge deal]

    Arianna sighed, Marcel was unreasonable.

    [What if I told you that I¡¯m jealous of the way you carry the rabbit in your arm and press it to your chest or the amount of time you spend with it? I should be the one you spend that much time with. I should be the one you hold in your arms with my face pressed to your chest. Then, I¡¯ll get rid of your blouse and use my tongue to trace your nipples through your bra and suckle till you¡¯re gasping and writhing your hips against mine. Your lustful sexy eyes should be me all the time, not Marcel Junior.]

    What the....

    Arianna suddenly felt hot and bothered. She began to fan her face with her palm while her clit pulsed with desire. This was unfair to her. Marcel was ying dirty.

    She typed,

    [Don¡¯t change the topic or branch off, we are talking about Marcel Junior, not dirty talking]

    [What gave the impression that I was dirty talking? It¡¯s all about Marcel Junior and the privileges the little fucker is stealing from me. Trust me, love, if I was dirty talking, your undies would be off by now]

    Arianna went beet red.

    That cunning trickster!

    Marcel knew what he was doing.

    This was reverse psychology!

    [You¡¯re a big bully! ] She inserted an angry emoji.

    As if to cate her, Marcel sent a gif image to her. But what surprised Arianna was that it was a gif image of him and when she clicked on it, it showed Marcel wearing a panty. It was her red sexy bikini panty and he was wriggling his ass for her.

    ¡°What the hell....! ¡±

    Arianna burst into loudughter that startled Redhead and in turn stirred Samson.

    ¡°Oops,¡± She was in trouble.

    Arianna took off before Samson could realize she was the one that ruined his peaceful sleep.

 Chapter 561

    561 You Are Protecting Elijah

    [I thought you were a busy man, when did you have the time to create that?]

    Arianna referred to the gif.

    She found his gazebo and decided to spend time there. Moreover, her chat with Marcel was bing interesting and she didn¡¯t want to miss out on it. So she settled down on the seat, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone, and Marcel¡¯s answer came out quickly as usual.

    [I¡¯ll never be too busy for you]

    [What a sweet talker. How manydies have you won over with those words]

    It was ridiculous.

    Arianna didn¡¯t even know why she typed those words, but she just wanted to know. Was she that special or had there been a more special woman in his life before her arrival? Marcel might have told her that she was his first love, but she was a kid then and didn¡¯t fullyprehend the concept, of ¡°love¡±. In one word, she just wanted to know. Arianna wanted to know her ce in his heart was unshakeable.

    [None]

    Marcel answered curtly and Arianna was a bit disappointed. He could have said more words, you know. However, to her surprise, Marcel dropped another message and her prayer was answered.

    .....

    [You¡¯re the first woman I¡¯m in a romantic rtionship with. All of the women in my life were there for one purpose and that was to satisfy my sexual urges and needs. However, the moment Iid my eyes on you in that coffee shop, my soul resonated deep inside of me and I just knew it, you are worth much more than the others. You are not just here to scratch my itch Arianna, you are here tost a lifetime.]

    Words failed Arianna the moment she read those words. If she ever had any doubts concerning Marcel¡¯s feelings for her, it was cleared at that moment. And she couldn¡¯t keep lying to him either, Arianna had to tell him about Elijah.

    [I need to ask you something] She typed, [Promise not to be angry]

    [I promise my love, anything for you]

    Arianna took a deep breath, it was now or never. So she began to type down,

    [If Elijah were to return your weapons, would you let him go?]

    Arianna¡¯s heart began to pound in her throat the moment she sent those words and when the blue dots showed Marcel received them, her anxiety increased.

    She saw the floating dots showing that Marcel was typing, but then he suddenly went offline and her stomach dropped. Marcel was angry, she was sure of that.

    Her palms became mmy and Arianna was still wondering what she was going to do when Marcel came online again and her hope grew, perhaps he wasn¡¯t as mad as she thought.

    Ding!

    He sent a message to her

    [Where are you?]

    Arianna swallowed down the lump in her throat. Marcel wanted to see her. It did not sound good, nheless, she answered,

    [In the gazebo]

    And he went offline.

    At once, Arianna fortified herself mentally knowing an interrogation was forting. This was the reason she couldn¡¯t tell Marcel about Elijah, he was irrational. She let Marcel decide Macy, why couldn¡¯t he listen to her when ites to Elijah?

    Macy was a great help to Marcel and in like manner, Elijah was the same to her too. He saved her from Big Joe and was her boyfriend. She couldn¡¯t just let Marcel end his life because of their feud when they could settle this civilly. No, she would never look at Marcel the same way if he killed Elijah out of his petty jealousy.

    Perhaps, Elijah was right, she would never be free no matter how Marcel sugar-coated it.

    Marcel arrived and his jaw was set and held her with a stern look. Here, they go.

    ¡°Marcel....¡±

    However, Marcel boxed her in, his hands on either side of her as he demanded, ¡°Tell me, what do you know about Elijah?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna acted clueless, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool, Arianna,¡± He hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯ve been with you long enough to know you¡¯re only curious when you¡¯ve caught up to something. What is it you know about Elijah?¡±

    ¡°No, I know nothing,¡±

    ¡°Arianna!¡± He screamed at her face, close to losing control.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Arianna shouted back, ¡°I was only thinking that I could find him and if that were to happen, would you be willing to let him go if I convince him to release your guns,¡± She gave him her initial ns until Elijah himself decided to reveal himself to her.

    ¡°You are not going to go near him! ¡± Marcel growled an order ¨C one that she wasn¡¯t willing to obey.

    ¡°That is unreasonable! What if there was a way to resolve all of this without bloodshed?!¡±

    ¡°That is not possible. I have justice to deliver, Elijah killed enough of my men, he would pay that in blood and....¡± Marcel suddenly trailed off as if he realized something.

    Arianna let out an involuntary gasp when he suddenly hooked his fist around her hair, thinking Marcel was about to hurt her ¨C and her worst nightmare came through. The thought that Marcel was just like his father scared her.

    However, Marcel only lifted her face so he was able to look her in the eyes. He muttered, ¡°You are protecting him,¡±

    And it was the truth. Arianna didn¡¯t bother to hide it because he saw it in her eyes.

    ¡°Do you still love him?¡± He asked, to her shock.

    ¡°What? Of course, not!¡±

    She tried to say to him but Marcel pulled away from her.

    However Arianna was persistent and managed to cup his cheek and said,

    ¡°I love you with every fiber of my being, Marcel,¡± She hoped he saw it.

    ¡°But not enough to let go of Elijah,¡± Marcel said coldly, releasing her grip on him and turned to leave

    ¡°No, Marcel, listen -¡±

    ¡°I need some time alone,¡± Marcel stopped her froming after him and left her alone.

    Arianna thought her heart was breaking into a million pieces and she released a frustrated roar. This was not supposed to go like this. How could they go from a happy couple to this? She doesn¡¯t even know what happens next.

 Chapter 562

    562 [Bonus chapter]Finding Happiness

    For strange reasons, Daniel Luciano felt lonelytely. After his son sessfully banned him from interfering with his love life, he found out he had no social life and was bored out of his mind.

    So he switched to drinking and having fun with his sugar babies to keep him upied. But deep down, Daniel was restless for reasons he couldn¡¯t tell. But one thing was for sure, he had to do something for himself, for his son, and the progress of the entire Luciano n.

    It was already embarrassing that he lost his life mission. He failed to put his future generation in the royalty line. His stupid son Marcel jeopardized everything he had worked for and it was no wonder he was depressed. He chose to share the same bed with that Valeria scum!

    ¡°Valeria! Valeria Valeria!¡± Daniel tossed the ss he had in his hand hard against the wall and it shattered upon impact.

    His chest was heaving hard and his eyes were wild and bloodshot. This was a result of Daniel getting insufficient sleep over the past few days. He could swear that Natalie was tormenting him in his sleep, because recently, all he could dream about was that night ¨C the night where she shot herself and fell into that water, never to be seen again.

    Perhaps the ghost of Natalie was around him and was purposely taunting him for failing to get Marcel married to ra. Yes, that is it. She was mocking him! After all, he had sworn to piss on her grave once the kids were together. This was her vengeance.

    But this was not the end. No, it can never be. Whoeverughs firstughsst. He still had her daughter and she would pay for the sins of her mother. He had to give it up for Natalie though, to be able to hide her daughter for so many years, it took skills. Natalie was, as expected, smart. That was what he loved about her, her quick wits and ferociousness.

    Daniel was still lost in his thoughts when his second inmand walked in hesitantly seeing the damage on the floor. He knew the man¡¯s temper and it was best to avoid him while in a foul mood.

    However, Daniel detested weakness as well and he would likely get punished if he sensed fear from him. Hence, even if he was about to be used as a sacrifice, the man put on a brave front and approached him,

    .....

    ¡°You called,¡±

    Daniel rubbed his lower lips with his fingers, lost in his thoughts and it took about a minute before it answered,

    ¡°I need more information on the girl¡¯s background. Where she lived before all of this mess, her rtives, whether dead or alive, her friends, everyone she had ever associated with....¡± He lifted his gaze, meeting the man dead in the eyes, ¡°I want to know anyone close to her.¡±

    ¡°Of course, boss, ¡± The man nodded, swallowing a lump down his throat without showing it.

    This was going to be hard, how was he going to investigate everyone the girl associated with? If it were other people, he would have thought they were exaggerating, but Daniel? No, he never jokes. If he wanted things done thoroughly. He would get it that way.

    ¡°You have just two days to get me what I want, so I suggest you get your ass moving,¡± Daniel ordered him coldly and he bowed low and took his leave.

    Once the assistant left, Daniel rxed back against the seat, feeling a lot better. He liked having a purpose, a n, it made the future much clearer. It gave him motivation.

    Marcel was a child who was still learning the ways of the world but he has walked this earth before him. Daniel believed he had more experience than his son and should be able to figure out a way out of this mess his stupid son has created for himself in the name of love. What the elders see while sitting, the young ones cannot see standing up.

    Fine, if Marcel wanted that petty emotion called love, he¡¯d let him have it. But not with a descendant of the Valeria family. Marcel would only be with that girl over his dead body.

    _______________

    ¡°I heard you are sick,¡± Natalie felt a dip in her bed as Eric came to sit on the side.

    Thank God she had stopped crying else Natalie wondered how she would exin her swollen eyes to him. But then, she honestly felt sick and it was all because of the shocking revtion she stumbled upon ¨C and Eric didn¡¯t need to know about it.

    ¡°Yes,¡± She croaked, ¡°I think I caught a cold or something. But you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ve taken my medicines and I¡¯d better in the morning time. ¡± Natalie said.

    Eric ced the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature and thankfully, she wasn¡¯t running a high fever.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting coldtely, you should limit your time in the open. I wouldn¡¯t want anything happening to you.¡± He told her, leaning over to drop a gentle peck on the top of her head.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie sighed in both bliss and wariness, shutting her eyes close. She was tired, mentally.

    ¡°I could spend the night with you if you want me to. I¡¯ll keep you warm at night?¡± Eric teased her, his lips brushing dangerously close to her lips.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want you catching a cold because of me,¡± Natalie imed. The truth was that she wanted to be alone tonight. She wanted the guilt to gnaw continuously at her conscience ¨C she wanted to punish herself. But with Eric by her side, it was difficult to do so.

    It was obvious that Eric was hesitant about leaving her side. But he had no choice but to respect her decision and left her alone.

    And as soon as the door closed, Natalie began to torment herself.

    She med herself for everything that has happened so far. She failed Edward. She failed her daughter! She deserved whatever punishment came her way.

    She didn¡¯t deserve to fund happiness.

 Chapter 563

    563 Daniel Didn¡¯t Trust her

    In the past....

    For once Natalie was happy that her father was back home because it meant one thing, they were close to leaving. Her father was wrapping up his work here and in days toe, they would be out of this godforsaken country and Daniel wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it or so she thought.

    She was spending time with her younger sister Dorcas and her mother when Daniel walked in and the atmosphere changed instantly. It was quite funny or would she say dumb that her mother was never able to figure out that there was something off about this man.

    Not that Natalie could me her honestly, Daniel was a very good actor and if she hadn¡¯t seen his true nature beforehand, she might have even fallen for his wiles. He was too good at what he does and that frightened her the most.

    Her friend, Penelope had left to get snacks from the kitchen, hence one could imagine the shock on her face when she returned only to see Daniel in their space and ying the good guy. It was terrifying. Natalie could say the same.

    ¡°Victoria,¡± Daniel moved towards her mother and took her hand, pressing his lips to it like the gentleman he imed to be, and her mother was bought over by his charms.

    ¡°Daniel, you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am. I could never leave your household for too long. I¡¯ve kind of be....¡± He trailed off as if looking for the right word to express himself, ¡°Fond of it.¡±

    Shivers danced down Natalie¡¯s spine as if those words were a caress but instead of pleasuring her, it was slithery and cold and disgusted her. She looked at Daniel and he held her gaze, making it unable for her to pull away until her mother drew his attention.

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are here for Charles, he returned home a few days ago and I¡¯m sure you must be dying to meet him. The both of you have be friends over time and he must have missed yourpany,¡± Her mother referred to her husband.

    ¡°You are quite right, victoria. I¡¯m here to settle the books after hearing the news of your scheduled departure. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s right that I came here onest time?¡± Daniel said, sweetly, but Natalie could see beyond that facade.

    Daniel was furious, she could see that in the tick of his jaw even though he was smiling. His fists clenched and unclenched, he was barely reining in his true emotions. He doesn¡¯t want her out of here, out of his sight.

    Daniel doesn¡¯t trust her.

    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right. Honestly, Daniel, you are a considerate young man, and any luckydy who marries you in the future is blessed,¡± Her mother praised him ignorantly.

    Daniel revelled in thepliment, his gaze staring pointedly at her as if saying, ¡®you¡¯re that lucky woman¡¯ and that made her heart beat faster and Natalie felt like fainting. She didn¡¯t know what Daniel was up to now but one thing was for sure, she had to leave here no matter what happened.

    ¡°Come, I should show you to his study then,¡± Her mother said to Daniel, hooking her arm around his and drawing him in the direction of the study.

    However, before they left, Daniel cast onest look that said, this-isn¡¯t-over and Natalie began to fidget. She was as nervous as hell knowing Daniel would try to stop her from leaving.

    Just like her, he knew long-distance rtionships hardly work and the instance Natalie was free of him, she was moving on. She never loved him in the first ce and this was her chance to get out .

    ¡°Am I the only one that felt that suffocating energy,¡± Penelope said, cold sweats on her forehead. She looked like someone who just woke up from a nightmare and her hands were shaking.

    ¡°You are not alone,¡± Natalie breathed, trying to calm her racing heart that seemed to want to jump out of her chest. Her hands were mmy and she had broken into a cold sweat as well.

    Daniel¡¯s presence had sucked every air in the room and made it difficult to breathe. That was his effect on people ¨C well, not all people.

    ¡°Why are both of you being so dramatic,¡± Said her younger sister who had no idea what was going on.

    Penelope and Natalie looked at each other, an understanding passing between them. Dorcas can¡¯t know, she was too young to handle this, and they had to keep her safe.

    ¡°The movie is over, Dorcas, you should go back to your room,¡± Natalie jutted out her chin and pointed to the television show that just ended.

    ¡°But there could be more -¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be more until nighttime, so I suggest you move to your room now and have your siesta,¡± Natalie silenced her protest firmly.

    With a look of anger, Dorcas scoffed yet turned in her heels and up she went. Just because her mother was gone for a while, Natalie decided to y lord over her. Humph! It was annoying.

    ¡°What is Daniel doing here?¡± Penelope was quick to ask.

    ¡°I have no idea, however, there¡¯s this inkling inside of me that tells me he doesn¡¯t want me leaving with my family,¡± Even as she spoke, cold fear washed over her.

    What if Daniel sessfully stops her from leaving? That would be sick. Natalie became afraid. She wondered if her father would be as stupid as to fall for Daniel¡¯s lies like her mother. How far would he go for his political career?

    ¡°I have to know what they¡¯re talking about,¡± She suggested.

    ¡°You mean like to spy on them?¡± Penelope asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie said, ¡°My father is blinded by power and I don¡¯t know what kind of sick deal he might strike with Daniel. I would not sit around and be a victim of misfortune.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll spy on them then,¡± Penelope chose to do it.

    ¡°What?!¡± Natalie was honestly shocked. Penelope was afraid of Daniel, yet she would take up such a risky task.

    ¡°You are too sensitive to Daniel right now and might lose your cool while eavesdropping on their conversation. I¡¯ll be a better spy and warn you if there¡¯s something to know. Moreover, you¡¯d have to be on the lookout. No one can know what we¡¯re about to do.¡± Penelope warned her.

    For a moment Natalie hesitated knowing things could get messy if they were caught, but she finally agreed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it then,¡±

    Natalie needed to know what Daniel was up to. This was her life, she can¡¯t let him ruin it.

 Chapter 564

    564 Married To A Gangster

    ¡°Daniel!¡± Charles weed him as soon as he arrived in the study and his wife had no other choice but to let go of him as they hugged each other in greeting.

    ¡°You may leave now, honey,¡± Charles said to his wife. Women were loudmouths and he doesn¡¯t want her involvement in her business.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Victoria was not bothered by his dismissal as she shut the double door behind her and left them all alone.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here,¡± Charles said, pulling open the corner mini bar and picking out a bottle of whiskey along with two sses. He brought it back to his desk and poured both of them a drink.

    ¡°So am I,¡± Daniel had already made himselffortable on the seat in front of the desk, taking his drink just as Charles returned to his position as well and drank from his ss.

    Daniel put down the ss and Charles poured him another drink which he gulped, the fiery content burning down his throat.

    ¡°You understood my message, right?¡± Charles asked, peering up at him.

    ¡°You are moving back to your country, and we have to wrap up our business,¡± Daniel said, running his thumb across the edges of the tumbler, his mind working, not that Charles noticed that.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Charles sighed like he was about to part from a good friend, ¡°It¡¯s quite sad that our business has toe to an end. It was nice making your acquaintance. However, this is not the end and I am sure that there are future projects that I would need your help with.¡±

    .....

    Having said that, Charles bent and pulled up a briefcase from beside him, he ced it on his desk before pushing over to Daniel¡¯s side.

    Daniel finished the rest of his drink and kept the ss by the side before reaching for the briefcase, opening it. Staring back at him were fresh wraps of notes and his brows arched before he pulled out a wrap and counted it quickly. He stared at the rest of the bundles of money and the calction mentally.

    ¡°It¡¯s your payment in full, not even a cent missing,¡± Charles assured him.

    Daniel nodded his head, then closed the briefcase, before leaning back into his seat, rubbing his lower jaw, and lost in his thoughts.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Charles caught Daniel¡¯s expression, and he looked bothered ¡°By chance, did I miss out on something in our agreement?¡± He thought it was his fault.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Daniel sat up, ¡°Everything isplete just as he agreed. However, I want to make you a deal this time.¡±

    Charles¡¯ eyes twitched, taken aback by his words.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He readjusted in his seat, intrigued. As a businessman and a politician, he could sense opportunities calling.

    ¡°What if I told you that there is a way out for the both of us? You don¡¯t need to pay me and we would have a strong rtionship as well?¡± Daniel baited him.

    Charles narrowed his gaze at him, he wasn¡¯t born yesterday and knew there¡¯s always a catch in sweet deals like this one.

    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± He still needed to hear him out.

    ¡°I want your daughter, Natalie. Let¡¯s join our houses through marriage, Charles,¡± Daniel dropped his intention, grinning at him like it was a brilliant n.

    Blood drained from Charles¡¯ face, having not expected that of all things.

    ¡°No,¡± He didn¡¯t even know when the words left his mouth. The man was greatly shocked by the offer.

    ¡°No?¡± Daniel¡¯s expression fell, that was not the response he was expecting from the man.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t have my daughter. She was not and would never be part of this deal,¡± Charles said firmly.

    He might be a shrewd businessman and politician, but he loved his family as well. All of his endeavors were for his family to have afortable life and future.

    Danielughed wryly, covering his face before ncing up at the man. He leaned closer to the desk and set to convince him,

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand what I¡¯m offering here, Charles. If I marry your daughter? If our family is joined through marriage? Whether it be the senate position....¡± and to entice him the more, he added, ¡°or even the presidential position? The Luciano n would support you till you reach your maximum potential.¡±

    Daniel studied him while squeaking and from the way his throat bobbed, he knew the man was greatly tempted. He had to push him more.

    ¡°Moreover, your daughter and I have been seeing each other for a while now, ¡± Daniel confessed and Charles stood up to his feet, his eyes wide with disbelief.

    However, something happened, they heard a noise right outside the door and both men knew at once that someone was there. Somebody has been listening in on their conversation.

    Daniel set to move, but he had not taken up to two steps when the door burst open and a furious Victoria walked in, heading straight towards Daniel.

    ¡°Victoria -¡±

    Daniel was still saying when the womannded a p right at his face and his face whipped to the side from the impact.

    ¡°You have been seeing my daughter behind my back?!¡± The woman raged.

    So she was the one spying on them.

    However, Daniel calmly told her, ¡°I understand you are angry and I shouldn¡¯t have dated your daughter without your-¡± She didn¡¯t let him finish.

    ¡°In your dreams, young man!¡± Victoria shouted at his face and Charles tried to intervene.

    ¡°Victoria, let¡¯s all calm -¡±

    ¡°Shut up, your asshole!¡± She silenced him with her furious gaze, ¡°You want to sell off your daughter to fulfill your political ambition as well? I can¡¯t believe I married a man like you!¡±

    Charles¡¯ expression hardened at his wife¡¯s usation, ¡°I never said I¡¯m giving Natalie to him,¡± He defended himself, not that his wife was listening.

    Victoria turned to face Daniel and fired at him,

    ¡°Who do you think you are? I might have turned a blind eye to your business with my husband, but not one that entails my child, and Natalie deserves better! She deserves princes to bow at her feet and the best life has to offer and you can¡¯t afford that, can you?! What would people think of my daughter? Married to a criminal?!¡± There was pure disgust in her tone, one that Daniel hasn¡¯t seen even while they got along in the past and it was all directed at him.

    Victoria looked at him as if he was filthy and said, ¡°I am not going to sit still and watch a nobody, a gangster try and ruin my daughter¡¯s life for all that you¡¯re worth. ¡±

 Chapter 565

    565 [Bonus chapter]The Both Of Us Forever

    Perhaps, she shouldn¡¯t have told her mother the truth, but by the time Penelope texted her that Daniel wanted them to get married, she lost it.

    How could Daniel think of such a thing without discussing it with her? Does she want to get married to Daniel?

    Of course, not!

    Women were still underrated at this age and Natalie¡¯s dream was to be a doctor, not Daniel¡¯s wife. She wanted to make history with her discoveries and make progress in the health sector. She wanted to make life easier for humankind.

    But then, Daniel could never understand because he was a selfish bastard. He only wanted her for himself and never once asked what she wanted. He doesn¡¯t know her likes and dislikes because he never asks and just assumes.

    However, it all has toe to an end. She was not going to marry him. They had different views and ambitions. Sure, opposites attract, but until Daniel supported her ambition instead of suppressing her, they would never attract.

    With anger boiling in her veins, Natalie stomped over to her mother in the living room and told her the truth concisely. Honestly, Natalie thought that she got her temper from her father, but that was only because she had never seen her mother angry.

    Her mother hardly got angry, no, she never got angry and she could finally see why. Because as soon as she told her mother of Daniel¡¯s n of getting them married, Natalie could have sworn that the woman¡¯s eyes be fiery orbs like that of a furious dragon ¨C except her iris wasn¡¯t slited

    She barreled down in the direction of the study room, startling Penelope in the middle of her spy work. She watched her nervous friend try toe up with an excuse for her action, but her mother was not in the mood for one and faced both men in the room.

    .....

    The words that left her mother¡¯s mouth were unkind and shaming and Natalie felt for Daniel at that moment. Perhaps, there could have been a better way of settling than this chaos. Natalie hated violence because it resulted in bloodshed and bloodshed led to death. Her duty was revival, not ruination.

    By the time her mother was done with her verbal explosion, Daniel was as pale as a corpse and her father had to hold her off from engaging him in a fight.

    Natalie didn¡¯t need to be told what to do, she moved and grabbed Daniel¡¯s hand, pulling him out of there. She was guilty, but so was him. Perhaps, this would break all ties between them ¨C it was a blessing in disguise.

    It wasn¡¯t until they were outside that Daniel was able to rouse from his thoughts and Natalie pulled away from him, a gesture he very much noticed and was displeased with.

    ¡°You should have told me,¡± Natalie faced him, ¡°Marriage huh? This is the twenty-first century for crying out loud, I had a right to know!¡±

    ¡°Would you have agreed if you knew?¡± Daniel asked her, challengingly, ¡°Would you have agreed to marry a nobody like me? A gangster?¡± He spat out every word her mother had used on him viciously.

    ¡°Your status doesn¡¯t matter here -¡±

    ¡°It does matter,¡± He cut her off with a hiss, ¡°Your family made sure to remind me of that,¡± Heughed wryly, ¡°I¡¯m not good enough for you, princess,¡±

    He called her by that title to mock her, taunt her, Natalie knew it. But she didn¡¯t know how to exin to him that none of those things mattered to her. Natalie could only run her hands through her hair in frustration.

    She just doesn¡¯t feel that way for him, no, Natalie was not going to lie, she liked him a little. The past days Natalie had been with him showed her the man beneath the surface and there were some positive traits in Daniel. But then, he was too intense for her.

    A rtionship doesn¡¯t only require feelings to survive, it needs bnce on both sides. It was not going to work with Daniel always making decisions for her. Natalie had dreams and visions too.

    ¡°But do not rejoice quickly princess, because this is not the end,¡± Those were thest words Daniel told her before taking his leave.

    That night no one was able to sleep a wink because, for the first time, her parents fought. But that was nothingpared to the days ahead. The tension was thick ahead and no one could move freely, afraid of starting another quarrel.

    Her father in question drove away the men Daniel put in their ce, iming his business with the man was finished and right now, they were nothing but spies for the bastard.

    Their departure date was moved up, however, they all forgot something, Daniel was not done with them.

    A note from Daniel arrived a day before their departure and his intention was as clear as day.

    Daniel wanted her else he would ruin their father¡¯s career.

    If Natalie thought her parents¡¯ fight was bad, it became worse when that letter to the extent her father even hit her mother.

    Her family was falling apart and it was all because of her. Natalie knew that she couldn¡¯t sit around and watch Daniel destroy her family like this.

    She nned to run.

    That night, when everyone was asleep, Natalie picked the essential things she needed and was about to leave when something or someone stirred and Natalie was shocked to discover that it was Penelope.

    She grinned at her, ¡°You think I¡¯m going to let you embark on this adventure all by yourself?¡±

    Natalie was dumbfounded, however, she quickly scowled, ¡°No, you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing. This is dangerous, Penelope. Daniel would always search for me and I wouldn¡¯t put you in danger like this.¡±

    However her friend was stubborn and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve already made up and you can¡¯t do anything about it. Fuck Daniel. We are going to run to where no one else can find us, just the both of us, two best friends and live happily ever after. So are you game?¡±

    Natalie looked at her hard and just when Penelope thought she was not going to give in, she took her hand,

    ¡°Fine, the both of us, forever, ¡±

    They made a pact.

 Chapter 566

    566 We Go Together

    With a great heave, Natalie helped her friend climb over the wall and she made it to the outside sessfully. It was a good thing that her family member had not discovered her favorite spot, making it easier for her to escape.

    ¡°Here, catch my bag,¡± Natalie noticed her friend, tossing the bag over to Penelope, and from the soft thud, knew that she caught it.

    Free from any restriction, Natalie then pushed herself up and scaled the wall. Previous experiences made it easier for her and shended on her feet steadily.

    ¡°Good work,¡± Penelope gave her a high five with a giggle. After that, She took the bag from her friend and swung it over her shoulder while casting a longing look at the house.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be back, I promise,¡± Penelope ced a hand on her shoulder gently as if knowing what she was thinking, ¡°We would just stay away for a while and after everything calms down and Daniel gives up on you, we¡¯d return to the country and join them.¡±

    That was the n.

    Natalie nodded in agreement, a small smile graced her face and she took Penelope¡¯s hand on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately.

    ¡°We have to find a ce to lie low first. A ce neither our parents nor Daniel would be able to find us,¡± She said, feeling the cash in her bag.

    Natalie had stolen enough money from her father, well, not exactly stolen, she only took the money without permission. After all, her father¡¯s money was her money too. The point is the money would be enough for them even in five years toe. Both of them were covered.

    .....

    She had seen the money in her father¡¯s study that day her mother had an altercation with Daniel and monitored it closely afterward, only to steal itter. Natalie knew inwardly that the money must be paid for whatever sick deal Daniel and her father had. So yeah, she didn¡¯t feel any guilt for stealing it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Natalie took Penelope¡¯s hand in hers and turned to leave, only for a caring in their direction to sh its headlights at them.

    Although the light blinded them and they had to use their hands to shield their face, Natalie peered through the gap in between her fingers and she was able to recognize the Mercedes.

    Shit.

    It was Daniel.

    Natalie didn¡¯t need to be told twice, she grabbed Penelope¡¯s hand and shouted, ¡°Run!¡±

    Immediately, they took off in the opposite direction.

    Even while they ran with all their might, Natalie couldn¡¯t stop thinking. Daniel must have known that she would attempt to escape and wasying in wait for them. Damn, she fell right into his trap.

    But then, something didn¡¯t make sense. Daniel had stayed long enough with them that her father¡¯s guards could recognize his ride right away and would have sent him away knowing he was a dangerous man and shouldn¡¯t linger around them.

    Moreover, the fact they were ready for them could only mean the car had been there for a long time. Could it be....?

    Natalie swallowed uneasily, shaking her head in disbelief as her eyes teared up. There was no way her father had given her up to save his political career. But that was the obvious truth. That could exin why Daniel was allowed to stay in the shadows, waiting for her. No, it was the perfect n. One even her mother wouldn¡¯t suspect.

    Daniel knew her thoroughly and when she tried to escape, he would grab her. When her family gets the news, they would probably me her for leaving the house and falling into Daniel¡¯s trap. But by then, they can¡¯t do anything to save her. She now belongs to Daniel.

    Natalie¡¯s heart broke into a million pieces. If her father could strike a deal with Daniel to end his enemy to prosper, what more use his daughter for a business negotiation? She was the payment ¨C not even the money she had in her bag.

    ¡°Natalie, they¡¯re gaining on us!¡± Penelope shouted, jerking her from her thoughts.

    No, Daniel can¡¯t get her! She would rather die than let that happen. And with that determination, Natalie took to the streets. The path was narrow and rougher and they would have no choice but to abandon their car.

    However, there was a little problem.

    Daniel came along with three of his men and Natalie had no idea how they were going to outrun a man, not to talk of four of them. But then, she was not a quitter and would see this to the end.

    ¡°Run faster!¡± She urged Penelope who was losing momentum. Damn it, she should have really forced her friend to exercise more.

    The noises from behind told Natalie that Daniel and his people were hot on their chase. Of course, the bastard didn¡¯t want to lose her. He was fucking obsessed with her.

    The both of them kept on running nheless until suddenly Penelope slipped and fell with a yelp. Dread filled Natalie knowing that with every second they wasted Daniel was catching up with them.

    ¡°Come on, Penelope!¡± Natalie pulled her up, panting.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m having a cramp,¡± Penelopeined, rubbing her left leg.

    ¡°Shit, we¡¯re screwed!¡± Natalie cursed aloud, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Daniel would catch up with us soon,¡± She could hear their footsteps even as she spoke.

    ¡°Then go without me,¡± Penelope said and Natalie froze. It was almost as if someone poured a bucket of ice over her.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe Penelope was telling her to abandon her. It was not going to happen. They made a pact. It was the both of them together.

    Penelope sped her arm and stopped her when she tried to lift her to her feet, ¡°You know this is the only one. I would only keep on pulling you back. I¡¯m not the one Daniel wants, it¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re full of bullshit!¡± Natalie gritted her teeth, pulling up amid her protest. She was not leaving her. They would go together.

 Chapter 567

    567 She Choose To Live

    ¡°I¡¯ll only be a dead weight to you,¡± Penelope told Natalie, not that she was listening.

    Natalie was too stubborn for her own good and kept on dragging Penelope along, supporting half of her height. She was determined they would leave here together.

    ¡°I see them!¡± A voice undoubtedly one of Daniel¡¯s soldiers notified the others and from the look of things, they would catch up to them soon.

    ¡°You have to let go of me now,¡± Penelope was almost begging her, ¡°If you get caught now, then all of our efforts would have been for nothing. However, if you leave me behind, then it would be worth it,¡±

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Natalie shook her head, hot tears running down her cheeks. She didn¡¯t want to leave Penelope behind, who knows what that psycho Daniel would do to her now he knows she aided her escape. Also, Penelope was the only one she could trust now, not after her father¡¯s betrayal. She was practically the only family she had left now. What would she do without her?

    ¡°Please, Natalie,¡± Penelope was begging her, tears in her eyes too, ¡°You have to go before it is toote,¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave you,¡± Natalie stood her ground and tried to grab her again but Penelope pushed her away. She wanted her to leave! Doesn¡¯t she get that?! This was a sacrifice she was willing to make for her.

    ¡°Penelope..¡± Natalie cried out.

    Thanks to her stubbornness, Daniel¡¯s soldier finally caught them and tried to reach for Natalie who shrieked in rm. However, Penelope was a quick thinker and picked the empty bottle she saw on the floor and smashed the man on the head before Natalie let go of the panic and bashed the man¡¯s head against the wall, knocking him out.

    .....

    ¡°What are you still waiting for?! Get the hell out of hell!¡± Penelope roared at her with great ferocity, startling her.

    The ferocity on her friend¡¯s face told Natalie that she wasn¡¯t joking anymore. She had to leave. Penelope was right, she can¡¯t let her sacrifice be for anything.

    At that moment, Penelope looked like a fine warrior, like a lioness intent on protecting her young from the predator and she was filled with both guilt and gratitude.

    Without warning, Natalie put her two arms around her neck and hugged her onest time and Penelope returned her hug ¨C and then started to cry.

    ¡°I love you!¡± Natalie said to her.

    They were young people who were supposed to be having fun at this point of their life, not running away from a psychopathic wannabe husband.

    ¡°Promise me that after tonight, you will return to your parents safely and you will forget about me?¡± Natalie told her.

    Penelope nodded even though she knew deep down that might not be possible anymore. She had a feeling she was not going to survive tonight.

    She sped Natalie¡¯s cheek, ¡°And promise me, you woulde back to the country after things have cooled down? Promise me, I¡¯ll be the first person you would seek out!¡±

    ¡°I promise you,¡± Natalie said, even though she knew it was not possible to return home anymore. Her father betrayed her while Daniel was searching intently for her. There was no more home for her, not in this ce, not in her country.

    The shouts became louder with the stomping of feeting their way and Penelope bent to pick a shard of ss, cing it in her palm.

    ¡°Take it, protect yourself. Now, go!¡±

    Natalie didn¡¯t wait to be told twice, she took off, but not without casting onest look at her friend. Penelope confidently stood in the way while Daniel and one other came after her.

    The look in Daniel¡¯s eyes scared the hell out of Natalie, he looked like a ravaging beast who had lost his sanity. He was furious and for a moment there, Natalie feared for her safety of Penelope. What if Daniel kills her in his fury?

    However, knowing that it would be much worse if Daniel catches up to her and Penelope¡¯s sacrifice would be for nothing made Natalie run faster. She took a series of turns, intending to confuse her pursuers who seemed to be far behind her ¨C thanks to Penelope ¨C but being careful, not toe to a dead end.

    But just when Natalie turned she lost them and was about to take the next turn, someone knocked into her with force and she fell to the ground. She went pale in the face upon finding out it was another of Daniel¡¯s men and this one must have intentionally separated from the others to track her down faster.

    Natalie saw the smug grin on his face knowing he caught her when the others couldn¡¯t. He ran his hand through his wet hair, breathing heavily while Natalie ncedat him while still on the floor, trying to figure out a way out.

    ¡°Bitch, do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused us tonight? All this trouble just to catch the boss¡¯ whore. Boss would be so proud of me. Time to go.¡± He tried to grab her and Natalie kicked him in the jaw. Although it was a smart move, it was still not enough to deter him.

    Furious from her retaliation, the man unmercifully pulled her by the ankle to his side and Natalie screamed in fright. She can¡¯t be caught! She can¡¯t go back to Daniel! Those were Natalie¡¯s thoughts as she was being dragged on the floor.

    And then she struck.

    Blinded by fear, Natalie struggled against him and finally shed at the man with the shard of ss Penelope gave her. She had kept it in the pocket of her sweater until this moment. He yelped and freed her and it wasn¡¯t until Natalie turned that she saw what she had done.

    She shed his throat and right now, the man was choking on his own blood.

    God!

    Natalie didn¡¯t mean to hurt him. She just wanted him to let her go. But the deed had already been done and right now, there were only two options.

    To live or die.

    She chose to live.

 Chapter 568

    568 [Bonus Chapter] Sweet Edward

    Sensitive chapter ahead, read with caution :-

    ____________

    ¡°Where is she?!¡± Daniel thundered at her and Penelope could only flinch. There was no way to run, he had her surrounded. Even if she dared to run, she wouldn¡¯t be able to go far. Right now, Daniel was bloodthirsty, but this was her sacrifice for Natalie to live.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± She answered him honestly. It was a good thing Natalie never told her where she was headed. It made things easier.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me!¡± Daniel hit her right on the face and she fell to the ground with a scream. Her cheek hurt from the p, but she had to endure it. Penelope wasforted by the fact that Daniel wouldn¡¯t be able to kill her.

    It would cause problems for him.

    She just had to endure. He would torment her for sure to get information about Natalie. But that would be all. She would live in the end and go back to her family. Natalie would be saved as well and when she was done hiding from the madman, Daniel, she would return as well, Penelope had faith.

    ¡°Boss, you should see this,¡± said one of the men Daniel had sent to go after Natalie. The fact that he returned empty-handed pleased her because it meant that her friend was safe.

    With a hard look, Daniel pulled her by the hair and Penelope screamed in pain, it was as if her scalp was on fire. Sadly, Daniel was no gentleman as he pulled her along and they followed the soldier who led them to God knows where.

    .....

    But Penelope saw it.

    One of his soldiers was dead, bled out from the neck and Penelope knew instinctively that it was done by her friend. The shard Natalie dropped was evidence of it and she was the one that gave it to her for protection. And it seemed that it served its purpose. Penelope didn¡¯t feel an ounce of remorse, Natalie did what she had to do for survival. Daniel brought this upon himself.

    Daniel turned to her, his eyes boring into hers. From the sudden anger taking over his expression, he must have seen herck of empathy. She thought he deserved it.

    ¡°You would tell me where she is now?!¡± He roared, his features distorted with rage as he wrapped his hand around her neck, choking her.

    ¡°Where is Natalie?!¡± He shouted in her face.

    But Penelopeughed at her even with his hand on her throat, strangling him. She sneered at him with a glint in her eyes, ¡°You would never find her,¡± She promised him, a maniacal smirk curling her lips to the side.

    Natalie defeated Daniel.

    Both of them defeated him.

    That was something to celebrate over.

    A cold realization washed over Daniel when he looked into her eyes. Penelope was not going to give him what he wanted because she was blindingly loyal to her friend. She was stalling and with each time he wasted on her, Natalie was able to get away from him.

    She made him lose Natalie.

    Fury tore through him like a raging storm, but Daniel contained it, knowing he would only tear her apart if he acted on it. But she would not go scot-free for this. No, he would never forgive her for making him lose Natalie.

    He would break her.

    He would chip off every piece of her being little by little till she was nothing but a shell, barely existing. He would make her regret this moment every day she drew breath from this earth.

    That would be his vengeance against her ¨C and Natalie.

    For someone who normally shivered in his presence in the past, Penelope didn¡¯t flinch even when he leaned so close he was breathing on her face,

    ¡°And you think your little noble act would go unpunished?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fear you, Daniel,¡± She imed, holding his gaze, ¡± You¡¯re nothing but a big bully, so do your worst.¡±

    ¡°And so you ask,¡±

    Daniel was suddenly pulling her along and to his men, he said, ¡°Clear the body,¡±

    Before Penelope could predict what he was up to, he had already pushed her up against the wall and true fear came over her.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± There was a tremor in her voice but Daniel wouldn¡¯t let her turn because he had her face pressed to the wall.

    ¡°I loved Natalie, but sadly, the same can¡¯t be said for you,¡±

    Penelope struggled with him when she heard the clicking of the belt and rustling of clothes, but he cut off her scream as he overpowered her.

    Hot tears slid down her cheeks while disgust rolled over her when she felt his hands on her body. She didn¡¯t want this. She didn¡¯t want him. And there was no one to help her.

    Perhaps, she should have gone with Natalie. Or maybe, things would have been different if she didn¡¯t help Natalie escape. But Penelope knew deep down that Natalie didn¡¯t deserve this ¨C neither did she. However, there was no one to save her as Daniel stole her virtue.

    Meanwhile, Natalie ran like the devil was on her heels. She had taken a life and as much as she told herself that it was self-defense, it still didn¡¯t excuse the fact that she had stolen a life that didn¡¯t belong to her. She finally understood what it meant when they said you lose a part of yourself when you kill someone. She couldn¡¯t take it back. Natalie couldn¡¯t go back to being the same person she had once been.

    She was supposed to hide where no one would be able to find her, however, Natalie couldn¡¯t understand why she came here. To his ce. She shouldn¡¯t ring the bell but yet she did. Perhaps, he was the only person who could save her right now.

    The door opened and she stared at Edward, face to face.

    ¡°Help me,¡± Those were the only ones she could mutter with the amount of devastation weighing down on her mind.

    And he epted her without hesitation. Without questioning.

    Because that was Edward.

    Sweet Edward.

    ______

    Back to the present.....

 Chapter 569

    569 I¡¯m Sorry

    ¡°Eric would not approve of this,¡± Jason followed after Natalie, who wanted to climb into the car but she couldn¡¯t because he was standing in her way.

    Naomi said to him, ¡°I¡¯ve never required Eric¡¯s approval to go whenever I want to,¡±

    ¡°I know, but both of us know how risky this is and the fact Eric wouldn¡¯t approve of it either if he knew...¡±

    Jason stopped and looked around his environment, checking to see if there was anyone close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. However, there was no one but the driver and he leaned closer to Natalie, albeit with a little space between them so they don¡¯t look intimate.

    He whispered, ¡°You promised me that you wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless. You said you only needed to know about Edward, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know that,¡± Natalie admitted, ¡°However, that was until I realized that I¡¯ve been living in a safety bubble all this while. Edward is dead. My daughter...¡± She choked, the emotion clogging her throat, ¡°I don¡¯t even know where the heck my daughter is.¡±

    ¡°Your daughter is safe,¡± Jason lied, but it was for good reason. His boss Eric was going to bring Arianna to her, but until then, he didn¡¯t want Natalie to know her daughter is in the hands of Marcel, Daniel¡¯s son, or else that would really break her. Yeah, it was really messed up.

    He went on, ¡°She¡¯s been taken care of by Edward¡¯s brother. However, she doesn¡¯t know about you and is living afortable life. Do you want to ruin that?¡±

    Natalie sighed, rubbing her temple where she could feel a headache brewing.

    .....

    ¡°I just want to see Penelope,¡±

    ¡°The Luciano family owns the plot Penelope is buried on and the walls have ears. What if you draw attention to yourself and Danieles after you?¡± Jason reasoned.

    No, he was tired of reasoning with her. But then, he¡¯d be in hot soup if Eric finds out he has been helping Natalie with stuff behind his back.

    Natalie lifted her head, ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem, I¡¯m not scared of Daniel anymore. I have spent half of my life fearing him, perhaps, it¡¯s time he begins to fear me,¡± She said coldly, her lips pressed together.

    She hade back here to spend the rest of her days in peace, but after hearing about Penelope and Edward, she was furious. Daniel deserved to pay for all he has done to her.

    ¡°So can you move out of the way?¡± Natalie ordered him. No one was going to stop her from seeing Penelope today.

    Jason tapped his feet against the ground, thinking hard.

    ¡°At least, cover your face properly,¡± He said, pulling the veil over her face. If she was going to take such a risk, he didn¡¯t want her to be seen.

    Natalie was dressed thoroughly in ck like someone in mourning. And Yes, she was mourning. Although she was mourning toote, Natalie would give the dead that respect. The two people she loved so much lost to the cold hands of death and she never even knew.

    After Eric¡¯s family rescued her, Natalie erased her past thinking it was much better. Let everyone assume that she was dead and move on. It was much safer that way. Moreover, she had nowhere to go, not after her father had betrayed her.

    Jason stepped out of the way for Natalie to get into the car. The veil covering her face would make it difficult for one to see her face, a precaution since they were walking into untested territory.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natalie was surprised when Jason climbed in after her.

    ¡°As if I would let you go alone, boss would skin me alive if anything happens to you,¡± Jason said, trying to fix his tie, but the exasperation on his face was obvious. No wonder he was having a hard time with his tie.

    Natalie simply turned and helped him fix his tie and he had no choice but to let her. Done, she patted his tie and let out a small smile, ¡°Thank you,¡±

    Jason didn¡¯t say anything, but he turned the other way, clearing his throat. Women, he sighed inwardly.

    She didn¡¯t have a hard time identifying Penelope¡¯s grave because, unlike the others, it was embellished with gold. Natalie couldn¡¯t tell how Penelope¡¯s life with Daniel had been, but it was obvious from the gesture that her son, Marcel, loved her. She hoped so. Just like she held on for Arianna, she prayed Marcel gave her enough happiness.

    Natalie ced a bouquet on the grave, staring at it for a while. She lifted the veil covering her face and said, ¡°Hello Penelope,¡±

    No response came other than the breeze.

    ¡°You must be cold in there, aren¡¯t you? And I am a very horrible friend,¡± Natalie sniffed, brushing away the tears from her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± She apologized, bursting into tears as she was unable to control her emotions.

    ¡°We made a lot of promises, but I failed every one of them. However, do you know what pains the most? The fact that you took my ce. You shouldn¡¯t have married Daniel in the first ce. I was the one you wanted, but then, you took up the punishment for me. I thought leaving my daughter was the worst punishment I had been given, but knowing that you went through without me, with no one by your side, it breaks my heart the most. I can¡¯t breathe... I feel like I want to die... I¡¯m the most horrible person.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m probably the most selfish person. I forced myself into believing that never searching for you and the others was the best thing, but then, I must have known inwardly. I just didn¡¯t know how to face it. I¡¯m so sorry... Can you ever forgive me....?¡± She poured out her heart on the grave.

    Natalie cried so hard that she didn¡¯t even realize her phone was ringing until Jason appeared in her peripheral.

    ¡°W-what is it?¡± She hurriedly cleared her eyes with the back of her hands, embarrassed he saw her crying.

    ¡°We have to leave now!¡± Jason said firmly, taking her hand and pulling her along before she could ask what was going on.

 Chapter 570

    570 Arianna¡¯s Mother

    She was protecting Elijah!

    She fucking still has feelings for Elijah!

    Was it possible to have feelings for two people?!

    Marcel had a lot of thoughts running amok in his head and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. He doesn¡¯t like Complications. No, this was the reason he hated rtionships ¨C he hated itsplications. But he thought it wouldn¡¯t be the case with Arianna. He had never been happy with anyone else the same way he was with her. No, he gave her all of him only to find out that she was holding out on him.

    The beast in him wanted him to stomp back and force the truth out of her lips with methods she wouldn¡¯t like. He shouldn¡¯t mix business with pleasure. Elijah was an enemy, he needed to be punished. He shouldn¡¯t be too weak.

    Weak!

    He hated that word.

    Knowing that he would likely end up doing something that he would regret, Marcel left the base. There was only one ce that he foundfort in times of turmoil and that was speaking to his mother.

    Marcel entered his car and drove to the graveyard. It has been a long time since he visited his mother and he could use herfort right now. He stopped by a flower shop on the way and purchased his mother¡¯s favorite lilies.

    .....

    When he was little, she loved nting those in the garden. She lovedparing him to the flowers, iming he was handsome as the lilies of the field and he was the finest in thend. Remembering those memories made Marcel¡¯s heart constrict painfully. He missed her.

    Upon reaching the entrance, Marcel saw another car parked by the side with tinted windows, and he frowned slightly. His family had their graveyard, but his bastard father refused to bury his mother there, iming she was never his wife and included in his will never to be buried beside her.

    His mother was buried in a public cemetery and it wasn¡¯t until Marcel acquired enough power that he purchased the plot ofnd where his mother was buried and several other plots. Just like his father made his decision, he made his too and once he died, he would be buried alongside her. His mother would not be lonely forever.

    A mere look at the car told Marcel that it was expensive and he assumed that a big shot came to visit too. Marcel didn¡¯t think much about it knowing like him, many others purchased plots in the cemetery too. So he parked his car and went in.

    It was a long walk to his mother¡¯s grave and it didn¡¯t help matters that the cemetery was on a hill. However, that was the least of Marcel¡¯s problems since he kept in shape until he arrived and found out that someone had been there before him.

    Confused and his face set in a frown, Marcel stared at the flower on his mother¡¯s grave and the ones he had in his hands, it was the same. No one except him knew his mother loved lilies, his father simply didn¡¯t care, no, Daniel would be thest person to visit here.

    As if something struck him, Marcel dropped the flower and broke into a run. The car parked outside, it must be them. Whoever dropped this flower must know his mother.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know his mother¡¯s ancestry because Daniel wouldn¡¯t say and he had no clue where to start looking. It was a dead end because his father erased every piece of information about her and his mother was too afraid to tell him when she was alive. After all, she feared Daniel. Penelope was like a ghost existing until she finally just stopped existing.

    Whoever visited his mother¡¯s grave must know her and Marcel needed to know. He needed them. It wouldn¡¯t change the past, but knowing his mother¡¯s people would give him inner peace.

    Thanks to the hilly terrain, Marcel was able to spot them from his position. There were two of them ¨C if you didn¡¯t count the driver ¨C and a gut feeling told him that it was the woman that brought the flower. Judging from the way she was being guided to the car, he knew instinctively that she was someone important.

    But it was toote. Even if he ran with all of his might, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with her. And Marcel just did the only thing that came into his mind.

    ¡°Hey!¡± He screamed, the echo carrying across the quiet graveyard and she stopped.

    The universe must be working in his favor because she turned and the resemnce struck Marcel like a sword to his chest.

    Arianna.

    No, it wasn¡¯t her.

    Her mother.

    The resemnce was uncanny.

    If Arianna dyed her hair brown and both of them walked on the street, mother and daughter would be mistaken for sisters instead. They looked almost the same, it was shocking.

    Whatsted like forever was only a moment and the man by her side pulled down her veil almost immediately as if realizing her face was revealed and pulled her into the car immediately.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t go!¡±

    Marcel extended his hand as if he could grab her if he reached out, but mere air greeted him and his brain resumed function. He took after them but even when he made it outside, it was only the dust in their wake and there was no sign of them.

    ¡°No! Shit! Fuck!¡± Marcel cursed, kicking his car in frustration.

    For the first time he had hope, he saw a clue that could unravel the secrets that had been kept from him all these years.

    But then Arianna¡¯s mother?

    What the hell was going on?

    How was she rted to his mother?

    But it didn¡¯t make sense, why was she running away? Why did she abandon Arianna? Why was she always running?

    None of it made sense, it was confusing.

    Marcel came here to get answers, but it seems he was left with more questions instead.

 Chapter 571

    571 [Bonus Chapter] They Were Good Now

    ¡°I need to see Marcel,¡± Arianna said to Victor, who turned, honestly surprised to hear such a question from her.

    ¡°What a strange question,¡± Victor muttered. He was overseeing the duel ying out between the soldiers, hence his attention was divided.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Victor.¡± Arianna breathed, hands on her hips. She went searching for Marcel after their big argument, but it seems he vanished into thin air. She tried calling but he was not picking up her calls and ignored her texts as well.

    ¡°Did the both of you fight?¡± Victor asked, dodging the opponent who threw the other to the ground.

    ¡°Kind of.¡± She ran her hand through her hair, ¡°So do you know where he is?¡± She wanted to know, tired of searching for him all over.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I can find out.¡± Victor finally abandoned the fight and she breathed in relief.

    He went to the corner and sat down on the bench, beginning to type a message that he said aloud, ¡°Where are you, brother?¡±

    Arianna watched him press the send button and rxed.

    He looked at her, ¡°Depending on where he is and what he¡¯s doing, Marcel might take time to reply. So I suggest you calm your tits and I¡¯ll -¡± Victor was still saying when his phone beeped.

    .....

    ¡°Or maybe not....¡± the lines on Victor¡¯s face were drawn together as he read the message. He looked up at Arianna with an apologetic smile,

    ¡°He wants to know who¡¯s asking?¡±

    Arianna lifted her brow, ¡°Really? He wants to do this right now?¡± she shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

    Opening her eyes, Arianna instructed him, ¡°Tell him then that it¡¯s his over concerned girlfriend performing her rightful role after her dramatic boyfriend left her worried over his whereabouts!¡± She added under her breath, ¡°But it seems I was concerned over nothing, after all.¡±

    ¡°Your girlfriend is asking,¡± Victor said aloud while typing as usual. There was no way on earth he could type down the whole of Arianna¡¯s words.

    Almost immediately, Marcel sent a response and Victor opened the message only to hesitate, looking between the text and Arianna uneasily.

    ¡°Well, what did he say?¡± Arianna demanded, her arms crossed on her chest.

    ¡°And Marcel says....¡± Victor licked his lips, ¡°I¡¯m currently balls deep, fucking the daylight out of ra. At least, she wouldn¡¯t lie straight to my face. Don¡¯t expect me tonight, I¡¯m busy.¡±

    Arianna knew that Marcel was probably trying to get a raise out of her but pure jealousy still wrapped around her heart and she clenched her fists by her side. GOD HELPS HIM IF HE WAS REALLY FUCKING CLARA RIGHT NOW! SHE WOULD DESTROY THOSE DEEP BALLS OF HIM!

    She began tough sarcastically. Her hystericalughter was so loud that even the soldiers busy with their matches sensed something was up and halted whatever they were doing. If the boss and his woman were having a fight, then it was dangerous for them. In situations like this, there were bound to be casualty loss and none of them wanted to be the one. So they evacuated the room while there was still time.

    ¡°Then tell him,¡± Arianna said, after she was able to get a semnce of control, ¡°If he¡¯s balls deep in ra as he ims, then he¡¯s really doing a bad job of it since he has the time to type back.¡± She huffed.

    And Victor did as she asked.

    A response came.

    ¡°Marcel says you don¡¯t have to worry, it¡¯s a skill cultured men have and you¡¯re just jealous because you haven¡¯t experienced yet. If you don¡¯t believe him, ask.... Me?¡± Victor scowled at the message. Really man?

    Why was Marcel dragging him into their fight? No, he shouldn¡¯t have answered Arianna¡¯s request in the first ce, now they¡¯ve made him their middleman.

    ¡°I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about?¡± Victor said defensively, his hands in the air when he saw the using stare Arianna was giving him

    ¡°Fine, tell Marcel to have fun all he wants. I¡¯ll find other men to entertain me. He knows where to find me if he wants to talk. ¡± Arianna gave her final words and left.

    But even she knew inwardly that having fun with his men was impossible. Because all of his soldiers were too scared of him to think ofing close to her.

    Marcel was being childish right now. Sure, she lied to him, but Arianna didn¡¯t mean to. This was exactly the reason she never wanted him to know. He¡¯d kill Eijhah and that would be on her conscience. However, since he already knows, perhaps, they might be ablee to an agreement where Elijah¡¯s life is spared.

    Contrary to what she told Marcel on the phone, Arianna didn¡¯t have any fun at all. She stayed in the living room waiting for Marcel toe home. She didn¡¯t want to move an inch so she doesn¡¯t miss him.

    Unfortunately, by nine in the night, Marcel still wasn¡¯t home and she began to panic. Could it be that he was really with ra?

    No, that couldn¡¯t be. Marcel loathed ra. It was clearly a cunning n to make her angry. Even the thought of ra touching him not to talk of Marcel being balls deep inside of her filled Arianna with murderous intent.

    Arianna had always chastised women who fought other women for their boyfriends or husbands, but now she could finally understand that feeling. Marcel was hers and no one was toy a hand on her.

    At ten, Arianna still hadn¡¯t made a move from the bed even when Beatrice was beginning her toe have dinner, but she didn¡¯t have the appetite. She only wanted to see Marcel.

    Arianna must have waited for so long because the next she opened her eyes, it was to see Marcel putting her in bed.

    ¡°You¡¯re home,¡± She murmured, groggy with sleep.

    ¡°Go to bed,¡± Was all Marcel told her as he pulled the sheet to her chin. Thus, Arianna slept with a smile on her face.

    They were good now.

 Chapter 572

    572 She Missed Him

    It was a lie.

    They were not good at all.

    Arianna realized that early in the morning.

    Marcel put her in her roomst night, nor was there evidence or a sign that he had spent the night by her side at all. He must have left after he put her in bed and she wasn¡¯t happy with that.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, one of the staff came to inform her that Marcel wanted her all dressed up for the breakfast with Adele and Aziz and that made Arianna see red.

    Was this how it was going to be between them from now on? Moreover, she wasn¡¯t his toy that he could summon whenever he pleaseth. She had the power to make her own decisions and one of them involved disobeying his orders.

    Arianna would have ignored himpletely, but she remembered Adele and the guesting over and didn¡¯t want to give them the impression that she and Marcel were an unhappy couple.

    Well, if this continued, they would be one soon.

    So she grudgingly took her bath and dressed up. Since they were having guests over, Arianna chose a champagne satin slip dress with spaghetti straps, apanied by a trench coat to keep away the breeze since it was getting colder these days. Arianna was looking casual yet chic and after a few touches on her face, she was good to go.

    .....

    Arianna had to admit that she dressed up intentionally for Marcel. That is if the asshole would put away his anger enough to notice and appreciate her appearance. God, she hated them being this way.

    Done, Arianna went in search of Marcel and when she didn¡¯t find him in his room, she knew instinctively that he would be in her office. Her heart clenched when she saw his perfectly made bed because just a day ago, they were messing around in it. How could they go from good to bad in a twinkle of an eye?

    His office was busy with soldiersing in and out, carrying out his orders, but it wasn¡¯t any of Arianna¡¯s concern as she added a sway to her hips while walking.

    Marcel was busy on his phone and had his back turned to her, but the force acting on the both of them must have tugged at him and he turned to see her walk into his office like a goddamn goddess that owned the ce.

    ¡°Knock, knock, am I weed,¡± Arianna said, making a show of knocking and that was when Marcel blinked, realizing that he had been staring at her for over a minute.

    Marcel mentally pped himself and quickly summoned every piece of control he had left in him. Arianna looked so hot and tempting in that dress that his cock hardened instantly and he had the greatest urge to forget the reason they were fighting in the first ce and simply bend her over his desk and fuck her till she¡¯s begging for mercy.

    It was a good thing that she had that trench coat that would hide her wicked curves from the prying eyes of the guests he was expecting soon. Adele¡¯s friend or not, he would deal with any bastard that dares to look at his woman the wrong way.

    ¡°Am I going to remain standing forever?¡± Arianna gave him a mean moue when Marcel still didn¡¯t give her response. However, she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that the way his gaze roved over her body made shivers dance down her spine ¨C and it was in a good way.

    It was nice to know that even while they were fighting, the attraction between them sizzled. They said distance made the heart fonder, perhaps it was working.

    ¡°Knock yourself out,¡± Marcel said coldly and turned his back to her, continuing his call.

    Bastard! Arianna red at his back. How could he be so heartless?! As cold as ice even while she was showing remorse?!

    Arianna let Marcel work. She didn¡¯t want to bother him ande off as an annoying girlfriend. If they had a fight, they would resolve it like two responsible adults, she was determined.

    However, Marcel must be vexing her on purpose because his calls never ended and as soon as he was done with one, he started with another. The worst part was that he wouldn¡¯t even look at her as if he couldn¡¯t deal with her right now.

    But then, he couldn¡¯t ignore her forever and her patience had a limit ¨C and it had run out. Arianna tossed her purse on the seat with great annoyance and strode over to Marcel, snatching the phone from his ear. She didn¡¯t care who was on the other line even if it was the president of the country.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes zed with fire at her action and he opened his mouth, about to spew out profanities when Arianna wrapped her arm around his neck and crushed her lips to his.

    Marcel stiffened for just a moment before his lips moved smoothly with hers. Arianna pushed him back so his back hit his desk and pinned him there while she deepened the kiss, their tongues tangling and dancing to a tune of their making.

    However, Marcel was not a man to be dominated by because he switched their position in the twinkle of an eye and pinned her there instead. His knee was wedged between her legs, rubbing against her clit while she ground on him.

    He dominated her with his tall, sturdy body, and even with the pad in between them, the friction sent delicious tingles to her body and she moaned into his mouth which he swallowed greedily.

    He caught the back of her head and forced her to remain in his grip as he ravaged her lips. Catching her strands, he yanked it hard and she yelped in pain just as he increased the pace. It must have been the pain, because the double stimtion threw her over the edge, and she came with a loud moan, her eyes rolling to the back of her eyes.

    Marcel finally eased the brutality of his kiss and she answered him with the same passion until they both pulled back, panting for air.

    Arianna traced her face with her hands before pressing her head to his.

    She missed this.

    She missed him.

 Chapter 573

    573 Leave Him For Elijah

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna croaked, trying to bring back her attention to her when he pulled away.

    ¡°Not now, Arianna,¡± He tried to put space between them but she wouldn¡¯t let him go.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we stop fighting? Can¡¯t we talk about this, Marcel?¡± Arianna threw her hands in the air helplessly. She was not used to this routine of blowing hot and cold at the same time, and knowing that it was her fault didn¡¯t help things either.

    ¡°You mean, you¡¯re ready to tell me about Elijah?¡± He demanded, looking her dead in the eyes. There was nopromise on this one. If she wanted transparency between them, then she was going to take the first step.

    ¡°God!¡± Arianna groaned, turning her head, annoyed, ¡°Is that how it¡¯s going to be, huh?¡±

    Marcel said firmly through clenched jaw, ¡°It just doesn¡¯t work that way, Arianna! You don¡¯t just forget a betrayal like this one and move on as if it never happened!¡±

    He told her with a pained expression,

    ¡°I trusted you, love. I fucking trusted you! But you had been ying me for a fool all this while. Perhaps Macy was right, I fell for your innocent face and eyes. I was the stupid one all along.¡±

    ¡°God, stop this, Marcel! You are not stupid, okay!¡± Arianna countered his words with gestures.

    .....

    She then nced up at him with tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for lying to you, I never meant to keep it from you, but I hate us being this way. I just didn¡¯t want you and Elijah to tear each other apart! God, I love you Marcel and I would never leave your side. However, you need to let go of Elijah. That¡¯s the only way to solve all of this, ¡± She held his hand, reminding him of the advantages, ¡°And he¡¯d return your weapons, remember, and leave us the hell alone to live our lives? ¡±

    Marcel was tempted, really tempted, to consider her offer, but then he was the leader of the Luciano family and had to do what was right.

    ¡°What is the assurance that Elijah would really leave us alone?¡± He asked her.

    Arianna swallowed, ¡°I¡¯ll make him leave. I swear on it with my life.¡±

    He straightened up, ¡°So you n to meet him and you think he doesn¡¯t have ns of his own? Do you think he wouldn¡¯t try to take you away from me? What even makes you think I would let you meet with such a dangerous man and your ex at that?¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything, she just pressed her lips together stubbornly, while looking at him. He would never trust her. Marcel would never see her as an equal. To him, she was probably just a property worth protecting.

    Marcel came closer till he was backing her into the desk once again. And he reminded her.

    ¡°The fact that I¡¯m having this conversation with you amicably when I should be torturing you for his whereabouts is a betrayal on my own part. Your beloved Elijah threatened the safety of my family and it¡¯s my responsibility as the head to bring them justice. So I¡¯m sorry, Arianna, but the redemption period is over for your ex-boyfriend?¡± He stated, making his final decision.

    Marcel picked up the phone and read a message with deep concentration, before turning to announce to her, ¡°Our guests have arrived, Arianna. I would really love it if you don¡¯t make a scene.¡±

    But she scoffed, ¡°So I am the unreasonable one now, is that it, Marcel? I never took you for a sexist. Real smooth, Marcel. Real smooth.¡±

    ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± Marcel groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. He hated this. He hated them fighting, but then, he was torn between love and duty ¨C and duty seems to be winning.

    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t don¡¯t mean it.¡± She said sarcastically, ¡°You know, If we are going to be fighting like this from now on, you better let me go because I can¡¯t be with someone who doesn¡¯t have forgiveness in him,¡± Arianna said.

    There was a tick in Marcel¡¯s jaw and it was obvious that he was having a hard time with that statement. Was she suggesting that they broke up?

    No!

    It was not going to happen!

    Did she n to leave him for Elijah?

    He would rather die than let that happen. She was his woman and would not let that happen.

    Marcel grabbed her arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He said, without giving her a response to her request.

    However, Arianna refused to make a move and that didn¡¯t sit well with Marcel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me carry you on my shoulder over there. We don¡¯t want to feed our guest with such a sight, don¡¯t you think so?¡± He breathed down her neck, the threat in his tone obvious and she shivered not out of fear, but desire.

    Arianna hated her body¡¯s instant reaction to Marcel. Why couldn¡¯t she just hate him for once properly without desiring him at the same time?

    The attraction between them grew slowly like a small fire until it expanded exponentially like an inferno threatening to burn them alive and Marcel snapped out of it knowing if he started, there was no backing out until he finished it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± He was a lot gentler this time, cing his hand on the small of her waist and leading her out of the office.

    The breakfast was held outside and that was where they headed. The food was already set up and it was almost as if they were celebrating a feast because there was too much on the table.

    ¡°You said they are here,¡± Arianna sighed, taking her seat, annoyed. She has lost her interest in this breakfast and wanted nothing but to go back to her room and spend the rest of her day in misery. It didn¡¯t help matters either that Mimi left this morning with Victor to go see her parents. She was all alone now.

    ¡°They are here,¡± Marcel gestured behind her and Arianna turned around reluctantly only to nch with shock.

    No way.

 Chapter 574

    574 His Life Was In Her Hand

    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Elijah asked Adele who had been oddly quiet since their ride to Marcel¡¯s ce.

    But there was still no response from her and it wasn¡¯t until he touched her arm that she roused from her reverie, startled.

    ¡°What?!¡± Adele was flustered, her hands already on the gun at her side thinking they were ambushed or something. However, when she saw the concerned look on his face, she managed to calm down.

    She wiped her face with her palm, intentionally ignoring the intense look Aziz was giving her. Her attention was divided and he was definitely going to question that.

    ¡°A penny for your thoughts?¡±

    Just as she thought.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that I think I¡¯m overworking myself these days.¡± She lied, hoping that was enough to divert his attention.

    Well, what else was she going to tell him anyway?

    Hello, Aziz, I have something to tell you, and the truth is that I¡¯m carrying your baby.

    .....

    Is that it?

    Because Adele was sure as hell he wouldn¡¯t believe her.

    No, their rtionship was merely a fling, and just like her, Aziz was not ready to be a father. Heck, she didn¡¯t even know if she was ready to be a mother yet ¨C she was thinking abortion. But one thing was for sure, Adele couldn¡¯t tell him about the baby yet. She would in the future ¨C if she doesn¡¯t abort.

    Her agenda at the moment was to ensure that Aziz got along with Marcel because if she decides to keep this baby, whether she likes it or not, Marcel is definitely going to get involved. He would force Aziz to get married to her... Adele forced the lump down her throat. This was messed up.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stress yourself much then,¡± Elijah epted the excuse she had given him. He lifted his hand and pulled her to his side.

    It was kind of strange, buttely, Elijah was beginning to feel kind of guilty. This whole thing had begun as part of his sick game, but the more he got to know Adele, he found out that he doesn¡¯t deserve her.

    Adele deserves someone better, nor was it her fault she was born into the Luciano family. So the more Elijah tried to justify his actions by ming the fact she was part of the Luciano family, the more cracks appeared in his judgment.

    So until he broke Arianna out of the base, Elijah decided to treat her well. It was not an excuse for his behavior, nor would it make up for the hurt she would experience when she uncovers his betrayal, he still wanted to give her happy memories.

    He wanted to make her happy with the little time left. Thus, the rest of the days well spent with Aziz would be hisst gift to her because when he goes back to being Elijah Draven, they would be nothing but enemies.

    It was a sure thing that Adele would hate his ass after all of this. He used her to fulfill his end goals and that was a terrible sin. And hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

    Adele came closer to his side and let him embrace her. It must be the pregnancy hormone or something because she craved his touchestely like an addict needs his fix. Although she hasn¡¯t had sex with Aziz since finding out she was having his child, intimate gestures like this made her heart skip a beat and her stomach flutter; she enjoyed it.

    She leaned into him and breathed in his scent, it had a calming effect on him. As expected of men, his odor was naturally masculine and sharper and right now, he smelled refreshing and sensual like sandalwood and passionate musk.

    He smelled so good.

    Elijah lifted a brow when he saw the way Adele was sniffing him like an animal with her eyes closed, however, he didn¡¯t have the heart to pull away seeing the small smile at the corner of her lips.

    Also, he promised to be good to her, and that included letting her do whatever she wanted. So even if she wanted to sniff him like a wolf marking its territory, then so be it. Elijah had to admit that it made his heart swell with pride at the same time. She liked his smell. For a woman to do that, it was honestly hot and sexy. And his dick springing to life testified to it as well.

    However, all good thing had toe to an end and the ambiance changed the instant they arrived at the base.

    Adele was the first to pull out of his embrace and said to him,

    ¡°Marcel can¡¯t know of our rtionship,¡± She exined to him upon seeing the shift in his expression, ¡°Not that I¡¯m embarrassed by you or something, but Marcel can easily assume you got here by taking advantage of our rtionship. But I want you to earn your spot and that includes making a good first impression on him, do you get me?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Elijah agreed readily.

    His aim today was to not get caught and earn Marcel¡¯s trust at the same time. He was back to being Aziz, the sly opportunist once he stepped inside. He just prayed Arianna wouldn¡¯t get too shocked. He promised to get her out, she would see just how serious he is about keeping his promises.

    The instant they stepped out of the car, two men approached him and searched him thoroughly. Even with Adele¡¯s testimony, unless Marcel¡¯s final verdict, he was still very much a suspect and couldn¡¯t be trusted.

    They let him go only when they didn¡¯t find any weapon on him. Only then, did they ask him to follow after them with Adele beside him. Right now, Elijah was not with any weapons, meaning if his identity was leaked, he was as good as dead. And the only person with his identity was Arianna.

    His life was in her hands now.

    Elijah loved the thrills of danger, it gave him a great feeling of excitement, and right now, a hidden smile curled his lips to the side.

    He¡¯d see what choice Arianna makes in the end.

 Chapter 575

    575 Marcel Knows

    Holy mother fucking bastard!

    Arianna swore mentally when her eyes fell on Elijahing in her direction, with a woman by his side whom she surmised to be Marcel¡¯s cousin.

    When Marcel told her his cousin and the mysterious guest wereing over, she never heard the name ¡°Elijah¡± being mentioned, so what then was he doing there?

    It was a good thing that Arianna was smart and was able to figure out that Elijah was working undercover in Marcel¡¯s gang. Hence, she quickly masked her expression knowing that Marcel doesn¡¯t trust her anymore and currently has his observant eyes on her.

    Showing shock was a straight giveaway to Elijah¡¯s identity and all of her efforts to protect him would be nothing because Marcel would end him right there and now.

    For once, Arianna was thankful she had been around her dramatic cousin udia and was able to pick on a lot of acting skills ¨C yep, the girl was cray cray.

    Just like her, Marcel was busy scrutinizing Elijah and she gulped slightly, hoping to God that he had not found out something suspicious.

    Arianna stood up and went over to him, saying, ¡°Such a handsomed,¡± She made a show of admiring him, ¡°At least, if you¡¯re keeping him around, I won¡¯t be so bored with you giving me the cold shoulders.¡±

    While Marcel is deep in concentration and close to making a breakthrough, the best way to distract him was with the use of jealousy and it was an effective method because he turned to Arianna with a stern look.

    .....

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep your hope high because he¡¯s not staying,¡± Marcel said with a note of finality. The issue was not up for argument.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Arianna drawled, cing her hand on Marcel¡¯s chest and raking a finger down his hard bicep, and he watched her every move, his breathing changing slightly.

    Of course, she knew her effect on him, but right now, Arianna was being aloof on purpose. She needed a strong distraction and since Marcel was giving her attitude, being a bitch should do the trick.

    She said to him, ¡°Of course, that¡¯s already decided. You¡¯re the boss, who can challenge that even that, if it means

    denying a great talent the opportunity of a lifetime?¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t mean that, not that Marcel needed to know at the moment. She didn¡¯t want Elijah close to the base where he could keep his eyes on her and make good of his threat of taking her away from here.

    Sure, she and Marcel were having problems now, but Arianna was confident about patching upter and Elijah would only be a hindrance to that. The idiot doesn¡¯t even care that she was jeopardizing her rtionship to save his life.

    ¡°Perhaps we shoulde back at ater time?¡±

    Arianna heard a voice say behind her and she knew without looking that it was Adele, his cousin. She must have noticed the animosity between her and Marcel and it was ufortable.

    She turned back with a smile, ¡°Of course, not silly!¡± Arianna put out her hand, ¡°I¡¯m Arianna,¡±

    ¡°Adele,¡±

    The woman enveloped her hand in a warm handshake and Arianna made her gaze intentionally rest on Elijah, knowing that Marcel had his hot stare on her, so it seems as if it was their face time meeting ¨C when it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°And you must be....?¡± She raised a brow, fishing for the fake name he was using in his undercover game. Arianna hadn¡¯t exactly been paying attention when Marcel called his name earlier.

    ¡°Aziz,¡± Elijah said formally, making sure his gaze didn¡¯t linger too much on her. He had done his research beforeing and found out that Marcel was extremely possessive of Arianna and any unlucky man who dared to look at her the wrong way paid the price.

    As thrilling as it was to challenge Marcel, this was unfortunately not the time and ce. Elijah came here to gain Marcel¡¯s trust and he would not lose it because the bastard was fucking insecure.

    Elijah and Marcel were both alphas in their own territory and having both of them together in one ce would have been explosive if it wasn¡¯t for the fact Elijah intentionally hid his aura. Right now, he was Aziz, the young ambitious soldier who wanted to climb up the hierarchy by making a good impression on the boss.

    So when Marcel ordered,

    ¡°Don¡¯t dare to shake her hand,¡±

    He did as hemanded, even lowering his gaze to the ground in submission.

    Arianna rolled her eyes towards heaven, ¡°You know, you¡¯re being such a party pooper right now.¡± She said to Marcel, yet turned to Adele,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about his stony-face, we are kind of currently experiencing a mini-crisis in our rtionship, however, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d settle that with rough sexter. Angry sex does the magic, don¡¯t you think so,¡±

    While Marcel growled a warning, Adele chuckled into her palm. She liked Arianna. It took a lot of guts for a woman to get such a rise out of Marcel. Guess the news that the great Marcel haspletely fallen for a woman wasn¡¯t too far stretched.

    ¡°God, I am so hungry,¡± Arianna turned dramatically towards Marcel and shrugged, ¡°Are we eating or what before the food turns cold?¡±

    But Marcel ignored her and strode over to Elijah instead. Each step that he took made Arianna¡¯s heart thud loudly in her chest. Let this be for good, she prayed.

    Standing in front of Elijah, Marcel stretched out his hand to everyone¡¯s surprise,

    ¡°Marcel,¡± He introduced himself, standing to his full height and showing off his dominance.

    Elijah smiled, taking his hand with both hands instead, his eyes filled with doting adoration,

    ¡°Aziz, boss.¡± He introduced himself, ¡°It¡¯s quite an honor to finally make your acquaintance. You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve longed to -¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap,¡± Marcel cut him off all of a sudden, stunning everyone. Even Elijah himself was speechless.

    ¡°What?¡± He swallowed.

    Marcel growled, ¡°Don¡¯t say you admire me when I know quite well that you¡¯re a pretender.¡±

    Oh no.

    Arianna felt her soul leave her body at that moment.

    Does Marcel know?

    How did Marcel know?!

 Chapter 576

    576 [Bonus Chapter] Complication

    Everyone forgot to breathe as the tension escted. Arianna looked at Marcel fearfully and unsure while Adele was confused, and Elijah in question kept up with his act of ignorance.

    Until it was proved with evidence that he was Elijah, he was not admitting anything. What if this was merely a test and heplicates everything by conceding easily? No, his life was hanging by a thread here and he would not carelessly lose it.

    ¡°When were you going to tell me that you¡¯re sleeping with my cousin or was your dick only man enough to sink into her cunt, but not face me directly?¡± He challenged him, standing face to face with him.

    Arianna let out the deep breath she was holding in. It was something else. Elijah was safe ¨C for the moment ¨C she calmed her racing heart. Just what was that bastard thinking bying here? She was tired of his games!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elijah apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep it from -¡±

    ¡°It was my idea.¡± Adele interrupted him. She then turned to Marcel exining,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to undermine his efforts, thinking it was as a result of our close rtionship. Aziz had been doing perfectly well even before he worked for me, you can ask around. Everyone knows that.¡± She defended him.

    Marcel tilted his head in his direction,

    ¡°He has the mouth to defend himself. ¡± He imed.

    .....

    ¡°And I have the right to sleep with whoever I want, it¡¯s my body.¡± Adele reminded him. Just because she was his second inmand, doesn¡¯t make him her father.

    ¡°And are we eating or not?¡± Arianna interrupted the both of them, ¡°I would leave here if you don¡¯t get your asses to your seats right now!,¡± She ordered and just like obedient littlembs, they located their seats.

    As expected, Marcel took his ce at the head table, with Arianna beside him while Elijah and Adele sat together. It must have been as a result of Arianna scolding them, but none of them said a word as they concentrated on eating breakfast until Marcel broke the silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, for the attitude earlier,¡± Marcel apologized to Elijah to everyone¡¯s surprise, ¡°However, I¡¯m very protective of my family, and that includes making sure they have a capable partner.¡± He said.

    ¡°Yep, he¡¯s not kidding at all,¡± Arianna added, ¡°Thank your lucky God you¡¯re not born into the family, else you¡¯d be caged under his golden care forever.¡± She said with a sweet smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes.

    Marcel merely shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t mind my girlfriend, she¡¯s in her time of the month if you get the point?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s kind of obvious,¡± Elijah said, holding her gaze for a fleeting moment, nor did it go unnoticed by Adele. But she didn¡¯t put much thought into it even though that single look spoke volumes.

    ¡°Yes, thank you, sexists,¡± Arianna muttered, aggressively tearing into her steak with her knife and when she finely cut out a fine piece, she put it into her mouth and chewed with pleasure. At least, the food was better than the men right now.

    Marcel ignored her ranting and focused on Aziz. He watched the young man talking to his cousin and cutting her steak into smaller pieces for her ¨C something he would have done for Arianna if they weren¡¯t fighting right now.

    However, there was just something about Aziz that he couldn¡¯t ce his finger around. It was obvious that Aziz liked Adele, that was for sure, Marcel could see that in his eyes, however, the boy looked ambitious. Too ambitious. He knew that glint in a man¡¯s eyes anytime, any day.

    Sure, ambition was a good drive in a man, however, it can be destructive when it bespulsive. In one word, Marcel felt threatened by Aziz and he wasn¡¯t even a Luciano. So yeah, ambitious men like Aziz, he doesn¡¯t trust him around his cousin.

    But that didn¡¯t stop Marcel from starting up a conversation with him. After all, it is said, to bring your friends close and your enemies even closer. He needed to understand Aziz¡¯s ambition before it became a threat to him.

    ¡°I still want to thank you for your help on that errand I had you do,¡± Marcel appreciated his help in stopping the wedding from happening.

    ¡°What errand? ¡± Arianna was quick to pick on.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Elijah answered her this time, ¡°It¡¯s a man¡¯s thing.¡±

    Elijah somehow sensed that Marcel did not tell Arianna everything, so he kept his lips sealed too. He wanted to impress Marcel and gain his trust at the same time.

    A silent conversation passed between both men before they went back to eating. Strange enough, after breakfast, Marcel warmed up to Elijah and the next Arianna knew, both men were conversing like two lost kindred souls finally finding each other after a while.

    Left out, Arianna decided to find Adele instead of being bored at the corner. It didn¡¯t make sense that Elijah wasfortable around Marcel when she was on tenterhooks here.

    Does he even realize he¡¯s like a mouse in a lion¡¯s den? He was carelessly throwing himself in harm¡¯s way while she was working hard to save his ungrateful ass. Arianna was even beginning to wonder if it was worth it.

    ¡°So you and er...¡± She thought of his fake name, ¡°Aziz?¡±.

    Honestly, Arianna was a bit jealous and curious. Was this all an act or was Elijah truly interested in Adele? It left Arianna questioning if what she had with Elijah in the past had been real. Or just like Adele, did he use her to achieve whatever stupid game he was ying?

    ¡°Yes, kind of,¡± She said.

    ¡°Kind of?¡± Arianna found that answercking. She took a seat beside Adele who was staring at the men deep in their conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡± was all Adele said, but Arianna got the point.

    ¡°So the both of you are together, yet not together. Crystal clear.¡± She nodded. Elijah better not be ying with Adele, that would piss her off.

    Adele turned to her, ¡°So you and Marcel, what¡¯s happening between the both of you?¡±

    ¡°Kind ofplicated as well,¡± Arianna gave her a vague answer.

    ¡°Why? Because of Elijah?¡± Adele said and she stiffened instantly.

    Arianna raised a brow at her.

    The shit just got real.

 Chapter 577

    577 They Shouldn¡¯t Be Together

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you are so interested in my private affairs?¡± Arianna rxed in her seat, staring at Adele fully.

    Even both men that were conversing had their attention on them now and she knew instinctively that Marcel was most interested in her answer, after all, Elijah was the very reason they were fighting. And it was most weird that Elijah they were looking for was in their midst and both of them had no idea.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Elijah was truly having fun from this. Then he must surely be a psychopath.

    ¡°I¡¯m Marcel¡¯s second inmand, everything he knows, I know.¡± She tried to excuse her nosiness.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arianna said, picking out two flutes and pouring both of them a drink. She handed the ss to her and though Adele hesitated at first, she eventually epted the wine from her when she exined, ¡°It¡¯s not alcoholic.¡±

    As if Marcel would let her get drunk this early in the morning even if she wanted to drown her frustration. No, he controlled all of her choices. Perhaps, Elijah was right, because no matter how Marcel put it, she was still a captive here.

    Adele would have epted that wine in a twinkle of an eye, however, she remembered her pregnancy and wondered if the wine would affect her baby. But then a ss was considered safe, right?

    ¡°Marcel is right, we do need Elijah. He¡¯smitted some crime he needs to answer to and if this case continues, some family members might begin to question his ability to lead this family.¡± Adele told her, drinking from her ss.

    Upon hearing that, Arianna turned in the direction of Marcel, concerned. Keeping Elijah¡¯s identity from him was really causing him that much trouble?

    .....

    Although Marcel and Elijah stood away from them, and Marcel¡¯s back was turned to her, Arianna knew his ears were wide open and picking on their conversation. So she turned to Adele and intentionally answered her questions, ¡°I no longer have feelings for Elijah, however, I need closure, and sending him away alive is enough closure for me.¡±

    ¡°And how sure are you that Marcel would kill him?¡± Adele questioned her.

    Arianna narrowed her gaze at her, was she trying to say that Marcel might consider sparing his life? No, she shook her head inwardly, that was impossible. Marcel was intent on ending him.

    ¡°A blood debt is paid with death.¡± She reminded her.

    ¡°There are always chances for miracles,¡± Adele said knowingly, her lips curved to the side.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t believe this, was she trying to hint that there are other ways that Marcel could go about this without Elijah dying? But... but... why didn¡¯t Marcel exin to her this way?! And they had even been fighting about it?!

    However, the voice of caution in her head warned her that this could be a trap. But then, Marcel had never been the type to dishonor his words. Adele¡¯s words, not his, the voice of doubt spoke aloud in her head.

    No, she was the one who didn¡¯t trust Marcel well enough. How could she have forgotten that Marcel would never do anything that would cause her extreme pain because he loved her?

    Her stomach twisted at the thought she belittled his affection for her. She turned to stare at Marcel and as if sensing her gaze on him, he turned around only for their eyes to connect and hold.

    It was as if it was just the both of them existing at that moment and her heart throbbed painfully. If only theymunicated effectively, they wouldn¡¯t have fought in the first ce. The both of them were too hot-headed for each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Arianna said to Adele, without taking her eyes off him.

    With that intense look in his eyes, Arianna knew that Marcel heard her, although he did look away. Yes, the crisis had been averted, but it seems like he still hadn¡¯t forgiven her for lying to him. Arianna was not discouraged, she was confident of changing that.

    Adele nodded at her response and changed the topic immediately. Arianna decided that Adele was cool and she liked her and hoped to see her around a lot. Not long after, the men returned to the table and Marcel said to her,

    ¡°I have some business to attend with Adele privately, I hope you make my friend Azizfortable in my absence. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°So the both of you are friends now, that¡¯s surprising,¡± Arianna pointed out

    Her gaze first moved to Elijah as she wondered about his motive before finally resting on Marcel, doubtfully. He never makes friends, just acquaintances. What has changed now? Was Marcel suspicious or was he indeed finally making friends?

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t answer and only leaned over her to say, ¡°Be good,¡± and before Arianna could throw a jibe or something at him, Marcel pressed his lips on her and kissed her passionately.

    Her heart went Pitter patter at the kiss and she would have relished the moment except that it hit her that this was Marcel staking his im on her because he was leaving her with Aziz. He was marking his territory and only a fool would cross that.

    Arianna should have been disappointed but she decided to turn the situation to her favour instead. When Marcel was about to pull away, she wrapped her arm around him and deepened the kiss, taking control this time.

    With Elijah around, she wanted to prove to him that she was fine with Marcel and didn¡¯t want his interference in her life. She was happy, didn¡¯t he see it?

    As for Marcel, he was not getting away from her easily. He could be angry with her, but not forever. She would surely change that.

    Meanwhile, Elijah¡¯s face was as sour as shit as he watched Arianna and Marcel kiss right in front of him. Jealousy stirred inside of him when he remembered that he was supposed to be with her until things gotplicated.

    He only decided to give up on her for the sake of his brother¡¯s happiness; Eric deserved to be with Natalie. But he doesn¡¯t approve of Arianna and Marcel being together. No, they shouldn¡¯t be.

    They would never be.

 Chapter 578

    578 Love Is A Bullet To The Brain

    Something was wrong with Aziz, Adele frowned as she stared at him watching Arianna and Marcel make out with a murderous look in his eyes. It was weird. Perhaps, he wasn¡¯t a huge fan of public disy of affection which was understandable since Arianna and Marcel were literally sucking each other¡¯s faces in their presence.

    But then, that scene of Arianna and Aziz staring at each other with unspoken words between them shed in her head and she shook it away. Her mind was probably making up things, and who knows, this was pregnancy signs, she reasoned.

    There was no way that Aziz and Arianna could have met each other before now unless he was.... cold dread washed over her and her stomach twisted sickly at the sudden thought on her head.

    No, no way, Aziz couldn¡¯t be Elijah and she was thinking nonsense.

    However, the clues began toe together in her mind. Marcel had a suspicion that Elijah had already infiltrated his gang and that was the same time Aziz came along. He was too skilled and that was something only someone with experience like Elijah could do.

    Aziz couldn¡¯t be in love with Arianna, but Elijah was and the bastard would be willing to use anything or anyone... to get her out. Adele trembled and she swallowed uneasily, was Aziz truly Elijah?

    No!

    Her mind couldn¡¯t believe it. No, she didn¡¯t want to believe it. The father of her unborn child couldn¡¯t be Elijah. So she found facts to counter that belief.

    Aziz had a father who taught taekwondo and could have got all of his skills there. Marcel said Elijah was left-handed, but Aziz was right-handed. If Aziz was Elijah, there were plenty of opportunities for him to have taken Arianna already, but he didn¡¯t. Here he was. So he couldn¡¯t be Elijah.

    .....

    At that moment, as if Elijah sensed her suspicion, he smiled widely at Adele and it melted away every doubt in her mind. Elijah liked Arianna, and Aziz liked her. They couldn¡¯t be two people. Aziz wasn¡¯t Elijah, Adele forced her mind to believe it.

    ¡°Are you well? You seem pale,¡± Aziz came over to her, feeling her forehead with the back of his hand.

    Adele was relieved. Hugely relieved. There was no way this caring man could be Elijah. It was impossible. Elijah was a stone-cold mercenary who cared only for Arianna, which was why her cousin, Marcel held onto her. With Arianna in his hands, Elijah woulde back for her.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now you¡¯re here,¡± Adele smiled up at him, her heart racing. She was falling for Aziz and she knew that.

    ¡°Adele,¡± Marcel called and her attention snapped to him. It was time to go.

    ¡°Sure,¡± She nodded and turned to Aziz once and ced a peck on his cheeks, ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be here when you¡¯re back,¡± He promised her, nting a kiss on her knuckles.

    Whatever fears Adele had earlier vanishedpletely. Perhaps, Aziz had feelings for her. She knew It was kind of stupid hoping for stuff like that to happen when their rtionship was as clear as day, however, there¡¯s no way Aziz doesn¡¯t feel a thing for her. Even if it was little as candlelight, Adele didn¡¯t mind because she was positive she would make him fall for him.

    She then walked over to Marcel and together they left. But before leaving, Adele cast one final look at them and saw Aziz taking a seat across from Arianna. She had to force herself to stifle the feeling of Jealousy inside of her.

    It was obvious that Arianna was madly in love with her cousin, Marcel. It was Aziz that she was worried about, but then, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to go after Marcel¡¯s woman ¨C not unless he was Elijah. Adele winced inwardly, shutting that stupid voice that slipped into her mind again.

    ¡°You have a lot on your mind,¡± Marcel said, startling her.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She said, looking ahead.

    ¡°So it has to do with Aziz then,¡± Marcel figured it out, nor was he going to let it go. He suddenly stopped, and looked at her seriously, ¡°If he¡¯s using you, Adele, you have no reason to hide that from me. ¡±

    ¡°No! Of course not!¡± Adele rejected the idea, ¡°He¡¯s not taking advantage of me or something, it¡¯s just that...¡± She let out a deep breath and decided toe clean.

    ¡°Our rtionship is a fling.¡±

    It dawned on Marcel, ¡°But you want more,¡± He saw the truth in her eyes. Adele had that same desperate look he had a month ago when he was dying to have Arianna ept his feelings for her. Why does the Luciano family have such tough luck when ites to love? It was the only challenging factor in their family.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Adele admitted it, embarrassed. Her cheeks were rosy and she used her hair as a curtain to hide her face from Marcel¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. This was the first time she was opening up to Marcel on a personal level.

    Even though both of them were cousins, Adele came from the side of the family Marcel detested, hence theirmunication was straight to the point and profesional.

    Sheughed sheepishly, ¡°I sound stupid, don¡¯t I? I mean falling in love was never part of the n. I wanted to get myself established first with this chance you gave me, you know. Make more opportunities for women to participate in this organization, the Mafia is unfair to women.¡± She shrugged, ¡°Our role here is to only live for our husbands and children when we could be so much more.¡±

    ¡°But then, you think you can no longer do that now that you¡¯ve fallen in love?¡± Marcel figured her out.

    He shook his head, ¡°You are indeed a fool, Adele.¡±

    ¡°Am I though?¡± Adele asked, looking him dead in the eyes, ¡°Have you forgotten that for people like us, love is a bullet to the head.¡± She reminded him of the implications of holding someone dear to his heart in a world like their own.

    Once their enemies struck, it was always at the people close to their hearts because that was where it hurt the most. And there was nothing as dangerous as a Mafia with nothing to live for ¨C there was no more inhibitions nor conscience.

    ¡°I would rather die young yet experience the short-lived beatitude I had with Arianna than live for long yet dead inside. She made me feel alive and I would never regret it even if I died today.¡± Marcel told her with all conviction inside of him. Arianna was his everything now ¨C even if he was still mad at her.

 Chapter 579

    579 [Bonus Chapter] Expose His Identity

    With Marcel and Adele gone, Arianna was hoping to get some alone time with Elijah so she could speak and convince him to leave her alone, but Marcel always seems to have other ns. Because as soon as he was gone, there was Luca to take his ce and keep an eye on her.

    Sadly for Arianna, Luca was as fiercely loyal to Marcel just as his cousin Victor was to him if not more loyal ¨C Victor could look past some of her mistakes thanks to their friendship. But not Luca, he was literally dedicated to Marcel.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder what made these soldiers so devoted to her boyfriend. They carried out hisst orders and could even worship the very ground he stepped on. Was it fear or truly respect?

    Do they admire Marcel that much? Why were criminals so devoted to their leaders? She wished she could study the workings of their brains.

    Well, thanks to Luca¡¯s presence, Arianna could not talk freely with Elijah. However, not talking to him either would make it more awkward, so she decided to go with the flow.

    ¡°So Adele, huh?¡± Arianna picked a topic that wouldn¡¯t seem too suspicious to Marcel once Luca decides to tattle-tell on her.

    ¡°Yeah, what about her?¡± Aziz pretended to be ignorant of the hint she was throwing at him.

    Of all people, why Adele? To use her to get close to her? What was his whole deal? Does he know he was signing his own death by deciding to mess with Marcel¡¯s cousin? She wanted to ask a lot of questions! But she couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± She shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m just curious how a guy like you gets a woman like that?¡±

    .....

    What do you really want with her? That was her real question.

    ¡°You think I have ulterior motives in approaching her?¡± He asked innocently, yet lifted a brow when Luca wasn¡¯t looking.

    He went on to say, ¡°You believe that I¡¯m not worthy to be her partner because she¡¯s a Luciano princess because I¡¯m a nobody.¡± Elijah had a hurt expression and sounded so sincere that if she didn¡¯t know his true identity, she would be deceived by his acts as well. He was truly a master of deception.

    Arianna red at him, he wanted to y this game?

    Fine.

    It was on.

    Arianna readjusted in her seat, crossing her leg over the other. Leaning backfortably, she said,

    ¡°Who knows? I have no idea. But I would not be surprised if that¡¯s the case. After all, It¡¯s not the first time that a Nobody hopes to be Somebody and climbs up the hierarchy by abusing the word, love.¡± Arianna challenged him.

    ¡°I would never hurt Adele,¡±

    Liar, you¡¯re hurting her already.

    Adele already liked him and Arianna had a feeling that he didn¡¯t know that yet. Messing around with people¡¯s feelings was not funny, she was pissed off. For once, Arianna was tempted to expose his identity and be done with him once and for all. She was a killer anyway ¨C Cassie and Kenith were evidence. One more wouldn¡¯t make that huge of a difference.

    ¡°So you love her then,¡± Arianna asked him and strangely enough, she didn¡¯t feel any jealousy at all.

    Perhaps, she had even gotten her closure after finding out Marcel did not n on killing her for her sake. However, if Marcel finds out Elijah intentionally messed around with Adele, Arianna had a feeling that the peace offering would be off the table.

    ¡°I love Adele. She¡¯s the only woman that epted me the way I am.¡±

    Liar liar, pants on fire.

    How could he love a woman who wasn¡¯t even sure they were in a rtionship? Arianna bet he said it for show, just like her, Elijah must have known Luca¡¯s role and was feeding him bullshit information.

    Nheless, Arianna got the answer she wanted and finally knows what to do. Elijah has lost his damn mind, Marcel has to know about him.

    Reaching for the wine on the table, Arianna intentionally knocked it over and it poured on her coat.

    ¡°Shite!¡± She cursed, took off the coat, and tried to wipe the wine off it but it was stained already.

    ¡°Luca!¡± Arianna called him, murmuring under her breath.

    He came over.

    ¡°Get rid of this and get me another from my wardrobe,¡± She ordered, handing the coat to him and he epted it reluctantly.

    It was obvious from his debatable expression that Luca was unsure about leaving her all alone with Aziz. He was torn between Marcel¡¯s instruction and Arianna¡¯s needs.

    ¡°God, I¡¯m so cold! Hurry up before I catch a cold!¡± Arianna whined like a baby, leaving Luca no other but to leave them alone as he left to get her the coat.

    As soon as Luca left, the ambiance changed as Arianna and Elijah ended their pretenses.

    ¡°You never cease to amaze me, Arianna? With your capacity, you should be paving your own way in the world, not beside a man that doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡± Elijah told her.

    ¡°Quit the bullshit because the only reason I¡¯m not punching you in the face right now is that eyes are watching and I don¡¯t want to make a scene. However, I thought to inform you because you¡¯re not leaving here, the same way you came. I¡¯m going to tell Marcel about you. ¡± She broke the news to him.

    Other than the fact that Elijah was taken aback by her sudden decision, there was no other expression on his face. If anything, he looked disappointed by her change of heart.

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to rat me out?¡± He sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s something I should have done the moment I saw your face, however, I saved your ass for old time¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°What changed now then?¡± He was curious.

    ¡°You lead on Adele. The heart is not something you y with, Elijah. I would not let you continue with it. ¡±

    He nodded in understanding.

    At least he knows why she¡¯s doing this.

    Arianna took a deep breath knowing she was about to take a big step.

    She said to him,¡± Marcel has given me his word, you would not be harmed. ¡±

    He snickered, ¡°And you believe him? ¡±

    ¡°Marcel doesn¡¯t go back on his words and if he says he wouldn¡¯t end you, he would keep to it. However, I would not assure you that you wouldn¡¯t be spared from some tortures,¡± She reminded him. Arianna knew how this worked and Marcel would not let him go like that without a good beating.

    But to her surprise, Elijah began tough. Heughed so sarcastically it pissed her off

    ¡°What is funny?¡± She scowled at him

    Elijah looked up at her, erasing every smile from his face.

    ¡°I expected more from you, Arianna, and so does your mother.¡±

 Chapter 580

    580 [Bonus Chapter] Her Brother

    ¡°I expected more from you, Arianna, and so does your mother,¡±

    The moment Elijah said those words, ¡°Her mother¡± it seemed as if a bomb went off in her head and she just froze in her seat.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t, or rather didn¡¯t move, and began to analyze the news in her head. For starters, she never told Elijah about her mother, not even while they were still together.

    The only people who knew her mother was alive were her uncle and Marcel and whoever else they decided to tell. Marcel promised to help in finding her mother, which means he must have gotten Adele involved and that also entails that Elijah must have gotten the information by chance.

    Pure rage simmered inside of Arianna and she wanted to throttle Elijah at that moment. To think he would use information like this against her just to save his ass meant that he was a low, pathetic asshole.

    With cold fury in her eyes, she growled, ¡°How dare you -¡±

    He cut her off, ¡°Judging from the murderous energy around you, it¡¯s safe to assume you think I¡¯m Iying?¡±

    Arianna narrowed her gaze at him, suspiciously. Was he being serious or was he pulling her leg right now? Because If it was thetter, she promised to st out his brains and save Marcel the energy of killing him.

    But curiosity took the better of her as she watched Elijah pull out his wallet from his pocket and he opened it before pulling out a rumpled picture and handing it to her.

    .....

    Arianna didn¡¯t want to take the picture because she had a feeling that whatever she was about to uncover might rock her world, but she needed to take the risk. She can¡¯t remain in the dark forever and had to give it a shot.

    Having steadied her mind, Arianna took the picture from him and she looked at the picture. It wasn¡¯t the five men in the picture that stole her breath, but the woman surrounded by them.

    No fucking way.

    She saw her.

    Her mother.

    All her life, Arianna always wondered what her mother would look like, it seems she wasn¡¯t far off. You could almost mistake her for her sister if they had the same hair color. She took her looks from her mother.

    It was confirmed.

    This can¡¯t be.

    Arianna didn¡¯t want to believe it. She hoped that the photo was fake or something, but she saw it with her eyes and felt it with her hands, it was not fake. It spun back years and it wasn¡¯t until she stared at the other characters properly, that one face became familiar to her.

    It was Elijah.

    Or rather a younger version of him.

    Instantly, ice-cold dread washed over Arianna and she looked at Elijah with horror, her hands shaking as she asked the question that came to her mind,

    ¡°Are you my brother?¡±

    Elijah¡¯s face fell.

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Arianna gasped.

    It was true.

    Elijah was her brother?!

    Arianna¡¯s mind was full of millions of unanswered questions, however, it made perfect sense that her mother had a family already. That is if she didn¡¯t have another family before birthing her which only exins Elijah¡¯s age since he was older than she was.

    The reason her mother abandoned her all these years was because she was born illegitimately. What had her father been thinking? Did he fall in love with a married woman? Arianna didn¡¯t know how to feel about this news.

    To think that Elijah was her brother and they had been together?! They kissed, made out, French kissed, cuddled, you name them all, and even touched each other intimately. She had been sexing her brother, well, half-brother to be precise, but they were all the same, and right now, she felt like throwing up.

    How was this possible?

    This was messed up.

    She wanted to die right now.

    ¡°W-what?!¡± Elijah was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Of course not! Your mother is your mother only, not mine!¡± there was disgust in his tone as well. Apparently, they shared the same thoughts.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°My family only rescued her from near death and she has been staying with us since then.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±Arianna croaked, ¡°What do you mean by a near-death experience?¡±

    Seeing he got her interest, Elijah leaned on the table, having her full attention. He revealed, ¡°She was nearly killed by Daniel?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    If Arianna had been shocked earlier, this piece of news nearly nked her out.

    Arianna shook her head, befuddled, ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to tell me. Are you messing with me right now?¡± She was beginning to panic.

    ¡°Your mother and Daniel were a thing in the past.¡±

    ¡°Oh God,¡±

    Arianna felt her head throbbing and her breath wasing in short. It was a lie. That can¡¯t be true. It was too much, too much information.

    ¡°Are me and Marcel...¡± She was finding it more difficult to breathe and wasn¡¯t able to finish her question.

    However, Elijah must have gotten the point because he answered with disgust in his tone, ¡°God! No! The both of you aren¡¯t siblings! Your mother would rather end her life and yours than let you survive as Daniel¡¯s child.¡±

    Her mother would end both of their lives? That was all Arianna couldprehend before she felt light-headed and unwell.

    ¡°Arianna? Are you okay?¡± Elijah was concerned when he saw her pale expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel great... ¡± Arianna was disoriented and tried to stand, but that moment she only ended up falling to the ground.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Elijah shouted with sheer terror when he saw her lose consciousness and tried to help her. However, that was the moment Luca returned from the errand.

    Luca pushed him off her with great strength, tossing him to the side as if he were a mere doll, and picked Arianna up in his arms. With one hand, he texted Marcel about the situation and left with her.

    She needed help right now and Marcel would end their lives if anything were to happen to his woman.

 Chapter 581

    581 [Bonus Chapter] Powerful Figure Backing Her

    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into Arianna¡¯s mother as you asked me to but I swear to God that woman¡¯s information is even more confidential than the president of this country.¡± Adele handed the papers she had managed to gather for him.

    They were currently in his office to hold the meeting without the chance of someone spying on them.

    Marcel took the documents going through the information with his face scrunched in concentration.

    ¡°Natalie Valeria,¡± He tasted the name on his lips and for some reason, it sounded familiar as if he had heard it somewhere.

    If Natalie had truly been friends with his mother, then it made perfect sense that he must have heard her say it or even read it somewhere. His mother was good at keeping journals and letters. If he went back to their old house, Marcel bet he was going to find some stuff.

    The only downside to it was his father would surely get news of him going there and if Daniel had the slightest idea of what he was up to, he would make it more difficult for him to dig up information on his mother.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know what his mother did to Daniel that was so bad that he wanted to erase her very existence. It was as if he wanted her removed from the very surface of this earth. Well, he¡¯s gotten her wish already, she was dead.

    If it was possible to even delete his mother¡¯s memories from his head, Marcel did not doubt Daniel would have done it already. No, It was quite a shocker he didn¡¯t have his memories altered by a hypnotherapist. Perhaps, it never crossed his mind. So yeah, going back to the old house was not on his to-do list at the moment.

    He read further, finding out that they had moved to the country because of her father¡¯s election and that was where Marcel saw it. She came with her friend, Penelope.

    .....

    It seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel, a small smile managed to curl the corners of Marcel¡¯s lips to know he found something about his mother even if it was little. He had hope and It was little progress, as his mother used to call it. He was right to have looked into Natalie because it led to his mother¡¯s past.

    Both women were interconnected, that was for sure and Marcel was intent on finding out. However, reading further down, there was no more information about his mother Penelope in the file, not even her family, and his heart sank. Another dead end and it was no doubt his father¡¯s doing.

    A short newspaper article slipped out from the pile and Marcel bent to pick it. But the moment he saw the heading, Marcel¡¯s eyes widened before narrowing into the slit. His hand holding the article shook as he read down.

    ¡°The Valeria misfortune,¡± The article says.

    The paper was dated twenty-six years back, approximately a year before his birth. However, what had Marcel reeling in shock was the fact the news says Natalie and his mother died in the fire incident which was kind of impossible.

    If his mother died a year before his birth, then was she alive all those years? How was he even born?

    Unless the news was a hoax and that unshockingly was his father¡¯s area of expertise. ording to the article, it says that Natalie didn¡¯t want to return to the country and threw a tantrum, by slipping out of the night with her best friend.

    Unfortunately, the both of them met their tragic end that night after their car had a head-on collision and suffered an explosion afterward with their body burnt to crisps.

    The foul y was obvious and Marcel could detect it even with his eyes closed. His father faked their death and reced their bodies with another, the fire must have been deliberate as well to hide all evidence.

    Marcel always wondered how his mother¡¯s people never came for her, but it turns out you can¡¯t search for a dead person. Daniel could never take her without bringing trouble knocking on his door, so he gave them a reason to stop searching.

    Marcel felt sick to the stomach and he felt like throwing up. He always feared that one day he would turn out to be like his father, but after reading this article, Marcel knew Daniel was a monster and he could never be like him.

    He practically broke apart families! He ruined their lives! And Marcel had a feeling that Natalie might just be running from his father. His mother couldn¡¯t survive Daniel, but she did and was a wise woman for running. But then, Marcel needed to know more. And When he finally knows everything, he would dly put a bullet in Daniel¡¯s head and end his nuisance forever.

    There was nothing else on Natalie but Marcel found out something valuable, his mother¡¯s full name, and with that, he would be able to dig more, hopefully. He couldn¡¯t employ Winters to take on the investigation and risk her life.

    ¡°I have theories and I think the reason we haven¡¯t been able to locate or find something more on her is that she¡¯s either a powerful figure or she has someone powerful backing her,¡± Adele said.

    Marcel nodded in agreement, it made sense. For her information to be held strictly, someone powerful was controlling it.

    ¡°Nheless, you have done a good job,¡± Marcel was not stingy withpliments as he showered them on her.

    He had done a good second by choosing Adele as his second inmand amid the other¡¯s doubts and she kept on proving her worth, defying the restrictions and stereotypes ced on her gender.

    ¡°And as for Elijah¡¯s case,¡± She gave him another file, ¡°Those papers contain information on the five major crime families.¡±

    Marcel went through them one after the other, frowning at the end. He lifted the document, ¡°The Draven family? The reports say there¡¯s four of them, I thought they were five, or am I mistaken?¡± He was unsure.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think... ¡±

    Adele trailed off when Marcel¡¯s phone buzzed and his attention shifted as he read the message, only for him to pale in the next minute.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, sensing from his demeanor something was wrong.

    But Marcel had already stormed out of his office and she was left, befuddled.

 Chapter 582

    582 The Horny Mother

    ¡°Do you think we should do this?¡± Mimi asked, nervous as shit. She had been fidgeting in her seat since they began the journey to her parent¡¯s ce.

    Victor turned to her and blinked, ¡°Do you think we shouldn¡¯t do it? I mean, we could go to a ce where no one would be able to find us and have our honeymoon for over a year. My mother¡¯s actually good at hiding people and when she hid my father on that ind, ording to what I heard, it took a lot of time to find them, but by then, my father had hopelessly fallen in love with her. So if you feel pressured, tell me and she¡¯ll solve our problems, ¡± He boasted.

    From the way he sounded, it was obvious that Victor adored her mother even though she¡¯s always beating him for not visiting.

    However, Mimi was more concerned over the future of her child and looked down at her belly questioningly. Would her child also have to kidnap the love of his or her life ¨C depending on the baby¡¯s gender ¨C because the Luciano family seems to have a talent for that. She wanted her baby to experience a sense of normalcy during childhood before all hell breaks loose as an adult.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll pass,¡± Mimi rejected the offer. Running away was a coward¡¯s way of solving problems and she couldn¡¯t worry her aged parents anymore. She was an adult and an adult is someone who is capable of handling the consequences of her actions. She would face her parents, not run away.

    ¡°Aww, you shouldn¡¯t be so nervous,¡± Victorforted her, caressing her face with one hand when he saw her downcast look while the other hand controlled the steering.

    ¡°You do remember your mother loved me the first time I came to your ce?¡± He reminded her and added, ¡°She even wanted to make me food?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t pregnant her daughter then,¡± Mimi pointed out, stressed. She took deep, slow breaths to calm down.

    She mumbled under her breath, ¡°Neither have you met my father?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not scarier than Daniel, right?¡± Victor snorted, taking it lightly.

    Mimi gave him a dead panned look, ¡°He has a hunter¡¯s license.¡±

    Victor¡¯s smile vanished and he turned to Mimi, asking hopefully,

    ¡°He shoots animals, not humans, right?¡±

    ¡°Good question,¡± She shrugged, ¡°But we are about to find out, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Victor turned back to the road, both hands holding the steering more tightly now. He was a consigliere for fighting sake, and has sealed so many deals for Marcel with men much scarier than Mimi¡¯s father and wasn¡¯t supposed to be scared of one harmless mundane.

    But he was.

    ¡°One thing¡¯s for sure, though, ¡± Mimi said after a while, ¡°We can¡¯t tell my family what your real job is. Your family has other business that isn¡¯t illegal, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a lot of them actually. Times have changed and this is the twenty-first century, we don¡¯t go about bearing a sign that says, ¡®hey, we are the Mafia,e get a bite of us¡¯ you know?¡± He grinned at her, ¡°Although, I would love your bite.¡±

    A blush coated her cheeks and she shook her head, ¡°Behave Victor.¡±

    ¡°On my cock to be precise,¡± He emphasized.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you would have a cock afterwards if you fail to impress my father after impregnating his daughter. Now eyes on the road Victor before you end both of our lives.¡± She cautioned him, but Victor, the daredevil, still had his eyes fixed on her.

    ¡®Move me¡¯ his gaze dared her to.

    And that was what she did.

    Mimi took his chin in her hand and turned it to the road and he let her, a smile spreading across his face. Mimi smiled too, he was funny.

    However, all good things muste to an end and they eventually arrive on her parent¡¯swn. Mimi had informed her mother about her return and she promised to ensure her father was there to wee her home. To her parents, she visited Arianna who was residing in another city, but they were about to find out that their daughter did a little more than visiting.

    Mimi knew her parents heard her pull up, but her mother wouldn¡¯te out, because she wanted it to be dramatic and wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the surprise. God knows what she would force her father into doing today.

    ¡°So, remember...¡± Mimi was standing outside the car and she had her hands on Victor¡¯s chest, trying to give him some tips that would be helpful to him in there, ¡°Be good, be nice, be yourself, be everyone¡¯s favorite, no swear word, and don¡¯t be a-afraid... my father¡¯s not going to bite.. He¡¯s a loving father,¡± She giggled nervously.

    Victor looked her all over and sped her cheek with hisrge palm. He called her name,¡± Mimi?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes?¡± She croaked.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one that needs the psyching up right now,¡± He told her.

    ¡°What?!¡± She denied it, ¡°Of course, not!¡± Mimi waved it off, ¡°I¡¯m totally good, fine, wonderful, marvelously well, at peace with myself,forted, -¡±

    And Victor shut her up with a kiss and she melted against him instantly. Victor didn¡¯t ask for the synonyms for the opposite feelings she was experiencing when he had a much more effective method to calm her down.

    And it was working.

    By the time Mimi was able to get oxygen back into her lungs, her pounding heart was now racing in excitement not anxiety.

    Victor smiled down at her, ¡°Better?¡±

    ¡°Umm-hmm,¡± She hummed in agreement.

    She said, ¡°Although I think I need more of that kiss....¡± Mimi trailed off, brows furrowed. She nced up at him, ¡°Do you think I sound horny right now. ¡±

    ¡°Babe, you have been a lot horniertely,¡± Victor affirmed honestly.

    Mimi frowned, looking down and stroking her still t belly, ¡°You think it¡¯s the baby?¡±

    Victor bent and stared at her belly, ¡°If this is the kiddo¡¯s doing, then I so much love him. He¡¯s given daddy the best gift ever, a high libido. I can keep up with that.¡±

    Mimi¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°You are definitely cracked in the head.¡±

    ¡°And yet you love me,¡±

    ¡°I never said I love you.¡±

    ¡°Actually, you usually moan that when I¡¯m about to make youe and you¡¯re like, e on, Vic, yes, go faster, I love you, faster, yes, faster, yes, yes, yes, ¡± Victor teased, perfectly imitating her sex voice.

    Mimi was stunned before a feeling of indignation washed over her.

    ¡°Oh, you are definitely dead!¡± She growled and charged at him.

    Victor ran for his life as Mimi gave him a hot chase, forgetting all about ringing the bell while her parents in question peeped at them through the window.

 Chapter 583

    583 His upation

    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±

    Mimi hollered just as her mother pulled and crushed her into her arms.

    ¡°You are finally home!¡± Her mother celebrated, the both of them jumping up and up just before her father came into view and she broke out of her mother¡¯s arms to go embrace her father.

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    ¡°My beautiful daughter!¡± The man opened his arms and Mimi ran into it, embracing the man tightly. No offense to her mother, but she missed her father so much and she relished his affection knowing that he would be disappointed in her soon.

    ¡°Victor!¡±

    Mimi¡¯s eyes popped open at once when she heard her mother and she pulled out of her father¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Hi Hannah,¡± Victor shed his goofy smile at her.

    ¡°Ohe here, you silly boy!¡± Hannah embraced him, patting his shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ve missed seeing you around when you¡¯re not sneaking into my daughter¡¯s room.¡±

    .....

    A shocked silence saturated the ce while Victor and Mimi¡¯s jaws nearly dropped to the ground. They turned to Hannah shapely with wide eyes. How did she...? No, no, the proper question should be, she knew all this while?

    Victor and Mimi tried to exin at the same time,

    ¡°Hannah, I-I-I... It wasn¡¯t intentional...¡±

    ¡°Mother, we were going to tell you ...¡±

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Hannah chortled, flipping her hair dramatically, ¡°Before I was your mother, I was a young woman too.¡± She knew all of her adventures.

    Mimi pressed her lips together and turned to Victor for answers, not that he had any to offer. He means this wasn¡¯t part of the n. Hannah dropped the bomb on them.

    Hannah moved to her husband and ced her head on his shoulder as the man stood straighter, puffing out his chest with pride. His gaze connected with Victor¡¯s, clearing his throat expectantly.

    Victor was jostled into action as he stepped forward, hurriedly introducing himself, ¡°I¡¯m Victor Luciano, sir...¡± He looked at Mimi, ¡°And your daughter¡¯s boyfriend.¡± He thrust out his hand for a handshake.

    But the man looked him up and down in an assessing way before finally enveloping his palm firmly.

    Ouch, he had a strong grip, Victor noted.

    ¡°Call me, Roger,¡± The man said.

    ¡°Yep, Roger that.¡± Victor joked, only to see his expression change and he gulped fearfully. Perhaps, he shouldn¡¯t have said that. Some people do not take jokes lightly, right?

    What has he done?

    Victor slowly looked to Mimi for help but she shook her head, he was on his own.

    To their shock, Mimi¡¯s father suddenly burst into loudughter, patting Victor on his shoulder hard while lost in happiness and Victor tried to keep up cheerfully albeit nervously. He thought Daniel was scary, but it seems there are different versions of scary.

    ¡°Aye, thisd is a funny one.¡± Roger was delighted. He pointed to Mimi, ¡°You did a good job by catching this one, he¡¯s a fine wine and better than the previous flies hovering around you,¡±

    ¡°They are called ex-boyfriends, father, not flies.¡± Mimi sighed.

    ¡°Alright, no more nit-picking,¡± Hannah interfered, ¡°I made a lot of food and they are to be eaten by humans, not the damn flies,¡±

    ¡°And yet you always tell me to mind mynguage,¡± Mimi pointed out the impartiality.

    ¡°Get married and you can make your own rules,¡± Hannah was smug as she led them into the dining room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mother, I¡¯m pregnant. So marriage is a given,¡± Mimi said of course in her mind. She would break the news to her family after they¡¯d eaten. That way, her mother wouldn¡¯t be able to chase her with a full stomach.

    The men were the first to settle down as Mimi helped her mother dish out the food and settled down when they were done.

    ¡°Before we eat, can someone say grace? Anyone?¡± Hannah looked at him, ¡°Victor?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± He smiled.

    The whole family held hands as Victor began, ¡°Bless this food to our bodies, Lord, and let us hold you in our hearts. In Jesus¡¯ name, we pray, Amen.¡±

    ¡°Amen!¡± They chorused.

    Done, they picked their utensils and dug into their food just as Hannah began with her interrogation,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were religious?¡±

    ¡°Table manners, Mom.¡± Mimi reminded her. To be precise, she was trying to save Victor from her intense questioning.

    ¡°We have a guest, it¡¯s right that we keep him entertained,¡± of course, her father was quick to defend his wife.

    With Mimi¡¯sint overruled, Hannah turned her whole attention to her future son-inw. If only she knew that ¡°future¡± was kind of around the corner.

    Seeing her inquisitive look, Victor knew that the woman wanted an answer to her question.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m catholic. Although, I¡¯ve been backslidingtely, having not gone to church for a while. And yes, that can be rectified,¡± if that¡¯s the condition for marrying your daughter, he added in his mind. He would do anything her parents wanted just to marry their daughter.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure, Mimi wouldn¡¯t mind apanying you to the church this Sunday?¡± Hannah said.

    Mimi turned to her, ¡°I do?¡±

    Her mother gave her an impassive expression.

    ¡°Of course, I do.¡±

    Mimi wanted to tell her mother not to try so hard in shipping her with Victor, it was already sailing strongly and a new one would be sailing on board nine monthster. Not to mention the ship would wreck once they hear of it.

    ¡°So what do you do for a living Victor?¡± Roger asked him.

    Mimi and Victor¡¯s eyes met across the table, tensed, however, he assured her he could take care of it. He is a man and it was his responsibility to take care of situations like this one.

    ¡°Honestly, I do a bit of everything, sir.¡± He answered.

    ¡°Care to borate,¡± Roger had his full attention on him this time. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact his wife had told him a bit about Victor, he would have thought he was jobless.

    Victor scratched the side of his face, how was he going to put this? Well, he had to give the man something.

    So he said,

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to boast or anything, but my family is a bit well off [ A known crime family]. My cousin is the CEO

    [Mafia Don] and I am his advisor [Consigliere]. It¡¯s my job to sniff out potential businesses [partners], secure properties [weapons], and follow it up

    [Services delivered]. ¡± He gave them a censored version of his upation.

 Chapter 584

    584 [Bonus Chapter] Scammed By Her Parents

    Hannah and Roger were very happy for their daughter. They had been worried about Mimi¡¯s future since she had no interest in thepany and preferred a much simpler upation ¨C running a coffee shop. But they had nothing to fear now, Victor would take care of her.

    The family settled down in the living room after they were done with their meal and Hannah got the opportunity to interrogate Victor all she wanted that if he was a chicken, his feathers would have been plucked clean by now.

    It was at that moment that Mimi and Victor looked at each other and with a nod of her head, she signaled him that it was time.

    ¡°Hannah, Roger there is another reason why I¡¯m here today,¡± Victor said and that made the parents look at each other in wonder.

    However, seeing the solemn looks on their faces made them readjust in their seats and waited for him to break the news. Something told them that it was important.

    ¡°What is it? Speak up, Victor.¡± Roger demanded, hating the tension.

    Before their very eyes, Victor got down to his knees, startling everyone. He bowed his head to her parents,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it but it happened, and I would happily ept any punishment you decided to give me afterward.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Hannah looked at her daughter Mimi for an exnation, but when it became obvious that she was going to offer her anything, her attention shifted to her husband in confusion and then back to Victor.

    .....

    Victor confessed, ¡°I got your daughter pregnant and I want to marry her. Please give me your blessings!¡± He kowtowed before them.

    ¡°What?!¡± Hannah and Roger shouted at the same time after Victor confessed

    the truth.

    Both of them whipped their heads in the direction of their daughter with usation, but when they saw the bashful look on her face, they understood at once that it was true.

    Mimi held her breath, waiting for the moment her parents exploded over the news. Victor still had his head lowered to the ground remorsefully to get their forgiveness. Her parents must be very disappointed in her now, Mimi thought.

    As the only child, they had always wanted the best, and that included marrying a capable man and settling down with him to start their family. Unfortunately, Mimi failed all of their expectations, she studied business administration and even worked part-time in her father¡¯spany once, but there was nothing to show for it.

    Nor does she even have a Caf¨¦ to show off her progress so far with her barista skills. No, there was nothing. She just lived in the moment. All the men she dated in the past were assholes and none of her rtionshipssted. Thinking about it now, it was quite a surprise that they even amodated her shift. It showed how much affection her parents had for her.

    But what does she do with it instead? She falls in love with a member of the Mafia and is having his baby. Not that Mimi was ashamed of Victor¡¯s upation, but it isn¡¯t exactly ideal and eptable to society atrge.

    It was illegal.

    Mimi could only imagine what her parents would do when they find out the truth because she can¡¯t hide this from them forever. They would surely find out about Victor in one way or the other, and when they do, her parents would definitely flip.

    And yes, her parents did explode over her pregnancy news ¨C Just not in a way that she had expected.

    It felt like a movie to Mimi when she saw her mother and father jubnting. Wait a minute, why were they happy that she was pregnant?

    Crap, why does it feel like she was just cheated on.

    Apparently, Mimi was not the only one shocked, because Victor lifted a brow from the position where he was kneeling when he saw the parents who were supposed to be scolding the love of God into him, celebrating instead.

    Okay, what was he missing here? Was he seeing things or was this really happening? Mimi¡¯s parents were celebrating? Was this thetest trend for parents these days? Or was this the dance before they killed him? Victor was still trying to wrap his head around it.

    He slowly rose to his feet, moving towards Mimi who was as perplexed as him and couldn¡¯t give him a proper exnation for this happening.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Hannah was the first person to step toward her and took both of her hands into hers with a proud look.

    ¡°You¡¯re not angry, Ma?¡± Mimi scrutinized her intensely, wondering what happened to her mother. Had a foreign spirit taken over her parents or what?

    It was weird.

    Her mother gave her the look, ¡°Angry? At who? You? For what? Because you got pregnant?¡± Hannahughed as if it was the most ridiculous question she had ever heard.

    ¡°God, Mimi! You are our only child and I would have birthed more if I could, but God knows the reason for everything. However, what I have ever wanted was for you to give me grandchildren to continue with the lineage and to his glory! I lived to see the day?! It is good news. It¡¯s amazing!¡±

    Whoah, whoah whoah, slow down. Mimi was trying to get something here. Did her parents just say that they had been waiting for her to get pregnant? Nope, her mother did say that one, what about Pa?

    So Mimi looked at her father, hoping to see something different, at least he should be realistic about this. But then, it was the same overzealous expression her mother had and she was stunned.

    Wait a minute, were her parents trying to hint that they had been praying for her to get pregnant, even before marrying?

    Oh no, Mimi felt like she had been scammed by her parents. She had been waiting for them to scold her like normal parents do, except that they were not exactly and the consequence was exactly what they had been waiting for.

    Mimi groaned inwardly, wishing she could turn the hands of the clock. She doesn¡¯t want to be pregnant anymore.

    She has fallen straight into her parent¡¯s trap.

    Was there a way for Victor to undo what he put inside her?

 Chapter 585

    585 [Bonus Chapter] Enforcer

    Her parents were not kidding because the celebrationsted until evening time and Victor was asked to sleep the night over which he readily agreed. This was a chance to prove his worth to his inw and he would not miss it for anything ¨C not even for Marcel. Thank God, his cousin couldn¡¯t read his mind.

    Mimi thought her parents would have gotten bored by now, but no, they were very much eager to wee Victor into the family and eagerly soaked in every information he gave them about his family. Now her parents couldn¡¯t wait to meet with their inws ¨C while Mimi dreaded it.

    It would be about her wedding and from what she knew of Carmine, Victor¡¯s mother so far, if she were to meet her mother, then her life is over. Her body will no longer be hers. They would n her wedding as quickly as possible and to the barest minimum details.

    Mimi wanted time, you know. Time to look out for herself and the current changes happening in her body. She has decided to be a mother, but then, Mimi wanted to be sure she was making the right decision here by marrying Victor. Just because she was pregnant, doesn¡¯t mean she should get tied down to the baby¡¯s father. She had to know why she was doing this.

    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± Mimi ced his hand on her thigh rousing her from her thoughts.

    ¡°W-what?¡± She breathed, ¡°No, I¡¯m good. It¡¯s just a lot happened today and honestly, I¡¯m still having a hard time, believing it.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Victor smiled, holding her hand now and she smiled back at him, the both of them looking each other in the eyes.

    ¡°This is Mimi when she was four,¡± Hannah interrupted the moment, handing the photo album to Victor.

    ¡°You mean this boy over here?¡± Victor was surprised at the cute picture of a young kiddo with shaved hair.

    .....

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Mimi groaned in embarrassment.

    Hannahughed, exining to him, ¡°We initially believed we would have a baby boy and stood by our faith without checking the baby¡¯s gender. So all the clothes we purchased were masculine and Mimi did kick rather hard, affirming her belief. But God always has other ns even while we humans n, and we had a wonderful daughter called Mimi. ¡± She pulled her daughter to the side affectionately.

    ¡°But I had stunted, horrible hair that had to be shaved when I was just a few months old and when I was in those shorts, people just assumed I was a boy. Thank you mother for the pictures,¡± Mimi concluded the story, yfully ring at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Hannah saidughing, prompting Mimi tough alongside while Victor watched them, satisfied.

    He admired the family and hoped that he would be able to give Mimi a family close to this. It was fucking perfect.

    It was at that time that Roger came down and said to Victor, ¡°Hey, son, want to see some of my hunting work?¡±

    Victor stared at the man before he looked at Mimi, their gaze silentlymunicating. Did he just say hunting? Victor vividly remembered her saying her father had a gun down there and he didn¡¯t like the sound of that.

    What if this was all a ruse and the moment he goes down there, the man nts a bullet in his head, and boom! He dies!

    ¡°Yes, Victor, my father is a hunter and he usually takes to the fields and woods to take wild game animals during legal, regted hunting seasons. So he has lots of trophies to show off,¡± She indirectly hinted that he was safe.

    ¡°Trophies! I love trophies and I would love to see Roger,¡± Victor said with exaggerated enthusiasm. The truth is that he wanted to go in there with Mimi. He didn¡¯t trust the hunter.

    Why can¡¯t he go with Mimi? Victor whined inwardly.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Roger smiled at him. He ced his arm around his shoulder and led him along.

    Well, the man was nice, Victor knew that he had to stop overreacting.

    Together, they went into a dark room, Roger turned on the light and Victor breathed in awe at the scene. This was not the first time he was seeing a hunter¡¯s room since some of his rtives engage in poaching or simply hunting for the thrill of it. However, it was still breathtaking to see hunters show off their greatest achievements.

    The room was quiterge and as they walked in. Victor¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as he observed the trophies on the wall, he almost looked like a young kid enamored by the wonders in front of him.

    The room decor was spruced up with the heads of dead animals, their horns, and skins. It looked all rustic and stylish and he bet Roger took pleasure watching them, after all, it was his life¡¯s work.

    ¡°You caught all this by yourself? It¡¯s amazing!¡± Victor exined, feeling one of the deer.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m quite spectacr in action,¡± He said proudly.

    ¡°I bet you are,¡± Victor showered him withpliments.

    Roger stepped forward and began to tell the story of each of the trophies he won in the room. It was quite a long talk, but one that Victor immensely enjoyed. Sometimes it was moments that truly mattered in one¡¯s life, making memories ¨C and not killing people.

    Roger coughed, ¡°I think I¡¯m parched, I¡¯m going to get some water. I¡¯ll be back,¡± He informed Victor, and left.

    Victor didn¡¯t put much thought into his departure and focused on the animals in the room. He was so carried away that it wasn¡¯t until the muzzle of the rifle was pressing against the back of his head that he realized his carelessness.

    Seems he wasn¡¯t forgiven, after all, Victor sighed.

    ¡°Turn around, slowly with your hands behind the back of your head. ,¡± Roger instructed him with a grave tone.

    That was an odd request but Victor did as told. He met Roger face to face and strange enough, the look in the man¡¯s eyes made him a bit ufortable.

    He asked him, ¡± What are you truly doing in my home, Enforcer?¡±

    Bang!

    Victor stiffened upon hearing that title, his gaze narrowing at his would-be father-inw in suspicion. Just how much does Mimi know about her father, because it seems like he wasn¡¯t an ordinary man.

 Chapter 586

    586 Your Daughter Is Mine

    Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides. Above all, the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely ces.

    Victor stared hard at Roger who had his rifle aimed at his head and with the fierce look in his eyes did not doubt that the gun was loaded and ready to shoot. But then, would his future father-inw shoot him in the presence of his family?

    Mimi was present and would somehow know something is off if he doesn¡¯t return for a while, hence Victor was able to calm down and did not retaliate. As a person in the face of danger, it was hard not to save himself when he knew he could. Roger might hold the gun, but Victor had two advantages, age, and speed ¨C unless, of course, the man was a veteran Assassin. Then he was as good as dead.

    ¡°I ask again...¡± He pressed the gun further against his forehead, ¡°What is the Enforcer doing in my home?¡± He demanded answers.

    The Enforcer was the title Victor earned in the course of aiding meetings and deals for Marcel as his right hand man. Victor was known for his tenacity and unconventional methods of getting things done. Sometimes killing doesn¡¯t solve all problems, a little love does.

    Well, to cut the story short, his will always get enforced, hence the title. And remind himter to block the wife of hisst victim who kept calling him. Why doesn¡¯t she understand he no longer spreads love, he has Mimi now and he would give the rest of his love to her forever. Yeah, yeah, he knowsdies can¡¯t get enough of him, but his period of love is over.

    ¡°To know me this well, you have to be into some pretty deep shit as well, sir? What have you been up to father-inw? Would you need my help cleaning up?¡± Victor was offering help at gunpoint.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Roger hissed, his finger almost pulling the trigger and Victor swallowed. Alright, no offering help then, he wouldn¡¯t want to be killed by mistake.

    ¡°Did someone send you here to kill me? Who is it? Which of mypetitors hired you?¡± He queried him.

    .....

    However, Victor calmly answered,

    ¡°With all due respect, sir, but if I wanted you dead, I would not havee through the front door. Also, I¡¯m not a mercenary, but a consigliere. There¡¯s a clear difference between the both, a consigliere is merely a representative and secures a deal to the satisfaction of his boss while a mercenary ruins the deal. Like you don¡¯t know how much I detest mercenaries who mess up meetings for me. Sometimes, I do end up chasing after one to talk the love of God into him.¡± Victor effused, looking stressed about the matter.

    He added after a moment,¡±You can even ask around since you know me so well, my body count isn¡¯t even that high. Violence isn¡¯t always the answer, sir. ¡±

    Now, Roger was the one who was dumbfounded and unable to do a thing. Was this the Enforcer he heard so much about? He didn¡¯t look much.

    However, he was Victor Luciano, Roger was sure of that. He had known the moment the young man introduced himself with that name and even went upstairs to make research, affirming he had the same man in his house.

    He had been pretending all this while, influenced by his wife¡¯s just to find a way to trap him here and it worked. What had his daughter Mimi been thinking to associate with the likes of him? Victor was a dangerous man, does she know that?

    Seeing that Victor meant him no harm, Roger meant to lower the gun, but remembering his daughter, he aimed again, ¡°What do you want with Mimi?¡±

    Victor raised his hand in surrender. Christ Jesus! His father-inw was a badass. Look at how he gripped the gun!

    ¡°I love your daughter,¡± He confessed to him sincerely.

    Hemented, ¡°Why Mimi? You could have gone for other women with your status and filthy money, why do you have toe after my daughter?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s Mimi and I love her?¡± Victor thought over it, wondering if he was missing something here. Was he supposed to add more? Oh right.

    ¡°Also, she¡¯s brilliant and a badass like you! You should see the first time we met, she gave me this punch on the face, and men, that right hook did hurt badly. But now, I would proudly wear that scar on my face if it was still here, but you know, how our bodies heal and all, so it¡¯s gone. However, there is no other girl I would want other than your daughter, she¡¯s the missing half of my dark soul. ¡± Victor said, touching his chest with admiration.

    But Roger was staring at Victor with total disbelief on his face. And they call this man the Enforcer? He was an idiot. Nheless, his speech was touching, but that was not enough to change his mind.

    ¡°Find another woman, there are many girls out there who are better than Mimi -¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one Mimi and that¡¯s the one I want.¡±

    ¡°Mimi is my only daughter, I would not send her to her death. Your lifestyle is too much dangerous for her.¡± Roger stood his ground.

    ¡°You don¡¯t give credit to your daughter, she¡¯s stronger than you think,¡±

    Victor wondered what he would think if he told him his daughter had already taken a life before he influenced her. But no, he couldn¡¯t do that. He would not destroy the image of Mimi in her father¡¯s eyes. Victor would be the bad guy alone.

    ¡°You are not going to let her go, are you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Victor said firmly, ¡°She¡¯s having my baby, there¡¯s no turning back now. Your daughter is mine now.¡±

    Roger stared him deep in the eyes and when he saw the truth in there, he lowered his gun. However, he stepped closer to him till they were staring at each other, man to man.

    ¡°You are going to keep this shit from my wife for as long as you can because before she became Mimi¡¯s mother, she was my wife first and if you upset my wife, Enforcer or not, I¡¯ming after you. Is that clear to you?¡±

    Victor saluted him, ¡°Roger that, sir.¡±

 Chapter 587

    587 Warm Your Bed

    ¡°Jesus Christ, what are you doing, Dad?!¡± Mimi walked in on her father stepping in front of Victor with his rifle by his side and she immediately got in between them, shielding Victor from him. Would her father really have shot Victor if she were a minutete?

    She red at her father, ¡°What is this for? I thought you were cool with the pregnancy? You and Mom even said you have been waiting for me to continue the family line. Why are you doing this now?¡± She assumed it was about the pregnancy.

    However, when her father looked at Victor questioningly, and he nodded back at him, Mimi sensed something was going on and she had no idea.

    ¡°When I wanted you to get pregnant, it was to a normal guy from afortable background, not to Victor from the Luciano crime Family.¡± Her father revealed and Mimi¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°You knew?¡± She was stunned.

    ¡°I am a businessman Mimi and I have seen and heard things. There is nothing that is hidden under the sun,¡± Her father shook his head, hanging his rifle back on the wall where it belonged.

    He said, ¡°You disappoint me, daughter,¡±

    There was a lump in Mimi¡¯s throat and her eyes watered when she heard those words. Her father has always loved and praised her until now. No wonder he wanted to shoot Victor.

    But amid the emotion clogging her throat, Mimi still managed to defend Victor, ¡°It happened that way, Pa, nor do we have control over who we love.¡±

    .....

    ¡°I know,¡± Roger nodded, staring at his daughter, ¡°Which is why I¡¯m giving you my blessings.¡±

    Mimi gasped when she heard those words. Was he serious like now? She felt like he was pulling her leg or something.

    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re not kidding?¡±

    ¡°I would do everything to keep my daughter happy. Come here,¡± The man spread his arms wide and Mimi ran into it, hugging him tightly.

    She was so happy right now and was grateful to have a father like him. Mimi couldn¡¯t help it but tears ran down her eyes as she muttered,

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much, father.¡±

    ¡°Anything for my baby girl.¡± Roger patted her back, squeezing his eyes close with emotion. It was so sad that his little girl was all grown up and would be paving her own life soon.

    Father and daughter relished that moment, and it was just the both of them until Victor joined in. He wrapped his arm around the both of them in a bear hug and Roger sighed, yet let him be.

    Thed was a weird one.

    But he was honest. And the man still found it hard to believe that he was the Enforcer. Well, Victor was family now and a family who hugs together, loves together.

    It wasn¡¯t until they heard the sound of a camera shutter go off that they broke apart only to see that it was Hannah taking a picture of them together.

    ¡°I should have known you all were having fun without me,¡± Hannah turned her phone and teased them with the picture.

    Mimi, Victor, and Roger, all there stared at each other,municating secretly, her mother can¡¯t know the truth about the Luciano family, yet. They all came to an agreement wordlessly.

    ¡°Sorry, Hannah, I would bond with you now,¡± Victor said, walking over to the woman and hooked his arm around her.

    ¡°Selfie time!¡± He hollered, positioning the camera so they both could be captured well.

    Victor took tons of pictures with the woman not just in the hunting room, but all around the house. ording to him, they needed to make a whole lot of memories so he wouldn¡¯t be missed when he leaves the next day and as well, prove to his mother that he has bonded with his wife¡¯s family.

    Well, Hannah realizedte that she was on a date with the Tasmanian Devil because, by the time they were done, she was so tired that Mimi had to be the one to escort her back to her room.

    ¡°Jesus, that boy has a lot of energy, I can already imagine your unborn son would be a handful,¡± Hannah chuckled at the thought.

    ¡°Why a boy? I love girls,¡± Mimi pouted.

    ¡°When you see a dominant gene, you¡¯d know. It¡¯s a boy.¡± The woman assured her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°It is. Trust your mother.¡±

    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t argue with her, Mimi let her have thest word. There was no proof of what she said anyway and she honestly doesn¡¯t care about the baby¡¯s gender. Her child is loved and that¡¯s all.

    It waste already, so her mother could sleep right away. It was a good thing Victor tired her out, so the both of them could spend time together before going to bed.

    ¡°Goodnight mom,¡± Mimi kissed her on the forehead after tucking her in.

    ¡°Goodnight, my little Miracle,¡± She pecked her back and Mimi smiled at her calling her full name.

    Hannah added, ¡°Tell your father he should leave my wonderful son-inw alone ande to bed right away.¡±

    ¡°Aye, captain,¡± She saluted her and left to ry the message.

    However, when Mimi came down, the both of them were busy discussing business and Victor was giving her father pointers. Mimi had always hated her father¡¯s business talks because it was boring as well and made her dizzy especially when they involved numbers, but watching Victor talk made it kind of interesting. So she just leaned against the wall, watching them, who was she kidding?

    She was watching Victor.

    Mimi noted his features; his thick brows and how they arched whenever he made a point; his gray eyes that glinted with the topic at hand; that pointed nose and finally his lips, the sexy shape of it, and how they moved whenever he talked.

    Well, he was a fine wine, and perhaps, spending the rest of her life with him wouldn¡¯t be so bad.

    ¡°Dad, mom, wants you upstairs,¡± Mimi intentionally interrupted them.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know,¡± Roger didn¡¯t think much and stood to his feet.

    Mimi watched as they said a few more words and he finally left.

    Amen!

    With everyone gone, Mimi strutted over to Victor sexily. Standing in front of him, she announced, ¡°It¡¯s bedtime.¡±

    Victor smirked knowingly,

    ¡°Do you want me to warm your bed, Madam?¡±

 Chapter 588

    588 [Bonus Chapter] The Meeting Was A Disaster

    ¡°Where is she?!¡± Marcel stormed into the room like a beast, he was panting hard as if he ran a marathon which was actually the truth since he had wolfed out right after the message from Luca. His eyes roamed the room restlessly until theynded on a figure on the bed with Luca by her side.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Marcel walked straight to her with Luca moving out of the way, making room for him. Right now, Marcel was like a time bomb. He was anxious because of Arianna that even a small mistake could set him off ¨C and Luca doesn¡¯t want to be that person.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna breathed, trying to sit up but Marcel didn¡¯t let her move. More blood can flow to your brain if sheid down, moving around was not advisable.

    ¡°What happened to you, love?¡± He queried, sping her cheeks. Marcel¡¯s eyes were still wide with fear as he scanned her body, checking for injuries that he couldn¡¯t find.

    No one can understand the apprehension that gripped him when he heard Arianna fainted. He thought something really bad had happened to her and that was thest time he would see her.

    But you know what scared him the most, the fact that Arianna might have left him this way. Hisst memory of her would be the both of them fighting and that killed him inside more than anything.

    The guilt.

    During those minutes, that guilt ate him from the inside out. They ate him alive and he med himself for what happened. On his way here, all Marcel kept hoping was that she would be alive. If she just held on to life, then he would change everything. He wouldn¡¯t be fucking mad at her anymore. If Arianna wanted him to be spare alive, then so be it.

    He just wanted her to stay alive.

    .....

    Marcel realized during those moments that Arianna was his life and he really couldn¡¯t go on without her. She lit up his world and it was nothing without her. It was dead. Empty. Cold.

    His father advised him never to fall in love. Daniel imed love made him weak, that it was a weakness. But he was wrong. Love is poison. A poison that starts harmlessly and slowly until it infects every bit of your body. It seeps into your bones till it¡¯s deeply ingrained inside of you and it kills you over and over again, yet you can¡¯t die.

    It¡¯s a sweet death.

    ¡°I just felt a little sick,¡± Arianna exined to him, her voice weak.

    Marcel turned to Luca with a fierce look, ¡°She was perfectly fine when I left her in your care, what happened, Luca?¡± He used him.

    Luca in question breathed shakily, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know sire.¡±

    Marcel¡¯s eyes narrowed, his body tight with fury, ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± His voice was dangerously low.

    Luca didn¡¯t answer and only looked at Arianna and then at Aziz whom Marcel just discovered was in the room with him. His priority had been on Arianna earlier, no one else.

    ¡°Marcel...¡±Arianna touched his arms, trying to get his attention. But he was far from listening.

    ¡°I asked you a question and it demands an answer. ¡±

    Unable to stand the tension anymore, Luca opened up to him, ¡°Arianna mistakenly ruined her coat, I left to get her another one to keep the cold, but even I returned, that was when it happened and Aziz was by her side when she lost consciousness.¡±

    If eyes were bullets, then Aziz would have been long dead, because when Marcel turned those simmering eyes on him, he was dead.

    ¡°Marcel! ¡± Arianna cried out, trying to stop him but Marcel was already marching towards Aziz with killing intent. At that moment, Marcel looked like a predator who had his home ravaged by apetitor and was back for carnage.

    Aziz recognized that he was in danger and put up his hands, trying to exin to him, ¡°I swear to God, I had nothing to do with this! We were just talking and the next she stood up and -¡±

    The rest of the words failed toe out because Marcel punched him right in the face and Aziz staggered from the impact.

    ¡°Marcel stop!¡± Arianna begged him, but he was lost to his fury. Marcel was like a beast that had lost control.

    ¡°Please...¡± Aziz begged him, crawling away from him on all fours. However, Marcel chased after him and pulled him up by the cor, and punched him the second time.

    ¡°I warned you!¡± He growled in Aziz¡¯s face, ¡°You are as good as dead if anything happens to my woman!¡± He pulled his hand back tond a third punch only for Adele toe in and her eyes widened at themotion.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Adele shouted, shocked at the scene. She ran over to go save her boyfriend, but the moment she touched Marcel¡¯s arm, he pushed her away with his strength and she hit her head on the wall and yelped in pain.

    ¡°Adele!¡± Elijah felt a strange protectiveness when he saw Adele fall and that prompted him to blow Marcel in retaliation.

    But he shouldn¡¯t have done that, because that made Marcel more furious and his eyes glinted with murder ¨C Aziz punched him in the face. The Face.

    It was over.

    Arianna saw that and knew the both of them would kill each other if she didn¡¯t step in, so she stood up. However, she stood too quickly and thanks to the previous incident not less than ten minutes ago, Arianna found herself falling again.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Luca shouted and caught her before she could hit her head and do real damage.

    Arianna¡¯s fall broke whatever spell of madness that came over Marcel because he hurried to her side and took her from Luca.

    ¡°Call the doctor! Quickly!¡± He ordered him.

    ¡°Hey, love!¡± He ced Arianna on the bed and shook her unconscious body, while Adele grabbed Aziz and took him the hell away from there.

    This meeting was a disaster.

 Chapter 589

    589 What Did Aziz Say To You

    ¡°How is she?¡± Marcel invaded the doctor¡¯s space the instant he came out of the room making the man step back in fright. He startled him.

    However, having worked with Marcel for a while, the elderly doctor managed to calm down and exined to him,

    ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Marcel, the young woman is fine and asleep right now. She went through a bit of a shock though, her blood pressure dropped and she clearly needs a lot of rest. However, I would have to ask, did she receive any distressing news or content before this happened?¡±

    Hearing that, Marcel sighed and wiped his face with his palm, having assumed this had to do with him and it was his fault.

    ¡°We have been fighting a lot recently, even today. I just didn¡¯t realize that it was weighing down on her health, ¡± He confessed, feeling guilty.

    Marcel might have taken out his anger on Aziz, but he knew inwardly that he was the root cause of all of this. Arianna was stressed because he gave her no other choice. He asked her to choose. It was either him or Marcel and she must have been torn by his decision.

    ¡°Well, whatever happened, I suggest that both of you work it out quickly before someone is deeply hurt. Fainting is mostly caused by heat, pain, distress, anxiety, and hyperventting, which is why you should keep me posted on her recovery process. Frequent fainting spells need to be medically investigated to check for underlying causes. But most of all, she needs enough bedrest and let her eat healthily.¡± The doctor informed him before taking his leave.

    Marcel stood at that spot even after the doctor had left. He was outside the room and was afraid, more like ashamed to go into that room and face Arianna. It was all his fault that she fainted a second time because he had overwhelmed her.

    If only he had reigned in his anger just a little, then he would have been observant of her needs. However, Marcel had been so consumed with fury, that he even ignored the thing that mattered to him the most until he almost lost her the second time. The guilt was tearing him from the inside out.

    .....

    However, no matter how much Marcel punished himself, he could not stay away from Arianna for too long and had to go inside the room after a while. He needed to take care of her and make sure she was okay, that was his pathetic excuse. Nheless, someone had to be on the lookout.

    So here he was.

    Arianna slept so peacefully to the point Marcel became scared and only when he ced his head on her chest and felt her thumping heart did he manage to rx. She looked so calm and beautiful in her sleep that Sleeping Beauty had nothing on her.

    She was the most beautiful thing he had seen while asleep and Marcel pulled the chair to her bedside and sat, simply watching her. She was the picture of perfection and if after Arianna woke up, and she doesn¡¯t want to talk to him or see his face, he would let her be. He was the one who messed up this time. If only he had much control in his anger.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know how long he just sat there staring at her, but he must have fallen asleep in the process because when he came around, someone was stroking his hair and Marcel had to admit he liked it.

    Fingers massaged his scalp and it felt so good that Marcel was almost tempted to close his eyes and get carried away to heaven. However, he remembered his reason for staying and sat up at once.

    ¡°Hey...¡± Arianna said, staring at him. Color had returned to her face and she looked better than earlier. Most of all, she was breathing and talking to him.

    ¡°Hey...¡± Marcel answered, feeling a bit awkward. However, when he didn¡¯t feel any anger or resentment from her, he simply reached out and checked out her temper. There was no fever.

    ¡°I¡¯m better now,¡± Arianna affirmed, trying to sit up but he stopped her.

    ¡°The doctor says you need enough bed rest.¡±

    ¡°But I feel strong,¡± Arianna told him, already feeling ustrophobic. She remembered everything Elijah narrated to her and it wasn¡¯t beautiful at all.

    ¡°The doctor knows better, love,¡± Marcel said, pushing his chair closer than it already was. He lifted his hand and began to caress her face while Arianna watched him, having no clue what was going on in that mind of his.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± She wanted to know.

    ¡°How much I messed up big time,¡± Marcel answered, raking his hand through her hair and she shut her eyes close, relishing the feeling. He felt his dick grow in his pants from that reaction, and he had to mentally warm his D that this wasn¡¯t the ce and time.

    Only Arianna had the power to make such an innocent gesture seem so sexual. Her red hair spilled all around the pillow and her asional groaning each time he scratched a good spot, it was perfect and there was only so much his dick could take, and right now, it was agony.

    Arianna opened her eyes and said to him, ¡°Everyone messes up sometimes and if we are truthful, I¡¯m the one who caused this whole mess. I shouldn¡¯t have hidden Elijah¡¯s identity from -¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Marcel cut her off, pressing his finger against her lips, ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me anything about Elijah.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna breathed against his finger and his dick throbbed painfully. Staying with Arianna was equivalent to ying with fire and the heat only grows.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him for now, I trust you would open up to me when you¡¯re ready,¡± Marcel told her and she smiled at him.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for Aziz, I didn¡¯t mean to -¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for that, if anything I¡¯m grateful you gave him a lesson, he¡¯s one big asshole.¡± Arianna still hasn¡¯t gotten over the fact Elijah was using Adele. So one or two punches weren¡¯t enough to make him pay.

    Marcel looked at her closely, thinking hard. He was curious about something, so he asked, ¡°The doctor said you fainted as a result of distress and I know we have not been the best coupletely and that might have stressed you....¡± He paused, looking at her unsure if he should ask that in her condition, ¡°Did Aziz say something to you to have caused such a reaction, Arianna?¡±

 Chapter 590

    590 Proportion

    Arianna gulped, did Aziz say anything to make her faint?

    Of course, he did!

    A lot actually and shocking content as well. But one thing was for sure, Marcel can¡¯t know about them.

    What was she going to tell him, huh? That her mother dated his father? Do you actually know how ridiculous that sounded? She wasn¡¯t even sure that Elijah was telling the truth.

    He was manipting Adele, what were the chances he wasn¡¯t trying to mess with her too? All just to cause a rift between her and Marcel, so she could go to him and they both can run away from here or he takes her to her mother as he ims.

    No, it was all bullshit... because if it was true, Arianna had a feeling that all of this, whatever she had with Marcel could all go to mes in mere seconds. Even thinking that her mother dated Daniel made her want to throw up. It was shocking, disgusting...distressing.

    But not as distressing as that split seconds she thought Marcel was her brother. To think that she was dating her blood, was the worst nightmare one would ask to be featured. It scared the shit out of her.

    ¡°Arianna...¡±

    She looked into his eyes, and Marcel was pleading. He wanted answers ¨C one that she couldn¡¯t give.

    .....

    ¡°Aziz doesn¡¯t love Adele,¡± Arianna lied. More like a purposeful omission. And Marcel didn¡¯t even seem surprised by the news.

    ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°Suspected much.¡±

    She nodded.

    Of course, Marcel was observant. That was how he knew she was hiding Elijah. It was just surprising how he doesn¡¯t know about Aziz yet and the fact he wasn¡¯t just a mole, but Elijah that he has been searching for.

    Then, Elijah wasn¡¯t easy either. He was a master of maniption and wore so many masks even more than Marcel. Arianna had been ready to expose him, tell the truth to Marcel, and get rid of the suffocating guilt in her chest. But he found a way to tie her hands with an offer she couldn¡¯t refuse.

    All her life, Arianna imed she wanted nothing to do with her mother, but she had been lying to herself, especially now Elijah dropped the bomb on her. Elijah had called it history repeating itself and she was eager to know more. Arianna was sorry, she would have to hide more secrets from Marcel.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do something about it? Chase Aziz away from the gang or something just to keep him away from Adele?¡± Arianna was hopeful.

    She met Adele for just a few minutes and liked the woman already. Aside from that, nobody deserves to be used like that. So she was trying to minimize the amount of damage Elijah did to this family because Arianna was beginning to fear Marcel would never spare Elijah once he found out the truth.

    Nor would Marcel forgive her either.

    How was she going to solve this mess, it was all soplicated. Arianna was trying to help Elijah here, but the asshole wasn¡¯t making things easy for her either. If anything, he only made her keep things from Marcel.

    And did she forget about Daniel?

    Arianna¡¯s blood ran cold when she remembered what Elijah had told her. Daniel nearly killed her mother? But why? If they had something in the past ¨C she tried not to gag ¨C why would he want to kill her?

    Would Marcel also kill her when he finds out all of the truth she has been hiding from him?

    Arianna was roused from her thoughts when Marcel climbed into her bed and she made space for her. They faced each other and her once spacious bed felt like it was swallowed up by Marcel¡¯s frame.

    ¡°Adele is a grown, independent woman and wouldn¡¯t appreciate me handling her affairs for her. Neither can I keep Aziz from the gang, he¡¯s pretty useful.¡± He said.

    ¡°However,¡± Marcel went on to say, ¡°I think Aziz feels something for her.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Arianna lifted a brow, interested in what he had to say. Elijah liked Adele? It was ridiculous. He was simply using her, period.

    ¡°I observed them earlier and it¡¯s not a matter of if Aziz likes her or not, I think it¡¯s a matter of proportion.¡±

    ¡°Proportion?¡± Her interest was piqued and she scooted closer to him to hear him better ¨C and feel him better. The bonus was sweeter.

    ¡°Love is give and take, but in a rtionship, no matter how perfect it is, there is always one taking more than the other.¡±

    Her eyes widened, understanding dawned on her, ¡°You think Adele has more feelings for Aziz than he has for her?¡±

    ¡°Clearly,¡± He answered.

    His brows contracting, Marcel reached out to caress her face, murmuring under his breath, ¡°Just as we know between the both of us, I would always be the one who gives the most.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s throat constricted and she swallowed hard. She tried tough, shake her head and deny his ims, but she couldn¡¯t, not while his eyes held her gaze and saw the truth in hers.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t im she loved him more when she was keeping the truth about Elijah from him. Because no matter how much she denied it, Marcel loved her first and would always love her the most.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ll dly be the fool for you as long as you stay by my side,¡± Marcel muttered, his beautiful gray eyes holding her spellbound.

    However, there was a vulnerability in that look that made her chest tighten with emotion. Marcel was like a drowning man asking to be saved, reaching out his hand for whoever to hold on and pull him out, and Arianna was afraid. She didn¡¯t know whether she would take that hand and pull him out, or if she would take that hand and drown with him.

    The unknown was scary.

    He continued to caress her face delicately as if she was an illusion that would vanish any time soon.

    ¡°When I saw you unconscious earlier, I thought you were leaving me just like my mother did. It was so cold and scary and I thought I was going to be alone again.¡±

 Chapter 591

    591 [Bonus Chapter] Breathe Of Fresh Air

    Arianna didn¡¯t feel pity for Marcel, but rather a knot of anxiety at the thought of the amount of destruction she was capable of wreaking in his life. And the feeling that she might just end up hurting him in the quest for answers made her sick to the stomach.

    She covered his palm on her cheek with her smaller one and reminded him, ¡°Well, I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?

    ¡°Yeah, you are.¡± He said.

    ¡°And I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± She promised.

    ¡°Yeah, you are not going anywhere,¡± He would make sure of it.

    Marcel smiled at her and she smiled back, his gaze flickering down to her luscious lips and the space became heated.

    ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± He sought permission.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± She didn¡¯t want him to ask, but rather to take what he wanted.

    Marcel slowly leaned down and the anticipation made shivers trail down her arm. When his lips brushed across her, her heart naturally raced and she lifted her head to meet his lips, aching for more.

    .....

    Arianna sighed in fulfillment when his lips closed over her own and he kissed her softly. It was warm and nice like she had finally returned home to delicious food and fresh flowers, unlike the so many hard kisses they shared most times.

    Marcel took his time, kissing her slowly and tasting her lips as if he wanted to imprint the shape into his memory. He worshipped her lips while her body heated, pleasure racing through her core till she was mping her thighs together for relief.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna breathed against his lips in a protest, she wanted more. But Marcel was not to be rushed, instead, he nuzzled her neck causing her eyes to fly close. She arched into him, loving the feel of his hard chest pressing against her breast, although his shirt needed to go. Arianna wanted to touch him, feel him, body on body.

    His tongue finally invaded her mouth, searching, tasting, her tongue, making her groan in a voice that didn¡¯t sound like hers, not that Arianna cared. She writhed against him, desperate for more.

    She deepened the kiss and Marcel let out a guttural sound in return, as she nibbled him on his bottom lips, kissing him so desperately as if he was the very air that she was breathing and when they broke apart, they were panting so hard their chest heaved.

    Arianna reached for his shirt and wanted to pull it off him when Marcel grabbed her hand and stopped her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He sat up on the bed, still breathing hard. Marcel stared at her swollen lips and pride swelled inside of him knowing that it was his hard work.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I want you. ¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t believe that he was even asking. Marcel was always the first to jump into the offer.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± He shook his head in refusal, ¡± The doctor said you need enough rest, I¡¯m not about to subject you to any invigorating act.¡±

    ¡°Well, fuck the doctor!¡± Arianna sat up and knelt on the bed so she was at eye level with him. She grabbed his face so he couldn¡¯t look away, ¡°I know what my body wants and right now, it wants you,¡± Arianna teased the corners of his lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not going to work,¡± Marcel said, knowing how hard it was to resist her right now. Arianna was a burning me threatening to burn him alive.

    ¡°No,¡± She stood her ground, ¡°You said it was cold and scary when you thought you lost me. Don¡¯t you want to feel alive...?¡± Her hands slipped beneath his shirt and began to trace the cut muscles of his bare torso, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to feel the heat?¡±

    Marcel was breathing fast and his muscles flexed beneath her touch, she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

    ¡°You said you¡¯re on your period,¡± His breathing was ragged.

    ¡°You have enough money to rece stained sheets, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    She nced up at him from under her brows, smiling at him, knowing she won.

    Arianna then kissed him, the feel of her soft lips against his, both teasing and cating. Marcel returned the kiss and it evolved from yful to consuming with a hint of a promise of what was toe just before he pushed her back to the bed to her surprise. Okay, she liked where this was going.

    Marcel took a hold of his shirt and pulled it over his head giving her a good show. Arianna¡¯s breath deepened as she drank in the powerful lines of his body, oozing sex appeal, power, and danger. His pants hung lowly on his waist, revealing the band of his ck boxers.

    But her eyes stuck on the muscles of his sculpted torso that seemed to have been curved by God himself. It was unfair because it seems God took his time creating specific people. She greedily watched the taper muscle that led down to the V of his stomach where she knew very well his massive cock was hidden.

    Very impressive.

    Arianna watched his muscles rippling with strength as he got rid of everything that was on his body till he was standing in front of her stark naked and she was staring at his cock hard as a rock already and leaking precum.

    Realizing that she was the only one with her clothes on, Arianna was ready to take hers off too when he asked her politely,

    ¡°Can I help you with that?¡±

    Okay, this gentle side to Marcel was a breath of fresh air.

    ¡°Sure,¡±

    Arianna was only in her dress since the coat had been ruined long since, so Marcel reached for her back and helped her zip down. He then worked on the dress as she lifted her hands and he slid it up and over her head till it was off. Eagerly, his hands moved to her back and unsped her bra and Arianna gasped slightly as her bra fell away.

 Chapter 592

    592 [Bonus Chapter] Death In Bed

    His eyes were hard and full of lust and he let his lips graze the bare skin of her breast causing her heart to quicken and her nipples to harden from the stimtion.

    If Arianna ever had self-doubts about her body, the molten look of desire from Marcel was enough to correct that. He looked at her as if she was the best thing that ever happened to him and at that moment, she was the only that mattered in his eyes.

    That single look made her core arch and she needed pressure between those legs. She wanted him. Arianna needed him quickly to soothe the fire running through her veins, but Marcel was in no mood for a quickie.

    His tongue flicked out to tease her nipple and she gasped loudly, shivers running down the length of her spine. Marcel use his tongue to circle her are, intentionally flicking across her nipples once in a while but he wouldn¡¯t give her what she wanted.

    So when Arianna reached out to yank his head and do the work herself, Marcel grabbed her wrist and pinned it over her head with a grin. This was what he wanted, Arianna realizedte and she couldn¡¯t get out of his strong grip.

    Marcel captured her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard and she moaned loudly. Her eyes lulled close as her nerve endings tingled with pleasure.

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna began to writhe on the bed from what he was doing to her body. Marcel proceeded to release one of his hands, pinning her hands with one grip while his now free hand moved to her other free breast and pinched her nipple so hard she yelped.

    But that pain only gave way to pleasure as the double stimtion turned her on and she was grinding against him. Marcel held her in ce and continued to lick and suck at her breast till she was bucking hard and crying for mercy.

    Since Marcel couldn¡¯t eat her out, he was taking it out on her sore and overstimted breast and the throbbing in between her legs had not been satisfied.

    .....

    Marcel finally let go of her hands and kissed down her neck and chest. She feel his calm and steady hand slip her panties down her legs as if he didn¡¯t want to startle her considering her special condition. She was wearing a tampon and it was not yet filled.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Marcel assured her when he felt her body slightly tense up, ¡°This is part of your body process and it¡¯s totally normal.¡±

    He leaned over to murmur naughtily into her ears, ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed, you don¡¯t even need to get wet, it¡¯s enough lubricant.¡± He added immediately, ¡°We might even try the ass if my dick¡¯s coated enough,¡±

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Arianna hit him on the chest yfully. Thanks to that, the tension began to leave her body and she rxed, if anything, she was full of anticipation.

    Marcel pushed her closer to him but didn¡¯t go in right away. He took his cock in his hand and roughly fisted it before leaning over her body and crushing his lips to hers. The intense kiss was a distraction because while she kissed him back, Marcel¡¯s hands carefully moved to the tampon¡¯s string and pulled it out only to fill her hole with his cock.

    She moaned loudly which he swallowed into his mouth, kissing her more fiercely as he drove his cock into her all the way to the base. Arianna cried out, feeling the way his huge cock stretched her inner wall and she found herself gasping for breath.

    She felt so full.

    Marcel pulled back and let her catch her breath.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked out of concern.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna breathed, her walls mped around him so tight, it was breathtaking, literally.

    ¡°Now, show me what you got,¡± She begged him to move.

    Marcel starts out slowly at first before he picked up speed. He ced a string of kisses up her bare shoulder down to the slender curve of her neck as he moved.

    He thrust in and out of her, making her head roll back and she moaned for him. Her pussy mped tight around him as Marcel fucked her gently and affectionately. However, Arianna found out that he was intentionally holding back and he urged him to go faster.

    But Marcel did the opposite.

    He moved so agonizingly slow that it was killing her and she had to roll her hips topensate for the loss, but he gripped her hips and controlled her pace.

    ¡°Marcel please,¡± Arianna begged him. He couldn¡¯t do this to her now.

    However, Marcel smirked devilishly, reminding her, ¡°I told you, the one who starts it, isn¡¯t the one who wins.¡±

    Oh no.

    She remembered.

    Immediately, Marcel pushed out of her and flip her over, making her get on her knees on the bed.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She called his name, but he was busy.

    Sliding behind her, Marcel yanked her so her back was stered to his chest and he ced his hand roughly on her breast while the other gripped her hips and thrust into her with one savage thrust that knocked the breath out of her lungs.

    Marcel was circling his hips and hitting a spot so deep inside of her she never knew existed and had her almost seeing star. However, just when she was getting used to his delicious rhthym, he pulled back and mmed into her so hard she screamed.

    ¡°Yes...!¡± Arianna threw her hand back, moaning and panting for him, his huge cock driving so deep inside of her.

    Fuck, she was going to die.

    Marcel gripped her breast hard, quickening his pace as the pleasure began to build and build ready to burst. He drove his cock inside of her once more, nting himself impossibly deeper that she went over the edge, alongside him, and streams of his cum jet from his dick, alongside her natural emission, filling Arianna so much they dripped down her leg.

    They both copsed onto the bed.

    Oh damn, the bed was already ruined.

 Chapter 593

    593 Her, Her Baby, And Her Career

    There was nothing but tense silence between Adele and Aziz as they drove back home. She was the one behind the heels while Aziz sat beside her on the front seat and hadn¡¯t said a word since they stepped out of the base.

    Elijah stared at her and though he had the words waiting to be said at the tip of his tongue, a look at Adele¡¯s clenched jaw made him reconsider. She had her gaze fixed on the road and refused to look at him. Adele was mad at him, Elijah didn¡¯t need a prophet to exin that to him. He failed her today and it wasn¡¯t intentional.

    However, he was mad at both himself and Marcel. Elijah wasn¡¯t mad because Marcel hit him, rather it was because he hurt Adele. Seeing Adele in pain at that time made something snap in him and he had been close to losing everything, exposing his identity as Elijah if it meant he plowed Marcel¡¯s pretty boy face with punches.

    He stared at Adele and found out that the bruise on her head had swelled up and his chest constricted. It looked so painful and he didn¡¯t even realize when he reached out to touch the wound as if to soothe it and she shied away from his touch.

    ¡°You have a bump on your head, we have to get that treated before it bes permanent,¡± He told her, but she ignored him, keeping her eyes on the road stubbornly.

    ¡°It needs to bepressed!¡± He reminded her once more before she shouted at him,

    ¡°Could you just shut it!¡± She veered off to the side of the road and pulled up right away. Once she killed the engine, Adele turned to him and said in an outburst with gestures,

    ¡°I am so sick and tired of all of this drama! What the hell happened back there, Aziz?! You had your opportunity there and blew it when all you had to do was be a doll, charm Marcel and your future in this organization would be as clear as day! Yet you messed up big time! What the hell happened between you and Arianna, Aziz?!¡± Adele felt like she was losing her mind.

    She was dealing with so much right now and never saw this oneing. If

    .....

    anyone had told her that today would turn out so horribly, she would never have believed it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you treated first and then we can talk about this,¡± He said firmly.

    Adele wanted to protest, but when she saw his busted lips and the bruise across his face from Marcel¡¯s fist, she decided to reconsider. However, she yanked Elijah forward by the front of his shirt out of nowhere, startling him,

    ¡°No matter what happens in the future, you would nevery a hand on Marcel¡¯s face, do you hear me?¡± She warned him with a fierce and serious look in her eyes.

    Elijah looked at her in disbelief, ¡°Really? Is that what you should be worried about right -¡±

    Adele cut him off, tightening her hold on him to the point she was choking him, ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for me and your dumb luck, Marcel would have ended your pathetic ass right away for touching his face. So tell me you wouldn¡¯t do that another day?! ¡± She yelled loudly at him.

    Elijah didn¡¯t say a word, wondering why Marcel¡¯s face was so sacred. But when he saw the hardness in her eyes, he had no other choice but to give in as she wanted.

    ¡°Fine, I would avoid the face,¡±

    It was not a promise.

    He would simply pick up a fight with Marcel another day as Elijah and not Aziz. On that day, he would not be holding back his strength, only the best man wins.

    Thanks to this incident, has proven to him that Marcel was no good for Arianna. If he couldn¡¯t hold his anger and hurt Adele, it would only be a matter of time before Arianna finds herself in Adele¡¯s situation. Arianna has to leave that ce and the incident has given him enough incentive to see his nse true.

    It was quite sad he would have to leave Adele¡¯s life the day his nse true though. It was shocking but Adele has gotten under his skin; he would miss her terribly. Perhaps, if he and Adele had met under better circumstances ¨C and different families ¨C they would have made a future together. But all good things muste to an end and he better start packing up, emotionally.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you treated then,¡± Adele started the car and drove off. It didn¡¯t take a long time for her to find a pharmacy and they parked right outside.

    Adele had an ice pack pressed to the bump on the side of her head while Aziz¡¯s face was being treated. She watched him the entire time and battled with the urge to tell him the truth or not.

    She tried to discern from his attitude so far, what would Aziz do if she told him she was having his baby?

    Abortion.

    The word rang deeply in her head and even the ice pack on her forehead couldn¡¯tpare to the chill that seeped into her bones.

    It was not happening.

    But Aziz wouldn¡¯t want any distraction at the moment and a baby wasn¡¯t just a distraction, it was a responsibility ¨C a huge one that changed lives.

    No, Adele made up her mind, he wasn¡¯t going to know. She was having this baby whether Aziz liked it or not. For the moment, she was not going to tell him and would figure out what to do in the months toe when her bumps began to show.

    One thing was for sure, this fling had to end. Adele had a new objective and one of them involved giving her baby a safe ce. If Aziz wouldn¡¯t get involved in the life of his child, she would do the job all by herself.

    Nor was she getting married either.

    It was just her, her baby, and her career.

    And who knows, Marcel might be up to be her baby¡¯s godfather.

 Chapter 594

    594 Spend His Last Time With Her

    Music Rmendation ¨C Driver¡¯s license ¨C Lewis Capaldi

    _________

    ¡°God, this is what I need,¡± Elijah moaned as soon as his back hit the mattress and had his eyes closed.

    They were back at his ce and though Adele hadn¡¯t moved in officially, they had been cohabitating for a while now. Some of her things were loitered around his ce and she doesn¡¯t need to stop at her ce first to change before leaving for work in case she spends the night over.

    Feeling a dip on the bed, a small smile curled his lips and Elijah reached for Adele knowing instinctively that she was beside him. His hand touched the small of her back before he opened his eyes and wrapped his arm securely around her waist.

    Sitting up on the bed, Elijah pulled Adele closer to his side before leaning in to bury his face into her hair, sniffing her sensual and lush fragrance, it was addictive. His fingers raked into her hair, feeling the softness of her silky ck hair and he kissed down her neck while Adele tilted her neck to give him better ess.

    Elijah nuzzled her neck, running his nose up and down her slender throat tenderly. He kissed down her corbone while his hand moved to her breast and the other slipped beneath her blouse.

    However, the moment he touched her bare stomach, Adele jerked away from him as if he hurt her when he didn¡¯t. She stood right up to her feet while he frowned, trying toprehend what just happened.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Elijah lifted a brow, surprised at her reaction. His instinct was telling him that Adele was not telling him something. Recently, he couldn¡¯t really exin, but it seems like Adele was detaching from him. She was here with him, but not with him at the same time.

    .....

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s me...¡± Adele sighed heavily, running her hands through her hair and dishevelling it in the process, ¡°Aziz, I¡¯m so stressedtely I¡¯m a mess.¡± She lied.

    The moment he touched her stomach, Adele felt like he would discover her secret and she just reacted. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t have sex with him yet. After the news of her pregnancy? She was not ready for one.

    ¡°Stressed?¡± He lifted a brow, ¡°Did Marcel assign to you a new assignment that I have no idea of?¡± He questioned her.

    ¡°Kind of,¡±

    He threw his hand up, ¡°And you didn¡¯t care to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Adele huffed, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that I was entitled to tell you of my every work. I told you, Aziz, just because the both of us are together doesn¡¯t mean I mix business with pleasure.¡± She reminded him sternly.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elijah pushed off the bed and went over to her. Her face was tight with a frown, but he took her hand in his and exined to her, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that way. It¡¯s just that we have worked on some cases together and it turned out well, so I just assumed -¡±

    ¡°That I should lean on your shoulder just because you¡¯re the man of the house?¡± She gave him attitude, her head tilted to the side, waiting for him to counter that.

    ¡°I just wanted to help you. Just like youined right now, you¡¯re stressed up and I¡¯m here to take the load off your shoulder. But since you don¡¯t want my help, you¡¯re good to go. Go and break a leg, and I¡¯ll be here, the man of the house, offering massages to your tired muscles,¡± He sassed back and she was unable to answer back.

    Adele felt guilty inside knowing that she was merely transferring her anger to him. Not that Aziz waspletely innocent,but he still contributed to her problem, and she would have to bear the consequences alone.

    ¡°What happened when we left? What did you and Arianna discuss while we were away that she even fainted in the end?¡± She decided to change the topic instead.

    Aziz straightened up, his hands hanging by his side uselessly as he exined, ¡°I¡¯m not responsible for Arianna fainting, that one is on her. However, if you want to know what Arianna and I were discussing so badly? Then you should know that It was about you. Your beloved cousin¡¯s woman doesn¡¯t think that I deserve you. She says I¡¯m bad for you.¡± Elijah twisted the story around because there was no way on earth he was telling her the truth. Even while they were together as a couple, Adele was still fiercely loyal to Marcel. It was not like this rtionship meant much to her.

    ¡°And perhaps, she¡¯s right,¡± Adele said all of a sudden, and his gaze narrowed at her.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Adele looked him straight in the eyes,

    ¡°I think it¡¯s high time we ended things, Aziz.¡±

    It was strange.

    Aziz could swear that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for and suddenly she was serving it up on a tter of gold for him to ept. He should be over the moon knowing this was what he wanted, a clean break just before he finished his mission and she finds out that he was Elijah all along. Yet he was reluctant to ept it. He didn¡¯t want it.

    It was too soon.

    Not that they had much time in the first ce. However, Elijah wanted to savor hisst time with her. And yes, it was cruel knowing that she would be the one most affected when everythinges crashing down. Yes, he was a selfish bastard.

    ¡°Why?¡± Elijah asked, his throat suddenly dry, ¡°Why should we break up now? Is it because of the incident today? Are you afraid that Marcel woulde back for me and you¡¯d be caught in the crossfire? Because if that¡¯s the case, then you have nothing to worry about, I would ept whatever punishment Marcel gives me without protest. I would pacify his anger and we would be good to go. ¡± He was practically begging her.

 Chapter 595

    595 [Bonus Chapter] Little Time Together

    It was tempting.

    Highly tempting to just believe him and continue on like nothing never changed. But something did and Adele was not waiting around to get hurt more than she already was.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not kid ourselves, Aziz, the both of us knew that a day like this woulde. It¡¯s just sooner than we thought.¡±

    ¡°And you decide that after you hear that I¡¯m no good for you?¡±

    Adele sighed, rubbing her throbbing temple, she could already feel an oing headache.

    ¡°I just need to concentrate on my career at this point. We¡¯ve had a good thing going for a while, let¡¯s not ruin the memories,¡± She told him.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Elijah gasped, ¡°You really had it nned out, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Adele didn¡¯t answer and turned the other way. She swallowed the lump in her throat while her chest twisted painfully. The room was charged as she waited for Aziz to make his decision.

    ¡°Fine, we will go our separate ways,¡± He decided and Adele felt her heart breaking into a million pieces.

    .....

    She wanted him to fight for her.

    This was a fucking test and he failed it. Had he stood his ground and begged her a little more, she had been ready to tell him the fucking truth about her pregnancy. But he took the easy way out. If Aziz can¡¯t stand this, there is no way he could ept the responsibility of being a father.

    This was the best way, Adele told herself. It was better to get hurt now than to have great expectations only for it to be shattered alongside her feelings. This was better.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice you see reasons with me,¡± Adele said coolly even though all she wanted to do now was curl up on her bed and cry her eyes out.

    ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t affect our work together. We haven¡¯t even found the weapons, nor Elijah,¡± He asked hopefully.

    ¡°O-of course!¡± She stuttered, ¡°I told you I don¡¯t mix business with pleasure. It would be as if nothing ever happened between us,¡± Adele lied through her teeth.

    While he moved on easily, she was left with a pregnancy that was going nowhere. There was no moving on for her. She was carrying his child for crying out loud.

    ¡°Very well then,¡± Aziz nodded, staring at her and she stared back. It was awkward, but what were the both of them going to do now that they were not together?

    Adele rubbed her hands down her body, ¡°I should probably start packing my things -¡±

    ¡°Or don¡¯t.¡±

    She looked at him surprise, her eyes filling with hope.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t really have to end things between us, at least not until we are done finding Marcel¡¯s weapon and catching Elijah,¡± He said in a low tone while studying her reaction and when her eyes narrowed at him, he added instantly, ¡°I mean it¡¯s mere suggestion since you just talked about moving your things. We work together and the stress of moving important contents around can be quite messy and annoying,¡± Heined.

    ¡°So you think we should postpone our breaking up until the case is over?¡± She wanted to be sure that he wanted this ¨C and not because she was desperate to spend as much time with him before it was really over between them.

    ¡°It¡¯s stress-free,¡± Elijah shrugged, yet felt like a fraud inside. He was selfish to want to have her till thest time even though he would end up causing her pain. He wanted every moment he could catch with her before this paradise right now was over.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Adele agreed, ¡°We would break up then after we find Elijah,¡±

    She would only be the one hurt in the end, Adele knew that. But then, she must be a sucker for pain.

    Now that the problem was resolved, there was a great relief in Elijah¡¯s chest, even though he knew this was the beginning of the end. The day Adele finds out his real identity, this will be all over. Then, she would hate his ass for real.

    But tomorrow will think about its problems, and right now, he has been given another chance to make sweet memories with Adele. So he stepped forward only for Adele to put up her hand, saying,

    ¡°However, that would only happen on one condition,¡±

    His brow raised, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize we were making deals .¡±

    ¡°In football, there are extra minutes, you wanted us to extend our break up, it would be on my terms.¡± She boldly said to him.

    ¡°Fine, what is it?¡±

    ¡°No sex,¡±

    His face fell.

    Their intimacy was one of the reasons he wanted more time with her. What would he do without it?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to have sex with me anymore, what¡¯s the point of this?¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s the question you should ask yourself. Did you extend our time together just so you could have enough of my body? Is that a male thing? Was your ego bruised and now you need me to stroke it? Or do you really want me for who I am? ¡±

    Elijah shifted uneasily on his feet. He was not going to lie, he loved the sex and she was really creative in the bedroom. But that was not all to Adele; she was brave, smart, beautiful, and kind. He wanted everything. He wanted every bit of her.

    ¡°I want every bit of you, Adele,¡± Elijah confessed, and for a moment there, Adele was almost tempted to believe that he liked her.

    But even the word ¡°like¡± was not enough to carry her through. Perhaps, if he loved her, it would have been a different case. Love can endure a lot of things, but like cannot. However, Adele was not a fool to delude herself with such feelings. She was pragmatic and Aziz doesn¡¯t love her.

    ¡°Before sex became so rampant, our ancestors found a way to stay together, it¡¯s up to you to do the same,¡± Adele gave him a challenge.

    Elijah said to her, ¡°And that is why I was wondering if you¡¯d go on a date with me tomorrow. Let¡¯s spend the rest of our little time the old-fashioned way, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

 Chapter 596

    596 Rest

    ¡°My God, you¡¯re so fucking tight,¡± Marcel growled in her ears, his cock thrusting deep inside of her. He braced himself with one hand on the tile beside her while the other gripped her thigh tight, keeping her still.

    Arianna was panting and moaning through the sensation of him owning her body as the hot water from the shower head washed over them. His fingers were digging into her ass as Marcel thrust into her harder and she swore she was seeing stars.

    Arianna whimpered as he mmed his massive cock into her G-spot and had to keep one hand around the back of his hand to keep herself up while the other caressed up and down his bare back.

    He pressed her further back against the cold shower tiles, his lips hot on her as adrenaline rushed through her veins, and she was moaning even as she tugged him closer. But she parted from him when he took a firmer grip of her hips, upping the pace of his thrusts.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna gasped through gritted teeth, holding him tight, ¡°Don¡¯t stop please, keep going, I¡¯m almost there,¡± she begged him as Marcel drew his hips back almost to the entrance and drove his cock in deep again.

    She sucked in a hard breath, her eyes lulling back while her fingers dug deep into his back as his pussy pulsed and clenched around him tight. It was good, but still not enough.

    ¡°More,¡± Arianna moaned like an addict high on drugs. Only that Marcel was her drug that she couldn¡¯t do without and it was addictive as hell.

    And that was all she needed to say as there was a wicked glint in Marcel¡¯s eyes when he looked at her. He thrust fiercely into her pussy, not caring if she kept up with him as he took what he wanted from her.

    Marcel thrust in and out like a savage that she could hardly catch her breath between them. She gasped, feeling so full of him it was mind-blowing. Arianna could only grasp him tight, arching her back as he fucked her mercilessly and he relished the sensation of her pussy tightening around his cock.

    .....

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to...e,¡± Arianna panted, finding it hard to articte the words properly. She wasn¡¯t sure she could take any more of this.

    ¡°Thene for me, my love,¡± Marcelmanded her with a deep growl. His hungry lips took her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard, using her for his own pleasure. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Marcel changed his pace, mming into her so impossibly fast that a choked scream tore from her lips.

    She fell apart for him.

    Arianna¡¯s cries of pleasure echoed off the tiles, pleasure crashing through her body like a tsunami, and her muscles mped around his cock as Marcel chased his own pleasure.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Marcel cursed, his hand on her ass as he tried to hold off his own release. But her pussy gripped him so tight that he had no choice but toe too.

    He exploded inside her, spilling every drop of his cum just for her as they rode out their pleasure in each other¡¯s arms, her nails drawing blood on his back. Not that he minded. Marcel would spill a river of blood just toe inside of her once again.

    They fell still, panting together. That was the best sex they had ever had, it was as if they had not connected not just on a physical level, but emotionally as well. Arianna¡¯s hands found her face and she muttered, ¡°I love you, Marcel.¡±

    Marcel froze, his eyes widening at her confession. His bright gaze searched her gaze for the truth and what he found there in the reflection of her eyes brought a smile to her lips.

    ¡°And I love you too, Il mio amore,¡± He confessed, his forehead falling to hers as they smiled together. He caressed her cheeks as well, his grip shifting down to her neck as he pulled her closer, his gaze flickering down to her lips.

    ¡°Il Mio. Mine.¡± He said roughly, possessively and meaning every word of it. Arianna was his and no one wasing in between them.

    Marcel¡¯s lips found hers in a rush of heat and passion that set her body on fire for him. Arianna moaned into the kiss and he bit down hard on her lower lips so that she cried out and her lips parted for his tongue. His hand found her waist and he dragged her closer so that their bodies were pressed against each other, every line and curve.

    With great determination, he drew back only to ask, ¡°You up for another round,¡± There was a glint in his eyes that offered sweet promises.

    Merde, Arianna cursed in her mind. He wasn¡¯t through yet?

    But then, she was an addict and her body was a ve to his taste.

    Hence, the moment she nodded her head, he had her turned and pushed up against the wall. Her nipples were dragged back and forth against the tiles, the cold contrast sending even more pleasure throughout her body as Marcel buried himself inside of her to the base.

    There was no one to save her as she moved in tune with the punishing thrust of his hips. She had already given control of her body to him the moment she gave consent. And Marcel mmed into her over and over and over again until she was whimpering, crying, screaming, sobbing, and moaning as her orgasm swept over her, one by one.

    She sagged against him, unable to stand anymore and still glowing from what they shared. Marcel had to bathe and clean her up before carrying her up. It was embarrassing yet cute at the same time even Marcel helped her with a fresh tampon ¨C at least he learned something.

    Together, they justid down on the bed, enjoying this rare moment of peace until Arianna turned and said, ¡°Marcel, I have something to -¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± He pressed his finger against her lips, ¡°No talking. Just rest. The both of us.¡± Marcel told her.

    Because he had a feeling there wouldn¡¯t be time for rest soon.

 Chapter 597

    597 Husband Material

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Arianna woke up at dusk to see Marcel dressing up. From his precise movement, it was obvious that he didn¡¯t want to wake her. However, being with a Mafia Lord seems to have rubbed off on her because she was usually aware of her surroundings now.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to wake you up,¡± He apologized, buttoning up the rest of his shirt.

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Arianna noted with a nod of her head.

    Marcel came over to her and sat beside her, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. You needed the rest, and I was going to drop a message,¡± He added, ¡°Alongside a kiss on your forehead.¡±

    Her brows rose with interest when she heard that, ¡°Really?¡± Arianna drew closer to him and peered up at him through hershes, purring,

    ¡°I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Marcel smiled before cupping her cheek, he kissed her on the forehead, on the sides of her face, and finally on the lips. However, Arianna took advantage of that moment to deepen the kiss, moaning into his mouth. Their lips moved against each other.

    ¡°Arianna...¡± Marcel spoke against her lips and with a wrench of determination, drew back from her, ¡°I need to go. There¡¯s a lot to do and it¡¯ste already,¡±

    .....

    And that was when it hit her.

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Arianna jumped up from the bed, searching for her clothes until she remembered she needed her phone first, and Marcel grabbed her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked her, concern written all over his face.

    Arianna ran her hands through her hair with her free hand, ¡°I scheduled a meeting with the girls today. It was this afternoon... but it¡¯ste already,¡± She gestured to the darkness outside the window.

    She would have remembered had it not been for the drama hours ago. But then, even when she had the chance, Arianna had been busy making love with Marcel all through the afternoon, not that she regretted it or something, no, if she had a chance to do it all over, she would do it with him a million times. But then, you get the point.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not toote,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna looked at him in confusion, what was he talking about?

    ¡°When you were asleep, the girls texted you and so I texted them back. Victor is having a party tonight and I thought it would be best if they all came and you had a good time together,¡± Marcel¡¯s brows were working even as he said, ¡°And I hope you don¡¯t mind that I went through your phone to arrange that?¡±

    He gulped knowing how much Arianna valued her privacy ¨C even though her conversation was being tracked. And when she didn¡¯t answer immediately, Marcel waited anxiously for her judgment.

    ¡°Jesus Christ! What would I do without you?!¡±

    Marcel never expected that Arianna would throw himself at her and smooch him hard on the lips.

    ¡°You are a lifesaver and aplete husband material,¡± Arianna peppered his face with kisses and Marcel began to feel high on the amount of affection being shown to him.

    Did she say he was a husband material? Marcel¡¯s heart was beginning to pound hard at the thought. Does Arianna mean she would marry him if he got down on his knees and proposed marriage to her right now?

    No, no, Marcel had to calm his horses. This was not the time or ce to propose marriage, he didn¡¯t even have a ring and Arianna deserved a grand gesture. Apart from that, there was a lot to settle before thinking about marriage. He had his father to deal with... and Elijah.

    Marcel didn¡¯t let that name ruin his mood so Arianna doesn¡¯t notice. She was still hiding that bastard from him, but Marcel would go about it in another direction. Elijah¡¯s goal was to ruin his rtionship with Arianna, so he could have his way and he wouldn¡¯t let that happen. He would convince Arianna to tell him the truth and keep her at the same time. That bastard would not get in between his happiness.

    ¡°When is the party starting?¡± She queried, snapping him out of his thoughts.

    ¡°Victor¡¯s time,¡± Marcel answered.

    Arianna hummed, that means close to midnight. The girls would be here before then and she would have time to get to know them before they partied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much,¡± He ordered her.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Arianna answered. She never liked drinking anyway.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wear short or revealing outfits to the party,¡± He ordered and Arianna hesitated to answer that one.

    ¡°Arianna...?¡± He was waiting for her reply.

    ¡°It¡¯s a party, Marcel,¡± She whined.

    ¡°Not happening,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be my boyfriend, not my dad,¡± She groaned, swinging his arms like a kid and hoping to convince him.

    ¡°You¡¯re my responsibility and that means keeping you away from the predators out there,¡± He imed and Arianna rolled her eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one big predator here and he¡¯s staring right at me,¡±

    ¡°Haha, funny,¡±

    Marcel gave her a nk stare.

    ¡°Ohe on. Luca is there to keep an eye on her and none of your men would even dare to take a second look at me,¡± She groaned, begging him desperately.

    ¡°Victor has friendsing over. It¡¯s them I don¡¯t trust,¡± Marcel stood his ground.

    ¡°Please, Marcel, please, I can¡¯t be the odd one out when the girls arrive. I¡¯m your girlfriend, which means I represent you as well and when Victor¡¯s friends arrive, they expect to see ady of power, not the virgin Mary,¡±

    ¡°Strange enough, I seem to prefer that Virgin Mary and you are not dressing up for them.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna folded her arms stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to the party anymore, the girls cane back another day.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Marcel was still watching when she went back to her bed, her back turned to him as she pulled the sheet to her chin. And she dramatically mumbled,

    ¡°The girls would see me as a killjoy anyway. Heck, they won¡¯t even see me as much anymore. What¡¯s the point of being free when I can¡¯t even wear whatever I want? It was better when I was a captive here, then I can refute your order boldly. Now, I¡¯m just a beautiful bird in a golden cage,¡± She sniffed ¨C with no tears. So sad.

    She would be the death of him.

    Marcel sighed deeply, rubbing his temple.

    ¡°Fine, do whatever you want. ¡± He caved in.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this even if she was acting or not. Her happiness was his priority. Unlike his father, he would treat his woman well, that was his promise to her mother.

 Chapter 598

    598 We Are Over

    Luca was being Luca because as soon as Arianna made it out of the bedroom, he was already hovering around her like an annoying fly and that made Arianna groan inwardly.

    She turned to him, ¡°Can¡¯t you go incognito or something? You are kind of ruining it for me,¡± Arianna hinted at the fact that both of them weren¡¯t a goodbination for this party.

    Arianna wore a nude blouse and a mini golden skirt apanied by her heel. She had curled her hair and added a bit of makeup, looking ready to party, but Luca was around her like a sour taste and it didn¡¯t look good at all. The man was huge and intimidating, there was no way on earth she was having fun tonight with him by her side.

    ¡°Tough luck, Arianna. I left you alone with one of us today and I almost had my head cut off by the boss after you fainted. There¡¯s no way on earth I¡¯m not keeping my eyes on you tonight, else he might really do good on his threat,¡± That was his excuse.

    No wonder Marcel let her dress however she wanted because he knew Luca would be hard on her tonight. Damn! Marcel was a sly man.

    Arianna was so stressed. Why can¡¯t she have a bit of freedom around here without one of them ruining her life?

    When it wasn¡¯t Elijah causing problems for her, it was Luca hovering around her like a second shadow.

    She was bing sick and tired of this. Arianna wasn¡¯t a child that required babysitting, and knew the concept of right and wrong. Even though she was living with the wrong kind of people. Well, story of her life.

    Arianna was tempted to pick up her phone and call Marcel, telling him to send Luca away from her, at least six feet apart, but then, she was doneining. If Luca was determined to glue himself to her side, then she would find ways to make him fuck off by all means.

    .....

    By the time she made it downstairs, music was already sting from the speakers and Victor was at the entrance, weing his friends and visitors.

    Arianna sat down on the couch, with her arms folded across her chest. She blew the strands away from her face with an exasperated breath, already in a sour mood. Luca was standing behind her and seeing that made her groan again. She was already sticking out like a sore thumb.

    She did not n to drink tonight, but if she was going to be miserable tonight, Arianna hoped the drink would take away the sting. So she ordered one from a passing waiter, but before she could take the flute, Luca beat her to it and took a sip from it.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± She threw her hands up in the air in disbelief.

    ¡°I had to make sure it wasn¡¯t poisoned.¡±

    Arianna reminded him, ¡°This is Victor¡¯s party? Are you trying to say he would poison his guest? I don¡¯t see any trust there.¡±

    ¡°You are a target, I¡¯m not taking any chances,¡± He imed.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m Marcel¡¯s woman. Every bad guy in town wants a piece of me,¡± She generalized it, instead of pointing it down to Elijah alone.

    ¡°At least you know that and shouldn¡¯t be careless about it.¡± Luca took her arm and made her look at him. He said to her with every ounce of seriousness, ¡°I¡¯ve been observing and it seems you still don¡¯t understand what Marcel¡¯s affection means to you. Boss is head over heels in love with you and that already is a weakness. If one of his enemies gets a hold of you, I¡¯m not sure we¡¯d be able to glue back his broken pieces together,¡± He let go of her arm, having made his point.

    Arianna blinked, expelling a shaky breath. Somehow his words kind of scared her. But then she lifted her chin saying, ¡°I get your point and I¡¯ll be a lot careful. But if that¡¯s your way of trying to manipte me not to have fun tonight, then you¡¯re in for a loss. It¡¯s bad enough I can¡¯t leave these walls, I won¡¯t give up my chance of being normal for just one night.¡±

    Out of the corner of her eyes, Arianna saw someone and a smirk lifted the side of her lips, ¡°And I think you should really have a taste of your own medicine.¡±

    Before Luca could ask what she meant by that, Arianna already waved her hand, ¡°Over here,¡±

    And that was when Luca saw him, his eyes widening at once. ¡°Oh shit!¡± He cursed.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Arianna had a devilish smirk as she leaned backfortably into the couch, watching in amusement as Leon made his way over to them and Luca was looking like a dry autumn leaf. Payback was quite sweet.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Leon leaned over her to ce a peck on her cheek.

    ¡°Leon,¡± She weed him.

    He straightened up and looked at the man behind her, ¡°Luca,¡± Leon called his name and Arianna watched their interesting reaction, her ss pressed to her lips and hiding her mischievous smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling,¡± Leon said.

    ¡°Did you?¡± Luca pretended not to have a clue what he was talking about.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been picking up.¡± Leon pointed out.

    Arianna turned to Luca and let out a mock gasp, her hand pressed to her chest humorously, ¡°Quite shocking, Luca, why haven¡¯t you been picking the poor Lad¡¯s call? I didn¡¯t take you for a heartbreaker.¡± She was being dramatic.

    Luca red at her for butting into his business and she dared him back with a raised brow. Guess who has been butting into her business ever since.

    Unable to take it anymore, Luca walked over to Leon, ¡°Come here,¡± he grabbed him by the hand and was leading him away when she shouted after them.

    ¡°I hope you both have fun!¡± Arianna hinted at something naughty,ughter spilling from her lips.

    Luca gave her the finger without taking his eyes off Leon. He took him to a secluded spot and pushed him up against the wall, growling in his face,

    ¡°I told you never to bother me. You are a huge distraction to me, Leon. we¡¯ve had our fun and it¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°Says who,¡± Leon retorted and before Luca could respond, took his face in his palm and kissed him hard.

    It was a brief kiss because Luca pushed him away with wide eyes and the both of them stared at each other. However, in the next minute, Luca was the one crashing his lips over him.

 Chapter 599

    599 Tell Marcel

    Who says she can¡¯t handle herself? Arianna was proud of her effort, she finally sent Luca away and now she could have fun without one giant standing out like a dark cloud over her.

    However, an important person was currently missing from this party and she went to Victor,

    ¡°Is Mimi noting?¡±

    Victor turned to her with a wide smile ¨C his happiness knew no bound since the news of Mimi¡¯s pregnancy. Arianna wondered if he ever got tired of stretching his face and thinking about it now, Victor rarely expressed any kind of emotion aside from that. Weird.

    Arianna knew some people were naturally funny, but Victor¡¯s could be over the top. And speaking of which, she has never even seen him angry, the closest was him throwing a tantrum on Marcel, but extreme anger? No. Victor was always cheerful with a bubbly attitude. Well, she was probably thinking too much. It was just Victor being Victor, she pushed the matter to the back of her head.

    ¡°No, Mimi¡¯s noting,¡± Victor answered, turning at thest minute to wee a guest that had just arrived.

    ¡°Have a great time!¡± He waved to the man, before giving her his attention once more, ¡°She just returned home and needed to spend more time with her family. Moreover, Mimi needs to have the rest as well and I promised her I¡¯ll party for both of us,¡± Victor beamed at her.

    Arianna shook her head, those two were perfect for each other. She tried to imagine it, but Arianna couldn¡¯t picture Marcel letting her party for the both of them without an entourage of babysitters to keep an eye on her. It was not happening.

    ¡°Fine, party hard then. And once again, congrattions,¡± She told him before returning to the party.

    .....

    The living room was beginning to fill up and Arianna hoped Victor knew what he was doing because if any of Marcel¡¯s esteemed collection gets damaged, he was really getting it from his cousin tomorrow. Marcel loved his collections the same way a dragon loves its treasures and it was extremely precious to him.

    However, it seems someone wasn¡¯t entirely dumb because looking around the room now, Arianna found out that most of Marcel¡¯s precious items were missing and she could only guess that Victor kept them in a safe ce ¨C and it wasn¡¯t stolen.

    A tap on the shoulder took Arianna off guard that she almost struck the stranger with her elbow had the woman not spoken at thest minute.

    ¡°You¡¯re Arianna, right?¡± She inquired tentatively.

    Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion, and still had her guard on even as she turned to stare at the stranger fully. For some odd reason, the woman seemed oddly familiar as if she had seen her somewhere until it hit her.

    ¡°Lydia?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± Arianna muttered, pulling her into her embrace immediately. She recognized Lydia from her profile picture and introduced herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m Arianna,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everyone here kind of knows who you are,¡± Lydia chuckled and Arianna scratched the back of her neck timidly. It seems she has be a local celebrity in the underworld.

    If it was in the past when she wanted nothing but to escape Marcel and this hell hole he locked her in, it was definitely game over now. Everyone knows her face and she would be captured back to Marcel each time she escaped.

    Ugh, it was hard to get ustomed to the fact she was no longer a prisoner here. Not that she was entirely free ¨C she couldn¡¯t even leave the base without Marcel letting her out. It was as if she only traded the prison for a better one. At least she was stuck with Marcel and not his father.

    Goosebumps climbed up her arm at the thought, Arianna still couldn¡¯t get past the revtion that her mother and Daniel dated. She frowned, should she tell Marcel about it?

    No, no, she shook her head, the idea wasn¡¯t feasible. Moreover, there was no guarantee that Elijah told her the truth. He could be messing with her head, trying to drive a wedge between her and Marcel.

    What if she tells Marcel about Elijah¡¯s identity and he interrogates him and gets the truth for her?

    No.

    Arianna battled inside of her. What if Elijah is the only connection to get to her mother and she ruins that by handing him over to Marcel?

    What if her mother really dated Daniel and there was more to the story? Ugh! She needed to know.

    Fine, Arianna decided she would tell Marcel about Elijah, but that would be after she had enough information about her mother. Arianna didn¡¯t know what to expect from this, but one thing was for sure, she wanted to look her mother in the eye and question why she abandoned her.

    Did she hate her that much?

    But knowing the truth would require her meeting with Aziz or whoever Elijah was pretending to be, and right now Marcel hated his ass so much he would not invite him back to the base. What was she going to do?

    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±

    Arianna was jerked to reality when she suddenly saw Lydia in her face, invading her space. She took a step back, startled.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you, but you were out of it that I was beginning to get worried.¡± She quickly exined seeing the frown on her face.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Arianna said, running her hands through her hair. She needed to concentrate and think of a way to contact Elijahter.

    She looked over Lydia¡¯s shoulder and asked her, ¡°Did youe alone, where are the others?¡±

    ¡°Come, let me take you to them,¡± She took her hand and began to lead her outside. Arianna cast a look behind her before stepping into thewn where several cars were packed. However, a certain jeep was surrounded by a group of girls. Most men couldn¡¯t take their eyes off them and Arianna rolled her eyes towards heaven.

    Men.

    The girls must have sensed theming because they began to turn, one after the other until Arianna saw a certain face and froze.

    Holy mother of God!

    Were her eyes deceiving her?

 Chapter 600

    600 Seeing Him In A New Light

    ¡°Chelsea?¡± Arianna called out, clearing her eyes with her hands and trying to make sure she was seeing right. Was she hallucinating or what?

    She had to pinch her thigh to confirm that and it hurt, greatly. This was no hallucination or dream. That was Chelsea in blood and flesh.

    She wasn¡¯t the only one shocked, because Chelsea in question jumped off the jeep, staring at her closely only for her jaw to drop to the ground, ¡°Arianna?¡±

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Arianna squealed in excitement as Chelsea ran over to her and both women embraced each other tightly.

    ¡°When the girls said we were meeting someone called Arianna, you don¡¯t know much I prayed It would be you. Who knew prayers were still being answered,¡± Chelsea celebrated, hugging her tighter.

    Chelsea was no other than one of the friends she made while still at Big Joe¡¯s turf. Arianna had lost contact with her on the day of her wrecked wedding and Arianna was highly relieved to see her again. The world was indeed a small ce.

    While Arianna wanted to catch up with Chelsea ¨C she needed to know what happened to the Red Giant after she left ¨C seven other women needed her attention as well. Hence, their reunion had to be cut short.

    With the help of Lydia, Arianna was able to connect with the other six women and so far they were well behaved. If they were faking their kindness or not, Arianna had no idea, but it seems the fear of Marcel was the beginning of freedom. No one was willing to offend her in fear of incurring his wrath.

    Good for them, then, she had no time for women¡¯s drama anyway. Arianna had a lot of issues on her te and dealing with a troublesome woman was not one of them. She had far better things to do with her time ¨C like finding Elijah and connecting with that mother of hers, all without upsetting her rtionship with Marcel. Yeah, tough luck.

    .....

    By the time they went back into the house, Victor had already set up a bar and they each went to get a drink. Arianna was not a huge fan of drinking, however, she had a feeling that she would need one for the night ahead.

    Hence, she grabbed a cocktail, and went to Chelsea who had her own drink in hand as well, and said to her,

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you, again,¡±

    ¡°You too,¡± Chelsea admitted, the both of them taking a seat and staring at the people already in a party mood. Even with the DJ mming numbers that already had people moving to the tune of the music, there was an awkward tension between Arianna and Chelsea.

    It has been a long time since the both of them saw each other and had questions for each other. They just had no idea how to ask it. Things have changed and so, have they.

    ¡°So, Marcel, huh?¡± Chelsea was the first to break the silence, taking a sip of her drink.

    ¡°So it seems,¡± Arianna breathed nervously, unconsciously tapping her foot against the floor.

    Chelsea said, ¡°At least he¡¯s better than Big Joe or Kenith,¡± She turned to her for confirmation, ¡°I heard that he treats you well, tell me it¡¯s true.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s heart melted and the nervousness seeped out slowly from her body when she realized Chelsea was merely concerned about her.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Although he was an asshole in the past and all I wanted was to get away from him,¡± Arianna quickly added when she saw the way Chelsea¡¯s face changed, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, he didn¡¯t hit me or torture me or anything, but I was a captive and all I wanted was to get away from here. I was a captive in Big Joe¡¯s hands and it was not happening again.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡± She raised a brow curiously.

    Arianna shrugged, ¡°Stuff happened, Chelsea. I fell in love with him, no, we fell in love with each other. And I know, it sounds crazy to you and you would probably conclude it¡¯s Stockholm syndrome, but I know what I feel for Marcel and it¡¯s not a psychological bond with my captor during captivity. I didn¡¯t feel the same for Big Joe or Kenith. Trust me, I know what I feel. ¡±

    Chelsea stared at her for a long time and just when Arianna thought she would argue about her feelings for Marcel, she said instead, ¡°If you¡¯re happy with him, who am I to interfere then?¡±

    Arianna boomed at her, ¡°Thank you.¡± a warm feeling ignited in her heart. Yes, she didn¡¯t need Chelsea¡¯s approval to be with Marcel, but having a familiar friend on her side wasforting.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Chelsea said, taking another sip of her drink, ¡°It¡¯s your life, you live it to the fullest. And if being with Marcel would fulfill you, then you do that without looking back. Life is too short for you to go about seeking people¡¯s validation.¡± She advised her.

    ¡°Duly noted.¡± Arianna noted and it was her time to ask, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°What happened after Big Joe died? The fact that you are currently working for Marcel, means that you finally got out. So why still choose this kind of life? I thought you would find something better?¡±

    ¡°Something better like what?¡± She queried and Arianna frowned slightly, feeling that she might have somehow hurt her feelings unintentionally.

    She swallowed down her cocktail, the alcohol shooting straight to her brains., ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, but anything but prostitution, Chelsea. You have a better future now, you know.¡± Arianna told her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you of all people should understand that sometimes we have no control over her lives. Moreover, this is the only life I have ever known.¡± She told her.

    ¡°You can still change it,¡± She tried to convince. She was better than this.

    But Chelsea merely chuckled at her, as if finding her reaction funny and unnecessary.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Marcel doesn¡¯t let us do that kind of stuff. I¡¯m not trying to praise him or something, but he doesn¡¯t joke with his girls. He treats us better than any other person, ¡± Chelsea said to Arianna¡¯s relief. She was beginning to see Marcel in a new light. There was more to Marcel than he let¡¯s on and he was all hers.

    Chelsea went on to say, ¡°We are merely dancers. If a client wants something extra? it¡¯s on our terms and conditions. And we take it out of his club. Those kinds of stuff attract legal trouble and Marcel likes to make gains, not losses.¡±

 Chapter 601

    601 What Has She Done For Him

    Oh, Marcel does own a brothel, Arianna found out when Chelsea told her and her hope was dashed.

    To be precise, the Luciano family owns it. Marcel might be the head of the n but he doesn¡¯t run everything and family members took up various spots they couldy their hands on. In one word, the Luciano family does every illegal business one could think of, all except human trafficking and drugs.

    The drug business was quite lucrative yet dangerous. You can¡¯t sell what you don¡¯t taste. Most drug families end up miserably and turn on each other in the end thanks to the addiction.

    But as evil andpetitive as the Luciano family was, they still valued their blood.

    Yeah, shocking, right?

    And as for trafficking, their consciencees to y as well.

    ¡°What about Ashley and Rose?¡± Arianna inquired about the two other girls. Three of them had been herpanion during her stay with Big Joe.

    ¡°Well, Ashley is one lucky bitch, got married to a rich guy and they moved away already. As for Rose, she went down to the countryside to take care of her grandmother. She wants to live a quiet life now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. At least, they live a better life now, ¡± Arianna was relieved by the news.

    .....

    She had never once stopped thinking about the girls since leaving the Red Giant and often wondered if they got out too. Her wedding had been nothing but blood and chaos. Aside from fighting for her life ¨C and killing Cassie and Kenith ¨C she didn¡¯t have time to think about them before she was captured by Marcel, again.

    ¡°I should warn you though,¡± Chelsea suddenly said, surprising her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Arianna was held in suspense.

    ¡°The disaster at the wedding tore the gang apart and there was a fierce power struggle about who would take over with both Big Joe and Kenith gone at the same time. However, I heard rumors that the gang is under new leadership, and though their influence is not as strong as it was in their past, however, you are their number one enemy and they ced a bounty on you. ¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna shouted so loudly that if it wasn¡¯t for the music sting from the speakers, everyone would have their eyes on her as a result of her outburst.

    Arianna was flustered, ¡°W-what... why would they have a bounty on me?¡±

    ¡°They think you killed Big Joe and Kenith and killing you would bring justice to theirte leader.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna choked, feeling a sudden headache. Were they stupid or what?! Who saw her kill Big Joe?! Everyone had been at the wedding that day and saw the moment his head was sted by that bullet. She wasn¡¯t even holding any gun in the first ce, so how was she the one who killed Big Joe?

    But then, it had been Kenith¡¯s initial n to use and ce the me on her in the end ¨C thanks to Cassie for spilling the whole truth to her before her death. May her rotten soul burn in the eternal mes of hell, Amen.

    Hence, it wasn¡¯t surprising if the fool that took their ce as the new head decided to use her as the scapegoat. But then, why does everyone want a piece of her? At this rate, she was going to be a celebrity, albeit, an infamous one.

    WHY CAN¡¯T THEY LET HER REST?! WHY WAS EVERYONE AFTER HER?! WHY WAS HER LIFE SO MISERABLE?!

    At this rate, Marcel was never going to let her out of here. She would be stuck in this base for the rest of her life, get married, her children would be stuck in here with her too, and in the end, she would die here as well. Just like Rapunzel, this was her tower. Her prison.

    Arianna was freaking out.

    ¡°Arianna, are you okay?¡± Chelsea was concerned when she saw herbored breathing.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Just give me a minute,¡± Arianna said, trying to calm her breathing else she faints again.

    It¡¯s okay, she would figure this out, Arianna told herself.

    Her head whipped around to Chelsea, ¡°Does Marcel know about this?¡± Arianna needed to know.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Chelsea thought over it, ¡°A bounty ced on your head and you are still alive? That¡¯s not just luck, girl. The Red Giant Isn¡¯t that powerful and news like that can¡¯t get past Marcel¡¯s hearing. If you were to ask me, I believe Marcel is controlling things behind the shadows. You are one lucky bitch.¡± She was envious.

    But Arianna in question just stood at the spot, dumbfounded. Marcel has been protecting her behind the scenes? And all this while, she thought he kept her locked up, was to keep her from Elijah?

    Arianna was plunged with guilt.

    Marcel has done so much for her.

    What has she done for him?

    ¡°Jesus, you look miserable. Come on, this is not a night for that face. Let¡¯s dance!¡± Chelsea decided she needed a distraction and pulled her along to the dance floor.

    They met the other girls on the dance floor and together, they all showed off their moves. Marcel¡¯s idea of meeting them here was brilliant and Arianna hadn¡¯t had so much fun for a long time with her own gender.

    It must be the alcohol working in her brain but Arianna let loose. They were celebrating Victor anyway and that meant having fun. Hands up in the air, she and the girls bounced to the beat and even naughtily twerked and ground against each other.

    Arianna felt rxed and less self-conscious and didn¡¯t think much about it when a hand wrapped around her waist, thinking it was one of the girls fooling around. However, those hands suddenly felt muscr and she noted the way Chelsea stiffened in front of her as well.

    It was a man.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Arianna jerked away from him, repulsed.

    The nerve of whoever that was because it wasn¡¯t Marcel. She could have smelt him.

    The girls had stopped dancing as well, apprehension in their gazes and Arianna turned to see the fool who dared to touch her.

 Chapter 602

    602 What Is Wrong With Victor

    The idiot was no other than one of Victor¡¯s guests he had invited into the party. And judging from the way his speech was slurred, he was obviously drunk out of his mind.

    ¡°Why did you stop? We were having so much fun,¡± He wasn¡¯t even able to stand straight while speaking to her.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t tell if that question was directed at her or the girls that had stopped dancing and staring at him or the soldiers that had straightened up, ready to swarm into action if he daredy a hand on her.

    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously, dude?!¡± Arianna pushed him hard in the chest and he almost fell, getting on his feet at thest minute. Arianna always had a temper in the first ce, hence it wasn¡¯t surprising.

    ¡°Hey, back off. She¡¯s Marcel¡¯s girlfriend,¡± Chelsea was the first toe to her defense.

    And while Marcel¡¯s name was supposed to invoke some fear into him, the fool sneered instead, ¡°Really? Marcel¡¯s girlfriend?¡±

    He tried to take her hand but Arianna stepped back, disgusted, while some of the soldiers took a step towards them unsure yet alert.

    The DJ had lowered the music upon themotion, sensing the suffocating tension in the room and no one knew what to do anymore. But one thing was sure, they knew which side to support when push came to shove.

    He wasn¡¯t worth her time, Arianna decided, shaking her head. She turned to the person next to her not giving a fuck who he was and ordered him,

    .....

    ¡°He¡¯s drunk, get him out of here.¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to see his face anymore. He has ruined the night alright.

    However, the moment Arianna tried to leave, the fool managed to grab her hand, ¡°Come back here! You¡¯re Marcel¡¯s girlfriend, so what? You¡¯re not different from his other whores anyway and they always gave me what I wanted,¡± He looked over her bodysciviously, sending goosebumps down her arm.

    Anger shimmered inside of her, Arianna has had enough. How dare he call her a whore? Before even the soldiers could react, Arianna had pulled back her hand, intending to punch him right in the face, but someone else beat her to it.

    No one saw himing because Victor came out of nowhere. One could say he flew in because hended a kick on the dude¡¯s face that sent him flying back to the ground and a loud gasp filled the room.

    But that was not the end because Victor strode over to where he was and picked up by the short front and began tond blows after blows on his face. Arianna had always wondered why she never saw Victor angry, she could understand why.

    While Marcel was like a raging storm that scattered everything in his path when angry, Victor was a boiling hot volcano that pulverized. He didn¡¯t stop, or rather, he couldn¡¯t stop even when his opponent¡¯s face was a mess.

    His muscles were tensed and his expression was hard, and murderous, it was like staring at a different Victor, and that kind of scared Arianna who then called for help. With the way things were going, Victor was really going to murder the fool right in front of everybody.

    One could almost say that the fool was unlucky enough to make himself an outlet for Victor¡¯s pent-up fury. Luckily, Luca sprang into action and saved his ass from death. But Victor wouldn¡¯t let go.

    The scene was almost like that of a vulture refusing to give up its carcass even with the presence of a stronger predator. Victor wanted to rip the fool into pieces.

    The other soldiers came to the rescue and sessfully took the fool away from the unstable Victor while the onlookers gave them a considerable distance as Victor attacked Luca instead.

    However, Luca was a huge man and a fighter, and knew how to handle Victor so he wouldn¡¯t harm himself in the process. To offer support, Leon also came from behind and incapacitated him as if it wasn¡¯t the first time he had witnessed such a meltdown.

    That was when it hit Arianna, this wasn¡¯t just an outburst, Victor was sick. She could see it from his unstable breathing and the assuring words Leon kept pouring into his ears to calm him down. Her gaze connected with Luca and she saw the truth there.

    He knew.

    Luca took his gaze off her and announced to the guests in attendance, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this party is over.¡±

    There was great murmuring from the crowd, disappointed with how everything turned out. However, Luca was not listening to them because he pulled Victor to his feet, supported all of his weight, and took him away.

    The music ended abruptly and everyone began to pick up their stuff, preparing to leave, although a few of his friends were concerned about Victor¡¯s well-being, the soldiers wouldn¡¯t let them go further into the house. They all had to leave.

    Arianna wanted to go to Victor until she remembered her friends and went to Chelsea, ¡°We would meet again, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We have dance sses with you now, remember?¡± She poked her in the belly yfully.

    Arianna smiled at her. They were going to have so much fun together.

    ¡°Is he going to be okay?¡± Chelsea tipped her head in the direction Victor went through.

    ¡°He should be,¡± She corrected, ¡°He would be.¡±

    Chelsea smirked naughtily, ¡°He¡¯s my type, you know. Sadly, he¡¯s taken,¡± She sighed in disappointment.

    ¡°Yep, sadly, he¡¯s taken,¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t agree more. Neither did she tell Chelsea that he was taken by her best friend called Mimi who was also a mad woman when ites to protecting the things that mattered to her. No, she would save Chelsea the details since she understood her limits clearly.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you informed when I see another of your type here,¡± She promised.

    ¡°Aww, I love you so much,¡± Chelsea hugged her tight, pecking her loudly on the cheeks.

    Ariannaughed before going to look for the other girls and said their goodbyes. They would meet again, soon.

    When she was done with them, Arianna decided to go see Victor and find out what the hell is going on with him.

 Chapter 603

    603 Going Out Today

    ¡°Where is he?¡± Arianna demanded, walking over to the room¡¯s entrance where Luca stood guard.

    ¡°It¡¯s best if you leave him alone for now,¡± Luca said, stopping her from entering.

    However, Arianna was not listening, Victor was not just her friend, he was Mimi¡¯s boyfriend and Marcel¡¯s cousin, she had to know what was wrong with him.

    Hence, Arianna lifted her leg to kick him on the kneel, and Luca, recognizing the move, dodged it, only to discover that it was merely a trick move, and the instant he deflected, she pushed him out of the way and opened the door, going in.

    ¡°Victor -¡± Arianna was about to call out his name only to see a figure on the bed with the sheet covering his entire frame.

    Luca stepped towards her and grabbed her elbow gently, whispering to her as if he didn¡¯t want Victor to notice their presence, ¡°After episodes like this, a feeling of embarrassment is expected. It¡¯s best if you leave him alone. ¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly is wrong with him or how you all went about it, but leaving Victor alone is the worst option right now. He needs the feeling of eptance and the fact he¡¯s loved by his family no matter what.¡± Arianna told him, pulling her arm out of his grip and stepping towards Victor.

    Luca couldn¡¯t stop her and watched instead as she gently climbed into the bed and called his name, but Victor wouldn¡¯t answer. However, that didn¡¯t deter Arianna who instead slowly and carefully wrapped her arms around him,forting him as he cried harder.

    Luca did not move an inch from the room, he stood at that spot watching until the soft falling and rising of Victor¡¯s chest, only then did he rx. Marcel was away so they couldn¡¯t report the incident to him else he abandons everything and return for the sake of his cousin.

    .....

    There was no more time, they had to be prepared for the mission on Friday which was merely two days away. Victor was calm now and they would only have to worry about his mood the next day.

    His attention moved to Arianna who carefully pulled out of his embrace after Victor fell asleep. The both of them didn¡¯t say a word until they were out of Victor¡¯s and Arianna¡¯s head whipped to him, ¡°Care to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d have to ask the boss about that. It¡¯s not my ce to release such sensitive information,¡± Luca told him and Arianna felt like throttling him.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this ce and their confidentiality agreement?! Fine, answer this then,¡± She managed to calm down, hands akimbo, and asked, ¡°How sick is he?¡±

    ¡°His condition is not severe enough to significantly interfere with his social or work functioning and there¡¯s no need for hospitalization,¡± Luca pointed out in case she was beginning to have doubts about his mental health.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Arianna was not worried he was crazy. She has seen crazy people and Victor was not one of them ¨C although his level of excitement was concerning at times.

    ¡°Then what about that asshole?¡±

    ¡°What asshole?¡±

    ¡°The one that caused all of this? Where did hee from?¡±

    ¡°His name is Julius. His family owns a liquor business and he¡¯s acquitted with the boss and Victor because they grew up together at one point. Most importantly, he¡¯s a wannabe boss,¡± Luca exined to her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He likes to imitate boss Marcel in everything and I¡¯m not sure you want to hear this, but Julius went as far as making it his life mission to go after every woman the boss was with.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Arianna thought over it and it sounded utterly ridiculous. She pointed to her chest, ¡°So he was right in thinking I was one of Marcel¡¯s whores and wanted toe after me as well?¡± She was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Luca answered.

    Arianna burst intoughter. Why were some men just worthless scum? She wanted to give that asshole a piece of her mind, so he¡¯d know that not all women are cheap

    ¡°And you let him go?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Whether I let him go or not, Boss Marcel would still find him and deal with him appropriately when he hears the news of what happened. The least I can do is keep him alive till the boss returns and finishes him off,¡± Luca stated.

    Arianna gasped in astonishment. She stared at Luca, here she was thinking that Luca was the least lethal of them all, who knew he was the most evil?

    ¡°It¡¯ste already, I should go to bed.¡±

    The fun was over and Arianna felt exhaustion slowly taking over her. She patted Luca on his broad chest, ¡°See you tomorrow, huge man,¡±

    With that done, Arianna returned to her room, changed into her nightwear, and went to bed. It would have been a long night without Marcel by her side, but she was tired already, and sleep took her.

    Arianna stirred the next day with a groan. Her head was pounding and she didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that it was a hangover even though she had drunk a littlest night. Alcohol was really not her cup of tea.

    But the instant she opened her eyes, a scream tore from her throat until she recognized who was seated in her room with her.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Marcel waved at her sweetly.

    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Arianna sat up, her hand on her chest. She was going to die from a heart attack at this ce one day.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you, but you were sleeping so peacefully, you looked ethereal,¡± Marcel apologized.

    ¡°Yeah, so you decided to stare at me like a creep?¡±

    His nonchnt shrug answered it all, he was not remorseful at all.

    Arianna shook her head and ignored him. She pushed the sheet away and began to stretch her arm. But her nightgown rode up in the process, showing off her toned thighs and Marcel¡¯s intense gaze followed the movement, causing her to lower her arm immediately, a blush on her cheeks.

    Marcel forcibly tore his gaze and cleared his throat. He then announced to her, ¡°You should get dressed, we¡¯re going out today.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter 604

    604 Uh Oh

    Music Rmendation :- I¡¯m Alive :Lance and Linton, NC Carson

    ¡°Hey, slow down!¡± Winters shouted out to the kids who took off as soon as they arrived at their destination. They came for a walk around the park to get some fresh air, even though it indirectly felt like a date with Akim.

    Nope, it was not a date at all.

    She was just taking a walk in the park and Akim just happened to be a kind and supportive guy. Winters didn¡¯t want to think about it else she gets distracted during duty. Reina¡¯s children were like a ticking time bomb, waiting to detonate the instant her mind moves off track.

    ¡°Give them a break, they know better than to get in trouble here,¡± Akim told her upon seeing the extreme worry on her face.

    Winters stared at the tiny figures already gone far ahead of them in the distance. She turned to ask him, ¡°What if they get lost? You know how they are? Or worse, get in trouble?¡± Sheined, sighing heavily.

    Nannying Reina¡¯s kids was equivalent to losing one-third of her life span. No man or woman at risk of cardiac arrest could be with them at all. The kids were impossible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they would be on their best behavior,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She peered up at him,

    .....

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Akimughed slyly, ¡°I might have struck a deal with them and they promised not to cause any problems on our date,¡±

    Winters almost choked on her saliva, ¡°D-date?¡± she had not seen that arrangementing ¨C even though she wished for it.

    She scratched the back of her head, a blush creeping up her face,

    ¡°This is a date?¡±

    a warm feeling spread in her chest and she felt giddy with excitement. Gosh, this was not like her.

    ¡°I know I kind of wanted us to date and get to know each other first, but I think I want more,¡± Akim told her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Although the butterflies in her stomach kept flustering, she was anxious as well, already having a clue where this was going and had no idea what to do. Winters was not sure if she wanted to take this big step anymore. There was a lot on the line here and Akim doesn¡¯t even know anything about her.

    He doesn¡¯t even know she¡¯s an agent in Spencer¡¯s home. Akim doesn¡¯t know her real background. What does she do for a living? He has no clue she was a hacker. And hackers like her weren¡¯t as cool as what they describe in the movies. She was a fucking criminal ¨C and he was a prince.

    Akim winked at her and suddenly, a violinist came out of nowhere, ying a breathtaking tune.

    What the hell?

    Winters was astounded, everything was going too fast. However, that was not all because a trumpeter and drummer joined the tune with cheerleaders who came out of nowhere, performing stunts in the air as if this were a choreographed show and her life was suddenly a movie.

    A banner was lifted in the air that said, ¡°Be my girlfriend, Winters.¡± while acrobatics were performed in the air.

    Winters didn¡¯t know how to tell Akim that all of this wasn¡¯t necessary. It was a bit over the top for a simple proposal nor was she a fan of such attention. Audiences were already taking videos of the entertaining scene and her face was going to make rounds on the inte.

    To her greatest shock, Elsa rushed over to Akim and handed a bouquet to Akim while her siblings stood by the side, giggling mischievously. Whoah, even the triplets were on this?

    The music reached a crescendo and they danced harder and faster, everyone¡¯s spirits flying higher and higher while Winters was overwhelmed

    until everything and everyone came to a halt, all eyes were on her.

    Okay?

    Winters¡¯ shifted ufortably on the balls of her heels. What was she supposed to do at this point? This was awkward. Winters knew this was supposed to be a romantic gesture, however, a romantic getaway seemed much more appealing at this point.

    Thankfully, Akim saved her when he got down on his knees instead and presented the flowers to her saying,

    ¡°Would you be my girlfriend, Winters?¡±

    She should say no, Winters knew that was the right thing to do. Whether she liked it or not, Akim would surely break up with her when he finds out her secrets, but for once, she wanted to be selfish.

    Was it wrong to be selfish?

    Since it wouldn¡¯tst anyway, she wanted to enjoy her rtionship with Akim as long as itsted. She honestly liked Akim and wouldn¡¯t give up on him like this. Winters would only give up when he doesn¡¯t want her anymore.

    ¡°Yes,¡± She said and a joyous celebration erupted in the crowd. It was chaos but Winters didn¡¯t care as she pulled Akim to his feet, epting the flower he gave her just as he leaned down and kissed her in front of everyone.

    Cheers broke out but Winters didn¡¯t care as she kissed him back with the same fervor and affection, only pulling apart when she felt confetti being thrown over them.

    It didn¡¯t surprise her to learn that it was E and Elsa¡¯s work, it was a work befitting their status and reputation. At least they were being on their behavior, she thought.

    The celebration continued and everyone began to congratte and wish them a sessful rtionship while the others were busy capturing the scene with their phones. However, that was when it happened.

    Diego screamed, ¡°Celebration time!¡± with a bottle of champagne in his hand that he shook above his head vigorously as if it was the world cup.

    ¡°Diego! Don¡¯t-!¡± Winters tried to warn him but it was toote.

    The moment Diego tried to open the bottle, the cork popped out with force, and as if in slow motion, Winters watched as the cork traveled and hit one of the cheerleaders on the knee.

    Unfortunately, the cheerleaders were currently forming a pyramid in the air, and the person the cork hit was supporting from the ground. Hence the instant she cried out and buckled from the pain, like a domino effect, every other person on that pyramid copsed from their various heights.

    ¡°Uh Oh,¡± Diego croaked.

 Chapter 605

    605 Visit The Girl¡¯s Family

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good idea,¡± Jason was bothering Natalie again, not that she was listening anyway. She was determined to make that visit and no one was going to stop her.

    Jason ruffled his hair in frustration, Natalie was going tond herself in trouble real soon and it was all going to be on him. He has been hiding a lot about Natalie¡¯s activities from Erictely and it was beginning to bother him considering she was being reckless nowadays.

    It was as if something inside of her changed after she learned that Edward was dead. It was as if she no longer cared anymore if something happened to her ¨C or if she¡¯s found out by Daniel. Natalie promised him that she was not going to make a big deal out of this, but Jason was the fool for believing an emotional woman.

    ¡°Nothing about my life has been good since the first day I got entangled with Daniel,¡± Natalie said without halting in her steps or turning to look at who she was speaking to. She knew instinctively that Jason was following her. He was always beside her.

    He quickly overtook her and blocked her way, ¡°That was in the past. Now you have a great future ahead of you to live in the past. There¡¯s no use digging into the past.¡± Jason advised her, hoping to change her mind about her ns.

    Natalie stood at the spot and looked at him steadily as if she was considering his words, only to say,

    ¡°My mind is fixed,¡± She moved past him.

    ¡°No, Natalie -¡± Jason attempted to grab her only to see Eric from the corner of his eyes and kept his distance at once. Thanks to Natalie¡¯s carelessness, he was beginning to forget his ce and crossing the line.

    No matter how valuable he was to him, Jason knew Eric would get rid of him if he sensed him making a move on his woman. And sure, Natalie was an attractive woman even at her age, but she was not his type. He liked his woman younger.

    .....

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Eric asked, staring at the both of them suspiciously. He knew something was up, it was every day that his assistant and his wife-to-be got into an argument.

    ¡°Nothing serious, aside from him bothering me to have a bed rest,¡± Natalie lied without blinking an eye. She has lived long enough with Eric to know when he¡¯s being suspicious and how to throw him off.

    ¡°Are all the men in this ce so annoying? Why won¡¯t they let a woman be when she says no?¡± Natalie sashayed over to him and wrapped her arms around her neck, ¡°I¡¯m good now. Nobody is stopping me from going out,¡± She was making a statement not just to Jason, but to Eric too.

    ¡°How was your day?¡± Natalie asked just as she kissed him fully on the mouth.

    ¡°Better now that you¡¯re here,¡± He murmured against her lips, every suspicion Eric had about her flew out the window as he concentrated on kissing her.

    His arms wrapped around her waist, pressing her more closely to his body while he kissed her harder, relishing the taste of her lips.

    He pulled apart, ¡°Is your appointment really important?¡± Eric wanted to spend time with her. These days, both of them were so busy with work he hasn¡¯t had her in his bed for days.

    ¡°Nice trick,¡± Natalieughed, kissing him harder as if she wanted to replenish the time they lost already, however, she broke apart saying, ¡°My work is important too, Eric. But I¡¯m up for anything tonight,¡±

    There was a hint of promise in her tone that made Eric¡¯s eyes light up and a smile curled his lips to the side.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± He kissed her one more time before letting him go.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Natalie said and took his leave, Jason following after her.

    However, before Jason left, he bowed his head to Eric who acknowledged his greeting, watching as the both of them left through the door. Although he needed Jason the most seeing he was the most capable and his second inmand, Eric was more at peace with him following Natalie, knowing he¡¯d protect her even at the expense of his life.

    Natalie was already seated in the back seat while Jason entered the front seat and took the heels. He said to her before driving out of the ce,

    ¡°You be more adept at lying to Eric. Imagine how he would feel when hees to learn the truth of what you¡¯re up to. Have you thought of how betrayed he would feel, you going after your ex?¡±

    ¡°That ex also happens to bete and the father of my child,¡± Natalie reminded him sternly, ¡°It¡¯s not like Eric was going to let him go even if I told him. That is if he doesn¡¯t know everything and has been hiding it from me all this while?¡±

    Jason¡¯s gaze connected with Natalie¡¯s through the rearview mirror and he could see the usation in her eyes. She was suspecting Eric knew all of this and hid it away from him. Well, Eric does know, but he didn¡¯t tell her for her own sake.

    Look what she¡¯s up to now, not to talk of what she would do if she learns Daniel¡¯s son is with his daughter. Jason didn¡¯t even want to think about it and concentrated on his driving else she suspects other things.

    At the same time at Daniel¡¯s ce....

    ¡°Boss,¡± His assistant said to him right after he was done attending to a client and had to wait till the guest left.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Daniel turned to him, annoyed. He was tired and hoped whatever his assistant had in hand better be worth it else he would bear the brunt of his anger.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the girl,¡± He handed the papers to him, ¡°I found out where she lived before all of this. She still has family around, do you want to visit them?¡± The assistant suggested.

    Daniel thought about it. He then looked down on his watch, then back on the document. He sighed.

    ¡°Fine, get the car ready,¡±

    He wanted to get this over with.

 Chapter 606

    606 Arianna¡¯s Mother Is Alive

    ¡°We are here,¡± Jason announced to Natalie with a tight expression, he still didn¡¯t support this idea. It was too risky and the woman was damn stubborn.

    Looking out the window, Natalie nodded her head before stepping out of the car with her handbag in tight.

    Jason stepped out of the car too and came to her side, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be on the lookout in case of anything. You have your phone on you, right?¡±

    ¡°My phone is with me and you have to stop worrying about me. It¡¯s bing annoying,¡± Natalie told him seriously before walking to the gate while Jason sighed. He was going to get in trouble for this real soon.

    Natalie was let in through the gate after she had properly introduced herself, however, because she had no prior appointment, the staff had to make her wait in the foyer and left to inform the man of the house of her presence.

    While Natalie stood there waiting, a young woman passed through and saw her. The girl watched her with an assessing gaze that made Natalie feel somewhat exposed. So she stared back; Natalie was never one to be intimidated by looks.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡± udia asked the unfamiliar stranger in her home. She would have thought it was one of her father¡¯s mistresses, after all, the rtionship between her parents hit rock bottom after that incident with Arianna.

    Although both of her parents haven¡¯t divorced yet ¨C for reasons best known to them ¨C they were more like strangers right now. udia always knew that her parents didn¡¯t exactly love each other much and had just gotten married for the sole purpose of procreation and starting a family. Now, they just don¡¯t care about each other and do whatever they want.

    However, there was just something about the woman that felt oddly familiar, like she knew her even though it was the first time she ever set eyes on her. And she was going to admit it, her father, that loser, could never score a woman like this. The woman looked so regal and powerful that even she ¨C udia ¨C didn¡¯t want to mess with her. She didn¡¯t feel ordinary.

    .....

    ¡°I hope not,¡± Natalie answered, observing her. ¡°You must be his daughter then?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± udia was a bit confused until it hit her, ¡°Oh, you mean my father? Of course, I am. Do you know him? You must be here to see him then. What¡¯s your rtionship with my father?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be two years younger than her?¡± Natalie muttered under her breath but udia heard her.

    ¡°Younger than who?¡± udia asked, waiting to know more about this strange woman in the middle of their house.

    However, that was the moment the staff returned with the man of the house and the moment their gazes connected, udia¡¯s father halted in his step, freezing up at once as his jaw almost dropped to the ground.

    Judging from his reaction, Natalie could safely assume that the man already recognized her, so she turned fully towards him, saying sweetly,

    ¡°We finally meet, Raymond,¡±

    ¡°You are her,¡± Raymond, udia¡¯s father, swallowed the lump down his throat. The woman was back. She was probably back for her daughter and remembering everything his family had done to Arianna made him tense up. He never thought that a day like this woulde.

    ¡°You know her?¡± udia looked between her father and the woman in confusion. What was going on here? Could it be that this woman was really her father¡¯s mistress or an ex in the past? It was amazing. This was huge gossip and her mother would love to hear it.

    ¡°Arianna¡¯s mother,¡± Raymond dropped the bombshell and udia screeched before covering her mouth with her palm when she realized what she had done.

    Arianna¡¯s mother?!

    How was that possible? Didn¡¯t they say that her mother was dead or gave her up at birth or something? She hasn¡¯t exactly asked about it because Arianna never grew up one and she simply assumed it that way.

    But now, her father was saying that Arianna¡¯s mother was standing in front of her? No wonder she looked so familiar, it was because Arianna looks like her. It seems genes never lie.

    However, if the woman finds out what they did to Arianna. udia gasped louder, closing her mouth even further. This was bad. Real bad. They can¡¯t tell her the truth, udia sent her father the signals through the eye. It was good that Arianna was not around to defend whatever they would say about her today.

    It was quite funny, but udia had been nning to secretly take the woman¡¯s photo with her phone and send it to her mother so she could confirm him bringing other women into the house. However, she ends up getting shocked instead.

    With her head held high, Natalie affirmed it, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. My name is Natalie and I¡¯m Arianna¡¯s mother. So tell me, where is my daughter?¡±

    udia and her faster exchanged nervous looks, they were dead meat. They had no idea about Arianna or where she was at the moment.

    ¡°Oh, what manners!¡± udia came to her side, ¡°My father should have offered you a seat first before we begin talking,¡± Sheughed nervously, leading her to the living room.

    The staff would get you anything you require ¨C ¡±

    ¡°I came here for only one thing and I don¡¯t see my daughter anywhere,¡± Natalie interrupted her sternly. She had been around Eric for a long time enough to know when people were acting shady and right now, they were trying to distract her.

    ¡°Oh about that, I¡¯ll need to borrow my father for a while and call my mother. She would love to see you because it has been my mother¡¯s dream toy her eyes on Arianna¡¯s mother.¡±

    And they tter as well. A sweet tongue is as deadly as a viper, Natalie had to be careful here. Even at that, Natalie was busy making her assessment even as father and daughter left toe up with a n.

    something...

    logo

 Chapter 607

    607 Where Is My Daughter

    ¡°It is so nice to finally meet you,¡± udia¡¯s mother weed Natalie once more, smiling so wide her cheeks were practically aching from the action, not that the smile touched her eyes.

    The least the woman wanted to do right now was entertain this slut of a woman that came up out of nowhere after years of abandoning her daughter. However, if the woman finds out that they sold off her daughter ¨C even though it backfired on them ¨C and a whole lot of other abuses, they would be staring at jail time real soon.

    Hence, udia¡¯s mother had to abandon the shopping with her young date and returned home to solve this mess. It was not a secret, she was openly cheating on her husband now. Not that it should be called cheating since she has requested a divorce but her husband wouldn¡¯t grant it.

    Raymond knew once they were divorced, she would gain a lot from the alimony considering the number of assets his brother Edward had left behind ¨C at least, the rest he had not squandered. So yes, he wasn¡¯t letting her go even if they lived miserably and were always at each other¡¯s throats.

    Moreover, he didn¡¯t forget Arianna¡¯s wedding in theirst encounter. What if the girl has lost her mind and makes good on her threat? But then, divorce would do no good if they were in jail. So they had to keep their differences aside and solve the current issue at hand.

    ¡°You¡¯ve said that over two times already,¡± Natalie was no longer polite because her patience was running out. She needed to see her daughter, but all they had done was show her pictures of Arianna from her time in high school to when she graduated.

    Not that she didn¡¯t appreciate that, quite the contrary, Natalie was proud of her daughter for surviving without both parents by her side. She made it! However, there was a niggling feeling inside of Natalie that something wasn¡¯t right. From their honeyed words to their golden smiles, they were hiding something.

    One should see the look on udia¡¯s mother, she looked like someone had poured shit on her face after she gave her attitude. However, she pushed down her anger and the tension in the room escted.

    Raymond adjusted in his seat, rubbing his palms together nervously. He knew from the look on his wife¡¯s face that she was close to bursting nor was Natalie in the mood for more stories; everyone was ufortable. The truth had to be let out.

    .....

    Raymond shut his eyes and took a deep breath before he said, ¡°Arianna is not here with us,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    He looked at his wife who slowly nodded her head at him as if urging him to go on.

    ¡°She ran away from home,¡±

    Natalie lifted her head, her lips pressed into a thin line, ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± She red at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± Raymond forced himself to say. Honestly, he didn¡¯t want to lie, but his wife and daughter decided this was the best option. Arianna was not here to say otherwise nor had they heard from her for weeks. So they were safe.

    ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to believe you?¡±

    udia¡¯s mother took over the conversation from her husband. She said to Natalie, pointedly, ¡°We were hoping to make youfortable first before releasing the news, however, you are the one who wanted it.¡±

    ¡°So my daughter ran away from home?¡± Natalie tasted the words on her lips, finding them quitesting.

    ¡°Aunty,¡± udia called Natalie who raised a brow at that title.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your aunty,¡± She said seriously.

    ¡°I mean if you¡¯re Arianna¡¯s mother, then that makes you family,¡± There was so much gentleness and kindness in udia¡¯s tone that Arianna would throw up if she were to view this scene.

    She went on to say before Natalie could respond, ¡°I understand how devastated you must feel right now, however, your daughter was not exactly a disciplined kid and it¡¯s all my mother¡¯s fault.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± udia¡¯s mother was stunned thinking that her daughter was about to expose her.

    ¡°My mother spoiled her rotten because she pitied her, growing up without a father and mother was hard. It had been easier without a mother because she grew up believing you were dead, but when her father died... something broke inside of her. Arianna became distant from her family members and in turn, became a difficult kid to the others. I tried my best but all she did was push me away and I couldn¡¯t even stop her from leaving. ¡±

    Fresh tears squeezed from udia¡¯s eyes and they quickly turned to sobs. Her mother, who sat beside her, pulled her into her arms andforted her while Raymond studied Natalie¡¯s reaction, hoping to God that this was enough to convince her.

    However, Natalie was oddly silent and that unnerved Raymond. Normally when people are silent, they are usually thinking, but Natalie was a stranger and they had no idea what was going on in her mind.

    udia¡¯s mother stared at her husband and eyed him, what nutjob did he let into the house? She should say something! udia did not know what to do either. Her acting was enough to win a Grammy already. What was the woman thinking?

    ¡°Take me to her room,¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Everyone was stunned.

    udia and her mother looked at each other with shocked eyes. What were they going to do now? They had cleared out Arianna¡¯s room weeks ago and packed her stuff in a small space.

    However, if Natalie saw that, it would only mean they never hoped she woulde back. Neither could theye up with something now because Natalie¡¯s visit was unexpected. Heck! They didn¡¯t know that she was alive until today. In one word, they didn¡¯t have time to prepare.

    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Natalie smiled wryly, right before she put her hand into her purse and pulled out a gun and the entire family screamed in fright.

    Why does this kind of stuff only happen to them?

 Chapter 608

    608 Confession

    ¡°Aah!¡± The screams that left their lips were enough to raise the dead from the grave.

    It was pandemonium as mother and daughter hugged each other in fright while Raymond dropped t to the ground, his hands protectively covering his head. What was wrong with these people?! He was scared out of his mind.

    First, it was her daughter pointing the gun at him, and now, her mother. Unlike Arianna who had mercy on him, Raymond doesn¡¯t even know Natalie and his chances of surviving this encounter was nil. Why were they doing this to him? He didn¡¯t know guns were this easy to acquire.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± udia cried out, ¡°We are innocent,¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Natalie barked at her, making udia almost jump out of her skin. She was so scared. She didn¡¯t want to die in this manner.

    Natalie¡¯s grip on the gun was unfaltering and had a determined look on her face. ¡°Do you think I waited twenty-three of my child¡¯s life to hear your bullshits?!¡± She hollered so loudly that udia and her mother jerked in each other¡¯s arms, lowering their gaze to the ground and refusing to meet her eyes else they provoked her.

    Looking at udia being shielded by her mother¡¯s arms stirred a feeling of jealousy inside Natalie. It was unfair, her child should be in her arms too. Hence, she quickly reached out for udia and began to pull her away from her mother.

    ¡°Mum!¡± udia screamed at the top of her voice as the crazy woman tried to separate them.

    ¡°udia,¡± Her mother¡¯s heart was pounding like a galloping horse and she refused to give up on her child while Raymondy on the ground unsure and useless to stop what was happening.

    .....

    To cut down on expenses, he had terminated his contract with the private securitypany guiding them else the guards would have been here at the sound of themotion. But then, even the staff who had seen what was going on, chose to abandon them and save their lives first. They retreated into their hiding spaces at the first sign of trouble.

    ¡°I said let go of her!¡± Natalie aimed the gun at udia¡¯s mother this time and she released her daughter¡¯s hand with a jerk, raising her hand in surrender.

    udia was stunned when she saw the response from her mother, having not expected that. She thought that mothers defended their children¡¯s life even at the expense of their own life. However, she didn¡¯t have time to think about it because Natalie aimed the gun back at her and directed her to sit on the single couch and faced her.

    ¡°Now,¡± Natalie started, ¡°We are going to have an effective conversation,¡± She added with a smirk that sent chills down everyone¡¯s arms, ¡°Only that it would be on my terms,¡±

    With that being said, Natalie directed both of her parents to sit down on the other couch and stood in the middle of them all, albeit lowering her gun which made them breathe slowly. However, they were not fools to think the worst was over. If anything, this was just the beginning.

    ¡°Alright, listen to me,¡± Natalie shouted to the other staff hiding in the house, ¡°I have people outside and at the first sound of a police siren, I would st the head of your employees with their daughter, and trust me when I said there won¡¯t be any survivors. And maybe, if there¡¯s time, I¡¯lle for you too.¡±

    Natalie threatened them even though she had no intention of doing such a thing. But she had learned from Eric that humans are opinionated and are much morepliant when under duress.

    Nothing could go wrong with her n today, Natalie was determined to get a grip on her daughter. She hade here to learn more about Edward and his death ¨C and perhaps a few details about her daughter. However, the fools had assumed that she came for her daughter and triggered her by announcing her daughter was gone.

    Do they know what she has sacrificed to give her daughter the perfect and safe life she deserved? She lost twenty-three years of motherhood! The years she could have spent watching her daughter grow into the beautiful woman she was right now. Years that she could never regain! The raw pain tore Natalie from the inside out.

    And now, they were telling her that her daughter was... gone?! Someone had to start talking or she might break her promise and start shooting brains.

    ¡°So this is how it¡¯s going to be, you are going to tell me where my daughter is and if I detect as much as a lie, your precious daughter would suffer for it. And oh, I¡¯m not killing your daughter right away,¡±

    She chuckled crazily before her lips curved into a cold sneer, ¡°It would be a slow death and as her parents, the both of you would watch, helpless to help as your daughter screams in agony till her light is extinguished forever,¡± Natalie said with shocking details that made both parents gulp nervously.

    ¡°Do you get it?! ¡± Natalie boomed.

    There was no need for words because udia¡¯s mother and father were dumb with fear and could only nod their head obediently.

    Having made her point, Natalie walked over to the woman, udia¡¯s mother. She has been observing the woman and if there was anyone who would give her updates on her daughter¡¯s whereabouts, it was definitely her.

    She asked, ¡°So tell me, woman to woman, where is my daughter? No,¡± She rephrased her question, ¡°What did you do with her?¡±

    Instantly, as if the woman had been waiting for this opportunity to spill everything, udia¡¯s mother pointed an using finger to her husband,

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, I promise you, however, he was the one that took out the loans and in turn, Arianna was taken by the loan sharks as payment.¡± She confessed.

    Natalie¡¯s blood chilled the instant she heard those words. ¡°W-what?¡± she croaked, wishing that she misheard or something.

    ¡°I tried to stop my husband but he was desperate to save hispany and the loan sharks were getting impatient!¡± The woman gushed out while Raymond, her husband, stared at her in horror.

 Chapter 609

    609 Confession ¨C Raymond was struck dumb. He stood frozen like a statue, unable to say a word, not to talk of defending himself as his wife pushed all of the me on him. He always knew that his wife was fickle and had no sense of royalty, but to think that his wife would betray him like this made him weak.

    Even udia could not stand it anymore and cried out, ¡°Mom!¡± tears gleamed in her eyes. How could she throw her father under the bus like that? If there was anyone to me, it was the both of them!

    udia had only pointed out Kenith¡¯s interest in Arianna when her mother came up with the brilliant idea of offering her to Big Joe and solving their money problems. Her poor father was innocent.

    ¡°Would you close your mouth?!¡± Her mother shut her up, her eyes bloodshot while the tears continued to spill from her eyes, ¡°Your father is the one at fault here. If he had been able to provide for his family, none of this would have happened.¡± She imed.

    ¡°But still... how could you...?¡±

    Meanwhile, while the family was busy pushing the me on one another, Natalie stood there motionless, a lone tear slipped from her eye, drawing everyone¡¯s attention and the argument quieted down.

    It was obvious from Natalie¡¯s expression that she was in pain and they all started feeling guilty. However, it was toote for such emotion, the deed had already been done and she was not in the mood for their pathetic apologies.

    ¡°So you sold my daughter?!¡± Natalie screeched like a banshee and lurched herself at udia¡¯s mother whose eyes widened in fear instantly. It was not her?! Didn¡¯t she hear?

    Natalie threw her entire weight on udia¡¯s mother, knocking into her hard while udia screamed and her husband jumped off from the conch, giving space for both women to fight it off.

    .....

    udia¡¯s mother was no match for Natalie who was fit and had the upper hand and threw punches at her face continuously.

    But then, even if udia¡¯s mother was a bitch, she was still his wife and Raymond couldn¡¯t stay still and watch that woman murder her in front of him. So he interfered by pulling Natalie off his wife, the gun slipping from her hand in the process.

    However, Natalie butted her head into him from behind and he yelped, letting go of her to grab his nose and Natalie quickly stood to her feet. She watched as udia was trying to help her battered mother up and growled, they were not going anywhere.

    They say hell has no fury like a woman scorned, but Natalie begs to differ because hell has no fury like a woman who just lost her child. She quickly grabbed into the woman¡¯s hair from behind and she screamed like a pig being butchered.

    udia tried to pull her away but Natalie grabbed into her mother¡¯s hair tightly as if it was her lifeline ¨C or maybe it was.

    They can¡¯t just tell her that her Arianna was gone like that? Why hadn¡¯t they sold off her own daughter? Why did it have to be Arianna?

    Seeing that Natalie wasn¡¯t going to let go of her mother in their tug of war and her mother was going to suffer massive hair loss soon enough, udia moved her mother to the side and kicked Natalie right in the stomach pushing her back to the couch.

    Unfortunately, udia didn¡¯t know she ended up doing Natalie a favor because her hand touched the gun and she picked it up at once, aiming it at udia who saw her life sh before her eyes.

    Natalie pulled the trigger or nearly did.

    ¡°I know where your daughter is!¡± udia¡¯s mother shouted a second before Natalie could pull the trigger.

    However, the hardened expression on Natalie¡¯s face said she doesn¡¯t believe her one bit and her finger was temptingly close to the trigger. She told her lies before, what were the chances she wasn¡¯t lying again.

    Sweat coated the woman¡¯s forehead while her heart began to thud loudly in her ears as she decided to take her chances.

    ¡°Something happened and your daughter Arianna managed to escape the loan sharks. We know that because the gang has been harassing her for her whereabouts ever since.¡± said udia¡¯s mother.

    ¡°So where is she?!¡± Natalie demanded, the gun tightening in her grip. Natalie has lost all rational thought in the course of finding her daughter. She doesn¡¯t want their story, she wants her daughter.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± udia¡¯s mother cried out, knowing that she was going to die soon.

    ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± She said coldly, about to pull the trigger when udia shouted.

    ¡°Arianna got involved with another gang. A man to be precise. They call him Marcel, he¡¯s the boss and I can assure you that your daughter is living fine there because she had me kidnapped as her vengeance for a week. So whatever punishment you think is sufficient for me for what I did, I can assure you that I have pretty much paid for it, ¡± udia said firmly.

    Natalie lifted her head, ¡± You paid no shit,¡± She disagreed, her eyes cold and hard, ¡°Your family changed my daughter¡¯s life forever, and stole her bright future! What was the use of me leaving her behind if she ended up in a gang then!¡± She yelled at them furiously.

    udia clung to her mother¡¯s side, the both of them holding onto each other just as Natalie asked, ¡°Who is this Marcel? ¡±

    But before udia could answer, Natalie¡¯s phone began to ring and all of their attention moved toward her bag. udia silently prayed that she would answer it so they could take advantage of the distraction to escape.

    It was probably Jason calling to check up on her, Natalie reasoned ¨C she had spent enough time here already. But she is busy right now and cannot afford distraction. Natalie didn¡¯t answer.

    She turned to udia, ¡°You are going to take me to that Marcel,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The blood drained from udia¡¯s face. She shook her head, ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t know about Marcel. He¡¯s a dangerous man! We can¡¯t go there!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care about him if he¡¯s dangerous or not! I am getting my daughter out of there and you are taking me there or I¡¯ll blow your brains -¡±

    Bam!

    Natalie felt something hard shatter on her head and her vision swarmed.

    udia screamed when she saw Natalie fall on the ground only to find out that her father hit her in the back of the head with a flower case.

    Natalie groaned on the floor meaning that she was alive just as Raymond shouted, ¡°Quick! Get the hell out of there!¡±

 Chapter 610

    610 Daniel Was Coming For Her

    Honestly, Daniel did not have much expectation when he drove to the girl¡¯s ce. He just needed to ¡°speak¡± with the girl¡¯s guardians and find out whatever leverage he could have over her.

    Yes, leverage, was what Daniel worked with. When you have shit on someone, it was amazing the many things you could have them do and since his stupid son Marcel wasn¡¯t letting the girl go, he would make her leave him. Problem solved.

    He refused to have Arianna Valeria as a daughter-inw. That would be over his dead body. Just like Marcel, his father Daniel was good at bearing grudges and he had promised to get back at the Valeria for what they did to him and he intended to keep that promise.

    So when his assistant announced, ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Daniel stepped out from his majestically, taking a lungful of fresh air. He looked around his environment and when he couldn¡¯t sense any threat, stared at the small vi in front of him.

    The gate was locked, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for him. When Daniel wanted something, no one could lock him out. His assistant moved ahead of him to pull at the gate only for them to sight amotion. The upants of the house were running towards them as if their house was on fire.

    Daniel stood at the spot, his brows raised and staring at them with an amused yet calcted gaze. What the hell was going on? He was sure his assistant didn¡¯t announce his visit to them, nor was he expecting a grand wee, Daniel thought.

    ¡°Quick, open the gate!¡± shouted the man whom Daniel recognized as the girl¡¯s uncle, and the younger daughter who was already far ahead of them unlocked the gate and came to stop at his feet, breathing heavily.

    Daniel¡¯s brows only arch further up in surprise, he never thought someone would bow at his feet someday. Quite an intriguing wee, he would say. However, as entertaining as the situation had been, Daniel knew deep down that something was not right.

    Those people were not running to wee him, they were running from something, or someone else and he sure as hell was going to know.

    .....

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Daniel asked, offering them a kind look and of course, the whole family was deceived by it.

    ¡°Someone is trying to kill us,¡± udia announced.

    udia¡¯s mother was breathing heavily when she said, ¡°That bitch Natalie has lost her mind.¡±

    Daniel froze.

    Perhaps he has be extra sensitive to anyone bearing the name, ¡®Natalie¡¯, but Daniel¡¯s head quickly wiped around in the direction of the woman as he asked her eagerly, ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± udia¡¯s mother looked at him in confusion. Now that she thought about it, who was he? She hasn¡¯t seen the face around. Wait a minute, could they be the ones Natalie said were waiting for her?

    Great fear gripped udia¡¯s mother and her face lost all color, it seemed as if they just went from frying pan to fire.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Raymond went ahead to ask the strangers, wondering where they came from.

    However, his wife was the first to bow her face to the ground at the man¡¯s feet and began to beg him, ¡°Please have mercy on us, we didn¡¯t do anything to your mistress. Natalie is safe and sound.¡± She went ahead to plead on but Daniel was far gone in his thoughts.

    Confusion hit Daniel hard in the head like a Mack truck. What were the chances that the Natalie they were talking about was the same Natalie he was thinking about?

    He¡¯d say fifty percent.

    Natalie was Arianna¡¯s mother and Arianna once lived with these people. However, what wasn¡¯t possible is the fact that these people believed that Natalie was alive and hade back to attack them. Daniel would have said that this was a product of their imagination, but that raw fear in their eyes was real and couldn¡¯t be invoked by a ghost. And ghosts don¡¯t exist.

    But he had seen Natalie die right in front of him, she¡¯d shot herself and fallen right into that river. Suddenly it hit him, her body was never found. What if the reason her body was never found is that she¡¯d been alive all this while? Hope ignited inside of Daniel and he didn¡¯t wait around to depend on the hypothesis. He would find out the truth by himself.

    ¡°Boss!¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    Everyone shouted after Daniel who ran into the house as if his life depended on it.

    Meanwhile...

    Natalie woke up groggily. Her head was pounding and she felt disoriented. Where was she? And then it hit her? She hade to know about Edward and her daughter and things had kind of escted. Jesus Christ! How long had she been out?!

    Although her entire muscles protested at the effort, Natalie stubbornly pushed herself to her feet and felt vertigo take over her. She leaned against the side of the conch with her eyes closed, waiting for the dizziness to pass away.

    Feeling better Natalie picked up her gun and hid it in her waistband just as she heard her phone ringing once again and walked over to where her purse sat, pulling out her phone.

    It was Jason calling and Natalie didn¡¯t need a God to tell her to pick this time.

    ¡°Hello?¡± She breathed raggedly.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on in there?!¡± Jason cursed as soon as she picked up and she tried to exin to him her situation, but he didn¡¯t let her speak a word as he informed her.

    ¡°You are in deep shit this time Natalie! Get the fuck out of there this minute! Daniel is headed your way! Don¡¯te out front! Take the back -¡±

    There was a noise from the outside causing her head to whip in that direction, and she disconnected the call at once.

    Shit! Daniel wasing for her!

    Natalie grabbed her purse and took to her heels just as she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eyes .

    She was in big trouble this time.

 Chapter 611

    611 A Stubborn Cockroach To Kill

    Damn it!

    Natalie had lost count of the number of times she had cursed over and over again. Daniel was hot on her chase and as desperate as she was to get away from him, the more desperate he was to get to her.

    It reminded her of that night in the past when she had been close to losing him forever, the night she had chosen to give up on her own life instead. The memories prompted her to push herself faster even when her lungs were on fire and her body protested against any further movement.

    She didn¡¯t give up on the past, she can¡¯t give up now.

    ¡°Natalie! I know it¡¯s you!¡± Daniel shouted after her, making her wince inwardly. It was no longer a secret, he knew she was alive.

    But then, even if he knows her alive status, then what? It was high time he knew about her resurrection, anyway ¨C She wanted to rub it all over his face. She had sessfully fooled him over the years. He wasn¡¯t so smart now, was he?

    Moreover, It¡¯s not like she was the same Natalie he knew in the past. Times have changed and so has she. While Daniel had invoked nothing but fear in her during their time together, Eric had brought her to the light and taught her to be brave above all things. She was not going to let the past repeat itself all over again.

    Natalie could see the fence now, all she had to do was sessfully jump over it and Jason would be waiting at the other side to take her away from her. Jason was right, she should have listened to him. However, if she hadn¡¯t done this, she wouldn¡¯t have known about her daughter and the horrible things the people who were supposed to be her family had done to her.

    Freedom was so near and Natalie reached out her hand as if to touch it, only for someone to tackle her to the ground.

    .....

    Not someone, but Daniel.

    ¡°No!¡± Natalie screeched so loudly that his ears almost burst from the intensity, however, Daniel grabbed onto her legs and pulled her to him. But Natalie twisted around in his grip and kicked him in the guts with her free leg.

    It was a good thing she learned how to defend herself while being in Draven¡¯s n protection over the years. So when Daniel groaned and fell back, Natalie crawled on her belly, desperate to get on her feet and get away from him.

    However, she had forgotten that Daniel was as stubborn as a bull and grabbed her ankle once more and this time pulling her to him with brute force that she yelped while being dragged along. On the floor, Daniel pinned her with his weight, but Natalie was not a quitter.

    With all of her strength, Natalie managed to roll him over and began to throw punches at his face, but Daniel held her waist and flipped her over, having her beneath him once again.

    ¡°Natalie, stop!¡± Daniel shouted at her. He just wanted to talk. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that she was still alive. How was that possible? The fact that he had her in his arms right now, fresh and blood could only be described as a miracle.

    But Natalie was beyond reasoning. She managed to roll him over again and the scene would have looked romantic if she wasn¡¯t trying so hard to kill him.

    ¡°Die, you monster!¡± Natalie grabbed his throat with her hands, attempting to strangle him and that was when Daniel realized that she wasn¡¯t joking at all.

    He quickly knocked her arms away and flipped her over so she was beneath him and grabbed her hands, pinning them above her before she could retaliate. Daniel straddled her and stopped her from moving as Natalie struggled and grunted beneath him all to no avail.

    ¡°Calm down,¡± He told her.

    ¡°I would only calm down when you¡¯re dead,¡± She hissed at him and Daniel was taken aback at the ferocity in her eyes. Natalie looked like she could murder him right now if she had a gun.

    However, Daniel looked past her aggressiveness and traced her face with his hand while she tried to shy away from his touch as much as she could. This was not exactly how Natalie imagined their reunion would look like and neither did she like her helpless state. This was not like the past; Natalie refused to be his captive once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s really you... ¡± Daniel whispered with a longing in his eyes. If Natalie wasn¡¯t mistaken, she would have dared say it was affection she saw in those eyes.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, the one and only Natalie,¡± She affirmed for him with a taunting tone.

    ¡°How is this possible? I thought you were dead?¡±

    Natalie chuckled dryly, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so much alive and you don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve counted down to the day I would meet you so I would end your pathetic life!¡±

    And with those words being said, Natalie reared forward and headbutted him, the both of them groaning in pain, however, Natalie was ady on a mission and there was no going back.

    She scrambled away from him, but, Shockingly, the both of them got up on their feet at the same time. But enough was enough and Natalie pulled out the gun from her waistband and aimed it at him with determination

    Daniel¡¯s brows raised at the scene and he halted his steps, raising his hands in surrender. However, a slow smirk curled his lips as he said, ¡°Ohe on, Natalie, we both know that you can¡¯t -¡±

    Bam!

    It felt like a film to Daniel when a sharp pain coursed through him and he slowly looked down to discover he was bleeding from the side, he then lifted his face at her in shock.

    Did she just shoot him?

    Daniel staggered back.

    Natalie sneered coldly, ¡°This is what I should have done years back,¡±

    She lifted her gun to finish him off when a bullet whizzed past her, missing her by mere inches and Natalie discovered his people were here for him.

    Without a second thought, Natalie fired a warning shot to cover her while she ran and like a skilled assassin, found the weakest spot on the wall and jumped over it before they could get to her. She only hoped that shot was enough to kill Daniel.

    But even Natalie knew inwardly that Daniel was a stubborn cockroach to kill.

 Chapter 612

    612 Last Wish

    The instant Natalie found herself on the outside of the fence, a car screeched to a stop in front of her as if it had been waiting for her all along.

    ¡°Get in, now!¡± Jason yelled at her, pushing the door open and Natalie didn¡¯t waste any time, no, she didn¡¯t even dare to look back as she literally jumped into the car and Jason took off, driving like a madman. They had to get away from here before Daniel¡¯s people decided to give chase.

    And just as they thought, Daniel¡¯s assistant was just about to order that the car be tracked down when Daniel grunted from the ground where hey, ¡°Let her be,¡±

    ¡°B-but -¡± The assistant looked between him and the fence Natalie jumped over in confusion. Someone just shot the boss, isn¡¯t it right that they go after the person? Did the gunshot affect his brain by chance?

    ¡°Do as I say,¡± Daniel was firm in his decision and his assistant couldn¡¯t disobey him. It left him no other choice but to return to the boss¡¯s side and helped him sit up while Daniel¡¯s face was twisted in pain. That gunshot wound hurt like a bitch.

    ¡°We have to get you treated,¡± His assistant said.

    ¡°Call the doctor and inform him that we¡¯re on the way while I put pressure on the wound,¡± Daniel groaned in pain as he pressed down on the bullet wound. Natalie got him real good this time and he was a fool to have trusted her. But even at that, he couldn¡¯t let his people go after her. Natalie was his to handle, no one else.

    ¡°Are you sure about this? The bleeding looks pretty serious and I don¡¯t know how much time we have.¡± His assistant was concerned about him, ¡°We could explore other options like the hospital, you know?¡± He suggested hesitantly.

    ¡°Yeah, try and get me killed,¡± Daniel was in the mood to sass at him even in his condition. He couldn¡¯t count the number of enemies he had and the hospital was the perfect ce to end him quietly. The security was weak and any of the doctors or nurses on duty could be rted to the family of those he harmed and could very well send him to thend of death with just one injection. Yeah, he was a paranoid bastard.

    .....

    Even if that didn¡¯t happen, if news like this went around that he was weak, Daniel couldn¡¯t tell the kind of trouble that he would be inviting. There was only one person that he could trust now and that was himself.

    He said to his assistant, ¡°I¡¯ve survived worse fate than this one, so trust me when I say that it is not my time to die yet. So get your asses moving. ¡±

    Supported by two of his men, Daniel was helped back to the car, and udia and her family who had been anxiously waiting for his return all this while were shocked to see him in that condition. Did that made woman do that to him? That could have been them in that condition or worse.

    When Daniel went into the car and settled at the end, his assistant came to the window side to ask, ¡°What do we do about them?¡± He looked at the family suspiciously.

    ¡°Bring them along gently, they are my honorable guests. However, if they refuse to cooperate, you¡¯re free to tie them up and bring them home.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± His assistant liked the second option better.

    However, just as he was about to leave, Daniel called him back, albeit groaning from the pain a little. He took long, deep, breaths before saying, ¡°I want you to contact my son, Marcel. If I¡¯m going to die, I would love to spend myst moments with him.¡± That was his wish.

    Meanwhile, the silence between Natalie and Jason was so thick, it was disturbing. Natalie knew what she was going to face once they got home, however, her jaw was set stubbornly as if refusing to admit she had done something wrong.

    In Natalie¡¯s defense, it was due time that she came and saw her daughter already. She just never expected that things would turn out the way they did and that the least of all people, Daniel, would show up. Her once quiet life was about to be tossed upside, Natalie knew that one quite well.

    Just as she thought, the silencested until they got back home and as soon as Natalie stepped out of the car, Jason was already galling her.

    ¡°What were you thinking?! All you said was you were going to know about Edward, not cause trouble that almost got you killed!¡± He remembered and said sarcastically, ¡°And oh, congrattions, Daniel would have a fun time searching for you now he knows you¡¯ve been alive all this while!¡±

    And that was enough to make Natalie snap and she turned to Jason with zing eyes, ¡°You want to know what I was thinking, huh?!¡± She licked her lower lips, ¡°Well, I was thinking about Edward who had to die long before I could meet him and thank him for all he has done for me!¡±

    She went on to say, ¡°I was thinking about my daughter who I thought had a pleasant future all along, but it seems that she would have been better off with me! I¡¯m mourning the time lost between us! The time I could have spent with her and held her in my arms and watched as she grew up into this wonderful woman! But then, it turns out that all of my sacrifices had been for nothing! So excuse me, if I¡¯m the least concerned that Daniel knows that I¡¯m alive.¡± She added under her breath, ¡°I hope that shot finishes him anyway and I wouldn¡¯t have to try and kill him again,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    A voice asked from behind her and Natalie stiffened instantly.

    Fuck! She sighed, closing her eyes. This was not how she wanted him to find out. However, the deed has been done and Natalie slowly turned around to face Eric

 Chapter 613

    613 Bring Arianna Home

    Just as she thought, Eric was behind her and from his shocked expression, Natalie could already tell that he heard enough. There was no getting out of this one.

    Natalie had expected Eric to yell at her or something, but his eyes only grew wide when he stared at her body, and the next, he was by her side, checking her body for wounds.

    That was when it dawned on Natalie that she had soiled her clothes in the process of rolling on the ground with Daniel ¨C not that she was going to tell him that. And there was a little bit of blood at the back of her head where that evil family hit her. They would pay for that one day, she promised.

    Eric pulled back when he was done checking her, his eyes darkening, ¡°You told me that you had an appointment,¡± He pointed out her lie.

    ¡°I only didn¡¯t specify what appointment,¡± She still managed to find a loophole in his words.

    ¡°This is not funny!¡± He shouted at her which wasn¡¯t surprising, she already saw that oneing. Natalie knew that she messed up, however, she does not regret it.

    ¡°Daniel finally found you! Do you think that¡¯s something to take lightly?!¡± He couldn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°Well, what do you expect me to do then?¡± She lifted her head, ¡°Was I expected to live in fear of Daniel for the rest of my life? If anything, he should be the one afraid of me!¡±

    Eric looked at her, brows furrowed, ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t want revenge against Daniel? You said you wanted to spend the rest of your days quietly and happily,¡± He reminded her of her words.

    .....

    ¡°Of course, I did,¡± Natalie admitted. However, her face twisted sadistically, ¡°But that was until I learned that all of my efforts to give my daughter a better future was all for nothing and it¡¯s all his fault. Now I just have to get my daughter from that bastard, Marcel,¡± Natalie didn¡¯t have a good impression of the guy even though they hadn¡¯t met.

    ¡°Wait a minute, you know about Arianna and Marcel?¡± Eric was surprised that she was calm about it.

    ¡°Of course, I know about Arianna and Marcel....¡± Natalie trailed off as a cold realization washed over her. She looked at him usingly, ¡°You knew?¡±

    Eric gulped when he realized that he just gave himself out. Of course, how would Natalie be calm knowing that her daughter was in the hands of Daniel¡¯s son, Marcel?

    Betrayal had never stung so badly and Natalie turned on her heels only for Eric to block her way.

    ¡°Natalie...¡±

    ¡°Get away out of my way,¡± Natalie pushed him away, she didn¡¯t want to stare at his face right now.

    ¡°Natalie, please....¡± He begged her

    ¡°Just go away,¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Eric readily exined to her seeing that she wasn¡¯t ready to listen to him, ¡°It was meant to be a surprise. Elijah was meant to bring Arianna home before you realized that she¡¯s been with Marcel, Daniel¡¯s soon,¡±

    Bang!

    Marcel was Daniel¡¯s son?

    Her blood ran cold.

    Natalie stood at the spot, unmoving for over five minutes to the point she scared Eric and he was beginning to panic, thinking that he had broken her or something. However, Natalie suddenly released a cry so heart-wrenching that even Jason watching the scene was affected by it. The sorrow in her voice was raw and intense.

    ¡°Natalie, no... !¡± Eric grabbed her as she slowly slid to the ground, exhausted. Because she used all of her weight, both of them ended up on the floor and Eric cradled her head in his arms, running his hand through her hair andforting her while she cried bitterly.

    It was all for nothing, Natalie¡¯s heart broke into pieces. Everything she had sacrificed for her daughter¡¯s bright future had been for nothing. How could her daughter be with Daniel¡¯s son? Was the universe ying a sick joke on her? Was history rewriting itself all over again? If Daniel was a monster, how different would his son be?

    No, she was not going to subject her daughter to such a fate. Her ill fate with the Luciano family had to end with Daniel, not her daughter too. Natalie made up her mind, she would do anything for her daughter, just to keep her safe from the members of the Luciano family. Daniel has done enough damage to her already. Not her daughter too.

    Natalie couldn¡¯t tell how long she remained in Eric¡¯s arms, but when she roused to the present, there was something different about her. A ruthlessness in her eyes somehow scared Eric.

    He knew what it was like for someone to be consumed with revenge, that it was all they could think about. Once Natalie started, it would be difficult for her to find her way again. Eric was afraid that this road would lead to her destruction. Eric wasn¡¯t even sure that he had a future with her anymore ¨C at least for now.

    Natalie was pretty impulsive and stubborn and until she got her daughter back, she might as well break up with him just to concentrate on finding Arianna. So yeah, Eric would rather put his feelings aside and help her find Arianna than lose her forever.

    ¡°We need to get her back,¡± Natalie said and Eric was d that she remembered that they were still a team, ¡°You know where she is, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Eric opened his mouth to answer her, however, Natalie warned him instantly, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare lie to me again, Eric. There is only so much that I can forgive.¡± The fact he hid everything from her hurt her so much

    ¡°Elijah would bring her back,¡± was all Eric told her knowing if Natalie dared possess knowledge of Arianna¡¯s whereabouts, no one was going to stop from going to her daughter and bringing her back.

    ¡°How soon? Now Daniel knows about me, he would try toy his hands on her and I don¡¯t know what he would do to my daughter,¡± Natalie said hurriedly, panicking already.

    ¡°You shot him, that should buy us enough time. Daniel wouldn¡¯t move carelessly and from the look of things, Marcel has no idea about you as well. That should give us enough time to bust your daughter out of there.¡± Jason already had a n.

 Chapter 614

    614 The Calm Before The Storm

    In the past.....

    _____________

    ¡°Hello Handsome,¡± Natalie spoke into the phone, a smile splitting her face.

    ¡°Hello beautiful,¡± Edward said from the other end in a teasing tone and that made her lean against the pir as she listened to his voice.

    It has been three years and some months since they sessfully escaped Daniel and their life has been somewhat peaceful and quiet. However, Natalie always had this nagging feeling inside of her that this was merely the calm before the storm. Daniel would find her, and that was why they were always moving. This city was the longest they had stayed.

    Edward asked, ¡°How¡¯s my angel doing?¡±

    And when he said ¡°angel¡± Natalie knew who Edward meant ¨C he actually has two different names for both of them now. Natalie looked down and rubbed her protruding belly affectionately, they were having a baby.

    It was kind of unbelievable, but it just happened. After her traumatic experience with Daniel, she had sworn off men for the rest of her life. However, when you live with a man as kind as Edward, stereotyping all men because of one bad experience was not kind of easy.

    Honestly, when Natalie hade to him three years ago for help, she had expected him to smuggle her out of the country and let her be, but to actually follow her and help her carry her cross?

    .....

    She never saw thating.

    Natalie knew that Edward was not doing it out of pity, but because he loved her and that was what bothered her the most. She doesn¡¯t deserve Edward, not after what happened.

    Perhaps, she shouldn¡¯t havee to him in the first ce, and putting him in danger as well ¨C who knows what Daniel would do if he finds out that he was the one keeping her hidden all this while? So she pushed him away at every turn, doing and saying harsh things to him so he could leave her alone.

    But Edward did the opposite of that.

    He wouldn¡¯t go away no matter how hard she pushed him and, instead, showed her love and affection. Edward must have grown on her because she caved in and epted him. Her newest fear became him leaving her, Natalie was not a fool to think he would be with her forever.

    With his background, Edward had a brighter future ahead of him and he could marry a respectable wife from an influential family and start up their own family and live a good life, not hiding with her like some sort of illegal immigrant, a criminal!

    He could do better again, you know. Hence, she waited anxiously day and night for that moment when he became sick and tired of her.

    But it never came.

    If anything they rekindled their old love and it just happened. Daniel never thought her heart could beat again, but here was the result of their love, none monthster.

    Edward couldn¡¯t wait for the baby to be born so they could get married officially. It wouldn¡¯t be a loud one though, just a small gathering with the new friends they¡¯ve made here over the months ¨C the baby was the reason they couldn¡¯t move constantly.

    ¡°Are you sure you shouldn¡¯te home, Natalie? You¡¯re in no position to move around,¡± She could sense the worry in his tone and it was for a good reason. Natalie was already in her ninth month, meaning the baby coulde around anytime soon.

    ¡°I work in a hospital, Edward, if there¡¯s any ce I should be, it¡¯s definitely here. So you have nothing to worry about, honey. Our baby girl ising and she¡¯s a strong one. The world doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going to hit them,¡± Natalie wore a contented smile, unconsciously stroking her belly.

    Thanks to Daniel ruining her life, Natalie gave up on her dreams of being a doctor and ended up being an auxiliary nurse instead. Although it wasn¡¯t the dream job she wanted, Natalie still got to work in a hospital while having faith that one-day things would turn out for the better. Daniel can¡¯t chase her forever.

    ¡°Fine,¡± He said, yet muttered under his breath, ¡°God, you never let me have thest word.¡±

    Natalieughed loudly into the phone, he was hrious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s enough time for the both of us, and who knows, you might have thest word one day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I believe you,¡± He didn¡¯t believe her and that made Natalieugh once more. It must be the pregnancy hormone or something because these days even the silliest things cracks her up.

    ¡°Yeah,ugh, beautiful, you need that much happiness in your life,¡± Edward unintentionally hinted at the past, and Natalie¡¯s countenance changed at once.

    They never brought up the past and it was for a good reason. There was nothing worth remembering and all it did was open up old wounds.

    Sensing he had said something wrong, Edward quickly changed the topic, ¡°When is your shift ending?¡± He asked instead.

    ¡°Now,¡± She said, ¡°However, I¡¯m covering up for a friend, so I should be home an hour or two hourster, depending. ¡±

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be there to pick you up.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She didn¡¯t want him to wait for her for long.

    ¡°Yes, honey.¡±

    ¡°Okay then.¡±

    And an awkward silence fell over them.

    ¡°I love you, Natalie Valeria,¡± He said after a while.

    The moment Natalie heard that confession, butterflies began to dance in her belly. This wasn¡¯t the first time Edward professed his love for her, but it had taken her time to get used to it.

    ¡°I love you, Edward Walker,¡± Natalie felt a blush creep up to her face. This was so embarrassing, they were not kids anymore. She could already imagine Edward grinning from ear to ear considering this was the first time she responded to that.

    ¡°See you,¡±

    ¡°See you, too.¡±

    The call ended and Natalie stood straight with a deep sigh, before slipping the small phone into the pocket of her dress. It was time to get back to work.

    Natalie was walking in the hospital¡¯s hallway when she spotted a stranger raising a photo and talking to one of the nurses on duty. Call it instinct, but Natalie knew instantly that something was not right.

    So when the nurse¡¯s gaze flickered to her and she saw the uncertainty there, Natalie knew at once, Daniel was here.

 Chapter 615

    615 Her Birth

    Damn it, Natalie cursed inwardly as she quickly hid inside one of the rooms before the man could see her. It was a good thing the patient was deep asleep so there was no questioning why she was creeping around.

    This was all her fault, Natalie med herself. She got toofortable in this city and now she was in trouble. She shouldn¡¯t have gotten attached to this ce, but inwardly, Natalie knew that she was just tired of running and hiding away. She needed a bit of stability in her life.

    Natalie leaned against the wall, peering through the small ss in the middle of the sliding door. She only hoped that the nurse did not give her away, or else it was over for her. Natalie couldn¡¯t tell how long she held her breath, but when she watched the man pass through the hallway withouting her way, she finally breathed.

    That was close.

    However, it was not over.

    If Daniel tracked her down here, that means there was more than just one of his people looking for her. The blood drained from her face when she remembered that Edward was on his way here.

    Oh no, he can¡¯te.

    If Daniel finally knows that he¡¯s the reason he has been unable to find her throughout the years, then Edward was equally in trouble as well, if not worse. While Natalie was sure that Daniel wouldn¡¯t kill her right away ¨C he would probably want to torture her a bit before he decides what to do with her for the trouble she caused him ¨C the same couldn¡¯t be said for Edward.

    If anything, her punishment would begin with Edward. And killing Edward was not just punishment for her, it was equivalent to ripping her heart out while she was alive. It was agony. In simple words, Edward can¡¯te.

    .....

    At once, Natalie hurriedly picked up her phone and tried to call Edward, but the line wasn¡¯t connecting which could only mean one thing, he was already on his way. Natalie wasn¡¯t a genius, but the number of calctions she had ongoing in her head could even put the world genius record to shame.

    Natalie calcted the time it takes to get to the hospital from their ce and it was thirty minutes and a little over an hour if there was traffic. At that moment, she began to pray to God, Budda, anyone or anything that would cause enough traffic that would stop Edward froming.

    She went over every possible n in her head, thought of Daniel¡¯s modus operandi, and calcted their chances of handling this and the oue was bleak. She was pregnant and needed to find a way out of the hospital.

    However, as if the future couldn¡¯t get any bleaker, she felt a sharp pain across her belly and gasped slightly. Looking down to discover that she just wet her pants... no, she didn¡¯t wet her pants, her amniotic fluid just broke. She was going intobor!

    But she wasn¡¯t due until the next two weeks. Unless the great stress she was experiencing caused forcedbor, Natalie knew about her body well as a nurse.

    ¡°This is bad, bad,¡± Natalie tried to calm herself down. She was going intobor and this was not the ce or time for it. Daniel can¡¯t know about her baby else it¡¯s over for her. He would control and threaten her with her child. She can¡¯t let him find out.

    Natalie was still thinking when the first contraction hit her and she bit down on her lips to stifle her scream. God, she wanted to escape from here first, but the baby was an impatient one.

    There was no way she could leave the hospital now, or else she might give birth on the way and Natalie didn¡¯t want to put herself in such a helpless situation. She needed to find somewhere where even Daniel¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t be able to find her

    So she went through the patient¡¯s wardrobe and Natalie found a scarf she used to cover her face. If Daniel¡¯s men were here, they were probably hoping to take her by surprise. Natalie doesn¡¯t know how they found her considering she was with a fake identity, but she guessed her upation put her at risk. The fact they didn¡¯t raid her home first means they knew she was a nurse and she might have ignorantly treated one of their own.

    Natalie moved as quickly as she could, but it was still not enough. There was a dull ache in her back and lower abdomen, along with pressure in the pelvis, and all she wanted to do was sit down and relieve the pleasure, but she couldn¡¯t stop now. She needed to get there.

    ¡°Please, baby, have mercy on me,¡± She pleaded with her, and as if the child was listening in the first ce, Natalie felt instant relief, enough to get her to the hospital¡¯s changing room.

    The instant Natalie got to the shower, a strong contraction hit her so hard that tears slipped from her eyes. She was in truebor and she could already feel the baby forcing its way out.

    It was a miracle that she didn¡¯t bump anyone in the way, hence Natalie folded the scarf into a smaller piece and forced it into her mouth to keep her from biting down on her tongue and drawing unnecessary attention. Attention was thest thing she wanted now.

    Had anyone told Natalie that she would give birth in this situation, she would have never believed it. She and Edward had made ns and he would be by her side when they weed their child into this world. But she was all alone.

    Natalie wanted to call Edward one more time, however, she could not think or talk during thebor. The pain was driving her crazy and all that mattered to her was to give birth to the child. Edward would see her daughterter.

    Hence, with one long deep breath and grunt, Natalie pushed her child out and the baby¡¯s cries reverberated across the room.

    Her baby was finally here.

    Thus, Arianna was born.

 Chapter 616

    616 Tell Her That I Love Her

    Natalie finally had her baby in her arms but it wasn¡¯t over yet. She heard movements from the outside and her heart began to pound louder. As a woman who just gave birth, Natalie didn¡¯t have the strength to move, she hasn¡¯t even cut the umbilical cord yet ¨C she didn¡¯t exactly think about that one in her haste to give birth.

    Hence, she was as helpless as a sheep in front of a ravenous wolf when the shadow fell over her and she nced up nervously only to see....

    ¡°Holy, fucking God... Selene!¡± The nurse she had been covering up her shift eximed in shock at the scene. It was not every day that she gets to see a hospital staff give birth in a shower.

    How was this even possible? Why didn¡¯t she alert people and give birth in thebor room? There were just so many questions running through her head.

    Selene was the fake name Natalie used in this ce and she was relieved to see that it was a familiar face and not one of Daniel¡¯s people.

    ¡°The cord,¡± Natalie mumbled weakly and that was when the woman called Ruth realized that there was so much work to be done.

    And yes, this was the woman who would beter known inter years as Ruth Nickerson and the owner of the animal clinic. The world is a small ce indeed.

    Ruth helped her get rid of the umbilical cord and centa and also took care of the baby she now covered with warm clothing while Natalie freshened up.

    Natalie felt much stronger after the warm shower she had taken in a haste and made herself presentable. There was no more time to waste.

    .....

    ¡°What¡¯s going on Selene? No, is Selene even your real name?¡± She rephrased her question. Ruth said, ¡°There are some people outside asking about you. They called you Natalie and honestly I don¡¯t know what to believe anymore,¡±

    ¡°What did you tell them?¡± Natalie asked hurriedly, her eyes roving around the room as if they would burst in anytime soon.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell them anything, however, the others could have spilled already, moreover, they¡¯re with the police...¡± Ruth stopped and looked at Natalie unsure, ¡°Perhaps, are you a criminal?¡± She couldn¡¯t trust her anymore.

    ¡°Of course not! Do I look like a criminal to you?¡± Natalie hoped she wouldn¡¯t turn on her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Ruth threw her hands up in the air, ¡°It¡¯s not like the word criminal is written on your forehead. I just don¡¯t know what or who to believe anymore, Selene or Natalie?¡± She was conflicted inwardly.

    ¡°My real name is Natalie,¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ruth huffed. She lied to her.

    But Natalie went ahead to exin to her, ¡°I am not a criminal, however, I got involved with a bad person and now he¡¯s after me. Those policemen you are talking about are under his control and they¡¯re probably a front to just cover up what they¡¯re doing here. He¡¯s here for me, Ruth.¡± She cried out, biting her nails nervously.

    Tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks and she wiped them away furiously. Natalie was angry, at everything, at everyone! Why can¡¯t she just have a happy ending for once?! She just gave birth to her child, she wanted a real family that wouldn¡¯t be hunted by Daniel.

    What does he even want from her? Nataliemented inwardly even though she already knew the answer.

    Daniel wanted her.

    However, it¡¯s been over three years already, how could he still be obsessed with her? Doesn¡¯t he understand the word, ¡°move on?¡±

    Ruth took a deep breath and calmed herself down.¡±What do we do now?¡±

    She asked, while rocking the baby that was beginning to fuss in her arms.

    Natalie didn¡¯t answer, rather, she took the baby from Ruth¡¯s arms and stared at her child dotingly. She traced the baby¡¯s features slowly as if inputting the details into her head. Natalie took in the soft, little red curls on her head that she inherited from her father¡¯s side.

    If she could remember clearly, from the photos Edward had shown her about his family, his grandmother had been a redhead. It seems the redhead gene wasn¡¯t as recessive as they thought.

    As if her baby girl knew she was staring at her, she slowly opened her eyes and though it was merely for a minute before she closed them, Natalie already got the details she wanted and she gasped slightly. Her baby girl has her eyes.

    Nheless, no matter what she looked like, Natalie knew she loved her greatly. Tears streaming down her eyes, Natalie hugged her baby tight before handing her back to the confused Ruth.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Natalie shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t let him find my baby or Edward...¡± and that was when she remembered, ¡°Edward!¡±

    She hurriedly found her phone and called him. When the phone rang, Natalie kept praying in her heart that he should answer.

    He did.

    ¡°Hello beautiful, I¡¯m so sorry that I¡¯m runningte, however, there¡¯s so much traffic -¡±

    ¡°E-Edward... ¡± She cut him off, her voice tense and broken.

    Edward in question paused immediately sensing something wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°Natalie, what¡¯s wrong...¡±

    ¡°Daniel is here,¡± She let out the news and the silence from his other side told her that the report was well received. Edward was in shock.

    ¡°Where are you now? Tell me you¡¯re out of the hospital!¡± He was afraid for her safety.

    But Natalie went ahead to tell him, ¡°We have a baby now, Edward.¡±

    The primal groan from the other line told Natalie that he was happy yet devastated at the same time. It was good news yet they couldn¡¯t celebrate it because of Daniel. Both of them knew what was at risk.

    Natalie sniffed, ¡°I have to go to him, Edward.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, Natalie... ¡± Edward¡¯s voice was deep and raw with pain, ¡°You can¡¯t go, Natalie. Please! We can figure this out together. First, I need to get you and our baby out of the hospital,¡± He was desperate for a solution even though he didn¡¯t see a way out.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Edward, but both of us know that he would never stop searching for me. I can¡¯t risk both you and our baby. Take care of our baby girl, Edward, and always remind her that I love her so much. I¡¯m so sorry, Edward, but this has to end now.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, Natalie! Natalie...!¡±

    She ended the call.

 Chapter 617

    617 Evading Daniel

    Music Rmendation:- Have you had enough wine? ¨C JC Stewart

    ____________

    ¡°You can¡¯t just go like this!¡± Ruth grabbed her arm and tried to stop Natalie from stepping out of the door.

    However, Natalie had already made up her mind and she turned to Ruth with determination, ¡°No one can know that I gave birth to her here. When Edwardes for her, tell him to run as far as he can. Tell him to never look for me because I¡¯m noting back. I can¡¯t put both of them in danger, no, he should tell my baby that I died in childbirth,¡± That way her daughter wouldn¡¯te searching for her when shees of age. Natalie was giving her closure.

    If by chance Natalie survived what she had in mind ¨C she doubted it though ¨C that meant she ended up as Daniel¡¯s prisoner and she wouldn¡¯t want her daughtering to risk her life in search and rescue of her. Her baby girl deserved to live her life to the fullest and enjoy the privilege she was denied of all because of her unfortunate encounter with Daniel.

    ¡°Tell Edward to give all of the affection he has for me to our daughter. Tell him that I love him and I never stopped loving him. Perhaps, we will have much better luck as a couple in our next life....¡± Natalie swallowed down the lump in her throat as she said, ¡°Tell him that myst wish is for him to keep our baby girl safe and to give her a good life.¡±

    Natalie knew those promises were the only way to keep Edward froming after her. Unfortunately, her baby girl just lost one parent, she can¡¯t lose another. And with those words being said, Natalie stepped out of the changing room without looking back.

    Like amb to the ughter, Natalie walked around the hallway confidently even though she knew that she was in danger. It wasn¡¯t long before she caught one of them talking to one of the doctors and like in slow motion, he turn to her.

    The instant their eyes connected, Natalie took off, having fulfilled her objective. She intended to draw their attention from the hospital having known that Edward was on his way here ¨C and to stop them from finding information about her baby.

    .....

    It was a hot chase but Natalie knew the hospital like the back of her hand, thus she had an advantage over them. She got into an empty elevator and pressed the button leading downstairs. Knowing the others were waiting for her in the lobby , Natalie took off the nurse scrub she wore, revealing the ordinary clothe she wore beneath, and pulled her hair into a rough bun.

    As soon as the elevator opened, she stepped out slowly to not rouse the attention of the two policemen she spottedmunicating through the radio.

    It seems they didn¡¯t recognize her as she walked past them and was about to reach for the revolving doors only for the man to step out of the elevator, shouting, ¡°Stop her!¡±

    And that was it!

    Natalie pushed the door with all of her might and ran outside. As if the lord of the universe was on her side, a young guy stepped out of his bike when Natalie approached him.

    ¡°Give me your bike, please!¡± She begged.

    ¡°Of course, not!¡± He refused, clutching the key to his chest protectively.

    ¡°I begged nicely,¡± Natalie reminded him right before she punched him in the face and snatched the key from him. She hopped on the bike, turned the ignition, and drove off before Daniel¡¯s men could get to her.

    As sorry as she was towards the bike owner for stealing his bike and punching him in the face, she was a desperate mother and she would do anything to save her daughter.

    Thanks to Edward, Natalie was able to make the right choice of a ride that helped her veer across the traffic sessfully unlike her opponent¡¯s cars that got blocked at a point. In one word, Natalie was able to sessfully escape from them. But that doesn¡¯t mean that Victory was hers. If anything, she lost the most.

    Natalie couldn¡¯t go back to her family. She had no idea if Edward had left the city with their daughter and couldn¡¯t risk going back to their ce and bringing danger to them. The city was already crawling with Daniel¡¯s spies and Natalie knew it was only a matter of time till they caught her.

    Once, Natalie was tempted to call on Ruth and get news of her family through her ¨C she seemed like a pretty dependable person. However, Natalie couldn¡¯t trust anybody, nor could she put the woman in danger.

    So she hopped from ce to ce, sleeping in brothels and when her money ran out, Natalie ended up in the street and dragging space with other homeless people. Looking at herself now, Natalie wondered how she got to this point. Her life was so miserable she contemtedmitted suicide one of the days.

    But the thought of her daughter kept her going.

    For two weeks, Natalie sessfully evaded Daniel and his men until one fateful night. She was so hungry that she couldn¡¯t help eyeing the bakery store out front. Natalie hadn¡¯t eaten for two days and was so hungry.

    As a woman who gave birth, she needed bnced food to replenish the blood she lost during childbirth, but that wasn¡¯t the case for her. Just two weeks under the streets, Natalie looked so frail and sick.

    Thanks to Daniel on her heels, she couldn¡¯t stay in the same ce the same day, so she couldn¡¯t work exactly or even beg for alms in fear that someone might recognize her ¨C not that anyone would recognize her now looking like a church rat.

    So she went to the store and tried to steal the bread out front only for the owner toe out from nowhere and grabbed her arm in the process. Natalie might be a fighter, but she was no thief having been raised in a rich family where shecked nothing, until now.

    ¡°You thief!¡± The man hollered, ¡°This is why scum like you should be wiped out from this earth! I¡¯ll report you to the police and make sure you rot in there,¡± He threatened her.

    ¡°Fine, take the bread,¡± Natalie let go of it, ¡°I¡¯ve returned your bread, now let me go. You¡¯re hurting me!¡± She cried, weak from hunger to defend herself.

    However, the man wasn¡¯t listening and ced the phone on his ears, intent on calling the police on her. Annoying thieves!

    ¡°If you want to live after this, I¡¯ll advice you to let go of that hand.¡± A voice said from behind and Natalie¡¯s worlde crashing down.

 Chapter 618

    618 Make The World Safer For Her Baby

    ¡°If you want to live after this, I¡¯ll suggest you let go of that hand.¡±

    Although Natalie had seen this momenting ever since she learned he tracked her down to this city, it still didn¡¯t prepare her for the shock when she recognized that voice.

    Natalie didn¡¯t dare to look back, she just stood frozen on the spot, her heart pounding hard like the grooves of a horse. Even without looking, she could feel Daniel close to her with every step he took till he was directly standing behind her and looking down at the man.

    The man must have sensed the murderous intenting from Daniel because he let go of her hand and stepped back cautiously. Her wrist hurt from the pressure of the man¡¯s grip, yet Natalie didn¡¯t dare to ease or rub her wrist. She just let her hand fall to her side, lifelessly.

    It was over for her.

    Although Daniel didn¡¯t touch her, she could sense his heat and he was standing close enough to her that it was ufortable. She couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking and having Daniel standing so close to her made her realize the dire situation she was in.

    Daniel took out his wallet and pulled out a huge amount of money causing the man¡¯s eyes to widen and he licked his lower lips unconsciously. He doesn¡¯t know who the man is and his rtionship with the woman, but it seems that he was in luck today.

    However, instead of Daniel handing the money to the man, he instead let all of the cash fall to Natalie¡¯s feet to the man¡¯s shock.

    He nced up at Daniel questioningly, wondering if he was serious about making him pick it up.

    .....

    ¡°Pick it up,¡± Daniel affirmed his thoughts.

    ¡°W-what -¡±

    It must be something in Daniel¡¯s gaze because the man was just about to protest when Daniel¡¯s expression hung and he simply bent and picked up the money. However, as he was rising to his feet, Daniel said to him,

    ¡°Apologize to her as well,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He nced up at Natalie with scorn. She was the one who tried to steal from him, why was he the one being med? He said, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m... ¡±

    Daniel shifted on his feet and in the process showed the gun that was hidden in his waistband and his eyes grew to the size of the moon instantly.

    ¡°I am so sorry...¡± The man fell to her feet, weeping and begging for mercy while Natalie watched emotionlessly.

    She already knew who was responsible for this, Daniel. He must have done something to the man and he was only apologizing because he was scared for his life. So yeah, she understood his plight.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough already,¡± Natalie spoke to Daniel for the first time and turned, hardly taking a step forward when he grabbed her by the arm and stopped her from moving. Just as she thought, she was a prisoner already.

    Natalie lifted her face to look at Daniel for the first time in over three years and she had to admit time was quite good to him. He practically looked the same except that he had grown beards that made him look more mature than his former younger and yful self.

    However, his expression was harsh now and there was a coldness in his gaze that made her swallow unconsciously. If she thought Daniel had not changed over the years, Natalie just got her answer.

    He did not just change.

    He changed for the worse.

    Natalie wasn¡¯t even sure she knew a thing about the man standing in front of her anymore.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Was all Daniel said before sliding his arm around her waist and pressing her to his side. Natalie stiffened instantly, she didn¡¯t like their nearness. After all these years, he couldn¡¯t just pretend that nothing happened between them and that they were good again. Natalie didn¡¯t like his hands on her, it made her ufortable.

    It felt strange.

    Natalie didn¡¯t protest as he led her to the car waiting for them. Even if she ran, there was no use, Daniel was going to catch her. She might as well take this opportunity to inhale enough of the night air because Natalie had a feeling this was thest time she might be in the open like this.

    Once in the car, Natalie sat up straight and didn¡¯t lower her defenses for once. The ride was silent and full of tension between the both, but they kept to themselves. While Natalie kept to her side of her seat, Daniel was busy going through the papers as if she didn¡¯t exist.

    The instant they arrived at their destination, Daniel was the first to step out and she didn¡¯t catch sight of him anymore. Natalie sucked in a shaky breath the instant she stepped out of the car, knowing what awaited her.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± ordered one of his subordinates and she obediently went after him.

    It was a vi and Natalie wasn¡¯t surprised he had amodation in the city. Daniel always made sure there was sufficient amodation on each of his travels. They went through room after room and Natalie made sure to memorize the way.

    She nned to kill Daniel and end the ill fate between them. It was a suicide mission and she would likely not survive it, however, Natalie already made up her mind when she sent her daughter away.

    If there was something Daniel taught her over the years, it was the fact that when you have nothing to lose, then everything is possible. If Daniel thought he was going to repeat the past by keeping her captive, then he was in for a loss.

    She no longer had a family, no Edward and no baby. Her final purpose now was to make the world safer for her baby girl. Her little girl would not go through the same misfortune she went through. People like Daniel were better off this earth.

 Chapter 619

    619 Have His Way

    It wasn¡¯t until Natalie found herself in the shower that she realized just how dirty she was. No wonder the shop owner used her of being a thief ¨C although she technically did steal ¨C she looked like a beggar.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising, Daniel left her all by herself ¨C he wouldn¡¯t see her in her dirty condition. New clothes were made avable for her and by the time Natalie was done luxuriating in the bathroom, she was invited down for dinner.

    Her stomach was currently a bundle of nerves and Natalie mentally prepared herself to meet Daniel. But to her greatest surprise, Daniel wasn¡¯t even present for dinner; she was all by herself.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the end.

    Although there was practically a feast prepared for her on the table, the utensils were missing. Surely, this was a mistake or something.

    Natalie turned to the babysitter that had been following her around since she arrived.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any utensils,¡± Sheined to the man, expecting answers.

    ¡°It¡¯s the boss¡¯s orders,¡± He said.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± She frowned. Natalie had a feeling she wasn¡¯t going to like the reasons for withholding her spoon, fork, and knife from her.

    .....

    ¡°Three years ago, you murdered one of our own with a mere shar. You can say this is the boss taking a safety precaution,¡± He told her, and that only made her anger increase.

    Damn, that was one of her ns crossed off the list. Natalie had been nning to slip a knife without any of them knowing and then, when Daniel came to find herter, she would stab him in the neck, and bam! He¡¯s dead. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    She banged her hand on the table, rattling the dishes, ¡°Surely, you don¡¯t expect me to eat with my hands, right?¡± Natalie asked, looking at the man. But the apathetic look on his face gave her the answer.

    The man sneered at her, ¡°After you killed one of our own, you should be grateful that the boss didn¡¯t bring you in chains and shackles!¡±

    Natalie chuckled mockingly, ¡°Oh trust me, I¡¯m quite honored,¡± her smile vanished, ¡°You¡¯re angry over one of your own that was murdered by me for trying to hold me captive when you¡¯ve had enough blood on your hands. So yeah, I¡¯m in awe of your hypocrisy,¡±

    He red at her, his jaw clenched tightly with his fist clenched by his side. Natalie took advantage of that opportunity to taunt him further.

    ¡°But of course, as angry as you are, you can¡¯t do anything to me because he¡¯s the boss and I¡¯m under his protection. So if you¡¯re that angry, run to your boss like the pussy you are and state your case. ¡± She finished.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± He growled at her.

    If eyes weresers, Natalie knew that he would have cut her into pieces with his power beams. Her words got to him and he was trying so hard to curtail his anger else hey a hand on her and went against the boss¡¯s order.

    Their fear of Daniel must be quite real because he calmed down instantly and didn¡¯t react to her provocation anymore as Natalie expected.

    ¡°Eat now!¡± He ordered and had his back turned to her.

    Eat with her hands like a dog, Natalie refused. However, she had not eaten for days and when the tantalizing smell of the well-prepared food wafted into her nose, she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She was so hungry, having not taken good food for days.

    Even with her hands, Natalie didn¡¯t gracefully eat the food, she gobbled it all up. She was so hungry and who knows if Daniel would decide to starve her as punishment. So yeah, she was going to eat as much as she could now.

    What if it was poisoned? Natalie thought as much. But then, hunger presides over a sense of reasoning. She would eat to her heart¡¯s content and consider the consequencester. So Natalie wiped everything on the table and there wasn¡¯t a crumb remaining.

    However, Natalie shouldn¡¯t have eaten much because she ended up throwing up half of her stomach contents in the toilet. By the time Natalie was done, it was veryte and she had to settle for bed. She couldn¡¯t tell which one was worst, the fact that Daniel hasn¡¯t talked to her or the fact she hadn¡¯tid her eyes on him since in the car.

    It made Natalie feel ufortable. It kept her in suspense. She had no idea what Daniel was thinking, or doing! What does he have in n for her? Natalie hated the fact she was kept in the dark; she didn¡¯t know what to expect.

    But not for long....

    Natalie didn¡¯t mean to sleep, but exhaustion took a toll on her and she ended up asleep. After weeks of running away from Daniel and being on the edge, her body had suffered long enough and needed rest.

    It was a peaceful rest until Natalie felt hands on her body. She jerked up at once only to see Daniel hovering over her and her soul nearly flew out of her body.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Natalie was ufortable and afraid of his proximity. She didn¡¯t like this. He was supposed to be asleep, not to sneak into her room at this unholy hour.

    ¡°Natalie...sweet Natalie, you don¡¯t know how much I missed you,¡± Daniel mumbled and the stench of alcohol hit her nose.

    ¡°God! Get away from me, you¡¯re drunk!¡± Natalie tried to push him away, but her strength was no match for him.

    ¡°Why?¡± Daniel sneered in her face, ¡°So you can run from me again? That¡¯s not going to happen, Natalie. You¡¯re all mine now,¡± He dered before pushing her back down to the bed forcefully as she screamed. He quickly grabbed her ways and pinned them above her head.

    ¡°No, Daniel!¡± Natalie begged him to let her go, but her request fell on deaf ears.

    That night, Daniel had his way with her.

    __________

    Back to the present.....

 Chapter 620

    620 The Pic

    ¡°Nice ride for a nice day?¡± Ariannamented as soon as she stepped out watching as Marcel loaded the basket of food into the convertible, ¡°So a pic, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you like it?¡± Marcel said, busy with the food and making sure it doesn¡¯t spill on his car.

    ¡°I do. That¡¯s quite nice of you. The house has been quite stuffytely.¡± Arianna muttered, stretching out her body.

    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s the point. I don¡¯t want you to feel like a prisoner in...¡± Marcel finally turned only for his words to trail off. His eyes fell on Arianna and he took in what she was wearing.

    Arianna was wearing a crop top with a high-rise fitted denim bum short with a hat on her head and paired it with sneakers. She looked sexually appealing and although her bum wasn¡¯t revealing, Arianna still unted her back view.

    Marcel¡¯s throat went dry as his eyes traveled from her head to her feet and then back up again, taking in her exposed midriff and her silhouette that was highlighted, especially her toned thighs. There was no way she wasn¡¯t going to turn heads in that outfit. And with the way she was stretching out her body, it was seductive.

    ¡°Well?¡± Arianna asked with a knowing look when she saw the way his gaze lingered on her. She stood up straight and twirled around for him, ¡°How do I look, fantastic, right?¡±

    Marcel released a frustrated growl in his throat and her smile only grew wider. He liked it and hated it at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯m all dressed up for you,¡± Arianna reminded him. He can¡¯t force her to go change, it was for him.

    .....

    Marcel walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist possessively. He pressed her body flush against his, his chest rubbing against her softness.

    He enunciated into her ears, ¡°You¡¯d be the death of me,¡±

    ¡°Youin too much, love, I¡¯m only here to put colors into your life.¡± Arianna smiled against his skin, speaking softly into his ear.

    ¡°Really?¡± Marcel took her earlobe into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth before he bit down on it.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Arianna yelped, ¡°You cannibal!¡± She used him yfully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I very much like you alive. Eating you out is much more tasteful, flesh-eating can¡¯tpare to it.¡±

    ¡°Seriously!¡± Arianna hit him on the chest and pushed him away, however, he didn¡¯t let go of her and still held her waist securely.

    ¡°What now?¡± She groaned, knowing that it wasn¡¯t over yet. The distraction didn¡¯t help. Damn, why did he have to be so smart?

    ¡°I have a much better idea,¡± Marcel said, taking off his long sleeve shirt and wrapping it around her waist while Arianna threw her head back and sighed. She shook her head mentally, what a life.

    Marcel took a step back and examined his hand¡¯s work, a grin grew at the corner of his lips, ¡°Much better now.¡±

    Arianna rolled her eyes and stared at him instead. Having given up his shirt to her, Marcel was only wearing a sleeveless sports tank top, revealing his muscled arms and yummylicious body. Alright, mind out of the gutter, Arianna chided herself.

    Focus on the pic!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Marcel took her hand and led her to the car. He helped her climb into the car before walking around to his side of the car and entering the driver seat and started the car.

    ¡°Are we the only ones leaving?¡± Arianna turned back, finding out there was no other car following after them as they left the car.

    Marcel looked through the side view mirror to understand what she was talking about. He nodded at her, ¡°Yes, no one¡¯sing with us. I know how ufortable you get when I have someone follow after us. So I thought, it would be better just the both of us this time.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Arianna was touched by his consideration, ¡°Thank you so much,¡± She smooched him on the cheeks and Marcel was grinning from ear to ear like a kid who stumbled on a penny on the way.

    There was afortable silence between them, smiles on each of their faces until Marcel turned on the radio, a tune sting out and Arianna sang to it.

    ¡°This is nice!¡± Arianna shouted at the top of her lungs, spreading her arms wide, the wind whipping her hair around her face.

    Marcel looked at her contentedly, a smile appearing on his face without even knowing it. If he had the power, Marcel would freeze this moment and let it y in a loop forever. It was just peaceful and there was no one to ruin their happiness. Just the both of them spending time together.

    However, even if he had the power to freeze time, Marcel knew he wouldn¡¯t do it. As much as the unknown was scary and the road ahead looked dark, he would love to know how the future turned out between the both of them. The good and the bad memories, he would treasure them all.

    The journey was fun and by the time they arrived at their destination, Arianna was surprised to discover that it was a public park. It had been a long time since she was free in the open like this with a lot of people.

    ¡°Why?¡± She asked him, her brows furrowed with confusion. Marcel always kept her close to him and carefully protected her at the base because he was scared of Elijah or any of his enemiesing after her.

    ¡°This is a public setting, none of them would be stupid enough to attack in broad daylight. As much as we have a few of the police force eating out of our palm, we are still not above thew,¡± said Marcel.

    So in one word, they were safe because they were in the crowd?

    ¡°Also, do you not have faith in my abilities?¡± Marcel asked her. He stepped closer and sped her cheeks, ¡°I would rather die than let anyone get to you, I promise you.¡± He said with so much conviction Arianna did not tempt his words.

    ¡°No one¡¯s dying today,¡± Was all Arianna told him before she went to the car and took out the basket while Marcel handled the others.

    They found a suitable spot and Arianna spread the pic nket on the floor. Together, they worked as a team and helped set up the pic to Marcel¡¯s taste ¨C yeah, he was that picky.

    ¡°Babe,e here, let¡¯s take a picture,¡± Arianna said, crawling over to his side and pulling out her phone.

    ¡°Why?¡± Marcel looked at the phone suspiciously. Was itpulsory to take pictures on a pic?

    ¡°Ugh, men,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes. However, she didn¡¯t give up till she was sitting beside him and posed beside him while switching on to the front camera. She said, ¡°Because that¡¯s what couples on a date do. Now, say cheese¡±

    Arianna took a picture of the both of them, their cheeks pressed together cutely.

    When she was done, Arianna stared at the photo, pouting, ¡°Why do you look so much prettier than me?¡±

    ¡°Is that a crime?¡± Marcel asked without thinking while eating strawberries straight away from a bowl.

    When he didn¡¯t get a response after a while, Marcel turned around suddenly only to see Arianna ring at him. Damn, that was scary.

    Marcel swallowed, what did he say wrong? He was merely correcting the stereotype that women had to be prettier than a man. It was a miracle Marcel didn¡¯t choke on the strawberry that made its way down his throat from the shock.

    He blinked, ¡°How about we take another picture?¡±

    And Arianna jumped at the offer.

    Just like that, Marcel found himself taking over a hundred pictures in different postures just to satisfy his woman. Although he had to admit that it was fun ¨C and even managed to steal a kiss from her lips right before the camera went off. So while Arianna was sorting the photos, Marcel was busy feeding her.

    ¡°Which of them do you think looks better?¡± Arianna showed him some of the best photos while he fed her midway.

    Honestly, none of the pictures looked as good as the one where he stole a kiss from her. Her eyes were wide during the surprise and it looked pretty hrious, not that Marcel was going to tell her that ¨C although he was going to use it for his wallpaperter.

    ¡°What are you even going to do with that?¡± Marcel was curious. She was serious about it.

    ¡°Post them online and brag about my handsome boyfriend,¡± Arianna muttered, while typing down. ¡°Done.¡± She showed the post to him.

    [Pic with Mr. Handsome] She tagged it.

    Marcel smiled at her and returned her phone. He said without looking at her, ¡°You, women are fascinating creatures, ¡°He didn¡¯t point out that he was touched by the gesture ¨C and almost moved to tears.

    Damn, he wasn¡¯t this emotional.

    This was the first time a woman was bragging about him online. This was his first attempt at dating and it felt surprisingly good.

 Chapter 621

    621 Reaction To Trauma

    They were so full they couldn¡¯t move.

    Yeah, Arianna and Marcel had eaten quite a lot and right now,id on their back, watching the clear blue sky as they rested. Theyy side to side, with their hands tightly intertwined and making quite a cute couple. At that moment, Arianna and Marcel were nothing but ordinary couples having a good time in the park.

    ¡°I heard what you did for Victor,¡± Marcel finally brought up the conversation the both of them had been steering clear of. It was part of the reason he had taken her out of the house, to discuss it with her privately.

    Arianna turned to him, folding her arm and ced her head on it. She said, ¡°It was nothing.¡±

    Marcel let out a deep breath. It was obvious he didn¡¯t think of her gesture as little.

    ¡°What is wrong with Victor?¡± Arianna asked him. Although she had her suspicions, she needed to be sure.

    Marcel turned to her, holding her gaze as he said, ¡°More like whose fault is it he turned out that way?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She was curious to know the whole story.

    ¡°Remember how we met as a kid?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the whole story and Victor¡¯s somehow involved in it,¡± Marcel confessed, making her brows raise in interest.

    ¡°Alright, go on,¡± Arianna drew closer to him, pulling her legs up so her knee was touching his body.

    ¡°Victor and I, we have been inseparable since birth,¡± Marcel began, wetting his lips as he went on, ¡°Even when his mother Carmine hated Daniel¡¯s ass for causing their brother¡¯s death, the little punk didn¡¯t let ite between us. His mother tried everything possible to separate us because she felt I would be nothing but a bad influence on him, fat big thanks to my father. Moreover, aunt Carmine wanted out of the family business, Albine¡¯s death had shattered something inside of her. Sadly, Victor was as resilient as a cockroach.

    ¡°So when she couldn¡¯t stop her son from seeing me, aunty simply gave up. Instead, she remained in the organization all just to keep an eye on her only son. Not that Daniel cared, no, to him, it was a blessing. If Victor was the key to making his sister stay, why wouldn¡¯t he approve of it? He needed someone on his side. I guess even monsters have soft spots for their sisters.¡± He muttered softly.

    Arianna slightly frowned, she didn¡¯t like his use of the word, ¡°monster¡± because she had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t just referring to his father ¨C Marcel tactically included himself as one.

    He continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t have any friends growing up nor would my rtives associate with me. They were all scared of my father and it was for a good reason. Daniel didn¡¯t want any unnecessary attachment to weaken me. To him, all of my rtives were his enemies,peting for the throne and I was his perfect weapon, his legacy. I had only my mother, Chloe, and Victor.

    ¡°Unfortunately, Victor was not ignorant of how Daniel treated my mother, and by chance, he came to know of my ns to escape that hell hole with my mother and he wanted in on the n too. However, I was naturally much smarter than Victor and I knew there was no way he could go with me. He had a perfect family that loved him, I could not take him with me. But then, Victor was quite annoying and headstrong as a kid. The night that I escaped from my Daniel, he knew about my ns and tailed me. Sadly, for him, while I sessfully escaped, he wasn¡¯t so lucky.¡± Marcel told him

    The breath hung in Arianna¡¯s throat and she was curious as hell when she asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Victor got into the wrong hands. The great Daniel isn¡¯t exactly loved by everyone and has a talent for attracting trouble. I was the target of the kidnap, Daniel¡¯s son, the apple of his eye. And while I ignorantly escaped, Victor took my ce. It turned out that the man who kidnapped Victor was a bit crazy in the head and had a great vendetta against Daniel. When he found out that he had the wrong boy, he decided to y around with Victor. ¡±

    Arianna gasped,¡± Don¡¯t tell me he ¨C ¡±

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± Marcel cleared her fears of assault, ¡°It was much worse.¡±

    Marcel swallowed deeply, feeling uneasy about visiting a chapter of his life he had closed a while ago. He said, ¡°He made Victor dress up as a clown while he tortured him. Victor was merely a kid then, however, he wasn¡¯t allowed to express any other kind of expression aside from happiness while he was being abused. The madman imed he was freeing him from the confines of pain and agony, but all he did was break a young kid.

    ¡°By the time my family tracked Victor down, he was a mess, bloody and haunted. He had to go through a lot of therapies, and surgeries to repair what had been broken. But then, even if the outside was fixed, what about the inside?¡± Marcel asked, staring her deep in the eyes.

    Arianna felt uneasy about the story, however, she could imagine how hard it was for Marcel, knowing he med himself for what happened. She reached out and began to run her hand through his hair soothingly while he continued.

    ¡°Victor eventually recovered and everyone was happy, or so we thought until he had his first episode. It was at a party and one of the guests dressed up as a clown, unintentionally triggering him. That was when we found out.

    ¡°Hypomania,¡± Marcel revealed about his sickness, ¡°That was what the doctor called it. I doubt Victor even fully understands his diagnosis or cares enough to do research. The doctors said he had some sort of ¡®reaction to trauma¡¯ that would cause unstable moods asionally. And knowing who Victor is, he probably stopped listening when the doctor started exining the symptoms. He knows they want him to take medication and rmended therapy. ¡±

 Chapter 622

    622 Horny Rabbits

    There was nothing but silence between Arianna and Marcel after he had finished exining Victor¡¯s condition. Although Arianna continuously massaged his scalp, Marcel could tell from the furrow on her face that she was worried.

    ¡°You have nothing to worry about,¡± He assured her.

    Arianna sighed, ¡°Hypomania is still a mental and behavioral disorder.¡± She pointed out

    ¡°It is still a less severe form of mania -¡±

    ¡°But it can easily escte to mania,¡± Arianna sighed. She added, ¡°Mimi is carrying his child and I¡¯m hundred percent sure that she doesn¡¯t know about this. Would she even be able to handle it?¡± She was concerned for his safety.

    ¡°As I told you, Arianna, Victor manages it well and it hardly has a significant impact on his day-to-day life patterns. The longest his symptomssted is two days and it is very mild nor does he use recreational drugs. If anything, he has mostly increased sexual energy and sex has always done the magic for him.¡±

    ¡°So my friend is merely a sex machine?¡± She scoffed,¡± I¡¯m surprised he doesn¡¯t have a trail of Baby Mamas already,¡± Her tone became serious, ¡°Trust me when I tell you that Mimi is not exactly up for sharing. The moment Victor cheats on Mimi, even I can¡¯t tell what would happen, so Victor better sort himself before this ends badly.¡±

    ¡°Victor loves Mimi,¡± Marcel told her, ¡°Even you know that. He¡¯s about to be a father, that¡¯s the happiest I¡¯ve ever seen my cousin be and I can promise you that Victor would rather die than let that happen.¡±

    ¡°I know that Marcel, but mistakes still happen. What Victor needs is treatment, hypomania is not just something one waves away as nothing. Aside from the clown thing, we don¡¯t even know his other triggers. Look what happened yesterday,¡± She said.

    .....

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll talk to him about it,¡± Marcel ended the conversation and turned back to stare at the sky.

    Arianna wiped her face with her palm, facing skywards as well. They hade here to rx and have a good time, not argue about this. She turned to stare at Marcel and his expression was tight, the atmosphere taut. She hated this.

    It was natural for him to defend his cousin, Victor considering how close the both of them were, however, she was concerned about her friend, Mimi, too. He had to get treated and save her friend from the stress of his dramatic mood swings. Until then, Mimi was not safe.

    Hypomania could easily switch to serious depression. And you can¡¯t tell which one might happen, because the pattern isn¡¯t predictable. Mimi had to know what she was dealing with. Not to mention that it was hereditary.

    Unable to bear the silence anymore, Arianna rolled over to Marcel¡¯s side. Without thinking, she leaned over his body to Marcel¡¯s surprise, and lowered her head, kissing him.

    Eyes wide, Marcel slowly closed them as he surrendered to the kiss. Her hair formed a curtain around their face and he sped her face, dominating the kiss. Her lips were soft and heated upon his and they moved in sync like two perfect souls meant for each other.

    A moan left her lips as he devoured her mouth, kissing her hungrily. His other hand traveled down to cup her bottom, pressing her against him as his tongue slipped into her mouth. They yed a game of chase with their tongue and he squeezed her butt cheek, another moan leaving her mouth.

    The both of them lost all sense of time and space as they made out passionately. The feverish urgency between them built up to the point that Marcel was grinding her against his body. He kissed her harder and deeper as the pleasure slowly reached the crescendo and they were about to ¨C

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Arianna and Marcel broke apart at once, startled. They then turned at the angry face of a woman who had three kids with her ¨C one on a walker, the other around the age of five and thest one looked eight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see kids around!¡± The woman admonished them.

    That was when Marcel and Arianna looked at their surroundings and found out that they were still in a public park. They got carried away in the moment.

    ¡°We are so sorry -¡± Marcel was still saying when the woman shouted,

    ¡°Next time, just go get a room, you horny rabbits!¡±

    ¡°Okay....¡± Arianna wondered how to go about it when the woman¡¯s five-year-old son shouted,

    ¡°Horny rabbit!¡± He turned to his mother, asking innocently, ¡°Mom, what is a horny rabbit?¡±

    The look on the woman¡¯s face was priceless and it took Arianna everything not to burst intoughter. It was so hrious. The woman went red in the face and she fidgeted nervously as she wondered how to answer her curious child.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, baby. It¡¯s just rabbits,¡± She tried exining to him.

    ¡°But you called them horny rabbits,¡± He argued.

    Frustrated now, the woman grabbed his arms and pulled him along, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Although the woman went along with her kids, she turned once more to re at Arianna and Marcel.

    Unfortunately, her eight-year-old son shouted after them, ¡°That was so hot!¡± He gave them a thumbs up.

    This time the woman looked like she would explode.

    ¡°Christian!¡± She screamed at her son, before dragging all of them and stomping away angrily.

    Arianna and Marcel burst intoughter instantly. Theyughed so hard that their stomach hurt and they justid in each other¡¯s arms. It was the first time the both of them felt such genuine happiness in each other¡¯s presence.

    ¡°So I was thinking,¡± Arianna cuddled up to him.

    ¡°Thinking about what?¡± Marcel embraced her tightly, a smile on his face. Damn whoever was staring at them. He didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°What do you think should be our couple¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Couple¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯m thinking of Marrianna? Mana? Mianna? Manna¡± She chuckled and went on, ¡°Amarcel? Aricel? Arel? Arial? Ariane?¡±

    Dear God, Marcel groaned, have mercy on him.

 Chapter 623

    623 Tell him Tonight

    ¡°I think Acel sounds better,¡± Arianna was still on the issue of choosing a couple¡¯s name for them as Marcel arrived at the base.

    ¡°Fine, anyone you choose,¡± You¡¯re the boss, Marcel added in his mind.

    Arianna stepped out of the car before Marcel coulde around to help her. As romantic as it was, she was no princess and could take care of herself.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything when he saw her action. She was the boss, remember? He barely stepped out of the car when his phone rang and picked up instantly, ¡°Marcel speaking...¡±

    Arianna leaned against the car waiting for Marcel to be done with his call only for him to shout, ¡°What?!¡±

    She pushed off the car at once and turned to stare at him. There was a deep frown on his face and she could tell instantly that something was wrong. Arianna patiently waited for him to be done with the call and as soon as he lowered the phone, she asked,

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Marcel looked at her, an emotionless look on his face that unsettled her. For a moment there, she thought he wasn¡¯t going to answer her, only for him to say, ¡°Daniel has been shot.¡±

    ¡°What? Daniel has been shot!¡± Arianna was shocked, ¡°Hallelujah -!¡± She was about to scream only to catch herself at thest minute and changed her expression into a sad one, ¡°That is so unfortunate,¡±

    .....

    Yet Arianna still asked, ¡°Did he die?¡± She was anxious for an answer. Honestly, Arianna didn¡¯t know how to respond to this news. Likee on, she was scared of the man and loathed his sorry ass, and it would be a huge cause for celebration if he stopped sucking earth¡¯s oxygen.

    No one wanted Daniel around.

    But on the other hand, Daniel was her boyfriend¡¯s father and no matter how much Marcel loathed him, he was still his father. If Marcel loathed Daniel as much as he imed, there were plenty of opportunities for him to end him over the years. But no matter how bad a parent is, he¡¯s still his parent ¨C his flesh and blood ¨C and Marcel could only hope that he bes better in the future.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, you can feel whatever you feel for him, I¡¯m not judging. You¡¯re not entitled to feel sorry for him, not after what he has done. I feel nothing for him as well,¡± Marcel told her inly, but Arianna knew that he was lying.

    Not that the both of them could be friends, like a normal father and son rtionship, however, avoiding and denying his feelings wasn¡¯t going to work. The both of them had to sort out their hard feelings and bad blood, or else more people would only end up getting caught up in the crossfire ¨C people like her.

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything and merely stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t needfort,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Yet Arianna hugged him tighter.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t die,¡± Marcel confessed.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna lifted her head and looked at him. He didn¡¯t need thefort at all. She slowly pulled back yet stayed by his side.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Marcel ran his hand through his hair, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know the details yet -¡±

    ¡°But you need to go see him,¡± Shepleted it for him.

    He nodded in agreement.

    ¡°You should go then, just be careful,¡± She warned him just in case this was a trap. Although Arianna doubted Daniel would harm his son. Take it or leave it, Daniel loves Marcel in his own twisted way. Nheless, the man was maniptive and there was a need to be careful.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it,¡± Marcel said, lowering his head and pressing a brief kiss on her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Arianna told him as well before they separated and Marcel got into the car and drove off. She kept on waving after him till he was gone.

    Arianna returned to the house with the thoughts of doing some stuff on herputer only to bump into Mimi on the way and her eyes widened in surprise. She never told her that she wasing.

    But that was until her eyes fell on Victor who came up behind Mimi and understanding dawned on her. From the slight tension between them, Arianna could safely surmise that Victor told her about his condition.

    The next minute, Arianna and Mimi were on the balcony, leaning on the ss balustrade while the wind blew their hair in their faces. It was almost evening and the temperature was beginning to drop.

    ¡°I guess you know everything then,¡± Arianna was the first to speak up, breaking the silence between them.

    ¡°Yep, he told me everything. Quite a shocker, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Mimi chuckled as if it was nothing, but Arianna knew that was just her way of dealing with it.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Arianna nodded.

    ¡°I should have known, you know,¡± Mimi went on, ¡°Stuffs like this are easily noticed by others, not the victims. I bet he wouldn¡¯t even know. Victor just had this strange energy, he was willing to try anything and everything, and I didn¡¯t think much about it. I just thought he was being Victor.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do then?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s agreed to treatments and therapies,¡± Mimi sighed, looking down at her belly and rubbing it affectionately, ¡°He¡¯s scared, you know. But at the same time, he wants to be a good father to the baby and if a bunch of science jumbo would make him better, so be it.¡±

    Arianna reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy, Mimi. There might be roadblocks, rpses and of course, frustrations in his course of treatment, and they canst a lifetime. Are you ready for that?¡± She was sincerely concerned for her friend.

    Mimi tilted her head and looked at her,

    ¡°Love was never meant to be easy. If it were that easy, then it wasn¡¯t love at all. And speaking of which...¡± She faced her fully, ¡°You need to tell Marcel the truth about Elijah, he doesn¡¯t deserve any of this.¡± Mimi said sternly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Arianna said to her, ¡± I n to tell him tonight.¡±

 Chapter 624

    624 Why Didn¡¯t He Die?

    There was a lot on Marcel¡¯s mind as he drove to see his father. Honestly, when that news came, Marcel had somehow hoped that the man was dead ¨C at least it would save him the trouble of finishing the job himself ¨C but at the same time, a tiny bit of him hoped that he was okay. And it was that tiny bit of him that he resented so much.

    His father was right, he was a weakling. He had gotten hispassion from his mother and that emotion would be the death of him. Look at him, he had a girlfriend who was keeping the secret of another man that was also his enemy from him and yet he kept her alive. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he couldn¡¯t protect his sister enough. And the cherry on the top, his father was a thorn in his side, amazing right?

    He was pathetic.

    But then, what could he really do? The alternative was bing his father and Marcel would never entertain such a thought. Growing up, his dreams have always been to be different from the man and his anchor was the thoughts and memories of his mother.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t just understand it, why did his father treat his mother the way he did? Marcel couldn¡¯t even see himself everying a hand on Arianna, it was equivalent to harming his own body. It just didn¡¯t make sense. Why would his father harm the one he loves? Was it just an act of masochism or was he simply that depraved?

    Or he never loved her?

    That single thought sent chills down Marcel¡¯s spine and he gripped the steering wheel tight, a furrow in his brows. Why had he never thought from this angle? He had simply assumed that couples were supposed to have affection for each other. Otherwise, how could they have endured each other enough to have a child?

    Now that he thought about it, even as a child, there was no love lost between his parents. While his mother might have liked his father in the end, there was always that coldness in Daniel¡¯s eyes whenever he looked at his mother. He could almost call it repulsion, resentment, hatred.... That was the same look he had in his eyes whenever he was with ra, Marcel came to a startling realization.

    Just like Daniel almost forced him to marry ra, what if the reason his father was harsh towards his mother was that he was forced into marrying her ¨C the one he didn¡¯t love?

    .....

    Sweat trickled down Marcel¡¯s forehead even when he was in an open-roofed car and a shiver of apprehension danced down his back. He didn¡¯t like the startling discoveries he was making and he tried to push it to the back of his mind. It was all theories, there was no evidence yet ¨C only his father had them.

    Thanks to the nervous energy and butterflies fluttering in his stomach, Marcel stepped it up, racing to his father¡¯s fortress, and made it there in record-breaking time. The security around Daniel¡¯s ce was doubled and Marcel almostughed at the situation.

    Daniel was weak and if there was any time to take him out, it was now and his father knew that, hence the fortifications. Marcel was let in without question, however, the tension in the air was thick. Everyone of them knew that he didn¡¯t have a great rtionship with his father and he might as well be here to eliminate him.

    If only they knew that Marcel had nothing of such a nature in mind. If his father was going to die, Marcel prayed it would be in the hands of the many people he provoked. Let their face be thest thing he saw and know how pitifully he lived his life.

    It wasn¡¯t until Marcel made it to the entrance of the house that he was stopped. He looked at the two men in front of him arrogantly, ¡°What?¡± he questioned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you need to be searched,¡± The man dared to say.

    Marcel chuckled sarcastically before his face darkened, ¡°I dare you toy a hand on me,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but it¡¯s for the boss¡¯ sake, you do know that he¡¯s injured and -¡±

    ¡°And you do know that I¡¯m the boss above all bosses,¡± Marcel cut him off, a coldness in his eyes as he went ahead to say, ¡°I am the Don of this family and my word is above that of my father. In one word, I owe you and your life as well and If I say move, you move. Do you get it?!¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°Answer me!¡± He yelled in his face with great intensity.

    ¡°Yes, Don!¡± The man answered, finally realizing his ce.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything, he simply shoved the bastard out of the way without being interrupted. However, Marcel only took three steps when he halted, the anger inside of him burning fiercely more than before.

    Before any of them could do anything to stop him, Marcel already pulled out his gun and shot the bastard right in the head. There were shouts of rm and most of the soldiers reached for their guns, but they could not do anything in the end. As much as Daniel ruled them with an iron fist, Marcel was still the boss. They were under him.

    It was a warning. Marcel¡¯s authority was not to be belittled anymore ¨C especially when it concerns his father. Without as much as a word, Marcel tucked the gun into his waistband and resumed his journey. He had passed the message he wanted.

    He finally located the room his father was in and pushed the door open. Daniel was awake and being checked by his doctor, however, his attention shifted to him when he came inside.

    ¡°Hoho, what a surprise,¡± Heughed.

    Oh, he still had the energy tough, Marcel was suddenly regretting ever wishing he survived. Staring at Daniel¡¯s smug face made nothing but anger stirred inside of him.

    Why didn¡¯t he die?

 Chapter 625

    625 Daniel Was Lying

    ¡°Oh,e on, give me a smile, would you?¡± Daniel cooed, ¡°I mean your old man narrowly escaped death, the least you could do is be happy for his life. Do you know?¡± He continued to say, ¡°In the past, huge miracles like this one are given as testimonies in the church. Do you think I should consider a testimony chicken and fellowship with the lord when I¡¯m back on my feet?¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t know whether his father was teasing him or fucking around with him, but either way, it wasn¡¯t funny at all. The anger inside of him only kept boiling the more Daniel talked.

    Not only does the man have the talent of attracting trouble wherever he goes, but he also has the special skill of aggravating him. Was he seriously joking around in this condition? Because it wasn¡¯t funny to Marcel at all who still had his poker face on.

    ¡°I swear to God if you keep on with that frown, then it might get permanently etched on your face and you don¡¯t want to look at that face forever,¡± Daniel startedughing at the thought of such a thing happening only to end up wincing and coughing in the end.

    Ouch, his stomach really hurt. Natalie should have just finished him off already. At least he would be chilling with the devil already, smoking the mes of hell. But then, God loved him so much that he decided to give him a second chance at life and Daniel promised the almighty creator that he would make ¡°very¡± good use of it.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t help but pity his father because, at the end of the day, he was all alone. One could almost say that this was his father¡¯s way of trying to draw his attention to him, Marcel was so ttered ¨C note the sarcasm.

    For someone who got shot in the stomach and nearly died, Daniel was quite talkative. He said to Marcel ¨C who hasn¡¯t uttered a single word since he arrived ¨C

    ¡°Whenever I want to see my son, I have to beg or force him to visit me, however, the moment you hear that I almost died, youe running here to see me like a prodigal son...¡± He wriggled his brow, ¡°Or a man getting home to his lover,¡±

    ¡°Oh God no,¡± Marcel cringed, ¡°Please do not ever say that way again,¡± He wanted to throw up. He and Daniel were not close enough to crack such a dry and expensive joke. It was disgusting.

    .....

    ¡°Or perhaps, you¡¯re here to confirm if I have died or not so you can finally live your life in peace?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Marcel was not ashamed to admit it. What does his father think he came here to do? Feed and rub his back and wish him to get well? He could rot in hell.

    ¡°How¡¯s my daughter-inw doing?¡± Daniel suddenly asked and Marcel¡¯s expression shifted ¨C his father does talk a lot when in pain. Daniel knew how much talking to him aggravated Marcel yet he kept on speaking as if somehow he wanted him to get a share of his pain ¨C to make him know how he was feeling right now. Yeah, sadism, much?

    Marcel stood to his full height, looming over the man on his death, no, sick bed. Yeah, Marcel felt like ending him right now. His patience was slowly thinning out, especially with him involving Arianna.

    But even with Marcel¡¯s intimidating figure, there was not an ounce of fear in Daniel¡¯s eyes, only mirth. The man was crazy.

    Marcel crossed his arm, saying in a warning tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but don¡¯t even dream of it.¡±He released his arms and stepped closer to the man, ¡°Because if you dare toy a hand on Arianna, I promise you....¡± Marcel ced his hand on Daniel¡¯s stomach, squeezing hard on his wound and no matter how Daniel was, he couldn¡¯t stop the painful groan that left his lips.

    ¡°I would end you most miserably, killing you slowly, and would enjoy every bit of it,¡± Marcel promised him with chilling darkness in his eyes. When ites to Arianna, he would dly let the world burn down to the ground if that meant she survived. Arianna was his joy, the source of his light and he wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to extinguish that light forever.

    Daniel cried out, ¡°Why are you doing this to me, a poor, helpless old man? Just because I¡¯m not able to defend myself, you maltreat me already,¡± He almost sounded genuinely hurt.

    He went on to say, ¡°Since you already stopped me from choosing a prospective bride for you, I decided to ept the woman you choose as well. So tell me, is it so wrong to ask about my daughter-inw?¡± He was aggrieved.

    What was wrong with him? Marcel blinked, staring at his father with his brows narrowed in suspicion. If this was another tactic to get close to him and wreck his life, he was not going to let it happen. Letting Daniel into his life over a mere look of remorse was equivalent to epting the devil¡¯s offer just because he gave a peace offering.

    ¡°Just give up the act, I¡¯m not going to fall for your tricks, and neither is that the reason for mying to see you,¡± Marcel said to him with his unsmiling face.

    ¡°And they say I¡¯m not a good father,¡± Daniel tsk, ¡°Just when I have self-reflection and decide to be good for once.¡± He sighed, ¡°Fine, what¡¯s the reason foring here, then?¡±

    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± Marcel asked him seriously.

    Their eyes met and for a moment there, Marcel thought he saw some sort of emotion there only for him to blink and it was gone.

    Daniel¡¯s lips curled to the side, ¡°What do you think?¡± He shrugged, ¡°Your father is a troublemaker and the sneaky bastard decided to take advantage of my moment of weakness. That¡¯s all,¡± Daniel lied.

    Marcel looked at his father hard, why was he lying?

 Chapter 626

    626 His Father¡¯s Love

    ¡°Really?¡± Marcel asked, trying to figure Daniel out. The reason why he was so good at what he did was that Daniel simply didn¡¯t care, he went ahead with whatever he wanted. But right now, he was lying. What was his father protecting? Or rather, who?

    ¡°Yes,¡± Daniel answered with an innocent look.

    ¡°Really?¡± Marcel asked again and this time, his father¡¯s brow arched at him questioning. He knew deep down that his son had caught onto something.

    ¡°Why does this sound like an interrogation?¡± He joked.

    ¡°Because it is,¡± Marcel told him, pulling the chair beside him and sitting down with his legs crossed and stared at his father hard as if the truth was written on his forehead.

    Marcel scoffed, ¡°I guess your great enemy chased you down to Arianna¡¯s ce, right?¡± He held his gaze without looking away.

    Daniel stared back at his son before sighing, ¡°Just how many spies did you nt amongst my men?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel shook his head, ¡°You keep forgetting one thing father, I¡¯m the Don now, which means your men are mine and serve for my cause,¡± He established his authority, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare to change the topic. I warned you off Arianna, what were you doing there?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m getting to know my daughter-inw, and that includes her background, especially if she¡¯s to get married to you. I need to know she has the strength to give birth to many healthy heirs for you,¡± a feat your mother wasn¡¯t able to achieve.

    .....

    Marcel got the hint and he clenched his fist hard to the point that his knuckles turned white. All he needed was one more provocation and he would end Daniel¡¯s miserable life, consequences be damned.

    ¡°And with the way the both of you are so lovey-dovey with each other, I bet that a child ising soon,¡± Daniel grinned back.

    Marcel scowled at him, feeling the creeps. He had a mole amongst his men, someone was feeding Daniel information about his love life. When he gets his hands on the person, he would regret the day that he was born.

    ¡°Who shot you, father?¡± Marcel moved straight to the point, he was tired of beating around the bush.

    However, Daniel decided he was not through with his fun, because he asked, amused, ¡°Why are you so interested in my shooter?¡±

    ¡°Why are you protecting her?¡±

    ¡°Her?¡± Daniel pretended to be oblivious to what he was talking about. There was no way his son knew about her, Marcel was only trying to get the truth out of his mouth. After all, everything that he knew today, he was the one who taught him.

    ¡°Fine, since you want to y this game, let¡¯s do it my way then,¡± Marcel said just as he reached for his wallet and opened it, pulled a photo out, handing it to him.

    Curious to know what he was up to, Daniel took the photo from him eagerly and turned it only for his eyes to widen in surprise. Unfortunately, the shock already gave him away and he couldn¡¯t hide it even if he wanted to. His son came prepaid.

    ¡°I guess someone has been doing his homework,¡± His secret was finally uncovered and he couldn¡¯t lie his way out of this one.

    ¡°Who is she?¡±

    ¡°The girl¡¯s mother,¡± Daniel said.

    He sneered, ¡°You think that I don¡¯t know about that?¡± Marcel leaned closer to his father¡¯s side, and asked him, ¡°What I want to know is why you would fake her death, alongside my mother¡¯s when the both of them were clearly alive ¨C at least mother was alive then. The three of you have something going on and that is what I want to know.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that you want to know that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you really sure that you would be able to ept the truth that you¡¯re yearning for so much?¡± Daniel asked him once again, but this time, his tone was grave and dark. There was just something ominous about his tone that told Marcel that whatever he was about to hear would change his world forever.

    Marcel felt that sense of premonition and his palms became mmy, but he couldn¡¯t stop. He hade all the way for this and he needed to know. He needed to understand everything.

    ¡°Tell me what I need to know,¡± Marcel made up his mind. It was now or never.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Daniel finally sat up. It was time for his son to understand the reason for all of his actions.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, the girl¡¯s mother was the one who shot at me,¡± He confirmed.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know how to feel about that news, however, whatever reason Natalie shot at his father, he was sure of one thing, Daniel deserved it. There were no two ways about it.

    ¡°And what again?¡± Marcel didn¡¯t just want crumbs, he wanted the whole story.

    ¡°And have you ever considered why I never wanted you together with that girl?¡± Daniel asked even though the answer was obviously no.

    When Marcel didn¡¯t answer, he finally confessed, ¡°Natalie Valeria was my lover,¡±

    Bang!

    It felt like a bomb hit Marcel on the head.

    He had his suspicions, but Marcel never wanted to admit it. Who would want to acknowledge that the mother of the woman he was currently with was his father¡¯s love? And he didn¡¯t even want to hear the disgusting details.

    ¡°She was the one that I loved.¡±

    And that was the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.

    Marcel just sat on the spot frozen.

    His fears wereing to pass.

    ¡°Just like you never wanted to marry ra, I never wanted your mother.¡±

    Marcel¡¯s heart shattered into a million pieces. To think that Arianna¡¯s mother was the reason Daniel treated his own mother that way. It made his heart clench painfully. His mother didn¡¯t have to suffer like that, you know.

    ¡°So now, you have the details, I hope that I get my deserved rest,¡± Danielid back down on his bed, dismissing him. He never gave Marcel the full details. Sin of omission was not a huge deal, right?

 Chapter 627

    627 Suspicion

    ¡°Here,¡± Elijah pulled out a seat for Adele to sit on, surprising her. Sure, they had been together for a while, but this was the first time he was being romantic.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said to him, sitting down.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, it¡¯s my responsibility to treat you well,¡± Elijah said to her, going to take his own seat.

    It was nighttime and he took her on a date. Just as he agreed, the both of them would date to the fullest until it was time to let go. Their situation was almost simr to a terminally ill patient spending hisst days peacefully except in their case, no one was dying and they would only be going their separate ways, literally.

    Elijah had to admit, keeping Adele from the truth was killing him from the inside out, but he had no choice. Yes, he had grown attached to her, but he was not stupid enough to think Adele wouldn¡¯t oust him in the twinkle of an eye if she knew the truth about him. Just like her, when pushes to shove, he would choose family over emotion.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Elijah asked, surprisingly nervous. He had spent a lot of time and resources getting a reservation here and hoped that it was up to her taste.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Adele hummed, looking around the ce. It was a rooftop restaurant with candlelight dinner and the both of them were the only ones around, meaning that Aziz must have hired the ce for the night.

    Honestly, this kind of romantic setting was not her cup of tea, however, Aziz had put in a lot of effort to create this and that was all that mattered.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± Adele said.

    .....

    In one word, she didn¡¯t like it, Elijah winced inwardly. Perhaps he should have asked what she liked than assuming she¡¯d be into this. Didn¡¯t all women like this kind of romantic ambiance?

    ¡°I¡¯ll reserve my finalment when I have a taste of their food,¡± Adele smiled at him.

    Elijah smiled back, knowing that she just said that to make him feel better. Not long after, the meal was served and for starters, they had griddled fillet of sea brass ¨C lemongrass and coriander cous-cous, crab bon-bon, sweet potatoes, and coconut Velont¨¦.

    ¡°Mmmm, not bad,¡± Adele nodded, seeming to enjoy her meal, and Elijah was relieved to know the food made the cut at least. Else all of this would have been a waste.

    For sure, a meal wouldn¡¯t correct the mistakes he made or the reality that he would be leaving soon, but as he decided, Elijah was simply making happy memories that she would be able to hold onto amid the betrayal. He wanted her to know that although his initial reason for infiltrating her family was not genuine, his intentions were not all fake.

    It was really hard to exin considering he made it his mission to get close to her, but he has had a change of mind. Sure, he manipted her, but now, Adele was worth more than a means to aplish his mission now. He was sorry and regretted using her.

    But Elijah couldn¡¯t say those words to her, not until everything was done and she would find out everything about him. Perhaps, if they had met in better circumstances ¡°and family¡±, things would have worked out much better between them. But now, it was toote.

    Elijah always wondered how it was easy to give up on Arianna, turns out that the truth was staring at his face all along. It was Adele. She took up Arianna¡¯s ce and though Elijah couldn¡¯t say he loved her, he knew that he would do everything to keep her happy.

    Unfortunately, the reverse was the case, he would bring Adele nothing but sadness when the truthes out in the end. So he was sorry, very, very sorry. But there was nothing that he could do to stop the hurt froming along.

    ¡°So tell me about yourself,¡± Adele roused him from his thoughts.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I just found out that since we are together, I know literally about you,¡± Adele told him, biting her lips in thought.

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know me? You know everything about my background,¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°I mean your personal life. I do not know anything about your childhood, family, and a lot more except what¡¯s written on the papers and it¡¯s not like you¡¯re an open book,¡± She confessed, ¡°Sometimes when we are together, I feel like there¡¯s this huge barrier between us and I can¡¯t even get to you.¡±

    Elijah gulped, knowing that it was the truth. He was almost taut and cautious and wouldn¡¯t let anyone in, afraid that his secret would be out if he did that. Except he trusted you, Elijah doesn¡¯t let anyone in.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Elijah breathed, giving in to her request, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±

    Adele beamed at him knowing victory was hers. She said, ¡°Tell me about your childhood. What was it like growing up?¡± Adele wanted to know out of sheer curiosity and not as a result of the annoying suspicion nagging at the back of her mind.

    Elijah pursed his lips, already thinking of a well-constructed story that wouldn¡¯t give out his identity yet was a piece of truth from his childhood and aligned with his current identity.

    ¡°Well,¡± He started, ¡°Like many average kids out there, I lived a pretty normal life as a kid. Although I was quite a handful to handle,¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± Adele smirked at him.

    ¡°Really?¡± He arched a brow at her.

    ¡°No offense, but you have that feeling about you that says tall, dark and dangerous. So it doesn¡¯t surprise me you were one hell of a kid,¡± She said in her defense.

    Elijahughed. Sincerelyughed. It has been a long time since he enjoyed a woman¡¯spany like this.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not far from the truth,¡± He affirmed,¡± I think I caused a lot of trouble for my brothers -¡±

    ¡°Brothers?¡± Adele was quick to pick that up and that was when Elijah realized the mistake he made.

    She looked at him saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had just one brother?¡±

 Chapter 628

    628 Let Him Go

    He just made a mistake, Elijah realized at thest minute. Nheless, he didn¡¯t panic and sorted it out in his head. If there was anything his brothers had taught him, it was to remain calm even during chaos.

    He peered at her saying, ¡°I meant that figuratively, not literally,¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Adele looked at him, trying to figure him out.

    ¡°You forgot that my father was a judo instructor, he had a lot of students and we often referred to ourselves as brothers. To a point, we were even families, it¡¯s practically normal for me to call them my brothers. So yes, I yed quite a lot of pranks on my brothers,¡± Elijah covered up his mistake wlessly.

    Perhaps, it must be because of his important role in this family, but Elijah was finding it second nature to lie. Ites naturally to him now. However, one thing was clear, Adele was beginning to suspect him and he bet it started after that visit to Marcel¡¯s ce.

    Elijah never expected that Arianna would faint from the news and if he hadn¡¯t been quick to act that day, his identity would have been revealed and he would have been killed. However, Adele was currently the closest person to him, so it wasn¡¯t even surprising she was beginning to suspect him ¨C it took her long enough.

    ¡°It¡¯s surprising you¡¯re suddenly interested in my brother,¡± He said, catching the way her gaze flickered to him and there was a sudden tension in the air.

    For a moment there, Adele sensed that Aziz had somehow caught onto her n ¨C seems she asked the question to test him anyway ¨C however, a broad smile suddenly filled his face as he joked, ¡°Are you trying to check who¡¯s more handsome between the both of us?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Adele was stunned at first, until she got the point and burst intoughter, albeit a fake one, ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right. I wonder who¡¯s the most handsome between the both of you,¡±

    .....

    ¡°If it pleases you to know, I¡¯m more handsome,¡± Elijahughed along with her, but inwardly, he was concerned. Adele can¡¯t find out that he was Elijah before he got Arianna out, or else that would be a huge problem. He might be forced to do something that he wouldn¡¯t like.

    At the same time, Adele was lost in her thoughts. Common sense told her that Aziz was clean, however, there was this gut feeling inside of her that told her something was wrong. Sadly, Adele who always listened to her guts didn¡¯t this time.

    No, it was more like she refused to listen at all. Because Adele knew that if it turned out to be the truth, it would crush her to the point of no recovery. She was carrying his child for goodness¡¯ sake. Her child can¡¯t be Elijah¡¯s child! So she turned a blind eye to her sixth sense, hoping that it was all nonsense and wasn¡¯t the truth.

    ¡°Do you want to get out of here?¡± Elijah asked her after a while of awkward silence between the both of them. Sure, he had put a lot of effort into arranging this, but he just doesn¡¯t feel it anymore. The date was miserable.

    Adele bit her lip unsure, ¡°Do you?¡± she didn¡¯t want to make it seem like she didn¡¯t appreciate the date at all.

    ¡°Nah, I just found out that this is not really your thing,¡± Heughed in embarrassment, ¡°I failed this,¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± Adele said, reaching across the table to take his hand, ¡°At least the food tasted good and it was the first course...¡± Her brows furrowed, ¡°Just how much did you spend to make all of this? Would all of the food go to waste if we leave?¡± She was concerned about his finances.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Elijah squeezed her hand, ¡°I¡¯m not broke yet and if you want, I could have them send the rest of the food to our ce,¡±

    ¡°O-our ce...¡± Adele stammered, already suspecting what he wanted.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Elijah quickly defended himself when he saw her using look, ¡°You said you don¡¯t want us to have sex anymore until we break up and I respect that. I just assumed that you would want us to eat together and my ce would be the best to stay together. But then, if you don¡¯t want it that way, I¡¯ll ask them to send it to your ce. ¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± She said, ¡°We are just eating together and I¡¯ll leave as soon as I¡¯m done, so it¡¯s not like something is going to happen.¡±

    ¡°Yep, nothing is going to happen,¡± He agreed with her ¨C and this was awkward.

    ¡°So tell me then, if this is not your thing, what is your thing then ?¡± Elijah couldn¡¯t even believe that he asked that.

    ¡°Companionship. A little walk, get to know each other,¡± Adele answered with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m a Taurus and I hate unexpected changes. I crave partnership, someone that fits in with my schedule. A meal at home in front of the TV with that person would be nice. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m boring, a little spontaneity is appreciated now and then, as long as it isn¡¯t overwhelming. In one word, I might appreciate this candlelight dinner the next time wee here, ¡± unfortunately, there will be no next time, Adele knew that well. But a girl got to hope, right?

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that can be arranged,¡± Elijah said, standing up to his feet. He then stretched his hand, waiting for her to take it.

    Adele stared at his outstretched hand, that was a first. Sure, he had held her hands a few times (when he was pinning them above her head and fucking the sense out of her) but that particr moment just seemed special.

    She stood up and ced her hand in his, watching as he intertwined them together intimately, the gesture making her heart skip a beat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home then,¡± He told her and she just stared like a moron.

    Adele couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing, why was Aziz suddenly being so sweet to her? Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have agreed to that ridiculous deal they made because if they continued like this, it was going to be much harder to let him go.

 Chapter 629

    629 It¡¯s time

    Music Rmendation:- Leaving My Love Behind ¨C Lewis Capaldi

    _________________

    They did it.

    He means, it was not intentional, just one moment they were having their food back at his ce andughing their guts out as they watched theedy show going on. And the next, it was as if the air got sucked out of the room when their eyes met.

    None of them could tell who moved first, however, their foreheads were touching, the both of them warring with the idea of breaking the agreement they had made. All that was needed was just a tilt of their head and their lips would meet. However, they just stared into each other.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t,¡± Adele breathed, fighting off the desire coursing through her veins. This was her mistake, she shouldn¡¯t havee here. What was she thinking? That she could fight off her attraction for Elijah.

    No, she couldn¡¯t! He had already gotten deep beneath her skin and she couldn¡¯t just rip him out. Ripping him out would be the same as ripping out a part of her. She couldn¡¯t do this without getting hurt.

    ¡°Yes, we shouldn¡¯t. You already said so.¡± Elijah said, yet the dark look in his eyes said it all. He didn¡¯t want them to stop.

    She should think about her baby, Adele told herself. But she had already made research and the baby was safe, protected by the amniotic sac. However, Adele knew deep down that the baby was not the one in danger, it was her. What was she going to do after the ruin? After everything is over?

    .....

    No, she was a strong person.

    She has seen worse.

    She can handle this, Adele told herself.

    She looked at Aziz, her hand digging into his hair, ¡°Or maybe we can do it for thest time? We are not technically over yet, remember the deal, right? Until we caught Elijah? We can consider it a loophole.¡± She said, right before their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

    It was a sexy time from that point on till they went to bed. However, Elijah couldn¡¯t sleep. While Adele was still asleep, he just reclined on his arm watching her sleep peacefully. It would have seemed creepy the way he was staring intensely at Adele, had it not been for the fondness in his eyes.

    She was so beautiful, he observed her. Elijah traced her face with his hand as if he wanted to imprint her features in his head forever, because he knew deep down that his time here wasing to an end. He wanted to remember her forever, at least, when they were partners ¨C and not when they became enemies forever.

    Adele rarely smiled, but the few times she did, he wanted to remember the crinkles around her eyes, so he traced her eyes.

    Elijah wanted to forever remember the softness of her skin; he trailed his hand down her naked back and even in her sleep, she shivered to his touch.

    The silkiness of her hair; his hand dug into her smooth ck hair and massaged her scalp.

    The shape of her nose, he traced down to her luscious lips that tasted like fine wine. Her kiss drowned his senses and made him feel drunk when he wasn¡¯t. She fascinated him and he wanted more.

    Elijah pulled away the sheet hiding her body from view and stared at her with a hungry look in his eyes before leaning over her and covering both of them with it. He then began to kiss her shoulder, dropping feathery kisses on her neck that stirred her from sleep.

    ¡°Aziz...¡± Adele moaned his name sleepily, the mere sound sending his senses into overdrive and causing his dick to harden. Good thing they were taking advantage of that loophole thingy because he wanted her now.

    His lips kissed up to her jaw before settling over her lips and covering it entirely as he smooched her soundly. Even while her eyes were still heavy with sleep, she still opened up to him and he took his time with her.

    And while he tasted, and nibbled her lips the way he wanted, his hands went down to her chest and grabbed each of her boobs. They fitted perfectly in his palms and he squeezed them hard, eliciting a muffled moan from her lips. She was all woman and soft. He loved her.... no, her body, obviously.

    Elijah slowly pulled away from the kiss, Adele now peering up at him with that sexy smile while he took in her swollen lips from the kiss. His gaze darkened and he lifted her legs, bringing them up to his hips and she willingly locked them around his hips, already feeling his throbbing dick pressing against her entrance.

    ¡°Take me now,¡± She whispered into his ears and those words were enough to egg him on and he thrust into her.

    Adele gasped loudly, her breath knocked out of her lungs as he entered her, inch by inch until he was fully sheathed inside of her and she moaned loudly as he filled her.

    Aziz began to move, his hands finding hers, and intertwined them together. His movements were precise, long, and deep, hitting spots inside of her that she didn¡¯t know existed. Adele had sex with Aziz many times, but there was something different about this one. She could almost say he was making love to her.

    His eyes were on her, never straying away from her, not once while he fucked her. Her legs around his hips pushed him deeper inside of her till she was whimpering and moaning with pleasure. And when she fell apart, the both of them came together. The pure euphoric look on his face as the both of them found their pleasure was something else. It was as if that moment was just for the both of them. Like they were finally in syn or something.

    ¡°I love you,¡± The words were on the tip of her tongue, yet Adele couldn¡¯t say the word and let him know. Deep down, she knew this was it. All they could have was this. They could never go further.

    Hence, all they could share was knowing smiles and went back to bed ¨C well, only Adele. Elijah was troubled inwardly and it seems the sex only made things worse.

    However, his phone rang, rousing him from his thoughts and when Elijah saw the numbers sprawled across the screen, his expression changed. ncing down at Adele, he was grateful that she was deep asleep. So he carefully extracted himself from her body to go answer the call in secret.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

 Chapter 630

    630 Prying Into Her Background

    ¡°Mrs. Reina, I¡¯m so sorry for what happened and I can assure you that the kids were not injured in the process (just the cheerleaders)¡± She added quickly, ¡°But please, don¡¯t fire me!¡± Winters begged the triplet¡¯s mother.

    She worked hard for this. Reina couldn¡¯t fire her now, not a night to D-day tomorrow. She needed to be around at that party to help Marcel find his sister and make sure it goes without a hitch.

    ¡°Moreover, aunty, if there¡¯s anyone to be med, it¡¯s me. I should have told Winters of my ns beforehand, and not distract her from her duties, but I wanted it to be a surprise. However, I should observe safety precautions first knowing the kids were danger mas. So please don¡¯t take it out on Winters, she did nothing wrong. ¡± Akim was there to support her and that was the most romantic thing any guy had ever done for her.

    Meanwhile, Reina had a bizarre look on her face as she stared at her nephew with her babysitter. The both of them came on too strong and it had taken her by surprise.

    She said, ¡°The both of you are making me seem like a bad person,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Winters and Akim were confused.

    ¡°I mean you make it sound like I don¡¯t know my children and the amount of destruction that they¡¯re capable of. In fact, I¡¯m most grateful that no lives were lost, except injuries andpensation I¡¯ll have to pay for...¡± She mutters under her breath, exhaustedly.

    Reina stared at Winters and said,¡± Why should I fire you when you have been doing a good job of handling thempared to their other nannies that onlysted a day, ¡±

    Phew! Winters released a breath that she had been holding in. That was so close.

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m not firing you, Winters.¡± Reina decided.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Akim gave her a high five. They did it. She was not being fired.

    ¡°Although I might need you to do me a little favor and spend the night again, I need to do somete-night nning with Isabe against the party tomorrow.¡±

    She was not supposed to nanny the kids tonight, Reina was clearly taking advantage of her tight spot to request favors. However, there was nothing Winters could do, the woman spared her. Also, Reina was paying the bills for today¡¯s incident, she could do that as a little thank you.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it,¡±

    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± Reina grabbed the carton of milk from the fridge saying, ¡°I guess I should get prepared to leave, ¡°She closed the fridge and turned to Winters,¡± Also, congrattions on your rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Winters was grinning from ear to ear like a fool. This was her first attempt at dating properly and receivingpliments from people that mattered was nice.

    ¡°But you should be warned that Spencer men have quite a huge appetite and you should use protection whenever the both of you decide to do it unless you¡¯ve signed up to be a young mother,¡± Said Reina.

    ¡°Haha, funny, Reina,¡± Akimughed sarcastically while a brush crawled up Winters¡¯ cheeks. That was too much information. Neither was she ready to be a young mother. So protection all the way, if they do it, of course, considering all they¡¯ve ever done is make out and a bit of oral here and there.

    Yep, they were getting to know each other first and ying it safe. When it was time to do it, it would just happen naturally.

    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t care where and when you do it, but the couch is off-limit, Nius ising home tonight and he¡¯d kill you if you catch both of you doing stuff in his living -¡±

    ¡°Auntie!¡± Akim was close to dying from embarrassment while Winters waspletely red in the face. The family was a handful.

    ¡°Fine, have fun young people, I¡¯ll get out of your hair now!¡± Reina said leaving, but they clearly heard her grumbling as she headed up the stairs,

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m considered old. God! My waist! I wouldn¡¯t have been so weak if I hadn¡¯t popped a total of five melon-sized kids from my ¡±

    ¡°Dear God,¡± Akim¡¯s facepalmed.

    Winters chuckled, and here she thought Mimi was crude enough. Something told her she and Reina would work out well.

    Reina shouted from the stairs, ¡°Have fun while you still can, Winters because once the kidse, there¡¯s no going back, not even with divorce.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the great advice, Mrs. Reina,¡± Winters appreciated them nheless.

    Akim stepped closer to her with an apologetic look, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you had to see that,¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± Winters shrugged, ¡°It was entertaining. No family is perfect.¡±

    ¡°And speaking of which, I hardly know anything about your family, when you know all about mine.¡± He was curious.

    The instant Winters heard that, she was close to panicking, but she yed it cool. Questions like that were bound toe and it wasn¡¯t something to get worked over.

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± She chuckled nervously, pulling him closer to her body. Winters wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°Just like millions out there, my family is an ordinary one. However, let¡¯s forget such boring stuff,¡± She brushed her lips against his, distracting him.

    Just as Winters expected, he leaned into the kiss. His lips were soft and gentle on hers at first until he pushed her back against the kitchen ind and a slight gasp left her lips. He took advantage of that opportunity to deepen the kiss and his tongue slipped in.

    Winters moaned, their tongues touching while his hands cupped her ass and squeezed tight, drawing another moan from her lips and her hands traced his back, pulling him closer and grinding against him.

    Something, or rather someone smacked Akim on the head causing the both to break apart, startled.

    ¡°Get a room both of you and don¡¯t corrupt my kids!¡± Reina chided the both of them, all dressed up to leave.

    ¡°Your kids already know stuff you don¡¯t think they know,¡± Winters was tempted to say but bit back her words. She wasn¡¯t ready to get fired yet.

    They would both get a room if that would stop Akim from prying into her background.

 Chapter 631

    631 The Last Night

    ¡°Marcel? No, I have no idea where he is. But why do you ask? Did anything happen to him?¡± Winters asked on the phone call.

    It was Arianna calling and honestly, it was quite surprising that she was asking about Marcel¡¯s whereabouts when the both of them were a couple and always together.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I just thought you were with him or something?¡± came Arianna¡¯s response.

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry much about him. I know Marcel and if he¡¯s not answering your call, he¡¯s probably busy or in a meeting or something. Moreover, tomorrow¡¯s the day when we get Chloe back, he probably has a lot on his mind and it skipped his mind to call back. ¡± She assured Arianna.

    Winters said as well, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, if I get through to him, I¡¯ll inform Marcel you¡¯re worried about him.¡±

    ¡°Sure, thank you so much,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Winters ended her call and contacted Marcel instantly. But then, there was no answer. It just kept ringing and ringing.

    ¡°Come on, man, just answer the damn call,¡± She blew air through her nose exasperatedly, bing frustrated with the situation as well.

    It wasn¡¯t like Marcel to not answer his phone and she was bing worried that something might have happened to him as well. Arianna said he went to see Daniel, it wouldn¡¯t make sense if the man hurt his son. No, that was suicide. No matter how crazy Daniel was, he loved Marcel.

    .....

    Winters was still calling him when a text came into her phone.

    [Stop bothering me]

    ¡°Seriously?¡± She rolled her eyes toward heaven in annoyance. Here, she was worried about him and this was all he had to say to her. That rude bastard! She should have known better than to call him.

    ¡°Well, guess who¡¯s not worried about you anymore, asshole!¡± Winters cursed under her breath, ending the call. She would never call him again!

    ¡°What are you worried about?¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Winters screamed, almost jumping out of her skin with the phone pressed to her chest. Turning, she found out that it was only Akim.

    ¡°Oh God, you scared me!¡± She cried out, trying to calm her racing heart.

    ¡°Exactly, why do you look like someone who was caught doing something bad?¡± He chuckled, yet his gaze fell to her cell phone curiously, ¡°It seems you were on a call?¡± Akim was trying to ask without overstepping his boundaries.

    Winters¡¯ gaze drifted down to her phone and she exined immediately, ¡°Oh, that was my neighbor calling,¡± She lied, ¡°Her twelve-year-old son is missing and she was wondering if I have any idea where he might be. The both of us are quite close.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so,¡± Akim believed her immediately, every doubt he had cleared away.

    ¡°Yes, it is so,¡± Winters had to ster a wide grin on her face. God, she hated to lie to him, but there was nothing that she could do.

    Taking a good look at him now, Winters found out that his hair was wet, meaning that he just stepped out of the shower. No wonder he took her by surprise ¨C she thought he went outside for air.

    He had just a towel wrapped around his waist with the water from his hair dripping down his shoulder and forming little streamlets that ran down the hard nes of his body, the deep V of his stomach, and soaking into the towel.

    Winters was suddenly thirsty for water and hot at the same time. Damn, where was the air conditioner? It was a hot and erotic scene that made her heart begin to race.

    Akim noticed the way she was staring at him intensely as if she wanted to eat him up and asked, feeling nervous, ¡°What are you doing here by the way? Not that you¡¯re not allowed here, no, you¡¯re always wee in my room, anytime, any day, even midnight ¨C and no! It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking, not that I know what you¡¯re thinking, you know. But I have incredible self-control and you could just literally sleep in my room without me doing anything. I should probably shut up now, ¡± He has bbered enough.

    That was cute, Winters was tempted tough, however, Akim was embarrassed enough, so she stifled theughter.

    Winters answered him, ¡°I finally put the kids to bed and I just thought that I could say goodnight to you before I went to bed as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Akim finally got it, ¡°That¡¯s nice of you,¡± He said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Winters nodded, so nice of her. She said, ¡°I should probably go to bed then. Goodnight Akim.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight Winters. Sweet dreams.¡± Akim wished her and she smiled. That was so sweet of him.

    They had kissed enough today, so Winters turned to leave and hardly took two steps when she stepped.

    What if she didn¡¯t want to go back yet?

    Tomorrow might be thest time she sees Akim. If they pulled off their ns tomorrow, then there was no need to remain in Spencer¡¯s household anymore. Winters would need to leave so they don¡¯t figure out her role in the family, a spy.

    In one word, tonight might be thest time she might get the opportunity to be with Akim and she didn¡¯t want to lose him like that. He¡¯s the first guy she really liked, you know.

    ¡°Well, fuck it!¡± Winters retraced her step and approached Akim who stared at her like a moron, wondering what she was up to. Hence, he wasn¡¯t prepared when she pressed her lips to him, kissing him passionately.

    It wasn¡¯t until Winters bit his lower lips that he realized that she was kissing him. So he kissed her back, molding her body to him.

    ¡°Do you want to do this?¡± Akim asked, looking her straight in the eyes. He wanted to be sure that she knew what she was doing. It was a big decision and he didn¡¯t want to pleasure her into anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m as sure as hell,¡± Winters told him firmly. She was a hundred percent sure.

 Chapter 632

    632 Far From Over

    The air in the room was suddenly charged and the kiss went from passionate to hard and punishing. Akim backed her roughly into the wall, a gasp leaving her mouth, however, his lips sought hers again, their tongue intertwining as they tasted each other.

    Even with their lips joined, his hands did the work of taking off her top and tossed it away before moving to Jean¡¯s fastener. He pulled down her jeans and Winters stepped out of it, heat throbbing between her center.

    With only one hand, Akim unhooked her bra and it fell, slipping it off her arms and the bra found itself on the floor among the pile. His gaze fell on her curvy breast, the red and pebbled nipple calling to him and his eyes darkened with lust before lowering his head and taking one of the nipples into his mouth.

    Winters cried out, throwing her head back and relishing the feeling as Akim sucked on her breast. Her breath was ragged and her hand dug into his scalp when he squeezed her other breast deliciously. God, it was mind-blowing.

    However, none of that couldpare to the moment when he switched to the other breast, his hand traveling down and tugging her panties aside, rubbing her wetness and her legs gave out from under her.

    ¡°Akim!¡± moaned his name as he touched her down there, her toes curling from the pleasure while she held onto his shoulder for support else she fell.

    He continued to move his finger up and down her wetness, satisfying that aching wetness between her legs. Winters was panting as his thumb flicked her clit, increasing his pace and all the building came crashing down.

    ¡°Yes...!¡± Winters moaned as she fell apart from his touch, but he continued to finger her even as she rode the orgasm.

    He sucked her nipples harder, nipping her and sending explosive pleasure scattering throughout her body and when Winters came this time, she bit hard into his shoulder, muffling her scream as she convulsed from the mind-blowing orgasm.

    .....

    ¡°God, you are so beautiful,¡± Akim breathed, clearing the sweat from her forehead, ¡°However, I can¡¯t hold it off anymore. Can you stand?¡± He asked out of her concern.

    Winters nodded, using the wall for support since her legs were weak, and watched as Akim rummaged through his drawer before pulling out a condom. Oh, it was a good thing that he had safety in mind because Winters was definitely not ready for a child.

    She watched mesmerized as Akim tore the wrapper open with his teeth and then let his towel fall, exposing a smooth, beautiful dick already dripping with precum. He wrapped his dick in his hands and pumped it a few times, his teeth gritted as a groan left his mouth. He was so hard for her it was beginning to hurt.

    He then rolled on the condom, covering his member with thetex, and turned to Winters, the heat banking in the depth of his eyes made her bite on her lower lips aroused. Damn, he was so gorgeous.

    He was all masculine and strong and gorgeous. She was so taken with staring at his body that a squeak left her mouth when Akim lifted her. He pushed her up against the wall, and Winters wrapped her legs around him, feeling his member poke her ass.

    Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could see the same amount of lust in her eyes reflected in his eyes as well. She was so doing this with him. Akim crashed her mouth without warning and she moaned against the softness of his lips. He was perfect for her.

    Winters pulled him closer, trembling with anticipation and need as she held onto his shoulder. He rocked his hard arousal against her core even as he dominated her with the kiss and when Winters couldn¡¯t take it any longer, she said to him, ¡°Please,¡±

    She felt him move, a moan erupting from her lips when he rubbed his erection against her clit and teased him.

    ¡°Akim!¡± She shouted his name this time and yanked at his hair to show her frustration. Akim chuckled before he stopped and lined his arousal with her entrance, tugging her panties to the side. Before Winters could brace herself, he pushed himself inside of her in one move and buried himself to the hilt.

    ¡°Oh my fucking God!¡± Winters screamed out, it was intense. From this angle, he was so deep inside of her that she felt incredibly full.

    It was overwhelming.

    And he began to move.

    ¡°Ahh.... Yes, that point...¡±

    Winters knew that she was not the only one that Akim had been with and was thankful that he had gotten enough experience because he was literally blowing her mind right now.

    His thrusts were sure and precise and just when she was gettingfortable, he changed his tactic and hit another angle that made her whimper in pleasure. God, he must have a magic dick or something.

    Akim grabbed her hips and bounced her ording to his thrusts and Winters held onto his shoulder, crying out. Christ Jesus, he was so deep inside of her and the pleasure inside of her continuously built.

    ¡°Fuck, you are so fucking tight!¡± Akim eximed, increasing the pace and she clutched his hair and shoulder, panting like a wanton. It was hard to recognize the woman that she was right now. And then his lips were on her again, devouring and punishing her for God knows what she¡¯d done.

    But at the same time, an orgasm ripped from her throat and she screamed into his mouth, he greedily devoured all of her sounds while her cunt mped around him tight. It was like a dam finally opened and Akim didn¡¯t let go of her, clenching her tight as they rode the orgasm.

    The both of them held on to each other, breathing heavily as if they had run a marathon ¨C which they technically did ¨C their body quaking from the climax. Akim turned and took her face in his hand, the both of them smiling with the knowledge of what they just shared.

    He kissed her again.

    Winters was satisfied.

    Well, that was right before he pulled her down, bent her over the bed, and continued from where they stopped.

    The night was far from over.

 Chapter 633

    633 Come Home

    Something was not right, Arianna could tell when Marcel did not call her until night fell. At first, she had thought that Daniel had done something to him, and her nerves were all over the ce. So she called Winters trying to see if Marcel was with her and going over their ns tomorrow, yet he wasn¡¯t with her.

    Although Winters promised to update her when she gets a grip on him, there was nothing from her side. Arianna would have gone crazy from worry had it not been for Luca who told her that Marcel was fine and that he was merely busy.

    Merely busy?

    Was he fucking kidding her?

    What had Marcel so upied that he couldn¡¯t call her at the flick of a button and assure her that he was okay? She had thought Daniel did something to him?!

    At first, Arianna thought Luca was lying and making the stuff up. What if something really happened to Marcel and they were hiding it from her so she wouldn¡¯t know and do something stupid? However, that doubt was cleared when she saw the call history and its duration.

    Marcel even chatted with Luca to inform her that he was okay, just busy. So yeah, one could understand why Arianna was angry. All this while, she has been calling her boyfriend, trying to see if he was safe from his psychopathic father, but all of her calls only got rejected and some even went to voicemail.

    What was going on with Marcel? Something was wrong, Arianna could feel it deep down in her bones. Marcel doesn¡¯t treat her this way, as if she wasn¡¯t worth his attention. She was always the first to know about his whereabouts because he didn¡¯t want to worry her. But the reverse seems to be the case this time.

    It was almost as if he was punishing her for something she had no idea about. Or perhaps he was merely avoiding her? However, the question was why? Why was he suddenly giving her cold shoulders? Treating her as if she was no longer important to him and he has had enough of his fun?

    .....

    A coldness seeped right into the two hundred and six bones of her body at that thought. It couldn¡¯t be, Arianna refused to believe it. Marcel loved her, he can¡¯t just suddenly decide he doesn¡¯t love her anymore. Emotions don¡¯t work like that, you don¡¯t just switch it on and off at will, and she knew the strong emotions Marcel had for her.

    Then, why? No, what could possibly turn him this way? What made him change all of a sudden? Did he find out about Elijah?

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Arianna gasped loudly cupping her mouth with her palm. She knew that was the only truth Marcel could react to in this manner. Was the truth finally out of the bag?

    However, it didn¡¯t make sense, more like something didn¡¯t add up. Marcel was hot-headed and if he found out that Elijah was Aziz and he had been hiding in his gang for a while, everyone in the base would have known. But then, the whole base was quiet just like every normal day since she¡¯s been here.

    Just like that day when he almost killed Elijah for causing her to faint, Marcel had a temper and he would have dragged the battered Elijah ¨C Marcel would surely beat the living out of him ¨C here to prove to everyone that he captured their nemesis and to spite her. He wouldn¡¯t even listen to her side of the story.

    So no, he hadn¡¯t known the truth yet and that was what she wanted to tell him tonight. Arianna had thought over it and reasoned how betrayed Marcel would feel when he found out everything. She didn¡¯t want such a thing to happen.

    For sure, Marcel would be mad at her, at everything, but it was better they talked and he doesn¡¯t feel she used him to hide her ex-lover. Arianna knew how deceitful the heart was and she wouldn¡¯t want him to ever question what they shared.

    Arianna loved Marcel with every fiber of her being, but him killing Elijah was against her conscience. Elijah wouldn¡¯t even be in this hot mess if he hadn¡¯te looking for her. Mistakes were made and it was time both of them moved on from what happened. It was not toote.

    So Arianna picked up her phone, steadied her heart, and called him once again.

    ¡°Hello, you¡¯ve reached Marcelo. I¡¯m unable to answer the phone right now because I¡¯m busy. Leave your name and number, and I¡¯ll return your call as soon as I¡¯m free. Bye!¡± Her call went straight to voicemail again.

    Arianna decided to record a message, ¡°Marcel, it¡¯s me. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on right now, but avoiding me isn¡¯t going to solve any problem. I really need to speak to you, there are some things I need to tell you. Pleasee home,¡± She pressed the send button and released the breath she had been holding in all this while.

    Now, all she had to do was wait. He would be home soon, Arianna had faith. Unfortunately, there was still no sign of Marcel even at ten in the night and her heart sank. Was he not nning on returning home tonight?

    ¡°You need to eat, Arianna. You have been staring at the front door for hours now,¡± Beatrice told her and set a tray in front of her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating. I don¡¯t have any appetite.¡± Arianna pushed the tray aside. Her stomach was knotted with anxiety and worry that she wasn¡¯t sure that she could force anything down her throat.

    ¡°You still have to eat nheless. Boss would not be happy if anything happens to you....¡± Beatrice sat down next to her, ¡°You might not know this, but aside from Chloe, you are the only family he has left. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between the both of you, but this is the moment you have to be strong the most.¡±

    Perhaps it must be the motherly love in her eyes, but Arianna found herself eating the food even though it tasted like sand in her mouth. All she wanted was for Marcel toe home.

 Chapter 634

    634 Justice For His Mother

    Marcel was devastated. No, he was emotionally wrecked. Every word his father said to him tonight just kept ying in a loop in his mind and wouldn¡¯t stop.

    [Natalie Valeria was my lover]

    [She was the one that I loved]

    [Just like you never wanted to marry ra, I never wanted your mother]

    And the third one was the one that hurt the most.

    Had his mother always known that Daniel never loved her? Had the poor woman known her best friend was the one in her husband¡¯s heart yet endured everything?

    Deep down, Marcel knew that some things didn¡¯t make sense and his father had not told him everything, such as the reason he had faked both of their deaths. He had read it in that newspaper.

    Had the bastard decided to keep both women? More like Natalie. Marcel had a feeling that the only reason his poor mother was kept alive was probably because Daniel knew she was carrying his child.

    Just how did his mother turn up pregnant if Natalie was the woman he loved and wanted to be with? Had Daniel abused his mother? Marcel knew deep down his father was capable of anything.

    .....

    Had his mother lived with the knowledge that she was merely here to serve as his baby maker all these years? Had Daniel been seeing Natalie while his mother suffered?!

    There were just so many questions in his head with limited answers and it was very frustrating. He wanted to know more. Marcel wanted to know how much his mother had suffered in Daniel¡¯s hands, it was tearing him apart to be in the dark! He was bloodthirsty for revenge. He wanted justice for his mother.

    Was Natalie the reason why his mother had to suffer? Marcel wanted something to believe in ¨C someone to me for all of his misfortunes. Had she known everything and yet did nothing while her friend suffered?

    However, from his finding so far, Natalie seems to be running away from that monster too. She shot Daniel and almost took his life. Logic was telling him that the woman doesn¡¯t seem to be guilty, but grief blinded him that he couldn¡¯t see the truth staring right at his face. All Marcel could think about was the fact that he was in love with the daughter of the woman who ruined his mother¡¯s life.

    His mother must be disappointed in him whenever she is right now. He bet that she wasn¡¯t even resting in peace as he previously thought. How could she? After everything that happened.

    Yet even amid the bitterness growing in his heart, Arianna¡¯s beautiful face and her red hair still shed in his mind, and like a ray of sunshine, melting away that bitterness.

    He couldn¡¯t hate her, as much as he wanted to. She was the daughter of that woman that put his mother in that condition yet he couldn¡¯t stop loving her. God, what a pathetic fool he was!

    So Marcel resorted to drinking to drown his sorrow. He was sitting down beside his mother¡¯s gravete at night with empty bottles of alcohol beside him. He was so conflicted and so confused, the guilt inside of him turning him into a sobbing mess.

    A rational part of Marcel told him that he shouldn¡¯t trust all of Daniel¡¯s words and this might as well be his plot to separate him from Arianna. However, with emotions this raw eating him up from the inside, he couldn¡¯t listen. No, Marcel didn¡¯t want to listen. There was no bypassing the truth. He failed his mother.

    He let Chloe be taken away.

    And now, he fell in love with the daughter of that woman. The woman who abandoned his mother and let her live in suffering with Daniel. But then, it wasn¡¯t like there was anything Natalie could do against someone like Daniel. But Marcel shut out the voice of reasoning in his head. ming Natalie for what happened felt much better.

    Drinking thest bottle, Marcel threw himself on the ground, crawled to the front of his mother¡¯s grave, and knelt, crying, ¡°I am sorry. This son of yours is so useless,¡±

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Victor finally found him and ran over to his cousin who was drunk out of his mind. Even at that, Marcel didn¡¯t turn to look at him and only kept crying.

    ¡°Seriously, damn it, man!¡± Victor cursed under his breath as he lifted Marcel to his feet. Between the both of them, Marcel had always been the mature and stronger one, hence it was a huge surprise to see him getting wasted like this. However, whatever happened, Victor knew it was serious and had to do with his mother. Marcel¡¯s only weak point ¨C well, not anymore, with Arianna¡¯s arrival ¨C was his mother.

    It took a lot of effort and time but Victor took him to his ce and cleaned him up. The fool had rolled around in the dust and dirtied himself. By the time Victor was done turning him into a normal human being, Marcel was sober.

    And the first word he said to him after spending his time and energy to make him decent was,

    ¡°I¡¯m returning to the base,¡±

    Of course, no thank you for turning you from the pig you choose to be into a sensible human once again, you¡¯re very much wee!

    Every effort Victor made to know what was going on with him proved abortive. Marcel wouldn¡¯t open up and so he let him go. Until Marcel was ready to talk, he wouldn¡¯t get anything from him.

    Marcel was back to his senses by the time he arrived at the base and it was two at night. He knew Arianna was asleep by now, which made it all better because he was not ready to face her. But then, there she was on the sofa when he stepped into the living room and his heart skipped a beat.

    The position she was lying in was ufortable, but Marcel hardened his heart, she was the one who decided toy there so it wasn¡¯t his business. However, he didn¡¯t take two steps further before he retraced his step and went over to the sofa and picked her up.

    Marcel refused to look at her as he took her to her room. She was the daughter of that woman and doesn¡¯t deserve his empathy. He got into her room and was about to ce her on the bed when Arianna finally stirred and woke up.

    Damn it.

    ¡°M-Marcel?¡± Arianna croaked, surprised to see him. She got off his body at once and began to examine him, ¡°Seriously, do you know how worried I was -¡± That was when she noticed something was off.

    Arianna stared at his face, his eyes were red and swollen. Her brows furrowed at once, ¡°Marcel, what happened to -¡±

    Marcel crushed his lips on hers and kissed her hard.

    Honestly, he only wanted to shut her up so she didn¡¯t ask any questions, but when Marcel started, he couldn¡¯t stop anymore. He wanted more. He needed her to cure the aching pain in his heart.

    That night, Arianna let Marcel have his way with her and though he was rough and hurt her unintentionally at a point, she still didn¡¯tin and endured it all. She had a feeling that something was wrong with Marcel and if having her body would make him feel better. Then so be it. She let him dominate and take everything he wanted from her.

 Chapter 635

    635 What was wrong with Marcel?

    ¡°W-what?¡± He woke up confused.

    What has he done?

    Marcel asked when he saw Arianna sleeping soundly beside him, arms wrapped around his waist securely and she was naked. That made his brows furrow, he didn¡¯t remember getting into bed with her.

    Nheless, a small smile curved his lips when he saw the way she cuddled around him like a jealous cat who didn¡¯t want to share his owner with another ¨C and she said he was possessive.

    Marcel reached out, about to remove her red locks from her face and his memories fromst night resurfaced, making him wince in pain. His head was throbbing, just what in the world had he donest night?

    However, all of his memories returned and his hand reaching for Arianna froze in the air. Marcel instantly withdrew his hand, and the next he was carefully untangling himself from her so he doesn¡¯t wake her. He couldn¡¯t deal with her right now, Marcel was sure of that.

    He picked up his clothes from the ground where they were littered and only put on his trousers and left the room else she woke up. However, the moment he stepped out of the room, he almost bumped into Winters.

    ¡°Just where I thought you would be,¡± Wintersmented, looking him all over with her arms ced firmly on her waist, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, asshole? Do you know how much Arianna was worried about youst night and you even had the nerve to tell me to fuck off?¡±

    Winters was one of the few people who could talk to Marcel that way without fear of being killed. But then everything had a limit and Marcel kind of deserved it for being shittyst night. However, Marcel¡¯s head was killing him and she was being too loud right now.

    .....

    ¡°Can we talk about thatter,¡± Marcel groaned, rubbing his temple to relieve the pain. Hangovers were bitchy and he had a feeling that Victor intentionally didn¡¯t feed him a drugst night to counter the effects. That cousin of his was a real definition of a masochist.

    [In Victor¡¯s defense, Marcel didn¡¯t exactly thank him for helping him out yesterday. In one word, beggars are not choosers.]

    ¡°Damn, you look like shit,¡± Winters observed him, ¡°In this state, are you sure you could pull off the mission tonight?¡±

    Bam.

    That was when Marcel remembered he shouldn¡¯t have been drinking because he dad rescuing Chloe today. His mind needed to be clear and he was supposed to be fit. Just what has he been thinking.

    ¡°I need coffee,¡± He said gruffly, already moving ahead when Winters said,

    ¡°I¡¯ll see Arianna then.¡±

    Marcel moved as swiftly as the wind when he grabbed Winter¡¯s arm and stopped her from touching the doorknob. Winters gasped with a startle, looking at Marcel with a bit of shock. What was wrong with him?

    ¡°What?¡± She breathed, confused.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother her,¡± The hardened look in his eyes told Winters that he wasn¡¯t joking.

    ¡°O-okay?¡± Winters lifted her free hand in surrender, ¡°You can let go of my hand now,¡± She reminded him that he was gripping her arm quite tightly if she might add.

    Marcel let go of her arm with a jerk as if he too was shocked at his action. The moment Winters reached for that knob, his heart almost jumped out of his chest and the one thought that came to his head was that she was about to wake Arianna and he just reacted.

    He had stressed Ariannast night and she needed all the rest that she could get nor was he ready to face her. He was rescuing his sister today and he needed his head in the game. So there was no way he was about to open up to Arianna and tell her that her mother was the reason his mother got maltreated during her marriage to his father.

    Marcel was not sure Arianna was ready to handle the news either and that emotional turmoil was not what he needed right now. Perhaps, he would tell her the whole truth another day, not today. He would figure out how to go about everything then.

    Winters shook her head, staring at Marcel pitifully, ¡°You are a real piece of work and you¡¯re lucky to have someone like Arianna to deal with it.¡± She tsked and left him.

    Marcel stood at the spot, conflicted. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He turned to stare at the door and at war with himself ¨C he needed her and at the same, wanted to be away from her. With a frustrated growl, he left for his room where he washed up and prepared for the important day.

    He returned to the meeting room where his cousin Victor was already waiting for him with a cup of steaming coffee and Marcel¡¯s face fell.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that excited to see me, cousin?¡± Victor greeted him with that usual smile that told Marcel if his cousin ever switched to the dark side and became his enemy, then he was truly fucked.

    ¡°Not now, Victor,¡± Marcel told him, going inside.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even want your coffee, darkly roasted as you always wanted it,¡± Victor tempted him.

    And Marcel halted in his step, baited already. He turned around and took the coffee from Victor and stopped.

    ¡°How do I know that you didn¡¯t add something to this coffee?¡± He gave his cousin a suspicious look, there was just something off about him today.

    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Victor gave him a charming smile, ¡°You don¡¯t know, you just take it and wait for the moment you die,¡±

    ¡°Haha, funny,¡± Marcelughed sarcastically before swallowing down the whole content of his coffee and waited for a few minutes. Nothing happened.

    ¡°That was not funny,¡± He said to Victor.

    ¡°Neither was your drama yesterday, funny. Soe on, open up, bro, or I might end up visiting your beloved father and finding out the truth myself. And you of all people know that it¡¯s only going to end up, ugly. ¡± Victor was deadly serious.

 Chapter 636

    636 I will Be Back

    Music Rmendation:- Arcade:- Duncan Laurence ft Fletcher

    ____________

    She was alone, that was the first thought that came to Arianna¡¯s mind the instant she woke up. It was not a dream, Arianna was sure that she had been with Marcelst night else the soreness in between her legs would not be there.

    Hence, the instant she saw the empty bed, her heart missed a beat because she knew instinctively that Marcel left again. Arianna at once jumped off the bed and almost ran out of the room until she remembered at thest minute that she was naked.

    There was no time to waste, so without thinking much, Arianna pulled the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around her body as she went in search of Marcel

    ¡°Marcel?! Marcel?! Where are you?! Marcel?!¡± Arianna shouted like a mad woman as she searched around for him. She drew quite an attention because the guards wondered what was going on.

    This was the first time they were seeing such a scene y out. Why was the bossdy suddenly searching for the boss? The smart ones already had a feeling there was trouble in paradise. They must have fought or something.

    When Arianna didn¡¯t find Marcel in his room and at his usual hangouts, tears began to run down her face. She couldn¡¯t understand. Why was Marcel doing this to her? Why was he treating her this way? Doesn¡¯t he love her anymore?

    Arianna couldn¡¯t take it anymore and just sat down on the bare ground, outside. Thest ce she had visited was Samson¡¯s den, and yet there was no sign of him. Through all of this, Arianna was barefooted because she never thought that she would reach the outside in her search for Marcel.

    .....

    Pushing her knees up to her chest, Arianna wrapped her arms around herself and began to cry. What was she going to do now? What if this was truly over? She thought Marcel¡¯s feelings for her were real, what if it had been a hoax all this while? How was she going to pick up the pieces of her life now?

    She had been so enamored with Marcel that she practically depended on him for everything. The critical question was, would Marcel even let her go? Seeing that he hasn¡¯t captured Elijah yet, would he show her his true color now that his games were over and he had his fun? Elijah was right, she was nothing but a prison here.

    But then he had been hurtingst night, Arianna had seen it in his eyes. What if something was making him turn out this way? Arianna refused to believe that someone would just change overnight. Her heart refused to give up on Marcel like that. Or maybe she was just being stupid, she cried harder.

    ¡°Arianna?!¡±

    ¡°Arianna?!¡±

    At first, it had sounded distant and in her imagination, but when she heard her name again, Arianna lifted her head buried on her knees where she was bawling her eyes out and saw him.

    ¡°M-Marcel?¡± She choked. ¡°Marcel?!¡± Her voice became firmer and she pushed up to her feet, already sighted him, and ran in his direction.

    Marcel was running too, hence the both of them met halfway and Arianna threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight, unwilling to let him go. If Arianna had been crying before, then it would be called an outburst this time as she let out all of her emotions.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?!¡± She wailed loudly, ¡°I thought that you left me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I was a fool, ¡± Marcel apologized profusely. The guilt was gnawing at him, he never meant to hurt her like this. As much as Marcel was going through a deep emotional ordeal, he couldn¡¯t erase his feelings for her. No matter how much he felt she deserved to suffer a little, to feel a bit of what his mother had gone through, he still couldn¡¯t afford to see Arianna get hurt. Yeah, she was his weakness and fate was really cruel.

    Thanks to the fact Arianna was almost traumatized by Marcel¡¯s behavior, even after Marcel managed to calm her down, she wouldn¡¯t let go of him and held on tightly. There was still that fear deep down that if she let go, Marcel was going to go back to that cold, apathetic bastard she metst night. So she held onto him.

    Thanks to him being captive, Marcel had no other choice but to carry her back to her room. She needed to brush and take her bath yet Arianna made no move of letting him go. Hence, Marcel had no choice but to trail after her like a royal puppy and watched as she brushed, their hands tightly intertwined.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m not going anyway,¡± Marcelmented when Arianna was ready to have her bathe. She needed to do this alone because Marcel couldn¡¯t trust himself around her, especially not when she was naked right in front of him.

    She was serving herself to him like a fucking present and it wasn¡¯t even his birthday. Yet Arianna wouldn¡¯t listen and he ended up helping to bathe her ¨C and of course with a little bit of lovemaking here and there.

    In the end, Marcel and Ariannay down on the bed quietly, wrapped around each other intimately. None of them said a word to each other for nearly an hour, just enjoying the peaceful intimacy that both of them knew wasn¡¯t going tost.

    Marcel raised himself on his elbow and leaned over her. He was the first to say, ¡°I need to go, Arianna,¡±

    Arianna sprang up at once, disappointment in her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re leaving me again?¡±

    ¡°No, I need to prepare, it¡¯s almost midday and there are a lot of things to take care of before sundown.¡± He exined to her.

    ¡°No, take me with you.¡± Arianna was ready to go with him

    ¡°I can¡¯t, you¡¯re much safer here, Arianna and Luca is here to look after you.¡±

    ¡°Marcel...¡± Arianna pleaded, tears filling her eyes. She was scared. Truly scared that everything was about to go downhill.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Marcel cupped her face, determination in h it s eyes, ¡°I will be back, Arianna. Moreover, I have a lot to tell you anyway. However, I need to get Chloe, together, all of us will be a family. Nothing would separate us again.¡± He promised her.

 Chapter 637

    637 Their n

    ¡°I will be back soon, honey!¡± Nahid, the art curator and an invitee to the birthday party at Spencer¡¯s residence was on a call with his wife who did not return to the country with him. She was heavily pregnant with their baby and it was too risky to move her at this point.

    ¡°Yes, yes, once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll take the next flight and return home to see you okay? I won¡¯t miss our baby¡¯s first time in this world,¡± He assured her. ¡°Yeah, I love you too, baby. Muah! See you when I¡¯m back.¡±

    There was a satisfied smile on his face when he ended the call and slipped the phone into his front pocket, only for his eyes to connect with the driver through the rearview mirror. There was a cringe look on the man¡¯s face and thanks to that, Nahid could tell that he had heard all of his conversation with his wife.

    He began to exin, ¡°That was my wife on the line with me, she¡¯s pregnant with our baby boy and in her ninth month already. I can¡¯t wait to go back to her, that is why I will be taking the next flight out of this country after the party¡¯s over,¡±

    Nahid covered up the awkwardness with a chuckle because the driver was not even reacting to his conversation.

    If anything the man looked as if he was bored and the fact he never asked for any of the details.

    Fine, he would stop being talkative and mind his own business. It was his fault for even talking in the first ce, but he thought that since he was with the driver all alone, they could chill and get to know each other ¨C it makes the journey less lonely and awkward. But Nahid guessed he would mind his business now.

    How did he even get this driver? Oh yes, it was the closest he could hire for the day since there wasn¡¯t enough time to sort through eligible and socially friendly drivers. And the dude was old, he thought old people were fun to be with ¨C and probably understood his condition.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± The old man suddenly spoke up to his surprise.

    .....

    ¡°Huh,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m short-sighted and I need to concentrate on the road else we get into an ident.¡±

    The moment the old man said those words, Nahid¡¯s eyes grew to the size of saucers and he instantly drew closer to stare at the man¡¯s face and he wasn¡¯t wearing any sses.

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t on your resume! ¡°Nahid screamed in fear,¡± If you¡¯re short-sighted, why are you not wearing any sses?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m hearing medicated lenses, duh,¡± He chuckled. ¡°Oh,¡± He suddenly said, ¡°I think they just rolled to the back of my eyes,¡± The old man tilted his head back as if trying to find out which part of his eye where the lenses had slipped to, his attention no longer on the road.

    Nahid saw that and screamed, he was going to die! No, he was not going to see his baby boy anymore! All because of the damn driver he hired! He was still screaming when the driver suddenly drove off the road and went into the street.

    ¡°Wait! Wait! That isn¡¯t the way! Where are you taking me?¡±

    The old man turned and said to him, nonchntly, ¡°Completing my mission, duh,¡±

    ¡°What mission,¡± Nahid gulped, having a sense of premonition.

    ¡°Kidnapping you.¡± He winked at him.

    Oh no, that was not happening.

    The doors on both sides were suddenly yanked open from the outside and two men stepped in and held him hostage before he could react. Nahid struggled all he could, but they overpowered him and one of them pressed a drugged rag to his nose. Soon, he passed out.

    One of the men sighed, staring at the old man in disbelief, ¡°The poor man¡¯s as pale as a vampire, do you have to scare him like that?¡±

    ¡°My jokes never get old, duh.¡± The old manughed at him loudly, almost, maniacally. It¡¯s been a long time since he got to use his joke on somebody.

    These people were no other than the ones Marcel had sent to intercept Nahid on his way to Reina¡¯s ce. They were to get the man to their boss and so, they drove to where Marcel was waiting for them and they arrived at the property safely. No one was going to discover that Nahid was missing until the party was over.

    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Wintersmented as soon as they all came into the room and one of them had the target on his shoulder, dropping him on a chair. She was already runningte for her nanny job and that made her kind of irritable.

    Since when did she even begin to care about her nanny duties? Herputers were the only ones she had shown such dedication to. Well, not anymore.

    ¡°Well, me the old man who drove slowly because he was worried about his short-sightedness and didn¡¯t want to get into any ident, nor would he let others with better sight take the wheels. It¡¯s his job, he imed. ¡± taunted the man who dropped Nahid on the chair.

    The old man merely shrugged innocently.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even short-sighted, not that I know of,¡± His other partnerined.

    ¡°I¡¯m old, the disease is inevitable,¡± The old man said in his defense.

    ¡°Would you all stop bickering and wake him up for me, I need his voice!¡± Wintersmanded them without an ounce of fear in her eyes even though they were all taller and stronger than her ¨C and could crush her windpipe in one grip.

    ¡°Alright, princess,¡± said the first man and without hesitation, punched Nahid right in the face and he woke up instantly, crying out,

    ¡°Aww, my jaw!¡±

    However, it happened that Winters pressed a small device close to him at that moment and when his voice was captured, she said sweetly, ¡°That is all I need, thank you.¡±

    She turned to herputer to do her magic while the men returned Nahid to sleep and tied him up else he escaped and ruined their n for the night.

 Chapter 638

    638 All Clear

    ¡°I¡¯m done, boss,¡± The make-up artist said, stepping away as Marcel finally opened his eyes and stared at therge wall mirror right in front of him.

    Wonderful was the first word that came to his mind when he stared at his reflection in the mirror. It wasn¡¯t him, yet at the same time, it was him. The mask was so hyper-realistic that not even Arianna could recognize him without being told that it was him.

    Marcel felt invincible, protected. He was hiding underyers of skin that no one could predict that it was him. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was the same way Elijah felt. Because his identity was protected, did he feel so powerful enough that he thought he was invincible and could do whatever he wanted without the fear of being caught, because it sure felt like one.

    Hiding beneath this mask gave some sort of power that Marcel too was tempted to use. However, that was the huge difference between him and Elijah. While the asshole was too cowardly to show his face and own up to his actions, Marcel was not ashamed of his identity, nor would he run like a coward. Once this was over, he was getting rid of this mask. It was not like him.

    The figure sleeping by the side drew his attention and he found out that it was no other than Nahid himself. The artist must have brought him here to proof check his work and looking at him now, there was no difference between the both of them facially. The artist did quite a great work ¨C if only Marcel knew that Elijah does his makeup by himself.

    However, based on statute and body weight, Marcel was taller and while Nahid was lean, Marcel was ripped and bulkier. But then, no one should bother him much since he was merely an art curator and many much more important personalities should be at the party. Nahid had been away for a year and must have gained weight by then, that was the story. Marcel knew the person he should avoid at all costs was Reina who knows him to an extent.

    ¡°Keep him safe,¡± Marcel spoke only to be startled at how his voice turned out, only to remember that he was wearing Winter¡¯s voice alterer beneath his clothes. In one word, anything he says would sound like Nahid as far as he wore the device around his neck, which he did.

    Marcel had substituted his typical white button-up for a turtle neck to up his style game and as well hide the device. That means no dancing for him since any woman can feel the device around his neck, not that he intended to dance with any woman except the needes up. Arianna would surely interrogate him once this was over and he still needed his balls to function after this.

    In one word, Marcel looked super dapper in his ck turtleneck and camel-colored cross-hatched suit while also being incredibly cozy andfortable. He didn¡¯t have to wear a tie that he would tug at relentlessly throughout the night, nor does he have to tuck in his shirt which also means not having to wear a belt.

    .....

    In one word, whether in a mask or not, Marcel looked simple yet ssic and elegant, he pulled off the turtleneck exquisitely. There was just this air around that people couldn¡¯t resist and hopefully, all of the women tonight leaves him alone.

    ¡°Make sure no harmes to him,¡± Marcel told the guard he had kept in charge of Nahid and at the same time, testing the device. Once he was done with his role-ying tonight and got what he wanted, he would return safely to his family.

    He then left the property and entered the car where the old man was waiting for him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Fetus,¡± Marcel said and they entered the car and left.

    Fetus was one of the oldest members in the gang, having served his grandfather when he was quite a young boy, and has been royal to every chosen don since then. Although he has retired, the man likes to get into action every and now.

    And do not estimate the man because of his age, he was a badass driver when ites to getaways ¨C whenever he¡¯s in the mood. Marcel just hopes he was right in entrusting his life in his hands. He heard the man has problems with his eyesight.

    However, that was the reason why Marcel was nervous. He had gotten feedback from Winters who had arrived at the party before him to assume her role of babysitter. She has confirmed that his sister was at the party and even sent a photo of her as proof.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he saw the photo. It was just months since heid his eyes on her but his baby sister had grown quite tall, she was almost a woman now. It was all his fault and he would make it up to her when he gets her back.

    That was another reason why Marcel couldn¡¯t fuck this mission up, this was his one chance to get his sister back without meeting face-to-face with Sakuzi and Nius. By the time they would realize what was going on, he would be gone with his sister and there was nothing they could do.

    ¡°Do not make any move, Winters. Leave her to me.¡± Marcel had instructed her. He was the only one that could Chloe to return home with him and any other attempt from other people mightplicate things.

    It took Marcel an hour to arrive at the venue and he took a deep breath once they came at the gate where Sakuzi¡¯s men stood guard.

    ¡°Invitation?¡± One ordered and Fetus handed the card over to him while the others checked him and his car.

    Marcel stayed calm and did not show any sign of nervousness and a minuteter, he heard,

    ¡°All clear,¡±

    They let them pass through.

    Marcel released the breath he had been holding in. They were in.

 Chapter 639

    639 Under The Moonlight

    ¡°Chloe!¡±

    Winters¡¯ attention was drawn the instant she heard that name. She turned to see the kids surrounding the girl who seemed to be around the age of fourteen and matched every description that Marcel gave her.

    She was here, Winters expelled the breath that she had been holding in. Now that it was confirmed that Chloe was at the party, all they had to do was follow the ns and make sure it went well.

    With the children distracted, Winters secretly took a photo of her and sent it to Marcel right away with the caption,

    [Target secured]

    Minutester, her phone pinged with a message

    [She¡¯s my sister, not a target]

    Ugh, whatever. As far as they were on a mission, Chloe remained a target to her until they got her out of here, and then, she would be Marcel¡¯s babysitter to her. Marcel was just being grumpytely.

    Another message came,

    .....

    [Do not tell her anything, leave her be. I¡¯ll be there soon and handle everything myself. Just keep an eye on her.]

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll keep an eye on her. That¡¯s my job anyway, a babysitter,¡± Winters muttered under her breath sarcastically.

    ¡°What¡¯s your job, baby?¡±

    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Winters almost jumped out of her skin. She ced her hand on her chest while secretly slipping the phone into her pocket. She said to him, ¡°Someone should definitely ce a bell on you.¡± She didn¡¯t even hear hime in.

    ¡°If that someone is you, I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Akim smiled, leaning down to kiss her and Winters opened up to him, nearly deepening the kiss until she remembered that there were kids in the house ¨C and Reina was going to kill them.

    The both of them pulled apart,ughing awkwardly. The blush on their faces proved that they remembered yesterday night and how wonderful the sex had been.

    ¡°You are not dressed for the party,¡± Akim noted, staring at her appearance.

    ¡°Dressed for the party?¡± She looked at him, ¡°I don¡¯t understand?¡±

    Akim sighed dramatically, looking at her with disbelief. He said to her, ¡°I knew this was going to happen and that was why I made ns already.¡±

    ¡°You made ns?¡± Winters tugged the strands away from her face, ¡°Aren¡¯t I supposed to babysit and take care of the girls? I didn¡¯t know that I was permitted to party too?¡±

    ¡°Well, who said that you can¡¯t babysit and party at the same time? Moreover, I¡¯m here...¡± He pointed to his chest confidently, ¡°And I would make sure we go through it together,¡±

    Aww, he was so romantic, Winters swoon mentally. He was the best boyfriend in the world and she wasn¡¯t saying that just because he was her boyfriend, Akim deserved it.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go. You should see your dress, you are going to love it.¡± He ced both hands on her shoulder and was about to move her when Winters shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±

    Akim halted at once, looking confused.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± He swallowed nervously, ¡°Do you not like the idea that I bought you a dress? Well, it¡¯s alright, I should have asked for your permission first. I just thought that I would surprise you.¡±

    The crestfallen look on Akim¡¯s face brought out the protective instinct inside of her. He looked like a sweet, abandoned dog with puppy eyes. Damn it, why did she have to look at him? Of all the boyfriends in the world that she could have, she had to choose one that made her weak.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not you.¡± She exined to him, ¡°I was meaning to ask, who¡¯s the young girl?¡± Winters intentionally pointed at Chloe. She wanted to know if Akim knew of the girl¡¯s real identity.

    He lifted his head and followed the direction of her hand, ¡°Oh her?¡± Akim said, ¡°She is Reina¡¯s guest and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if my aunt decides to adopt her at the end of the day.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Winters muttered, lost in her thoughts. So the real question was if Reina was willing to adopt her knowing full well that she was Marcel¡¯s sister. Or perhaps it was all Akim¡¯s assumption.

    ¡°Yeah. Really. By the way, why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Winters was roused from her thoughts. ¡°I was just wondering if I would have to keep my eyes on her as well,¡± She quickly thought of an excuse.

    ¡°Probably. But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯d do it together. Now, let¡¯s go,e check out your dress.¡± Akim pulled her away when she should be watching over Chloe and her movements. Marcel was definitely going to kill her when he found out.

    Akim had not been kidding about the dress, it was a lovelyvender maxi dress. The woven poly shapes a pleated, surplice bodice, fitted waist, and cascading maxi skirt. The dress also had adjustable straps and a hidden back zipper. The cherry on the top, Winters wore it with sneakers, thanks to the fact she wouldn¡¯t survive on heels while taking care of the ruly kids and Akim was totally in support.

    How did she even get such a lovely boyfriend? Winters knew that she didn¡¯t deserve him and it was heartbreaking that she would have to leave him after tonight. She didn¡¯t mean to hurt him, you know, not after his bad experience in his rtionship. But there are some things she couldn¡¯t control and their separation was inevitable.

    Perhaps, if she had taken on a different career, they would have been together and dated as normal people do. Knowing this might be thest time she would be close to Akim like this, Winters never left his side while keeping an eye on the kids at the same time. They talked and he introduced her to some of the guests at the party.

    He took her to the dance floor and they slowly danced, enjoying every minute that they could spend together until she felt her phone ring in her purse, and Winters got reminded of the reason why she was here today. She looked in the direction where she had left the kids and Diego and Chloe were missing.

    Oh no.

    ¡°The kids are gone,¡±

    Winters broke apart from the dance and stomped over to E and Elsa, ¡°Where is Diego?!¡± She demanded.

    But the silly snickers from the kids told her that she was not getting any answer from them anytime soon. Whatever that had nned, they were all in it together.

    She turned to Akim, ¡°Keep your eyes on them, I¡¯ll go find the others.¡± Winters left to resume her search.

    She lost Chloe, Marcel was going to kill her, that was the thought in Winters¡¯s head as she searched around for them. There were too many people and arge ground to cover, leaving Winters nearly frustrated.

    It wasn¡¯t until Winters got to the children¡¯s yground, that she finally saw them. It was the two of them, Diego and Chloe, and they were seated on the swing all alone.

    Winters was about to call out their names when before her very eyes, she saw the kids kiss under the moonlight and her jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Winters breathed shakily, still not believing what she was seeing. She should have known! But then, Chloe and Diego? Marcel was definitely going to flip.

    Being inws with the Spencers and Sakuzi was not in his ns.

 Chapter 640

    640 Get Out Of Here

    ¡°Be quiet and invisible,¡± was Marcel¡¯s motto for the night as he intentionally got lost in the crowd; he couldn¡¯t draw attention. It wasn¡¯t hard to spot Reina and her daughter, Isabe, both of them were the center of attention and were receiving congrattions from the important guests that graced the asion.

    Her husband Nius was by her side and Marcel almost hid his face until he remembered that he was wearing a mask and to the outsiders, he was Nahid curator, the art curator.

    ¡°Nahid!¡±

    Oh no.

    Marcel almost jumped out of his skin when he heard that name, didn¡¯t Winters say that he was Reina¡¯s art curator? It didn¡¯t hit Marcel that his services weren¡¯t limited to Reina alone and there would be other of his clients in attendance of his clients. He should have avoided all of them, not Reina alone. It¡¯s not like he had made a list or something!

    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t avoid this conversation without being suspicious, Marcel turned around with a charming smile, ¡°Hello, beautiful Mrs.¡± Marcel decided to tter her since he doesn¡¯t know her name. Had he known, he would have asked Winters to filter the guest list and check the guest who knew Nahid.

    ¡°Nahid, is that you?¡± The woman squealed,ing closer to touch his arms, ¡°Oh my God, did you get a steroid injection or something during your time away?¡± She inquired, feeling his arms.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know Nahid¡¯s rtionship with this woman, but he wasn¡¯tfortable with her touching him ¨C at least she didn¡¯t notice the fact he didn¡¯t call her by her name. Thanks a lot, distracting arms.

    ¡°Yes, I decided to go for a lifestyle change,¡± Marcelughed awkwardly while releasing her arm at the same time.

    .....

    ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t mind, I have a lot of things to do, my dear,¡± Marcel assumed that the real Nahid was polite with all of his clients. Nahid was a family man and probably didn¡¯t fool around with his clients right? Marcel seriously hoped so.

    Marcel barely made it five steps when in his haste to escape the woman, he bumped into another person and the drink nearly spilled on her dress. Thank God, it didn¡¯t. He knew how sensitive women were to appearance.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± He began to apologize to her.

    ¡°Were you blind or what?!¡± The woman retorted, ring at him, ¡°Can¡¯t you see ¨C Nahid?¡±

    Oh no, kill him now.

    ¡°Is that you, Nahid?¡± The voluptuous woman gasped slightly when Marcel lifted his head to look at her with a nervous smile which turned out to be a lopsided grin that only made him hotter in her sight.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, the one and only, Nahid,¡± Marcel announced, happily?

    ¡°God!¡± She eximed, looking at him so intensely that Marcel did not doubt that she had mentally undressed him.

    Marcel recognized that look anytime and anywhere and perhaps in the past, the old him would have taken advantage of this opportunity to have all the fun he wanted, but he was no longer the same person. He has changed and he has Arianna now. No other woman couldpare to her in his sight.

    Moreover, Marcel was here to rescue his sister, not fuck around. However, one thing was for sure, Nahid does have extramarital affairs with his clients and if that were the case, it does sucks for Marcel.

    No wonder all of his clients could recognize him and now Marcel couldn¡¯t tell who he was supposed to be casual and polite to without being suspicious. He needed to find Chloe and get the hell out of here before all of this blew up in his face.

    ¡°I knew that you were delicious previously, but right now, you are just so tantalizing,¡± She licked her upper lips to emphasize her point.

    Eww, Marcel almost gagged. And yep, Nahid definitely did this woman. He had to tread carefully here.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs...¡± He did not know her name.

    ¡°Felicity. Just felicity, ¡± She filled him in without hesitation,ing closer to touch his arm.

    Marcel frowned at the gesture, what was with these women and his arms today? Thank God, he had note with Arianna.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you forget me so soon,¡± She made effort to be seductive, but it did not affect Marcel at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Felicity, but I am a changed man and I have decided to concentrate on my family now,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t even know why he was making efforts to save the man¡¯s ruined dignity.

    ¡°Ohe on, I know you, Nahid and you don¡¯t -¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± A man stepped between them making Marcel¡¯s heart race. The situation was spiraling out of control.

    ¡°Hi, honey,¡± The woman felicity said, releasing Marcel¡¯s arms and going to lean on her husband¡¯s side.

    And yep, she was married, great! Marcel didn¡¯t know what to feel. The next time he was taking up someone¡¯s identity, he would make sure to check their personal life as well.

    ¡°I was just talking about how Nahid changed so much,¡± She said to her husband and the man with a drink in his hand, nced up at Marcel.

    ¡°This is Nahid?¡± He had a look of disbelief, ¡°Wonders shall never end.¡±

    Yes, wonders shall never end indeed. HE NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION!

    ¡°How did you change so easily? Thest time I checked, you were sonky I thought the wind would carry you away whenever you moved,¡± Heughed and for some reason, something told Marcel that Nahid wasn¡¯t exactly on good terms with this man. By chance, did the man know Nahid and his wife had an affair?

    ¡°Stop being sarcastic, Joe,¡± Felicity rolled her eyes toward heaven.

    Thank you Felicity for giving him her husband¡¯s name, Marcel was eternally grateful.

    He said to both husband and wife with a smile that didn¡¯t touch his eyes, ¡°Well, thank you Joe and Felicity for your hospitality,¡± Marcel excused himself, the smile vanishing from his face as he moved with determination.

    He pulled out his phone and called Winters right away, he wanted to get the hell out of here with his sister right now!

 Chapter 641

    641 Marcel Was All She Knows

    ¡°Where are you right now?!¡± Marcel growled into the phone after Winters finally picked up. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that people were all around, his voice would have gone a tad bit higher. But then, he couldn¡¯t draw attention to himself ¨C his character, Nahid has done enough of that already.

    ¡°Come to the yground now,¡± Winters instructed him.

    ¡°The yground?¡± Marcel thought about it. Good thing he had the map of the house in his head else that would been extra time wasted in searching for the yground.

    At that moment a toast was being made to Isabe¡¯s children hence not many people saw him slip out of there. Marcel strode with determination to the yground, he had waited a long time for this moment and was not going to let anythinge between him and his sister tonight. He was taking Chloe home and no one was going to stop him.

    By the time Marcel got to the yground, he saw Winters and Chloe in some sort of heated argument and he knew instinctively that Winters had let the cat out of the bag.

    ¡°I told you not to tell her anything until I arrive,¡± Marcel reminded her as he approached them.

    There was that stubborn tick in Chloe¡¯s jaw when she turned, upon noticing his presence and Marcel just halted in his step, staring at his sister as he was ovee with emotion. Chloe had grown taller over the months that she hadn¡¯t been with him. She looked different even though she felt the same ¨C Puberty did her good.

    ¡°I had no choice, she wanted to leave with her boy...¡± Winters quickly rephrased her statement when she realized what she revealed, ¡°Your sister wanted to leave with Reina¡¯s son, so I did my best to keep her here and that meant telling her that her brother¡¯sing for her.¡±

    Chloe looked at Winters with a dumbfounded expression. She said to her, ¡°I should have known something was strange about you when you wouldn¡¯t stop stealing nces at me .¡±

    .....

    She continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is the both of you are up to, but I can recognize my brother even with my eyes closed and if you were sent by uncle Daniel to bring me back to that hell hole, then I assure you that you¡¯re in for a loss. Because the moment Reina realizes that I¡¯m missing, you¡¯re all in trouble. I¡¯m protected here and you can not do anything to me, you fake nanny! ¡± She used her Winters.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Winters feigned hurt, her hand pressed on her chest dramatically, ¡°Upon all of my sacrifices,¡± She was having fun.

    ¡°Winters,¡± Marcel warned her and she backed off, reluctantly. He then faced his sister, ¡°Chloe?¡± Marcel tried to reach for her, but she took a step back.

    She scoffed, ¡°Is Daniel suffering from schizophrenia that he thinks that I don¡¯t recognize my brother anymore? I warn you, if you don¡¯t let me go this instant, I¡¯ll scream and let everyone know what you¡¯re up to.¡± Chloe didn¡¯t trust them.

    The both of you should have tried harder, I know what my brother looks like and you¡¯re not him. Nor did you sound like him either.¡± She pointed out the w in their n.

    ¡°Oh,¡± That was when Marcel realized that he had been using Nahid¡¯s voice all along. No wonder she had that big look of suspicion on her face, smart girl. Marcel was proud of her safety consciousness.

    He instantly turned off the device and said in his normal voice, ¡°It¡¯s me, Chloe,¡± startling the girl.

    Chloe¡¯s eyes were wide with shock and she narrowed her gaze at him. If this was a new trick, she was not falling for it.

    ¡°I know it looks strange with the face and all, but I¡¯m wearing a mask and I can¡¯t take it off because that¡¯s the only way I can get you out of here. But it¡¯s me, Marcel, your brother.¡±

    Chloe looked at Marcel, unsure. His voice was real and she wanted to believe him, but she had been tricked so many times by Daniel that she didn¡¯t know what to believe anymore.

    ¡°Fine,¡± She said, ¡°If you¡¯re truly Marcel, tell me one thing only Marcel would only know about me?¡± She tested him.

    Marcel¡¯s mouth opened and closed speechlessly because he had not seen that oneing.

    ¡°Well?¡± Chloe was bing impatient. If they were bad people, she needed to get out of here.

    Marcel took a deep breath andposed himself. Holding her gaze, he went on to say,

    ¡°The Chloe I know has a star-shaped mole on her butt cheeks and she thinks it¡¯s embarrassing while I think it¡¯s adorable. When you were little, because I was your only friend, you thought it was right to stand and pee as a girl because you copied me as a kid and that was the hardest habit to break. Because you loved braiding hair, I had to grow out my hair once just so you could have fun, braiding mine.

    ¡°The hardest decision I ever had to make was leaving you behind when mother died. I was grieving and didn¡¯t stop to think that you were hurting the same way and you were just a child. But then, we were all kids and we didn¡¯t deserve to go through all of that without a parent by our side. However, Chloe, I¡¯m most sorry for letting Daniel take you and I promise you that it¡¯s never going to happen again. I swore on our mother¡¯s name, I would take care of you just as I promised mother. ¡± He said.

    ¡°Brother!¡± Chloe didn¡¯t hesitate to throw herself into Marcel¡¯s arms. It was confirmed now that he was her brother. Only Marcel would know all of that stuff about her. To be honest, Marcel was not just a brother to her, he was almost a parent to her. Aside from the pictures, Chloe could not even remember what Penelope looked like anymore.

    Marcel was all she knows.

 Chapter 642

    642 Marcel Needs Someone By His Side

    ¡°Marcel,e and take a look at your new sister,¡± Penelope urged her son who stared hostilely at the little kid sitting on herp and sucking her hand.

    What does his mother mean by a new sister? He doesn¡¯t remember his mother being pregnant for even a day, so how could he have a sister out of nowhere ¨C neither was he ready to share his mother¡¯s attention with that ugly thing.

    The closest Marcel came was the edge of the bed while ring at the innocent young girl who kept grinning at him.

    Was she stupid or what? Marcel couldn¡¯t understand why she kept smiling at him when he was being friendly with her. He doesn¡¯t want that dumb thing by his side.

    ¡°Come on, she doesn¡¯t bite, juste closer and touch her,¡± Penelope urged him closer and he reluctantly climbed into the bed.

    It was strange but the more he stared at her, the toddler seemed kind of innocent, hence when Penelope handed her to him, Marcel carried her unsure. Even with her size, Marcel thought she would break in his grasp.

    However, he got used to her and perhaps, it must be her smiling, but Marcel somehow warmed up to her. He turned to his mother, ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±

    She smiled at him, ¡°Chloe and she¡¯s your sister now.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my sister,¡± Marcel refused right away, ¡°We are not blood-rted.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Oh, Marcel,¡± Penelope sighed. She cupped her son¡¯s cheeks and exined patiently to him, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be rted by blood to be family. It works by adoption too. Moreover, most of all, family lives here....¡± She took his free hand and ced it on his chest.

    ¡°You would know it in there. Feel the bond. ¡± She said to him.

    Marcel stared at little Chloe, she looked so sweet, cuddly, and a perfect little angel and he felt his heart thudding beneath his hand. He stared at his mother and he saw the hopeful smile on her face. It has been a long time since he saw her this lively. Was it the work of this little angel? He stared at the kid.

    All of a sudden Chloe reacted and grabbed a handful of Marcel¡¯s hair causing him to yelp as she yanked tight.

    ¡°My God, Chloe!¡± Penelope came to his aid and took the kid from him, carefully releasing his hair from her tight grip before he went bald at his age.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes were red with anger as he prepared to give this sister of his a piece of his mind, however, when he looked at her innocent face, he was dumbfounded instead and his anger dissipated slowly. She was strong, Marcel began tough.

    Seeing his reaction, Penelope could not understand what was going on, and all she could do was join him andugh as well. Chloe¡¯sughter was pure, childish, and adorable. The whole family found joy inughing together, but then good things neverst for long.

    The door opened and Daniel barged in fuming and with his presence, snatched away all of the joy in the room. The smiles vanished from everyone¡¯s faces, Marcel stiffened upon seeing his father while the color drained from Penelope¡¯s face. Even little Chloe must have sensed evil had entered the room because she started crying and Daniel stared at her with unadulterated hatred.

    Seeing his gaze on the kid, Penelope instantly handed the toddler over to Marcel who took her in his arms protectively with his heart pounding in his throat. He was scared of Daniel, but he had a stronger desire to protect his sister. Yes, she was his sister.

    Penelope swallowed, stepping towards him nervously, ¡°Daniel...¡±

    A hard p met her face, nearly taking her to the ground, but she managed to stay on her feet, having gotten used to his maltreatment.

    ¡°You dared to adopt a child behind my back?!¡± He raged, about tond another p on her face when she shouted,

    ¡°Marcel was lonely!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Marcel needs someone by his side,¡± Penelope said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re here for, bitch?¡± Daniel grabbed her hair, and yanked on it tightly, ¡°Your role here is to train my son, not to take liberties with me!¡± He pushed her to the ground, hard.

    Chloe cried harder, and Marcel rocked her in his arms. She can¡¯t draw his father¡¯s attention, he would hurt her. Worse, he might even take her away from him... or kill her. But the deed has been done, Daniel turned to them with his scary eyes, and Marcel swallowed, tightening his grip on Chloe.

    Daniel started in his direction when Penelope grabbed Daniel¡¯s leg, exining desperately, ¡°Marcel needs other siblings tomunicate with, but you won¡¯t give me another child, so I thought it was best to adopt.¡±

    But Daniel snorted, ¡°As if I would dare to have another child with you,¡± He didn¡¯t hide his disgust.

    She didn¡¯t know where the courage came from, but Penelope continued to beg him, ¡°Please, don¡¯t take her away, Marcel really wants this and she¡¯s a girl anyway. She can¡¯t take away his position, so you have nothing to worry about. ¡± She assured him.

    For once Daniel must have had some human conscience because he didn¡¯t beat Penelope, rather, he turned to Marcel and asked him boldly,

    ¡°Is it true? Do you want the girl?¡±

    Marcel had to blink twice to make sure his father was really talking to him. He croaked, ¡°W-what?¡±

    Daniel sighed in disappointment, running his hand through his hair. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a dumbass for a son. So I ask again, do you want to keep her?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s throat clogged up and he looked at his mother who was staring at him with high hopes.

    ¡°I-yes,¡± He stammered.

    ¡°What?!¡± Daniel didn¡¯t hear him properly.

    ¡°Yes, I want her, father!¡± He said a little more loudly and with conviction.

    ¡°Fine, you would be your sister but she¡¯d no Luciano. She would be taking your mother¡¯s maiden name. And you very much remember what it feels like to have something you desire because you don¡¯t know when you might lose it. And we, Luciano, take what we want.¡±

 Chapter 643

    643 [Bonus Chapter] A trap

    ¡°We have to go now,¡± Marcel told her after the reunion was over. If what his sister said was true, then Reina would have suspected her absence long enough by now.

    ¡°What?¡± Chloe said. It just dawned on her that her brother was not joking at all. He wanted to take her away now.

    Marcel bent down so they could look into each other¡¯s eyes and said to her, ¡°Listen to me, Chloe, Nius and Sakuzi and I are not on friendly terms, and if they dare to discover that I¡¯m here, I don¡¯t know what they are going to do to me. That is why we have to leave now!¡± He told her firmly.

    ¡°But...¡± Chloe looked around in confusion, ¡°I can¡¯t just leave them like this. Reina has done nothing but be good to me!¡±

    ¡°I appreciate their kindness, but you don¡¯t belong here -¡±

    ¡°Where do I belong then?¡± She asked him, her jaws clenched tightly.

    ¡°Of course, you belong with me,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°And yet you did nothing as Daniel took me away!¡± She used him and Marcel¡¯s eyes red up in anger.

    ¡°You think that I did nothing? Do you know what I had to do, no, what I was forced to do, just so I could keep you alive and out of harm¡¯s way? I almost married someone I didn¡¯t love! I almost repeated the same steps Daniel took just so you could be safe. You think that I have been able to rest since the day you were taken from me?!¡± He startled her with the ferocity of his anger.

    .....

    Marcel had to control his anger so as not to scare her away. He ced his hands on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately as he said, ¡°I¡¯m your brother, Chloe and I would go to the ends of the earth just to keep you safe. However, we need to leave here before Reina realizes that I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°But I need to say goodbye to Diego and Elsa and E. They¡¯ve been so good to me and I can¡¯t just leave like that.¡±

    Marcel¡¯s expression changed as he stood to his feet, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that Chloe, we have to leave now.¡± His tone was hard and unyielding. He finally got his sister back, Marcel would not let petty emotions get in the way.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case...¡± Chloe withdrew from him with a hard look in her eyes, ¡°I think that I¡¯m much more protected here,¡±

    Damn it, Marcel had forgotten how headstrong Chloe was since birth. She always made sure to have her way in anything she was passionate about and now that she was a teenager, her stubbornness just tripled.

    Before his very eyes, Chloe took off running and Marcel cursed under his breath. She doesn¡¯t understand, Chloe was putting everything he nned in jeopardy. Couldn¡¯t she recognize the efforts he was putting in here? Why does she have to be so rebellious like... Arianna. God, he must have a thing for headstrong women.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Go after her! We must stop her before she gets to the party!¡± Marcel ordered Winters who stood at the spot after Chloe ran away and watched him as if waiting for his instructions.

    If Chloe got somebody to help her, then it was game over for them. And the thought made Marcel clench his fist, he didn¡¯te all the way here to go home with nothing. Chloe wasing home with him.

    So Winters went after the girl and Marcel did the same.

    The girl was flexible and good at running all thanks to Marcel who had trained her at a young age to be able to protect herself. Their upation was dangerous and with a father like Daniel, Chloe needed to know how to fend for herself before help arrived. But at that moment, Marcel was regretting ever giving her training because it made catching her now more difficult.

    Winters was the first to catch up to Chloe, however, she couldn¡¯t tell what happened next. It all felt like a dream to Winters because the instant she touched the girl at the back of her clothes, Chloe suddenly turned and grabbed her arm, shifted her weight, and flipped her over her side. Winters found herself on the ground with the breath knocked out of her lungs.

    Sorry, how old was the girl again? Winters groaned on the ground. This was not what she signed up for. Marcel was going to have to pay her extra for this. Yeah, injury insurance.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Marcel wanted to check up on her but Chloe was getting away and it was now or never. So he left Winters and went after his sister, sessfully tackling her to the ground before she could think of escaping.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Chloe screamed and Marcel closed her mouth with hisrge palm. She then began to hit him and man, her punches were vicious.

    ¡°Stay still, Chloe!¡± He warned her, but the girl was too stubborn for her good.

    Fine, if tying her up would get her home, he¡¯d do just that. Chloe can hate him as much as she wants now, but she wille to understand in the future. Moreover, she can¡¯t be mad at him forever.

    Marcel was still thinking of a way to tie her up when his phone rang and distracted him. Chloe took advantage of that and kneeled him in the spot where the sun never shines.

    ¡°Sweet Jesus!¡± Marcel wailed loudly. Not his balls, Chloe! And to think he was the one who taught her this particr effective method. He just never imagined that she would use it on him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Was all Chloe said to him before leaving him.

    Marcel saw stars. However, the most annoying part was his phone that kept ringing relentlessly. Amid the great pain coursing through his balls, Marcel managed to pull out his phone and it was Adele. He picked, groaning.

    ¡°Hello, boss?¡± Adele said hurriedly, ¡°We¡¯ve located Elijah and we are going after him?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was trying his best toprehend her. The pain was too much and messed with him. But then, he heard everything Adele said and his instinct warned him that something was not right. How could she find Elijah on the same day he was searching for his sister and was away from the base....away from Arianna?

    Oh no.

    ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Marcel screamed into the phone, but then, Adele could not hear him because the service was disconnected.

    Well, she informed him already. It was time to leave. She has hunted Elijah long enough and couldn¡¯t wait to get her hands on him! She would prove her worth.

 Chapter 644

    644 Last Time Together

    A figure knelt in front of the altar, her palms pressed together in prayer. This was no other than Natalie who had spent almost the whole day at church praying for the safety of her child and for the n to pull off sessfully.

    ¡°Lord, this is myst chance to make it up to my daughter, please bring her back to me safely.¡± She prayed desperately with tears in her eyes while staring at the image of Jesus Christ on the cross.

    Natalie had always been religious however after the series of misfortunes that happened in her life, she lost her faith, but now, she would do anything, even if it meant reviving her lost faith, just so her child coulde back to her.

    She went on praying until her throat was parched, her knees were arching from the stress put on them and she was tired as hell. Natalie was unable to go on any longer, but still, she wouldn¡¯t give up. Perhaps, if the lord saw her efforts, he would have mercy on her poor soul.

    Natalie was determined to torture herself that way until she felt a shift and opened her eyes to see that it was Eric standing over her with a prominent frown on his face. Thanks to the fact that Natalie had prayed for a long time, her lips be dry and chapped from licking them in the process.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough now,¡± Eric grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up amid her useless protest.

    ¡°No, I need to -¡±

    ¡°Do you want to die before your daughter arrives?!¡± Eric snapped at her unintentionally, startling her.

    He was just stressed and slightly annoyed about her behavior. Once ites to her daughter, Natalie throws caution to the wind and does whatever is pleasing to her. She was not the only one suffering here, he was too! Her pain was his pain! Can¡¯t she see that?

    .....

    Eric was just sick and tired of her putting her life in danger all to make up for the past. It was still difficult getting over the fact that Daniel had his hands on her days ago and would have taken her away if it wasn¡¯t for her luck. In a twinkle of an eye, he would have lost her to the same man he had been protecting her from over the years.

    But that was not all, he had to watch as the guilt of the past ate her up. Why can¡¯t she understand that she can¡¯t change the past? What happened was not her fault, it was all a misfortune caused by a certain man called Daniel ¨C whom he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to eliminate once he got the chance.

    Natalie was stunned by Eric¡¯s outburst seeing that it was the first time that he has ever raised his voice at her. She swallowed and stood still so as not to provoke him more than he already was. Eric sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

    He said to her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to torture yourself like that. Elijah is already on his way and he will bring your daughter home. Natalie...¡± Eric stepped closer and cupped her cheeks, saying with conviction, ¡°God is on her side tonight.¡±

    It took her a few minutes but Natalie finally nodded with a smile and he smiled back.

    ¡°Come on,¡± He ced his hand on her shoulder, and turned her away from the altar, ¡°It¡¯s time to wee your daughter home,¡± Eric promised her.

    ___________

    ¡°Aziz! Aziz!¡± Adele shouted, looking for him as she stepped into his apartment. She has been calling his phone but he wasn¡¯t answering and that made her anxious ¨C and suspicious at the same time.

    They just sighted Elijah and if Aziz was really him, then he wouldn¡¯t be present in the apartment. It was a good thing that she knew the password to his ce and could get in and out slowly.

    ¡°Aziz!¡± Adele continuously searched for him with her heart pounding in her throat. Please, don¡¯t be Elijah, she chanted in her heart. And her prayers were answered when she came into the room and turned on the light only to see Aziz on the bed, his sheet swaddling his body like a newborn baby.

    ¡°Aziz?!¡± Adele nearly had a heart attack when she saw him in that condition. Shees closer to check on him and feels his forehead, and it was warm enough to suggest that it was a fever. He looked flush and Adele forgot about catching Elijah as she thought about how to bring his temperature down.

    ¡°Adele...¡± Elijah finally opened his heavy eyelid, sneezing weakly. He tried to sit up, but Adele wouldn¡¯t let him.

    ¡°No, stay the way you are.¡± and he stopped. Adele looked at him concerned, ¡°When did this start?¡±

    ¡°Earlier this morning, I didn¡¯t think that it was serious until now,¡± He took in her appearance, ¡°You¡¯re going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we finally found Elijah,¡± Adele announced the good news watching as Aziz¡¯s eyes widened in pure joy.

    ¡°Really? You did it!¡± He hugged her tight but ended up coughing badly in the end.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you have to rest.¡± She tried to push him back to the bed but he was stubborn and asked instead, ¡°How did you find him!¡±

    ¡°He simply got careless and we got a tip of his presence. Elijah¡¯s on another mission now and if we go now, we will catch him.¡±

    ¡°I will go with you,¡± Aziz decided.

    ¡°No!¡± Adele pushed him to the bed forcibly this time, ¡°You are so weak and sick that you would be nothing but a burden to us. That is if you don¡¯t get yourself killed first,¡± She had not forgotten the fact that Elijah had tried to kill him once. And to think she had been suspecting him of being Elijah.

    ¡°I hate that I would not be unable toe with you, we worked so hard for this.¡± Aziz sighed, disappointed with his condition.

    She took his hand in hers and said, ¡°I know. However, your health matters a lot and we¡¯ll celebrate when I¡¯m back.¡±

    He grinned, ¡°That sounds interesting,¡±

    Adele leaned over him, intending to just peck him on his lips, but Elijah took over instead and kissed her soundly like this was thest time they were going to be together.

    When they pulled away, Adele looked at him in surprise. She had not seen that oneing.

    She said, ¡°I should stay behind and take care of you, however, if I don¡¯t leave now -¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± He told her, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let you stay either. We have worked too hard to find Elijah to lose him now. Marcel would end the both of us.¡±

    . ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± She nodded.

    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Aziz told her, gripping her hand tightly as if he didn¡¯t want to let go.

    ¡°I would. Victory will be ours,¡± Adele promised him before standing up to her feet. She took one good look at him before taking her leave.

    Adele thought perhaps, they might be able to salvage something out of this. With the way he was staring at her, she had a feeling Aziz felt something towards her. She would tell him that they were having a baby.

    So Adele left, without seeing the tears of regret that slipped down Aziz¡¯s face.

 Chapter 645

    645 No One To Save Her

    ¡°No!!!¡± Luca moaned in defeat.

    ¡°Yes!!!¡± Arianna and Victor gave each other a high five as they jubted and danced in unison, rubbing their victory all over their opponent¡¯s face.

    Their opponent was no other than Luca and another soldier that had teamed up against them to y the video game. It had been Victor¡¯s idea of fun from the very start and Arianna knew inwardly that it was all his ploy to keep her distracted. Nheless, she didn¡¯t say anything and went ahead with it.

    But then, it became obvious to everyone present ¨C yeah, some of the soldiers hade to cheer the winning team up ¨C that Arianna and Victor were a match made in heaven, at least when ites to video games.

    The both of them had proven to be inept at video games and beat Luca and his partner to a whipping score of 10: 2. Luca was even beginning to suspect that the both of them might have let him score the two on purpose just to save their face.

    Had Marcel identally returned at that moment, he would have been stunned at the state of the base. His living room had been turned into a gambling den as the soldiers betted on the teams with Victor and Arianna having nearly ny percent of their bets.

    The only reason Luca even had bets ced on him at all was that his opponent was the captain and the few who voted for them were scared of the captain taking it out on them in training. It was just a game, right? He wouldn¡¯t be that childish to punish them over a mere game, right?

    If only they knew.

    With their winning streak, it was not surprising that the game finally lost its vor and they had to call it quits.

    .....

    ¡°I know that I¡¯m a man of many talents, but the both of us together, we are invisible, formidable,¡± Victor yfully bumped her shoulder, ¡°We would make quite a fortune as Esports yers, don¡¯t you think?¡± He intentionally teased her.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Arianna retorted, ¡°It would be quite a pleasure to watch Marcel travel around the world to drag your ass back here,¡± She knew Marcel would never let that happen.

    No, Victor wouldn¡¯t even leave Marcel. The both of them were inseparable like conjoined twins ¨C their bond was shocking, to be honest. To think of Esports? Pffft! It was never happening, nor was Victor dragging her into it. It wasn¡¯t possible.

    Victor and Arianna walked to the verandah, letting the cool night air wash over their skin. Arianna let out a deep breath and sipped her energy drink, the atmosphere now waspletely different than the jovial one minutes ago.

    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to worry about him,¡± Victor told her,ing closer to ce his hand on top of her palm resting on the balustrade, squeezing itfortingly, ¡°I have watched Marcel go on several missions, near death ones and yet, he returned to me, to us. This is a piece of cakepared to his other works. So you should rx before you break down else we get a share of his foul mood.¡±

    Arianna chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re right on that one, I haven¡¯t seen a man with great mood swings as Marcel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of you,¡± Victor said abruptly and he couldn¡¯t take back his words.

    ¡°What?¡± Her head whipped in his direction, waiting for answers.

    Victor took a deep breath, his big mouth was definitely going tond him in trouble one day.

    ¡°Marcel has been living on a schedule before you came into his life,¡± Victor said, drawing all of her attention and Arianna turned fully to face him, leaning against the balustrade. She knew somehow that this was important.

    Victor wet his lower lips and went on,

    ¡°Marcel had great ns for his life. Everything that he wanted, he had nned out. His first priority was gaining power without losing his humanity like his father. And the next was giving Chloe the life she needs before settling down with a woman that understands his boundaries and starting a family. Marcel never understood nor believed in anything called love, no, if he had known the drawbacks that came with it, I believe that he would have rejected it in the first ce. But then... ¡± Victor smirked knowingly, ¡°Whoever sees loveing?¡±

    ¡°You, my dear, came in like a wrecking ball, bam!¡± Victor gestured the impact with his hands, illustrating the momentum of a golf club hitting a ball, ¡°and you hit him so hard that he was unable to catch his breath nor find his bnce. And then, he just keeps on spiraling and spiraling out of control as he tries to use his human logic to apply to love, only to learn that it doesn¡¯t work that way, and then, here we are, at this point. Congrattions. ¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arianna breathed, stunned, ¡°You should be a love therapist.¡±

    Victor grinned at her, ¡°I embrace all who embrace love.¡±

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t believe his level of cockiness yet a smile still crossed her face. ¡°Thank you, Victor,¡± She thanked him sincerely.

    ¡°Thank you too for not giving up on Marcel. It¡¯s worth it seeing that smile on his face.¡± Victor meant his words.

    Arianna nodded her head and then an awkward silence fell upon them for a while.

    ¡°Alright, since I can¡¯t sleep just yet, I might as well go swim and upy myself,¡± Arianna informed him.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Victor simply waved at her and resumed his drinking as she left.

    As soon as Arianna returned inside, Luca was by her side like a royal puppy, ¡°Where to?¡± He inquired.

    ¡°The swimming pool,¡± She said while walking and he followed after her. Arianna didn¡¯t say anything already used to it and she might needpany anyway.

    Getting to the pool, Arianna took off her clothes until she was in her undies while Luca had his back turned to her.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± She shook her head, yet let him be. Putting on her favorite ylist on her phone, Arianna dived into the water and began to swim. She needed to clear her head from the worries and tire herself enough to fall asleep.

    She couldn¡¯t tell how long she swarmed but when Arianna stepped out of the water, her body was as heavy as lead. Damn, she overdid it this time. It wasn¡¯t until she climbed back to the surface and turned off her music that she realized the house was eerily quiet. And where the hell was Luca?

    As if she conjured him, Arianna saw Luca sprawled out unconscious on the floor and a scream left her mouth, although she quickly cupped her mouth from the shock ¨C she thought he was dead. It was a huge relief when Arianna didn¡¯t see any sign of blood or struggle, that meant that he was asleep.

    But then, it was weird, Luca would never sleep on duty, or in that ufortable position. Something was not right. That was when Arianna sniffed deeply and coughed, there was something in the air. And now that she thought about it, she was getting weaker.

    Oh no, the base was under attack.

    At once, Arianna took her top and wet it with the pool¡¯s water, and covered her nose with it. She didn¡¯t know what chemical this was, but it should ward off the smell until she got help.

    Arianna went back to the house to see what was going on only for her jaw to drop to the ground, there were bodies everywhere and they were all asleep ¨C at least they were breathing. Whoever did this was careful enough not to harm them as if he didn¡¯t want any war with Marcel, he had others ..... Arianna¡¯s blood chilled at once she figured it

    No, no, no!

    Arianna saw a shadow move from the corner of her eyes and she turned to see that it was a man wearing a mask. There were others with him and all dressed in the same attire, but the man in the middle was clear to Arianna. Even with the mask on, she could tell who he was, Elijah.

    Arianna took off instantly, trying to get away from him, but they were faster and stronger and she couldn¡¯t outrun them. Even when they held her down, Arianna didn¡¯t stop screaming Marcel¡¯s name. She couldn¡¯t leave him, not now. Arianna wanted to get to him. But it was toote.

    There was no one to save her when darkness took over.

 Chapter 646

    646 Save Arianna

    Music Rmendation:- It is what it is ¨C Jamie Miller

    _____________

    Everything was going downhill!

    Marcel¡¯s heart was pounding loudly in his chest as he strode after his sister while trying to connect to Adele at the same time, all to no avail.

    God help him tonight!

    He tried to keep a cool head, but not with everything going on right now.

    ¡°Damn it! Just go through!¡± He screamed into the phone, nearly throwing it from anger. Of all times, why did the service have to go off now? He needed to get to Adele and at the same time, bring his sister home. Why was everything suddenly going to shit! None of it was supposed to go this way.

    Marcel was still fuming with anger when his eyes suddenly noticed the men in suitsing in his direction, thems at the back of their heads was a straight giveaway of their upation.

    ¡°Shit,¡± He cursed under his breath and instantly made a U-turn when he noticed their eyes on him. What has Chloe done? Marcel knew that if his cover hadn¡¯t been blown, it was about to.

    .....

    Even when Marcel turned and pretended to go about his business, he sensed that the men hadn¡¯t given up on him and increased his pace. However, they increased their pace too and when Marcel felt them catching up with him, he broke into a run.

    ¡°Quick! Catch him!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡±

    Those were the orders given as Marcel ran with all of his strength. He had to abort the mission, Chloe has ruined it all. Aside from that, he had a more pressing issue and it was to get back to the base. Elijah wasing for Arianna and he couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    Marcel intended to get back to the parking space where Fetus was waiting to take off. The initial n had been to leave with Chloe once he found out and Reina nor Nius or Sakuzi wouldn¡¯t even know what happened until they were gone. But then Chloe made her choice and Marcel had to live with that.

    As much as Marcel loves his sister, Arianna was his future and he had to secure her. That was why he had to get to her before it was toote. Sadly, Marcel didn¡¯t make it to the parking space because he was tackled to the ground out of nowhere.

    He punched the assant in the face and threw him off his body with his strength. Marcel got up to his feet immediately, but the annoying fool held on to his ankle and wouldn¡¯t let him go. He had no other choice but to kick him in the face hard, leaving him unconscious.

    Panting hard, Marcel was about to leave when a figure stepped out of the shadow, leaving him speechless. Winters walked forward with her hands raised in the air while two other men walked behind her with their guns pointed at her head. From the frightened look on her face, Marcel knew that it was over.

    Just like him, her cover was blown.

    ¡°Put your hands in the air!¡± One of them ordered and Marcel released a torrent of curses. It was over. There was no way that he could fight them without putting Winters in harm¡¯s way.

    He raised his hand ording to the order.

    ¡°On your knees!¡±

    Marcel¡¯s eyes connected with Winters and she shook her head. If he does that, it would be easy to subdue him. There was still a tiny bit of chance to turn the table around on them, but it was too risky and Marcel would not sacrifice her life. Winters was as important as Chloe was to him.

    So he obediently got down to his knees and Winters shut her eyes in disappointment. One of them walked slowly and cautiously towards him, his gun held securely in his hand. Marcel watched him and perhaps, if he came close enough, there was a chance of taking him out.

    Unfortunately, before he could put that n into ce, the other men in pursuit of him arrived at the scene. Marcel knew instinctively that it was over. He failed not only to save his sister but Arianna... shit, Arianna!

    He quickly got to his feet, ¡°I need to -¡± Marcel was still saying when he was kicked in the chest and fell to the ground, the breath knocked out of his lungs. Although he merely wanted to talk, Sakuzi¡¯s men had seen that as an act of retaliation and reacted instantly.

    Even at that, Marcel didn¡¯t give up and tried to get through to them, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I need to get to Arianna right ¨C oof!¡± A kick to the stomach snatched the rest of his words and was never heard.

    Still, Marcel wouldn¡¯t stay on the ground and began to slowly pull himself up. He needed to get to Arianna. Perhaps, he might be able to plead with one of them to let him go or they can all go with him to make sure he doesn¡¯t escape. The point was to stop Elijah from taking Arianna. Arianna was his.

    When they saw Marcel slowly standing up, they kicked him again, this time the momentum throwing him meters away and he groaned in pain.

    ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re hurting him!¡± Winters screamed at the top of her voice and tried to go after Marcel but one of them grabbed her from behind and wouldn¡¯t let her go.

    It was at that moment that Winters regretted never taking up some self-defense lessons from Marcel. She had her speed and smartness. Until today, it was always enough.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Winters continuously cried out when she saw the way they were maltreating her, ¡°Seriously, stop it!¡±

    But none of them were listening, they ignored her cries. To them, she wasn¡¯t worth their attention. They already had the king shark.

    Marcel was beaten so badly that he couldn¡¯t even move. His body hurt all over. He was still on the floor when one of them came to hover over him.

    The asshole grinned at him sleazily, ¡°Now, you meet the boss.¡± He punched him out.

    Marcel lost consciousness.

 Chapter 647

    647 Decide His Fate

    Music Rmendation:- Dear God ¨C Ruben.

    ____________

    Marcel was treated to sudden blinding light when the ck bag was pulled from his face and he had to squint his eyes to adjust to the intensity. By the time he looked around his environment, he noticed he was in a room now. And he had guests. Very important guests.

    Sakuzi was staring right at him with a look he couldn¡¯t decipher and beside him was his adopted son and sessor, Emerald. Emerald was a fucking giant and the muscles on his body were enough to crush him ¨C if he dared him.

    Of course, there was Nius and unlike Sakuzi¡¯s unreadable expression, the murderous energy around him was obvious. Well, that was expected, they were not exactly on good terms and he did infiltrate his home on his grandchildren¡¯s birthday.

    Last but not the least were Reina and her stepdaughter, Isabe. Marcel looked into Isabe¡¯s eyes and the coldness inside of there stunned him. The woman was extremely dangerous and it was a good thing she was not an assassin, else she would have been a lethal one. Perhaps, Nius saw that darkness and made sure she had nothing to do with the family business.

    Marcel tried to speak but he was parched and all that left his mouth was a dry cough. He was tied to a chair and couldn¡¯t move even if he wanted to, while the others were seated in front of a table facing him. If Victor was here with him, he would definitely joke that he was facing the panel of judges. Except that in this case he was helpless and his life was on the line here. They would be the ones judging his fate.

    ¡°Is that Marcel?¡± Reina was the first to ask, unsure.

    Without a word being said, the austere Isabe walked over to him and then traced the edge of the mask where it was blended with his skin with the help of the makeup and pulled it off his face roughly, without caring for hisfort. After the masky deflected on the mask, Isabe lowered his turtleneck and ripped the voice alterer device from around his throat

    .....

    Cocky smartass, Marcelmunicated those words with his gaze and Isabe simply gave him a cold nce before returning to her seat. Marcel bet that she didn¡¯t have a heart, if she did, it was all frozen.

    ¡°Marcel Luciano,¡± Emerald roused his attention, ¡°To what do we owe this....¡± He thought of the word, ¡°Unexpected visit?¡± He put it mildly.

    The old man Sakuziughed, ¡°I thought that with a mad and reckless father like Daniel, his son would have some guts. Yet, he was too cowardly that he came in wearing another person¡¯s skin,¡± there wasplete mockery in his tone.

    ¡°And one would think that you should have died already considering how long you¡¯ve been around the earth,¡± He sassed.

    Marcel knew that he was not supposed to talk back considering the precarious situation that he was in, however, he was tired of people alwaysparing him to Daniel.

    Upon thatment, Sakuziughed loudly to everyone¡¯s surprise. ¡°The kid has a smart mouth, kind of reminds me of you, Isabe,¡± He said to her.

    Isabe red at Marcel again and he sighed. She must really hate him. Well, Winters did warn him of crashing her children¡¯s party. And speaking of Winters, where was she? Marcel hoped to God that they hadn¡¯t done anything to her else he would make them regret keeping him alive.

    ¡°He¡¯s nothing like me, and if I¡¯m to say anything, I suggest that we end his pathetic life and be done with it,¡± Isabe said without even blinking an eye.

    Wow, Marcel was touched ¨C note the sarcasm. What did he even do to her? Well, except for his father nearly getting her family killed when she was younger.

    ¡°Isabe!¡± Mama Reina, the peacemaker and the most normal person in the family chided her.

    ¡°I second that,¡± Nius supported his daughter to Reina¡¯s surprise. Of course, Nius would be the happiest if he died. Call it vengeance for almost losing his family years back. If only Arianna was here to see that they hadn¡¯t forgotten about the incident at all.

    Oh no, Marcel¡¯s heart quickened when he remembered Arianna. How long has he been here? Did Adele take the bait and went after Elijah? Marcel had so many questions, but most of all, he needed to go back to the base. He had to know what was going on.

    ¡°Listen...¡± Marcel said this time, ¡°I didn¡¯te here to cause trouble or something. I too have other important things than to intentionally cross their territory and cause trouble. However, I came here to take my sister home and nothing else. If things had gone to n, you wouldn¡¯t even have heard a whiff of me and we would be gone already.¡±

    ¡°To take your sister? You mean the one that you were unable to take care of?¡± Mama Reina was finally showing her ws and Marcel stared back at her as she continued, ¡°Chloe told me everything that I needed to know.¡±

    ¡°No family is perfect,¡± Marcel told her, ¡°But I did my best and came back for her. Things are different now and she would never have to go through what she experienced before. I need my sister now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right. The girl¡¯s a Luciano, she can¡¯t stay here,¡± Nius was surprisingly on his side. If only.

    Reina¡¯s head whipped to her husband and she retorted, ¡°Or maybe you just don¡¯t want her here. I thought we talked about this already and I told you it¡¯s all in the past. Moreover, the girl is not Daniel. It¡¯s time to move on.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, mother, not everyone easily forgives as you do. My siblings nearly died that day...¡± Isabe pointed out, ¡°I almost died that day. I believed if we had died and you survived to see a day like this, this would have been a different case.¡±

    ¡°But then you didn¡¯t die, none of you did and it¡¯s years ago. Come on, Chloe is a young girl who needs the love and attention this...¡± Reina pointed at Marcel, ¡°Cannot give her. No offense.¡±

    ¡°Offense taken,¡± Marcel reminded her, ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡±

    ¡°Adopted sister,¡± Reina corrected him firmly, ¡°There¡¯s always room for re-adoption.¡±

 Chapter 648

    648 How Could Feelings Change That Easily?

    Marcel and Arianna stared at each other so hard that electricity literally crackled in their gazes. Marcel liked Reina in the beginning until she became interested in Chloe and automatically made herself his enemy. She had many children already, why does she want his sister too? He was not going to share his sister with the woman.

    While Marcel was trying to assume his rightful ce in Chloe¡¯s life and perform his brotherly role, Reina was all motherly instinct and felt Marcel was undeserving of Chloe; the girl would be better off without him. She was a mother and would give the girl a better life and future.

    The tension in the room was so thick it was like they were on a battlefield with the lines drawn, except that in this case Marcel was outnumbered, and neither was reinforcementing. He was all alone and had not made amodations for this scenario because he never thought Chloe would refuse toe with him.

    Winters had warned him, but he was too headstrong to listen. Marcel had assumed that things had not changed much and that both of them ¨C he and Chloe ¨C woulde back to the way that things were between them ¨C before Daniel decided to be an ass.

    ¡°Both of you are right in your ways,¡± Sakuzi finally stepped in and the room went silent. He looked at Marcel, ¡°Because you are without ill intent, we would spare your life, however, we would not condone you stepping into our territory again without an invitation.¡±

    Marcel let out the breath that he had been holding in, so he was not going to die? He gave Isabe a smug grin and she snorted, looking away. While Isabe¡¯s gaze was cold and calcted, Marcel no longer felt that murderous aura from her, he was safe ¨C for now. Nius was the only one whose open distaste over their decision was obvious.

    But then, Marcel couldn¡¯t rejoice much because the battle was not over and Chloe¡¯s matter was still unresolved.

    Sakuzi continued, this time, his focus on his daughter, Reina, saying, ¡°Your husband, Nius is right, the girl is a Luciano and doesn¡¯t belong with us,¡±

    ¡°But father -¡± Reina protested, however, Sakuzi put up his hand and the rest of her words died away. She growled low in her throat, her gaze flickering to Marcel with a threat in there and he sighed. Why was everyone nning on killing him today?

    .....

    ¡°However,¡± Sakuzi said and went on,

    ¡°Our family is bound together by love and we can never give up on a child in need of help.¡±

    Marcel could see the low smile making its way to Reina¡¯s face. She thought that she had won the fight and that made him clench his fist in anger. He didn¡¯t care about their humanitarian services or their good samaritan values and all, for all Marcel knows, they were just a nosy bunch of people poking into other people¡¯s affairs.

    They had no right to decide for him. As far as he was concerned, Chloe was his family and business. None of them was made lord over his affairs. He was leaving here with Chloe whether they liked it or not, and if they wanted war, he would give them one.

    Emerald was the one that spoke up this time, ¡°We have no right to butt into your business, however, every life matters and that is why we would let the girl make the decision. Whether she wants to go with you or not?¡± The giant stared into his eyes with a finality that made anger bubble inside of him.

    He doesn¡¯t ept this, however, Marcel decided to wait and see how everything turns out. Patience was a virtue.

    With a signal to the soldiers standing guard, one of them left, only to return minutester with Chloe behind him. Marcel tried to move only to be held back by the binds and when Chloe saw that, she lowered her head in shame.

    Even without being told, the guilt gnawed at her. She betrayed her brother and now couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes. Chloe didn¡¯t mean it though and had she known that the consequences would be this severe, she wouldn¡¯t have outed it. But her emotions got the best of her and in a spur of the moment, the words left her mouth.

    It¡¯s just that she had made real friends in this ce ¨C something rare at the base ¨C her brother was too overprotective of her and wouldn¡¯t let her hang around much. So when Marcel came on too strong, all that crossed her mind was the thought of losing her friends ¨C and her boyfriend. Even Reina was a nice woman and reminded her what it meant to have a mother.

    Chloe was very young when Penelope died and aside from the photos, she couldn¡¯t conjure what the woman looked like. It was just her and Marcel all those years ¨C and she betrayed him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid, Chloe,¡± Reina spoke up, trying to assure the young girl as she saw the uncertainty in her eyes. ¡°You have the chance to choose wherever and whoever you want to be with.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Marcel saw the way his sister¡¯s eyes lit up and his face fell at once. Had she really forgotten about him that easily? About what they had shared all this while? They might not be rted by blood, but Marcel had loved her to the bones, just like any brother would, perhaps, even more. How could feelings change that easily? Marcel was truly hurt.

    ¡°So tell us little Chloe, who do you want to be with?¡± Isabe asked her with a little bit of cockiness, ¡°My very maternal mother or your brother over there that looks like he might shed a tear any time soon.¡±

    This time, Marcel didn¡¯t even have the strength to re at Isabe in response, all of his attention was on his sister as he waited for her decision, his heart pounding in his heart. He knew Isabe was only trying to rile him up and he would not give her that satisfaction. If she wanted entertainment, she better get it somewhere else.

    Chloe looked between the both of them, biting her lips nervously. They had put a lot of tension on the young girl, but it had to be done. And to Marcel¡¯s disappointment, Chloe walked over to Reina who weed her with open eyes.

 Chapter 649

    649 She Can¡¯t Leave With You

    Music Rmendation:- Don¡¯t break the Heart ¨C Tom Grennan

    ________________

    It seemed like a dream to Marcel until he saw Reina hugging his sister with a huge smile of delight. What just happened? Marcel was in so much shock ¨C and pain ¨C he muted everything out. He just sat there in silence, watching everything go by.

    How could she choose her? After everything that they had been through? He was her brother. He loved her. Was the human heart that easily inconsistent? How could she forget?

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you made the right choice,¡± Reina hugged her from that position, leaning closer because of the table in between them, ¡°I promise that you are not going to regret the decision you made today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m noting with you, Reina,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Reina stiffened. Even the others by her side were stunned by her answer. They looked at her as if trying to study her and figure out the answer hidden in her head.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Reina finally realized it.

    Chloe smiled at her gratefully, ¡°Thank you so much for taking care of me during the time we were together. However, you also told me that no family is perfect and he is the only family I have left.¡± She pointed at him.

    .....

    That rascal!

    Marcel finally released the breath he didn¡¯t know that he had been holding in. He thought that she left him to be with her new fancy pants family. Marcel began tough so hard that one would think that he had lost his damn mind, but it was just out of happiness.

    Chloe turned and ran to her brother, nearly knocking both of them to the ground from the momentum because Marcel was in bind and he could not brace himself from the impact. But thankfully, his weight stood the test.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you,¡± Chloe apologized, crying on his shoulder.

    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay,¡± Marcel wished he could stroke her hair andfort her properly, but then, he had to settle for words, ¡°You¡¯re just a kid and teenagers make lots of mistakes. Moreover, I¡¯m not entirely meless either, so you¡¯re forgiven.¡± He kissed her on the cheek and nuzzled her.

    ¡°Aww, such a sweet reunion,¡± Isabe¡¯s voice was sweet until she added, ¡°However, can someone untie him and get him out of my sight so I can see better things.¡± She wanted him to leave.

    However, Chloe pulled away from Marcel and turned to the defeated Reina who had a sour look, and pleaded,

    ¡°Can I stille and visit you?¡±

    At once, everyone¡¯s gaze rested on her and Chloe felt small under the zing intensity of their looks. She scratched the back of her head, ¡°I would miss you so much and I would love to see Elsa and E....¡± a blush formed on her cheeks when she said, ¡°And Diego too.¡± Chloe couldn¡¯t help but giggle silly at the end.

    The room went dead silent.

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Reina was the first to react. As a mother and an adult, she was the first to connect the dots and find out what was happening before the others.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening,¡± Nius breathed, rubbing his temple as he could already feel a headache brewing.

    ¡°This just got interesting,¡± Isabe chuckled, a twinkle in her eyes and she turned to Marcel as if daring him to say something.

    Marcel was utmost speechless, no word was able to leave his mouth. Is his baby sister crushing on a boy? Not only that but on Nius Spencer¡¯s son? She was not even old enough to begin crushing on boys already, Marcel¡¯s protective instinct rose. He was not going to let that happen. If only he knew that the kids were dating already.

    At once, the guards came and released Marcel from the binds. As soon as he was free, Marcel took his sister into his arms and hugged her tight. They are together now. However, he quickly remembered,

    ¡°What about Winters? You took her too and pray to God that you haven¡¯tid a hand on her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean the other female with you?¡± Isabe said, ¡°You might have proven you had no bad intention ining here, Marcel, but not the girl,¡±

    Marcel lurched forward and the guards moved as well, thinking he was about to attack them. But he only told Isabe, ¡°I was the one who ordered her to apply for the role of a babysitter. I needed her to get information on Chloe, nothing else.¡±

    ¡°Sure, she might have been a babysitter -¡±

    ¡°And a good one at that,¡± Nius cut his daughter off, the sarcasm deep in his tone. It was obvious that he was not doing well with the infiltration thing. His family was at risk here.

    Isabe didn¡¯t mind the interruption, her father had a good reason to be salty. She went on to say, ¡°The girl has an interesting background and upation.¡±

    ¡°But then, she did not bring harm to your family, did she?¡± He asked, his lips pressed together firmly.

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡± Emerald answered, ¡°But she¡¯s a hacker and who knows what information she might have stolen from us while disguising herself as a worker. AInformationshe might have very much given to you.¡± He used him.

    ¡°I never -¡±

    ¡°You disguised as Nahid, the information could only be seen on the guest list which was private,¡± Isabe smirked wickedly, ¡°I¡¯ll say that was the work of a hacker.¡±

    Marcel sighed, running his hand through his hair. This was all his fault. He shouldn¡¯t have gotten Winters involved in this.

    Even though he knew that they weren¡¯t going to listen to him, Marcel still went ahead to defend her, ¡°The only information I asked was regarding Chloe and anything else that could help me bust her out, nothing else. Winters has a working code and she would never intentionally hack your secrets.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite unfortunate that you don¡¯t have evidence, do you?¡± Nius¡¯ tone was, as usual, unkind.

    ¡°You are free to leave with your sister,¡± Sakuzi said decisively, ¡°But for the hacker, I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t leave now. Until we are done with our investigation and make sure she¡¯s innocent, she can¡¯t go with you.¡±

 Chapter 650

    650 The Proposal

    Thank you for your patience, you can read now!

    _______

    This was not really how she nned to spend the rest of the night, Winters thought as she stared around the cell. Yep, she was really in a cell room and it wasn¡¯t really shocking since Marcel has a dungeon hidden away in the base. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the first time that she found herself in situations like this.

    You see, the thing is that bad guys often need people like her. Someone who could simply expose their enemy¡¯s secrets with just her fingers flying around the keyboards in hours. Yeah, it wasn¡¯t as easy as it was shown in movies. Note, bad people tend to keep their secrets heavily encrypted and as much as it was stressful, Winters loved a good challenge now and then.

    In one word, she was a rare gem to be wasted, hence they always ended up ¡°convincing¡± her ¨C often forcefully ¨C to work for them ¨C unless she outlived her usefulness. However, Winters was smart and often found a way to plot her escape before they sted her brains out. Honestly, Marcel was the first person she worked with that trusted her enough not to end her life in the end.

    Others were often in awe of her skills at first and used money to seduce her to stay, thinking that was all she cared for ¨C if only they knew her worth ¨C and when their hold on her seems to be slipping, they attempt violence then. Human nature is greedy and when a man stumbles upon a diamond, that is when his darkest side is revealed ¨C the desire to keep the diamond to himself.

    Hence, Winters was not scared of death, because she knew the Spencers would not kill her. They must have looked into her background already and like the others, they would also fall into that same cycle of greediness that never grows old.

    So she made herselffortable on the bed, and honestly, the Spencers sure know how to treat a prisoner well because her cell almost looked like a hotel room ¨C she would ask Marcel to take inspiration from here and add that to his prisons. Those dungeons were old school. Winters couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it came with room service as well.

    Winters lounged on the bed waiting for their meeting with Marcel to be over, so they coulde and see her, when she saw a shadow appear and turned around without a second thought only for her throat to suddenly go dry. Standing in front of her cell was aplication she had never thought about in the first ce until now.

    .....

    ¡°Akim...¡± Winters slowly rose from the bed, her heart beginning to pound in her heart as she could already sense where this conversation was going and how it was going to end.

    He was going to break up with her.

    Winters was sure of that.

    That was how scenes like this often yed out, both in movies and in real life.

    She was doomed.

    The only good thing in her life was about to end before it even began.

    Akim stood in front of her cell with an unreadable expression that she was sure spelled trouble. But Winters had no choice but to face him. There was no running away now, he knew everything.

    ¡°Hey...¡± She said unsure, walking over to him till it was just the bars separating him.

    However, Akim did not answer and just kept on staring at him so intently that it made her self-conscious and the guilt in her heart increased such that she couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes and had to lower her head in shame.

    ¡°Did you approach me on purpose?¡± He asked all of a sudden, making Winters¡¯ head jerk up, her eyes wide with shock.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± She told him firmly, ¡°I never even knew that you were going to be here in the first ce or the fact that I wouldst long. The mission was straightforward, get Chloe out of here. But then, we couldn¡¯t find her and I had to stay back and get information about her whereabouts. But then, you came and... and... Winters found herself stumbling on the words.

    ¡°And what?¡± Akim asked that she finish the rest of her words.

    However, Winters shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not -¡±

    ¡°And what?¡± He demanded fiercely, stunning her. She was not backing out of this one.

    Winters had to blink twice, stunned by his ferocity. Why does he want her to answer so much when it wasn¡¯t worth it anymore? He came here to break up with her, right? After all, what would the prince have to do with a hacker? They were bad for each other.

    Nheless, Winters took a deep breath. Since he wanted an answer, she would give her one.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t what I nned,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°When I learned that you¡¯re a prince, I knew that we couldn¡¯t be together. So I decided to be friends instead. What¡¯s the harm, in a hacker being friends with the prince of a small country? But then, I couldn¡¯t control it, not that feelings were meant to be controlled anyway. However, I knew deep down that all of this is going to end one day. Three things can never be hidden, the sun, the moon, and the truth. So I decided to cherish every moment that I was with you. But then, here we are, at the table of reckoning and I guess it¡¯s the end. But for all it was worth, I never regretted being with you, Akim. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. ¡± Winters confessed, a tear slipping down her cheek. Although it didn¡¯t end well, this was a happy memory, and she would hold it specially in her heart.

    Akim threw his head back andughed so hard tears escaped from his eyes. He wiped them with the back of his hand, saying, ¡°I must have bad luck with women. First, Anika, and now, you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Winters apologized. It was so selfish of her, but she didn¡¯t mean to harm him.

    She was about to spill more apologies when Akim produced a key and before her very eyes, produced a key that he slid into the lock while Winter¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

    What was he doing?

    By chance, was he about to harm her for breaking his heart?

    A chill fell over Winters, she had heard of scenes like this in the news and hoped she wasn¡¯t about to be a victim of passion. Hence, even when the door was opened, she didn¡¯t dare to make a move and just stood on the spot, watching Akim.

    When Akim took a step inside the cell, Winters took one back. She studied him, trying to check if he had any weapons on him. As much as her imagination was running amok, Akim didn¡¯t hit her as someone who would do such a thing, right?

    He was a prince for speaking out loud.

    ¡°Anika was sent as well on a mission to lure me...¡± Akim said while walking towards her, ¡°And didn¡¯t n to fall in love with me, but she did nheless. And you...¡±

    Winters gulped when he called her name, still moving back. She was filled with anticipation to hear what he had to say. Was he going to tell her how much he hated her now? How much he wanted her to rot in hell for doing this to her.

    ¡°You might not have been on a mission to lure me, but you fell in love with me too...¡±

    Winters gasped when her back hit the wall, her heart thudding against her chest as he sessfully backed her into a corner, hands on both sides of the wall, caging her.

    They looked into each other¡¯s eyes, the emotions raw, and Winters wished that this wasn¡¯t the moment where he stabbed her and left her to bleed out.

    ¡°Anika died,¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you die too....¡± And then his lips were on hers while Winters¡¯ eyes grew to the size of the moon. This was not what she was expecting, not that she wasining.

    Well... Judas did betray Jesus with a kiss, albeit she bet it wasn¡¯t with a French kiss. Just shut it up! She pushed the rest of the thoughts to the back of her head and concentrated on her kiss. Winters had to hold on to Akim because the kiss was fiery passion and her head swarmed.

    ¡°Wait,¡± She pulled away, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. I lied to you, you are so supposed to be hurt and break up with me, leaving me to suffer for my actions.¡± It didn¡¯t make sense. It felt surreal.

    Akim cupped her cheeks and ced his forehead on hers saying, ¡°I told you, I lost Anika, I¡¯m not losing you too. I seem to have the talent for choosing bad women and the devil I know is better than the angel I don¡¯t know. Run away with me, Winters.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Winters almost spat blood.

    ¡°I have five years until Ie home and resume my princely roles. However, we could go to a ce where my aunty and the others cannot track us and be together. Figure out this thing between us. You could start afresh, no more hacking, think about the kind of life you want for yourself and perhaps, if you want, you could still use your skills, but for good instead. My kingdom would need a talent like yours. I have influence, my family can get clean your records, you would not need to be on the run anymore and finally have a ce where you can be yourself and with me by your side. What do you say to that?¡±

 Chapter 651

    651 He Was Too Late

    He could not fight them, Marcel knew that. Not without reinforcement, that would be a suicide mission. Even if he did have reinforcement, it would only end up causing a gang war which would only end up bloody.

    So Marcel requested instead, ¡°Can I see her?¡±

    It was the only way to make sure that Winters was not hurt and that they were treating her well. As far as he knows, the girl did nothing wrong and they were the ones who refused to believe him. Fine, they could do whatever they wanted in the name of investigation, but no harm was toe to Winters, else it would be a full-blown war.

    Winters was merely an associate, but to Marcel, she was family and part of the gang. Anyone that touched her was indirectly disrespecting him at the same time. He sighed, no wonder his father said he was weak ¨C he worked with the sentiment. But then, Marcel refused to believe that empathy for the right people was foolishness.

    A leader never leaves his followers behind. He would do everything to get Winters out of this mess he got her into. That was the kind of Mafia Don Marcel was. He was passionate about his people.

    ¡°The girl should stay behind,¡± Isabe suddenly suggested, earning a deadly re from Marcel.

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, she¡¯s staying by her side. Have any problem with that?¡± He dared her to separate them.

    Chloe was not going anywhere, not after he worked so hard to get her back. It was not going to happen.

    ¡°Fine, do whatever you want. Well, with your kind of father, it¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯s been exposed to certain levels of violence, ¡±

    .....

    Although Isabe¡¯s words were cutting, it kind of made sense. Chloe was too young to be exposed to these kinds of lifestyles, and they were going to visit Winters wherever they ced her, most likely, in a holding cell. But it was toote for that.

    He was a Mafia Don and Chloe had seen all there is to see about their world. She was not as innocent as Isabe presumed her to be. Moreover, Marcel would not leave Chloe behind where any of them could snatch her from him ¨C especially Reina. He still doesn¡¯t trust the woman wouldn¡¯t try to take Chloe from him.

    Also, Marcel doesn¡¯t see himselfing out from his father¡¯s shadow anytime soon. Not while the man was still alive. Daniel¡¯s past was too ugly to be wiped away that easily and as his son, people were quick to assume the worst and he didn¡¯t me him. Like father, like son, the adage was quite potent.

    So they all went to see Winters in her cell, but on their way there, they were stopped by a soldier who pointed breathlessly in the direction of the cell, looking ruffled ¨C and beaten.

    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± He said.

    ¡°They?¡± Marcel¡¯s brows furrowed at that pronoun. It was only Winters. How could there be two of them?

    However, Isabe was the first to run into the cell and he followed after her when they got into the room, it was empty. There was no trace of Winters.

    Isabe ran her hand through her hair while Marcel began to search the room desperately including under the bed as if she were hiding there even though it was obvious that there was no one in the room.

    He whipped around to Isabe, his eyes zing, ¡°Where is she?¡± He growled at her. If this was some sort of joke, it better stop now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! She was supposed to be here!¡± Isabe was confused. She looked around for the guard to throw more light on what happened here. However, Marcel was impatient.

    He warned her, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do or how you do it, but if you don¡¯t find Winters whom your family took from me, then you would have a war on your hands and not me, but Daniel would be the one leading it.¡± Marcel didn¡¯t care about the consequences at the moment.

    ¡°I knew having you here was bad luck,¡± Nius said this time.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t gotten to this point,¡± Reina said, ¡°We should all calm down.¡±

    ¡°Cameras are usually not installed inside the house, but I ordered them to be ced against the party for safety¡¯s sake. We will find out what happened there.¡± Emerald was still speaking when the soldier who was supposed to be in charge of taking care of Winters arrived.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Marcel asked him with a grave tone and perhaps if there wasn¡¯t an audience, he would have hitched him up against the wall by now, ¡°Where is Winters?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± He confessed, ¡°Honestly, I was just doing my job when someone sneaked up on me from behind and hit me on the back of the head and I passed out. That¡¯s all I remember.¡±

    ¡°Convenient excuse to skip responsibility, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Marcel sneered and was ready to lunge at the bastard when Sakuzi reminded him,

    ¡°Cameras?¡±

    And that¡¯s how everyone found themselves in the control room the next moment, going through the recordings and it didn¡¯t even take long for them to stumble on the truth which left everyone dumbfounded.

    ¡°Akim?!¡±

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Marcel was the only one who wasn¡¯t in the know.

    ¡°Winters¡¯ boyfriend? Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Chloe asked innocently, looking at him as if he was supposed to know about it.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Marcel suffered the second attack of the night, ¡°Boyfriend?!¡±

    When did Winters even get a boyfriend? He thought that she was in love with herputers. Moreover, what¡¯s with children nowadays? Keeping critical secrets like this from him? First, it was Chloe, and now Winters. They were partners. He thought the both of them didn¡¯t keep anything from each other.

    ¡°Great!¡± Nius threw his hands in the air. ¡°What¡¯s happening to my family?¡± His using look was on Marcel. All of this happened after he and his barged into his life and now both families were entangled in a rtionship none of them wanted.

    ¡°We should track them down,¡± Nius decided, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have gone far. With our resources, we can catch the hacker before she ruins Akim¡¯s life,¡±

    ¡°That hacker has a name and if there¡¯s anyone I should be worried about, it¡¯s your nephew. I¡¯m Winters¡¯ guardian and from the looks of things in the camera, he¡¯s the one who took her away.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Nius sneered, ¡°Who do you think seduced him enough to make such a decision? Akim has always been a good boy until that girl arrived!¡±

    ¡°Oh really? You¡¯re really defending a horny young adult who¡¯s thinking through his tiny penis and not his head.¡±

    Nius was greatly offended by thatment, and he said, ¡°Oh please, I can assure you that none of the Spencers has a tiny penis? Perhaps you¡¯re just alluding to yourself!¡±

    ¡°I might be young but I¡¯m an honorable person and I don¡¯t boast of what I don¡¯t have!¡±

    Marcel and Nius bantered back and forth while the remaining audience in the room stared at one another in confusion, were they arguing about that right now?

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± Emerald, the giant broke them apart, ¡°This is not the time to defend your male ego or fight, two kids are missing for crying out loud and we haven¡¯t decided how to find them.¡±

    ¡°We are not going after them,¡± Isabe announced all of a sudden, stunning everyone.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Nius thought that she was on his side.

    ¡°Take a look at the camera, these are just frightened kids trying to get away from our adult problem.¡± She turned to Marcel, ¡°I guess we would have to take his word that she had no other ulterior motive ining here. Any opposition to that?¡± Isabe waited for any of them to speak up but when no response came, she took that as a yes.

    ¡°Now that the case is settled, I would love to retreat for the night with my children and perhaps if there¡¯s still time, have one or two rounds with my husband Pedro. ,¡±

    ¡°That is too much information, Isabe,¡± Niusined, eyeing her. Not that Isabe cared. It was a good thing that Pedro was with the kids, else the both of them would have had a man-to-man conversation tonight.

    Isabe ignored the old man and said to Marcel, ¡°Perhaps now, you can leave my family alone to recover from the havoc your unexpected presence has caused us. Any other issue would be resolved afterward.¡± She hinted at the Winters and Akim issue.

    ¡°Fine, we will take our leave.¡± Marcel grabbed Chloe¡¯s hand tightly, ¡°Thank you nheless for keeping my sister safe. Till we meet again.¡±

    And just like that, Marcel left the residence with his sister, walking hand in hand. His driver Festus was released and it wasn¡¯t until Marcel stepped in that he remembered something important.

    Arianna.

    He had been so carried away by the dramas with the Spencers that he had forgotten he had a more pressing issue. And now, fear like no other gripped him because he had an inkling that he was toote.

 Chapter 652

    652 So Much Rage

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going a tad bit fast?¡± Chloe asked, a little bit scared as they went over the speed limit.

    However, she couldn¡¯t tell if her brother was even listening to her or purposely ignored her because he said to Festus,

    ¡°Step on it,¡±

    And Festus sure did as everything went past them in a blur.

    Chloe was very happy to be reunited with her brother again, however, it was as if the instant they stepped out of Spencer¡¯s residence, he became apletely different person. Her brother became anxious and gravely grim.

    There was not a smile on his face as he had his phone pressed to his eyes as he called God knows who. Chloe watched all of these without saying a word, having a feeling that she might have ruined something for her brother by telling on him.

    Her heart began to pound loudly in her throat, she didn¡¯t want him to hate her. She didn¡¯t want Marcel to hate her because he was the only family she had left and Chloe wouldn¡¯t know what to do if such a thing happened ¨C sure, Reina would wee her with open arms, but her husband and others would never trust her before she¡¯s a Luciano. In one word, she¡¯s better off with Marcel.

    ¡°Just pick up the damn phone!¡± Marcel cursed when even his cousin Victor wouldn¡¯t answer his phone. He knew instinctively that something was wrong, and everyone was avoiding him.

    He has been calling Arianna¡¯s phone for over thirty minutes and yet it just kept on ringing without an answer, increasing his anxiety. Marcel knew deep down that something was wrong ¨C that something had happened ¨C but he didn¡¯t want to believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. He couldn¡¯t believe that Arianna was gone just like that. He had to see it.

    .....

    Marcel couldn¡¯t breathe. There was just this tightening sensation in his chest that made him ustrophobic inside the car. His heart was pounding severely and sweat trickled down his forehead, but Marcel refused to break down. Not in front of his sister. He just got her back. He refused to scare her away immediately.

    So Marcel gave himself false hope and excuses tofort himself. Arianna was alright and the others were not picking up his call because they were simply ying a prank on him. Everything was alright. There was no need to panic. Marcel continuously chanted those inwardly until he arrived at the base and everything changed.

    The solemn atmosphere started from the gate and Marcel¡¯s insecurities came back again and this time stronger. He knew deep down that something had happened and he was so impatient to discover things for himself that even before Festus parked on thewn, Marcel jumped out of the car to Chloe¡¯s shock.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She cried out in shock. What was wrong with her brother? She couldn¡¯t understand him anymore.

    Thanks to the speed, Marcel only managed to roll out to the ground, instead of standing on both feet. However, he pushed up to his feet immediately and ignored both his sister¡¯s concerns for his safety, and started in the direction of the house.

    Marcel ran at the top of his lungs and he finally got inside the living room where activities were going on until they saw him and everyone went deadly still. The room became so silent like a graveyard and no one dared to breathe carelessly as the soldiers gulped upon seeing the boss back home.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything, he simply looked around the living room and it was scattered as if a tornado happened there. There was a worn-out look on the faces of everyone present ¨C except for the fear and guilt they were probably feeling toward him right now. They were all in on things ¨C no one had picked up his call when he called.

    There weren¡¯t injuries on their bodies, hence Marcel couldn¡¯t say that they were beaten up. However, there was a tiredness in their eyes and none of them would look at him directly. They were scared and Marcel felt likeughing till his ribs hurt. It wasn¡¯t funny, yet funny. He probably must have lost his damn mind.

    He finally found his cousin Victor and his gaze narrowed down on him like a target as he strode towards him purposefully. Luca was beside him which made it all the better because he wasn¡¯t in the mood to go looking for him. However, what surprised Marcel the most was their contracted doctor by his side. His brows furrowed in thought, what was he doing here?

    ¡°Marcel ... ¡± Victor stood to his feet to exin to him before he reacted, however, Marcel faced Luca and asked him.

    ¡°Where is Arianna?¡±

    Luca gulped and his reaction alone was answer enough for Marcel. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t the kind of answer Marcel wanted. He needed to see Arianna right now, and that was all that mattered.

    ¡°I can exin....¡± Those were the words Luca got to say before a punchnded on him and he staggered back, shaking away the dizziness from his eyes. He still hadn¡¯t recovered from that gas that weakened him.

    ¡°Where is Arianna!¡± Marcel yelled at him, every ounce of control had left his body and right now, he was like a beast unhinged.

    Luca fell to the ground and Marcel was upon him in mere seconds, punching him in the face ruthlessly.

    ¡°All you had was one job! Keep her safe! Make sure Elijah doesn¡¯ty a hand! And yet, you failed that woefully! You let him take her!¡± Fist upon fistnded on Luca¡¯s face and he didn¡¯t defend himself, letting Marcel beat him up. He deserved it anyway. He failed at the one thing that he had been assigned to do.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Victor went over and pulled his cousin from Luca before he fucking killed him.

    However, Marcel was filled with so much rage that the instant Victor drew him away from Luca, he turned on him and pulled him by the shirt, his other hand drawn back to hit him.

 Chapter 653

    653 His Biggest Treasure Was Taken

    Marcel stopped at thest minute when he recognized his cousin, his fist merely inches away from plummeting his face. His eyes were wide and red with emotions while his fist shook from the rage coursing through his body.

    He just stood frozen, his hands still gripping Victor¡¯s chest when he said, ¡°Hit me.¡±

    Marcel was startled by thatment and his mouth opened yet he couldn¡¯t say anything. He just looked into Victor¡¯s eyes and his cousin stared back at him. Those eyes were filled with determination and courage.

    Victor was not scared of him, in fact, there was not even an ounce of protesting from his body. If hitting him was going to make him feel better, then so be it. It was his fault as well that Arianna got taken. He could not do anything. He was so useless.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes were red and his fist clenched Victor¡¯s shirt even tighter as he was tempted to take him up on that offer. They couldn¡¯t do anything to secure his woman! Arianna was gone just like that!

    Marcel released an anguished roar instead, pushing Victor away from him, and went in search of Arianna by himself as if he had the extraordinary power of bringing her back. He went to her room first to look for her and when he didn¡¯t find a trace, Marcel returned to his own room, turning everything over in his search and not caring that some of his most treasured stuff was damaged in the process.

    Arianna had once likened him to a dragon, iming they were the only creatures who hoarded treasures like him and it must be really true since he hardly let people touch his treasures. However, at that moment even as those rare artifacts crashed to the floor, he didn¡¯t care because his biggest treasure was missing and it was Arianna. He wanted her back!

    ¡°Victor!¡± Chloe called after his cousin who turned the moment heid his eyes on his niece, leaving him no choice but to put a smile on his face.

    ¡°Chloe!¡± He spread his arms wide as the little girl ran into it and he held her tight. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Victor apologized to her. He had been unable to do anything when Daniel took her away. If it wasn¡¯t for Marcel, Victor was sure that he didn¡¯t dare to go after Daniel for her sake.

    .....

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m home now, that¡¯s all that matters,¡± She said to him, hugging him tighter and rxing against him until she heard a crashing sound.

    Chloe pulled apart from Victor, startled. ¡°What is going on?¡± She asked, but got no response except that Victor¡¯s gaze traveled upstairs. That was when she looked around and found out that her brother was missing.

    ¡°Where is Marcel?¡± Chloe queried and from the look on Victor¡¯s face, she was able to connect the dots. The noise upstairs was Marcel trashing the room.

    She wanted to after him and only a step when Victor grabbed her shoulder and shook his head, it was a no.

    ¡°What is going on with my brother, Victor?¡±

    Victor sighed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chloe, but this is beyond you.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to know! I¡¯m not a child anymore!¡±

    ¡°You would onlyplicate issues by being stubborn, Chloe, ¡± Victor told her before he gestured to one of the men toe over. As soon as the soldier arrived, he instructed him, ¡°Take her to her room and keep herpany.¡±

    Victor would have left the young girl all alone knowing she would be mad at him, but Chloe was reckless and someone had to keep an eye on him. For now, Marcel wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with his sister missing right after he got her, that would break him ¨C and he would murder all of them.

    ¡°What?! No!¡± Chloe shouted when she heard that and tried to run away, but she was a little kid and the soldier simply threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing and left with her squirming and cursing at the top of her lungs.

    She was merely a teenager and was already difficult to control, Marcel was going to have a handful when she grows up. Victor pitied him. Although the crashing sounds ended eventually, none of them dared to go upstairs and see him

    In his moment of mad rage, it was best to leave Marcel alone because he was like a wild animal in that state and casualties were inevitable. Hence, he better blow off steam in his own space without putting anyone at risk.

    They simply waited and waited and waited until Marcel came downstairs and everyoneposed themselves. Although Marcel looked disheveled, there was a detached ruthlessness about him that made every one of them gulp and stand straighter. None of them dared to point it out.

    Right now, their light-hearted leader was gone and in his ce was a broken-hearted lover. Marcel was serious as hell and no one wanted to be an outlet for his anger. Luca was example enough and he currently had an ice pack to his face as the doctor watched his injury.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say a word until he got down and stood in the middle of the room before opening his mouth and asking sternly, ¡°What happened here?¡±

    The question was directed at no one in particr but Victor chose to answer, ¡°We were taken unaware and lost consciousness thanks to the gas. It was not like any other gas we have seen, it was odorless and none of us saw iting. We had it captured on camera though.¡±

    ¡°Is that something to be proud of?¡± Marcel asked him gravely, his eyes on him and Victor didn¡¯t even dare to retort. Marcel was deadly serious.

    Arianna was taken and he was proud to announce that he got it all on camera. There was a potent rage inside of him and Marcel wanted to destroy everyone and everything in his path. But he pushed it down, he was a human being, not an animal without rationality.

    He turned to Victor and asked, ¡°Where is it?¡±

    The next minute, Marcel was seated in front of theptop showing the recordings of what happened. At first, it had been Arianna and the rest of them ying games and having fun before he switched to the pool area. Luca was the first to fall but Arianna must not have sensed it because she was underwater. The gas must be pervious to water else Arianna would have drowned in her sleep and the thought made Marcel¡¯s stomach churn.

    Arianna would have died and he wouldn¡¯t even know.

 Chapter 654

    654 Aziz Was Elijah

    Marcel had to get his shit as he watched the rest of the recording and when it got to the part where Arianna got into the living room, his heart began to pound louder. Even though he already had an inkling of what happened, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but be nervous.

    He gripped the edge of the table on which theptop was ced so hard that if he had superhuman strength, he could have crushed it already. With his heart still pounding, he saw the moment Arianna noticed that she was in danger. She started to retreat and Marcel jerked forward as if he could reach out and somehow pull her out of the video.

    But then he got himself at thest minute and withdrew his hand, watching as the masked man tackled her to the ground. She¡¯s half-naked! Marcel wanted to yell out in anger. Arianna hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to dress up after stepping out of the pool.

    How dare the bastard touch what was his? His body was pulsing with great rage, but he swallowed it up, watching as the bastard manhandled in the struggle that ensued between the both of them. Although there wasn¡¯t any audio support yet Marcel could read Arianna¡¯s lips and she was calling his name.

    His heart clenched tightly and Marcel felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe. Arianna had been there, calling for him, waiting for him toe to help her and he didn¡¯t. It was all his fault! He shouldn¡¯t have left her alone! He shouldn¡¯t have gone to rescue his sister. But then, his sister was important to him as well, no! .... Marcel¡¯s mind was a mess as he battled between guilt and duty.

    His eyes were red and swollen as he fought against the tears that threatened to slip down his cheeks while watching the recording. No, this was not the time! He couldn¡¯t show weakness in front of his men. But then... It was too much... he needed to breathe.

    However, Marcel¡¯s attention was drawn when he saw the assant begin to walk to the surveince camera until he was directly in front of it. Marcel¡¯s expression hardened, the assant was intentionally sending him a message.

    What would it be? Marcel was still wondering what the challenge would be when he saw the bastard take off his mask, and instantly, a chill washed over Marcel.

    You know that moment an explosion happens and the victim close to the site suffers ear deafness for a while, that was how Marcel felt when he saw the face staring back at him. It felt like a dream to him as he muted everyone and everything around him, his gaze focused on that familiar face.

    .....

    It was him.

    He was Elijah.

    And just like that, everything began to make sense to Marcel. The only way the base could have been attacked today was because there was an inside man. Elijah had infiltrated his gang a long time and yed it safe, waiting for the right moment to strike.

    Everything began toe back to him as in a movie. The bastard was the one that Arianna had been protecting all this while. The signs were there, he just didn¡¯t notice them. He had been blinded by feelings not to see it.

    The day Arianna fainted, of course, Elijah was the only one who could have made her react that way. He never let her leave the base, it would make sense that she fainted after seeing his face that day. The asshole had dared to step into the lion¡¯s den. He had not been afraid ofing to see his woman while being in his territory.

    It was expected.

    Marcel grabbed theptop and flung it halfway across the room and no one said a word, if anything they became alert. Marcel¡¯s breathing was ragged as he went over the memories and the possibilities of what he would have done had he known the truth.

    He ran his hand through his hair, his mind working. Elijah came into his organization in the name of Aziz and deceived everyone. He even dared to use his cousin, Adele?! Marcel was boiling with anger and he needed to explode.

    Everything was driving him crazy as he thought about how all of this would have gone differently had Arianna told him the truth. The bastard had been hiding right under his nose and he didn¡¯t even know! Marcel felt stupid! Betrayed! Embarrassed! Angry!

    Arianna... betrayed him!

    Who knew what they had discussed that day they met? Had they discussed her escape that day? How is it that she happened to swim when the gas was deployed? Was it a coincidence or a show put on to hide her involvement? So many questions ran through his mind, making him dizzy.

    But then, Arianna wouldn¡¯t do that to him. She loved him, right? Arianna gave up on her idea of running away months ago and wouldn¡¯t do this? Marcel didn¡¯t know what to believe anymore. Nheless, it didn¡¯t take away the fact that she brought this upon herself! If she had only told him Elijah¡¯s identity, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. And to think that Elijah was quite close, made Marcel angrier. They both made a fool of him!

    What had she been fucking thinking?! Keeping Elijah close was like ying with fire and asking not to get burnt. Perhaps, inwardly, she had been wishing for something like this to happen, so she could finally be away from him without lifting a finger.

    Marcel took a step back, cold realization dawning on him. He had been the one who loved Arianna too much. He just kept on giving and giving and giving and never receiving, hoping that one day she would love him the same way, with the same measure. But then, all he got, in the end, was heartbreak.

    As usual, Instead of the rage in Marcel¡¯s heart growing, it began to colden instead. There was a hollow and empty feeling in his chest and his heart froze as something broke inside of him.

    Marcel turned to his cousin and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s find that bastard,¡±

    Victor¡¯s brows drew together, his face painted with worry. He knew that look on Marcel and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. If angry Marcel was dangerous, then callous Marcel was lethal. When Marcel turns off his feelings, he was no different from his father Daniel, and Victor was worried that Arianna leaving him might turn him into the monster he dreaded bing.

    Being raised by a madman called Daniel, the only thing that made Marcel any different was his emotions, it made him less psychopathic, and more human. But if he decides to turn that off, then you have it, Daniel¡¯s perfect creature. Like father, like son.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Victor asked cautiously. He hoped that he wasn¡¯t about to go do something stupid.

    But Marcel red at him, ¡°Since when do you begin to question my orders.¡±

    Victor swallowed stiffly. There you have it, the beginning of the dark days aka asshole Marcel. He better finds Arianna as soon as possible before this idiot bes a pain in the ass.

    When Victor didn¡¯t answer his question, Marcel¡¯s re intensified. However, Victor still didn¡¯t budge and when it became obvious that he was giving him the attitude, Marcel said to him,

    ¡°Better catch up then.¡±

    And with those words, he left.

    Victor joined him, albeit reluctantly, and found out in the end, that it was Aziz¡¯s, no, Elijah¡¯s apartment.

    ¡°Search this ce thoroughly, don¡¯t leave a stone unturned,¡± Marcelmanded his soldiers who all nodded and got to work.

    But while they did their work, Victor simply leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and watched as Marcel tossed anything in his way with the hopes of finding anything that would lead him to Elijah.

    Victor wasn¡¯tzy, he was merely a consigliere, an advisor to Marcel, and not hisckey. So he wasn¡¯t going to get his hands dirty doing those searches. It was time that he did his job instead.

    He came over to Marcel, observing him before saying, ¡°Holding all of that in isn¡¯t going to help you, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°I never remembered asking for your help,¡± He retorted, going through any stuff in the room that he could get his hands on ¨C and avoid his annoying cousin right now.

    ¡°I have known you for years now Marcel and when you¡¯re this angry, you tend to push it out on the people closest to you.¡±

    Marcel nced up at him, ¡°You would make a great therapist,¡± his words dripped with sarcasm.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind having a session like this with you all day,¡± Victor sassed back.

    Marcel opened his mouth to say something only to hear, ¡°I find something, boss!¡±

    The soldier ran up to him and ced a note on his palm. He looked at it, ¡°What is...?¡± Then he saw who it was addressed to

    [Dear Adele,

    I know by the time you¡¯re reading this, the truth is out and you already know my true identity. I am really sorry and didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, and although my goal had been to get Arianna for my own selfish reasons, my mission¡¯s changed and now, I must bring her home to her mother. I get that you won¡¯t forgive me but you should know that those moments we spent together were real to me.

    Yours apologetic, Aziz]

    As soon as Marcel finished reading that note, a cruel smirk tugged his lips to the side and he crumbled the note with his hand.

    Bastard.

 Chapter 655

    655 You¡¯re Safe With Me

    ¡°Do you think I should be here? I mean it¡¯s the first time we¡¯re meeting and I¡¯m not sure she¡¯d be delighted to see me?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯d do perfectly fine,¡±

    ¡°But -¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no perfect time to do this but now...¡±

    ¡°So loud...¡± Arianna groaned, pulling at her hair. Her head was pounding so hard and there were so many conversations going on around her that it was bothering her. what the hell was going on? Why was everywhere noisy?

    Marcel was usually not this loud. He was always careful not to wake her up. And speaking of Marcel, that voice did not sound like his...

    Her eyes snapped open and Arianna jerked up from the bed, wide awake as she stared at her environment. Everything hade back to her in that instant and she could remember the incident. What is this ce? Where was she? Don¡¯t seriously tell her that she was kidnapped again?

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± A strange male voice said and Arianna turned around to look at him fully. Deep lines of suspicion and confusion were embedded on her face as she stared at the stranger that kind of felt familiar to her.

    It was as if she had seen that face somewhere, or perhaps someone that resembled him, Arianna just couldn¡¯t ce her head around it. Even at that, Arianna didn¡¯t lower her guard, if anything she crawled further back into the bed showing her vulnerability and the fact she doesn¡¯t trust him.

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± He said, but Arianna would be the fool to trust those words. Anyone that took her away from Marcel was an enemy and she had learned from Big Joe and Kenith never to trust anyone in that profession.

    They all used sugary words when ites to getting what they want. Although Arianna couldn¡¯t understand why Elijah would bring her here, she had expected his face to be the first thing she would see once she woke so she¡¯d w his eyes out and give him a piece of her mind.

    Didn¡¯t she make her intentions clear to him? She was not leaving Marcel and yet, he dared to take her away as he had threatened. Arianna felt like ripping him apart. How dare he! Doesn¡¯t he know the word, respecting people¡¯s choice?!

    Has Marcel noticed her disappearance yet? Well, he should have, considering Elijah had not exactly been subtle in taking her ¨C he had drugged everyone in the base. Who knew how Marcel was feeling right now? She had to go to him? Assure him that she was safe and all. Arianna knew Marcel had a short fuse for a brain and he was not going to be happy about this.

    Hence, while the man kept talking, Arianna was already working on how she was going to escape here and that was when she noticed the woman hiding behind the strange man. What the hell was this? Was she ying hide and seek? Just where in the world had Elijah dumped her and left?

    ¡°I know you¡¯re probably confused -¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am!¡± Arianna snapped at him, her head throbbing. God, she hated the headache!

    Yet the man was gentle in speaking to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had hoped we would meet in the best circumstance, but there was no more time.¡±

    She arched a brow, ¡°No more time?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer her question and said instead, ¡°There¡¯s someone who would love to meet you.¡±

    And just like that, the strange man stepped out of the way and the woman hiding behind his back was finally revealed to her as if this was a magic show and Arianna looked at her.

    It hit her like a thunderstorm.

    One moment Arianna had been filled with expectations to meet the mystery woman and the next, cold dread that seeped deep down into her bones filled her.

    [¡°I expected more from you, Arianna, and so does your mother¡±]

    Those were the words from Elijah the day he came to the base. It can¡¯t be possible.

    ¡°No, no, no....¡± Arianna groaned, shaking her head in disbelief. That bastard, Elijah couldn¡¯t have possibly taken her to her mother.

    But then it was ying out right in front of her eyes and even a blind man could see the resemnce between the both of them. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the woman took a tentative step forward, whispering, ¡°My child...¡±

    ¡°No...!¡± Arianna bellowed and before anyone could react, she had already jumped off the bed and moved towards the door, pulled it open, and fled.

    Heart pounding in her chest, Arianna ran with all of her might knowing that this might be the only chance she gets to leave here. She had to go see Marcel. Only him would save her from this madness. Arianna didn¡¯t know where she was going, just like Marcel, the ce wasrge and spacious and with many rooms, but she followed the passageway and kept running. It would lead her to the outside.

    There were mors behind her and Arianna knew they were hot on her pursuit. So she increased her speed, panting heavily. Sadly, Arianna checked her back while running, only to turn and bump into somebody.

    It was Elijah.

    Her anger returned, ¡°You bastard!¡± Arianna punched him right in the face and she had to admit, it felt good. But there was no time to feel good for her little victory because she tried to run past him and Elijah grabbed her arm.

    Arianna fought him but he was stronger and with much more experience than her. He snatched her arm and pressed it behind her before pushing her up against the wall.

    She couldn¡¯t fight back and only cursed at him, ¡°Let me out of here, you moron!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is where you belong now,¡± Elijah told her right before he pulled out an injection that made Arianna¡¯s eyes widen. He was going to drug her again.

    ¡°Oh, no... don¡¯t you dare! I¡¯m going to fucking kill you, Elijah!¡± All of her threats fell on deaf ears as he pierced her skin with the needle and injected her with the drug.

    Bitter tears slipped down Arianna¡¯s cheeks as she could already feel the effects of the drug working in her body. Her legs became weak and she slid down to the ground with Elijah. He wrapped her in his arms right before her mother got to her and all she could see was her face.

    She sped her face with both hands, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arianna, you¡¯re safe with me now,¡±

    That was thest thing Arianna heard before darkness swallowed her up again.

 Chapter 656

    656 Abort The Baby

    A zombie stepped into the room. No, it was not a zombie, but a woman, however, with her haggard appearance and the way she walked lifelessly, one could easily mistaken her for one.

    Although she knew that Aziz was long gone, it didn¡¯t stop Adele froming up into their, no, his apartment to search for him. As if she would be able to see something that the others hadn¡¯t been able to see.

    Adele knew that Marcel had been here, the news was everywhere, how the notorious Elijah had infiltrated into their organization, pretending to be Aziz who in reality had died years ago and yed them all along.

    It was thetest news in the organization and to think it happened right under her nose. Elijah had been beside her all this while and she didn¡¯t know. Well, who was she kidding? Adele had known all this while, but choose to ignore it. Her instincts warned her, but she had let emotional entanglement cloud her judgment and now, it was going to cost her her position.

    Aziz yed her perfectly well, that was all Adele could think about as she walked further into the room. Everywhere was a mess because Marcel had conducted a thorough search and didn¡¯t want to leave any stone untouched. But even at that, there was nothing that they could find, Elijah was good at cleaning his record.

    Just like he hade into her life and swept her off her feet as Aziz, he had ruined her as Elijah. The only good thing Adele got tonight was that they finally located Marcel¡¯s weapon. Hidden perfectly in an abandoned amusement park. Who would have thought of that? But there was no Elijah, it was only a diversion, Adele realized it toote.

    Aziz or Elijah or whatever he called himself knew that he could never achieve his goals with her by his side. So he sent her to the weapon while Marcel was away on his mission to his sister, it was the perfect opportunity to achieve his initial reason foring here. Arianna.

    Adele¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but throb painfully when she thought about the time they spent together. Had it been all for nothing? Was Arianna the only one in his heart and she had been nothing but a recement and a sex toy for his sexual gratification until he got what he wanted? And to think that she had been nning to tell him about their baby...

    Oh my God, her baby!

    .....

    Her hands traveled to her belly and she clutched her stomach. What was she going to do about the child? She was fucking pregnant for Elijah! It finally dawned on her. Her family was going to kill her when they heard whose child she was carrying.

    Adele slid to the ground as she could see her whole world crashing down around her. Of all people, why did this have to happen to her? She broke into heartbreaking tears. All she ever wanted was to work hard and pave her way in the organization. But now, she was a young woman with a baby whose father would never be epted by her family.

    No, who was she kidding? Elijah would probably never acknowledge the baby. He was fucking in love with Arianna! No wonder he only wanted a causal rtionship with her. She should have read the signs. It¡¯s just that the past week, there was just something different about him, Aziz became kinder, attentive, and gentler and she thought that it was him finally opening up to her. That he liked her.

    Who knew that it was all a pretense?! He had been only looking for ways to bring her guards down and he seeded. Congrattions! Adele wanted to say to Elijah wherever he was. He finally got what he wanted at her own expense. He left her a wreck and she would never forgive him.

    Adele looked down at her belly and knew that she couldn¡¯t keep the baby. She had to abort the child. It was not worth the trouble. Elijah was not going to ept responsibility for the child even if she told him and her family would not ept the baby either ¨C that is if she even had a family.

    Adele knew that she would hate the child as well. The baby would only keep on reminding her of what Elijah did to her and it was best she eliminated it, saving the baby from the cruel fate awaiting him or her. As an illegitimate child, Adele knew what she had to go through and would not bestow the same fate on her child.

    She furiously wiped the tears away from her face havinge to a decision. Yes, that was what she was going to do. The baby had to go. And with that being done, Adele would end any link with Elijah. She would properly hate him then and save herself the emotional pain she was going through right now.

    Adele stood up to her feet, going through the rest of the room with the memories tormenting her. She remembered the kitchen, that was the first ce she had first gotten intimate with Elijah. The moment had been breathtaking. How could something so beautiful be this dark?

    He was the first person whom she felt something strong for and gave him her heart only for him to stomp it into pieces. The bedroom was worse, even amid the mess, everywhere smelled like Aziz and if she closed her eyes, Adele swear she could recreate one of her favorite moments with him.

    But then it was all in the past, everything was ruined now. It was over! She had to move on and forget about him! Elijah was nothing but an asshole! A liar! A cheat! She hated him!

    Adele was still wallowing in heartbreak when her phone rang. Clearing away the tears blurring her view, she nced down at her screen and saw that it was Marcel calling.

    She cleared her throat andposed herself before picking up.

    ¡°Hello,¡± She said.

    Marcel wanted her at the base.

 Chapter 657

    657 Abort The Baby ¨C For the first time in her entire life, Adele dreadeding to the base,ing to see Marcel ¨C the cousin that she had always looked up to and who inspired her. She had hoped to be like him thanks to his bravery in overthrowing his father and his unique leadership so far.

    Unlike the previous leaders of the family so far, Marcel was the most flexible and impartial. She knew that no other person would have taken her as an underboss even if she worked herself to the limit. No matter what, she would always be below a man ¨C no one believed women had major roles in the Mafia except being their wives and mistresses.

    The only woman that had made any substantial difference in the family business was Carmine, Victor¡¯s mother. But it was obvious that she had only supported her brother in the first ce to take over the family business ¨C a move she regrets ¨C and since then, has been keeping minimal involvement.

    Still, Marcel saw her potential and noticed her hard work. But not anymore. Adele was embarrassed to face Marcel, knowing that she failed him. Had she been a little observant and hadn¡¯t let feelings get in the way of her work, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.

    As soon as Adele arrived at the base, she noticed numerous gazes on her and they were all judgemental. In their eyes, she was probably the slut who got in bed with the enemy. Even at that, Adele didn¡¯t shrink away or walk with a hunch, no, she walked with her head raised high.

    If anyone had a problem with her, they should say it to her face. Her fist was thirsty for a bit of action anyway. With the emotions bottled up inside of her, Adele needed to focus somewhere. Luckily for them, no one dared to step in her way or make any insulting remark till she was gone. Seems they all love their life anyway. Cowards.

    However, the confidence disappeared the instant she entered the office and met Marcel¡¯s stern face with Victor around as well. There was silence in the room and the tension was so thick that Adele felt the panic from before trying to take hold of her again. However, she pushed it down, reminding herself why she needed this job. This was not the time to break down.

    Adele did not take a seat, not without Marcel giving her the instruction. Hence, she simply stood in the middle of the room waiting for him to say a word. It seems that she was not the only ufortable one because Victor sat down on the couch, biting down on his nails and staring at Marcel intently as if he could figure out what was going on in his mind.

    When Adele couldn¡¯t stand the silence anymore, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry -¡±

    .....

    ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t change anything,¡± Marcel cut her off, finally lifting his face to look at her and the coldness Adele saw in those eyes made her gulp. This was not the Marcel he knew and yet he was the same person.

    ¡°Nor does it bring Arianna back,¡± Hepleted, the temperature in the room falling even though the air conditioner was off.

    Of course, he took Arianna, that truth left a bitter taste in her tongue and bile rose to her throat but Adele pushed it back down. She was stronger. She can survive this.

    ¡°I thought that it was the best decision to make. I didn¡¯t know that the enemy was right beside me -¡±

    ¡°Because you were fucking him...¡± He arched a brow at her, ¡°or should I put it the other way round, he was fucking you?¡± Marcel said crudely.

    Adele flinched visibly and Victor saw her reaction and that pissed him off. He turned to Marcel and said to him, ¡°That¡¯s quite riching from you?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Victor faced him, ¡°You talk as if you weren¡¯t the same way when you first brought Arianna here? You knew the implications of being with her and yet you went ahead to date and fall in love with her. So what gives you the right to persecute Adele?¡± He sneered, ¡°That¡¯s hypocrisy at the finest,¡±

    Marcel shot up to his feet, furious, ¡°Don¡¯t you darepare the both of us!¡± He pointed at Adele, ¡°She was sleeping with the enemy! How couldn¡¯t she have known?! Surely, there were signs, hints he dropped at a point!¡±

    ¡°And Arianna knew the face of the enemy! How is it any different?!¡± Victor fired at him, ¡°Just because you¡¯re hurting inside doesn¡¯t mean that everyone else has to be miserable because of you! You¡¯re just selfish and self-centered!¡±

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Marcel¡¯s eyes shed with rage. How dare he call him selfish upon all he has done?

    And while all of this was going on, Adele was wound up in a world of her own. All of this was her fault. It was because of her. If only she had pointed out the suspicion she had towards Aziz, then he would have been caught in time.

    Her stomach suddenly churned and none of the men about to have a serious face-off noticed the sick look on her face until her palm traveled to her mouth and she began to gag.

    It was at that moment that Marcel and Victor stopped their argument and stopped to look at Adele looking for something and it hit them.

    ¡°No, no, no, there¡¯s the toilet -¡± The both of them were still saying but Adele was unable to hold it in anymore. She had to let it out now!

    Without a second thought, she grabbed the ss coffee jug on Marcel¡¯s desk and pulled off the lid.

    ¡°No, not my coffee...!¡±

    Marcel was still saying when Adele put her mouth to her hug and threw up.

    ¡°No!!¡± Marcel wailed as he stared at the vition of his precious coffee jug. He wasn¡¯t even sure that particr luxurious jug was in the market anymore because thepany had gone out of business.

    Why was this happening to him?!

    Why him?

 Chapter 658

    658 Abort The Baby -Marcel couldn¡¯t do anything but stand and watch as Adele threw up the contents of her stomach in his coffee jug. There was even a bit of coffee left in the jug but he was not drinking it anymore.

    By the time Adele was done, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and leaned against the desk. She felt much better now. When Marcel and Victor were arguing, the pressure on her had been too much and she just needed to release it all.

    Adele absent-mindedly ran her hand over her belly, she was better now. However, unfortunately for her, that little gesture was noticed by Marcel and both of their gazes met hers as it dawned on him.

    ¡°No!¡± A guttural roar left Marcel¡¯s lips and he strode over to Adele and grabbed her arm roughly, startling her, ¡°He fucking got you pregnant?!¡±

    He shouted at her face while Adele¡¯s feet stuck to the ground. She was wide-eyed and looked like a rat caught by the owner while trying to steal the food. How did he know?

    Well, how had Marcel known?

    While having great expectations that Arianna would turn out pregnant, Marcel had done the research. He made sure to be equipped with enough knowledge to begin his role as a father. Aside from that, he saw the way Adele held her stomach protectively and it reminded him of the time Daniel would beat his mother. Her hands would usually go to her stomach as if she was protecting someone.

    And now that Marcel thought about it, it wouldn¡¯t surprise him if his mother had a few miscarriages after him ¨C which made her go adopt Chloe. So when he saw Adele do that, it just came instinctively to him. Marcel simply put two and two together, the vomiting and all ¨C early signs of pregnancy ¨C and bam! It made perfect sense.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± Adele tried to exin to him, ¡°I found out recently too ¨C ¡±

    .....

    ¡°The child can¡¯t stay,¡± He said without blinking an eye.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Victor came to stand between the both of them and grabbed Adele, putting her behind him protectively.

    He said to Marcel, ¡°Do you even hear yourself right now?¡± Victor hated him for suggesting that she aborted the baby.

    But Marcel answered him fiercely, ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do. She¡¯s carrying Elijah¡¯s child and I would not let such a bastard stay. No, what do you think the elders would do when they hear such an oue? This is me being merciful right now,¡± He imed.

    ¡°And aborting the child is the best solution?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe him. Of all the people to suggest such a thing, he never thought Marcel would even think of it.

    ¡°Well, what do you suggest then? Because if I could remember clearly you¡¯re supposed to be my advisor and all you have done so far is counter everything that I have said.¡±

    ¡°You want to hear my opinion? Then start by having a sleep!¡± Victor pointed at the clock, ¡°This is three o¡¯clock in the morning and we all have had a stressful day with devastating news. How do you expect toe up with a clear judgment when you¡¯re running low on fuel?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not running low on fuel,¡± He hinted at the coffee he had been consuming to keep himself up. Not that he needed it when the emotions were eating him up raw and keeping him awake.

    ¡°Others need it. You can continue being an arse but do not drag the rest of us into it. You¡¯re not the only sad person, Marcel, Arianna was a friend to me too and it kills every one of us inside that we were unable to do anything as she was taken away. We failed her too. It wasn¡¯t your fault or your sins to bear alone. Adele too needs the rest because she suffered the heaviest devastation.¡± He looked Marcel in the eyes and asked, ¡°How would you feel if ites to your knowledge that Arianna has been using you all this while?¡±

    Wrecked.

    That was the only word that came to Marcel¡¯s mind. He wouldn¡¯t be able to stomach such a betrayal.

    Thanks to Victor, Marcel said to Adele, ¡°This conversation doesn¡¯t leave this room,¡± He warned her.

    ¡°Of course, boss,¡± She said to him.

    ¡°Does Elijah know of the pregnancy?¡±

    This tone Adele didn¡¯t answer with her words but simply shook her head.

    ¡°Good. Keep it that way for the rest of your life.¡±

    Adele felt a stab of disappointment in her heart. So in the end, she would have to abort the baby. Although that had been her initial decision, being forced to do it was another issue. Adele felt aggrieved.

    ¡°You can leave now,¡± Marcel dismissed her.

    He added when she made it to the door, ¡°If it¡¯s toote, you can sleep in one of the rooms, that would make it easier for us to talk tomorrow morning and I wouldn¡¯t be med for anything if you were to have an ident as a result of stress.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your kindness,¡± Adele thanked him and left. She needed this anyway. Being under Marcel¡¯s roof would expel every thought of Elijah from her head and she would only think about the consequences, Adele hoped.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Victor asked his cousin after he returned from getting rid of his vited coffee Jug. He now pulled out a bottle of alcohol from his cab and sat down.

    ¡°What about me?¡± Marcel asked back nonchntly, bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a sip, the alcohol burning down his throat.

    ¡°Are you just going to sit there and wallow in self-pity this early morning? Waste yourself?¡±

    Marcel chuckled, ¡°Sorry, but It¡¯s called drowning my sorrows. Moreover...¡± His expression turned serious, ¡°What do you expect me to do? Go after Elijah and demand he return Arianna?¡± He found it funny as he took another sip.

    He went ahead to say, ¡°You read the note, Victor. Arianna is living happily ever after with that woman, her mother. I think this is really the end for us.¡±

 Chapter 659

    659 History Is Repeating Itself

    Arianna woke up to blinding sunlight, barely stirring when the memories hit her and she sat up with a jerk only to be held back by cuffs.

    ¡°Alright this is beginning to get old,¡± She muttered, pulling at the cuff which wouldn¡¯t budge. First it was big Joe, then Marcel and now Elijah. Wonderful.

    She turned upon sensing movements.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay...¡± Natalie told her cautiously when she sensed Arianna already pushing her body into an offensive stance.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not exactly persuasive,¡± Arianna hinted at the cuffs holding her down.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not exactly the best wee gesture, but it¡¯s for your own good else you hurt yourself....¡± Natalie wiped her face with both of her hands. It was just the both of them in the room now, having told Eric and the others to give them space. This was between her and her daughter and she had to speak to Arianna one on one.

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s not the best at all,¡± There was thick sarcasm in Arianna¡¯s tone.

    ¡°See, Arianna, you have to listen to -¡±

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m not listening to any bullshit!¡± Arianna yelled at her, finally losing her shit, ¡°For twenty-three fucking years, I was made to believe that you were dead! I grew up without a mother and I was cool with it! You don¡¯t juste out of nowhere and uproot me off the life that I¡¯ve been living, all for what?! A family reunion?! An emotional reunion between mother and daughter?! Because trust me, happily ever after doesn¡¯t exist in our case!¡± She said to her with emotions, panting heavily by the time she was done.

    There was an awkward tension between them when Arianna finished speaking. Natalie was as pale as a sheet while Arianna red at her, her lips pressed together as Mother and daughter stared at each other.

    Natalie made the next move, pressing her hand to her chest as she asked with a hurt voice, ¡°You think that I left you in purpose?¡±

    ¡°Whether you left intentionally or not, all I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s none of my business anymore. I¡¯m a grown-up now and I don¡¯t need you in my life!¡± Arianna dered.

    Why now?

    After all those years when she needed a mother by her side, why didn¡¯t she appear then? Although Arianna was curious to know what happened? How did everything turn out this way? Why did she get involved with Daniel? But she was blinded by anger and far too hurt to care!

    Her Father already died while pining for her. You know, thest thing her papa had talked about before giving up the ghost was her mother. At first, Arianna had thought that her father was very happy about going to join her in heaven ¨C she assumed her mother was dead then ¨C who knew he simply missed her? How lonely must he be right now?

    While all those things happened, her mother never one visited! Left her in the hands of her selfish and crazy rtives who almost ruined her life! So why must she ept her now? Why must she ept the woman back into her life all because she¡¯s her mother?

    ¡°Would you just shut up and let me exin?!¡± Natalie said in an outburst, finally losing her patience.

    After the littlemotion the previous night, Natalie decided to take it easy on her. You know, exin to her with understanding, but then, the girl had a temper and acted like an entitled child. Yes, child, she was still a child. Her baby girl.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your father,¡± She said to her, ¡°I know that¡¯s who you¡¯re angry about. I would be angry too if I were in your shoes. But I had no choice, your father and I knew that it was the best decision -¡±

    ¡°To keep me in the dark for twenty-three years and then spring the whole, ¡®Surprise! Your mother is alive¡¯ thing on me like some Halloween trick or treat? So yeah, it was really the best decision,¡± Arianna sassed, wiping away the tears from her eyes hurriedly. She didn¡¯t want to show any sort of weakness in front of this stranger that calls herself her mother. But then, it was hard to do so while confronting that past.

    ¡°I¡¯m still so sorry,¡± Unlike her daughter, Natalie let her tears fall freely and Arianna tried hard not to notice it. She refused to feel sympathy for her.

    ¡°I know that it¡¯s not going to solve anything but I still want to tell you that. I loved you so much, my child. Your father and I dreamed so much of what our family would look like. We would love you so much and give you everything that life could offer. You were meant to grow up loved and protected. But atst, life had its ns. ¡±

    ¡°No, I beg to differ. If you were sorry for missing out on raising me, then you would have left me alone forever. Your memory of being dead would have been much better than you suddenlying back to life.¡± Arianna said through gritted teeth. Why must shee to dictate her life when she was living well?

    ¡°What mother would leave her child alone?!¡± Natalie shouted at her.

    ¡°Exactly? Why?! Why now?!¡± She shouted back at her, wishing that her hands were free so she could make her point, ¡°Of all times that you could havee and found me? Why now?¡± Why now everything was going so perfectly for her.

    ¡°Because history is repeating itself!¡± She confessed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what cursed fate I have, but I won¡¯t let the same thing happen to you?¡± Natalie swore,ing closer, and sat on the bed.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Arianna looked her in the eyes, not even minding when the woman took her cuffed hands. All she wanted now was the truth. It was high time she told her what was going on.

    ¡°Marcel, the man you¡¯re seeing, he¡¯s Daniel¡¯s son,¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Arianna sneered at her, ¡± Are you going to tell me that I can¡¯t see him because his father and you dated in the past?¡±

    Natalie looked taken aback for a moment. ¡°Elijah,¡± She figured it out, ¡°I see, he told you about it. But then, did he tell you everything?¡±

 Chapter 660

    660 Love Me Again

    Years back...

    The chattering around her carried on, but Natalie did not take part, nor did she pay attention. It has been months since that night Daniel took her forcibly and yet she had not been able to escape from him.

    Although he had not touched her since then, his men had other opinions. They had a name for her too, Daniel¡¯s slut. The idiots believed that she was Daniel¡¯s kept woman. Not that she cared anymore.

    Sure, Daniel often paid her visits and sometimes behind closed time, but nothing of that nature happened again except the kisses now and then. After the night Daniel forced herself on her, something broke inside of Natalie, and right now she was no better than a zombie.

    Natalie was a shadow of herself, like a broken watch or something that Daniel was desperately trying to repair. She could see the frustration in his eyes anytime he failed to make her react, to make her feel alive.

    Although it was often a peck in the cheek, he once in a while kissed her on the mouth, hoping that would disgust her enough to fight back, but she didn¡¯t. Daniel might as well have forced himself on her again and she wouldn¡¯t push him away. He already got what he wanted, what was there to hide? To protect?

    Hence, Natalie was no different than a shell, a robot who did whatever the master wanted. She no longer had opinions and it was beginning to infuriate Daniel. He wanted the old Natalie who would battle and struggle with him over the slightest issue. He wanted the old Natalie who did not want him because it made him want her more.

    He needed a woman with vigor! Daniel wanted the woman he loved back, not this breathing, living doll. Thanks to her cold and nonchnt attitude, his visits were bing rarer and while Natalie should rejoice at the development, she was depressed. Oftentimes, she had suicidal thoughts and the urge to end it once and for all.

    But she wasn¡¯t able to pull through it because the memory of her daughter would pull up in her head. How could she leave her poor girl behind? That would be so cruel of her. In one word, the thoughts of escaping here one day and meeting her daughter kept her going.

    .....

    It seemed impossible now, but Natalie never gave up, especially now Daniel was beginning to visit her less and less. Natalie knew that Daniel now had a family, she heard his soldiers discussing it the other day. It was amazing the amount of information one could gather by just staying around the corner.

    Aside from Daniel¡¯s slut, their other nickname for her was ¡°mute¡± because she hardly talked to any of them. Thanks to that, they found ways to bully her like restricting her food just so they could hear herin and dispel the rumors of being unable to speak.

    But then Natalie would rather starve than give them the satisfaction. In the end, they would have no choice but to feed her so she doesn¡¯t die. Of course, all of this was done behind Daniel¡¯s back because the soldiers knew how to keep a good front whenever he was around. The less time Daniel spent with her, the more they mistreated her.

    However, Natalie picked up on some good news today, they were moving her and that means, it was a good opportunity to escape.

    The house she was kept in was crawling with soldiers making it impossible for her to escape. But once outside, there were a lot of chances to leave and she couldn¡¯t afford to screw that up.

    Thanks to the fact they were transporting her, they gave her good food and perhaps months of being with her lowered their defenses because Natalie finally found a knife amongst her utensils.

    At first, Daniel denied her the use of any eating utensils after she stabbed one of the soldiers in the eye with the edge of the spoon she was holding in her aid to escape him. Thanks to that, she had to eat her food with her bare hands until she showed enough good behavior before she was allowed the cutlery again.

    The signs were there, this was her opportunity to escape once and for all. Hence, when she was done eating, Natalie slipped the knife without any of them noticing and returned to her room, pretending as if nothing happened.

    Not long after, word came that she should dress up, they were leaving to go see Daniel. The new clothes wereid on the bed for her and she put it on by the time she was done, the knife carefully hidden in a spot the men wouldn¡¯t dare to put their hands on.

    However, there was a little w in their n. When the men told her she was to meet Daniel, they didn¡¯t add that he had already arrived and she was to leave with him. Hence, one could imagine the look on Natalie¡¯s face when she came outside, nked by soldiers on both sides only toe face to face with Daniel.

    Good thing that it was night else her panic would have given her away already. Natalie put on her apathetic mask again, after all, Daniel was already used to seeing it on her face over the past few months.

    ¡°Natalie, love,¡± He said, taking her palm and cing a kiss on her palm that did nothing but fill her with dread. She could already see her n falling apart before it already began.

    Natalie had not counted on him being here, she nned to escape before they took her to him. What was she going to do now? She couldn¡¯t possibly take Daniel out, right?

    ¡°And here I was thinking that me being away would have warmed you up, but it seems that I¡¯m wrong?¡± He said when she didn¡¯t give him any other response. Natalie just stood there with her nk face and waited for his next instruction.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry...¡± Hisrge palm moved to cup her face. He said to her with determination, ¡°I would change things on this trip and you woulde to love me again.¡± Daniel promised her.

 Chapter 661

    661 I Hope We Never See Again

    The trip was eerily silent except that once in a while, Daniel would start up a conversation with her, but when she doesn¡¯t respond, he keeps quiet in the end. So most of the journey was silent except that Natalie was hyper-aware of Daniel¡¯s hands on hers.

    He took her hand in his and would not let go since the journey began, making it harder for her to think of an escape n. If Daniel dared to lean closer, he could hear the sound of her heart pounding in her chest. Yes, she was as nervous as hell.

    Natalie started a mental countdown, it was the only way for her not to break down and panic knowing that all of her ns had gone awry. Her gazended on the bulge behind Daniel¡¯s waistband knowing that was where he kept his guns ¨C habits were hard to break. If only she could get her hands on that weapon, then it would be game over.

    Before Daniel could catch her gaze, she looked away, acting natural. All she needed now was a sign from heaven to get this over with. Natalie was stuck in between Daniel and his second inmand. This was to make sure that she doesn¡¯t escape. But today, she was done being babysitted because the sign from heaven came.

    The instant the car came to a halt, Natalie acted in the twinkle of an eye. With the element of surprise on her side, Natalie slipped out the knife hidden on her thighs and stabbed his second inmand at the same time, she elbowed Daniel and snatched the gun from his waistband.

    Daniel had never taught her a single defensive move since the day he captured her. Unfortunately, he forgot that she was a brilliantdy and he should have known better than to let her watch his men practice every day. Some moves didn¡¯t need teaching, she simply picked them up.

    None of them had seen hering, Natalie fired at Daniel but it caught him in the arms and he managed to escape out of the car before she could really murder him. Natalie on the other hand opened the car on the other end and pushed his second-inmand out of the way, not caring whether he died or not.

    He was the one always bullying her and calling her Daniel¡¯s slut and payback was a bitch. Ever since that night Natalie first took a life, killing came naturally to her. She guess it was true when they said once you took a life, it chips away at the soul.

    Natalie couldn¡¯t recognize herself anymore. She was once a sweet harmless dove who would never take a life but rather save it, to a cold-blooded mother who would do everything to escape this monster and avenge her loved ones.

    .....

    Unfortunately, Daniel didn¡¯te alone, because as soon as she made it out of the car, a bullet whizzed past her, narrowly missing her by mere inches.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! You¡¯re going to kill her! Don¡¯t fucking shoot! I need her alive, idiots!¡± She could hear Danielmand his men from the other side of the car.

    Well, it was to her benefit!

    As soon as they ceased fire, Natalie darted out of the hiding position and started to run. It was time to get out of here. It waste at night and they were at a seaport. If only there was a ship loading right now, it would be a miracle. Unfortunately, there was none and there should be security here... Unless Daniel paid them off. Annoying Mafia scum!

    Natalie nned to hide the night away if she couldn¡¯t escape since the seaport wasrge with the night providing enough cover. Unfortunately, Daniel and his men were like bed bugs that wouldn¡¯t die that easily and they eventually caught up to her.

    It was a dead end.

    Natalie was on the deck of the ship and she was surrounded. Daniel must have called for reinforcement to have cut her off this easily. But then, she wouldn¡¯t give up without a fight.

    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Natalie threatened them with the gun when she felt them boxing her in.

    They stepped back at once before Daniel ordered them, ¡°Don¡¯t take another step, I¡¯ll handle her.¡± He would not let them harm his precious woman.

    Daniel took a step and she faced him, saying through gritted teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t dare me, Daniel, or do you think that I can¡¯t kill you?¡±

    He smiled, ¡°That¡¯s my gun, and I know how many rounds there are in there. You have just one bullet left, Natalie, are you going to waste it on me?¡±

    There was a furrow on Natalie¡¯s face, what could she do with one bullet? The cards are stacked against her because even if she killed Daniel ¨C that is if she really did ¨C Natalie could not escape his men. They would kill her and he knew that.

    He took another step closer while Natalie took one back. She doesn¡¯t trust him or what he would do.

    Daniel stretched his hand towards her, ¡°Just give me the gun, Natalie and I¡¯ll forgive you. It¡¯s not worth it anyway. We are going to start all over, again, Natalie. Don¡¯t you want that?¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± She yelled at him. ¡°I¡¯m so sick and tired of this that all I want is to end this cursed fate between the both of us,¡± Tears spilled down her eyes, having made up her mind already. So this was how it all ended, anyway.

    ¡°I hope I never see you in my next life!¡± Natalie swore.

    ¡°What?¡± Daniel didn¡¯t understand what she was talking about until she pressed the gun to her stomach and it clicked in his head.

    ¡°No!¡± Daniel shouted, but it was toote.

    Natalie pulled the trigger and shot herself in the stomach, the momentum made her lose her bearing and she fell right into the dark waters, missing Daniel¡¯s hands by mere inches.

    ¡°No!¡± Daniel wanted to go after her, but his men got a hand on him and wouldn¡¯t let him go after her. It was too dark and they couldn¡¯t afford to lose him too. Daniel was their leader.

    All that surrounded Natalie was darkness and she gave in to it.

 Chapter 662

    662 A New Future

    Natalie came back to life with a loud gasp, nearly jumping off the bed in the process. However, a stranger was there to hold her down so she doesn¡¯t harm herself in the process.

    ¡°Daniel... Daniel...where is he?... Where am I?¡± Natalie hyperventtes while fighting off the stranger who was trying his best to calm her down.

    ¡°Hey, calm down, it¡¯s alright,¡±

    But she kept on muttering, ¡°Daniel! Wait, am I dead?... Oh no... He¡¯s going to find me and capture me...!¡± She rambled on and on until the nurses came in and sent her to sleep once again.

    Natalie couldn¡¯t count the number of times she slipped in and out of consciousness, but when she returned back to the living, her hands were tightly clutched by someone, a stranger and she released it at once as if it was poison.

    Was she kidnapped again? That was the first thought that came to her mind until she looked around and found out that it was a hospital room. So, she wasn¡¯t dead? Natalie didn¡¯t know whether to be relieved or scared by that news.

    She tried to move but a sharp pain across her stomach made her moan in pain and that woke the stranger by her side.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± He reached for her hand once again, but she flinched from him instead and he didn¡¯t push her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s just that you kept holding on to my hand throughout the night and I kind of got used to it. Silly, right?¡±

    .....

    The strangerughed, but when he didn¡¯t elicit the same response from her, he muttered under his breath, ¡°I would shut up now.¡±

    Natalie regarded him cautiously, her gaze traveling up and down his body. He was handsome and young, she was definitely older than him. She wondered where she got to know him or how and when her memories came up negative, fear like no other gripped her. Is this another of Daniel¡¯s soldiers sent to watch over her?

    As if sensing her fear, he immediately introduced himself, ¡°Hi, my name is Eric. Harmless Eric.¡± He pointed out, ¡°My father and I found you after you fell off that boat or whatever else happened in there,¡± His face was crunched at thest part telling Natalie he didn¡¯t know the details.

    But then, could she really trust him? For all she knows, this might be another tactic from Daniel to make her lower her defenses, only to take her when she least expects it. Not that she could do much in her present condition.

    ¡°Is that why I¡¯m not dead? You saved me?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was husky from her parched throat.

    ¡°Oh, the truth is...¡± He scratched his jaw, ¡°You were actually a tiny bit closer to shaking hands with death, but then, the good Samaritan was walking by,¡± He chuckled, thinking that what he did was heroic and deserved apuse.

    ¡°Why..?¡± She croaked.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He was confused. What was she talking about?

    ¡°Why did you save me?! You should have just let me die there!¡± She freaked out, clutching onto his hair, and began to pull at it.

    ¡°Hey?! Have you lost your fucking mind! Let me go!¡± He tried to release her hands on his scalp but she held on tight.

    ¡°You should have just let me die! It would have been much better! Why did you bring me back into this world, what is the worth?!¡± She wailed loudly, taking out all of her frustration on him.

    ¡°Please, just calm down and we would just sort this out!¡± He begged her. Aww, his poor hair! He was going to go bald at this rate.

    Unfortunately, never in history has anyone been told to calm down and have actually calmed down. It took the intervention of the doctor and nurses on duty that day to save Eric¡¯s scalp while Natalie was tagged unstable.

    She became depressed and withdrawn, and Natalie wouldn¡¯t respond to anyone. But then, Eric wouldn¡¯t give up on her. He made sure to visit her every day even though his father had written her off and wanted her to remain at the psychiatric hospital. That was the least he could do for the woman ¨C he owed her nothing.

    Every day seemed the same until the day Eric came with all of his brothers to see the mystery woman whom he wouldn¡¯t shut up about. However, Natalie¡¯s gaze was clued on the youngest she came to know as Elijah.

    With that innocent face, he reminded her of her daughter. And just like that, her urge to live was renewed. As long as Daniel lived, her daughter was not safe. What would be the use if she died now? Wasn¡¯t it her dream to escape Daniel and be with her family? Only in this case, Natalie couldn¡¯t be with her child.

    It took her months and determination, but Natalie recovered and came to trust Eric and his family. At least, unlike Daniel who was obsessed with her, none of them liked her in that way and it was refreshing.

    Natalie couldn¡¯t go back to her old either, everyone believed that she was gone and it was for good. Eric helped her and tracked down Edward and he was doing well with their baby girl. She couldn¡¯t ruin their perfect life now.

    Daniel saw her die in front of him, but her body never turned up, which means he had a feeling deep down inside of him that she wasn¡¯t gone and wouldn¡¯t stop searching. However, with the Draven family, she was safe. They would protect her and keep her away from Daniel as far as she looked after Eric and his brothers.

    It was the best job that Natalie couldn¡¯t deny ¨C the best thing that had actually happened to her in a while now. She could leave the past behind and carve a new future ¨C a future without Daniel.

    And Natalie took it.

    She had a life you know and it was time to live it.

    _______

    The end of the past.

 Chapter 663

    663 Arianna Was Imprisoned Again

    After hours of telling her daughter the truth from the beginning to the end, the first question that Arianna asked her was, ¡°Was that all a movie or real life?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t believe her. She gave her a deadpanned look, ¡°Really?¡± After hours of speaking and narrating her sensitive past, this was all she had to say to her. Perhaps her daughter was not an entitled child after all, but a prick. How could she ask that?

    ¡°My God,¡± She gasped, the whole thing finally dawning on her, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a story,¡± Arianna gagged, wanting to throw up everything that she had eaten, but then, there was literally nothing in her stomach.

    ¡°Oh,¡± She was merely in shock, Natalie found out. The woman thought that Edward had raised an unempathetic daughter. Not that Natalie was proud of leaving her, but she only wanted her to understand her circumstances. Her hands were tied. She had no other choice and everything that she had done was for safety.

    ¡°You fucking dated Daniel?!¡± Arianna set her using eyes on her. That was the most disgusting news she had ever heard and God, why did her imagination choose now to be hyperactive? She could no longer unseen the images in her head.

    When Elijah told her that her mother and Daniel had been a thing in the past, Arianna had not taken it seriously. But hearing it from the horse¡¯s mouth was apletely different thing. How could she and Daniel...? Arianna brought up the image of Daniel in her head from thest time she saw him and tried to put the both of them together. But all it did was make her stomach churn and she ended up dry heaving.

    God, she wished she never saw today.

    ¡°Would you stop giving me that disgusting look?!¡± Natalie chided her, unable to take it any longer.

    ¡°Well, what do you expect from your daughter who just discovered that the mother she thought dead all along was alive and not only that, was dating -¡±

    .....

    ¡°Once dated and it wasn¡¯t by choice,¡± She corrected her sternly.

    ¡°Well, once dated the father of the man she is dating? Jesus Christ! When did my life turn into a fucking soap Opera and I am not even a celebrity?¡± Arianna pointed out, overwhelmed by the whole thing. You can¡¯t just spill everything to her in one day and expect her to be understanding. She needed time and a bit of rity to absorb all of this. It was too much.

    ¡°Honestly, Daniel was not like this from the beginning. It was as if one day, he just switched off his humanity and became this cold, blooded asshole that everyone wants to kill.¡± She tried to exin to her.

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Arianna groaned, wanting to bury her face into the mattress and never show up again, ¡°Tell me, you didn¡¯t just defend him? That man is a cold-blooded killer and doesn¡¯t have a heart ...¡± It came to Arianna and she blinked, ¡°You loved him, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Natalie was startled by that question. She never saw iting. She red at her daughter, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The both of you were in a rtionship, tell me you never catch feelings for him?¡± as disgusting as that sounded in her head. But Arianna could see through her mother and the lie she was telling herself.

    ¡°He kidnapped me! He was the one obsessed with me! -¡±

    ¡°And you never led him on? I¡¯m sorry, but I find it hard to believe that you could know a monster that well without feeling for a part of him -¡±

    A pnded on her face, whipping Arianna¡¯s face to the side and she epted it wholeheartedly. Perhaps, she had indeed crossed the line.

    ¡°That bastard me! He took me away from your father! Even if I might have empathized with him in the past, you think I forgive him for all he has done to me?! For ruining my life! For ruining Penelope! How could you think I would love someone like that?!¡± Natalie was so heartbroken that tears spilled from her eyes. How could her own daughter think of her like that?

    ¡°Penelope,¡± Arianna gasped slightly. She was Marcel¡¯s mother and he had to know about this. She turned to her mother and lifted her cuffed hands to her desperately,

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry that the both of us got off on the wrong feet. I know literally nothing about you and shouldn¡¯t have assumed things. But I am just getting to know what happened to you through the story, but then, there¡¯s someone who needs this revtion more than I do.¡±

    She narrowed her gaze at her, ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Marcel.¡± Arianna exined to her, ¡°He has never really moved on after his mother¡¯s death. But I think this story would give him the conclusion that he has been looking for and he would be finally able to avenge his mother. I just need to tell -¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing no such thing,¡± Natalie¡¯s expression became serious when she heard Marcel¡¯s name.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°You are not going near that boy ever again.¡±

    Her brows furrowed at once, ¡°What are you talking about? He¡¯s your best friend¡¯s son!¡±

    ¡°He is Daniel¡¯s son and the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. That boy is the reason why I went through all the trouble to get you back, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯m sending you back to him.¡±

    Bam! Arianna finally saw this for what it was.

    She shook her head, ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. Marcel is different from his father, he would never hurt me! He loves me!¡±

    ¡°He would never hurt me!¡± Natalie mimicked her, tauntingly, ¡°That¡¯s what I told myself until Daniel¡¯s affection for me grew aggressive and dangerous, you silly child!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna pulled on the cuff but she could only go as far as it let her. ¡°What we have is special and you would never understand it because you¡¯re blinded by the demons from your past,¡± She said, her gaze begging her.

    But Natalie¡¯s expression was calm andposed as she told her, ¡°Experience is the best teacher. You should learn from mine already and until youe to your senses, I¡¯ll leave you some time to think.¡± She turned, heading to the door.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Arianna warned her, but she shut the door on her.

    And just like that, Arianna was imprisoned again, but this time, by her own mother.

    What was wrong with everybody? Why were they always kidnapping her?! Arianna screamed at the top of her lungs in frustration, but there was no body to help her.

 Chapter 664

    664 Give Her A Chance

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Eric had a hopeful look when he saw Nataliee out of the room. But when he saw the crestfallen look on her face, he knew that it hadn¡¯t gone well at all.

    Natalie simply shook her head, and walked straight into his open arms, burying her face in his chest. ¡°I failed her as a mother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You thought that you were making the right decision by leaving her behind. Who knew that things would turn out this way?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s going to hate me,¡±

    ¡°Give her time. You can¡¯t expect her to warm up to you anytime soon,¡± He added, ¡°And perhaps release the cuffs too?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Natalie rejected that suggestion, pushing away from his body as if he had just been manipting her with his touch and she didn¡¯t want to fall for it.

    ¡°It would make her feel more at home and less than a prisoner. Natalie, if you want her to ept you just a little bit, you have to extend an olive branch first. Remember, you want to be the mother you missed out on during her childhood, it¡¯s not toote now. Moreover, this ce is secure, not even an ant could get out.¡± He assured her.

    ¡°Fine, release her while I go speak with Rose, she must be confused with what¡¯s going on so far.¡± Arianna was not the only one that needed an exnation.

    Arianna was still reeling from what happened so far and the startling reality of the situation she was in when the door clicked open and another stranger stepped into the room. Well, not exactly a stranger, he was that man from earlier, and now that she looked at him fully, he looked quite familiar to... Elijah.

    .....

    Damn.

    Why does it feel like there was more she was yet to know? So far, her mother was good at keeping secrets ¨C devastating ones.

    ¡°You¡¯re Elijah¡¯s brother, aren¡¯t you?¡± Arianna said, looking at him and already thinking of how to use him and get the hell out of here. She was an adult, legally eligible to have her own life without interference, not even from a long-lost mother. How dare that woman kidnap her all because she wants a mother, daughter reunion. Well, they already had one. It was time to let her go.

    ¡°Eldest brother,¡± Eric pointed out, stalking over to her and though Arianna pretended to be brave, she still was cautious about him. Why would he return here after her mother left? Her mind was already heading in that direction. Surely, her mother wasn¡¯t negligent.

    She pushed down the fear and asked him, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Eric slowly sat down on the bed and Arianna didn¡¯t take her eyes off him, watching him like a patient cheetah waiting for the right time to hunt its prey, except that in her case, it was to bolt.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me,¡± Eric said when he sensed the tensioning from her, ¡°I have no interest in you and would never have. In fact, we are going to be family soon.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Arianna was confused until she saw the small smile at the corner of his lips and her jaw dropped to the ground.

    Oh God, no.

    In one word, if he and her mother got married, then she and Elijah would be inws. Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would have been the case if she and Elijah had been couples. Would her mother have given way for her and Elijah¡¯s happiness? Or would she have to sacrifice her happiness for a woman she didn¡¯t know existed until recently?

    Honestly, Arianna didn¡¯t know how to feel about her mother. She moved from her father, Edward to Daniel, Marcel¡¯s father, and finally now, Elijah¡¯s brother, Eric. If it wasn¡¯t for the rtionship between them and the truth she¡¯s heard, Arianna would have called her a slut.

    Fine! Perhaps she still was a bit resentful that her mother had easily moved on from her father, Edward. Her father loved her so much, you know? Didn¡¯t she feel the same for him? Why does it feel unfair?

    ¡°Well, congrattions to you,¡± Arianna said to him, her tonecking sincerity. She was not happy at all.

    ¡°Are you so sure about that?¡± Eric said, reaching for her hand and she flinched until he lifted the key in his hand, showing that he meant her no harm, and only then was Arianna able to rx. It seems her mother finally came to her senses.

    Step one of her ns was achieved.

    ¡°I know that you have every right to be mad at your mother, however, it has not been easy for her either,¡± Eric said to her while unlocking the cuffs and in turns, her hands were finally free.

    ¡°I know,¡± Arianna nodded, rubbing her wrist, ¡°I heard the whole story and as much as I¡¯m mad at her, I¡¯m more furious at Daniel. To think that without his interference, I would have a perfect family and -¡±

    ¡°And your mother wouldn¡¯t have to marry me,¡± Ericpleted the words for her as if he had read her mind.

    Yep, it was pretty much that, Arianna didn¡¯t say it out loud.

    ¡°Listen...¡± Eric faced her, ¡°I know about you and Elijah...¡±

    ¡°Awkward¡± Arianna breathed. She was definitely not talking about this here and not with him of all people.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in love with your brother, anymore,¡± She stopped him right there.

    ¡°I know, but I still want to apologize to you because if that hadn¡¯t been the case, one of us would be making the sacrifice by now. So do you ept my apology,¡± He put out his hand.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Arianna enveloped his hand with hers.

    He was just about to move away when Arianna suddenly pulled him into a sudden hug, surprising him.

    ¡°Thank you?¡± Eric epted the hug without questioning and they broke apart.

    Done with his mission, Eric got up from the bed and was heading to the door when he suddenly turned and Arianna¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    He said to her, ¡°Could you please give your mother a chance? She really wants the best for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Arianna shrugged.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eric said and closed the door.

    But as soon as the door was shut, Arianna pulled out the phone behind her with a sleazy smile. Yes, she would definitely give her a chance.

 Chapter 665

    665 Do The Right Thing

    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Marcel eximed as soon as he woke up to see Adele right in front of him with a nk expression.

    He groaned, wiping his face with his palm. Looking around, Marcel discovered that he had slept in his office and there were numerous empty bottles beside him. He had done a good job of drinking himself into a stupor. Wonderful. No wonder his head was throbbing like the third world War.

    ¡°What are you doing here this early in the morning,¡± He asked, his voice rough and tired. The past few days have left him more tired than he has ever been.

    ¡°You wanted us to meet, remember?¡± Adele reminded him of the meeting.

    ¡°You could have waited a few hours more for Christ¡¯s sake, Adele. It¡¯s still early in the morning¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s eleven in the morning,¡± She corrected him firmly.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Marcel ran his hand through his hair, feeling disoriented. He was a mess right now and he had to get his shit together before he got booted out from this position.

    He shook the hangover away, ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel said, ncing up at her, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss then. Have a seat,¡± He gestured to the chair in front of him.

    Adele looked down only to see an empty bottle on the seat. She sighed, yet cleared the chair and sat down. If she thought her situation was bad, Marcel definitely had it worse for himself. He was a wreck, and being in that state of mind was dangerous at the moment.

    .....

    She faced Marcel who tried to make himself presentable; running his hand through his disheveled hair and buttoning the rest of his exposed chest.

    ¡°Where were we yesterday?¡± He asked her.

    ¡°We were nning on how to kill my unborn child,¡± Adele didn¡¯t mean to say that with much bitterness in her tone, it just came out that way.

    Unfortunately, that tone made Marcel stop short and his brows raised in response, ¡°You make it sound as if I¡¯m eager to get rid of the child?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Marcel blinked, trying toprehend what was going on here. He sensed a lot of resentment targeted at him and so he leaned back into his seat, with his fingers crossed.

    He said, ¡°Is there something that I¡¯m not aware of or am I mistaken?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Adele decided to be frank with him. She came closer, holding Marcel¡¯s gaze as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is the right decision?¡±

    ¡°What is...?¡±

    ¡°Ending the baby¡¯s life?¡± Adele sighed, ¡°I get your point and I know the elders of our family are not going to support this, but I thought about itst night and I don¡¯t think that I can carry through it. I¡¯m an illegitimate child, and I think it¡¯s big hypocrisy on my part to kill my own child because of its father. ¡±

    She licked her lower lips and continued, ¡°So I¡¯m thinking, the others don¡¯t have to know. I could hide for a few months, get a fake or contracted husband or something. These aremon nowadays and when I¡¯m done with the act, we could divorce and the child still stays with me, and Elijah wouldn¡¯t know. It¡¯s a win-win right?¡±

    Adele looked at Marcel hopefully, with her heart pounding in her throat, praying that he would ept her suggestion.

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t say a word for over a minute as if he was trying to digest her n. And when he did speak, his tone was so grave that Adele knew instinctively that her n was an epic failure even before he began.

    ¡°So,¡± Marcel started, ¡°My underboss, my deputy,¡± He said with emphasis, ¡°goes away for a few months and I tell the others what?¡±

    ¡°You can cook up something, Marcel, I know you can,¡± Adele was desperate.

    ¡°Really? You think Daniel of all people would take my word for it?¡±

    ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t, but Daniel wouldn¡¯t make a move either. I know why you have me as your underboss aside from my capability. You would rather have me as your sessor than my cousins and brothers because I don¡¯t pose a real threat and with Victor as your consigliere, there¡¯s nothing much that you can do. However, your father knows recing me would only pose a threat to your position, so he wouldn¡¯t blow my cover. ¡± Adele was sure of it.

    ¡°Really?¡± Marcel asked, ¡°Are you so sure of it?¡±

    Thanks to the intensity of his gaze, Adele began to stammer, ¡°I ¨C I -¡±

    ¡°Daniel is not called a madman for no reason and I¡¯m not in the mood to y his selfish games the second time. He kidnapped Chloe, what makes you think that he wouldn¡¯t blow your cover and have you removed just so he could remove you and make me suffer? While he sits around and watches how I fidget and get myself out of that position?¡±

    She swallowed, ¡°We can still -¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an illegitimate child, sure,¡± He affirmed, ¡°But your mother is not an enemy to this family, she was just your father¡¯s mistress. However Elijah...¡± He looked her in the eyes, ¡°He would have to answer for his crimes.¡±

    Tears slid down Adele¡¯s eyes, the mask andposure she had put on this while finally crumbling down.

    ¡°Would you rather birth the child and raise him in this family where he or she would be maltreated as the enemy¡¯s child forever with you ousted for birthing him?¡±

    Marcel reminded her, ¡°You¡¯re an illegitimate child, I¡¯m sure you know what that feels like. Elijah doesn¡¯t even care about the baby, why put yourself through the trouble?¡±

    ¡°Only because he doesn¡¯t know about the baby,¡± Adele wanted to argue but she bit back her words. Elijah had pretended to be Aziz and used her all along. To him, this was all a fling, and he probably wouldn¡¯t care even if a baby was the result of it. Perhaps Marcel was right, she had to abort the child and do the right thing.

    ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman, Adele and I¡¯m sure that you would do the right thing,¡± Marcel told her, his gray persuasive eyes boring into her brown eyes and she nodded her head.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel satfortably in his seat now that one of his many problems was solved.

    ¡°The news of what happened has spread and my father must be on the move already to make my life miserable. You¡¯d get rid of the baby silently and I would do my best to keep your spot for you.¡±

    Marcel reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it softly. He said,

    ¡°You¡¯re right on one thing, you got this position through your hard work and no one is going to take that from you. I promise you that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Adele told him with a smile even though her heart was slowly rending into pieces.

    As much as she hated Elijah to the core, this baby she was carrying is proof of what they had shared. But then, she was going to get rid of it, alongside every memory of him. Adele wished to keep it, but she wouldn¡¯t bring her child into this world to suffer. It was not worth it. Her child was better off without her or his asshole father and this fucked up family. Perhaps, the Luciano family was cursed because all they did was hurt one another.

    ¡°We should talk about how to -¡± Marcel was still saying when the door burst open and Chloe walked in, fuming.

    ¡°Hello -¡± Adele lifted her hand to say but her ring look cut her off.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Marcel referred to her interruption.

    ¡°I knew thating back here was going to be a disaster, but to think that I¡¯m going to be homeschooled now?!¡±

    He gestured at her, ¡°Can we have that conversationter, as you can see I am in the middle of -¡±

    ¡°I am not fucking off this ce until you tone down your annoying protection wards!¡±

    ¡°Language youngdy,¡± He cautioned her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to say and how to say it?¡±

    ¡°I hate to tell you, but I actually do, as long as you live under my roof.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Chloe retorted to his shock. She thought things had changed, but it got worse and she was so furious right now. No, she shouldn¡¯t havee back here. What had she been expecting?

    Marcel breathed noisily through his nose, speechless for once. He gave Adele a polite smile saying, ¡°If you would excuse me for a little while, I have to take care of this,¡± He got out of the seat and walked over to Chloe, and took her hand, dragging her along.

    ¡°Where are we going? Are you going to reconsider me -¡±

    ¡°Could you just close your mouth for a minute and let me concentrate,¡± Marcel cursed under his breath, ¡°Fucking teenagers!¡± The girl became stubborn eversince she grew up.

    ¡°I heard that one,¡± Chloe reminded him of hisnguage too. Well, guess who was her role model then?

    With Marcel gone, the office was silent and things became real to Adele. She was really going to abort her baby? Thinking about her situation made her anxious and she decided to keep herself busy.

    Since the office was messy, Adele decided to do a bit of cleaning up, and it was in the process that she stumbled upon a crumpled note. Adele should have ignored it, however, curiosity got the best of her and she wanted to know what was on it.

    So she took it.

 Chapter 666

    666 He Betrayed Her first

    [Dear Adele,

    I know by the time you¡¯re reading this, the truth is out and you already know my true identity. I am really sorry and didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, and although my goal had been to get Arianna for my own selfish reasons, my mission¡¯s changed and now, I must bring her home to her mother. I get that you won¡¯t forgive me but you should know that those moments we spent together were real to me.

    Yours apologetic, Aziz]

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Adele gasped as soon as she was done reading the note, her mind going a mile an hour. What did she just read?

    Her mind began to work and it finally made sense to her. Elijah left her a note and she wasn¡¯t able to see it because Marcel got to it first. And the letter couldn¡¯t be fake because she knew Aziz¡¯s writing and no one could fake that, in case one decided to y a twisted prank on her.

    In one word, Adele was utterly disappointed in Marcel, how could he have done this to her? Weren¡¯t they partners and to think that she trusted him?

    It was heartbreaking.

    Marcel had been forcing her to get rid of the baby when there were chances that Elijah would ept her child. It said here in the paper that those moments they spent together meant something to him. Wasn¡¯t that hopeful?

    How could he do that to her? Adele felt betrayed. And to think that it was Marcel of all people that hurt her. If there was someone that she felt could understand her the most, it was Marcel because he loved Arianna too. He knows what it means to love someone and the pain of losing that person that mattered to you.

    .....

    But it seems that in the end, he was merely a selfish bastard like the others and she has had enough selfish people in her life!

    First, it was her mother who for the sake of the Luciano family¡¯s wealth kept her around instead of never giving birth to her in the first ce.

    The second was her father¡¯s family who had never done anything good for her and Adele had to fight and work hard for everything she wanted today. However, the instant she became Marcel¡¯s underboss, they all began toe close to her with their own selfish motives as if she was dumb or what. Not even her father was entitled to her! All he did was contribute sperm to her creation, nothing else.

    And the next was Aziz aka Elijah, the one who broke her the most. His crime was even worse than her father¡¯s because he made her feel for once that she mattered to someone without ulterior motives. That she was special only to realize that it was all a scam or maybe not ¨C Adele didn¡¯t know what to believe anymore.

    Even if Elijah somehow ended up having feelings for her, it didn¡¯t make up for what he had done to her. They couldn¡¯t be together, even with the baby between them. God, he gave her a baby! What was she going to do with it?! Adele was so overwhelmed that she felt like ending it all. It was all too much.

    And then, Marcel.

    She knew never to trust him fully knowing that they were from different sides of the family. But to think that he would use her in this moment of weakness was quite low of him. She had high hopes for him! Trusted him!

    Adele¡¯s fists were clenched because she was so mad at Marcel at the moment. All the negative emotions she had piled up all this while had finally reached the bottleneck and was ready to explode.

    She has had enough!

    Adele nned to confront Marcel the moment he stepped into the room. However, before she could aplish her ns, a phone started to ring and she turned, only to find out that it was Marcel¡¯s.

    She ignored it at first until it stopped ringing. However, the caller was persistent and Adele picked up the call with vexation, curious to know who was calling as well since it was an unknown number. If Marcel could butt into her private life like that, surely he wouldn¡¯t mind if she answered his calls too.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She heard the voice from the other line and for some reason, it felt oddly familiar.

    It hit her.

    ¡°Arianna?¡± She was stunned.

    ¡°Who...? Adele?¡± She too recognized her, ¡°How? Where¡¯s Marcel? I need to speak to him right now before it¡¯s toote. I don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    Wait a minute, Adeleughed inwardly as she came up with an idea. was this karma or what because it sure came early. She was going to give Marcel a taste of his own medicine? He should know what that feels like.

    ¡°Why? What do you want to say to Marcel this time?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you done with the damage you have done already?¡±

    ¡°Listen, Adele, I know that I¡¯m not in the best position to request anything right now, but I¡¯m held against my will here. Moreover, there¡¯s something that Marcel needs to know -¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t bother. We already know that Aziz is Elijah, hence is not exactly news anymore.¡± She added, ¡°And if you happen to see Elijah, tell him I¡¯m giving him the middle finger.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry for what happened between the both of you, but this is not the time for this and I don¡¯t have enough time right now. There¡¯s something else Marcel needs to know about his -¡±

    ¡°Listen up, Arianna, right now you¡¯re nothing but a traitor to Marcel and you shouldn¡¯t worry about him, but your safety. You betrayed him, what do you think Marcel would think about that? If I were you, I would never bother him ever again!¡±

    ¡°No! You don¡¯t understand ¨C shit! They are here. Adele... !¡±

    And suddenly the call went static and it hung up on her.

    It was done, and Adele felt a lot better.

    Adele was about to delete the call record when she heard movements from outside. She quickly ced the phone where she had seen it and sat down quietly as the door opened and Marcel came in saying,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for... wow,¡± He looked around at his once messy office and Adele noticed that.

    ¡°I thought that I could do a bit of cleaning up since I had a lot of free time while I was here. You know, kill time and all.¡± She sighed, ¡°Can I go now?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcel had no choice but to dismiss her, gesturing for the door, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll call youter when I need you.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Adele said to him with a smile, but when she turned, it vanished entirely from her face.

    No bad blood, but he betrayed her first. And revenge was best served cold, indeed.

 Chapter 667

    667 Sorry

    ¡°That took longer than I thought,¡± Nataliemented as soon as Eric came into the living room. She had expected her daughter would not be amodating and would kick him out of the room immediately.

    ¡°Yes, we had a bit of an adult conversation and I might have told her that we are a couple,¡± Eric said, reaching for her hand and taking it, intertwining their hands together with a small smile.

    ¡°Oh,¡± A blush crept to her face. She turned to him, not directly looking him in the eyes as she asked, ¡°And how did she take it?¡±

    He pursed his lips, ¡°Well, surprisingly well. There was no screaming or cursing, or violence, well, a little bit of sarcasm was involved,¡± He listed out.

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising.¡± She said,

    ¡°Well, I mean, she took it better than I honestly thought she would. Even if she bears any resentment, I understand her. When my mother died, my greatest fear was of my father remarrying. I mean Ephraim and I could handle ourselves, we were grownups. But Elvis, Ezra, Elijah especially,¡± He emphasized, ¡°He was just a kid and I have heard of how destructive stepmothers could be.¡±

    ¡°As the eldest and twins at that, Ephraim and I weren¡¯t always around. We were always on the go with father learning how the family business worked and I didn¡¯t want my brothers to suffer from my negligence. But then...¡± He looked at her with a bright expression, squeezing her hand affectionately, ¡°You came along, and everything just kind of sorted out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not happy with how your past went, Natalie, but sometimes I think it was for a greater purpose. You were sent for me, a guardian angel.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, stop it!¡± She hit him on the chest, yfully. Natalie went red in the face and hid away in embarrassment.

    .....

    ¡°So I get it if she doesn¡¯t like me, I¡¯m not rushing it. It¡¯s kind of too much on her at the moment, knowing that her mother was alive all these years and the fact she was getting married to the brother of the man that she was once in love with.¡± He sighed,¡± Arianna needs space to ept all of this. ¡±

    ¡°Well, she would get enough time here, and you haven¡¯t asked me how it went with Rose.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± He finally remembered and leaned closer to her.

    ¡°I was nervous over nothing because Rose can¡¯t wait to see Arianna. She says it¡¯s like having a big sister and she¡¯s been praying for one all along,¡± Natalie announced enthusiastically.

    ¡°That is alright, and relieving at the same time.¡± Eric breathed, ¡°I think I need to make a call to...¡± He felt his pocket and came up with nothing.

    His brows furrowed at once and Eric stood up to check his pocket properly. He was sure that he had his phone on him until he entered...

    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed and turned, making a beeline to Arianna¡¯s room at once. Eric was so carried over by his role as acting stepdad that he forgot Elijah¡¯s warning that the girl was a natural at lifting things that don¡¯t belong to her.

    This was the first time that he had a pickpocket in his house and he did not know how to feel about that.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie was confused. She didn¡¯t know what was going on and that made her anxious.

    ¡°She took my cell phone!¡±

    ¡°Who...?¡± It finally dawned on her and she followed after him.

    Eric didn¡¯t even knock, he simply pulled the door open and walked in without notice. Lo and behold, Arianna was standing in the corner of the room with the missing phone pressed to her ears.

    The blood paled from her face, ¡°Shit! They¡¯re here!¡± She said to whoever was on the line with her.

    Although Eric didn¡¯t need to guess who she was on the phone with, it was probably Marcel or whoever else she thought could get her out of there.

    ¡°Adele -!¡±

    He simply ripped the phone from her ears and she red at him. And here he thought they were friends when it was all a pretense. Seems she took after her mother after all.

    ¡°What have you done?!¡± Natalie came to stand in front of her, fuming.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep me here! I deserve the right to make my choices and I don¡¯t want to be here. Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?!¡± Arianna shouted at her, frustrated.

    She was tired of all of this. Why were the elderly ones making this huge deal? The problem was with them, not her and Marcel. They were innocent of all of this. She and Marcel loved each other and simply wanted to be with one another without all of this trouble.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re my daughter and I don¡¯t want you to make the same mistakes I did!¡± Natalie told her sternly. Nor did she look ready to yield to her childish request anytime soon.

    In Natalie¡¯s eyes, Arianna was still a child and had not seen half the destruction, anyone with Luciano blood was capable of wreaking. She had seen it all in her days and it was her responsibility as her mother to keep her from the path of destruction. Arianna might not understand it now, but she would thank herter in the future.

    ¡°This is not a mistake!¡± Arianna cried out, sliding to the ground, ¡°I love him! I love Marcel and he would never hurt me. You just don¡¯t understand!¡± She spoke through her tears, trying to convince her mother and as strict as Natalie was, her heart melted at the sight.

    She has no other choice but to go over to her daughter and pull her into her arms. Natalie said to her,

    ¡°I am so sorry,¡±

    She didn¡¯t want herfort, Arianna wanted to push her away. Her mother was responsible for all of this, but she found herself hugging her tight as if her whole life depended on her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my baby,¡± Natalieforted her.

 Chapter 668

    668 No One Can Be With Her

    ¡°Boss, the girl is gone,¡± Was the news Daniel received from his second inmand.

    At once, Daniel lowered the paper that he was reading, his interest piqued. The girl was gone already? How was that possible unless Natalie got to her first? It seems that she got a lot smarter this time ¨C she was taking all the precautions.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Daniel asked him, folding the paper and dropping it beside him on the bed. This was more important.

    And just like that, the man narrated the attack on the base and how Arianna was taken.

    ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed that the person who took her was the same man that took the lives of our men in the past and his name is Elijah Draven.¡±

    ¡°Draven?¡± Daniel was stunned by the news until a small smile curved his lips to the side. ¡°Themission,¡± He muttered under his breath before he burst into fullughter.

    ¡°What is wrong, boss?¡± He was curious.

    ¡°Everything looks promising and to think that Natalie went to the Draven for help,¡± Daniel nced up at him, ¡°Call for a family meeting, we must strike now while the de is still hot. That son of mine doesn¡¯t understand that he¡¯s way over his head this time.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, boss?¡± His second inmand was conflicted, looking at his injury, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in any state to be moving around....¡±

    .....

    He was still saying when Daniel got off the bed and pushed himself to his feet. Although he felt that sharp pain at his side, Daniel didn¡¯t show it and stood proudly with his head raised high.

    ¡°I have been through a lot and didn¡¯t die, what makes you think that this small injury would be able to pull me down?¡± His arrogance was all over the ce.

    Daniel stepped closer to the young man till he was in his space and said to him with a threatening aura, ¡°And when I give you an instruction next time, you do that without questioning.¡±

    ¡°Aye, boss,¡± The poor young man named Haz swallowed uneasily.

    ¡°Now, get out,¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Haz said and took his leave. He was already close to grabbing the doorknob when Daniel said,

    ¡°Wait,¡±

    He paused instantly, taking a deep breath before turning to face Daniel with his heart pounding in his chest. What now? He prayed that he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Thest man in his position didn¡¯t exactly die in a good way and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he offended Daniel or his enemies got to him first.

    ¡°What is it, boss?¡±

    ¡°I want you to find out Natalie¡¯s rtionship with the Draven family?¡± Daniel didn¡¯t know why but it made him uneasy.

    She couldn¡¯t have done it alone. The fact that Natalie was able to sessfully hide from him all these years, she must have had some kind of help. And it was that kind of help that bothered Daniel.

    Just like them, the Draven crime family was not ordinary and has been around for a while. They were not exactlypetitors in the sense that the family was not interested in dragging territories with them. Their war was preserving their position in themission.

    The Commission is the governing body that oversees Mafia crime families and settles disputes. They y arger role like having more oversight over the various crime families. But even with that great power, there was a limit to their governing system, like exercising more control over the families¡¯ activities. Intervening too much in each family¡¯s operations can bring a little tension.

    However, if Elijah was really from the Draven family, Daniel could already see how this was going to end. A war was inevitable.

    How could the brother of the head of themission take the lives of the soldiers belonging to the Luciano family?

    It was going to be chaos ¨C and he loves chaos.

    The previous head of themission waste and his position was taken over by his son. If Natalie wanted help, she would have probably gone to him. But then, the man was younger than she was and Daniel knew Natalie wouldn¡¯t do the young man. He hoped.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Haz answered and finally left.

    As soon as the door was closed, Daniel was left all alone again and he ended his brave facade. He quickly sat back down on his bed, groaning and breathing fast.

    It hurt like a bitch.

    Damn Natalie!

    How could she do this to him?

    What if he had died?

    Would she regret shooting him?

    Would she even cry for his death?

    After Daniel was able to catch his breath, he stood up once more and walked over to his mirror. He stared at his reflection and then carefully lifted the loose shirt he was wearing because of his injury.

    He stared at his injury with intensity, what had Natalie been thinking when she shot him? Had she shot him out of fear and defense or had she really shot him out of hatred?

    Daniel knew the both of them didn¡¯t have the best of rtionship in the past and understood why she would hate him. But then, he had done all of that not to lose her. She just didn¡¯t understand how much she meant to him.

    Although Daniel wouldn¡¯t admit it, he was grateful that Natalie was alive. He thought that he had been happy that she was dead, but it was his anger speaking and he was much happier now.

    Unlike his younger self, Daniel knew that the chances of them being together were nil. The only reason he tackled her the first time they met was that he was happy she was alive after all. But now, he was sure that Natalie would murder him in his sleep if he dared to recreate the past. Moreover, he was a little too old for that.

    However, Daniel wouldn¡¯t mind annoying her for the rest of his life. It was fun. That was why he needed to know about her because, if he can¡¯t be with Natalie, then no one else can be with her either.

 Chapter 669

    669 Leave Him Alone For Good

    Something was not right, Marcel sensed it after Adele left. Sure, she helped him tidy up the ce and all, but it was something about the way she left and her bodynguage.

    And speaking about tidying up the ce, Marcel¡¯s gaze quickly scanned the floor and finally noticed the note was missing. Damn it, he should have known!

    She saw the note.

    But just to be on the safe side, Marcel searched the wastebin at the corner and there was not a sight of the note. That was when he knew that she took it.

    Marcel cursed at the top of his lungs, why was everything a messtely? Since he found out that Arianna betrayed him, nothing was going the well it was supposed to be in his life. It was from one problem to the other and he needed a break.

    He needed a moment to wrap his head around everything. Was that too much to ask?

    To make sure that Adele was not about to do anything stupid like seeking out Elijah, he decided to call her. Just because the bastard made an apology on a piece of paper right before he left to take Arianna away doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s apologetic. It was emotional maniption, the same way Arianna had manipted him.

    Even if Arianna decides to apologize for what she did, he was not going to ept it, Marcel decided inwardly. What she did to him was not just a betrayal, but a great insult as well. Now, he would have to answer to his people for what his woman had caused.

    Moreover, she was the daughter of that woman who had abandoned her friend to his father, Daniel. It seems that betrayal does run in their blood after all. He was done with her. There was no he and Arianna, not now, not in the future.

    .....

    Marcel picked up his phone and stopped. He just noticed that this was not the exact spot he left it previously. It might seem like he was making a huge deal out of nothing, but Daniel had taught him to keep an eye even on the smallest meticulous detail.

    In this kind of business, his perceptive eye has saved his life a couple of times from assassinations. Perhaps, if he hadn¡¯t been blinded by emotions, he would have even been able to find out Elijah¡¯s deceit by himself. Marcel knew the dangers of letting feelings cloud his judgment, and yet he let it. But not anymore, he has learned his lessons.

    Looking around, Marcel didn¡¯t sense danger lurking at the corner and thest person to leave this room was Adele. In one word, Adele tampered with his phone. The first thought that came to his mind was that she bugged his phone or something, you know, to spy on his calls for her family.

    But it wasn¡¯t like Adele and that was when Marcel went to his call record and saw it. She answered a call on his phone and that made his brows furrow. It looked suspicious to Marcel because he didn¡¯t recognize the number.

    Without a second thought, Marcel called the number and it was answered.

    He put the phone to his ear, ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°You must be Marcel.¡±

    His eyes widened and though Marcel didn¡¯t recognize the voice, he knew instinctively that it had to do with Arianna.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Eric Draven.¡±

    ¡°Draven...¡± Marcel remembered. He was the head of themission and brother to Elijah.

    His countenance changed at once.

    ¡°You are Elijah¡¯s brother,¡± He sneered, showing his distaste for the family.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Eric didn¡¯t deny it either.

    ¡°Why did you call my line?¡± Marcel asked him. What had he discussed with Adele? He had seen the call duration and it was a few minutes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare fool me? You called me and it was answered by...¡±

    ¡°It was Arianna,¡±

    Marcel stiffened immediately.

    To be honest, he had been expecting something like this. For Arianna to call him and apologize over how sorry she was for what she had done to him. For keeping that huge secret from him and almost bringing him to ruin. But Unfortunately, reality and expectations were two different things.

    As soon as Marcel heard that it was Arianna who called him, his heart hardened instead and all that he could think about was how much she hurt him. What does she want from him now? Wasn¡¯t she happy with her mother? Or does she just want to ruin him further? Was Arianna not satisfied with the damage that she has done?

    ¡°What does she want?¡± Marcel literally growled into the phone. If she thought that he was going to answer her beck and call as he had done in the past all because he liked her, then she was in for a big disappointment. His eyes were open now. Arianna doesn¡¯t deserve him.

    ¡°I think you should ask her that yourself,¡± Eric said and there was a bit of noise as if an argument was going on, but the next thing Marcel heard was unmistakably Arianna¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Hello, Marcel,¡±

    And his heart skipped a beat.

    He underestimated his feelings for her, and Marcel realized that because all he wanted to do at that moment was to forgive her and move on as if nothing happened. But then, it did happen and he was not going to let his feelings decide for him once again. It was time to begin using his brain.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Marcel asked her with a voice as cold as the arctic ocean. All this while Arianna had seen the good side of him, it was time she met his worst. Perhaps then, she would leave him alone for good.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re mad at me ¨C

    Marcel cut her off with sarcasticughter, ¡°Mad? I think that¡¯s an understatement, don¡¯t you think so?¡± His tone was unkind.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcel. I should have told you the truth, but I was scared. Moreover, when I finally made up my mind to tell you, there was no time and you were too busy to hear it until it became thiste.¡±

 Chapter 670

    670 Is That Your Excuse

    Music Rmendation: Grace:- Lewis Capaldi

    ___________

    She does need her mother, Arianna realized that she had been fooling herself all this while. It¡¯s just that she had been alone all this while it felt like she was good on her own. But the truth is that she wasn¡¯t. It was nice to know that she had a family member, one that would look out for her; a mother that loves her.

    But then, it wasplicated at the same time because this mother of hers was a threat to her happiness. She didn¡¯t want her to be with Marcel and that alone was a hindrance. Arianna did nothing but lean on the woman¡¯s shoulder as she ran her hand soothingly through her hair. It felt so nice and she didn¡¯t want the moment to be ruined just yet.

    Natalie began to hum that tune her father used to sing for her when she was little bringing tears to her eyes. Fine, she was wrong. She missed her mother greatly! She wanted to know what it felt like to have one! The both of them didn¡¯t meet in the best of circumstances but there were still chances to make things right.

    She wanted her in her life.

    Sure, she was mad at her mother, but if there¡¯s someone to be mad at, it should be Daniel for ruining her life. If not for his selfish cruelty, Arianna knew that she would have grown up with both of her parents, and perhaps, who knows, her father wouldn¡¯t have sumbed to his illness and he would be alive by now.

    Thinking about it now, Arianna might be able to understand her mother¡¯s fear a bit. After what she experienced at the hands of Daniel, it wasn¡¯t surprising that her mother didn¡¯t expect much from Daniel¡¯s son and wanted to keep her away from him. But no one knew Marcel as much as she knew him. Marcel was not like his father and would never be him.

    Although he liked to put on a mask so people couldn¡¯t see through him, unlike Daniel, Marcel had empathy and that was his greatest strength and the reason that she fell for him. People say you don¡¯t know what you have until you lose it, Arianna has been able to review all that Marcel¡¯s done for her now they¡¯re away from each other.

    .....

    Honestly, she was too stubborn and not an easy person to love, but Marcel treated her with patience and loving-kindness. Even when he was supposed to offer her up for duty¡¯s sake, he didn¡¯t and instead made sure that she was protected from those that wanted her for their selfish interest. What did Marcel get in return? Nothing. She was difficult and messed things up for him.

    She fucked up!

    Arianna finally realized the level of damage she had done.

    She was lost in her train of thought when Eric¡¯s phone rang, however, Arianna didn¡¯t give it much thought and only leaned into her mother¡¯s warm embrace. She needed a shoulder to lean on in this vulnerable time and her mother provided thefort she needed.

    It wasn¡¯t until Arianna heard Eric say,

    ¡°You must be Marcel.¡± her interest was piqued and her ears perked up at once.

    She pulled apart from her mother who looked confused as to the sudden change in her attitude as Arianna slowly got up to her feet. Her gaze was glued to Eric with a hopeful look in her eyes.

    What was going on? Why was he speaking to Marcel? Did he have a sudden change of heart? Did he pity her because of her breakdown? Arianna didn¡¯t exactly hold Eric in high regard, but she could work on that if helped her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. It was Arianna,¡±

    He said and Arianna turned to see her mother¡¯s lips pressed in a thin line. She figured it out and didn¡¯t like what was going on. Arianna¡¯s heart began to pound in her heart, hoping that Eric would give her a chance to speak to Marcel before she decided that it was a bad idea.

    ¡°I think you should ask her that yourself,¡± Eric said, meeting her gaze and her heart soared. This was it! He was giving her a chance to speak with Marcel! Yes! The lord finally answered her prayer!

    However, before Eric could hand the phone to her, her mother stood in the way, ¡°She¡¯s not speaking to that boy! You of all people should know that!¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Arianna shouted out and silence descended. That was when Arianna realized what she did or rather called her.

    Eric and Natalie looked at her with surprised expressions and Arianna couldn¡¯t say a thing either because she too was stunned ¨C she didn¡¯t know when the title left her mouth.

    Natalie¡¯s mouth was hung open, her eyes slowly tearing up as if Arianna had done her a huge favor ¨C even though her cheeks were on fire right now. But then if calling her ¡°mom¡± would let her speak with Marcel, she would do it over again.

    Natalie was too emotional that she didn¡¯t protest when Eric handed the phone over to her and Arianna epted it immediately else she changes at thest minute, putting a little space between them as she breathed,

    ¡°Hello, Marcel,¡±

    Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest, her hands mmy with anticipation as she waited for Marcel to say a word. Although it was less than a day since she was taken, Arianna missed his voice. He was usually the first thing she woke up to, but not anymore.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± That crisp cold voice shattered every illusion that Arianna had about this moment. She immediately broke out in cold sweat. What had she been thinking? That Marcel would wee her with open arms after what she had done.

    She said to him, ¡°I know that you¡¯re mad at me ¨C

    ¡°Mad? I think that¡¯s an understatement, don¡¯t you think so?¡± He cut her with sarcasticughter that made beads of sweat form on her face.

    Arianna knew that Marcel had a mean streak but this was the first time that she was receiving it at maximum capacity and it made her ufortable.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcel. I should have told you the truth, but I was scared. Moreover, when I finally made up my mind to tell you, there was no time and you were too busy to hear it until it became thiste.¡± She tried to apologize to him but Marcel¡¯s answer left her dumbfounded.

    ¡°Is that your excuse?¡±

    And her throat went dry like sandpaper.

 Chapter 671

    671 Give Her One More Chance

    Music Rmendation:- Enough ¨C Charlieonnafriday

    ___________

    Arianna wed at her neck, feeling ufortable. It was as if there was this huge lump in her throat and she couldn¡¯t gulp it down no matter what.

    ¡°W-what?¡± She croaked.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to use the excuse that I didn¡¯t let you speak when you wanted to, then you make me a greater fool, Arianna,¡± Even her namecked the usual affection he normally used. Right now, he sounded pained and disappointed.

    He said, ¡°You had ample time to tell me the truth if you wanted to and you of all people knew how critical Elijah¡¯s case was. But then you never trusted me, did you? Even when I opened up and never gave you a reason to doubt me, you never returned the gesture. Oh well, look how that turned out great,¡± His tone wasced with sarcasm.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mar...¡± Her voice broke at the end as the tears flowed from her eyes, ¡°I should have trusted you, but I was being stupid. You should know that I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen. However, we can figure it out somehow like we usually do, remember?¡±

    She reminded him of the cases they had worked on together in the past and how they came out victorious, even though the situation this time was different ¨C and serious.

    ¡°That is not the end though, I have information that you need to -¡±

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m tired, Arianna,¡± Marcel confessed and she stopped short at thement. If Arianna¡¯s heart had been pounding previously, the rate at which it picked up speed was dangerously close to a heart attack.

    She could feel the familiar prickle of fear, an unease that told her that something was terribly wrong. Arianna sniffed, wiping away the tears from her eyes as she asked calmly, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    The anticipation that filled her now was ten times more intense thanst night when she was being kidnapped and thought that she would never see him again.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, Arianna,¡±

    Bam!

    It felt like her world came crashing down around her and everything became too much and unbearable.

    What do you mean it¡¯s over, Marcel? You¡¯re not breaking up with me, are you?¡± Arianna let out augh, unwilling to believe that this was the end for them.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of your dishonesty, Arianna. Let¡¯s call it quits. Moreover, it¡¯s not like we can be together with what happened. This is the end, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, this can¡¯t be the end!¡± Arianna shook her head firmly, refusing to believe what she was wearing while Eric and Natalie stood at the corner watching and didn¡¯t interfere. They knew not to ruin the moment.

    ¡°But you love me, Marcel! How can it be over like this between us?!¡± She argued with him. No, this was just a bad decision because he was upset over the incident. Arianna couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    ¡°Of course, I love you! I love you so much that it¡¯s driving me crazy to even think about this, but this is for me. I don¡¯t trust you any longer, Arianna, and I can¡¯t be with someone that I can¡¯t even entrust my life to. I guess in the end love is not enough.¡±

    ¡°Please, Marcel,¡± Arianna pleaded, having sensed him giving up on them, ¡°You¡¯re making a bad decision because you¡¯re being emotional. You need to sleep this over with and you¡¯d realize the mistake you¡¯re making! Please, Marcel! I can¡¯t live without you!¡±

    ¡°No, you can, or else you wouldn¡¯t have put me through this.¡± Marcel countered her statement, ¡°We breathe the air because we trust that it¡¯s harmless. You can do well without me, Arianna. Moreover, sleeping over this is merely dying the inevitable. Have a nice life, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t go, Marcel!¡± Arianna shouted, but that didn¡¯t stop Marcel from hanging up on her.

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna screeched like a banshee, the phone slipped through her hand and fell to the ground. Not that Eric cared about that, his attention was more on the young girl who fell to the ground, bawling her eyes out.

    ¡°Arianna!¡±

    Natalie, of course, had to be the one who went over to her and threw her into her arms even though Natalie kept pushing her away.

    She didn¡¯t want any of them here.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t breathe, there was this stuffy feeling inside of her that threatened to swallow all of the air inside of her and she clutched onto her chest.

    The thought of Marcel ending things with her was like a stab through her heart. He had promised her that they would be together, how could he change his mind that easily?

    Arianna wanted to die, the pain was raw. It was all her fault, she should have told Marcel the truth and now it waste. She wanted Marcel back. She still loved him. She was so sorry. If only he could give her one more chance.

    ¡°Arianna,¡± Natalie could not stand to see her daughter in this condition even though she had hoped for the both of them to have nothing to do with each other. It was simply a heartbreaking sight.

    ¡°Leave me alone! You finally got what you wanted! You should be happy!¡± She yelled at the woman, trying to pull out of her embrace but her mother was surprisingly strong and she couldn¡¯t break away.

    ¡°I hate you,¡± Arianna cried out, snot blowing from her nose and onto the woman¡¯s arm, not that she noticed. Even if she did notice, Natalie didn¡¯t exactly care at that moment.

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Natalie affirmed, still holding onto her daughter. She would rather have Arianna hate her for the rest of her life yet find happiness in the end rather than live miserably with Daniel¡¯s scum.

    Although it was quite relieving to Natalie that this one broke up with her daughter, unlike his father who held onto her like an obsession. Perhaps, Marcel was different from his father after all... no! Natalie refused to entertain such thoughts.

    Father and son were the same.

    On the bright side, her daughter was home now and she would shower her with the love she missed out on over the years.

 Chapter 672

    672 Her Soul Flew Out Of Her Body

    ¡°Arianna?!¡± Mimi strode into the base, searching for her friend. It was strange, but she hasn¡¯t been able to get a hold of her all through the night and it was weird. Usually, Arianna was supposed to update her on yesterday¡¯s event, but there was nothing like that, and that added to her anxiety.

    ¡°Arianna?¡± She searched through her room and there was still no sign of her. Mimi didn¡¯t have the time to ask around but now that she thought about it, the soldiers around had been giving her strange looks when she arrived.

    Mimi stopped short in her steps, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. Something was not right, she could feel it. The first thought that came to her mind was that Marcel had found out about Elijah and reacted badly. Did he hurt her? Did he sell her off again?

    No, Mimi shook the ridiculous thought out of her head. No matter how mad Marcel was at Arianna, he would never sell her off again. He was too possessive anyway and wouldn¡¯t stand her being with another man.

    What if he killed her mistakenly out of anger ¨C Marcel does have a foul temper ¨C and Arianna¡¯s ghost is hovering around her right now, but she¡¯s unable to see her? Sigh, Mimi had to shut down her hyperactive imagination. This was not funny. She needed to see her friend.

    She already made up her mind to go confront Marcel and had reached the door, ready to knock on it when it opened by itself and she saw...

    ¡°Babe,¡±

    ¡°Victor?¡±

    He told her that he was in an important meeting. Was the meeting being held in Marcel¡¯s room? In that case, Arianna should be a participant too since she wasn¡¯t in her room. Mimi stretched her head to peep into the room only for Victor to block her view to her surprise.

    .....

    Mimi stood on her tiptoes this time to have a clear view only for Victor to block her once again with his taller height and she scowled at him. Why was he annoying her? She tried to push him out of the way and Victor locked the door instead.

    ¡°What is wrong with you? You¡¯re being so strange,¡± Mimiined, ring at him. She loved him, yes, but he was infuriating her right now and her patience had a limit.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you,¡± He engulfed her in a hug instead, leaving no room for her to breathe.

    Did he miss her that much? Mimi wondered as Victor distracted her with a hug and she didn¡¯t even know.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m here now and not going anyway,¡± Mimi breathed, trying to break out of the hug. He was literally smothering her. Yeah, the love was too much.

    She went on, ¡°However, I really need to see -¡±

    Victor caught her off with a kiss that blew her mind off. And just like that, Mimi forgot all about the mission and instead wrapped her arm around his neck and returned the kiss patiently. Maybe, she did miss him as well.

    Mimi hopped onto his body, wrapping her legs around his waist while Victor walked with her until his back hit the wall for support. And she deepened the kiss, tasting his lips without an ounce of shame or fear that Marcel could step out of there any minute.

    For all she knows, Marcel could be busy inside there with Arianna and doing something productive, hehe. But then, Victor stepped out of there now.... Wait a minute....

    Mimi suddenly stopped and Victor¡¯s lips chased after her but she turned her face the other way before getting down to her feet. She put enough space between them so she isn¡¯t tempted by his yummy luscious body. If anything, pregnancy only made her hornier.

    ¡°Mimi...¡± Victor stepped towards her but she put up her hand and stopped her.

    ¡°Tell me is Arianna inside there or not?¡±

    ¡°What? Mimi, what are you talking about?¡± He chuckled nervously.

    But she wrapped her arms across her chest and gave him her bitchy look. Victor stood at the spot, helpless. He knew that look and if he didn¡¯t answer pretty soon, some pretty important benefits would be withdrawn soon.

    No! She can¡¯t do that.

    ¡°Fine,¡± He gave in, ¡°Promise me that you wouldn¡¯t freak out.¡±

    ¡°Freak out?¡± Mimi thought over it, ¡°Why should I freak out?¡±

    ¡°Arianna is gone,¡± Victor released the news and watched as she stiffened instantly.

    A prominent frown made its way onto Mimi¡¯s face. She stared at Victor in confusion, ¡°What do you mean by Arianna is gone? That word means a lot,¡± Her heart raced in her chest as she thought of the worst-case scenario.

    ¡°She¡¯s no longer here, Mimi. Her mother took her.¡±

    Mimi blinked a few times, ¡°What do you mean by she was taken by her mother? She was even sure that the woman was still alive ¨C no, I need to see Marcel,¡±

    ¡°No -¡±

    She already slipped past him and went into the room.

    God, why did she have to be stubborn? Victor went after her else she provoked Marcel and caused another problem. Also, his cousin was not in the best of moods.

    A lot of thoughts were running through Mimi¡¯s head as she went in to find Marcel. How could Arianna¡¯s mother find her? How did that happen?

    When Mimi stepped inside, she saw Marcel was all geared up and was assembling a gun on the desk.

    ¡°Are you going to rescue her?¡± She assumed right away that it was the reason for his dressing up.

    Marcel didn¡¯t even turn when he asked, ¡°Rescue who?¡± He already sensed her the instant she stepped into his room. Moreover, he had been expecting her toe to find her friend all this while.

    Mimi frowned, was she missing something here? And why does it feel like Marcel seems a lot different than before. He stood rigid and he sounded distant, colder.

    ¡°Arianna? Duh,¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°You are not going to let that woman take her just like that, right?¡± Mimi was still saying when Marcel suddenly turned around and aimed the gun at her forehead.

    And her soul flew out of her body.

 Chapter 673

    673 Dine With The Vultures ¨C Holy mother of God, what the hell was going on here?

    ¡°Marcel....¡± Mimi swallowed uneasily, trying to get through to him but his memorizing yet lethal and cold grey eyes made her lift her hand in surrender

    Mimi didn¡¯t know what was going on or what she just stepped into, but one thing was for certain, she was not ready to die yet, especially not in her best friend¡¯s boyfriend¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Victor stepped into the room, horrified at the scene of his cousin pointing a gun at his woman.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked cautiously as he was left at a crossroads. Victor didn¡¯t know why Marcel was doing this other than the fact that he was hurting from his breakup with Arianna.

    However, how was that rted to Mimi? It wasn¡¯t like she was the one who suggested he call off things between the both of them. It was his decision. Victor knew that he was not going to let him hurt Mimi, boss or not. She was carrying his unborn child and this madness had to end now.

    ¡°You knew about Elijah, didn¡¯t you?¡± Marcel asked her, not minding the warning look from his consigliere and cousin Victor who was poised to attack him if he dared to harm his woman.

    Where was his loyalty? To him or thedy? Marcel didn¡¯t need to guess it. What a big fool. Well, he was once a fool just like him too until his eyes were opened and he found out that it wasn¡¯t worth it.

    Mimi¡¯s mouth opened and closed helplessly. Of course, Marcel found out the truth.

    .....

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my secret to tell,¡± Was all Mimi said.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± Victor¡¯s warning voice came again, and finally, he lowered his weapon.

    Mimi let out the breath that she had been holding in, that was crazy. She had warned Arianna, now see how that turned out.

    Immediately, Victor pulled Mimi to his side protectively while ring at Marcel. His stupid cousin crossed a line this time and he was not forgiving him easily. How dare he point a gun at Mimi?!

    ¡°If you want to die so badly, go get hit by a car and let the innocents be.¡± Victor sneered at his face before he turned and grabbed Mimi¡¯s hand, pulling her along.

    Marcel shouted after him, ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time, Victor, we have to go dine with the vultures.¡±

    Victor in question gave him the middle finger in response before he finally left through the door with Mimi close to him.

    ¡°What does he mean by that?¡± Mimi asked him while they walked. Since being with the likes of them, she knew better than to ignore even the subtlest of details.

    ¡°There¡¯s a family meeting,¡± He said, finally stopping halfway and turning to face her fully.

    ¡°It has to do with Arianna, right?¡± Mimi was suddenly nervous. Everything was too confusing and happening too quickly she hadn¡¯t been able to wrap her head around it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, it¡¯s about to get dirty. Arianna had done more harm than good by withholding such important information. Had she told Marcel on time, he would have gotten everything in control. But now...¡± Victor took in a deep breath, ¡°It is critical. The vultures veering for his position know this is the right time to strike. Aside from that, we might have a war on our hands.¡±

    ¡°A war?¡± Her eyes grew wide to the size of saucers, ¡°What war? What is going on, Victor?¡±

    ¡°Elijah took the lives of our men. He¡¯s not going scot-free for that. Marcel thinks the elders are going to ask for vengeance and if he doesn¡¯t grant that -¡±

    ¡°He might have to give up his position as the boss,¡± Mimi figured it out.

    ¡°Even at that, it still doesn¡¯t erase the fact that Elijah would have to answer for his crimes.¡±

    ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Then we have a war on our hands,¡± Victor then took her face in his palm, saying, ¡°That is why I want you to stay safe. I don¡¯t want youing to the base at the moment and exposing yourself to danger. Once I¡¯m back, we¡¯d meet my mother and tell her the good news. She would have your back as well in case something happens.¡±

    But Mimi shook her head,¡± I don¡¯t like your tone. If I can¡¯te to the base to see you, how are we going to meet?¡±

    He grinned at her, ¡°Just leave your door open,¡±

    Mimi grinned back at him, he hasn¡¯t changed at all. However, herughter didn¡¯tst for long because she suddenly remembered, ¡°Arianna? What are we going to do about her?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know, Mimi.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can find her,¡± Her eyes shone, ¡°Arianna can¡¯t resist me and I¡¯m sure her mother wouldn¡¯t mind an old friend whenever she is at the moment.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Victor refused.

    ¡°No?¡± Mimi couldn¡¯t understand him

    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about that woman. I don¡¯t know her motive at all and until I figure it out, I don¡¯t want you sniffing around, okay?¡±

    Mimi pouted, ¡°But -¡±

    ¡°Promise me, Mimi,¡± He said firmly. There was no room for negotiation.

    ¡°Fine, I promise,¡± Mimi said reluctantly.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Victor smiled at her, running his hand down her head. However, he was quick to forget that Mimi does whatever she wants, especially if it was for a right cause, promises like that don¡¯t weigh her down then.

    He nced down at her stomach, the smile widening as he asked, ¡°How¡¯s my other baby doing today?¡± Victor rubbed his hand up and down her slightly t stomach in fascination.

    ¡°I think the baby¡¯s much better now daddy¡¯s here,¡± Mimi answered, looking at him happily.

    Victor looked at her, ¡°Have I ever told you that I love you?¡±

    Mimi gasped dramatically, ¡°I think that¡¯s a first,¡±

    With a chuckle, Victor pulled her closer by the waist and tasted her lips once more. She tasted so sweet. Mimi made him a happy man and he would have upped his game had his phone not rang at that exact moment.

    Victor cursed out, that miserable bastard had the worst timing!

    It was Marcel

 Chapter 674

    674 Elijah Kissed Arianna In His Absence

    The road was so quiet and awkward that Victor felt ufortable. This was the first time Marcel was so emotionally detached from him that he didn¡¯t know what to do. Usually, when they were kids and his father gave him a hard time, they would talk it out and have some fun or something and everything would be as good as new. Marcel was so used to Daniel¡¯s abuse that it didn¡¯t bother him anymore. But this one?

    It was totally new.

    The first woman he ever loved.

    And his first real heartbreak ¨C from a rtionship. Marcel has had a lot of heartbreak throughout his entire life.

    Victor looked at him, Marcel was propped up on his arm and seemed to have a lot on his mind.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Victor asked him out of sheer curiosity. He means, it was killing him not to know what was on his mind and the both of them used to share a lot of things.

    ¡°A way to make you mind your business?¡± Marcel sassed, looking out the side of the mood now that Victor has disrupted his little peace.

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that, I¡¯m your consigliere, Cugino and it¡¯s my business to know your mind.¡±

    ¡°Knock yourself out,¡± Marcel muttered and the next thing that followed was absolute silence.

    .....

    Oh, Victor could see what he was doing, Marcel was shutting him out. Not only him, but everyone close to him. But then, he was not going to let that happen, not while he was alive. His bastard cousin doesn¡¯t know it but he¡¯s a leech and he wasn¡¯t going to let go at all. Not now, not tomorrow.

    ¡°If you were going to keep up with this attitude, then you shouldn¡¯t have brought Chloe home at all.¡±

    And at the mention of Chloe, Marcel turned to him finally. Ahh, gotcha!

    ¡°At least the girl has a better living experience with the Spencers than staying with a confused older brother who¡¯s currently going through a heartbreak and thinks that making everyone as miserable as he was is the way to go. It¡¯s not enough that she can¡¯t live like every normal teenager out there, you iste her as well.¡±

    Victor spat ferociously. Every word he spelled out was meant to strike a chord inside of him and worked because Marcel opened his mouth to say,

    ¡°I just need -¡±

    ¡°Space?¡± Victor lifted a brow, ¡°Well, suck it up because space is the one thing that you can¡¯t get at the moment. We got a mess to clean up and you really didn¡¯t have to break up with her.¡±

    Marcel sighed, ¡°Can we not talk about her?¡±

    ¡°Arianna fucked up, yes, but I swear to God, you need her now more than ever.¡±

    ¡°Yep, yep invite her back into my life so my father can use her to get to her mother, and then If things go well between them, they can get married and we be siblings and live happily ever after. Good work, Victor. You are a really good advisor,¡± There was thick sarcasm in his tone.

    ¡°Not if the both of you get married first,¡±

    ¡°Jesus Christ, Victor, stop nting stupid ideas in my head.¡± Marcel groaned, rubbing his palm down his face.

    Victor shrugged with a grin, ¡°It¡¯s merely a suggestion. If you¡¯re so scared of your father reuniting with his old me, you tie the knot first and beat him at his game. I mean even as crazy as your father is, he wouldn¡¯t dare to mess up the family tree with you married to Arianna. In one word, it¡¯s as good as you killing two birds with one stone. You stopped Daniel from being together with his old me and at the same time, marrying the love of your life. ¡± He was so brilliant, Victor was full of himself.

    ¡°And you suggest all of this assuming that I have forgiven her for what she did? I haven¡¯t done that, Victor and this is really the end for the both of us. I¡¯m not going back on my -¡±

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Victor snorted, interrupting him on purpose. ¡°Oh please, spare me the long speech.¡± He rolled his eyes towards heaven while Marcel¡¯s brows were drawn together, perplexed.

    ¡°Even when the both of you were together and she was nothing but a means to capture Elijah, you stubbornly went after her amid my warning. What makes you think that you can let her go of her now that you¡¯re so addicted to her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not addicted to her!¡± Marcel warned her. He made it sound as if Arianna was a drug and he was a crackhead. Well, he did love her... alright, he was not going there.

    ¡°Ahh, denial stage, I see,¡± Victor said, ¡°Well, since you want nothing to do with her, I guess this is Elijah¡¯s time to shine.¡±

    Marcel¡¯s jaw ticked the instant he heard that and he said, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Victor pulsed his lips, ¡°If Elijah says he¡¯s taking Arianna to her mother, that means he¡¯s pretty close to her mother and must be making a good impression on dear mother-inw. No, wait, if Arianna is devastated by the breakup, then she must be crying by now, and guess who would be there tofort her?¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t need to guess, he could see the picture clearly and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, Victor continued with his vivid imagination.

    ¡°It would be like in those romantic movies, at first he innocently hugs her as she cries on his shoulder, andforts her. And then she pulls away, clearing the tears from her face only for their eyes to meet and the attraction between them res up once again. And then they begin to lean in, closer and closer and closer until their lips ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Marcel hollered and the car went entirely silent. However, there was a knowing smirk at the corner of Victor¡¯s lips while Marcel red at him, his eyes red with emotions with his fist clenched hard.

    Marcel was alive with anger at the thought of Elijah kissing Arianna in his absence. He would kill that fucking bastard.

 Chapter 675

    675 Dine With The Vultures ¨C He does have the foulest of moods, Victor affirmed as Marcel wouldn¡¯t let him say a thing after their conversation earlier. On the bright side, they finally arrived at the location of the family meeting and it was nice to know that they were not the only oneste to the gathering.

    Since it was an emergency meeting, it made sense that many people would arrivete since it caught many of them unawares and there were a few absences as well. However, no matter what, the key yers were around and Marcel wished that they had been among the absentees. But then, life always has a way to infuriate him.

    Daniel was already seated when they arrived and Robert and Benjamin were conversing with him. That scenario was as odd as the sun and moon shining at the same time and that made Marcel¡¯s brows furrow.

    His father had never gotten along with his cousins and for the three of them to be conversing this happily means that he was truly and thoroughly fucked up. Sometimes, Marcel does wonder if Daniel was truly his father because it doesn¡¯t make sense at all.

    Carmine would fight for her son, Victor down to herst breath. But Daniel? If it wasn¡¯t beneficial to him, Marcel was as good as disposable. What kind of father does that? Well, you get Daniel, the father of the year.

    ¡°And here you are,¡± Someone came up to him and Marcel looked up to see that it was no one else but Cindy. He sighed inwardly, he must be cursed to keep on having confrontations with the little girl that wasn¡¯t worth his attention.

    Cindy was just about to open her mouth and taunt him as usual, when Marcel warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    She looked at him confused, having not seen that oneing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it at all because I might just kill you right away and be done with it,¡± He threatened her.

    .....

    He was bluffing, Cindy thought, but for some reason, the steely look in his eyes told her that he wasn¡¯t joking and she retraced her step, minding her business for once. Good for well.

    With the nuisance gone from his sight, Marcel walked over to therge table where the others were gathered, pulled out a seat that scraped across the tiled floor, and sat down, drawing attention to himself.

    Daniel, Robert, and Benjamin looked at him and Marcel gave them a subtle greeting.

    ¡°You are finally here,¡± Daniel said, an odd glint in his eyes that told Marcel that the old man was up to no good.

    ¡°You called for a family meeting, here I am.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an ¡°I¡± but a ¡°we¡±. When things are going wrong in the organization, it is our responsibility to take care of it and make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again,¡± He referred to Benjamin and Robert by his side.

    Marcel wanted tough, surely Daniel was not thinking that Robert and Benjamin were on his side. They would leave and betray him in the twinkle of an eye. However, Daniel was smarter than that, meaning that he had a use for them and Marcel didn¡¯t know how to feel about that.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t hide the dislike in his tone. The division in their family was not going to be solved with a mere family meeting where they were about to crucify him on the cross. If they wanted them to work out, they needed more.

    ¡°Now all we have to do is to wait for the others to arrive, you wouldn¡¯t mind that, right, boss?¡± Benjamin was taunting him.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m still young so the old ones need to catch up, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Although that was supposed to refer to those still on their waying, Benjamin was not dumb enough not to realize the sarcasm was aimed at him.

    Victor couldn¡¯t control the urge anymore and burst intoughter, while the man¡¯s cheeks heated with embarrassment. Benjamin cleared his throat and looked the other way. Arguing with Marcel was not going to help him anyway.

    Thanks to that, they let him rest and Marcel wrapped his arms across his chest waiting for those yet toe. Adele arrived not long after and Marcel never took his gaze off her, not even for a second until she sat down and their eyes connected.

    How dare she, Marcel ground his jaw. She had tried to sabotage Arianna¡¯s whereabouts and he was mad. Why was everyone betraying him recently?

    Adele broke contact with him and focused on somewhere else. She didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell her that Marcel had found out what she did. But for now, she will focus on the meeting. Marcel kept his cool as well, he would deal with herter.

    Carmine, Victor¡¯s mother, was thest to arrive and settled down before the meeting was officially opened.

    Usually, it was his father who started the talking and no one would argue with that, but surprisingly, Daniel let Robert do him the favor. This friendship of theirs was budding.

    ¡°This emergency meeting was called to deal with an important problem and threat to our organization. Just a day ago, we heard of an attack on the base and it would be highly enlightening if the young leader of our family gives us a report on that.¡± He said politely and took his seat.

    Marcel looked at them without saying a word. They knew what happened, however, they wanted to hear it from his mouth so they could trap him with his words.

    When the silence became overbearing, Daniel said to him, ¡°We are waiting for you, son. Tell us what happened?¡± Daniel encouraged him with a warm smile and if one didn¡¯t know him too well, they would think he was a wonderful father!

    Fine, he would give them a report.

    ¡°You¡¯re right in your assessment,¡± Marcel confirmed, ¡°There was an attack on the base with all of my men knocked out cold. None of them saw iting.¡±

    ¡°And where were you that night?¡±

    And so it began.

 Chapter 676

    676 The Girl Is A Spy

    ¡°And where were you that night?¡± Benjamin cut him off and Marcel turned his intense gaze on him. There was a smug look on his face as he repeated the question, ¡°Where were you that night, Marcel? Why did you not stop the attack?¡±

    Marcel smiled wryly, licking his lower lips. Benjamin was the least smart out of all of his uncles and he could already visualize the many ways he could end his pathetic life ¨C not that he was going to do it. But imagining it was quite therapeutic and effective in helping him handle his anger.

    He looked at him and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that this was an interrogation? Wait, I have to report my going in and out to you now?¡±

    Benjamin answered, ¡°We just want to know what happened -¡±

    ¡°Then shut up and listen to my report and stop cutting me off!¡± Marcel thundered, stunning the man and everyone else at the table.

    Daniel looked at his dear son and smiled. Whatever made his son this way, he hoped it continued. But then, he knew the truth, and that was why he was somehow d the girl was out of the picture. Just like him, Marcel¡¯s eyes were finally opened and with this right attitude, he could see both of them making great achievements in the future.

    Benjamin didn¡¯t utter a word after that public scolding. It seems that hanging around with Daniel for the first time gave him the confidence that he could do whatever he wanted with his son ¨C and Daniel would be on his side. However, Daniel in question didn¡¯t even react, if anything, he said to Marcel instead, ¡°Go on,¡±

    Seeing that Daniel was not ready to defend his pride anytime soon, Benjamin cleared his throat and glued his ass to the seat like the good old man he was while Marcel continued his speech.

    ¡°The attack was carried out by Elijah Draven, brother to the head of themission,¡± Marcel revealed and their murmurs echoed across the room.

    .....

    Each of them seated there knew what this meant. Themission stood for peace among the Mafia families and the brother to the head of themission should know better. Killing one of their own was asking for trouble and trouble in their world was equivalent to war and a member of themission can¡¯t have war, not to talk of the head. It was an abuse of power.

    Marcel went on to say, ¡°Elijah has been on my radar for a while now but we couldn¡¯t get to him. He stole my armory months ago and was responsible for the death of five of our men and one of them was a caporegime. His crimes are numerous. However, in my haste to retrieve the weapons, he got the upper hand and infiltrated our organization. ¡±

    Another round of murmur echoed across the room once more. If Elijah infiltrated their organization, who knew how many of their secrets he holds? Who knows what he was going to do with that?

    ¡°He has been going under the name of Aziz and through the use of his alter ego, led us around the bush until that night when he decided to take off his mask. We have no idea of his whereabouts since he fled, but it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s under his brother Eric¡¯s protection right now.¡± Marcel finished his narration and sat down.

    Robert then stood up, staring at Marcel intently before he turned to the audience and gestured, ¡°We have all heard what Marcel has to tell us about the incident. However, I have to say that I find somethingcking in that report.¡±

    At that moment, Marcel and Victor¡¯s gaze connected instantly, the both of themmunicating tactically. Call it instinct but they had a feeling about what was about to happen next.

    Robert moved out of his seat and walked over to where Marcel was, leaning beside the table, he asked while holding his gaze, ¡°Does it make sense that Aziz or Elijah or whatever hees himself would infiltrate the organization and then attack your base without any casualty recorded?¡± He leaned till he was in Marcel¡¯s space and said to everyone¡¯s hearing, ¡°He revealed his face to you after hiding it for so long? Why?¡±

    ¡°He was taunting me,¡± Marcel answered, unruffled unlike Robert¡¯s failing attempt to intimidate him, ¡°He must have gotten bored of the game and decided to drop the act. Taking out all of my men shows my weak security, a huge failure on my part, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Seeing the smirk on his face made Robert stand up straight and he faced the gathering.

    ¡°Marcel might have said one thing but I think he missed out on something. Sure, there was no casualty, but I stumbled upon a report, someone was missing after the attack. A woman -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t involve her.¡±

    ¡°Why did you not talk about her in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you guys spy on my private life as well, pervert, much?¡±He retorted, looking bored instead of being angry as the others had expected him to be.

    ¡°Elijah took her, why?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my woman, what other reason does Elijah need to take her? Stuff like this happens in our lives once in a while, considering our type of upation, what more do you expect? Moreover, I told you, Elijah is taunting me. What¡¯s the highest form of insult except to capture the boss¡¯ woman?¡± Marcel lied through his teeth.

    What in the world was he even doing? He wasn¡¯t supposed to support Arianna, no, if anything, he should reveal her crime and let his family deal with it. But here he was covering up her crimes like the fool he was. Victor was right, he has not gotten over her ¨C and would probably never.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± said Daniel who has been quiet all this while.

    Marcel looked at Daniel, releasing a slow breath. Out of everyone here, Marcel knew his father was his toughest opponent and the one he had to watch out for the most. It was as if the old man got off on tormenting him; a sadist. Not that it was surprising if that was the case.

    ¡°If anything, I heard that the girl was a spy?¡± He said.

 Chapter 677

    677 Arianna Is Pregnant

    If eyes could kill, Daniel Luciano would have been long dead because the intensity of the re Marcel was giving him was enough to vaporize him on the spot. For once, why couldn¡¯t his father ever be on his side?

    Why? Why? Why?!

    But then, he wouldn¡¯t befortable with Daniel being on his side either. No matter what, even if he ims it¡¯s for his good, Daniel always has an ulterior motive in everything. Marcel can only trust that man the day the sun falls from the sky (and kill everyone)

    There was a small whispering amongst the people, especially those hearing it for the first time.

    ¡°What is he talking about?¡± Carmine asked this time. She was good at protecting her family from intruders ¨C and not excluding spies. ¡°Is what your father said, true, Marcel?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true,¡± Marcel confirmed and his family members gasped in shock while Adele gave him a look. What the hell was he doing?

    ¡°That¡¯s shocking,¡± Cindy acted scared, ¡°First Elijah, now even your girlfriend, are we even safe anymore?¡±

    However, that was until Marcel added,

    ¡°I made her a spy,¡±

    .....

    ¡°What?!¡±

    The shock was quite huge that even Daniel reacted by narrowing his gaze at him, wondering what the boy was up to. He was going to see how he pulls himself out of this one.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Carmine leaned closer to the table, intertwining her fingers together. She wanted to hear the details and Marcel knew to provide her with one.

    ¡°I first met Arianna in the coffee shop where she worked months ago and we fell in love.¡±

    At the mention of ¡°fell in love¡± Daniel let out a disgruntled grunt from where he sat and drew attention to himself.

    ¡°Go On,¡± He said when all eyes fell on him and they all turned to Marcel once again while Daniel picked up the water bottle on his table, opened it, and gulped everything down. It was weird hearing his son narrate his love life. It was cringe and he hated it.

    ¡°Arianna didn¡¯t know what I did for a living and she was pretty involved in her own activities as well. Sadly, she got involved with Elijah, without knowing his real identity of course. Some stuff happened that led to Elijah kidnapping her before I rescued her. However, the bastard was already in love with her and I saw this as an opportunity to get the bastard once and for all.

    ¡°She agreed to help me, but to make sure there wasn¡¯t a spy and to make our acting realistic, Arianna had to pretend that she was in love with Elijah. I pretended to hate and torture her, but in secret, the both of us couldn¡¯t keep our hands off each other ¨C you can ask my men that, they¡¯re witnesses.¡± And that of course was evidence any of them could get easily. Even Carmine knew Marcel was in love with the guy from the time she had been in the base.

    ¡°However,¡± Marcel went on, ¡°Elijah must have seen through our ns when he infiltrated my gang, which exins why he stopped all rescue ns. But I was the fool to lower my defenses because at my happiest moment, he took her and it¡¯s left to me to find her.¡± He finished with his story and all that greeted him was silence.

    ¡°That was the sweetest story that I have ever heard,¡± Benjamin¡¯s wife sniffed, blowing loudly into her handkerchief.

    At once the room became active once again as most of them deliberated on Marcel¡¯s story while the others ¨C who had been hoping for him to fail ¨C couldn¡¯t hide the disappointed look on their faces. They were sure the n was solid and Marcel couldn¡¯t get out of it.

    Well, all except Daniel of course who was rubbing his jaw, lost in his thoughts as if he was thinking of trouble to stir up once again.

    While all of this was going on, Victor leaned toward Marcel saying in a lowered voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were quite a good storyteller?¡±

    ¡°Buzz off,¡± Marcel told him, his eyes scanning everyone on the table, wondering who was going to make the next move.

    ¡°How are we sure that this is not a lie?¡± Robert asked once more as the chatters died down.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Benjamin was quick to support him, ¡°You¡¯re the boss, you could nt any evidence you want?¡± He argued.

    ¡°You can investigate -¡±

    ¡°Investigation takes time... ¡± Daniel cut him off, ¡°Time for you to nt new shreds of evidence.¡±

    Marcel¡¯s fist was trembling from anger beneath the table and Victor was about to say something in his ce but he beat him to it.

    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant for me.¡±

    ¡°Pregnant?!¡±

    Even Victor was not left out in the surprise this time. He turned to Marcel with a look that says, dude, you¡¯re so dead. Adele¡¯s eyes grew wide, she knew that was not true. Or was it?

    Everyone was confused.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disclose it in this way, but since I have nosy rtives...¡± He looked at Benjamin and Robert, ¡°Well, you have it, are you satisfied?¡±

    ¡°B-but, it¡¯s all talks and we still -¡±

    ¡°I believe we came here to deal with a threat and not pry into his private life,¡± Carmine said firmly and Benjamin couldn¡¯t say a thing anymore.

    Although the woman didn¡¯t have much power in the organization, she had kidnapped her husband once, and that had given her quite a reputation in the family. In one word, they believed that she had the same crazy tendency as Daniel. And sometimes, just like now, it worked in her favor.

    ¡°Well, I for once believe that it wouldn¡¯t be a waste if we divulged into my son¡¯s case a little bit more and they say family is the best, right? I mean, I¡¯m about to be a grandpa, which is quite a high privilege. Unfortunately, my daughter-inw is missing, kidnapped by the same enemy we are dealing with here. Isn¡¯t that being on the same page?¡± Daniel asked with a big smile.

    Fuck you.

 Chapter 678

    678 Her Personal Rtionship With Elijah

    It took Marcel a lot of self-control not to stride over to where Daniel sat, hitch him up by the shirt and just punch his face till he let this shimmering anger inside of him out.

    He hated that man.

    He hated his ass.

    He hated ever having him as a father.

    He wished he could swap him with someone else.

    He wished he was... dead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help in rescuing my woman, okay?¡± Marcel answered him, his voice crisp and full of tension. He was trying so hard to keep his temper under check, but with the way Daniel was teasing and taunting him, he doubted that he could hold it off for long.

    ¡°Really? Are you so sure? I mean, I¡¯m not doubting your capability here, but you don¡¯t have a high sess recordtely. With the both of us working together, the win is guaranteed?¡± He was confident.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know whether Daniel was fucking with him because he had a feeling Daniel knew that Arianna was not pregnant and this was all to cover her ass. So what was he ying at? It was too confusing.

    .....

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help, period!¡± Marcel growled at him and this time the people were interested in the drama ying out between father and son.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be here, waiting for when you mess up and I¡¯ll take care of it as usual.¡± He retorted.

    What happened next was quite a scare because Marcel banged his fist hard on the table, saying through gritted teeth, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just admit the fact that you¡¯re salty simply because I kicked you out of the position you adored so much!¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be so salty if my sessor was doing so well, but you have more idents than I did while I was in power. And I¡¯m beginning to wonder if having a young boy lead us is the right thing to do?¡± Daniel told him.

    ¡°Well, kick me out then,¡± Marcel snarled, ¡°If you can. Other families are being led by the younger generation and there are many improvements seen. However, I¡¯m being held back by a goddamn father who doesn¡¯t think that I¡¯m good enough unless he has an involvement. Well, in case you don¡¯t know, let me spell it out clearly. You. Are. Retired. So if I were you, I would begin to take my break seriously, old man. ¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± Carmine stopped them before it was toote, ¡°Sit down, Marcel!¡± Shemanded Marcel who would be looming over his father had Daniel been beside him. But no, it was Victor who he overshadowed instead with his intimidating stance.

    ¡°I would not sit here and let this madness continue!¡± Carmine scolded them firmly.

    ¡°At least he was honest in his conversation this time,¡± Marcel muttered under his breath but it was heard by everyone in the room and that made Carmine give him the looks. He stopped.

    ¡°What else do we have to deal with?¡± The woman sighed, rubbing her temple. She should have known her brother would make this meeting memorable. He always does.

    ¡°We are to deal with our enemy Elijah and reevaluate Adele¡¯s position as the underboss?¡± Robert announced and there was another round of gossip.

    Feeling the numerous gazes on her, Adele sat up straighter with her head held high. It was not like she had not seen this momenting. With what happened in Marcel¡¯s office, she was sure of losing her position this time ¨C he was not going to support her after what she had done.

    She could see her father Benjamin¡¯s smug smile now. I told you so, he would probably say. Adele had been pretty much avoiding her family since she got the position. She knew they intended to use her to spy on Marcel and exploit ways to get him off that position as boss.

    If only they knew that Marcel was smarter and always a step ahead of them. He rarely trusted anyone ¨C except those that managed to prate his shield ¨C and had intentionally put her in this position. In one word, she couldn¡¯t y him.

    Even if he somehow managed to pull Marcel down, Adele wondered if Benjamin knew his brother Robert would never let any of his children upy that position. Moreover, her half-siblings were dumb enough and could enough fight against Robert¡¯s sons, especially Arthur. He was the chosen one.

    ¡°Revaluate Adele¡¯s position as the underboss?¡± Carmine was surprised by the news. Her son never tells her anything!

    Robert went on to exin, ¡°It turns out that Adele our capable underboss had a personal rtionship with Elijah -¡±

    ¡°And I think that¡¯s crossing the boundaries. What happened between Elijah and I is personal -¡±

    ¡°And distracted you from your duties. If you weren¡¯t so emotional, who knows you might have been able to discover his identity,¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Adele chuckled dryly, ¡°Everyone at this table knows that Elijah was just so damn smart and good at what he does. And honestly, if we were to put mes, I think we should start with your capable son, Arthur, he was the one that handled the initiation in the first ce and should have investigated the recruits properly,¡±

    The smug look on Robert¡¯s face vanished the moment Adele was through with her speech and the next, his gaze connected with his son, Arthur from across the table, who lowered his head in shame immediately. He knew what awaited him the instant they left this ce.

    Hearing the heated debates all around him, Benjamin jumped in to save the day from where his brother stopped.

    ¡°I mean,¡± He started, ¡°All we are trying to say is that this situation could have been better managed with a man in the position. At least, men are rational and perform better honestly,¡±

    Adele stared at the man, speechless. If Marcel had a psychopathic father, then she had a useless man for a father. The only good thing he did was contribute the sperm that made her.

    She faced Carmine with a sickly sweet smile, ¡°Misogynism and Sexism. Are you really going to sit there and watch it happen?¡± Adele hinted at the fact that she was a woman too.

    The speech finally roused Carmine because she turned to the fools beside her and said, ¡°Adele is not going anywhere,¡± she made her decision, her lips pressed into a thin line. She was displeased by thatment Benjamin made.

    ¡°Supported by me,¡± Marcel chipped in out of nowhere, surprising Adele. She thought that he had written her off because of what she had done. Turns out that she was wrong.

 Chapter 679

    679 Kill Elijah

    ¡°She found the weapons that none of them could tell its whereabouts, that¡¯s enough achievement for me,¡± Marcel defended her fiercely while Adele looked at him, tears filling her eyes.

    It took every willpower in Adele not to let the tears fall. It was weird buttely, she was getting emotional at the smallest thing. However, she was truly touched by what Marcel did for her. He was the only one to have defended her this much amid what she had done. Even her half-siblings had never stood up for her this way and thought their fathers hated each other and they should be enemies.

    ¡°I guess there is room for second chances,¡± Daniel said and Marcel raised a brow. He didn¡¯t fight him on this one? What was he up to or perhaps he still wanted his son to preserve his position after all? Marcel didn¡¯t trust him one bit. In one way or the other, Daniel was going to cash in on this.

    ¡°And thest issue of the day, how do we deal with Elijah?¡± Robert raised it.

    And the room became heated once more in conversation as everyone deliberated on a course of action.

    Cindy raised her hand and the noise quieted down, ¡°He killed one of our own, I suggest he dies as well. An eye for an eye.¡± She suggested smugly while staring at Adele.

    Thanks to Elijah, she received a restraining order from her family and was termed a stalker. Since she wasn¡¯t able to make Elijah hers, Cindy preferred to have him dead rather than him being kept alive and stand the chances of getting together with Adele.

    Cindy knew that Elijah and Adele were lovers and she would give anything in the world to see the look on her face when her lover is executed right in front of her. Would she keep on her icy mask or would it finally crack? She was enthusiastic to see it happen.

    Adele didn¡¯t dare to put in any suggestion knowing the wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing were waiting for an opportunity to pounce on her. However, she wasn¡¯tfortable with the idea of them putting Elijah to death. She was carrying his baby for heaven¡¯s sake! What was she going to tell her unborn child? That she had sat and done nothing while they plotted the death of its father?

    .....

    She was close to squirming in her seat, however, the arrogance Cindy exuded gave her the courage to stay still. Adele knew that she couldn¡¯t show weakness now else her family was going to eat her alive. Marcel was right, they can¡¯t know about the baby. At least, not for now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say give him the chance of a trial. it¡¯s the brother to the head of themission that we¡¯re dealing with here and a war with the Draven family wouldn¡¯t be easy and detrimental to us.¡± Victor advised them.

    Looking down at Cindy, he continued, ¡°And perhaps the next time we call an important meeting like this, children shouldn¡¯t be invited.¡±

    All eyes were on Cindy which made her face heat up with embarrassment while her father, Benjamin scratched the back of his head, ashamed. Why were his children such a big disgrace?

    Seeing the condescending look from Victor, Cindy had no choice but to shut her mouth and mind her business.

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea,¡± Carmine supported her son, ¡°Jumping head first into a war is not good for business.¡± She was proud of her son¡¯s wisdom. He made his momma proud.

    ¡°Then we invite Elijah over,¡± Marcel inputted. As much as he hated Elijah¡¯s ass, killing him just like that without an exnation did not sit right with him for strange reasons. Somewhere deep down inside of him, Marcel knew it was because of Arianna ¨C this was the reason that she kept Elijah¡¯s identity from him in the first ce.

    Even though Marcel was beginning to understand why she did it, it didn¡¯t mean that she had forgiven him. Had she told him on time, he would have solved it another way that wouldn¡¯t require him being killed or brought to trial. He would have thought of something for her sake.

    Perhaps, he would have turned a blind eye or forged his identity just so the case could be closed; only if he was repentant. But now, Elijah had to face the music the hard way and it was on her.

    ¡°As if he is going toe knowing it¡¯s his ughter,¡± Robert found the ideaughable.

    ¡°Which is why the invitation would go to his brother and the head of themission, Eric. He needs to be aware of the crimes his brothermitted and perhaps, we cane to a settlement,¡± Marcel said and not even Robert could refute it. Instead, he cleared his throat awkwardly, turning the other way.

    Daniel chortled, his son put the fool in his ce. But Marcel red at him. What was funny? He must take delight in other people¡¯s misery.

    ¡°The only settlement we would ept is him handing his brother over!¡± Benjamin made his own suggestion, feeling left out in the conversation.

    ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t hand Elijah over? What are we going to do? Start a war with themission? Are you going to be at the front line of the battle? If you are, then I suggest we get rid of these formalities and kill Elijah right away.¡± Carmine spit at Benjamin with a ferocity that made him unable to say and just stared at her open mouth.

    Everyone at the table went dead silent while Victor fought the urge tough out loud. At least someone just got a piece of his mother¡¯s mind and it felt honestly good. Now Benjamin knows why he too rarely gets on the woman¡¯s bad side.

    As if she didn¡¯t just speak down to Benjamin, Carmine fluffed her hair, turning to the others with a sweet smile all of them knew better than to trust, ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes,¡± Daniel said right away and the ominous clouds gathered once again.

 Chapter 680

    680 A Nightmare

    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes,¡± Daniel destroyed everyone¡¯s mood with that single. Most young people in the house were close to rolling their eyes toward heaven, but they just didn¡¯t.

    The fear of Daniel was the beginning of wisdom. Marcel was not the only one who detested the man, however, he was the only one who openly showed his dislike. Others were just too scared that Daniel woulde after them if they openly disrespected him. So they simply endured him like a pest and talked behind his back instead.

    Each of them knew that Daniel could not take their life without drawing the attention of the others but then, who knows what was going on in his mind. They believed Daniel was a psychopath and could manipte their death in such a way that their parents would not even be able to suspect him. So yeah, they really hated his ass ¨C and his son, Marcel.

    ¡°Does your father ever give up?¡± Victor leaned closer and whispered into his ears.

    Marcel lifted his gaze only for it to connect with his father¡¯s instead, Daniel was watching their interaction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him,¡± Marcel said to Victor who lifted his gaze as well and saw Daniel as well. He got Marcel¡¯s point and sat up straight without saying a word.

    Daniel prided himself on being respected. Except that his definition of being respected means being feared by everyone. Hence he knew instinctively that Victor had been talking about him and he took pleasure from that. The buzz. The attention. The respect. It was his drug.

    ¡°Dear brother, you do have a knack for being dramatic, but let¡¯s hear you out nheless,¡± Carmine was technically another person who could speak to him without fear as well.

    ¡°I suggest that we establish amittee.¡±

    .....

    ¡°A smallmittee?¡± Carmine was surprised by the idea while Marcel¡¯s brow quirked, knowing instinctively that the man was about to ruin his mood as usual. His other uncles shifted on their seats when they saw this was another opportunity to exercise their power again.

    With Marcel in power, Daniel and Carmine, and the rest of their family have more authority in the organization. However, if one of their own children bes the Don, there would be a great seismic change and power would change hands, returning to their side of the family after a long time.

    Unfortunately, for that to happen, Marcel would have to abdicate the position ¨C or pass away. But then, none of them saw that happening anytime soon, not with Daniel guiding the boy like a mother hen. Hence, the alliance the three of them ¨C Daniel, Robert, and Benjamin ¨C had was only temporary because each of them had their own ulterior motive.

    ¡°Yes, amittee that would oversee the case,¡± Daniel announced with a brilliant smile.

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now? This is my job,¡± Marcel told him sternly.

    ¡°A job that you failed to handle in the first ce. I told you, your ident rate is increasing nowadays and we need a sess rate in this particr case without a hitch this time,¡± He reminded Marcel before turning to the others saying, ¡°Does anyone support the creation of thismittee that I would personally oversee.¡±

    From the disgruntled look on Robert and Benjamin¡¯s faces, it was obvious that they didn¡¯t want Daniel as the head of themittee. But of course, the man was smart to take over before any of them could make a move. That annoying prick!

    Daniel waited for the support of the people in the room, his eyes daring each of them not to be on his side. It was at that time that Robert and Benjamin realized that he had been using them all along ¨C when they thought that they could benefit something from following him ¨C because they were the first to raise their hands.

    Thanks to the support of the elders, the others had no choice but to join in and support him as well. Literally, everyone in the room had their hands in the air all except Marcel, Victor, Adele, and Carmine. However, the woman, seeing that Daniel¡¯s supporters were numerous and that she was losing out, had no choice but to lift her hand as well.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Victor whined. That was a low blow. He thought that she was on their side no matter what.

    ¡°It¡¯s honestly not a bad idea,¡± Carmine told him, ¡°You kids are young and temperamental, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing having an elder with experience overlook the case and provide assistance.¡± She gave her reasons.

    An elder with experience, his butt! Marcel swore inwardly. He didn¡¯t believe that Daniel was here to help with the case, no, he merely wanted the authority to make his life more miserable. Marcel already had this thought about why his father wanted Elijah and he didn¡¯t like it one bit.

    Elijah took Arianna, what if Daniel wanted to get his hands on her or in the worst-case scenario, reconnect with his old lover, Arianna¡¯s mother? He wanted to throw up. It was sick.

    The voting was over and Daniel won. And when he stood up to his feet, a round of apuse followed him.

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for your support ...¡± He bowed his head slightly, pretending to be appreciative as the ps finally died off.

    He went ahead to say, ¡°I am not worthy of this position, but the only thing I can promise you is that I would use the resources at my disposal and find a more friendly way of resolving this conflict, possibly without the promise of war and tension.¡±

    Daniel gestured to Marcel, ¡°With my brilliant son Marcel and the Don of the family by my side, I believe that we would achieve great things together as long as this casested.¡± He said as another round of apuse filled the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m so pumped up! Woo-hoo! Can¡¯t wait to see father and son in action!¡± Marcel made a jab at him while pping enthusiastically.

    This was a nightmare.

 Chapter 681

    681 He Was The Problem

    The meeting was finally over and while everyone was taking their leave, Marcel remained in his seat and so did Daniel. Anyone who saw the scene didn¡¯t interrupt knowing that it was better to leave the father and son duo to their antics. And if they were, to be honest, it was their drama that made meetings like this interesting, and their family would be a lot boring without the both of them.

    Moreover, if Marcel and Daniel ended up killing each other, it was in their favor. With both of them out of the picture, it was a dreame true. So why would any of them stop them? It was none of their business. Even Victor left the both of them alone knowing that his presence was not appreciated anymore and went to see his mother. They needed to have a long talk about loyalty and where to ce it.

    Even when the both of them were left alone for a long time, father and son didn¡¯t say a word to each other for over five minutes, the both of them were left to their own thoughts until Daniel decided to break the silence.

    ¡°Are we going to remain like this forever?¡± He asked him.

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel said, ¡°I was thinking of giving you a ten minutes silence fornding that appointment. Brilliant, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Daniel took a deep breath, ¡°Your sarcasm is beginning to get on my nerves, Marcel and I don¡¯t like it,¡± His voice held a note of warning.

    ¡°Ahh, is that so? That¡¯s practically the same way I feel about you breathing the same air I do. It¡¯s good to know I¡¯m not left alone in this suffering,¡± He answered cheekily.

    ¡°Suit yourself then,¡± Daniel gave up on him. The boy was too damn stubborn and temperamental.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t give up easily, father, I¡¯m not yet done with you. We¡¯re working together on Elijah¡¯s case, remember? We¡¯re practically partners now. A dream finallye true, right?¡± It took everything in Marcel not to lunge at him from across the table and satisfy his fist on his face. Daniel was like a bug crawling up his back that he couldn¡¯t reach no matter how much he stretched. It pissed him off, greatly.

    .....

    But Daniel told him, ¡°That temper of yours is going to ruin you one day. I told you, emotions would do nothing but blinds you to reality.¡±

    ¡°At least it¡¯s better than being a busybody. I would have suggested that you go settle down with another woman. However, I wouldn¡¯t even bestow such cruel fate to any women out there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, if you¡¯re worried that I would take another wife that would birth me a son andpete with your spot, you have nothing to worry about. Your mother is the only woman that would bear that title of my wife, so don¡¯t be scared.¡±

    ¡°Not even Natalie?¡± Marcel mentioned that name and he saw something sh in Daniel¡¯s eyes but only for a moment because he was quick to put his mask back on. So much for preaching on emotions.

    ¡°Why should I bother about Natalie when I have my daughter-inw, Arianna,¡±

    Marcel¡¯s emotions changed at once and Daniel smirked, knowing that he got him where he wanted.

    ¡°Even I know not to cross the line, Marcel. Give me a little credit.¡±

    Marcel stood up, banging his hand on the table hard.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Daniel stood up too, staring him down.

    ¡°Perhaps, for you to show a little gratitude!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, gratitude for what? For bringing me into this world?! For tormenting my mother every breathing day of her life because you couldn¡¯t be with the love of your life....¡± Marcel trailed off, working his jaw with his eyes closed as he fought to remain in control.

    ¡°God, you¡¯re so pathetic,¡± Daniel muttered when he saw him in that state. He trained him better than this. Daniel was utterly disappointed with him.

    ¡°I¡¯m honestly done with you!¡± Marcel couldn¡¯t stand to be in his presence anymore. That man wasn¡¯t worth his attention.

    He picked up his phone and turned to leave when Daniel said, ¡°I hope to see Arianna with a child soon as you said.¡±

    And that did it.

    Marcel lost it.

    It all seemed like a movie as he jumped over the table, to Daniel¡¯s side. He charged at his father who dodged the first blow and hit him instead. Unlike Marcel who was red with anger, Daniel¡¯s mind was as clear as day, and could see Marcel¡¯s mistakes, giving him the upper hand in the fight.

    He easily maneuvered all of Marcel¡¯s moves, beating him up instead. But that did notst for long, because with the small distance between them, Marcel speared him to the table, and started hitting him.

    Daniel fought back but he was pinned to the table and couldn¡¯t escape. He received all of the blows to his face as Marcel let out all of his frustration on him.

    ¡°Marcel!¡±

    Victor was the first to notice what was going on and ran over to separate them. But even when he managed to pull them apart, Marcel was back to beating the old man again. It was chaos.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Adele was the next person to head into the room and didn¡¯t need an invitation to stop the fight. She ran over and with her help, Victor was able to keep Marcel away from his father this time.

    ¡°Leave me!¡± Marcel roared, blinded with fury, ¡°Let me finish that bastard once and for all!¡±

    ¡°Calm down!¡± Victor told him, ¡°Killing him would not solve your problem!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Adele eyed him. It was obvious to everyone that the problem was Daniel.

    ¡°Well, killing your father is not worth it! Think. about the consequences, ¡± Victor said just as Daniel began tough hysterically and all of them turned to look at him.

    ¡°Now this is what I¡¯m talking about! A real man solves his problems with his fist, not being a pussy about it!¡±

    Thanks to that statement, there was silence for half a second before Marcel bounced on him once again.

 Chapter 682

    682 Die Without Regret

    ¡°Here, have this,¡± Adele handed the ice pack to Marcel who took it and pressed it to the corner of his eyes that was swollen.

    Sure, with his youth and vigor, he was visibly stronger than his bastard of a father. However, Daniel had experience on his side and Marcel had not exactly been in his right senses when he attacked him, leading to the old man giving him this nasty bruise on his face.

    However, Daniel had not gone scot-free either and had injuries that were far more worse than his and it was a satisfying result to Marcel. For the first time, he was not taking that man¡¯s bullshit anymore. Daniel was able to maltreat his mother only because he was young and couldn¡¯t do anything to help her.

    But not Arianna. Even if the both of them were not together anymore, Marcel was not going to let Daniel use her for any diabolical ns he had in mind. Thanks to that, Marcel was beginning to wonder if it would be a good idea to get back together with Arianna. He just doesn¡¯t know anymore.

    ¡°You know if by chance humans get to have superpowers, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you turned out to be the hulk.¡± Adeleughed all by herself at the joke because the partner by her side didn¡¯t react at all.

    And that was awkward.

    She cleared her throat, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I know how hard it is for you right now, but you should work on your temper, you know. Any of your enemies could take advantage of that to bring you down,¡± She added slowly, ¡°Or even kill you.¡±

    There was still no answer from Marcel, he just kept dabbing at the spot as if it were mere air speaking. So she continued, ¡°If you had identally killed Daniel today, my family would have used that against you even though you did everyone a favor. They would want you to give up the position.¡±

    ¡°If I let them,¡± Marcel answered, finally lowering the ice pack, ¡°They can only kick me out of the position if I let them.¡±

    .....

    Adele looked at him in confusion, what was he talking about?

    ¡°I can be worse than my father. I would oppress and eliminate every threat to my position. To preserve their lives and that of their children, your family would have no choice but to submit to my rule. Only then would I be the cold and invulnerable Mafia Lord.¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°But then you wouldn¡¯t be Marcel anymore, would you? You would be the perfect emotionless, cold-hearted, killing machine that your father created.¡± Adele told him, ¡°Killing to defend your family is understandable, but killing your family to keep a spot, that¡¯s crossing the line and you lose everything, including the ones you love. But then, you¡¯re not capable of that, are you?¡±

    They stared into each other¡¯s eyes for a while until Marcel looked away. He asked her, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°In there a while ago, why did you defend me? Why help me keep my position when you knew well enough that I sabotaged the call from Arianna?¡±

    Marcel arched a questioning brow.

    ¡°Yes, I know you knew what I did. You¡¯re not exactly subtle in hiding your murderous looks,¡± She asked him boldly. ¡°You could just sit there and let my family take care of everything. Good riddance! It would be. And you wouldn¡¯t even need to raise a finger.¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Marcel told her, ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, the idea came to me at first. However, I told you from the very start, I admire hard-working women and you look like you have a lot of changes to make around here. Bring this family and organization to modern times. Moreover, I was acting rational, rather than on my emotions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Adele finally apologized, ¡°I was not thinking straight then and behaved stupidly. You were doing me a huge favor and I just didn¡¯t realize it, blinded by emotions. Just because of Aziz...¡±

    She corrected herself immediately, ¡°Elijah apologized on a piece of paper, that doesn¡¯t make things right. It doesn¡¯t erase the fact that he used and betrayed me and nothing is going to change that. A blood debt is paid with blood. He should have known that when he caused the death of those men. ¡±

    ¡°Apology epted. And you shouldn¡¯t abort the baby as well,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Adele¡¯s head whipped around so fast she almost snapped her neck in the process. She stared at Marcel with wide eyes, daring to believe what she just heard.

    ¡°You should keep the baby.¡± He said

    Adele¡¯s brows drew together, puzzled ¡°But you said -¡±

    ¡°I know what I said, and I¡¯m saying right now that you should give the child a chance to make that choice.¡±

    ¡°But the circumstances? My family? Our family? What if they don¡¯t ept the child? What if my baby grows up hating me for bringing him or her into this world?¡±

    ¡°Do you hate your mother?¡± Marcel asked her out of nowhere.

    ¡°No!¡± Adele answered the question too quickly until she looked into Marcel¡¯s eyes and had no choice but to answer honestly, ¡°Maybe? Sometimes? I don¡¯t know. Nheless, I¡¯m happy to havee into this earth.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯d leave that question to be answered yearster by the child. And if he or she turns out to be a pain in the ass, I¡¯m always here to straighten that attitude out.¡±

    Yes, she could see, Adele thought inwardly.

    ¡°As for our family? You¡¯re the underboss, got that? They get to fuck around with you if you let them. Perhaps, it¡¯s time you realize the authority your position entitles you to.¡±.

    Adele stared at Marcel open-mouthed, a tear slipping down her cheek. Out of nowhere, she threw herself on Marcel and hugged him tightly.

    ¡°Ah, better be careful there, otherwise you turn soft. That would be your weakness, you know that?¡± Marcel teased her.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Adele chuckled amid the tears. She was so happy that she could die right now without any regret.

 Chapter 683

    683 Talk Her Out Of Depression

    ¡°It¡¯s been over a week already, do you think that I should still let her be?¡± Natalie asked in concern.

    She was standing right outside Arianna¡¯s door and though it wasn¡¯t locked from the inside, there was a stop sign ced outside the door and she wanted to respect her daughter¡¯s boundaries.

    As Natalie was still practicing her baby steps in motherhood towards Arianna, she didn¡¯t want to ruin the little trust they¡¯d established. But it was getting hard to ignore, especially when the girl hardlymunicated with anyone anymore.

    Arianna just stayed in the room all day and thest time Natalie had entered to get rid of the half-eaten dishes, she was on her bed and staring out the window. Although she noticed her entry, that was all.

    She didn¡¯t say a word to her.

    Nomunication.

    Nothing at all

    And Natalie was beginning to worry about not only her mental health but her overall well-being. Arianna was not eating well and Natalie wondered if she was sleeping at all because she had lost a lot of weight in just a week and it was beginning to bother her.

    It had been surprising and a dreame true to hear Marcel break off things with her daughter. Like his Father, Natalie had thought that he would hold onto her like an obsession, but he failed her expectation in a good way. Now, Arianna would have nothing to do with that family who had done nothing but ruin them.

    .....

    But now, Natalie was beginning to wonder if that was worth it because her daughter was slowly slipping away from reality and it worried her greatly.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± answered Eric who was beside her as usual.

    Standing behind her, he ced both hands on her shoulder and squeezed affectionately, ¡°She¡¯s going through heartbreak, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know and that¡¯s what worries me the most.¡± She turned to face him, ¡°She couldn¡¯t have possibly loved that boy, Marcel. He¡¯s Daniel¡¯s son for crying out loud. Having a father like that, he couldn¡¯t be any different.¡± Natalie knew what she was saying.

    The kind of darkness she had seen in Daniel, there was no way that his son could be any different. The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Moreover, what if this was all a n from Daniel, for his son to fall in love with her daughter to get back at her?

    But deep down, Natalie knew that was not the case. Daniel didn¡¯t even know that he was alive until recently, nor did he know she had a daughter. Had Daniel known from the start, Natalie knew Arianna would have been in a much worse state than when she found her. That asshole would torment her to his satisfaction.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s also Penelope¡¯s son,¡± Natalie saw what Eric was hinting at and she shook her head in denial

    ¡°No, no, not happening.¡±

    As much as Natalie was sorry for what her friend went through and her unfortunate death, Penelope still gave birth to Daniel¡¯s son and she wouldn¡¯t sacrifice her daughter to the wolf for their friendship¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Natalie...¡±

    ¡°Not happening, Eric! I don¡¯t even know which side you¡¯re on!¡± She scowled at him.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m on your side, Natalie. I¡¯m just saying that children don¡¯t always turn out the way their parents expect them to. Amid the past events and the circumstances, you have a smart daughter and she couldn¡¯t have fallen in love with Marcel if she saw something in him.¡± Eric said, looking at him and waiting for her answer.

    ¡°I think we should go have our breakfast. I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    And that was her answer.

    Eric has no choice but to respect her decision. After all, it was her daughter, not his.

    By the time they returned to the dining, Rose and Elijah were already having their breakfast without them.

    ¡°Sorry, but my niece and I don¡¯t have the patience when ites to food,¡± Elijah said without remorse, if anything he stuffed his mouth with more food.

    Natalie simply smiled at him and took a seat next to Eric. There was a little tension between them after that conversation, but she knew it would soon clear up. It was no big deal.

    However, Natalie took a bite of the food when she lost her appetite. She was still notfortable with Arianna holed up in her room like that.

    She put down her spoon with a sigh, a gesture Eric noticed because he asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± She said.

    But Eric knew it wasn¡¯t nothing. She was probably still worried about her daughter, he guessed.

    Natalie was still thinking of what to do when an idea hit her and she faced Elijah with a sudden glint in her eyes.

    ¡°You and Arianna were close in the past, right?¡±

    The suddenness of the question made Elijah choke on his tomato basil soup served with bread. No one had seen that oneing

    ¡°What?¡± He rasped, barely recovering from his coughing fit.

    ¡°You know Arianna quite well, right? Perhaps, you can talk her out of this depression. She¡¯s not being herself right now.¡±

    ¡°Whoah, hold up.¡± Elijah stopped her right there. He said, ¡°In case you have forgotten but Arianna hates my ass right now for bringing her back to you and believes I¡¯m responsible for Marcel breaking up with her. If I go into that room, it wouldn¡¯t be talking things out, she would probably murder me.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Eric rolled his eyes. He believed his brother was exaggerating.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate a woman scorned. Anyway, the point is...¡± He breathed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Natalie, I really want to help you, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll probably wait for her toe out of her shell.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go, ¡± Rose said and all eyes turned to her, wide with surprise.

    The girl shrugged, ¡°If you and daddy marry, that makes Arianna my big sister. She doesn¡¯t know me and I want to know her.¡± The girl made her decision and something told Natalie and Eric they wouldn¡¯t be able to change her mind.

 Chapter 684

    684 Fight For Your Love

    Marcel was gone from her life and Arianna missed him terribly, she guessed it¡¯s true that you never know what you¡¯ve got till it¡¯s gone. There wasn¡¯t a day gone by that she hadn¡¯t thought about the many ways her rtionship could have gone had she only told Marcel the truth about Elijah.

    It might sound cheesy but the nights were cold without him by her side and the days felt meaningless. The food was tasteless and Arianna only took enough to keep her alive. But she might as well have taken nothing because she kept on losing weight instead.

    It was just a week and she was a shell of herself. It sounded stupid but Arianna wondered if Marcel missed her as much as she missed him. Has he moved on already? Was there another woman already taking her ce in his life?

    Arianna tried to think that the affection Marcel had for her was strong enough. But what if he was trying to forget her by using another woman? The thought of another woman polluting the bed that had spent time together aggravated her.

    She felt like dying. Arianna missed him so much that she felt like dying. Her heart hurt so much like someone was repeatedly stabbing her in the chest. She was so sorry for what she had done. Arianna didn¡¯t mean to hurt Marcel that way, but it was toote for apologies. Not that he was even going to listen, she knew Marcel¡¯s temper quite well.

    Arianna wished that she could turn back the hands of the clock and rewind it to that moment before he left to rescue his sister. Then, she would have told him the truth even if he imed otherwise, that way she would be able to avoid this unfortunate end. But then, wishes were not horses and there was no turning back the hands of time.

    Unfortunately for Arianna, this was an oue that she had to live with and so far she was not doing a good job at it. She had pushed everyone away and refused to see anyone. While she should be excited to finally meet her mother, she couldn¡¯t help but me her inwardly for taking her away from Marcel and leading to this.

    And as for Elijah, all she had for him was a burning stream of anger. After what she had done for him, saved his ungrateful ass, this was how he had paid her back. She had told him from the start that she was happy with Marcel! She begged him that night not to take her and yet he did. She would end his pathetic life once sheys her eyes on him.

    Hence, Arianna wallowed in her misery. It was not like she had anything to do anyway. Her life doesn¡¯t make sense anymore; everything was turned upside down. Arianna had been nning a future with Marcel and now that it was over she didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. People always said to pick up the pieces of one¡¯s life after a heartbreak and move on, what if everything was in smithereens and there was nothing to fix?

    .....

    Arianna was startled when a knock came on the door and she turned to it with a re. Natalie kidnapped her here, why can¡¯t she respect her privacy as well?! She thought. Arianna didn¡¯t want to see her face, not when she was filled with nothing but anger, regret, and bitterness. It was eating her up from the inside out.

    Hence, she ignored the knock on the door until she heard a click as the knob was turned and Arianna sighed inwardly. The universe must be punishing her for what she did to Marcel.

    Even though it was early morning, Arianna¡¯s room was as dark as night because she closed the curtains to the point light couldn¡¯t prate in and the light was turned off. The darkness was efficient for hiding away from everything and everyone.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    Arianna was startled when she heard a younger voice and a crashing sound. What the hell?

    She quickly hurried and pushed the curtain open, letting lighte in, and was able to see who had intruded into her room, because whoever that is wasn¡¯t her mother.

    ¡°You!¡± Her brows narrowed together, trying to understand what Eric¡¯s daughter was doing in her room. She was kneeling on the floor and in front of her was ruined food and broken ceramics.

    ¡°What were you thinkinging inside here?¡± Arianna took her hand and pulled her up to her feet else she injured herself. She didn¡¯t want Eric to think that she hurt his precious only child when she only stumbled upon something in the dark.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that it was this dark.¡± She grinned at her showing off her missing upper teeth, ¡°I was close to believing that my elder sister is a vampire.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Her brows furrowed. What elder sister? Was the girl kidding her? Arianna had not exactly thought deeply about what her mother¡¯s marriage to Eric would mean to her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it would be cool if you were a vampire. Although I do worry about something, would I be like this when I get older?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was more confused than ever.

    ¡°I know being in love is fun and all, but I don¡¯t want to have heartbreak and be as miserable as you are right now.¡± She said,

    Arianna¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at the young girl. She means, having a little girl point out her.... Just how old was the sassy brat?

    ¡°Are you done? You can leave now.¡± Arianna told her, pointing at the door.

    ¡°So you can go back to being pathetic?¡± She raised a brow at her.

    ¡°Jesus Christ and I thought I was a rude child growing up!¡± Arianna blinked, she couldn¡¯t believe the audacity.

    ¡°My papa taught me to be a strong woman and if you want something badly, you fight for it! Do not stay cooped up in your room all day and wait for a miracle to happen. I say you fight for your love!¡± Rose motivated her.

    And the next minute, the door was closed on her face.

 Chapter 685

    685 Strawberry Yogurt Cake

    ¡°What happened?¡± Natalie looked up hopefully, almost standing from her seat when she saw Rose return empty-handed, thinking that Arianna epted the food.

    The young girl bit on her lower lips before exining to her, ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of a long story, and it went like this. I sessfully gained entry into her room however it was as dark as a dungeon and I stumbled upon something making the te slip from my hand and the food was wasted. However, the action drew the attention of my sister and I shared some words of wisdom with her... ¡±

    Everyone at the table looked at her curiously, expecting her to finish the tale.

    Rose lowered her head, revealing,

    ¡°She kicked me out.¡±

    ¡°Aww, so sorry,¡± Natalie beckoned her into her open arms and as soon as Rose hugged her, she kissed her on the forehead.

    The young girl looked so defeated that she had no other choice but to console her, ¡°At least you got to speak to her and that¡¯s brave of you. So cheer up, little one. You¡¯ve done me proud already.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elijah teased her, ¡°She didn¡¯t murder you.¡±

    Eric red at him, ¡°I won¡¯t condone such talks around my child. Rose and Arianna would be siblings soon, I wouldn¡¯t want any hard feelings between them.¡±

    .....

    ¡°And I would be her brother-inw too, remember?¡± Elijah retorted.

    ¡°Stop it, both of you,¡± Natalie chided both of them before facing Rose, ¡°Now go finish the rest of your meal before it gets cold.¡±

    The girl took her seat and Eric took that chance to lean toward her, ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°Let her be,¡± Natalie snorted, ¡°I wonder where she got that stubbornness from?¡±

    ¡°From the woman seated next to me?¡± Eric muttered under his breath, but she heard him. Natalie glowered at him and Eric slowly shifted away from her with a smirk at the corner of his lips.

    Just like that, the family fell into old habits, conversing in between meals until there was an interruption in the air and Natalie turned to see what, or rather everyone was staring at.

    It was Arianna.

    Her daughter was standing right before them and the way she was staring at them like aliens made it look like she was out of ce.

    Natalie stood up immediately, her chair releasing a squeaking sound. She turned to face Arianna and swallowed numbly, having no clue where to start.

    But Arianna was the first to break the silence when she asked unsurely,

    ¡°Can I join?¡±

    It took Natalie over a minute to answer that question because she was in shock.

    ¡°O-of course,¡± She pulled out a chair for her to sit and it was located beside Elijah.

    So Elijah stood up, ¡°I guess this is my cue to leave -¡±

    ¡°Sit,¡± Eric told him with authority and though there was a look of defiance in his eyes, Elijah obeyed him nheless. It was his house and that meant his rules.

    ¡°Your wish is mymand, then,¡± He told him with a wry look, forcing his butt back to the chair just as Arianna walked over and took her seat too.

    Unlike the others affected by the tension in the air, Natalie looked like Christmas hade early for her as she began to serve Arianna food from the bowls excitedly.

    ¡°Have this and this and this...¡±

    In the twinkle of an eye, the tes in front of her were piled up with food and Arianna stared at them in disbelief.

    ¡°You have grown so thin, you¡¯re literally all bones now. You need the food, Arianna. So eat more.¡± The woman persuaded her enthusiastically. No, with the kind of excitement running through her veins, Natalie might as well feed Arianna in the mouth if she wanted it ¨C and she wouldn¡¯t mind at all.

    Her daughter was a woman, meaning that she had missed out on her childhood and rebellious teenhood. In one word, Natalie would give anything in the world just to get to spend time and get to know her daughter more. She wanted Arianna to give her that chance ¨C that was her greatest chance.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna grumbled in response before she picked up her spoon and took a sip of the soup. Honestly, Arianna did not expect to eat much but when that soup touched her tongue, it was as if her taste bud exploded and she wanted more.

    ¡°Good.¡± Natalie was happy to see her eating well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think eating too much after a while of starvation would upset your stomach,¡± Elijah asked out of mere concern but the deep re he received from Arianna was enough to shut him up forever. Well, he guessed he was still on her cklist and learned to respect his business.

    ¡°So what made you change your mind?¡± Rose was the next to ask her after a while of awkward silence ¨C everyone witnessed the tension between her and Elijah. And it doesn¡¯t seem like it is ending anytime soon.

    ¡°Did I motivate you enough?¡± The girl grinned at her.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to give you a reason toe into my room next time and fill my ears with your pep talk.¡± She said.

    ¡°But It did work, right?¡± The young girl never gives up.

    Arianna filled her mouth with the soup instead and didn¡¯t answer her. But Rose was not discouraged, she saw this as a first step towards their great rtionship in the future.

    Natalie said to Arianna, ¡°So I made something for you and I think this is the right time to have it.¡±

    Her mother disappeared from the dining table only to appear minutester with a cake in hand.

    cing it in the middle of the table, she announced proudly to Arianna, ¡°I once saw you having this strawberry yogurt cake in a caf¨¦ and it looked to me like you liked it. So I made it. ¡± Natalie intentionally omitted the fact that she had seen her having it with Marcel.

    ¡°Strawberry yogurt cake? ¡± Arianna muttered, looking shocked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie said confidently, thinking that she had made the right choice by making that cake.

    However, what none of them expected was for Arianna to burst into tears in the middle of breakfast leaving all of them horrified.

    What just happened?

 Chapter 686

    686 Strawberry Yogurt Cake

    ¡°Is it that delicious?¡± Marcel asked, staring at her amused. The way she ate that, just made him want to crack up; she was so invested in it.

    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Arianna spoke with her mouth full of the creamy cake, her eyes glinting with joy. It was so good. Whoever made this cake deserved to be given an award.

    Marcel rubbed his chin, thoughtfully, ¡°Then, I should have a taste too,¡± He suddenly said, and snatched the spoon from her grip.

    ¡°Hey! Get your own....¡± She was still saying when Marcel scooped the cake and had a taste, her eyes slightly widening. She just used that spoon...

    Arianna went red in the face, that was an indirect kiss. Whatever, she must be thinking nonsense. What was she, five? Ten?

    So she focused on Marcel who was still savoring the taste of the cake in his mouth, asking, ¡°How does it taste?¡±

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    ¡°Nice?¡± Just that? She was expecting more praise for her newfound loving cake.

    However, to her surprise, Marcel took another scoop, then the third and the fourth till a quarter of her cake was gone and she was currently ring at him.

    .....

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arianna was no longer smiling.

    ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± Marcel apologized when he realized he had hogged her cake and returned the spoon to her.

    Arianna received it from him with a frown. This is why you shouldn¡¯t do a favor for people, now look what happened to her cake. She was close to crying. Her sweet strawberry yogurt cake!

    But the truth is that Marcel had done that on purpose. He loved seeing her annoyed face, it was quite cute actually.

    Arianna continued with her cake until she felt Marcel¡¯s intense gaze on her again and was about to ask him what was so interesting about her face when she noticed he had something on his face instead.

    ¡°You...¡± She called his attention and gestured, ¡°You have icing at the corner of your lips.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Marcel took the table napkin and wiped his lips but he still missed a spot.

    ¡°Still there,¡± Arianna told him.

    Marcel followed her direction yet still missed the spot and Arianna, already vexed by the small yet annoying defect, reached out and grabbed the napkin.

    Then she leaned over the table and towards Marcel, using the napkin, and wiped off the icing perfectly clean. However, in the process, her thumb mistakenly brushed across his lips, and electricity passed through her body.

    She stiffened and so did Marcel. The both of them stared at each other, wondering if the other felt that too.

    How could his lips be so soft?

    It looked incredibly kissable.

    ________________

    ¡°What is wrong, Arianna?¡± Natalie was quick toe to her side with a worried expression, ¡°What is wrong?¡±

    Unfortunately, Arianna was not the one to answer because the instant she opened her mouth to speak, all she could do instead was to heave and break down in tears.

    Why did she have to remind her?

    Arianna thought that she was brave, that she could do it as Rose suggested, however, seeing the cake brought back the memories and it hit her with full force. Arianna was unprepared for it.

    How did everything get to this point? She and Marcel had been good. If he doesn¡¯t want her anymore, what was she going to do with the memories? It tormented her day and night.

    ¡°Arianna...¡± Natalie became greatly concerned when she began to beat her chest, almost wing at it.

    ¡°It hurts...¡± She finally spoke up, ¡°it hurts too much... what am I going to do?¡± Arianna asked her with emotion, snot running down her nose, not that she cared about her appearance at the moment.

    She continued, pointing at the cake with a pained expression, still finding it hard to speak, ¡°H-how could you... the cake...¡±

    Arianna iled her arms helplessly. She was angry! She wanted to express herself properly, but the emotions were too much. It was choking her. She wasn¡¯t supposed to make a mess in front of everyone, but she couldn¡¯t help it. Ariannaid her head down on the table and began to sob.

    As if Eric understood the situation, He said to his daughter, ¡°Rose, would you mind having a walk with Daddy? Let¡¯s go burn off the calories.¡± He took her hand and began to lead her out and Natalie gave him a grateful look.

    Elijah took that as a cue to leave as well. Arianna at the moment was too emotional and they were at the dining table filled with cutleries, to be precise, forks and knives. So yeah, he loved his life. However, he took the cake along with him seeing that it was the cause of the meltdown.

    With everyone gone, Natalie had the time to attend to her daughter. She pulled Arianna from the table and let her bury her face in her chest instead.

    ¡°Yes, let it all out. It¡¯s a healthy way of relieving stress.¡± She rubbed Arianna¡¯s back soothingly while she sobbed.

    It took a while for Arianna topose herself, and when she did recover, she moved away from her with a jerk. Arianna stood to her feet, embarrassed by what she did.

    Natalie was a bit disappointed by the gesture. She hungered for Arianna to be close to her, to trust in her. To treat her like a mother. Nheless, she would make do with the little she could get from her.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Natalie said when she saw her abashed look, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, everyone cries at some point in their life. And I¡¯m sorry, I should have been a lot more careful especially when you¡¯re in this sensitive stage.¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t answer, she only nodded. She was just tired of everything. However, Arianna did ask her, ¡°When are you going to let me out of here?¡±

    ¡°You are not a prisoner here, Arianna. You are free to go whenever you want,¡± She tried to make her understand.

    ¡°But not to see Marcel, obviously,¡± She worked her jaw, displeased by the reality of the situation she was in.

    Natalie sighed, rose, and faced her daughter, ¡°You would not understand the favor I am doing for you now, but you woulde to appreciate itter. I am protecting you, Arianna.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s lips twitched at thement. She stepped closer to her mother and reminded her, ¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten, I¡¯ve lived for twenty-three years without your protection and it worked out fine.¡±

    She left.

    Natalie sighed, running her hands through her hair. She knew that winning Arianna was not going to be easy. But this? It was real work.

    With no other choice, Natalie returned to Eric¡¯s office where she knew that he would be. Rose was not there, which meant that she was having fun somewhere else.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t go that way, again?¡± Eric guessed from her looks as usual.

    ¡°Aside from being reminded of my negligence over the years, we¡¯re good.¡± She plopped down on the couch in his office.

    ¡°The heartbreak is taking a toll on her,¡± Ericmented, leaning against his desk.

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Natalie concurred until she saw the look on his face.

    ¡°What?¡± She said, ¡°Out with it, Eric.¡±

 Chapter 687

    687 Murder Elijah

    ¡°Out with it, Eric,¡± Natalie had a feeling that she wasn¡¯t going to like whatever her fianc¨¦ was about to tell her. He always had that face whenever he had opinions that she wouldn¡¯t like.

    ¡°Have you thought about inviting Marcel here?¡± He said tentatively, waiting for her reaction.

    Natalie froze for a moment as she let what he said digest and then she turned to Eric with an unbelievable look. ¡°You.¡± She said pointedly, ¡°Want me to invite Marcel to your ce? Are you kidding me?¡±

    Eric said to her, ¡°I understand why you wouldn¡¯t want to see the boy around your daughter considering your history with Daniel, but this is not just about you, Natalie. Arianna needs closure. If the both of them is to break up, they should do that face to face rather than on a phone call. Don¡¯t you see how devastating it is for Arianna? She needs to move on. ¡± He made his point.

    She stood up to say, ¡°And what if things worsen after she sets her eyes on him? Arianna is a young woman with raging hormones and doesn¡¯t understand that this stage would surely pass away. She would get over this, I know her. I am strong. She is strong.¡±

    ¡°Arianna is not a child,¡± Eric reminded, ¡°She has the right to make her decision, and doing that would give her more chances to open up to you. You want your daughter to ept you, well, this is an opportunity to make up for your shorings. It¡¯s left up to you Natalie to take the first step or you can let the bridge burn.¡±

    As much as Eric spoke well, Natalie still had the final say and she said, ¡°What Arianna needs is time to get over all of this. She will adjust.¡±

    Only she knew what she ¨C and everyone close to her ¨C had passed through in the hands of Daniel. Even if by chance, Marcel¡¯s intentions towards Arianna were pure, Daniel was there and it was a definite no. Natalie would not let that monster near her daughter.

    Almost immediately there was a knock on the door and Jason came inside only to notice the tension in the room. However, there was nothing that he could do because this was urgent, and couldn¡¯t wait even a minute.

    .....

    ¡°Boss, you need to see this.¡± Jason went over to hand the file to Eric who received it from him while Natalie stared at the scene.

    Eric didn¡¯t know what he had been expecting but by the time he read through, he had gone pale in the face and his hand was shaking.

    ¡°What the hell,¡± The words left his mouth as he stared at the letter and drew Natalie¡¯s attention.

    Sensing something was not right, she walked over to where Eric stood and took the letter from him, and by the time Natalie was done going through the letter, she was not spared from the shock either.

    ¡°Well, you did get an invitation, after all,¡± Natalie said with thick sarcasm handing the letter over to him.

    Eric turned to Jason, his eyes filled with anger, ¡°Where is Elijah?¡±

    And speaking of Elijah, he was busy spending time with his little niece. Even at that, he was distracted while the young girl went through his phone, lounging on his bed. He couldn¡¯t help but think about Arianna crying earlier and it bothered him greatly.

    Elijah was guilty because ever since Arianna arrived at this ce, he has never seen her smiling. If anything, her time so far was miserable. Elijah had been sure that he was doing the right thing by separating her from Marcel and now he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.

    He knew Marcel thoroughly and he was poison ¨C poison to Arianna. He would make her miserable! He was not going to treat her well! He doesn¡¯t deserve her! That had been his driving force. Elijah was confident that he was doing her a favor and now he doesn¡¯t know if Arianna¡¯s sorrow was worth it. It wasn¡¯t a fairy tale yet who knew that a monster could find love?

    Who knew that she really liked him and Marcel wasn¡¯t a maniption? Elijah¡¯s conscience gnawed at him. Neither does he understand what¡¯s going on in his life anymore.

    He could have stayed at his own ce where he will have the space all to himself ¨C and wouldn¡¯t have to obey Eric¡¯s stupid rules ¨C but he preferred the family house ¨C which now belonged to Eric as the first son ¨C where there was a lot of activities and could distract him from thinking about a certain somebody ¨C a name that he had no right to call anymore.

    Adele.

    It still rang in his head.

    Elijah couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she was doing? Did she receive the letter that he wrote her? Has she gotten over him or like Arianna, was she taking his betrayal hard? The thought of that made his heart clench tightly. He didn¡¯t mean to hurt her that way.

    He was not going to lie, more than once, Elijah was tempted to call her, but he knew better than to do that. It would only make thingsplicated and make it much harder for her to move on. Right now, they have discovered his betrayal and that makes him her enemy. She doesn¡¯t have to choose between him and her family.

    His train of thought was interrupted when someone rudely banged into his room and he looked up to see that he was his brother.

    Elijah got to his feet saying, ¡°Seriously? Just because I¡¯m under your roof doesn¡¯t mean -¡±

    The rest of his words were forever silenced as Erded a punch on his face, shocking him.

    ¡°I warned you, be careful of your games!¡±

    Rose screamed, startled by the sudden violence.

    ¡°Heck! Rose is here, Eric!¡± Natalie frowned at his action. She quickly went and took the child by the hand, leaving the tense room with her.

    While Jason held back the furious Eric and stopped him from murdering Elijah.

 Chapter 688

    688 [Bonus chapter] Neutral Ground

    ¡°I warned you about the dangerous game you were ying! I warned you not to do anything stupid! What the hell were you thinking?!¡± Eric roared at Elijah who was seated on a chair like a good little kid and epted his scolding.

    It was a good thing that Jason was there to keep an eye on Eric because the amount of anger running through his brother was enough to make him strangle him. Eric might love and pamper Elijah but not when his family was endangered. Not one, but the whole of them.

    Ever since their father died, Eric as the firstborn son took the responsibility of keeping his loved ones safe very seriously, hence, for Elijah to put their family in harm¡¯s way was a big turn-off for him. He thought Elijah was better than this.

    If there was anyone in their family that had a deposition for trouble, it was his mischievous brother and twin, Ephraim. Elijah had always been smart and promising and he didn¡¯t have to worry about him causing trouble for the family. But not anymore. He should have kept his eyes on him from the start.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it. Heck! You think I don¡¯t know the consequences?! I just never expected them to die. It was supposed to be a warning to Marcel that I wasing for her, and didn¡¯t expect that his men would get so drunk they got themselves killed.¡± Elijah added immediately,¡± And technically speaking, they weren¡¯t supposed to drink and drive in the first ce. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t quote thew with me!¡± Eric yelled at him, his expression stern with hard lines. He gestured, ¡°You think the Luciano¡¯s would take the fuckingw as an excuse. Does it erase the fact that they lost five of their men, not to mention, a Capo, because of you?!¡± He fired at him, ¡°No tell me, what do you expect me to say to them?! That it was their fucking fault for drinking and driving?¡±

    Jason came to stand between him when he saw the boss advancing slowly toward Elijah, infuriated by what he had said.

    Elijah didn¡¯t say anything but lowered his head while grinding his teeth. As a man with pride, he didn¡¯t take it too well to being scolded, but at the same time, it was his fault and he needed to take responsibility. Whatever sympathy Elijah had earlier for Marcel vanished knowing that he was the one that sent the letter. It had his signature on it and that.

    So much for pitying him. It seems the bastard was doing well unlike Arianna who had it hard. Good thing, he took Arianna away. When Arianna finally gets over him, she can finally go for someone better than him. If only Elijah knew that Marcel was as helpless as he was in the case.

    .....

    Eric ran his hand through his hair in frustration while pacing up and down the room. He stopped abruptly, ¡°I have to honor the invitation. The fact that they wrote to me means that they¡¯re open to negotiation. I would have to clean up your mess.¡± Eric said.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Elijah stood up, ¡± What if this is a trap and they want to take your life instead as vengeance.¡± He thought about it. There was no way he was losing his brother because of his brother.

    ¡°I¡¯m the head of themission and even as strong as the Luciano family is, I¡¯m sure they cannot face an all-out war thates with my death. Moreover, they want the meeting to be on neutral ground and we all know neutral ground must be adhered to .¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one neutral ground in the city. I can have my men run the perimeter before the meeting just to be on the safe side. Even if the Luciano family keeps their word, there might be others who might take advantage of the situation and attack, ming it on the other party,¡±

    ¡°Good idea, however, be careful. Daniel is a sly bastard and must have his men looking out for the ce as well. I don¡¯t want the innocent gesture to be seen as an aggressive move. In times of tension like this, misunderstandings are sure to arrive and I refuse to die because of a mere mistake. ¡±

    ¡°Sure, boss,¡± Jason answered and took his leave.

    It was Elijah¡¯s turn to say to him, ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡±

    And Eric gave him a re that would have vaporized him on the spot if his eyes weresers. He turned to face him,

    ¡°What do you think the Luciano¡¯s would think when I attend this summoning with you by my side?¡± Eric stepped closer to Elijah till he was in his space and they were looking each other in the eyes. And as much as Elijah was taller by a few inches, Eric still intimated him with his broader frame.

    ¡°They would probably think that I¡¯m mocking and rubbing it in their face by attending this meeting with the murderer,¡± And as much as Eric was speaking from the perspective of the Luciano family, it still hurt him that his brother called him a murderer. Death was asmon as breathing air in their trade. In their kind of business, nobody was innocent.

    He went on to say, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what their demand would be. What if it involved slitting your throat in their presence as penance for what you did? So no, I¡¯m not going to take you with me.¡±

    Eric sighed, the anger easing from his body and he was less taut than before. He reached out and cupped Elijah¡¯s cheek and ced his forehead against his, saying, ¡°As much as I want to strangle you for what you have done, you¡¯re my brother and I want you very much alive, ¡±

    ¡°But if you want to do something useful,¡± Eric pulled back and patted his cheek, ¡°Call your brothers and tell them what you did. I¡¯m sure they would kick your ass better than I would.¡± Eric grinned wickedly, and left, leaving him dumbfounded.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Elijah yelled after him, but there was no response. He was doomed.

 Chapter 689

    689 See Daniel In Action

    There was a deep scowl on Daniel¡¯s face and while one might think that it was because of the almost faded bruise at the corner of his eyes and his once busted lips that was almost healed, it was at the report in his hand.

    Daniel was staring down at the photos of Eric and Natalie together on a cruise ship and he was close to boring a hole in it with his gaze alone. He couldn¡¯t believe that Natalie went for a younger man and it sent a shimmering wave of jealousy coursing through him.

    What was so special about this Eric dude? He wondered as he went through photo after photo of the both of them together. His second inmand had dug deeply and while he should thank him for a job well done, Daniel was too pissed off to care. This was no good news at all.

    While Daniel had been sure that he would be okay even if Natalie had a man, it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case right now and it was a good thing that Eric was not beside him because he would have nted a gun in his head right now.

    He never thought of Natalie as a cougar ¨C even though Eric was not that young and she was merely older by five years. But Daniel was not happy. He hated the fate that Natalie was already with another man ¨C that was not him ¨C and they looked annoyingly cute.

    Daniel stared at a photo of the both of themughing happily, probably to a joke or something. How dare she be happy when he wasn¡¯t? Daniel had been satisfied with the thought that she was a widow as much as he was a widower. But to see that she had moved on already left Daniel in a not-so-great mood.

    Natalie hating him was one thing ¨C and quite entertaining if he were to say ¨C but hating him enough not to ever consider being with him was another thing. After finding out that Natalie was alive, he must have been wishing inwardly that she would see things clearly in the end and put down her prejudice enough to be with him atst.

    Together, he and Natalie would be like those cute old couples that the younger generation wouldn¡¯t help but swoon over whenever they went out. The young ones would wish for their rtionship to stand the test of time too. Yes, Daniel had quite an active imagination. Unfortunately, none of his dreams was happening with Eric standing in the way of his happiness.

    Daniel crumbled the pictures one after the other before tossing them into the waste bracket from quite a distance. He was pleased when all of them did not miss the target. Yes, that was where they deserved to be. In the wastebasket.

    .....

    After his short therapeutic exercise, Daniel lifted his gaze to Haz, his second inmand who looked like he would piss his pants anytime soon. However, he released a shuddering breath when he found out Daniel¡¯s gaze was friendly now. He had been by his side all this and witnessed the various emotions that yed across his expression and none of it were positive.

    He had thought that Daniel would take out his anger on him ¨C which was prettymon ¨C hence was surprised when Daniel asked, ¡°Are they here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re waiting already. ¡± Haz answered, nodding his head as well.

    As Daniel rose to his feet, he directed him to the room where the makeup artist and designer were waiting already.

    It had been quite a shock to the young man when Daniel suddenly wanted to be dressed up for the meeting. Most times, he was always handling his wardrobe and never cared for makeup or the feminine frivolousness of the world, as he called them.

    While it would be fun to point him out for using the feminine frivolousness of the world, Haz still wanted his head on his body, so he zipped his mouth and minded his business.

    The makeup artist and his partner bowed their heads in greeting when Daniel arrived, but he barely acknowledged their presence and sat down on the seat facing the mirror as everything was set up before his arrival.

    They did not point out Daniel¡¯s attitude because Haz already ¡°educated¡± them before hiring them for the job. Also, they had worked with other rich clients and knew how snobbish socialites could be. They had been paid a huge sum of money for this job and their confidentiality, hence they didn¡¯t exactly care about his attitude toward them.

    Before the artist began, Daniel instructed him, ¡°I don¡¯t need much of your chemicals on my face -¡±

    ¡°Our cosmetics are natural -¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion,¡± Daniel interrupted him and the frigidity in his tone reminded the artist that he just stepped out of line. His gaze connected with Haz immediately who gestured to him to apologize immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± He said

    ¡°It¡¯s good to know that you are.¡± He said nonchntly and went on, ¡°As I was saying, I just need you to cover the bruise and a little powder here and there so no one notices I¡¯m wearing this shit.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, sir,¡± The makeup answered with a smile even though Daniel just insulted his work of art.

    Daniel settled downfortably and watched him begin his work. He didn¡¯t care about this nonsense. Daniel believed that a man¡¯s beauty was his strength and ability. He would rather look sweaty and manly than a sissy covered withyers of makeup.

    But then his damned son had ruined his face and Daniel felt intimidated, no! He wasn¡¯t intimidated by Eric¡¯s youth! If he was going to meet the bastard today, he had to look the part and prove that the older men were more attractive. No one can belittle his looks.

    This was not just a meeting. It was apetition to see who was the better man and Daniel was prepared. If only, Natalie would be there to see him in action.

 Chapter 690

    690 Mission Impossible! Mission Possible!

    It seems that she was in the right ce, Mimi said as she stared down at the image in her phone andpared it to the mansion right in front of her. Yep, this was it. And yeah, she was hunting for Arianna.

    Victor should have known better than to think that Mimi would stay out of this case. Arianna was her best friend and Mimi was driven. Whether Mimi had in mind, she would remain restless until she fulfilled it. And her strong attitude was what Victor had fallen for.

    However, as his lover and expectant mother, Mimi had to mellow out and Victor became inured to her loving side, that he forgot how persistent she used to be. And now, she did the one thing he asked her not to do, finding Arianna.

    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t hard to find the ce. All she had to do was to do a little research and type down the Draven family and boom, she found out where they lived. Like every other crime family, they were quite known and had other legitimate fronts to cover up their illegal business. Unless one started to dig deep ¨C and doesn¡¯t get killed ¨C they would never know.

    Her only problem was knowing if Arianna was being kept here or not. She was not ignorant to think that this was the only property they had, but this was the one Mimi could find in this city and she got her ass Arianna hadn¡¯t left the city yet. If her dear mommy wanted to improve their rtionship, she would not take her away from a ce she knew most of her life. Mimi hoped so.

    And that was not the only problem, honestly, they were numerous. For starters, she could not climb over therge walls, not unless she was Spiderwoman. But then, Mimi bet even Spiderwoman was not impervious to electricity because the barbed wire on top of the fence was humming with current.

    Mimi thought Daniel¡¯s ce was the only fortress she had seen until this one. If Arianna was indeed here, it was no wonder that she hadn¡¯t been able tomunicate with her. She can¡¯t get out of here, not without help.

    Even if somewhere, Mimi does get into the house, how was going to find Arianna? What if Arianna was not even here? What if they capture and kill her, having mistaken her for a spy or assassin? Mimi knew how sensitive these people were to their security.

    No, it was now or never! Mimi was not a coward and she would see to her mission whether dead or alive. But then, she can¡¯t die, she loved Victor and she was having his baby.

    .....

    Ugh!

    Mimi pushed the negative thoughts to the back of her head. She would go through this ande out victorious, Mimi had faith. Victor would roast her when he finds out about this. At least, he was not crazy enough to lock her up like Marcel or so she thought.

    Hence, Mimi started up a n on how she was going to break into the house and none of it was effective. She could never go through that gate with those two guards standing there, not unless they opened it for her as she shes them a seductive smile ¨C which only works in movies.

    She had no other ideas!

    This mission was impossible!

    All Mimi needed was an opportunity and she didn¡¯t see any of theming for over an hour hiding behind the walls and making sure the camera didn¡¯t capture her sneaking around like a thief. Nheless, Mimi never gave up and waited under the striking sun until luck shined on her.

    It came in the form of a big truck and Mimi found out that one of the guards was not around. Where did he go? Mimi had no idea, nor did she want him to return anytime soon, not until she fulfilled her n. Anyway, only the other guard was left and he was deep in conversation with the driver of the truck.

    This was it!

    Mimi found out that this was the big break that she had been asking for. It was now or never. Mimi didn¡¯t care if the camera would capture her or the possibility of the guard noticing her. She left her hiding ce and made a run for the truck at lightning speed. And as soon as she got behind the truck, Mimi climbed beneath it immediately.

    ¡°What is it?¡± The driver of the truck asked when the guard at the gate lifted his gun and aimed at nothing.

    ¡°I thought I saw something,¡± He said, stepping out of the gate and beginning to search around the car for whatever he thought he had seen. Mimi had been a blur with her speed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look under the car,¡± Mimi prayed inwardly with her eyes closed. And why was the car so hot, she couldn¡¯t let go now. Mimi was clinging to the underside of the vehicle.

    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t wait all day!¡± said the driver and she was a woman. No wonder the fool was distracted, Mimi thought. And at the same time, she knew it was the heavens looking out for her today. Thank you so much, Jesus!

    ¡°Fine,¡± The guard didn¡¯t search beneath as Mimi had prayed and hit the body of the car which startled her slightly.

    He said with a loud voice, ¡°You are good to go!¡±

    Thank God, Mimi let out the breath that she had been holding in.

    However, Mimi¡¯s joy did notst for long because when the engine started, her heart began to pound once again. She had heard that there are a lot of moving parts underneath a vehicle that can chew up a human body real good, and hoped that wasn¡¯t what she was holding on to.

    Well, it wasn¡¯t one of them. However, the part she held onto was quite hot and it was a good thing that the vehicle didn¡¯t move for long before it stopped and Mimi was able to get off before she was scalded badly.

    Mission possible.

    She was in.

 Chapter 691

    691 Friendly Mimi

    She had no idea what she was doing. Mimi looked out of ce when she sessfully got inside the house. It seems that whatever that truck carried was rted to the kitchen because some stuff headed in that direction and she took advantage of that opportunity to sneak into the house.

    Although she received some questioning stares from some members of the staff, none of them thought much about her and minded their business to her relief. Right now, Mimi was in the hallway with several rooms on both sides.

    God, she didn¡¯t like this. Mimi knew that she was not smart enough for this one. How was she going to figure out which of the rooms Arianna was in, not to mention that there was the upstairs? Why do rich people have so many rooms?!

    Well, she would do this the old-fashioned way then. If she perishes ¨C she would rather not ¨C then so be it and if she lives, praise be to God. Having made up her mind, Mimi hardened her heart and tried the first knob.

    To her relief, it was locked and she wouldn¡¯t need to find out what would have happened otherwise. She tried the second door and it was the same thing. The same goes for the third and fourth doors to her greatest relief. But then she shouldn¡¯t be happy because she hadn¡¯t found Arianna.

    Mimi must have gotten overconfident because the fifth door opened and she paused immediately. What was she going to find this time? With a leap of faith, Mimi pushed the door further in and she saw nothing. Perhaps, was everyone away, or was God protecting her again as he did earlier?

    Thanks to her overconfidence, Mimi didn¡¯t hesitate when opening the next door only to see two men making out and she froze. Uh oh. She was doomed.

    As if sensing that their privacy had been infringed upon, both men broke apart immediately and stared at Mimi. Mimi stared back and it was as if they had this staringpetition until she said cautiously with her hands raised.

    ¡°Please continue with what you both were doing. Forget that I was ever here.¡± And with that being said, Mimi shut the door immediately and took off.

    .....

    Damn it! She has been found out.

    She was going to die!

    And to prove her point, Mimi heard the door opening behind her and one of them shouted after her,

    ¡°Hey, stop right there,¡±

    No, no, not happening, Mimi shook her head stubbornly and increased her pace. She refused to die here and in this manner.

    ¡°Arianna! Arianna! Come out whenever you are! I¡¯m here now!¡± Mimi yelled out her name in case Arianna hears it andes to her rescue. She was not stupid enough to think that she could outrun the men chasing after her. Only her best friend could save her life now.

    ¡°Arianna?!¡± Mimi shouted at the top of her lungs while running. She was creating a scene and had just turned a corner when she bumped into someone.

    ¡°Arianna...¡± Mimi trailed off when she saw the familiar face only to realize that it wasn¡¯t her. Oh, it was her mother.

    ¡°Hi, Arianna¡¯s mother, I¡¯m your daughter¡¯s best friend and I¡¯m here to rescue her butt,¡± Mimi contemted introducing herself, but she broke into a sprint instead, or at least, she tried to.

    Honestly, Mimi could not narrate what happened, except the fact that she tried to run past Arianna¡¯s mother ¨C and get to God knows where ¨C the woman reached out and grabbed her in the arm. The next Mimi could vividly tell, her back was on the floor with the breath knocked out of her lungs.

    Arianna never told her that her mother knew Karate for crying out loud.

    Mimi could not even move because the woman pinned her to the ground with her heel that was dangerously close to her neck.

    ¡°Who are you and how do you know my daughter, Arianna?¡± She asked with a cold, ferocious look like a mother hen intent on protecting her chick from the eagle.

    Mimi swallowed, no wonder Arianna was unable to escape here. She had a badass mother who knew karate. Unable to speak with the heel pointed at her neck, Mimi had no choice but to gesture to her unfortunate position.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think of doing anything stupid because they would st your head clean with a bullet faster than you can escape.¡± Natalie gestured to both guards from earlier who lookedposed now with their weapons in hand.

    Natalie let go of her cautiously and the harmless Mimi slowly rose to her feet. She groaned on her way up when her waist cracked. She was a pregnant woman, you know that!

    ¡°Now tell me,¡± Natalie narrowed her at her, ¡°Who are you and how did you get in here? How did you bypass my security? How do you know my daughter? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Geez, one question at a time, woman,¡± Mimi muttered under her breath and Natalie heard it because her expression changed. She was about to say something when someone said from behind, ¡°Mimi?¡±

    ¡°You know her?¡± Natalie was confused.

    Mimi turned around only to see the slightly unfamiliar face. Although there were a few hints here and there, Mimi couldn¡¯t exactly ce where she had seen him.

    She pointed to her chest, ¡°You know me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± He stepped forward, scratching the back of his head, ¡°How can I not know you? You¡¯re Arianna¡¯s best friend and... I¡¯m Elijah.¡±

    No wonder, he looked familiar. Mimi had only seen his face once but as Aziz, not Elijah. It took a while for Mimi to respond, but when she did, she cupped her mouth and screamed excitedly.

    ¡°Oh my God, you are the famous Elijah. Do you know how much I¡¯ve heard about you?! You¡¯re literally like a celebrity right now. Gosh, I need a hug from you.¡±

    That was not the response Elijah was expecting, he thought she would be hostile towards him like the others for what he did. Hence, he weed her into his arms like she wanted, albeit awkwardly.

    But that friendliness didn¡¯tst because he received a blow right on his stomach and it was from the friendly Mimi.

 Chapter 692

    692 I¡¯m A Woman

    ¡°You bastard! What were you expecting?! That I would hold your hands and shake them for a job well done after what you did to Arianna?!¡± Mimi unleashed her fury on Elijah, holding onto his scalp as revenge.

    ¡°Hey, Mimi calm down!¡± Elijah could have easily defeated Mimi, but then she was a woman and he was the guilty party here. And she was holding onto his hair too tightly that he could lose a whole lot more if he retaliated.

    ¡°Calm down! Did you just tell me to calm down?¡± Mimi was enraged because never in history has anyone told to calm down did calm down.

    She pulled Elijah¡¯s hair further and Natalie, unable to stand the sour sight anymore said to the guards,

    ¡°Get rid of her. ¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t touch her,¡± Elijah pleaded on her behalf even though he was the one being maltreated and was actually in pain. Well, he did deserve it.

    The guards looked at Natalie, conflicted about whose order to follow.

    ¡°I said take her away from here, now!¡± Shemanded them with much authority and they had no choice but to obey. She was Eric¡¯s woman and an important member of the family. Hence, her authority was stronger.

    Her daughter has poor judgment in making friends, Natalie was able to figure out that Mimi had an affiliation with the Luciano family and didn¡¯t like it. She wouldn¡¯t want anyoneing to corrupt or change her daughter¡¯s mind now that she¡¯s beginning to move on.

    .....

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think of it!¡± Mimi used Elijah¡¯s body as defense, ¡°Don¡¯t you darey a hand on me, or else I would end his life.¡±

    Mimi was not capable of that, but they don¡¯t know that at all except Elijah who didn¡¯t panic at the threat ¨C and perhaps Arianna¡¯s mother who disabled her in one move.

    With that chance, Mimi began to scream, looking upstairs, ¡°Arianna! Come out! It¡¯s me, Mimi! Come out now!¡±

    ¡°Take her now!¡± Natalie hastened the guards having seen what the girl was up to. She added, ¡°Or I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

    Both men came at her and Mimi could only do so much. They got a hold of her on both arms, lifting her off her feet, and were ready to kick her out of the property when Arianna in question stepped down, asking loudly,

    ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    Then guards stopped, letting go of Mimi who turned and saw her best friend, tears slipping down her chest.

    ¡°Arianna darling,¡± Natalie was the first to go over to her after she climbed down the stairs and met them in the foyer. She tried to reach for her daughter but Arianna stopped her short with a question.

    ¡°What is going on here, is what I asked,¡± Arianna¡¯s tone was firm and unyielding.

    ¡°That woman trespassed into our property and we don¡¯t know how. Until we can figure out how she was able to sneak in here without any of the guards noticing her, I suggest that she goes -¡±

    ¡°That woman is my best friend and she¡¯s not going anywhere,¡± Arianna was determined. She stood at the same level as her mother and they were both staring each other in the eyes.

    ¡°Not unless you want me to leave and I¡¯ll do it. God helps anybody that tries to stop me,¡± Arianna spat and the two stared each other down until Natalie lowered her gaze and turned to the guards.

    ¡°She¡¯s a guest and needs to be treated with the utmost respect,¡± Shemanded them before turning to her daughter, ¡°If she is your friend. I need to know about her as well. Have her settled down in the living room.¡± In one word, her mother was curious to know what they were going to be talking about. She doesn¡¯t trust Mimi.

    Arianna didn¡¯t argue with that. She had nothing to hide anyway. If anything, she was merely happy that she had someone whom she could talk to who understands her.

    As usual, Arianna barely acknowledged Elijah whose hair looked like a bird¡¯s nest all thanks to Mimi. She took Mimi¡¯s hand in hers and led her to the living room.

    However, on their way, she quickly whispered to her jet friend, ¡°No matter what you discuss today, don¡¯t bring up Marcel or the fact you¡¯re affiliated with any member of the Luciano family. Of course, do not mention that you¡¯re having Victor¡¯s baby as well because my mother is anti-Luciano. She hates Daniel and anyone rted to him intensely. She thinks that they are all as dark as him and that nothing good can be found in them. ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡± Mimi could not believe her. She can¡¯t just stereotype the whole family all because of one person¡¯s sin.

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Arianna sighed heavily, ¡°Natalie might think that you¡¯re a spy while I think you¡¯re my ticket to getting the hell out of here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Mimi said as they finally came into the living room and sat down while looking out for when Nataliees in.

    ¡°I thought that you would be ecstatic in spending time with your mother?¡± She asked out of mere curiosity.

    ¡°This is not what I asked for, Mimi. No, I never asked for anything. It was much better when I thought that my mother was dead, at least I didn¡¯t have expectations.¡±

    She went on, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve tried to understand her. Her anger towards Daniel is justified, however, it¡¯s bing a burden to me. Marcel is not Daniel and he can never be his father. If my mother can¡¯t understand that, I would have to take matters into my hands. It¡¯s high time I stopped being miserable and controlled my fate. My mother wants her baby girl, unfortunately, I¡¯m a woman. I¡¯ve grown past her control. ¡±

    ¡°The decision is up to you. However, that woman ising in her direction,¡± Mimi said in a sing-song, reminding her that her mother was headed their way.

    Even words being said, both girlsposed themselves as if they shared a telepathicmunication and faced Natalie.

    It was time to y nice.

 Chapter 693

    693 Swear On Your Life

    ¡°You are Mimi, right?¡± Natalie asked, scrutinizing her face intensely, that she would have buckled under pleasure, but then, Mimi has seen much scarier things ¨C like hiding under a truck.

    Mimi had not thought about it earlier, being more eager to rescue Arianna. But now, she realized what a huge risk it was while carrying Victor¡¯s child and he was not going to like it. That is if Victor hears about it, Mimi intends to keep it a secret.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Mimi responded, gulping down the cold drink Arianna¡¯s mother, whom she hase to know as Natalie, got her. It was refreshing and relieving to her parched throat considering the ¡°exercise¡± she had undergone to get inside here. Mimi would have requested more, but for courtesy¡¯s sake, she closed her mouth.

    ¡°How long have you known my daughter?¡± Natalie queried.

    Mimi thought about it, pulsing her lips, ¡°For more than ten years? To me, it¡¯s been like forever because Arianna is a sister to me and we are practically inseparable.¡± She smiled a little, intertwining their hands and Arianna smiled back at her.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite long,¡± Natalie muttered, her brows drawn together thoughtfully.

    ¡°Yeah, longer than you were in my life. I bet you didn¡¯t evenst a week after I was born?¡± Arianna sassed upon hearing herment.

    Natalie looked at her daughter, ¡°At least, I¡¯m here now. That¡¯s what matters.¡± She said,

    ¡°Neither did I ask for you now,¡± Arianna responded, staring back at her.

    .....

    ¡°Awkward.¡± Mimi breathed, readjusting in her seat when the tension between mother and daughter became thick. Why was she always the third party in this kind of scenario?

    ¡°Arianna...¡± Natalie rubbed her palms together, as if pleading with her, ¡°Let¡¯s not do this in front of the guest.¡±

    ¡°Mimi is not a guest. Although we are not rted by blood, she¡¯s my sister and knows more about me than you would ever know in this life like the mole on my thigh or the scar on my body. So whatever you can¡¯t say in front of her, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    Natalie was speechless, she simply stared at her daughter hard before shifting her gaze to Mimi and said with a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes,

    ¡°Make yourselffortable, Mimi, and have a good time before you leave,¡± She hinted that the girl was not spending the night, whatever her daughter¡¯s n was.

    And with that, Natalie stood up and left them alone, taking the tension with her.

    Mimi turned to Arianna, tugging her hair to the back of her ear, ¡°Alright, what was that?¡±

    ¡°An effective way to make her leave us alone and it sure worked. Come on..¡± Arianna rose to her feet, tugging her along, ¡°There are too many eyes watching us here. Let¡¯s go to my room.¡±

    ¡°Um, okay?¡± Mimi had no clue how things worked around here, but she would choose Arianna¡¯s words over theirs.

    With Arianna leading the way, Mimi followed her along sheepishly since it was her first time here. Unlike Marcel¡¯s ce, there was less security here ¨C at least that was visible to her eyes. Who knows, they might be in hiding or something only toe out when danger arises, her imagination was quite active.

    Asrge as the mansion was, it felt warm and homey, perhaps Natalie had a hand in it. A mother¡¯s touch ¨C something that Marcel¡¯s cecked. Hence, It was weird that instead of Arianna feeling more at home, she wanted to get the hell out.

    They reached their destination and Arianna opened the door, ¡°This is my ¨C Rose?!¡±

    Oh, who is Rose? Mimi lifted her head to see who that was and her gaze rested on a young girl. Now, she could sense more gossip on the way.

    ¡°What are you doing in my room?! I thought I warned you not to bother me again?¡± Arianna scolded her.

    The young girl lowered her head and said in a small voice, ¡°I thought that since we have been acknowledged as sisters, we would have more bonding time.¡±

    ¡°Aww, Arianna has a little sister.¡± Mimi teased Arianna by mimicking her voice, and as expected, she received a re in return.

    Looking at the innocent girl, Arianna had no choice but to calm down and exin things to her. She bent down so the both of them were at eye level as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what my mother said to you, but technically, we are not sisters yet, not with your father and Natalie being unmarried. And let¡¯s be pragmatic here, anything could happen and the both of them break up tomorrow. See? No more sisterhood,¡±

    Rose had shown a high level of maturity so far that Arianna forgot that deep down, she was merely a young girl who believed in Cindere and happily ever after and not an adult¡¯s reality. Because the next thing Arianna knew, Rose¡¯s eyes watered and she burst into tears.

    ¡°Umm, Rose?¡± Arianna didn¡¯t know what to do. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way.

    But the more Arianna tried tofort her, the harder the young girl cried and she had no idea how to stop her.

    ¡°Could you help me Mimi and stop snickering at the side like a fox?¡± Arianna growled at her.

    If she doesn¡¯t stop Rose very soon, her mother is going to burst in here and assume she¡¯s the evil step-sister for making the girl cry.

    ¡°Do Fox snicker?¡± Mimiughed.

    ¡°Mimi!¡±

    ¡°Fine! Sisterhood is the problem, just convince her that you¡¯d y the part of her sister and you should be good to go.¡±

    ¡°But I am not her sister!¡± Arianna said and Rose cried harder.

    ¡°And I am not the one crying?!¡± Mimi shrugged.

    Arianna had no choice and God! Everything was a disaster. She didn¡¯t sign up for this, you know!

    ¡°Fine!¡± Arianna had no choice but to agree to the girl¡¯s demand, ¡°We would do the bonding or sisterhood that you want as long as you stop crying.¡± She begged her.

    ¡°Really?¡± Rose demanded through the tears, ¡°Swear on your life,¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was dumbfounded, ¡°Why should I swear on -¡±

    ¡°Just do the dumb thing and let the girl go, Arianna,¡± Mimi told her.

    ¡°Fine! I swear on my life! Jesus Christ!¡± Arianna sighed heavily.

    But that was not the end because Arianna watched as Rose rubbed away the tears from her eyes and gave her a smug smirk.

    Holy mother of God, did that girl just deceived her?

    ¡°You promised to be my sister! Remember, you swore on your life!¡± Rose told her as she took off knowing Arianna was about to lose her shit.

    ¡°YOU LITTLE IMP! ¡± Arianna shouted as expected and tried to go after her but Mimi held her back.

    ¡°Did you just see that?¡± Arianna asked Mimi, wanting to believe she knew what she had seen. The girl deceived her!

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mimi acknowledged, ¡°You have quite an entertaining family.¡±

 Chapter 694

    694 Their n

    Silence was soon to descend after Rose left the both of them alone. Without a second thought, Arianna took her friend into her arms and hugged her tight.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d you came for me. You don¡¯t know how much I missed you so much.¡±

    ¡°I missed you too,¡± Mimi said, resting her chin on her shoulder. Her hands holding Arianna¡¯s waist explored further up her ribs and she said with a displeased look, ¡°You lost weight.¡±

    Arianna pulled back, saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Looking around, as if there was another person in the room aside from them, Arianna then took her hand and led her to the bed and they sat down on the edge.

    Arianna started her interrogation by asking, ¡°How¡¯s Marcel?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Mimi asked her, ¡°He¡¯s mad of course. Although, I¡¯ll say he¡¯s handling it well by burying himself in work and ignoring everyone else. Victor says he drinks himself to sleep every night and wakes up every morning with a hangover. He seems to believe that Marcel might be an alcoholic soon. ¡±

    Arianna¡¯s heart throbbed at the thought of Marcel bing an alcoholic and knowing that it was all her fault. She didn¡¯t mean for all of this to happen. How was she going to atone for what she had done to him?

    ¡°This is all my fault. You were right, Mimi. I should have told him the truth all this while and perhaps, it wouldn¡¯t havee to this point.¡± Arianna felt remorseful. No, if there was a way to turn back time, she would do it and prevent everything from going awry.

    .....

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s your fault. However, everyone makes mistakes, Arianna. What we have to do now is figure out how to clear this mess because believe me when I say I¡¯m affected as well. I hardly spend time with Victor nowadays because he¡¯s trying to help Marcel grieve properly,¡± Mimi shrugged,¡± Even I don¡¯t know what that means. ¡±

    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±

    ¡°First of all, the both of you have to meet and sort this out before I sort it out myself and none of you are going to like the method I use.¡±

    Arianna did not doubt Mimi¡¯s words one bit because she had atypical ways of solving problems sometimes.

    Mimi reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m a pregnant woman, Arianna, and my baby needs its father, every day.¡±

    More like you need Victor every day, Arianna read between the lines.

    ¡°Moreover,¡± Mimi went on to say, ¡°You said that I¡¯m your ticket out of here. All we have to do now is think of a n to bust you out.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be for long though...¡± Arianna moved closer to her saying, ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t know that I know about it yet, but Marcel summoned Eric and I think it has to do with Elijah.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°You know about it.¡±

    ¡°Victor doesn¡¯t want me to know about the details, he¡¯s using the baby as an excuse and that I shouldn¡¯t stress it. However....¡± Mimi fluffed her hair with pride, ¡°With my connection, it wasn¡¯t hard to get. All I know is that members of Luciano¡¯s family want revenge for the lives of their men lost thanks to Elijah and although the deed is carried out in Marcel¡¯s name as the head, the truth is that Daniel is the head of themittee overlooking the case.¡±

    A chill traveled down Arianna¡¯s back knowing that this wasn¡¯t going to end well with Daniel involved. If that was the case, then her n of running back to the base and living with Marcel again was futile. With tension this high between her family and Marcel, her mother would dly conclude that Marcel had kidnapped her once again and no doubt would escte into a war.

    What was she going to do?

    ¡°Eric left already with his men. We have to know the details of their meeting. Did they reach an agreement? Or whether the conflict escted? Only then can we be able to plot a way for me to meet with Marcel,¡± Arianna told her.

    With Natalie around, there was no way she could leave today. Also, her mother was not a fool and was extremely cautious. She must know already that she and Mimi were up to no good.

    ¡°As much as I hate to say this, but I might need Elijah¡¯s number,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna was rmed. Why would Mimi want that bastard¡¯s number?

    She lowered her tone this time, ¡°Why?¡±

    Mimi never does things without a reason.

    ¡°I have a feeling that your mother doesn¡¯t like me much and might try to stop me froming in the next time and I don¡¯t think there might be another truck for him to hide under the next time.¡±

    ¡°You did what?!¡± Arianna was horrified, looking at her friend with wide eyes.

    Mimi shrugged it off, ¡°I¡¯m good. Look, nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°You crazy woman!¡± Arianna shook her hard. She was dumbfounded. What was she going to do with this dumb friend of hers?

    However, Arianna was filled with emotions that she simply hugged the crazy girl instead.

    ¡°What am I going to do without you?¡± Arianna wondered. Mimi has been such a faithful friend to her.

    ¡°So this is the n...¡± Mimi told her after they were done with their emotional hug.

    ¡± I think Elijah is feeling guilty for what he did -¡±

    ¡°As if,¡± Arianna scoffed. She was never going to trust him ever again.

    ¡°The point is I might be able to exploit his guilt.¡±

    ¡°Okay, keep going.¡± Arianna was interested in the n.

    The both of them drew closer and whispered their ns. Both of them made contributions; nodding their head when the idea seemed feasible and shaking their head when it was the opposite.

    By the time they were done, there was a glow to Arianna¡¯s unhealthy pallorpared to before. She felt confident now and for the first time in a long time, believed that things would go well. All they had to do was make sure Natalie would not be in the way of their ns.

 Chapter 695

    695 Push Peeple¡¯s Buttons

    ¡°Is it only me or did your father put on some makeup?¡± Victor pointed out as soon as they arrived at the scene in his convertible.

    Although Marcel arrived early, his father was here before him and it didn¡¯t surprise him that his father was working hard for this case. What¡¯s the catch? He still hasn¡¯t figured it out, but it sounded too good to be true.

    Marcel knew his father and he doesn¡¯t do this out of his great magnanimous heart ¨C that is if he had one ¨C unless there was something he hoped to achieve. Be it small or great, there was always an ulterior motive. And until then, he couldn¡¯t trust him.

    Other than looking at the man out of mere curiosity, Marcel didn¡¯t say anything as they got out of the car. The fading injuries on his face were hidden with the makeup and Marcel¡¯s heart swelled with joy that for once, he was able to retaliate and defend the things that mattered to him and not take his shit like the good kid he was before.

    He was gradually breaking out of the mentality that Daniel was lord over his life and would have always had an influence on him. He was breaking out of that bondage of captivity imprinted in him from a young age. Although it was all baby steps, Marcel believed that it was progress.

    If there was anything Marcel was sure of now, it was the fact that he would never be like the man. Daniel imed that he turned out that way because Natalie never reciprocated his love, and looked down on him because of his upation. Although Arianna didn¡¯t look down on him, at least in the end, she betrayed him and it hurt like shit.

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t take it out on others around him... okay, maybe he did a little. But the point is, he didn¡¯t kidnap the woman¡¯s best friend, which in his case would have been Mimi ¨C and Victor would murder him in his sleep and fake it as a suicide.

    They said the quiet ones were always the deadly ones because as innocent as his cousin Victor looked, he had pretty dark and twisted ways of sending one to the grave. His pretty M.O had given him his title as the Enforcer.

    And thinking about it now, Marcel knew he has been an emotional wrecktely, that it wouldn¡¯t be hard for his people to believe that he loved Arianna too much, enough to take his own life ¨C perhaps, except his nosy father who would suspect foul n. My son isn¡¯t that weak, he would im. The good thing is that he could trust his father to get him justice. Haha, funny, not funny.

    .....

    In one word, what Marcel is trying to say is, he didn¡¯t capture some innocent woman, separate her from her family and knock her up because he is mad at Arianna¡¯s betrayal. That was the most stupid thing that he has ever heard. Whatever happened between him and Natalie doesn¡¯t excuse what Daniel did to his monster.

    And since he didn¡¯t mete out the same treatment to other women, Marcel knew with finality that he couldn¡¯t be like his father as he had feared bing all through his life. Arianna was right. Even if he carried out illegal stuff as an upation, he wasn¡¯t his father. He was different and better than Daniel. He was above the man and he knew it.

    That was why Daniel kept forcing him to be like him. Punishing and tormenting him, looking for ways to change him and it didn¡¯t happen. He was Marcel Luciano, not Daniel Luciano, two different people! And he would never be like him. Come rain,e sunshine, Marcel was determined.

    ¡°Whether he did or not, that¡¯s none of my business,¡± Marcel grumbled as he stepped out of the car from the driver¡¯s side of the seat and Victor did the same.

    As agreed upon, each side could onlye with three representatives to eliminate any form of tension or foul y. Aside from his father, who was themittee chairman Of course ¨C note the sarcasm ¨C Marcel chose toe with Victor whom he knew always had his back. He doesn¡¯t trust Daniel one bit. What if his father stabs him in the back? So yes, Marcel was merely taking precautions from his own father.

    This was a neutral ground for both parties and has been quite an old tradition in their world. Anyone who defiles the hallowed ground first, the other party has the right to retaliate and would be supported by other crime families. The rule was quite serious.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this amazing? Our small family,ing together for a purpose. Conflict does bring people together, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Daniel said as soon as Marcel fell in line beside and thankfully Victor was in the middle, standing between both of them.

    Marcel didn¡¯t look at his father but he did shake his head in pity. The man seriously needed a life ¨C and a woman. But then he wouldn¡¯t put any woman through hell on earth by pairing her up with his father. So maybe Daniel deserves his loneliness and pining for Natalie all through his life seems to be a good punishment.

    Marcel ignored him and when it became obvious to Daniel that his son wasn¡¯t going to talk to him any time soon, he turned to Victor, who prayed inwardly that the ground opened up and swallowed him.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Vic. How are you doing?¡± Daniel¡¯s focus was now on him.

    ¡°Good sir,¡± Victor breathed. Was it only him or did the air suddenly seize to blow? Thank God, he wasn¡¯t wearing a suit.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Daniel looked at him intensely as if he could see through him, asking, ¡°Or how is your illness? What is it called again? A fit? Tantrum? I wasn¡¯t exactly paying attention.¡±

    By now Victor¡¯s lips had pressed into a thin line. He was quite sensitive to that issue being brought up.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t paying attention that night you were taken because I was busy looking for my selfish son. Perhaps, I would have saved you from experiencing such horrors as a child.¡± Daniel appeared sympathetic.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t and you have an honor degree in being an asshole,¡± Marcel finally responded.

    Daniel turned to Victor with a huge smile, ¡°And that my son, is how you push people¡¯s buttons.¡± He hinted at the fact Marcel finally answered him.

    Well, for starters, Victor was d that he wasn¡¯t his son. Literally.

 Chapter 696

    696 Enemies In Their Past Life

    ¡°Perhaps we should focus on the arrivals,¡± Victor said as he saw Marcel staring intensely at his father.

    He knew Marcel wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to reveal the internal crises in their family to the iing guests, but then Daniel was a real headache and it took Marcel everything in him to stay calm. Moreover, even a blind man could see the hostility between father and son.

    The both of them broke apart, their gaze falling on the expensive Range Rover that just arrived at the scene. The car was bulletproof with the windows tinted as well. The car door opened as the Draven Draven family stepped out and It wasn¡¯t hard to find Eric since he had that imposing and charismatic aura of a leader.

    He didn¡¯t bring Elijah along, which was a sensible move on his part, Marcel thought. Bringing Elijah with him when he was responsible for what happened would only escte tension. Eric was wearing ck aviator sses that covered his eyes so Marcel couldn¡¯t see him properly and gauge his ability.

    It wasn¡¯t until Eric came to stand in front of him that he finally took off his sses and the first thing that Marcel saw was his blue eyes. Although It wasn¡¯t as electrifying as Elijah¡¯s Marcel could now see the resemnce between both siblings. It was a wonder he wasn¡¯t able to recognize Eric from the past and put two and two together, figuring out the truth about Elijah.

    Nheless, it was in the past and Marcel¡¯s objective was for them toe to apromise that doesn¡¯t involve bloodshed. As much as Daniel thinks they could take on the Draven family, Marcel was a businessman and he was calcting the loss he would suffer if a war were to break out. Not to talk about the loss of lives.

    He could take care of himself, but what about his loved ones? Victor? Carmine? Adele? He couldn¡¯t afford to lose anyone valuable to him. Moreover, if Arianna was with the Draven family, that means they would never be together again. There were just lots of disadvantages.

    ¡°Eric Draven,¡± He said, thrusting his hand out for a handshake and Marcel took it, enveloping his palm with his. He had a strong grip, but aside from it, there was nothing more. No hostility. They were just two men from opposite factionsing together to solve a problem.

    ¡°Marcel Luciano,¡± He said before moving onto Victor and nothing happened. But then, the same couldn¡¯t be said when it got to Daniel¡¯s turn.

    .....

    Both of them must have been enemies in their past lives because the atmosphere shifted and he could sense electricity crackling in their eyes. Marcel did a thorough investigation on Eric before this meeting and from the look of things, it seems that he was Natalie¡¯s current partner, hence the animosity from his father.

    Truth be told, Marcel had been anticipating this moment and for someone who preaches that emotions were a weakness, the jealousy on Daniel¡¯s face wasughable. Marcel finally found the button to push if the need arises.

    Perhaps, because they were on neutral ground, both men resisted the urge to murder each other. Although his father smiled afterward, it was a sinister smirk that told Marcel Daniel had imagined several ways to take away Eric¡¯s life. Marcel prayed inwardly that Daniel doesn¡¯t fuck this up for him.

    Unlike him who had his father as the head of the mittee¡±, Eric didn¡¯te with any of his famous and equally influential siblings, only his second inmand, and another man he hadn¡¯t cared to know more about. The big fish was Eric, no one else mattered.

    ¡°I received your summon,¡± Eric said to Marcel, intentionally ignoring Daniel. As far as he knew, Marcel was the head of the Luciano family. He only prayed that he wasn¡¯t a pushover and they couldmunicate effectively.

    ¡°It¡¯s regarding your brother, Elijah, as you know already. He infiltrated my organization for the past months under the alias Aziz and God knows how much information he holds about us?¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°You can rest assured that Elijah holds no critical information about your family. He was merely there for the girl and got too involved.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your words, Eric.¡± Marcel hinted his mere words hold no reliability.

    ¡°Just like you have a family to protect, I have mine too and my own family has been insecure after finding we have had a mole with us all this while. He was quite close to my underboss, you know, and I can only imagine what he came to know before leaving.¡±

    Marcel was no fool to think Elijah hadn¡¯t stumbled upon secrets while he was here. Secrets that might be detrimental to them in the long run. They needed something as well. A kind of leverage to hold over the Draven family as well.

    ¡°We would trade secrets then,¡± Eric knew and Marcel lifted his head in satisfaction. The man was a good businessman and he hoped things went smoothly between them until the meeting was over.

    ¡°But that is not really why we are here, right son?¡± Daniel finally spoke up, annoyed that he was being kept out of the conversation.

    He stared at Eric and said, ¡°Your brother took the lives of our men, five of them, and you should know what that means.¡±

    Eric¡¯s gaze hardened as the protective instinct to defend his brother kicked in. He said, ¡°I need evidence of the crimes you level against him.¡±

    Daniel snorted as if finding his words amusing. He then gestured to Victor who left them and went to the car, returning minutester with a folder in hand.

    ¡°Here,¡± He handed it to Eric who epted the document from him while Marcel exined to him,

    ¡°Your brother took up the upation of a mercenary called Elijah and he was poprly known for his mask used to cover his identity. He slipped right out of our fingers plenty of times. Those images you see there were captured on the night our men were out celebrating. He manipted the brakes leading to the ident that imed five of them. Honestly, we wouldn¡¯t have known it was his handiwork until he stepped into the camera, confident that he wouldn¡¯t catch him. But we did catch him, didn¡¯t we?¡±

 Chapter 697

    697 Bring Shame To This Family

    ¡°What can I offer you and in exchange, my brother can go free?¡± Eric told Marcel.

    He has gone through the evidence and honestly, there was no loophole. Even if he were to find one, it would only aggravate the situation. Just what was Elijah thinking?! If he hasn¡¯t shown his face in the camera and imed responsibility for the ident, then they wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. Eric had no idea what to do.

    He went on to say, ¡°I hope to reach an amicable agreement that doesn¡¯t involve war. You benefit from it and my brother goes free.¡± Eric enticed him like the head of themission he was. He couldn¡¯t afford a war, it would jeopardize his position as the leader.

    Marcel knew that because he said,¡± If that is the case, then I would have to get back to my ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Elijah has to stand trial,¡± Daniel announced to Eric, cutting Marcel off with a frown. He said to his son pointedly, ¡°There is nomunicating with the family members again. They have spoken already and you have to hand your brother over to us.¡±

    The instant Eric heard the demand, his brows drew together in a furrow immediately. He asked, ¡°What do you mean by Elijah would stand trial?¡±

    Daniel smirked as he said, ¡°It¡¯s a family tradition. You can think of it as a courtesy gesture extended to a high-profile enemy and in your case, to an opposite organization. Your brother would be given the chance to defend himself, however, he would be judged by us ording to the charges against him and then, judgment would be passed on him, ¡± He added, ¡°You¡¯re free toe to watch the whole procession if you want to.¡±

    While Eric was dumbfounded, Marcel pinched the space between his brows. He had this under control! Why does he juste and ruin everything?

    ¡°You are going to judge my brother on what ount? Who gave you the right? Who made you a judge?¡± Eric was furious and disgusted at the thought of his brother being messed around like some sort of culprit by a family of viins. It was hypocrisy at its finest and he would not sit down and watch his family being turned into aughing stock.

    .....

    It was not going to happen.

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Eric told him resolutely, ¡°If you want to make a joke of my family, just go ahead and do that rather than using this fake, pretentious method.¡± He hinted that Daniel was doing this on purpose.

    But Daniel said to him, ¡°You make it sound as if I have something against you?¡±

    Ericughed sarcastically, ¡°Oh really, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Both men stared each other down, the tension in the air thickening as they unleashed their imposing auras. It was like watching the fight of the titans and it would have beenical to Marcel except that this was a serious matter and his father has a knack for escting matters. They can¡¯t fight here, else there was no more room for negotiation.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe anything he says, I¡¯m the Don of the family and I believe there can be some sort of adjustment to his punishment,¡± Marcel said, and only then did Eric take his eyes off Daniel, but not without one longst look.

    Eric told him, ¡°I feel you don¡¯t want a war between our families just as I don¡¯t want a war either. Elijah is extremely remorseful for what he did and now, if only justice can be tempered with mercy. I know that nothing can make up for the lives lost, but I believe there can be many windows of opportunities for our family, even in the future.¡±

    When Marcel and Eric looked at each other for far too long, a mutual acknowledgement passing between the both of them, Daniel grabbed his arm and turned him, ¡± Don¡¯t tell me, you are seriously considering otherwise. ¡±

    When Marcel didn¡¯t answer him except for the clenching of his jaw, he got his answer. Daniel¡¯s expression changed, and he poked Marcel in his chest with his finger, ¡°Elijah took the lives of five of our men! Five of them!¡± He emphasized the numbers in case he had forgotten, ¡°If that doesn¡¯t seem like tant disrespect to you and our family, it does to me.¡±

    ¡°What is done is done and in the past. If you¡¯re so concerned about the disrespect to our family, we can especially look into that one, and perhaps an official apology with him on his knees, bowing to the graves of those he murdered would be enough. Or whatever else you want that doesn¡¯t even involve Elijah being murdered as vengeance. ¡±

    Marcel came closer and whispered to him, ¡°Violence is not always the answer and we stand nothing to win in this war anyway. Think of all the good things we can achieve with an alliance with the Draven family... with the head of themission.¡±

    He wanted Daniel to not just think about now, but the future as well. The fact that Eric honored the invitation and humbly wanted to make amends was enough. A war would profit them nothing and they weren¡¯t even sure of winning.

    For once, Marcel honestly prayed that his fatherid aside his selfish interest and myopic thinking and looked at the bigger picture. However, when he saw the man shake his head with mock pity in his eyes, he knew it was for nothing.

    ¡°I thought you were weak, but I was wrong. You are a prostitute, easily bought away by the enemy and I would not sit here and watch you bring shame to this family.¡± Daniel was about to move when Marcel stood in his way andmanded him in an authoritative voice

    ¡°You would do nothing! I am the Don of this family and you would do exactly as I said! ¡±

    Daniel was stunned, his feet stuck to the ground. It was the first time Marcel was using such a domineering tone on him and he was struck by the strength in it. His eyes narrowed immediately, his son was getting out of control.

    ¡°Perhaps, it would be better if we meet again. Perhaps by that time, we would havee up with an amicable term,¡± Victor dismissed the meeting when he saw the apprehension. Eric has seen enough to know there was an internal crisis and can¡¯t know more.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then,¡± Eric said and turned to leave with his people.

    However, Daniel shouted out of nowhere, ¡°Say hi to Natalie for me.¡±

    Eric halted in his steps.

 Chapter 698

    698 He Was Free

    Eric held his breath, counting inwardly from one to ten, and the chill in his eyes eventually vanished. For someone who had a lot of self-control, for the first time in his life, Eric just wanted to let consequences be damned and end that bastard.

    Well, he almost did, until he recalled that he was currently on neutral ground. It was a trick. Daniel almost tempted him into being the first to break the rule.

    Bastard!

    Had he acted on his anger, then it would have been game over for him. No negotiation. An outright war. Now Eric could understand why Natalie was obsessed with keeping her daughter, Arianna away from him. Daniel was crazy. An asshole.

    They say a rotten apple spoils the whole barrel, Eric could see a perfect example staring right at him. Marcel seemed to be a cool guy, but with his father hovering over him, it was no wonder people thought the same of him. After all, the apple can¡¯t fall far from the tree.

    Eric turned to Daniel and said to him, ¡°Thank you so much for that joyful reminder. Since both of you were friends, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind attending our wedding. I would be sure to send you an invitation once it¡¯s out.¡±

    The triumphant smile that should have been on Daniel¡¯s lips vanished at once and his face fell while Eric had thestugh and left him alone.

    And while this was going on, Marcel watched the drama going on with his arms folded across his chest. For once, someone beat his father in his own games, and holy damn, the look on Daniel¡¯s face was satisfying. He actually looked like someone threw shit on his face. Marcel had to fight back the urge tough out loud. It was a lovely scene.

    They stood watching as Eric got into the backseat, one of his men got into the driver¡¯s seat, started the car, and drove him away till they were no longer in sight. It was just him, Victor, and his father now.

    .....

    The ce was silent and Marcel faced his father, waiting for him to blow up. Usually, in the past, this was the point where Daniel blows up and teaches him a lesson on leadership ¨C by beating him. But he was not the same Marcel anymore and that man was notying a finger on him, not today, not tomorrow.

    As if sensing the change in Marcel, Daniel made no move. He just stared at him and when he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, said to him, ¡°You are a big disappointment.¡±

    ¡°Get used to it.¡± Marcel rolled his eyes towards heaven. Thinking about it now, ever since he grew up and had his own opinion, his father never seemed to agree with his modern and ingenious ways of solving problems. It was always male, aggressive dominance for him. He just doesn¡¯t realize that times have changed and now, it was work smarter, not harder.

    If it wasn¡¯t outrageous to think about it, Marcel could almost say that Daniel was jealous of him... nope, it was impossible. Marcel didn¡¯t want to believe it. Daniel being jealous of him was simply outrageous ¨C and childish.

    Yes, Daniel was not jealous of the fact that histe wife hated his ass and reserved all of his affection for his son instead; Daniel was not jealous of the fact that he gets to be with the daughter of the woman he loved; Daniel was not jealous of the fact that he seemed to perform better than him (profit wise) than when he was the Don of the family.

    Damn.

    While Daniel was always protesting that he was teaching him to be better, he was merely projecting his inadequacy onto him? Marcel¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the ground at the realization. Was he fucking kidding him?

    While Marcel was lost in his train of thought, Daniel used that opportunity to get close to him and roused him from his thoughts, saying,

    ¡°I had high hopes for you, Marcel. You were supposed to be my perfect legacy, but instead, you became this...¡± He gestured at him, the disappointment on his face was obvious, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you have done today and you are going to regret it.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel retorted, ¡°I did the right thing and you don¡¯t have the right to tell me otherwise. And just to remind you, just because I¡¯m your son, rted only by the sperm you donated, doesn¡¯t make me your legacy. I¡¯m my person, not your fucking shadow or clone and it¡¯s high time you got that into your head, father.¡± He called him with great distaste in his mouth

    Daniel was dumbfounded. He has been receiving too many surprises since today.

    And with that being said, Marcel walked past him, shoving him on the shoulder rudely. Since Daniel called him a disappointment, he was going to show him real disappointment.

    Marcel stopped, ¡°Also....¡±

    Daniel turned to look at him.

    ¡°Jealousy doesn¡¯t suit you, hypocrite!¡±

    Having said those words, Marcel gave him the middle finger before turning to join his cousin in the car. Victor was the best because he already started the car and together, they left Daniel all by himself.

    They drove off with Marcel screaming at the top of his lungs. He couldn¡¯t believe what he just did and he felt so free. Free from the bondage of his father.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Victor finally asked him after they had given Daniel a good distance. What if the man gets mad at Marcel for giving him the middle finger, and he then loses his mind and chases after them? Who knows? It might happen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Marcel breathed, genuine happiness on his face, ¡°I just feel free, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I get the feeling. But I hope you know what you¡¯re doing because it¡¯s Daniel we¡¯re talking about here. While others would be crushed by today¡¯s event and would give up. Your father is the opposite and I can only imagine what wicked ns he has in his head already.¡±

 Chapter 699

    699 The Heat Of What She Saw

    ¡°Oh, Eric! Thank God!¡± Natalie was finally able to release the breath she had been holding in all this while as he safely returned home.

    Left for her alone, Natalie would have joined Eric on that trip just to make sure he was safe. But then knowing her presence wouldn¡¯t help but instead worsen the whole situation, especially with Daniel around, she had no choice but to stick her ass at home.

    However, he was home now and there was nothing to worry about.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how worried I was the entire time?¡± Natalie confessed, hugging him very tightly as if it had been ages since they met when it was hours. However, she didn¡¯t let go and instead relished the moment.

    Not that Eric wasining because he sank into her warm embrace while running his hands through her silky hair. The thought that she was worried about him sent a giddy feeling throughout his body. You can only be worried about someone you like, right?

    He breathed in her sweet scent with his eyes closed, his head reeling with emotions. After the hostile encounter with Daniel today, it roused a primitive urge in Eric to treat his woman better. The fact that Daniel still fancied Natalie bothered him greatly and he was determined to make sure her attention remains on him.

    He would keep Natalie happy and treat her in such a way that she would never think or even consider going back to Daniel ever in this life. Natalie was his. Not even Daniel can change that. He was filled with a raw energy that made his heart begin to pound faster than before and the ambiance in the room shifted as the air surrounding them became heated.

    Eric looked down and noticed her smooth, slender neck and he shifted his head only to press his lips against her skin and a shiver went through her body. Natalie suddenly stiffened, however, she rxed knowing that it was Eric and that he would never hurt her.

    A different kind of nervous energy filled her with flutters dancing around in her stomach. A blush crept up her face but Natalie hid her face on his shoulder, her arms still wrapped around his neck while Eric began to trail the kisses down her neck.

    .....

    Eric suckled on her neck and caught a little of her skin between his teeth, he bit her and she jumped a little from the pain. However, the pain and pleasure mixed to create a sensation so euphoric her panties became damp.

    ¡°Eric...¡± Natalie breathed his name, her heart rate increasing. She could feel his hands roaming around her body with one of them massaging her breast through her clothes and she didn¡¯t know how long she would be able to hide her face away.

    Hence, a startled gasp left her lips when Eric suddenly turned her around, pushing her up against the door he stepped in moments ago while she wrapped her legs around his waist, their lips meeting together in a frenzied kiss. Natalie loved his energy, his spontaneity that spiced up their love life.

    However, this was not just a kiss, it was Eric putting a im on her as he devoured her mouth. Natalie was literally panting as she tried to catch up to him but he dominated her in such a way that she had no choice but to receive whatever he gave her. Their tongues and teeth dueled against each other and Eric was literally grinding against her, and yet shame was the farthest thing in her mind.

    The both of them were so caught up with each other that it didn¡¯t hit them that they were outside and not in the privacy of their bedroom. Hence when Arianna came downstairs with her friend Mimi, only to be treated to a steamy scene, a scream left her mouth.

    She was traumatized forever.

    It was one thing knowing that your parents, well in her case, parent, has sex, it was normal and she didn¡¯t see it happen. But to see her doing it, to be precise, being intimate with her partner was another thing. It was a scene that she couldn¡¯t unsee from her mind and it was not one of the best memories to keep in her head!

    Arianna means she just saw Eric grinding on her mother. That was very improper.

    Think about this: Knowing your parents have a kid is cool, if not cute, but knowing the process whereby that kid is made and even going as far as trying to imagine the explicit process in the mind was not cool. It was repulsing.

    She couldn¡¯t even imagine her mother naked. Not to talk of Eric. And then the both of them together. Oh God, she needed holy water to cleanse her eyes!

    Arianna had a certain impression of Eric in her mind. But now, she doesn¡¯t know what to think of him anymore. Not to mention the fact that it was awkward as hell.

    The both of them broke apart as soon as they noticed them and she watched her mother smoothing her clothes and trying topose herself while Eric gave her an apologetic look.

    He stepped forward, ¡°We are so sorry, it was meant to be just a kiss but we got carried -¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Arianna raised her hand, stopping him with a gesture, ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, please.¡± It was embarrassing as it was already. He doesn¡¯t need to add to it.

    ¡°I¡¯m seeing Mimi off,¡± Arianna told the woman and she didn¡¯t argue with her this time, thanks to the redness on her face.

    Without wasting another second, Arianna took Mimi¡¯s hand and led her out of the house, never stopping until they got to thewn and she greedily gulped air into her lungs.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Mimi breathed, still feeling the heat of what she saw, ¡°That was hot,¡± She confessed.

    Arianna gave her a nk look, ¡°That was my mother,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Mimi cupped her mouth, ¡°sorry.¡±

 Chapter 700

    700 Daniel Says Hi

    Now in the confines of their bedroom, Natalie and Eric began to reflect on their mistake.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Natalie said, feeling guilty. She could imagine what Arianna thought of her now. The both of them weren¡¯t even close enough to each other and now this? She sighed.

    ¡°We should have been patient,¡± Eric said thoughtfully. A few walks into the privacy of their room wouldn¡¯t have caused them any harm ¨C except lose the magic in that moment ¨C and avoid the awkwardness. How was he going to handle himself around Arianna knowing what she saw? He had not exactly been subtle.

    ¡°Yes, we shouldn¡¯t,¡± Natalie concurred before looking at Eric and their eyes connected. It was just a spark, but the room became heated immediately and this time there was no one to walk in on them.

    All of it happened in a twinkle of an eye, one moment, they were staring at each other in fascination and the next their lips were on top of one another, sucking each other¡¯s faces. And next, their clothes were flying in diverse directions of the room till they were naked as the day they were born. And finally, they were creating biology.

    Natalie¡¯s moans reverberated across the room as Eric didn¡¯t go easy on her. While they say good food was the way to a man¡¯s heart, he knew a perfect orgasm was the way to a woman¡¯s heart. Give a woman good sex and she would never leave you.

    Daniel¡¯sment unsettled Eric and made him realize just how lucky he was to have Natalie by his side and how much he loved her. And from now, he was not going to hold back in showing Natalie how much he loved her anymore. Eric didn¡¯t want to be among those that don¡¯t realize the significance of what they have until they lose it.

    It was enough, she was satiated, was the thought in Natalie¡¯s mind as Eric released inside of her onest time. Well, she hoped that it was thest time because she could not go another round. It was simply too much or she was going to die from excess sex. Was it possible to die from too much sex? Even she as a doctor didn¡¯t have the answer because her brain was turned off the instant Eric buried his face in between her legs.

    Eric finally pulled out of her and Natalie was relieved greatly when he showed no signs of going again. He simplyid down on her body, making sure his weight didn¡¯t press down on her too much. And to be honest, he outdid himself this time and needed the rest. Unfortunately, Natalie had other ns.

    .....

    Even as amazingly unforgettable as the sex had been, Natalie knew something was wrong and she had a feeling that it was linked to that meeting today. So she asked him,

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Eric didn¡¯t need a prophet to know that she was asking about what transpired in the meeting with the Luciano family.

    ¡°Honestly....¡± Eric pushed himself off her body andid down on the side, bringing the cover on the both of them till it covered their nakedness leaving only their chest upwards bare. ¡°I have no idea.¡± He said.

    There was a slight furrow on Natalie¡¯s face as she asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Eric didn¡¯t answer immediately instead he began to draw patterns on her stomach and her body shivered at his touch.

    ¡°Eric...¡± She ced his hand on top of his palm to stop him from distracting her. She asked him in a serious voice, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°They want Elijah,¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You know the rules, Natalie....¡± He gulped,¡± A life for a life, at least that¡¯s what I think they¡¯re trying to do under the facade of their trial. ¡±

    Natalie sat up at once, his hand slipping off her stomach, ¡°You¡¯re not going to hand Elijah over to them, are you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, not!¡± Eric said with a defiant look in his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s only going to happen over my dead body....¡± He paused silently before he said, ¡°That kid, Marcel...¡±

    Natalie¡¯s attention was piqued at once and she wanted to know what Eric had to say about the son of Daniel, whom her daughter foolishly fell in love with.

    ¡°What about Marcel?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s different,¡± Eric said, looking Natalie in the eyes because this was meant for her, ¡°The boy is not like his father and you should know that I have discerning eyes.¡±

    Natalie sighed, shaking her head, ¡°Eric, I thought we talked -¡±

    ¡°I think he looks like his mother, your friend, Penelope, at least aside from his eyes that he took clearly from his father. But I think it¡¯s unfair having an opinion about the boy your daughter seriously has feelings for without getting to know him first. ¡±

    Natalie gulped, especially when Penelope¡¯s name was called. She still has guilt gnawing at her chest whenever she remembers her friend¡¯s sacrifice in helping her escape. What has she done for her in return? Nothing. Instead, she¡¯s antagonistic towards her son being together with her own daughter.

    However, this was not just about Penelope, it was about Daniel as well and that was enough reason for her to harden her heart once more.

    ¡°How does that help Elijah?¡± She changed the conversation and Eric¡¯s face fell knowing that the conversation was over.

    ¡°We didn¡¯te to a conclusion today,¡± Eric answered her nheless and went ahead to exin to her, ¡°I think there¡¯s an internal crisis in the organization. Marcel is against his father and his idea of taking Elijah. His thinking is much more progressive and I think that if he wins, Elijah might be saved.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Natalie was able to let out the breath she was holding in. There was hope, that was all that happened ¨C and surprisingly from Marcel. She pushed the name to the back of her mind.

    ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± She said,

    ¡°But that¡¯s not all,¡± Eric said grimly and her breath caught in her throat.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie licked her lips unconsciously, feeling nervous all of a sudden. She knew something was up, the ominous atmosphere was proof enough.

    ¡°Daniel says hi,¡±

 Chapter 701

    701 Sister-inw

    The thing about trauma is, they never go away even if it¡¯s supposedly over. Hence the moment Natalie heard about Daniel¡¯s message, a tremor went through her and she almost began to hyperventte.

    ¡°Hey....¡± Eric cupped her cheeks and kept her focus on him. This was why he never wanted to tell her about it, but it was better safe than sorry.

    ¡°Daniel is not going to get to you, I promise you, that.¡± He told her with a serious voice, ¡°You didn¡¯t fight the battles all these years only to lose at the slightest fear. Daniel is nothing but a paper tiger now. He knows that he is losing and the only way to feel in control is to make his enemies dread him. He controls through fear and you are not going to let him do that to you, again. You hear me?¡±

    Natalie nodded her head, her breath evening out and he was able to rx.

    ¡°He was only taunting me, ¡± Eric assured her.

    Natalie sighed, wiping away the beads of sweat that gathered on her forehead. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like ut either. You don¡¯t know how much self-control it took me not to lunge at him at that moment and tear him to pieces. I was almost tempted to give you the justice you deserve and everyone else that he hurt.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Natalie shook her head, ¡°I think death is too merciful for Daniel. Killing him is doing him a big favor,¡± She looked at him, ¡°Daniel needs to be kept alive and in a condition where he regrets every bad and stupid decision that he has ever made. He needs to realize the wrong he¡¯s done and the fact he can never make up for that. He needs to live in regret for the rest of his pathetic life,¡± She said.

    ¡°And you get any idea how to make that dreame true?¡± because Eric was out of options. He had no idea how to make a psychopath live in regret for the rest of his life. Heck, he wasn¡¯t even sure Daniel had the heart to feel remorse.

    .....

    ¡°Let¡¯s get married,¡±

    Eric blinked at her in confusion, ¡°Urm..¡± He sat up better, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we n to do? I¡¯m a little bit confused here.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, let¡¯s get married as quickly as possible. Tomorrow is fine if you want to?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Eric coughed, nearly choking on his saliva. He scrutinized Natalie, trying to see if this was a joke or something and she was merely pulling his leg, tobat the stress and all. But then, her expression was grave; she meant it.

    The look on Eric¡¯s face shifted and he shook his head in abject denial as he told her sternly, ¡°If you¡¯re trying to marry me because you¡¯re under the pressure of Daniel getting to you, then I suggest you forget about it, Natalie. If you¡¯re going to marry me, it would be at your willingness andfort.¡±

    ¡°No, Eric, you don¡¯t get it,¡± She tried to exin to him, ¡°We havee too far now to be distracted by the crisis around us. I know how this works and while you im that we would get married at my ease, what if that time neveres? What if things get so bad that we have to wait? What if Daniel happens?!¡±

    ¡°That is exactly -¡±

    ¡°I am not afraid of Daniel. I am not afraid of fire yet I don¡¯t stupidly step into the mes. We can see what¡¯s going on and both of us don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen in the future. We can¡¯t give Daniel an opening. You don¡¯t give the devil the chance.¡±

    ¡°Natalie...¡±

    ¡°It would be a small marriagepared to therger one we had in mind and you of all people know that I don¡¯t like the attention, this is better. We could get married this weekend, just in time for your brothers to return and grace the asion. It would be only our family and friends and perhaps a few well-wishers.¡±

    This time Eric was unable to say anything because he waspletely overpowered and couldn¡¯t say no to her thoughtful request. Seeing that he was still contemting his decision, Natalie leaned closer toward him and took his hands in hers, intertwining them as she said,

    ¡°I love you already, Eric, but thkd would be better because I would be legally yours now and not even Daniel can change that. And I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be saying ¡®hi¡¯ to a married woman the next time both of you meet.¡± Natalie joked and it elicited the response she wanted because heughed too.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck because my brothers are already on their way toe to give Elijah a piece of their mind. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t mind attending a wedding. We can get married tomorrow, Natalie.¡± Eric revealed and her eyes grew wide.

    Natalie was so happy that she tackled him to the bed and they made out a few times before they decided it was time to go inform the children considering there was no more time.

    That was how Arianna found herself being summoned downstairs for a brief family meeting. She didn¡¯t even know how to feel knowing that Elijah was part of this ¡°family¡±. It was kind of hard hating someone you saw his face every day.

    ¡°We are getting married tomorrow!¡± Her mother and Eric didn¡¯t waste time getting straight to the point and Arianna was dumbfounded. She felt like... God! she didn¡¯t even know how she was feeling except that her mind was reeling.

    The wedding had been a future event ¨C an event she believed would never hold. Arianna had this belief that Eric and her mother would finally break off things. Yeah, it was selfish of her. But it was hard to ept the fact that the woman her father loved and whom she just got to know recently was already marrying another man. She was just not used to the fact that herte father was out of the picture.

    She felt jealous.

    It was supposed to be just her and her mother. But now, there were others.

    ¡°It is just a small wedding with our family, no ostentatious arrangement,¡± Natalie went on to exin while Arianna drifted away, lost in her thoughts.

    It wasn¡¯t until someone came to sit beside her that she returned to the present. She looked up and it was Elijah.

    He thrust out his hand for a handshake, ¡°I guess I should properly wee you into the family then, sister-inw.¡±

 Chapter 702

    702 Betrayed Him With A Kiss

    Looking left and right, Macy made sure that she wasn¡¯t being followed beforeing to stand before arge iron gate. Marcel can be quite annoying sometimes with his cautiousness, to be honest, and she needed to be on the safe side.

    Satisfied with her environment, Macy pulled out her phone and called a number saying, ¡°I¡¯m here,¡±

    At once, the camera located at the entrance rotated and captured her before therge gate opened with an electrical chime. With a satisfied smile, Macy went through the gate that closed behind her.

    She walked through the cobblestone pathway and stopped at the door that was opened by an older woman almost immediately and she went inside the house.

    ¡°Macy,¡± A middle-aged man came to meet her, his arms spread wide.

    ¡°Ricardo!¡± Macy smiled widely as she weed him with a hug.

    ¡°Tis nice to see you,¡± The man¡¯s ent was quite thick as he ced a peck on both sides of her cheek.

    ¡°And nice to see you too, Ricardo.¡±

    ¡°Come on in,e inside,¡± He said, hooking her hand around his arm as they walked into the living room.

    .....

    ¡°I hope everything is well. Thest time that you were here, you said that you don¡¯t need me anymore,¡± He said, helping her sit on the double-seater sofa before taking his ce beside her.

    ¡°Well, I was a fool when I said that,¡± Macy said, her eyes taking in the ce.

    There was a ss table before them and her gaze strayed to the small tray on it because it contained a crystalline powder that she could recognize even in her sleep. Richardo caught her gaze and a sleazy smile crossed his lips.

    He said, ¡°That¡¯s a fine product,¡±

    And Macy didn¡¯t doubt it. Richardo always went for the best stuff.

    Who was Ricardo anyway?

    Well, he was her best friend and partner in crime since they were young. After her father died and she was moved to the orphanage because none of her rtives would take her in, they became friends ¨C and he wasn¡¯t even an orphan.

    Richardo¡¯s father was a huge investor in the orphanage meaning that they got the chance to meet a lot and were practically inseparable to the point people would have thought them siblings if not for their distinct appearance.

    While Macy was blonde, Richardo had curly ck locks and he was quite hairy. Richardo¡¯s father did some business with the orphanage and it wasn¡¯t until Macy grew up that she found out the type of business they really did. Apparently, being buddies with Richardo had saved her from being used in the business, that is if you get the point.

    The world was a cruel ce, and what more to children with no parents, no voice, with nothing. They are nothing but prey to people like Richard¡¯s father who imed to be businessmen and phnthropists, but in reality, they are nothing but wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing.

    However, Macy was not going topletely disregard the family¡¯s help in her life because thanks to them she was able to survive. Thanks to them, she came to know about her father, the kind of business he did, his rtionship with the Luciano family, and how he was betrayed by them in the end. To be precise, he was murdered by Marcel Luciano.

    A thirteen-year-old Marcel.

    What monster had Daniel created?

    Apparently, her father¡¯s death was Marcel¡¯s ticket into the family business. He became a made man. He made his daddy Daniel proud when he left a young girl an orphan. Macy¡¯s n over the years was to avenge her father. Just as Marcel took her father from him, she would take his life as payment, an eye for an eye.

    But then Marcel was not really an easy person to kill and that meant she had to go under the cover of working for him. The n was to get him to trust her and then when he least expects it, she would stab him in the back and end his pathetic life. Then her father would finally be able to rest in peace after getting the vengeance he deserved.

    However, what Macy never expected was to be sympathetic to his situation nor to mention fall in love with Victor. His cousin was the first person to treat her like she was special. Like she really mattered. But then, the human heart was deceitful, and being around Marcel all the time must have messed up with both her head and heart.

    She became greedy. Macy thought that having both of them was payment enough for what he did to her father. But then Marcel doesn¡¯t know her real identity and what he did to her father. Well, things spiraled out of control and here she is.

    Macy merely nodded her head and that was enough invitation for him to ask, ¡°Want a taste? Something tells me that you need that right now?¡±

    She didn¡¯t object.

    Richardo was right. She needed this right now. Something to distract herself from the whole mess going on in her life right now. Taking the snuff spoon from Richardo, Macy bent over the table and snuffed the drug, and God, it was the best feeling she has ever had in a while! It went straight to her head and she felt alive, electrified.

    Macy took a few more snuffs before she rxed back into her seat with a giggle.

    ¡°Good? Right?¡± Richardo grinned at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s the best,¡± She replied.

    With the environment set, Richardo asked her, ¡°What do you want, Macy?¡±

    ¡°To fuck what I said thest time I was here. The n¡¯s back on baby! I want that bastard to suffer! I want his head on a spike!¡± Macy was over the moon.

    ¡°And that you shall have. It¡¯s nice that you came back to your senses,¡± Richardo said, drawing close to her till their noses were touching, ¡°So does that mean you¡¯re back for good now?¡± He asked her, his gaze lingering on her lips.

    To answer his questions, Macy closed the small distance between them and took his lips in a kiss.

    And with that kiss, she betrayed Marcel.

 Chapter 703

    703 His Stubborn Girlfriend

    ¡°We would have to call for a meeting as soon as possible before Daniel thinks of anything funny,¡± Marcel told Victor as they drove back to the base, or so he thought.

    ¡°Is toote today, tomorrow would be better and I have to drop off at this point,¡± Victor said to his surprise, looking at the bus stop.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel blinked up at him.

    ¡°I need to pay Mimi a visit, we haven¡¯t spent much time together recently because of ....¡± Victor trailed off when he realized what he was about to say, however, Marcel already got it.

    He nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯m not a baby that you need to babysit anyway. Moreover, I¡¯m sure her parents are dying to know your marriage ns. especially now you knocked their daughter up,¡±

    ¡°Haha, funny,¡± Victor noted his choice of words.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Marcel patted him on the shoulder saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to drop off halfway. So you just get to her ce and I¡¯ll drive back home and send the car for you after I¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you.¡± Victor was touched by his kindness. It seems like the Marcel he once knew was slowly returning. Arianna did mess him up really badly.

    The both of them hadn¡¯t spoken about his ns to get Arianna back or her so imed pregnancy and Victor let the issue be. Knowing Marcel, he would only open up to him when he wanted it. He only prayed that his family gets distracted by Elijah¡¯s case enough not to bring up the issue at the next meeting which wasing up faster than he thought

    .....

    They continued their conversation, both of them careful enough not to bring up Arianna or anything that would remind him of her. Victor finally arrived at his girlfriend¡¯s ce and he got out of the car while Marcel shifted to the driver¡¯s seat and took over.

    ¡°I guess, I¡¯ll see youter,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Yep, don¡¯t wait for me. I¡¯ll be homete.¡± Victor winked at him.

    Marcel scoffed, ¡°Whatever. As if you¡¯re my girlfriend...¡± He trailed off as the memories returned to his head.

    Victor knew he probably thought of Arianna again when the awkward silence descended upon them. He immediately said, ¡°Go home Marcel,¡±

    ¡°Aye, consigliere,¡± Marcel waved at him before starting the car and driving off. Victor watched him the entire time until he drove out of sight. He shook his head in pity, his poor cousin. He deserved a little bit of happiness, you know.

    With Marcel gone, only then, was Victor able to walk over to the entrance and knocked on the door. Yep, there was no more sneaking in through the window again. Only thieves do that and he had gotten Mimi¡¯s parent¡¯s permission to date their daughter. So this was him doing it the honorable way instead of sneaking in like a thief.

    ¡°Hello Victor,¡± Hannah was the one who opened the door. She weed him by wrapping her frame around him in a hug. And for quite a petite figure, she was quite strong. She almost crushed his lungs.

    Over the weeks, Victor got along well with Mimi¡¯s mother, and she usually called him the son she never had. They were practically besties now, that is if you can call a son-inw and mother-inw rtionship that. And though Roger warmed up to him, he still had his reservations about Victor considering his upation. Aside from that, he was beloved by his inws.

    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see Hannah,¡± and if you can stop crushing my lungs now, he said inwardly.

    As if she heard his prayer, Hannah step back and said excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re here,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± Victor let her take his hand as she walked into the house shouting,

    ¡°Roger, your son-inw is here,¡±

    Roger was reading a newspaper when he arrived and he closed it and folded it into two before keeping it at his side.

    ¡°Victor, you¡¯re here,¡±

    ¡°Nice to see you, Roger,¡±

    It was quite an awkward exchange for Victor and Roger because while Victor went for the usual handshake since the man was cautious around him, Roger surprisingly went for a hug this time and they fumbled for a while before settling for a weird embrace.

    Well, that was progress.

    Settling down, Victor discovered that there was no sign of Mimi and he asked her, ¡°Where is Mimi?¡±

    Hannahughed, ¡°That is a weird question because I was about to ask you the same.¡±

    Victor raised a questioning brow, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She told me she was going to see you,¡± Hannah chuckled nervously. This happening now was a joke, right?

    At once Victor and Roger¡¯s eyes met and there was sudden tension in the air. If anything happened to his daughter, he was going to skin him alive.

    ¡°Oh right!¡± Victor suddenlyughed, ¡°I forgot but Mimi told me she would be seeing my mother instead,¡± He lied just to alleviate the situation. But the look on Roger¡¯s face told him that he doubted that.

    Victor brought out his phone and pointed to it, saying, ¡°I should probably call her and ask what¡¯s keeping. You know, my mother can be quite a storyteller, haha!¡± Heughed and stood from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± He ran out of the room as quickly as his feet could take him and found the bathroom, locking himself in.

    Victor quickly called her name and waited for her to pick up. The call went through.

    ¡°Victor?¡±

    ¡°Where are you, Mimi? Do you know.... wait a minute, ¡± Victor paused at once when it hit him that the voice didn¡¯t sound like his Mimi at all. And it sounded quite familiar.

    ¡°Victor?¡± It came again.

    ¡°Arianna?!¡± He was stunned. How was this....?

    Holy mother of God, it dawned on him. That stubborn girlfriend of his went after Arianna even after he explicitly instructed her not to. Oh, he was so mad right now!

    ¡°What the hell, Arianna?! Where is Mimi and why do you have her cellphone?¡± He hoped to God that this wasn¡¯t some sick joke and that her people don¡¯t have her.

    ¡°Mimi came to find me and gave it to me. She said that it would be our way of being in touch.¡±

    ¡°Then where is she?!¡±

    ¡°She should be home soon,¡±

    Almost immediately, he heard Hannah¡¯s voice informing him that Mimi was finally home.

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s finally home.¡±

    ¡°Thank God,¡±

    There was a short silence between them before Arianna said, ¡°Listen, Victor, I know that -¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to say to you, Arianna,¡±

    Victor hung up on her.

 Chapter 704

    704 The Query

    Victor was mad at her, Mimi knew that the instant she got into the house and saw his smiling face. Not that Victor didn¡¯t smile every time, but she had known him so much that she could proudly differentiate between his sincere smile or one from his illness and when he was merely covering up his anger.

    Right now he was smiling so much she wondered if it didn¡¯t hurt his jaw. He was barely able to contain himself and she could see that. And that was why she walked over to him and threw herself on him saying,

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, baby,¡± She gave him a charming and beguiling look that said, forgive-me-please?

    Unfortunately, Victor was immune to Mimi¡¯s charming eyes this time because Victor refused to be deceived by them. They were going to talk, he was determined.

    Hence, after Mimi made a small conversation with her parents, she made a small excuse and took Victor¡¯s hands, leading him to her room where they can discuss. As soon as they were in and the door was closed, Victor pounced upon her.

    He grabbed her shoulders, ¡°I thought I told you -!¡±

    Mimi took Victor unaware by kissing him on the lips and throwing him off bnce. She incapacitated him. However, Victor fought against her knowing that this was her tactic to get him to calm down. But then, he didn¡¯t want to calm down! He wanted Mimi to feel the heat of his anger so she would know that he had meant what he said and was truly, truly, mad at her.

    But then, what Victor felt was the heat of her mouth as Mimi deepened the kiss. The more he tried to fight her, the more she held on tight ¨C like her mother crushing his lungs earlier ¨C and he wasn¡¯t able to get away. He now knew where she got her strength.

    He couldn¡¯t fight Mimi for long and all Victor could do was direct the anger into the kiss instead. Since Mimi wanted to y, he would change the rules of the game. Victor grabbed onto her waist and hitched her up while she wrapped her legs around him instead. He pushed her hard against the door and a small gasp left her lips allowing Victor to slip his tongue in.

    .....

    Mimi tried to fight him back for control but Victor was quite insistent. His hand glided over the globe of her bottom and squeezed hard, a moan left her lips and he swallowed it up. He kissed her with burning fervor, the air having left the room moments ago while her moans echoed around the room.

    Victor was an ass man, so he continuously squeezed, rubbed, massaged, and ground her against him while her nails dug into his shoulders in pleasure. Well, not only pleasure because Mimi wanted air. They have been making out intensely for over a minute and it was the longest she had gone without oxygen.

    You know, one would say, who needed air in this sexy, hot ass situation? Well, duh, her. She wasn¡¯t about to die of oxygen deprivation all because she wanted to calm a furious Victor. So pushed him back and greedily sucked in air. She didn¡¯t know what Victor was made up of, but he could go on a whole lot in this state without air.

    Mimi was not even done catching her breath when his lips were upon hers once again. Well, she was the one who started this and brought it on herself. It was fair to suffer a bit. However, by the time Victor bit her lips to the point of drawing blood, Mimi recognized that this was not just a passionate kiss, he was punishing her for what she did. As much as Mimi was into kinky stuff like this one and would have loved it, sadly, she needed to breathe again.

    Unfortunately for her, Victor knew she needed air and denied her it. Instead, he kissed her so hard that her head began to reel and Mimi felt like she was going to explode inside. No matter how much she pushed him, Victor wouldn¡¯t let her go. And then suddenly, he pulled back and she was gasping like a fish out of water.

    Her leg felt weak like jelly and if it wasn¡¯t for Victor holding her up, she would have slid to the ground already.

    ¡°You are a crazy bastard,¡± Mimi gasped, hitting him on the chest.

    Victor grabbed her hands and warned her severally, ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that, especially if Arianna is involved.¡±

    Victor groaned, ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me into locking you up forever, Mimi. What if something had happened to you? What would I have told your father?¡±

    ¡°Well, nothing happened,¡± Mimi shrugged, showing that she was okay.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± He growled at her. This is serious.

    She cupped his cheeks saying, ¡°Victor, I¡¯m a risk-taker, not suicidal.¡±

    ¡°Well, how did you even get in there in the first ce? I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t exactly hand you an invitation.¡±

    And at that question, Mimi visibly gulped. He was going to kill her if he knew the answer.

    ¡°It was just in luck,¡± Mimi answered, hoping he left the matter of her entrance alone.

    ¡°You just told me that you¡¯re a risk taker. How can it be dumb luck?¡±

    When she didn¡¯t answer him immediately, Victor stepped closer to her till their body was touching once again.

    ¡°You can lie to others, but not me, Mimi. And from yourck of response, my guts keep telling me that you did something stupid that could really set me off,¡± Victorughed wryly, but it came to a stop as he asked her gravely, ¡°How did you get in Mimi? And don¡¯t bother to lie to me, my love, I know you well.¡±

    Mimi gulped nervously and Victor wasn¡¯t even smiling. It was as if for the first time he was showing her another emotion that he was capable of aside from happiness. And just her luck, it happened to be anger.

    ¡°I¡¯m here now, isn¡¯t that what matters? Can¡¯t you just let it go?¡± She hoped.

    ¡°No,¡± He answered her firmly.

    In that case, she was fucked.

    Thoroughly fucked.

    It didn¡¯t seem such a bad idea getting under that truck until now.

 Chapter 705

    705 I Would Never Hate You

    It didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to get under that trunk until now. Victor was giving her a fierce look and something told Mimi that it would be a whole lot worse if she lied to him. So she just told him the truth.

    ¡°I hid under a truck and got inside the ce,¡± She said it just like that.

    ¡°What?¡± All blood drained from Victor¡¯s face.

    ¡°It seemed like the most feasible idea at the time. There was no other way to infiltrate that ce built like the white house and then the opportunity came in the form of a truck and I took it.¡± She tried to justify her action.

    ¡°Are you out of your fucking mind, Mimi?!¡± Victor shouted at her for the first time. No, this was the first time that they were having a real quarrel like this.

    ¡°You risked the life of my child all just to meet Arianna?! Do you know how dangerous it was to get under the trunk? You could have gotten burned or even worse, what if you slipped and the truck ran you over?! What would I have done?! What would I even say to your parents? The worst part is that I might not even know you¡¯re dead and would go around searching for you like a fool if the Draven family decides to hide the case?! ¡°Heughed sarcastically and continued, ¡°You would leave me alone in this world, both you and my baby?!

    I wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to marry you... I wouldn¡¯t even get to see my son...! ¡± He was irritated and couldn¡¯t get the words out.

    Something was wrong, Mimi could see when he began to hyperventte and his eyes were unfocused. Her heart began to pound fast and she prayed that he had not triggered his sickness. Guilt began to gnaw at her chest.

    ¡°Hey, Victor....¡± She tried to touch him but he wouldn¡¯t let her. Arianna did say a high level of stress could trigger it and she was feeling worried now.

    .....

    Victor moved away from her and walked over to her bed. Kneeling over it, he pulled the cover together and used it to cover his face as he breathed hard into it.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry...¡± Mimi whispered, tears sliding down her tears. She did not mean to hurt him like this.

    It was over a minute before Mimi made her way over to where Victor knelt and wrapped her arms around him, kneeling beside him too.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Vic. I was selfish. I should have thought about how my decision would affect you. I should have been more safety cautious and thought about my child as well. But I¡¯m sorry and I promise that it will not happen again. So can you please not hate me and talk to me?¡± Mimi cried out, begging him to just look at her.

    And he did look at her. Except that Victor¡¯s eyes were red and swollen as if he had been crying and it shattered her heart into pieces.

    ¡°Victor... ¡±

    But Victor in question didn¡¯t answer her, instead, he reached out and cupped her cheek. He wiped away the tear that slid down her cheek with his finger and said to her,

    ¡°I would never hate you, Mimi.¡±

    Mimi released the breath that she had been holding in. She had thought that Victor would break up with her on a whim, iming that she wasn¡¯t a responsible mother. This was the longeststing rtionship that she has ever had and Mimi could not lose him. She loved Victor now.

    He went on to say, ¡°However, you would have to understand that your life isn¡¯t just yours anymore. You¡¯re carrying my...no, our child,¡± He corrected himself immediately knowing the both of them were in for this. It was their child, not just his.

    ¡°It might look unfair on you, but you owe our child a bit of responsibility.¡± He added, ¡°And so do I, which is why...¡± Victor reached into his pocket and pulled out a box and she let out a soft exhale.

    Victor smiled at her ¡°Mimi Davis, would you marry me?¡±

    He scratched the back of his head as he exined to her, ¡°I wasn¡¯t supposed to do this now, it was meant to beter this week and in an ostentatious manner. I would propose to you in front of both of our families with romantic gestures and all. However, I don¡¯t know what came over me and I just thought the moment was right and both of us are even on our knees¡± He hinted that he should be the only one kneeling.

    Mimi chuckled, she didn¡¯t realize she too was on her knees. It definitely wasn¡¯t the usual way of proposing.

    ¡°You know what...¡± Victor shook his head, ¡°Perhaps, I should leave this forter that day -¡±

    Was he fucking kidding her?

    ¡°Oh please, give me that!¡± Mimi quickly snatched the ring just when he was about to ce it back in the box. The ring was going nowhere except on her finger.

    Mimi examined the ring on her finger and it was really beautiful with a single diamond stone. That ring must have cost a ton and Mimi didn¡¯t need a God in heaven to tell her that the diamond was authentic.

    ¡°I¡¯m marrying you, Victor. You¡¯re all mine. It¡¯s the both of us forever, till death does us apart.¡± Mimi told him seriously.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the love she had for him, then she was marrying him for the sake of the diamond. It was so pretty that she wanted to cry.

    Victor was dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t know that she was in a hurry to marry him. Well, he was notining. Filled with nothing but genuine happiness, he took her face in her hand and kissed her fully on the lips.

    ¡°We should go tell your parents the good news, they would be over the moon, ¡± He said.

    But she shook her head, ¡°Perhapster, they already knew this was going to happen anyway. However, I have better news,¡±

    ¡°What news?¡±

    ¡°A way to get Arianna and Marcel together,¡±

 Chapter 706

    706 Someone Hired A Mercenary

    He pretended that he was okay but Marcel knew deep down that he wasn¡¯t okay at all. There was this hollow feeling inside of his chest that reminded him every day that something was missing from his life.

    However, Marcel was too stubborn. She was the one that ruined the perfect rtionship that they could have had, had she not been keeping secrets from him. So why must he be the one to make a move? Because he¡¯s the man? Why must he suffer with her?

    Marcel banged his hand on the steering out of frustration and that was when he saw it.

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± He cursed, swerving to the side, missing by just inches as the car behind him mmed into the highway¡¯s light pole and he was able to escape without a scratch.

    He was under attack, and Marcel recognized it a little toote. He had been so distracted by the thoughts of Arianna that he didn¡¯t realize that he had been trailed for a while, probably right after he dropped Victor off.

    Marcel didn¡¯t stop driving however he took one look at the car that crashed into the pole and a chill traveled down his back. He wouldn¡¯t have survived that. Whoever that was, he had intended to ram into him so hard enough that he would crash into the pole. Sadly, Marcel made ast-minute n and he ended up in his ce.

    It wasn¡¯t even up to a minute and a bullet hit the rear windshield and Marcel for once was grateful to have taken the bulletproof car. Thanks to the meeting today, he considered all safety procedures, and who knew that it would benefit himter?

    He was being pursued by another car and the shooter was in it. Shit! Marcel cursed in his mind. It would have been a lot easier if Victor was here with him. At least, he would have driven while he shot down those mother fucking bastards.

    However, who was after him? Marcel raked his brains for his enemies. It couldn¡¯t be Eric because killing him would not solve their conflict, but rather escte the whole thing. Moreover, Eric didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person that attacks his rivals in the back. He looked honorable.

    .....

    Another bullet to his windshield roused Marcel to reality and he pulled free the gun hidden in the roof of the car. He tried to shoot at them but the bastards were too smart and drove behind him so he shot at nothing. This was going to be a tough night, Marcel groaned in frustration.

    But then he was not dying tonight and Marcel stepped on it. If he can¡¯t beat them, he would outrun them. The bastards, seeing that he was trying to get away, stepped on it too. However, it was really infuriating because each time Marcel shot at them, they would hide behind him, using his own car as a shield. It was almost as if they were taunting him and Marcel was getting really angry.

    They wouldn¡¯t overtake him and only kept trailing behind him, trying to bring down his rear windshield. And Marcel didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell him that he was a goner once that back ss shattered into pieces. Fine, since they didn¡¯t want to show themselves, he would force them out instead.

    Marcel suddenly mmed on the break while at high speed, his tires leaving skid marks on the road surface, and reversed before they could retaliate. And the reverse was the case because it was now Marcel pursuing them because they couldn¡¯t turn on time and had to drive backwardly now.

    Amateurs, Marcel snorted. They must have gotten cocky after firing a few bullets at him. He could feel them panicking as the driver shouted at the shooter to finish him off because he couldn¡¯t drive like this forever. They could not turn now, not without Marcel ramming into them and ending their pathetic lives.

    However, leave it to Marcel to increase his speed and drove at them so that it seemed as if he was going to crash into them. But he swerved at thest minute and lowered his car window in a highly calcted move.

    In that swift moment he drove past them, Marcel pumped out two bullets, the first one hitting the shooter before the driver. Their car then mmed into the road divider and jumped into the other side of the road before bursting into mes.

    And as for Marcel, his car began to veer out of control, but he held on tight onto the steering wheel. His teeth were gritted together as he tried to control the movement of the car and after a while, it halted to a stop.

    Marcel stayed inside the car, panting heavily. That was close. He almost died today. It took him a few seconds to realize that. With the adrenaline having left his body, his hands began to shake. But then he was used to a near-death situation like this and was able to calm down.

    The only thought in Marcel¡¯s head was how Arianna would have reacted to his death. Would she mourn for him and regret ever betraying him? Or would she think of it as good riddance? Nheless, Marcel knew that he didn¡¯t want to die like this, not without making up with her.

    And thus, it took a near-death situation to make Marcel decide his mind. However, he had some business to settle before that. Marcel started the car and drove off to the scene of the first ident. The driver was dead, the impact having imed his life at the spot.

    Marcel wore gloves before touching the car and the driver. The police and reporters would have a field day tomorrow if whoever sent them didn¡¯t clean this up. If that was the case, Marcel didn¡¯t want to be implicated.

    He checked the man¡¯s body carefully and finally found something. A tattoo. Except that the man didn¡¯t belong to a gang, he was a mercenary. Did someone hire a mercenary after him?

 Chapter 707

    707 Your Eyes Are Pretty

    ¡°How did this happen?¡± Victor queried as soon as he came into his cousin¡¯s office.

    Just as Marcel promised him, he sent a car back for him, but with a little alteration to the n. He sent security. The moment Victor saw the soldiers, he knew at once that something was wrong. Something has happened for Marcel to send them to protect him.

    ¡°I was attacked,¡± Marcel answered.

    He was lying on the couch with a cold pack pressed to the side of his face. Marcel had not exactly emerged from the ident unharmed, he had a swollen bump on his face when he hit his head on the steering wheel in the process of trying to control his car that had earlier spiraled out of control.

    Marcel also suffered bruises on various sides of his body from the hot chase. But then, aside from the throbbing headache and body pain, he was good.

    ¡°Exactly, what happened?¡± Victor asked,ing to sit beside him and taking the cold pack from him. He took care of the bump instead.

    ¡°I was being trailed, and only realized it at thest minute. I managed to escape though, and Voil¨¤! Here I am, alive and kicking while they aren¡¯t.¡± Marcel dered.

    ¡°Yeah, with ¡®managed¡¯ being the word.¡± Victor reminded him that he had a narrow escape.

    ¡°It would never happen again, my head is back in the game now especially after knowing someone hired assassins after me,¡±

    .....

    Victor, who had been rubbing the cold pack on his face, paused at once, ¡°Did you just say assassins?¡±

    ¡°Mercenaries.¡± He said, ¡°I saw the tattoo branded on one of them. The other two were toast. And you should have seen me in action, Victor, it was so badass. One moment I was being chased and the next, I reversed and they ended up being chased -¡±

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Victor shouted at him, ¡°Do you even realize how serious this is?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I have a tennis-sized bump on my head,¡± He gestured with his fist.

    ¡°No, it means someone wants you dead, idiot.¡± Victor hit him in the back of the head.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Marcel groaned, ¡°I am currently a patient, dear cousin.¡±

    ¡°And I am not your doctor.¡± Victor sighed, silence descending on the both of them. He lifted his face, ¡°This is serious, Marcel. Someone out there wants you dead.¡±

    ¡°Well, who doesn¡¯t want me dead?¡± Marcel looked him dead in the eyes, ¡°I¡¯m Daniel¡¯s son. If they can¡¯t get through my crazy father, surely his son would be an easier target. And number two, I¡¯m the Mafia Don of this family, that already makes me a target to my rivals out there.¡±

    ¡°We would tighten security then and probably bring that up in the meeting tomorrow -¡±

    ¡°You are not bringing that up, not at all,¡± Marcel told him firmly.

    ¡°Any one of us could be in danger and we don¡¯t even know who is after us?¡±

    ¡°They could have attacked us on the way to Mimi¡¯s ce, but they didn¡¯t and waited for me to be all alone. It¡¯s clear that the target had been me, not someone else.¡± Marcel said.

    Victor looked at him with a narrowed gaze, ¡°Why do I feel like there is something that you¡¯re not telling me?¡±

    ¡°You mean the part where Daniel might decide to create chaos with this piece of news? I kept everything quiet, Victor, be sure to do the same.¡±

    Victor thought about it, ¡°You think Daniel might not let the incident go and me it on someone like....¡± His eyes widened, ¡°The Draven family.¡±

    He quickly added, ¡°It makes sense that the Draven¡¯s would be the first on his list of suspects considering we have an unresolved conflict.¡±

    ¡°We both know that Eric Draven would not do this. He is an honorable man and not the type to send assassins after his rivals, stabbing them in the back. However, Daniel is looking for an excuse for this war to happen, and if hees to know about the attack? ¡±

    ¡°Innocent or not, he would heap the me on the Draven family and manipte the others to vote on the war,¡± Victor figured out the rest.

    He said to Marcel, ¡°We must have the meeting tomorrow and have the elders on our side before Daniel can think of retaliating.¡±

    Marcel nodded his head and thenid back on the couch with a groan. His entire body hurt and he would need a lot of painkillers to sleep tonight if he was going to face his father tomorrow. At this point in his life, he needed a break from everything and he didn¡¯t see that happening soon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Victor resumed his treatment for his face, ¡°We have to reduce the swelling against the meeting tomorrow else Daniel begins to snoop around to know what happened to his precious son.¡±

    ¡°Haha, funny,¡± Marcelughed sarcastically, but he let Victor do whatever he wanted with him.

    Victor made him lie on hisp because the position seemed much easier and rubbed around the bump. He continued the treatment in silence until Marcel said,

    ¡°Do you know, if you weren¡¯t my cousin and a boy, I would have fallen for you? Your eyes are so pretty.¡± Marcel stared at him in adoration.

    Victor halted his movement at once and looked down at Marcel with a raised brow. He asked, ¡°Just how hard did you hit your head?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know. I didn¡¯t even feel the pain until I came home and the adrenaline wore off,¡± He confessed.

    ¡°In that case, you need a doctor. What if you suffered a concussion? No wonder you¡¯re beginning to talk rubbish, ¡± Victor was ready to call his doctor when Marcel stopped him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Victor. I know my body well and I¡¯m not having double vision. I¡¯ll just sleep it off and feel better in the morning.¡± He promised him.

    Victor gave him a long look but agreed in the end reluctantly. He would look after him tonight anyway and if something¡¯s not right, he¡¯d call the doctor right away.

    Silence filled the room once again. But then, Victor had something to say, he just doesn¡¯t know if this was the right moment. But then, he couldn¡¯t keep it in forever and eventually announced,

    ¡°I think you and Arianna might be able to meet.¡±

 Chapter 708

    708 A Fool For Love

    Victor felt Marcel stiffen beneath him when he said that and he braced himself for the explosion that was undoubtedlying his way. And just as he expected, Marcel sat up at once and faced him.

    His mouth opened and yet no words came out as if he was struggling to say the word. Nheless, Victor shut his eyes and waited patiently for his cousin to snap at him only to hear minutester,

    ¡°Okay¡±

    Huh?

    Victor opened an eye first just to be sure that he heard right before the other one popped open and he stared at Marcel with wide eyes. What has possessed his cousin? Was this Marcel he knew or was another soul upying his body? It sounded too good to be true.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He wanted to know if Marcel was serious about meeting his ex-girlfriend.

    ¡°It¡¯s high time that we met already and I can¡¯t keep running away from her forever. It makes it seem as if I¡¯m the one most affected by the breakup when I was the one who broke up with her,¡± He wasn¡¯t a coward either.

    ¡°Well, if you say so.¡±

    Marcel scrutinized him, ¡°What¡¯s the n though because I won¡¯t be the fool who risks his neck for his ex-girlfriend. If we are going to talk, Arianna would be the one making the sacrifices.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Of course, she would,¡± Victor was in support of his decision. Sure, he liked Arianna but that was until she hurt Marcel and that was a crime he doesn¡¯t forgive easily. The only reason he was involved in this n was to keep Mimi from taking the lead and putting herself at risk again. She never listens, so he¡¯d do the job instead.

    He went on to say, ¡°Mimi and Arianna are inmunication, and from what she gathered, Eric and Natalie are getting married tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Marcel shouted, shocked by the news. He knew that Arianna¡¯s mother and Eric were together, but the thought of them getting married just didn¡¯t cross his mind until now.

    ¡°Does Daniel know about this?¡± Was the first question that came to Marcel¡¯s mind. Not that his father would go say his piece on their wedding day, he definitely wished not.

    ¡°I have no idea, but from what Mimi said, the wedding was ate-minute adjustment after the provocation from your father. So I don¡¯t believe he has an idea of it already,¡±

    ¡°Good. We¡¯d keep it that way,¡± Marcel had a smirk at the corner of his lips. ¡°We must do everything possible to make Daniel attend the meeting tomorrow while the love birds get married,¡± He decided.

    It was so relieving to know that his bastard father wasn¡¯t going to marry Natalie and Arianna ends up as his step-sister. That would be a nightmare. A nightmare that he would never recover from.

    ¡°You know when you smirk like that, there¡¯s literally no difference between you and Daniel, and you look so evil,¡± Victor shuddered, ¡°Gene is so creepy.¡±

    At once, Marcel tightened his expression, he didn¡¯t even realize that he had been smirking all this while. He cleared his throat, saying,

    ¡°What happens next? I don¡¯t remember getting an invitation to the wedding though.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t being to the wedding. Arianna thinks that Eric and Natalie would be leaving that evening for a short honeymoon considering the recent tension between both of our families. She believes that she can convince Elijah to let her out.¡±

    ¡°Elijah again?¡± Marcel muttered.

    ¡°At least he¡¯s helping this time,¡± Victor shrugged.

    ¡°Yeah, to clean up the mess he made in the first ce,¡± He sassed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this either, Marcel, but we do not exactly have a choice and are making do with what we have. That is if you still want to meet Arianna.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet her, but make sure that bastard Elijah doesn¡¯t tag along else fuck Eric and his treaty, I¡¯ll end his pathetic life myself.¡± Marcel was not joking because his tone held a hint of threat. It would take a long time, if not forever, for him to forgive that bastard for impregnating Adele.

    Although Eric marrying Natalie technically makes Arianna and Elijah a family, Marcel still felt jealous. He simply didn¡¯t want that bastard around his woman. Wait a minute, hadn¡¯t he broken up with her? She was no longer his woman! Nheless, Marcel couldn¡¯t shake the jealous feeling off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll rte the news to them then,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°Good.¡± Marcel stood up to his feet, wiping away invisible specks of dust from his clothes. ¡°I guess we¡¯d call it a night. See you tomorrow, Victor. ¡±

    ¡°Goodnight Marcel.¡± He waved back before his eye settled on the ice pack lying on the couch. He picked it up, ¡°You forgot your -¡± But Marcel was gone and he let him be.

    Back to his ce, Marcel found the aspirin in his medicine cab and popped three tablets into his mouth and was still drinking from the water bottle while walking when he bumped into something or rather someone thanks to the roar.

    It was Samson and Marcel ran into him in the doorway. It turns out that Marcel wasn¡¯t the only one used to Arianna¡¯s presence because the lion still guarded his ce thinking that Arianna was still around.

    Who was he kidding? Marcel knew that the lion was simply yearning for Arianna¡¯s presence. Every night Samsonid down here hoping that she would pop in and pet him like she used to. The animal would stay till the day broke only to leave in disappointment.

    Marcel felt pity for the poor creature and leaned down to scratch his side. Samson shut his eyes, enjoying the treatment and purring in satisfaction.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, buddy, but it¡¯s the both of us now,¡± Marcel sighed, running his hand through his thick mane.

    As if he understood his words, Samson moaned and it sounded so sad that it touched Marcel¡¯s heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Although I thought you would be happy with the way it turned out. You were always jealous of the attention I showed her.¡±

    Samson roared at Marcel in response, nudging his side with his face.

    ¡°Oh, you fell for her too. That makes us two fools then,¡± Marcel smiled wryly.

    That was what he was, a fool for love.

    But as nonchnt as Marcel seemed, the truth was that he couldn¡¯t wait to see Arianna tomorrow.

 Chapter 709

    709 Mimi Made Everything Seem So Easy

    ¡°Good Morning Miss!¡±

    The curtain was pushed to the side revealing the morning sunlight from the outside that stirred her from sleep.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Arianna groaned in irritation, blocking her eyes with the back of her hand. What now?!

    The housekeeper must have seen the annoyance on her face because she quickly exined to her, ¡°Madam says it¡¯s high time that you woke already. There¡¯s a lot of things to do today, chop-chop.¡±

    Arianna stared at the woman and then back at the clock with an inexplicable look. She didn¡¯t know what to say to her; Arianna was speechless. It was merely seven o¡¯clock in the morning and she wanted to sleep more. However, thinking about it now, Arianna found it quite funny because just days ago, she found sleeping when she had been wallowing in heartbreak. But now, she could sleep the whole day if permitted.

    Moreover, Arianna had not slept muchst night thanks to the wedding arrangement. If you thought nning a wedding was stressful, then wait until you n an emergency one. Her mother was making efforts to improve their rtionship and hence asked about her opinion on all of her ns. By the time Arianna sleptst night, it was almost three in the morning, only to wake up early.

    Arianna felt like a walking zombie and doubted her mother would be energetic enough to move on with today¡¯s wedding. With yesterday¡¯s stress, she should have even sleptter than her. Her mother should have given a gap between the wedding date to have enough rest, but then it was her wedding and her decision and she had no right to interfere.

    But to Arianna¡¯s shock, her mother was as excited as a rabbit in heat when she found her downstairs conversing with some unknown people that were probably involved with the wedding. She was kind of dumbfounded because Natalie looked even more beautiful than when they metst night. There was just this familiar glow about her that she couldn¡¯t grasp until it hit her.

    Her mother was in love.

    .....

    Damn.

    She means, what had she been thinking? What had she thought about her mother and Eric so far? Arianna simply felt that her mother was marrying the man out of gratitude for saving her life and secondly, because she wanted apanion. Arianna didn¡¯t really think that her mother loved Eric until now.

    Arianna forgot that just like her, Natalie was a woman with feelings too, even if she was a mother to twenty-three years plus adult. Her mother had the same emotions and craved love and attention. Natalie deserved a life to live too.

    ¡°Arianna!¡±

    Natalie waved at her, rousing her back to reality and Arianna walked over to her.

    ¡°This is my daughter, Arianna,¡± Natalie introduced her to another stranger, ¡°Arianna meet Mrs. Brown, she manages my hospital in my absence.¡±

    ¡°You have a hospital?¡± Arianna blinked up at her in surprise.

    But it was toote for Arianna to realize her mistake because Mrs. Brown was now staring at her as if she emerged from the of apes. Of course, she was dumb enough not to know that her mother had a hospital and probably a doctorate in medicine. At least, now she could see where her love for science came from.

    Arianna felt proud and guilty at the same time. It was kind of pleasing to know that she and her mother enjoyed the same career ¨C even though she didn¡¯t go into it full-time ¨C at the same time, Arianna knew nothing about Natalie except the story of how she turned out to be her mother and the reason she abandoned her.

    Natalie stepped in to resolve the situation and smiling at the woman politely, she took Arianna¡¯s hand with affection as he said, ¡°Arianna and I just reconnected recently,¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mrs. Brown nodded in understanding, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I wish the both of you sess as you both get to know each other. And congrattions once again, Natalie.¡± She kissed her mother on the cheek before leaving.

    Natalie turned to her with a deep breath, ¡°You¡¯re up!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the housekeeper is not exactly subtle.¡±

    She groaned, ¡°Just bear with me today, Arianna. I¡¯ll leave with Eric for our short honeymoon and you can sleep all you want afterward,¡±

    Yep, and I would meet Marcel behind your back, Arianna said in her mind.

    The both of them walked outside to thewn where the wedding would be taking ce with Natalie giving instructions to the staff about the decoration every once and then.

    ¡°By the way, I invited Mimi to the wedding. I just wanted you to know since we decided to be open to each other from now on.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s Mimi ¨C oh,¡± Natalie remembered. However, she figured something out and stopped, staring at Arianna with suspicion, ¡°Mimi had already left by the time I let out the news of my wedding. So how did she get to hear about it?¡±

    ¡°I told her,¡±

    ¡°You told her?¡±

    ¡°Through this,¡± Arianna lifted the cell phone.

    Natalie opened her mouth to say something but Arianna was quick to say, ¡°I¡¯m not a prisoner here, remember?¡± She reminded her of her words and Natalie was not able to go back on her words.

    She continued, ¡°Mimi gave me the phone to be with me, her bestie, since Elijah wouldn¡¯t hand me my cell phone and my own mother doesn¡¯t remember that I¡¯m an adult that lives in the twenty-first generation addicted to technology.¡± Arianna added, ¡°This is me being truthful.¡±

    She said, ¡°I did not...¡±

    ¡°And I haven¡¯t chatted with Marcel yet if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± She informed her on time, lowering her face to the ground and kicking at the grass begrudgingly.

    Natalie was left speechless by the time Arianna was done speaking. She then ced both hands on her shoulder and made her face her.

    ¡°Look at me...¡± Natalie pleaded with her when she wouldn¡¯t look at her. In the end, Arianna did focus on her, albeit reluctantly.

    ¡°Listen, you have every right to be mad at me, I understand. In fact, I deserve it. All of this wouldn¡¯t have happened If I were by your side and I know what it feels like to lose one you love. You forgot that I loved your father too.¡±

    Arianna didn¡¯t say anything and Natalie went on to say, ¡°However, I am your mother and I would only do what¡¯s best for you. And let¡¯s agree for once that Marcel is different from his father, the both of you are still not going to work out, not with Daniel being in the picture.¡±

    Natalie traced her features with her hand, ¡°You don¡¯t know Daniel as I do and it¡¯s better I have the bad memories rather than you. So as your mother, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to keep you away from that monster, do you at least understand that?¡±

    Arianna nodded her head and Natalie smiled brightly at her, ¡°That¡¯s my girl! My brave little girl. It¡¯s not going to be easy but I¡¯m sure you will pull through. You will get over him.¡± She said to her and Arianna gave her a weak smile in response.

    As expected, Natalie¡¯s attention was needed and she said hurriedly to her, ¡°You get prepared then while I settle this.¡±

    Arianna stood at the spot watching her mother as she talked with the staff, her gaze filled with determination. Natalie was right on one thing, she would not have an easy rtionship with Marcel if Daniel kept being against them. The bastard even has an unhealthy obsession with her mother, eww.

    But then, there was no sess story without risk and Natalie can¡¯t keep shielding her forever. She has grown enough to take responsibility for her actions. Arianna was sorry to her mother because she was going to have to disappoint her again.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Rose was the one calling her name. The girl came over and took her hand, saying, ¡°Come on, our dresses are here already. It¡¯s time to get ready for the wedding and also, your sassy friend is here again.¡±

    ¡°Mimi?¡± Arianna¡¯s heart leaped in excitement when she heard her best friend was here. At least with Mimi by her side, she wouldn¡¯t feel alone and out of ce. While Eric was going to marry her mother and they became one family, Arianna knew she truly didn¡¯t belong here ¨C the house, the room, the people, everything. It wasn¡¯t hers.

    Arianna didn¡¯t waste time to go see Mimi and damn, she looked hot in her dress ¨C she wondered if Victor saw her wearing that or perhaps, Marcel was the only controlling one.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Mimi quickly ran to her side and pressed kisses to her cheeks.

    ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re here because I don¡¯t think I can survive this wedding without you by my side.¡± Arianna was so nervous that everything they had nned would go wrong that she couldn¡¯t rx.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now and I¡¯m ready to party! ... wait a minute, why does it seem like I am too early?¡± Mimi looked around while Arianna shook her head in amusement.

    Mimi made everything seem so easy and she felt confident in her ns as well.

 Chapter 710

    710 Natalie Fell For The Wrong Twin

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the dress,¡± Arianna grumbled for the umpteenth time already.

    ¡°Ohe on,¡± Mimi rolled her eyes towards heaven, ¡°The colorpliments your skin tone well and you feel like a princess already,¡± She bent and fluffed the tulle.

    Arianna was wearing a long flowingvender tulle bridesmaid dress. It had a double V neck and entuated her narrow hips with its full skirt flowing down, she would not feel out of ce running down castle steps in it.

    But Arianna liked Mimi¡¯s daring red dress better with that high split in the side or perhaps, Arianna was merely jealous of her best friend¡¯s body. No matter what Mimi wore, even if it was a rag, she manages to pull off the clothing perfectly. Unlike her, who has to spend hours in the mirror to make sure she looked remotely as perfect as Mimi. It was tiring sometimes.

    ¡°Arianna, you are perfect. So now stop squirming like a fish and do not embarrass me in front of your sexy brothers-inw!¡± Mimi whisper yelled at her while faking a picture ofposure to the outsiders.

    Arian nced up at her.

    Oh no.

    Oh yeah.

    She could finally see the problem.

    .....

    No wonder, Mimi decided to be civilized all of a sudden, she should have known. They were currently in the foyer alongside Eric¡¯s brothers and rtives while the guest waited outside. The wedding was about to begin.

    Arianna had earlier introduced Mimi to the rest of Eric¡¯s brothers aka her brothers-inw and to her shock, her bestie who had always been sociable, suddenly became mute. Mimi had not been able to say a thing, and she had to practically help her shut her jaw.

    ¡°Should I remind you that you have Victor,¡± Arianna told her, turning her eyes away from the brothers who gathered around andughing at something she had no idea of.

    Mimi faced her, ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t exactly tell me the Draven brothers¡¯ beauty was on par with Victor¡¯s. And it¡¯s not exactly a crime to admire God¡¯s wonderfully, specially and beautifully created creatures.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhmm,¡± Arianna nodded her head with her arms crossed on her chest. She didn¡¯t believe her one bit.

    ¡°I love Victor,¡± She said, yet added, ¡°However, I suddenly wish polyandry is still in practice.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I think it¡¯s still in practice in certain states and countries. You just need to uproot your life here and move over there.¡±

    ¡°Stop being sarcastic Arianna, it doesn¡¯t fit you, ¡± Mimi ced her arm around her shoulder and turned her to face the brothers who wore matching suits, ¡°I mean can¡¯t you imagine having these drop-dead gorgeous men warm your bed every night like the females in those reverse harem novels.¡±

    ¡°Well... ¡± Arianna swatted her hand away, there was no way she was letting Mimi fill her mind with such improper thoughts, ¡°Those are novels and you are in reality, Mimi.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Mimi nodded her head, ¡°You are living my reality right now.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll give anything in the world to swap ces with you.¡±

    Mimi shook her head, ¡°You are weird.¡±

    ¡°You are weirder. In fact, I can¡¯t begin toprehend how I became friends with you.¡± Arianna said and the both of them burst intoughter.

    Mimi confessed to her, ¡°All I can say is that I¡¯m hornier ever since I became pregnant and Victor is up to the challenge, thankfully. Although, It would have been much easier if Victor was here to diffuse the testosterone in the air. I mean I could literally smell, and taste it on my lips, it¡¯s choking,¡± She looked at Arianna asking, ¡°Do you think that all pregnant experience this, or am I the only one?¡±

    Yep, too much information.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be surprised if you are the only one experiencing that,¡± Arianna muttered under her breath.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell since I¡¯m not pregnant,¡± She told Mimi with a tinge of regret in her tone. Arianna knew deep down that being with Marcel would be so much better if she was pregnant for him. Then, her mother wouldn¡¯t have any choice but to ept Marcel and her grandchild.

    ¡°Maybe I should ask your mother, and since she doesn¡¯t exactly like me because I¡¯m associated with Luciano, we can take it as a bonding exercise. She can¡¯t refuse to advise a pregnant woman young enough to be her daughter,¡± Mimi nned on using the sympathy card.

    ¡°Perhaps, you can do that after she¡¯s done with her wedding and honeymoon,¡± Arianna could not imagine Mimi and her mother being besties before the wedding. It was just not possible.

    ¡°Although I have a question for your mother.¡± Mimi sure had a lot of energy today and Arianna sighed inwardly.

    ¡°What now?¡±

    Arianna knew she prayed for a distraction to get through this, but it looks like she got more than what she asked for.

    ¡°How does...¡± She tactically pointed to Eric and Ephraim, ¡°I mean both of them are identical twins. How does Natalie know not to do it with the wrong twin?¡±

    By now, Arianna wished the ground would open up and swallow her up. Who knew Mimi would be so excited to meet her new family more than her?

    She breathed,¡± For starters, they don¡¯t live together and Ephraim is married and is growing out his beards for that same purpose.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sexy beards,¡± Mimi swooned, staring at the man.

    ¡°Mimi,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have Victor try out a beard too,¡±

    And Arianna could see Victor having a checklist after this was over.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s look at it from this perspective.¡± Mimi continued, ¡°Plot twist, it so happens that your mother fell for the wrong twin and it has been Ephraim all along,¡±

    Arianna opened her mouth to speak but Mimi beat her to it.

    ¡°And I¡¯m saying all of it happened while they lived together, before he got married and grew the beards. You did say she stayed with them and many things could have happened then. So what if Ephraim is really the one your mother loves and Natalie doesn¡¯t know she fell for the wrong twin? ¡±

    ¡°In that case, we pray she never finds out,¡± Arianna answered smartly while praying in her mind that Mimi goes for a break. Pregnancy was scary.

    And the break came in the form of an announcement, ¡°The bride ising out!¡±

 Chapter 711

    711 Start Over As Friends

    The wedding didn¡¯t follow any of the usual church protocols since Natalie was catholic. For starters, Natalie didn¡¯t have any family ¨C even though all of them were alive ¨C except for Arianna, while Eric¡¯s parents werete. Not to mention that the wedding was rushed, hence a lot of frivolous and unnecessary decorum like the father walking her up the aisle was not observed.

    The whole family apanied the couples up the aisle. While Rose held up Natalie¡¯s wedding dress train, Ephraim¡¯s kids served as the flower boys and Arianna of course was the lone bridesmaid ¨C with Mimi by her side. Nheless, the walk up the aisle was a memorable one and her mother looked so beautiful.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t help but envision her and Marcel in their ce instead. It would be the happiest day of her life ¨C she could tell how her mother felt right now. However, Arianna had to snap out of her imagination real fast because she couldn¡¯t go any further and returned to their seats like everyone else.

    It so happened that Ezra, the brother directly older than Elijah happened to seat beside Mimi and the both of them got off to a great start immediately. If asked about her rtionship with Eric¡¯s other brothers, except Elijah of course, Arianna would say good. They hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to know each other that much but the brothers were chill and looked genuinely happy to know that she was Natalie¡¯s daughter.

    However, with the way Ezra was staring Mimi up and down like a piece of meat, Arianna would make sure to remind himter that Mimi was practically a ¡°married¡± woman. Yep, she would do the horny, hormonal, pregnant woman the favor. The tension between Elijah and Marcel was real enough, add Ezra and Victor to the mix and Arianna was sure it would be a nuclear explosion. Both families wouldn¡¯t be able to survive it.

    The wedding went by really fast and Arianna actually cried when her mother read her vows. It was so real and touching especially the part where Natalie mentioned that she has been searching for what they shared for a long time until she found him. It was cheesy but it depicted the struggles her mother had over the years.

    In the end, Arianna might have sympathized and understood why her mother was being this way. For a woman who went through such traumatizing struggle, it¡¯s not surprising that she wants the best for her daughter. Daniel destroyed her life. He was not going to destroy her own life, Arianna would prove that to her.

    The priest went on to say, ¡°Today, Eric Draven and Natalie Valeria through their words, have joined together in holy wedlock. Because they have exchanged their vows before God and these witnesses, have pledged theirmitment each to the other, and have dered the same by joining hands and by exchanging rings, I now pronounce that they are husband and wife. Those whom God hath joined together, let no one put asunder. You can now seal the agreement with a kiss.¡±

    There was a great celebration as her mother and Eric locked lips and the next Arianna knew, Rose threw herself in her, shouting gleefully,

    .....

    ¡°You are now my sister!¡±

    Yep, the girl was right in that aspect. They were legally sisters now, well, half-sister to be precise, while Elijah was her brother-inw. In one word, that means Elijah¡¯s problems were her problem and if there was going to be a war with the Luciano¡¯s, Arianna was very much involved now. She was family with Elijah.

    On the brighter side, her mother was married to Eric and not Daniel, which means she and Marcel were good to go. Hallelujah! Although that would only happen if she manages to convince Marcel to make up with her. What if it doesn¡¯t work out the way she wants? What if Marcel decides he¡¯s done with her even after she begs for forgiveness? What if he¡¯s moved on without her?

    Her insecurities crept up again and Arianna became nervous. She needed something strong to drink and thankfully they¡¯d moved to reception already hence no one would question her drinking.

    However, in her haste to locate the servers, Arianna bumped into someone and she looked up only to find out that it was Elijah. Nope, not happening. As if Elijah knew what was better for him, he didn¡¯t speak to her and merely moved out of the way for her. But then, Arianna took one step and stopped.

    How was she going to convince Elijah to let her out of here tonight if they weren¡¯t on talking terms? If not for anything, at least for the sake of seeing Marcel, Arianna would be the first to wave the white g.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Arianna called him and he halted in his steps. He turned to her and pointed to his chest,

    ¡°Did you just talk to me?¡±

    Arianna nodded with a sigh. She walked over to him, ¡°My mother is married to your brother, which makes us family and we can¡¯t ignore each other forever. So why don¡¯t we for the sake of our family members put aside our differences?¡±

    ¡°I never had any problem with you, Arianna. You are the one who decided to hate me,¡± He told her.

    ¡°You took me away from Marcel amid all of my pleading, Elijah. What did you expect me to do?!¡± She red at him

    ¡°And what did you expect me to do either?! Your mother wanted you home and it wasn¡¯t like you were going to readilye with me even if I asked.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse the fact you didn¡¯t ask!¡±

    ¡°You fainted the first time I told you about your mother, nearly blowing my cover and you liked Marcel so much that the both of you are attached to the hips like conjoined twins. So ask yourself the question, would you havee even if I told you?¡±

    The answer was no, Arianna knew it deep down. She would always doubt that or find ways to ignore the woman who abandoned her.

    ¡°Nheless, I¡¯m sorry, okay? I had no choice and if there¡¯s a way to make it up to you, I would do it.¡± Elijah said without seeing the small smile that curved her lips to the side.

    Well, if you¡¯re that sorry, there¡¯s already a way to remedy that, the wheels turned in her head.

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s start over as friends then.¡± Arianna offered him her hand.

    Elijah looked at her hand suspiciously before epting it cautiously,

    ¡°Friends then,¡±

    The both of them shook hands while Arianna¡¯s smile grew. It was going to work out, she would make sure of it.

 Chapter 712

    712 Betray Natalie¡¯s Trust

    ¡°Nope, not happening,¡± Elijah refused right away the moment Arianna enlisted his help.

    ¡°Elijah!¡± Arianna hissed through gritted teeth, looking around to make sure no one was watching them. Not to talk of eavesdropping on their conversation.

    He shook his head, ¡°We are not having this conversation!¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Arianna took his words literally because the next, she hooked her arm around his and began to drag him away from the reception.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Elijah was dumbfounded. Where was she taking him? Perhaps, should he cry for help.

    ¡°You said we can¡¯t have this conversation here. Let¡¯s go to a ce where we can talk better,¡± She decided.

    ¡°No, no, no, not happening,¡± Elijah resisted her but Arianna was a pretty determined woman and she was not going to let him be a hindrance to her ns today. He wanted a chance for restitution, she was giving him one.

    Arianna had a smile the entire time she dragged Elijah along. To the others, it looked like she was having a good time with her brother-inw, and her mother was upied with the guest to notice their unholy alliance. It was only Mimi who noticed them and gave her a thumbs up for a job well done. She would join them shortly ¨C after speaking with Ezra.

    ¡°This is not going to work,¡± Was what Elijah told her after she sessfully pulled him away from the crowd into the privacy of her room.

    .....

    ¡°Says who?¡± Arianna retorted after locking the door. Elijah was not going anywhere until he agrees to help her, even if that warrants forcing his hands. And yes, she has lost her mind. But then, when you want something, you work hard for it, and right now, Arianna wanted to see Marcel so much that it was driving her crazy.

    Can¡¯t a girl get a man here?!

    ¡°Let¡¯s make things clear here.¡± Elijah went over her ns again, ¡°You want me to help you escape here so you can see Marcel?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna nodded her head enthusiastically.

    ¡°Have you lost your fucking mind?! I went through all the trouble to bring you and you expect me to send you back to Marcel? Do you even hear yourself?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving with Marcel. It¡¯s just tonight. I need to see him...make things right between us! We can¡¯t just break up like this, Elijah!¡± Arianna was desperate.

    But he shook his head in refusal, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arianna but I can¡¯t help you on that one?¡±

    ¡°But you said that you¡¯re sorry and that you had no choice but to do it. Elijah, you said that if there was a way to make it up to me that you would take it.¡± She reminded him of his words.

    ¡°Arianna...¡± Elijah shut his eyes so he wouldn¡¯t look into her eyes for he could feel his resolve wavering and he didn¡¯t like it.

    Arianna took his hands in hers, saying, ¡°This is your chance to atone for what you did, Elijah. Just a chance for me and Marcel to meet and resolve things between us. Or should I remind you that you are the reason that we broke up?¡±

    He groaned, ¡°Please don¡¯t use that sympathy card on me,¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Elijah suddenly stood straight and looked at her, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Arianna, but I can¡¯t help you. I can¡¯t betray Natalie¡¯s trust.¡±

    Tears welled up in Arianna¡¯s eyes, and she sniffed, ¡°Well then, you leave me no choice.¡±

    As if on cue, a knock came on the door and Arianna rushed and opened it, ushering Mimi in before closing the door. Elijah nched the moment he saw Mimi and he unconsciously took a step back. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten that incident where she nearly took off all of his hair.

    ¡°So did he agree or not?¡± Although the question was directed at Arianna, Mimi had her sight on Elijah and there was a sly smirk at the corner of her lips.

    ¡°He said no,¡± Arianna disclosed to her and Mimi fully turned to Elijah with a sweetly sick smile.

    ¡°Hello, we meet again,¡± She walked over to him but Elijah quickly took up a fighting stance. She added quickly, ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t pull your hair out again unless the need arises.¡±

    ¡°Haha, funny,¡± Elijahughed sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m afraid of you. Just because I don¡¯t hit women, doesn¡¯t mean that I won¡¯t make an exception for you.¡± He told her.

    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet.¡± Mimi was not even scared of him to his shock, ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s quite a disappointment that I¡¯m not just a woman, but a pregnant woman.¡± She pointed to her slightly t stomach and Elijah followed her gaze with his mouth ajar.

    ¡°Could you imagine what would happen if Victor was to hear that the same Elijah who conflicts with his family, hit his fianc¨¦ and in the worst-case scenario, made her lose her baby,¡± Mimi gasped dramatically, ¡°That would be a disaster.¡±

    At this point, Elijah was tired. He was defeated and his hands hung limply at his sides. He couldn¡¯t believe that the girls would sink this low.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked her with a deep exhale.

    ¡°You know what we want, Elijah, just help us girls out,¡± Mimi draped her arm around Arianna¡¯s shoulder and pulled her to her side.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t,¡± Elijah threw his hands in the air in surrender.

    ¡°You can¡¯t or you won¡¯t?¡± Arianna didn¡¯t believe him. None of the girls believed him.

    Elijah began to exin to them, ¡°Natalie is not stupid and she must know deep down that you would try to do something in her absence. So she would have eyes on you and if I¡¯m correct, one of my brothers would do the job. Probably, Ezra, he¡¯s the one with the instinct and he¡¯s been hovering around you all day, trying to sniff you out. And his instinct is right because the both of you together is slippery as an eel. ¡±

    Thanks to that confession, Mimi turned to Arianna with a hurt expression,¡± And I thought I made a friend. Who knew he was sniffing around me like a pervert?¡±

 Chapter 713

    713 Change His Mind At The Last Minute

    Arianna never thought that it would be easy, nor did it cross her mind that it would be this hard either. Nheless, she was not giving up and that was why she walked over to Elijah with determination and cupped his face so he was looking into her eyes even though he was a whole lot taller than her.

    Damn, what¡¯s with men and height.

    ¡°Listen to me, you are Elijah, the phantom ghost. Your brother Ezra might have a police dog nose or something...¡± Arianna wrinkled her nose at the thought,¡± But then, you are the smartest of all the brothers. You were able to deceive Marcel and a whole lot others, what more your brother, Ezra. ¡±

    It hit Elijah in the head and his eyes lit up, ¡°Exactly,¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Arianna thought that he was getting her point without knowing that it was for a whole different reason.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand,¡± A smile lit up Elijah¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯m Ezra¡¯s blind spot. While he could sniff around you guys, he would never see meing.¡±

    However, Elijah¡¯s expression changed in the next minute and he looked at Arianna seriously, ¡°You promise me that it¡¯s just one meeting and there is no foul y because trust me, we are on shaky ground with the Luciano family...¡±

    ¡°I promise on my life, I¡¯m not going to try anything funny,¡± Arianna swore on her life.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elijah seemed satisfied with her answer before he beckoned them toe closer as he whispered the n to them.

    .....

    After a few minutes, the door was opened and each of them returned to the reception one at a time else Ezra sniffs around their disappearance andes up with a hint of their n. For once, Arianna has seen the light in the tunnel and she was not going to let anyone stop her.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Ezra asked Mimi as soon as she returned.

    She turned to him and at the same opted for a ss of water instead of the tempting champagne from the passing waiters. Pregnancy was a bummer.

    ¡°Well, I went to have a leak, and do you know that needing to pee more often than usual can be an irritating symptom of pregnancy that can happen as your growing baby puts more pressure on your dder? I mean of all ces my baby should exert pressure, why my dder?¡± Mimi bbered, watching the way Ezra¡¯s expression changed to a shocked one. He never saw that oneing.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re pregnant?¡± His eyes were wide as his eyes properly scanned her this time, resting on her stomach.

    ¡°Yeah, surprise, right?¡± Mimi said as if it was not a huge deal.

    Ezra swallowed uneasily, ¡°I need to get a drink?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Mimi said, sitting down, ¡°And I¡¯ll be here waiting for you to return, my friend,¡± She cackled evilly knowing that he was never returning.

    As for Elijah, he went back to drinking alone when Arianna approached him again.

    ¡°What now?¡± He sighed exasperatedly.

    ¡°I spoke with Adele the day Marcel broke up with me.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°She asked me to give you the middle finger if I saw you,¡± And just as instructed by Adele, Arianna gave him.

    ¡°Not funny,¡± He said wryly.

    Just like that, silence descended as both of them kept to themselves, watching the celebration going on around them.

    ¡°You love her, don¡¯t you?¡± Arianna asked all of a sudden.

    Elijah pulsed his lips, ¡°And you pry too much,¡±

    ¡°You are going to need more than an apology and a few words if you are going to get her back¡± Arianna sighed, ¡°Nheless, you need to fight for her, the same way I am doing for Marcel even though I¡¯m not even sure he woulde back to me. It almost seems as if we are cursed at love or something?¡±

    ¡°Well, unlike you and Marcel, my situation is direr. So thanks for the advice and I¡¯m not cursed. It¡¯s merely my decision and I say I¡¯m better on my own. ¡± Elijah said.

    ¡°Shit yourself then,¡± Arianna said, returning to watch the wedding party and there was a slightmotion because it was time for her mother to throw the bouquet.

    Stupid culture, that was what Arianna thought until her mother threw the bouquet and everything happened quicker than her eyes couldprehend. One moment, Arianna was standing there with nothing in hand, and the next, the bouquet dropped right into her hand as if it had fallen right from heaven.

    A God-sent.

    A sign.

    While the others jubted at the result, her mother stood, her feet stuck to the ground with a slightly horrified expression. If this was indeed a sign from heaven, perhaps it should havee at ater time because right now, her mother was staring at her suspiciously. Almost as if she could see through her ns.

    Well, if this was a sign from heaven, that means no one would be able to stop her from being with Marcel. Thank you Jesus for this wonderful sign. Arianna promised not to let the almighty down after giving her this second chance.

    Hence, Arianna took the bouquet and lifted it in the air as the winner and the guest erupted in celebration. Well, except for her mother who struggled to chill and thank God for her wonderful husband, Eric who tried to take her mind off it. It was a mere bouquet, it was not like her daughter was getting married tomorrow.

    And finally the moment, Arianna has been waiting for arrived, time for the couple to leave for their honeymoon. Arianna couldn¡¯t remember the number of advice her mother gave her because she filtered the whole thing. Her mind was made up.

    Hence, while everyone was busy waving at the couples on their way to their honeymoon, Arianna slipped into the parking lot without anyone noticing and located the car Elijah told her. She opened the trunk and entered inside before closing it.

    Mission aplished.

    Now, it was left for Elijah to get her out of here. Arianna prayed that he doesn¡¯t change his mind at thest minute.

 Chapter 714

    714 Wear Her Wedding Ring

    ¡°These meetings are bing kind of boring,¡± Cindy Luciano moaned as she walked into the base. Today¡¯s meeting was being held at Marcel¡¯s ce of residence, which was kind of shocking, to be honest.

    If there was anything Marcel hated the most, it was any of his family members ¨C whom he loathed ¨C visiting this ce without his permission. He guarded the ce so jealously that one might think that he was running some sort of secret experiment there.

    If only they knew that Marcel simply liked keeping them on their toes and needed none of their unholy alliance and disturbance. Moreover, people tend to long for something they can¡¯t have. He drew the line with his rtives and they knew not to cross.

    However, today, Marcel needed to be in his zone if he was going to convince the annoying elders to let go of the trial. Being in this ce would remind them of his authority, as well as a boost to his confidence.

    Although the same couldn¡¯t be said for Daniel. His father had once been in control of this ce amongst the many other properties that their family owned, until Marcel took over his position and decided to use it as his permanent residence.

    There was just something about this ce that felt like home even though he had not grown up here. Coupled with Ariannaing into his life, she added a spark of life into the ce and he was not ready to move from here anytime soon.

    ¡°These meetings are meant for elders unlike the senseless young ones, so you might as well sit out your teenage ass on this one.¡±

    Cindy let out a yelp when Victor came out of nowhere, startling her. She red at him but he was shamelesslyughing at her reaction and that infuriated her.

    ¡°I am not a teenager!¡± She yelled after him, but Victor ignored her and left while stillughing.

    .....

    That bastard! She hated him as much as she hated Marcel. The both of them were tight like some creepy twins even though they were cousins. She wished they could go die and there can finally be peace in her family.

    Well, Cindy looked around the ce and It was not bad. Since this was her first timeing here, what about a little tour? It wouldn¡¯t be so bad, after all, who knows when she might get the chance to visit Marcel¡¯s base?

    When he¡¯s removed from his position? When Marcel is dead? Cindyughed at the thought. When her brother Gabriel finally gets the ce, she would advise him not to renovate anything. She would love to see Marcel¡¯s face whenever hees into the residence and remembers that he had once been in charge.

    It would be so heartbreaking ¨C and entertaining.

    Hence she broke away from the others that were being led to the conference room by the staff and began to roam around the ce. None of the staff bothered her which meant that she freely went wherever she wanted. Moreover, most of the doors were locked, so it was not like she was able to stumble upon a shocking secret.

    It would be nice to know Marcel¡¯s deadly secret though, that way she would be able to ckmail him and make him do whatever she wanted ¨C like giving up his position to her brother. For once, she would be able to do something useful and her family would be so proud of her instead of seeing her as a nuisance that she wasn¡¯t. Cindy had great ambitions.

    She stumbled upon the room and from the feminine decoration, Cindy could tell that it belonged to a woman. What woman though? The only woman she heard that Marcel liked was that woman named Ariel or something. Was this her room? If it wasn¡¯t, could it belong to his hidden mistress? Could it be that Marcel is cheating on her now that she¡¯s away?

    Cindy gasped dramatically at the thought. The woman was even pregnant for him. This is why you should never trust men. Look at her, upon everything she did for Elijah, he chose her ugly, illegitimate sister over her. Well, he¡¯s trash and she guessed, both trash deserves to be together.

    It didn¡¯t hit Cindy that she was invading someone¡¯s privacy as she searched the room. It wasn¡¯t until she found theptop and saw a picture of Arianna and Marcel together, used as the screensaver that she gave up. It was Ariel¡¯s room.

    Cindy was disappointed, she refused to believe that Marcel was clean. None of her family members were innocent, however, Marcel¡¯s sins had to be greater than all of theirs. She was sure, her instinct never fails her.

    She sat on the bed with her legs crossed over the other and thinking of her next course of action when a sudden bark brought her back to the present.

    Cindy turned, surprised to see a snow white chihuahua on the bed and the dog continuously barked at her as if she was some sort of intruder (which she technically was). However, she didn¡¯t heed the warning from the dog and turned to it instead with fascination, taken in by its innocent beauty.

    ¡°Aww, aren¡¯t you a cute one,¡± Cindy swooned, trying to touch its fur but the dog barked at her aggressively and she withdrew her hands.

    ¡°Ohe on!¡± Cindy whined, ¡°You can¡¯t be that bad. And you are so cute that I can¡¯t help but want to hold you.¡± She reached for Redhead once again and he struck.

    It all happened faster than her eyes could register. One moment Cindy was reaching for the cute-looking thing again and the next thing Redhead lifted its head and chomped down on her finger.

    It was like something out of a horror movie as Cindy stared at her nowpletely broken and limp finger pumping out blood that trailed down her hand and dropped onto the bed.

    Then the pain registered.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Cindy screamed at the top of her voice. She couldn¡¯t lose her ring finger. Where else was she going to wear her wedding ring?

 Chapter 715 - 715 You Did Daddy Proud

    715 You Did Daddy Proud

    ¡°Daniel is not here,¡± Marcel pointed out to Victor who came to stand at his side. He didn¡¯t know whether to be relieved or get anxious by that thought.

    ¡°Perhaps, he¡¯s runningte.¡± Victor didn¡¯t want to think the worst.

    ¡°Lesson 101 on knowing Daniel, he would never bete at a gathering like this one. He would love to be the first to be able to ess his enemies, recognize their weakness, and piss me off, undoubtedly.¡±

    Marcel let out a shaky breath, ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence that he¡¯s missing on the day that Natalie is getting married.¡±

    At once Victor leaned closer, checking their surroundings to make sure no one was watching them as he said in a lowered voice, ¡°You think he somehow heard about the wedding.¡±

    ¡°It would be more shocking to me if he doesn¡¯t know. He¡¯s practically obsessed with her.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should send some men to stop him?¡± Victor asked him.

    ¡°And what if he¡¯s at Natalie¡¯s wedding already, are they going to tackle him there? What if he resists them and it breaks into a fight? Tension is already tight between us and the Draven¡¯s. We can¡¯t give them a reason to react, identally or not.¡±

    Victor nodded his head in understanding. Moreover, it was not like the Draven¡¯s were going to open their doors wide for them toe in and check on Daniel. No, Eric probably put out posters for Daniel, his uncle was not going to get a mile from Natalie.

    .....

    Marcel pinched the space between his brows. He said to Victor, ¡°Just let him be. Daniel might be reckless, not stupid. He should know by now that Eric and Natalie are serious about each other and can¡¯t do anything about it. Who knows, my father might have a heart after all and is currently mourning the love of his life already,¡± Marcel said with deep sarcasm at the end. He still could not understand how he could loathe the woman, Natalie, and yet, love her daughter, Arianna. Fate was fucking with him.

    ¡°Moreover,¡± Marcel continued,¡± He not appearing in the meeting today is to my benefit. Daniel does a good job of controlling people¡¯s opinions around here, I¡¯ll be taking up that role today.¡±

    Marcel patted Victor on his back. Putting on a serious look, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get this meeting started.¡±

    Just like that, Marcel stepped into the conference room in style with Victor trailing after him as everyone turned to stare at them. Everyone was left dumbfounded by the confident aura they exuded, their gazes following the handsome men until Marcel took his ce at the head table and Victor at his left with Adele, his underboss, having taken her ce at his right.

    ¡°Thank you all for attending the meeting today,¡± Marcel said to them, his gaze taking in everyone seated down until his sharp gaze noticed that another person, aside from his father, was missing.

    Cindy.

    Of course, Marcel was not bothered about Cindy ¨C she was not worth his time ¨C but the girl was as slippery as an eel and he did not want her going around and causing unnecessary problems in his ce. Hence, he was about to signal Victor to go find her when a scream was heard and everyone in the room had their hands going to their guns already.

    They thought that it was an attack from a rival n and had their weapons to defend themselves already. After all, it wasn¡¯t the first time they suffered an attack after the enemies got news of their gathering.

    It was the fastest way to destroy a Mafia family ¨C take out their top guns one after the other or destroy them all in one ce. However, there was no sound of bullets flying around, not to mention that the banshee cry sounded familiar.

    Adele stood up the same Marcel did and they both left to take care of the situation while Victor stood to announce to the family members, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have this covered.¡±

    It was not hard to find the source of the noise because some of his men had gathered around the scene and one should already see the murderous look on Marcel¡¯s face when he discovered it wasing from Arianna¡¯s room. He did not need to know what happened, all he knew was that Cindy trespassed into Arianna¡¯s room. She vited her room.

    Who gave her the right?!

    Hence, as soon as he came in to see Cindy still screaming while holding up her limp finger, Marcel didn¡¯t waste a second tond a p on her face and she saw stars.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Adele moved in between them and said sternly to him, ¡°Control yourself,¡±

    Marcel looked at Adele with his red, fiery eyes before they flickered back at Cindy who now had tears running down her cheeks. She couldn¡¯t believe that Marcel just hit her.

    ¡°Get her out of here,¡± He growled the orders at his men.

    ¡°No, wait, what about my finger? My ring finger!¡± Cindy cried out. Her screams echoed around the house as they dragged her away.

    As soon as she was gone, Marcel¡¯s attention was drawn to the chihuahua barking for his attention. Marcel bent down and picked Redhead, his eyes narrowing in displease when he saw the blood stains on the bed Sheet. The sheet still carried Arianna¡¯s faint smell and Cindy just ruined it.

    Judging from the little stain around Redhead¡¯s snout and his constant barking, Marcel could already deduce what had happened. Cindy was lucky enough she had not bumped into Samson, who has be a constant guardian of Arianna¡¯s room else it would have been a different story altogether.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boy, the nuisance is gone. Calm down, now,¡± Marcel said, scratching his fur and soothing him.

    As if Redhead could understand him, he calm down and Marcel lifted him only to kiss on top of his head, saying, ¡°You did Daddy proud today,¡±

    He turned to Adele, ¡°Tell them to get rid of the sheet,¡± and he left with the chihuahua.

    Meanwhile, back in the conference room, some of the family members were bing annoyed with Marcel¡¯s disappearance and were ready toin when the door was opened, startling them. They quicklyposed themselves as Marcel came in with a stoic expression with a cute-looking chihuahua in his arms.

    What the hell?

    However, none of them dared to say a word, watching Marcel sit back down and stroke the chihuahua leisurely. Redhead in question leaned into his side as if staking his im on Marcel and daring others not toe close.

    ¡°Now, where were we?¡±

 Chapter 716 - 716 He Doesnâ€™t Want To Die

    716 He Doesn¡¯t Want To Die

    ¡°Has the Draven Family decided on giving up Elijah for the trial?¡± Robert asked him with authority. With his nemesis, Daniel, absent from the meeting, he must feel that it was right that he took his ce.

    Unfortunately, no matter how intimidating he appeared to look, Marcel didn¡¯t even flinch, no, it seemed as if that annoying dog was more important than the meeting judging from how nonchnt he looked.

    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t and I¡¯m sure if the head of themittee made time to be here today, he would have announced the news himself, ¡± Marcel answered calmly.

    ¡°What?¡± Robert was still talking when his overdramatic brother stole his limelight.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡± Robert stood up, banging his hand hard on the startling the others, and continued to rave, ¡± This is why we shouldn¡¯t have put you in charge of this case -¡±

    ¡°Correction,¡± Marcel cut him off, ¡°You made Daniel head of themittee, not me,¡± He said so sweetly that one would have been deceived by it if it wasn¡¯t for the darkness gleaming in his eyes.

    Benjamin was taken aback by Marcel¡¯sment, however, he quickly recovered and went on to scold him on how to do his job, ¡°But then you are the Don of this family, you should have made sure that Eric didn¡¯t leave without giving us, Elijah! This is why children shouldn¡¯t be given this position! It gets into their head and they can¡¯t do anything right!¡±

    ¡°That includes your son, right?¡± Marcel said

    ¡°Yes, of course¡­ !¡± Benjamin recovered at thest minute and came to realize that Marcel just tricked him. He tried to rephrase his words immediately, ¡°No, I mean -¡±

    .....

    ¡°Sit down,¡± said Camille who had been quiet all this while and watching the events unfolding before her.

    Hearing thatmand, Benjamin was dumbfounded and looked to his brother for help. There was no way that he could obey that woman¡¯smand just like that. She was a woman for crying out loud and had no right to tell him what to do.

    However, when his brother Robert didn¡¯t defend him and everyone gathered around the table was giving him looks, embarrassment washed over him. Benjamin cleared his throat awkwardly, ¡°Old age must be getting to me that I need to sit now,¡± He said in a bid to cover his shame as he sat down.

    Seeing that he was seated, Camille turned to Marcel, and asked, ¡°How does the Draven family intend to go about this? Surely they don¡¯t expect us to forgive them and move on just like that?¡±

    ¡°Eric wants us to negotiate,¡± Marcel added, ¡°Of course, without the trial of course.¡±

    ¡°That would be an insult to our men who lost their lives because of him.¡± Robert insulted.

    ¡°Insults can always be remedied with a sincere apology,¡± Marcel answered him immediately.

    ¡°We can¡¯t be looked down on,¡±

    ¡°This is business, not looking down. Your ancientws worked in the past, not now.¡± Marcel looked at him firmly.

    ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re just scared of a war breaking out between both families. You¡¯re just being a coward about it,¡± Benjamin used him and the whole ce went dead silent.

    All eyes fell on Marcel as they waited to see how he would react to that insultingment. They knew that he had a temper ¨C they all heard what happened between him and Daniel in thest meeting.

    They must have waited for Marcel to explode or something, so when he said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go to war with the Draven family then,¡± It came as a shock to them. It wasn¡¯t like Marcel to give in to them like that. He couldn¡¯t have grown so weak. After all, he was Daniel¡¯s son and they had been expecting more.

    At once a smile lit up Benjamin¡¯s expression. He was right, all Marcel needed was a little push and he gave in just like that! There was a very good reason why he wanted the war. When both sides war against one another, it could easily be resolved with the death of one of the Dons.

    Unfortunately, Daniel had only one son and Adele was the next in line to the throne and a woman. They could easily remove her from the position and have his son Gabriel rece her. Only hispetition then would be his brother¡¯s son, especially Arthur. But then, that was a problem he would think about in the future. For now, his enemy¡¯s enemy is a friend.

    Unfortunately for Benjamin, his brother Robert was thinking about the same thing. Unlike him who believes Gabriel would be the one to take the position after Adele¡¯s kicked out, Robert felt that the position was his son¡¯s Arthur, birthright.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for his father getting banished for killing Albine, that position would have gone to him as the firstborn son and Arthur would have naturally been his heir. But then, Daniel and his family had toe over and steal his position (even though they were honestly the rightful owners when traced back)

    ¡°You made the right decision,¡± Benjamin praised him, ¡°The war may be long and gory but it would restore our family¡¯s reputation that your great grandfather, Fergus, strived to build.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, considering your son Gabriel would be at the frontline of that battle, building it.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Benjamin was dumbfounded, looking at Marcel for an exnation, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it right that the person who wants the war so much should stand at the front line, uncle?¡± Marcel asked him innocently.

    Benjamin blinked at him, his mouth opening to say a word but nothing came out and Marcel went on to say with an endearing tone.

    ¡°But then uncle, I know that you are too old to fight the battle, so that¡¯s why your son would take your ce, isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± Marcel smirked at him devilishly.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± shouted Gabriel in question who couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He can¡¯t just sit there and watch his head being served for breakfast. If he led the war, there was no guarantee that he would survive. He doesn¡¯t want to die yet.

 Chapter 717 - 717 Restoring The Familyâ€™s Glory

    717 Restoring The Family¡¯s Glory

    ¡°Aww, that was so loud,¡± Marcel looked down at the chihuahua and then back at Gabriel whose eyes were red with emotion, and said, ¡°You scared Redhead. Lower your voice please, animals are sensitive to noise.¡±

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Gabriel fired at him, angered by his nonchnce. Does he take him for a fool?

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m a bit lost here, can you remind me a little?¡± Marcel pretended to be oblivious to what he was talking about.

    He red at him, ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me, Marcel!¡±

    ¡°Oh, is it about the war? You don¡¯t need to worry about that, after all, your father volunteered you to lead the way.¡±

    Gabriel looked at his father and the man opened his mouth to defend himself yet ended up stammering instead because of the tension,

    ¡°N-no¡­ it¡¯s not¡­ that¡­ I ¨C I ¡±

    Marcel continued, ¡°And did I forget to mention that your family would be recognized for taking an active stance in this war we are preparing to embark with the Draven Family,¡±

    ¡°That is not right! My father did not promise you anything!¡± Gabriel retorted and Marcel faked a dramatic gasp.

    .....

    ¡°Is that so? Had I been misquoting his words all along?¡± He reminded him of his father¡¯s words, ¡°The war may be long and gory but it would restore our family¡¯s glory that your great-grandfather Fergus strove to build,¡±

    He didn¡¯t miss a word.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you confident of leading this war or are you just being a coward about it?¡± Marcel repeated the same words that Benjamin used on him moments ago and that was when everyone realized what was going on.

    They had thought that Marcel had swallowed up the insult, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. This was Marcel having his revenge on them. And Camille who had been quietly watching the drama threw her head back and burst into boisterousughter.

    Daniel should have been here to see his prot¨¦g¨¦ in action. Her stupid brother thought that his son was weak and unworthy of his reputation, but he was wrong. Marcel was slyer and possessed the empathy his fathercked.

    At this point, not even Gabriel could speak against Marcel because he just tricked them into a position where they couldn¡¯t even go back on their words and be shamed.

    ¡°Also,¡± Marcel told him, ¡°As much as you are older than me, I am still the boss here and I would love that you address me with respect next time.¡±

    Gabriel swallowed when he saw the cold dark look in Marcel¡¯s eyes and he found himself nodding his head and sitting his ass back down on the seat without being told to do so. Marcel looked like he was going to murder him.

    ¡°Now, where were we?¡± His dark expression vanished away and was reced with a friendlier expression, ¡°Oh, about the war.¡±

    The moment Benjamin heard about the war, his heart began to pound hard in his chest. They can¡¯t go to war! That bastard Marcel tricked him! His son can¡¯t be the one leading the war. He was going to lose his only remaining son, no!

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m in support of that war?¡± Camille said and Benjamin released the breath that he had been holding in. It wasn¡¯t over yet, but it was something.

    ¡°If Eric Draven can offer us something substantial that can develop our family business rather than the setback that a war brings, then I am all in.¡± Camille raised her hand in a vote expecting the others to follow suit and when they didn¡¯t, her narrowed, warning gaze

    flickered towards them one after the other.

    In no time, hands were lifted in the air one after the other until it was left for Robert and Benjamin, and their family. As expected, it wasn¡¯t surprising to anyone when Benjamin was the first to bite the bullet.

    ¡°I think I might have been a bit hasty in making a decision earlier. But thanks to Camille for opening my eyes,¡± He chuckled nervously, using the excuse to cover his shame.

    However, Camille merely snorted at his pathetic attempt of changing his mind, after all, they all knew that Benjamin had a fickle royalty and could never be trusted.

    With Benjamin raising his hand in support, Gabriel and his wife had no choice but to follow his gesture and Robert red at him intensely.

    That pathetic bastard! If only he had held on, then he could have turned the tide in their favor. But now, all eyes were on him and waiting for his decision.

    ¡°And what about Daniel?¡± Robert brought that up, ¡°He¡¯s the leader of themittee and should -¡±

    ¡°Daniel already nullified his vote by being absent in this meeting and even if he was here, the number of hands in the air is greater as you can see,¡± Marcel stopped him right there.

    Robert scanned the number of hands in the air and it was as Marcel had said; he was red with embarrassment.

    Marcel arched a brow at him, ¡°So?¡±

    He was defeated.

    Seeing that he had no other choice, Robert lifted his hand reluctantly and his sons followed his direction. In the end, the call for trial of Elijah Draven was ruled and a more amicable negotiation was epted.

    ¡°Thanks for your attendance today, the meeting is dismissed.¡± Marcel added, ¡°Although you could stay back for some refreshment¡­.¡± He was still saying when Robert¡¯s chair was the first to be pushed back with a squeak and he stormed out of the ce, followed by his wife and sons.

    ¡°I guess no refreshment then,¡± Marcel wasn¡¯t even surprised by the oue and rxed into his seat, stroking Redhead leisurely.

    The chihuahua had fallen asleep throughout the chaos and now Marcel hoped that none of them wakes the sleeping dog.

    But then, his aunt was standing in front of him the next minute. Camille stared at Marcel and shook her head.

    ¡°I hope that is not the child you intend to present to Daniel nine months,¡± She hinted at the lie he had told Daniel about Arianna being pregnant.

    However, Marcel was not worried, after all, he was going to meet Redhead¡¯s mother tonight.

 Chapter 718 - 718 Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

    718 Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

    Note: This chapter is mostly about Daniel¡¯s monologue and intake into Natalie¡¯s marriage and her Beau Eric. Music Rmendation:- All I want ¨C Emma Bale.

    __________

    What was he even doing here?

    Daniel wondered as he watched the Draven residence from where he was packed at a corner of the road. The meeting at the base should be ongoing already, but for some strange reason, he cared less. Marcel could have the win today, he would deal with his arrogant asster.

    Today was Natalie¡¯s special day and the least that he could do was honor it. So yes, it was his holy day; he was not observing the damn meeting. Although he was pretty sure that Eric would shoot off his head if he dared to take a step towards his residence.

    It was unfair though, with his history with Natalie, Daniel thought that he would get an invitation and the front-row seat at her wedding. Does she hate him so much that she couldn¡¯t give him the chance to wish her great happiness?

    What was that saying again, bury the hatchet and be friends? He thought that they had gone through the past already and all sins should be forgiven. Just like other vengeful women, shouldn¡¯t she invite him to the asion and rub her happiness all over his face?

    That would have been perfect revenge, rather than the cold shoulder that she was giving him. He means,e on, both of their children were close, how were they going to be inws in the future if they couldn¡¯t see eye to eye on issues? Well, Daniel knew there was a reason that he liked her. Her fighting spirit and stubbornness couldn¡¯t bepared.

    He wondered if Eric knew that about her or if was he just a young stud who thought he knew everything about her when he knew nothing. Natalie deserved better and needed to be looked after by someone who understood her and not just some good-looking younger man. Daniel couldn¡¯t understand why he was offended by Eric¡¯s appearance though.

    .....

    Perhaps, he missed his youth or something. If it had been when he was at his prime, Eric¡¯s boyish look couldn¡¯tpare to his. Even now, he didn¡¯t look too much and women threw themselves on him. What did Natalie even see in him? Daniel was greatly annoyed.

    Had it been that he was in attendance, he could have given Natalie a lot of counsel on how to deal with men considering he was a man himself. Daniel was assured that he was no longer in love with Natalie, but seeing Natalie moving on and starting a chapter of her life with another man, he had to make sure that she wasn¡¯t making a mistake.

    She had to live fine and make him regret ever losing her; for not treating her well; for letting her slip through his fingers; for not fighting hard for her; for making her hate him. Okay, fine, he admits it. Perhaps, he still had a tiny bit of affection left for Natalie, but all of it would end from this moment henceforth. Natalie now belongs to another man that wasn¡¯t him.

    That was the reason Daniel was here, her wedding would be the conclusion he needed. Some sort of wake-up call that he needed to stop pinning after a woman that wouldn¡¯t be his. He needed to know that she was happy so he could stop worrying about her.

    For hours, Daniel stayed in his car without stepping out and observing the guests go in and out of the mansion which was guarded by heavy security. Daniel knew part of the reason she stepped up the wedding date was because of him. Eric must have told him about their meeting and Natalie must have been shaken by it so much that she decided to get married before he ruins it all.

    Honestly, part of him still relished the fact that she was still affected by him while the other side was disappointed that she would think the worst of him. How could he ruin her wedding ceremony? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? No, he could never do that to an old lover and a friend. It was his wedding gift to her ¨C even if she never considers him as a friend anymore.

    Moreover, he was tired of kidnapping and cleaning off her record ¨C which he couldn¡¯t do now that she was under Draven¡¯s protection. Now, he wanted them to rte amicably even if she was married. Hence when Daniel noticed movements at the entrance, he leaned forward to the open window, anxious to see her.

    He wasn¡¯t disappointed because Natalie stepped into view, looking morous in her wedding dress and beaming so brightly she might as shame the sun. Why did she never smile this much when she was with him?

    Daniel would give anything in the world if he could go back in time and put this type of smile on her face. But now, all he was left with was a past that she didn¡¯t smile this brightly while they were together.

    What was Eric¡¯s secret? Not that he was going to ask the arrogant stud that of course. He was merely curious. Sure, he and Natalie didn¡¯t get together in the best of situations in the past, but it wasn¡¯t that bad, right?

    Eric has done pretty bad stuff as well, so how could Natalie favor him that much? It was unfair and slightly annoying. Daniel suddenly wished that he had set a record that Eric couldn¡¯t beat. It would have been gratifying if Natalie couldn¡¯t love another man as much as she had loved him. But now, all he was left with was regrets and ¡°What if¡¯s¡±

    Perhaps, the problem had always been him and not her. Was he really destined to be alone? Damn, fate was really cruel. However, since it was a fate that he couldn¡¯t escape, then he had to ept it.

    When Natalie and Eric entered their car and drove off with their escorts, Daniel kept waving at them while a lone tear slipped down his cheek.

    Goodbye, his love.

    Now that Natalie was stolen away by a younger stud, he had to move on too. But then, no woman could everpare to Natalie which is why he would never get married. Which is why he would focus his energy on his, no, their children.

    With Arianna pregnant with his grandson, he and Natalie would make wonderful grandparents. Perhaps, their rtionship could grow to the extent of exchanging parenting notes. Doesn¡¯t that sound great?

    Hence, Daniel wiped away his tears and looked on to the future because there was so much to be done.

 Chapter 719 - 719 The Future Is Unpredictable

    719 The Future Is Unpredictable

    ¡°Arianna has sessfully moved into position, we have to move now,¡± Mimi whispered to Elijah who was scanning the area for his brother Ezra and still didn¡¯t catch a glimpse of him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t find Ezra and I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good or a bad sign,¡± Elijah said, feeling uneasy about the development.

    ¡°Uneasy or not, we have to move now,¡± Mimi hastened him. She couldn¡¯t spend a minute here any longer. Most of the guests that had kept the brothers upied were leaving and it was only a matter of time before one of them noticed Arianna was missing.

    And then, Ezra wouldn¡¯t be the only one they have to deal with. Moreover, Arianna must be feeling lonely in the car boot where she was hidden ¨C time passed slowly while you weren¡¯t having fun.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go then,¡± Elijah took onest look at his surroundings before he was walking away with Mimi. It was evening and it wouldn¡¯t be long before darkness would fall, cloaking the earth with its shadows.

    The both of them got to thewn where the car was parked and just to be sure that Arianna was still there ¨C and alive ¨C Mimi knocked twice on the boot and when she got two knocks in response, her face lit up. It wouldn¡¯t be long now before the lovers are united.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Elijah beckoned her, leaning on the door with one of the feet already on the driver¡¯s side of the car as he was ready to go in.

    ¡°Coming!¡± Mimi opened the door and was about to climb into the front seat with Elijah when a voice said from behind her.

    ¡°Going somewhere, brother?¡±

    .....

    Mimi stiffened at once.

    Shit, it was Ezra.

    Why did he have to pop out from whenever he had been hiding at this time? They were so close to leaving. Honestly, Ezra reminded him of Swiper the fox from that animation she used to watch as a kid. He was so snoopy.

    Her eyes instantly connected with Elijah who secretly signaled to her that he was in control. She had to calm down and act normal.

    ¡°Hi brother,¡± Elijah said so cooly that Mimi was tempted to give him a thumbs up. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Ezra wasn¡¯t a trained member of the mafioso, he wouldn¡¯t even suspect a thing. Elijah was so good at acting, no wonder he was able to deceive Marcel and the rest of them.

    ¡°Where to?¡± Ezra came to lean on the body of the car, giving Mimi a wink that made her raise a brow. She thought that she scared him with her pregnancy story. Was that not enough or did hee back for more?

    ¡°I¡¯m driving Mimi home,¡± Was Elijah¡¯s excuse.

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    Mimi couldn¡¯t tell whether it was suspicion she sensed in Ezra¡¯s tone but he turned to her and said, ¡°The father of your child couldn¡¯t care toe and take his fianc¨¦e home?¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a busy man, nor can he cross your household¡¯s threshold without one of your brothers nting a bullet in his head.¡± Mimi defended Victor having sensed the sarcasm in Ezra¡¯s tone. She wrapped her arms around her chest and had her bitchy face on. Mimi could tolerate anything, but not when it involves Victor. She was highly protective of him.

    ¡°A Luciano then,¡± Ezra nodded his head, ¡°Well sheath your ws, kitty, I¡¯m not here to attack or something. I¡¯ll just tag along to make sure this is not a trap and your fianc¨¦ or any of his people isn¡¯t just trying to draw Elijah out, only to capture him. No offense, but the tension between both families isn¡¯t the best right now.¡±

    Ezra had already opened the backseat and climbed inside before any of them could stop him. Left with no other option, Mimi had to sit with him to make sure he doesn¡¯t sense anything and as well, distract him .

    Their ns just went downhill and they have no idea how to send Ezra away before he figured out what they were up to. They had to improvise in a limited time. Damn it!

    There was nothing but silence as they drove on and Mimi¡¯s only way ofmunicating with Elijah was through the rearview mirror. Even at that, they had to limitmunication else Ezra notices their exchange.

    ¡°You are suddenly quiet,¡± Ezra pointed out. He added immediately, facing her, ¡°Wait, is the pregnancy hormone at work? I have been with my brother¡¯s wives and they have these crazy mood swings.¡±

    Mimi looked at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you thought of me as talkative, not to mention that you are strangely fascinated with my pregnancy?¡±

    ¡°Well, I like you,¡± Ezra confessed casually and Elijah almost ran into the car in front of him from the shock.

    Unfortunately, the sudden brake tossed Arianna forward and she bumped into the side of the vehicle and yelped in pain.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Ezra heard it.

    ¡°What was what?¡± Mimi pretended to be ignorant.

    Ezra¡¯s brows furrowed as he said, ¡°I thought I heard something, but it seems to be nothing, and little bro, perhaps if you listened less to our conversation and focused more on the road, you wouldn¡¯t drive us to our death!¡± He scolded Elijah.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Elijah apologized, focusing on the road, but his gazemunicated with Mimi¡¯s through the mirror. That was a close one. They had to do something quick! But what?! All they had was a car with Arianna hiding in the boot and limited time.

    ¡°I¡¯m engaged, Ezra,¡± Mimi told him, deciding to continue the conversation and keeping him distracted while Elijah does the brain work. He¡¯s the brilliant one, right?

    ¡°Being engaged doesn¡¯t seal the deal until you¡¯re officially married.¡± He imed.

    Mimi chuckled, ¡°Are you saying that I should two time here, Mr. Ezra.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying that you should keep an open mind. After all, the future is quite unpredictable and anything could happen in a minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Mimi reminded him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m falling for you.¡±

 Chapter 720 - 720 Itâ€™s A Distraction

    720 It¡¯s A Distraction

    Her heart skipped a beat and it wasn¡¯t because Mimi was attracted to him or something, but that confession had taken her by surprise. Okay, Mimi was not going to lie, she did find Ezra attractive but that was all. It all stopped at physical attractionpared to the deep feelings she had for Victor.

    And Mimi has had enough fun with men in the past, she was not about to destroy her rtionship and impending marriage with Victor just because a handsome stud confessed his ¡°lust¡± for her. Yes, it was all lust.

    Mimi doesn¡¯t believe in love at first sight. If there was anything that she learned from being together with Victor, it was the fact that it took time for love to develop between two persons. Look at her, she had hated Victor¡¯s ass at first ¨C even though she found him sexually attractive, but then that had been her hormones speaking ¨C and never saw a future for the both of them.

    But look at both of them today! They were happily engaged in a rtionship with a baby on the way. So what more could she ask for? Mimi had everything that she could need, so amon confession was not about to move her. What were the chances he even meant what he said and this wasn¡¯t a game to him?

    So Mimi said to him, ¡°Well, thank you for that amazing confession and I really appreciate it, after all, it isn¡¯t easy for a man to summon the courage to confess his feelings to a woman and get rejected in the end. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not looking down on you -¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have problems with my ego and you don¡¯t have tofort me,¡± Ezra scolded her.

    ¡°Well, good then?¡± She awkwardly turned to Elijah and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Step on the gas please.¡±

    And Elijah did speed up, but Mimi could see the worried look on his face. They were drawing close to their destination and they still don¡¯t have a n. Neither could they fool Ezra for so long. He wasn¡¯t stupid and they couldn¡¯t talk anymore with the suffocating pressure in the air now.

    An idea suddenly hit Mimi but there was a catch, she hoped Arianna had her phone volume on silent. She pulled out her phone immediately and began to type the message.

    .....

    [Once you hear the care to a stop, slowly and quietly slip out of the car while I keep Ezra distracted. Also, turn off the volume of your phone.]

    With her heart pounding in her chest, Mimi pressed send and not less than a minuteter, two different ring tones were heard and Mimi wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Ezra was quick to notice.

    ¡°I got a message,¡± Elijah said, picking up his phone and waving it for him to see, without exposing the content of the message.

    From the way Ezra¡¯s lips were pressed together in thought, Mimi knew he sensed something. Although Arianna¡¯s ringtone had been faint thanks to being closed away in the boot and she did cut off the tone the instant it rang. However, they were seated in the backseat and if Mimi heard it, Ezra did as well. And the fact that he didn¡¯t speak about it concluded her fear that his suspicion was growing.

    ¡°You sent him a message?¡± Ezra asked her all of a sudden, startling her.

    ¡°Yes, I did. Any problem with that?¡±

    ¡°What was it about?¡± He pried further.

    ¡°Why are you so interested in what I text your brother or are you suspicious I have a thing for him instead?¡± Both of them bantered.

    Hearing thatment, Ezra burst intoughter. He then moved so close to Mimi that she had no choice but to lean back as he said,

    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself, Mimi, we both know that Elijah can¡¯t give you the wild and sizzling romance I know you want deep down, he¡¯s quite restrained.¡±

    Mimi stared back at him from her ufortable position. She began, ¡°You know, I like wild and sizzling romance,¡± she added with emphasis, ¡°Just not with you.¡±

    Mimi pushed him back to his position as Ezra burst intoughter, shaking his head. She was just so funny and he couldn¡¯t get enough of herpany.

    But that was the moment Elijah pulled up at the side and turned to announce, ¡°We are here,¡±

    The both of them became anxious as they wondered if Arianna had gotten the signal already. It was time for her to move.

    So help them, God.

    Ezra looked out through the window, ¡°You have arrived? Didn¡¯t you say you were taking her home? This is a hotel.¡± He noticed.

    ¡°When I said home, I didn¡¯t exactly specify my house. The fianc¨¦ you are so interested in knowing is waiting for me inside.¡± Mimi lied through her teeth. Marcel and Arianna were the ones meeting in the hotel since Elijah prohibited her from returning to the base ¨C it was the only condition under which he agreed to help her.

    Mimi saw the moment Arianna slipped out of the car through the rearview mirror and Ezra must have noticed it as well because he tried to turn and Mimi improvised immediately. She quickly cupped his face and shouted,

    ¡°Look into my eyes!¡± Mimi demanded, focusing his gaze on him firmly while Arianna made a clean escape. They worked hard for this, she could not let it fail at thest minute.

    Ezra blinked at her, surprised at the sudden change in attitude. She was even touching him? Mimi was a strange woman to understand.

    He chuckled, ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t know why you want me to stare into your eyes, not that it isn¡¯t pretty, no offense, but¡­.¡± Unfortunately, for Mimi, Ezra caught Arianna sneaking away through the side mirror, ¡°It¡¯s a distraction!¡± He realized.

    Without a second thought, the furious Ezra climbed out of the car and tried to go after Arianna who made it to the hotel¡¯s entrance but Elijah held on to him. He turned and punched his brother right in the face, ¡°You bastard! How could you do something like this?! You just broke Natalie¡¯s trust!¡±

    Elijah saw stars from the impact of the punch, his brother had not held back and he was not prepared. Sadly for them, Ezra was determined to bring Arianna back by all means. Natalie assigned this job to him, he couldn¡¯t fail her.

    But the moment Ezra turned, he ended up bumping into Mimi instead, knocking her to the ground hard and she screamed bloody murder, holding onto her stomach.

 Chapter 721 - 721 Play His Games

    721 y His Games

    She was forever indebted to Mimi, that was the thought Arianna had in mind when she sessfully made it inside the hotel. The fact that Ezra did not pursue her again meant that either Elijah or Mimi or both of them had taken care of the situation.

    Even Elijah of all people fought hard for her to see Marcel, Arianna was not going to waste his effort. She would make their sacrifice worth it! Arianna promised mentally. She would make it up to them in one way or the other someday.

    ¡°What¡¯s the room again?¡± Arianna pulled out the phone to check the hotel number Mimi sent to her. Left for her alone, Arianna would have preferred meeting Marcel at the base, it would have been much better for the both of them to talkfortably.

    But then, half a loaf is better than none. Elijah had promised to only help her as long as she doesn¡¯t return to the base with Marcel. It had taken him a lot to get her out of there and even sacrificed his identity in the process. Natalie would never forgive him if he goes as far as sending her back to Marcel¡¯s residence.

    Well, she did give Elijah her word and would not go back on it. Moreover, the fact that Marcel agreed to meet her here showed that he had no intention of taking her to the base either. They would just talk here and get back together ¨C she hoped. No, Arianna made up her mind, it was time to get back her man.

    She would think about what would happenter, that is if they do get back together, considering the tension between both families at the moment and the fact that her mother would be highly disappointed in her when she learns of this news.

    But for now, Arianna had to focus on conquering Marcel¡¯s heart back. She had broken his trust in her and had to gain it back knowing Marcel hated betrayal the most. It was not going to be easy for her.

    The moment Arianna found the hotel room and came to stand in front of the door, her heart began to pound loudly in her chest and her palms were mmy. She was suddenly nervous and her confidence free fell like the act of gravity acting on a mass. Just weeks ago, she had been having the time of her life with Marcel, and today, she was so scared to even be in the same room with him.

    But she couldn¡¯t stand outside the door forever. Arianna wanted the chance to speak with him and here it was. It was now or never. Would she be brave enough to own up to her actions or she would run away like a coward?

    .....

    She would take her chances.

    May God save her soul tonight.

    With a deep breath, Arianna swiped the key card she had with her at the reader, and the hotel door opened with a click. She pushed the door open and Arianna mentally psyched herself before stepping into the room and stopped.

    Baby steps, one at a time.

    Arianna slowly shut the door behind her and walked through the small passage that led into the spacious sitting room. It was a luxurious suite which wasn¡¯t surprising since Marcel picked the room himself and she of all people knew how much he loved fine things.

    There was no sign of Marcel in the room but Arianna knew that he was here somewhere. She could feel it. More like, smell it. His familiar perfume infiltrated her nostril and brought back the memories. However, Arianna controlled her emotions, this was not the time to get affected.

    Arianna bet her money that Marcel was somewhere stalking out surroundings. He was probably ensuring that she came alone and that this wasn¡¯t a trap or something ¨C which has never happened before. At least with both of them. However, Arianna couldn¡¯t me him, trust was easy to break but difficult to grow.

    ¡°I¡¯m here Marcel and it¡¯s just me, no one else. I just want to talk to you and sort out this misunderstanding between us.¡± She said, still looking for him.

    However, there was still no response from him and Arianna was bing wary of his stalking game. The window to the balcony was open, allowing in a cool night breeze that made the curtains flutter, and Arianna was fairly certain that he was hiding there.

    Arianna sighed, what does Marcel even expect from her? For her to y his game and find him, was that her punishment? Does he even realize how childish ¨C and arousing ¨C it was ¨C Arianna has always found a bit of mystery thrilling. Fine, she would y his game if that would get him to speak to him.

    So Arianna started towards the balcony, but when she got there, there was no sign of him and that made her brows furrow in confusion. She had been hundred percent sure that he was there. Nheless, he just roused her fighting spirit and she was determined to win by all means.

    However, the instant Arianna took a step forward, the light went out and she stiffened. She wasn¡¯t exactly a huge fan of darkness, especially not now Marcel was ying mind games with her and she was standing right outside the balcony. Arianna began to have negative thoughts.

    What if she underestimated Marcel¡¯s anger and he decides that he was way better without her in his life and tosses her over the balcony having lost his mind? No, that was impossible. But then, a trickle of fear climbed down her spine, after all, he was Daniel¡¯s son.

    ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    A startled gasp left her lips when she heard him speak out of nowhere. Marcel would win the Oscars in a horror movie while she remains the prey trying to find her way out of here.

    Arianna tried to trace his voice, but she couldn¡¯t, it echoed across the room and this was turning into a creepy game.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not, I think you should be.¡±

    Goosebumps filled her arms because she could feel him breathing down on her neck.

    Marcel was standing by her side.

 Chapter 722 - 722 Fall Off The Balcony

    722 Fall Off The Balcony

    ¡°Marcel,¡± Arianna breathed, her heart pounding erratically in her chest as she was suddenly aware of the heat emanating from his body. They were so close to each other that she could reach out to him, no, Arianna wanted to touch him to confirm that it was Marcel in flesh and blood.

    However, what she got in return was Marcel forcing her to step back and Arianna realized that they were headed toward the balcony. She tried to escape him but Marcel didn¡¯t let her slip through his finger and sessfully boxed her in so her back was pressed against the railing and her heart jumped into her throat.

    She was going to die!

    Or maybe not.

    She hoped, desperately.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Arianna gulped, putting on false bravado, wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, there was no way that the man who loved her with all of his heart would suddenly push her off the balcony. She was just being paranoid.

    It was a moonless night, but now that they were out in the open, the faint light from the outside fell on him and gave an eerie glow to his face. With that cold, emotionally detached appearance, Marcel looked like those psychopaths in movies who break into their victim¡¯s homes and have an epic conversation with them before sending them to their death.

    No, she has watched too many movies, Arianna wished she could erase the ridiculous thought from her mind. But it was hard to do so when Marcel was giving her reason to think so.

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing if not showing you an illustration of how people who betray me end up?¡± He said, his hand moving up to wrap around her neck. Marcel held her firmly but not enough to hurt her.

    .....

    Arianna didn¡¯t dare to move, or else she triggered him. She simply stared at his face, wishing the light was enough to reflect what he looked like right now. She had a feeling that Marcel had turned off the light on purpose to hide his true emotions from her. He was always good at hiding his emotions.

    He reminded her grimly, ¡°I warned you, Arianna, you should be scared of me.¡±

    He was not going to hurt her, Arianna decided to act on her little faith. She refused to believe that the Marcel she knew was gone just like that. That he would hate her greatly enough to want to kill her.

    ¡°Then push me,¡± Arianna told him.

    She was not scared of him.

    She trusted him ¨C even though she realized it toote.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was taken by surprise.

    ¡°I betrayed you, I should suffer the same fate as the others.¡± She told him, using her hand to tighten his grip around her neck and pressing closer to the railings.

    When Marcel wouldn¡¯t do anything except watch her with a baffled expression, she decided to help him with that.

    ¡°Or I can do the work myself,¡± Arianna pushed herself back and would have really fallen from the balcony if it wasn¡¯t for Marcel¡¯s quick reflexes.

    He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him with great force such that her face knocked into his hard chest and their body was pressed flush against each other. Sadly, Arianna didn¡¯t get the time to relish the closeness because the next she knew, Marcel was dragging her inside the house.

    Arianna wondered if he had a super sight because unlike her who stumbled in the dark, Marcel walked with ease as if he wasfortable with the darkness. She was roughly pushed inside the room while Marcel turned and closed the balcony door behind him before the light was turned on. He had been controlling it with a remote.

    Arianna had to shut her eyes and adjust to the sudden brightness and when she opened them, Marcel was looming over her like a furious beast. Oh no, what has she done this time? She was so scared.

    Arianna began to step back in a hurry but Marcel followed after her, yelling, ¡°Are you fucking out of your mind?! Are you a ma for trouble or are you fucking suicidal?!¡± He breathed down on her neck, having backed her into a corner.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Arianna asked softly, afraid that she would only piss him off if she dared to raise her voice. She couldn¡¯t understand why he was so mad at her. No, his mood swings were beginning to give her whish. He was the one who wanted her dead, minutes ago.

    ¡°What were you thinking trying to fall off that balcony? Is this some sick joke or your way of getting back at me because I broke up with you? Do you intend to punish me by making sure the guilt of your death torments me forever? Is that it, huh?! Speak to me, Arianna, and stop staring at me like a moron!¡±

    Marcel was so mad that his saliva was literally falling on her face at this point while the veins in his face were close to popping. If the mood allowed it, Arianna would have joked that Marcel looked like he was about to transform into the hulk. But then, she was able topose herself, thankfully.

    ¡°But you were the one who wanted to push me off the balcony?¡± Arianna muttered, defensively.

    Marcel scoffed, looking at her in disbelief, ¡°Are you so dumb that you can¡¯t differentiate between a scare and a threat?! Moreover, why would I ever push you down the balcony,¡± He stared down at his hands which were still shaking from the fright she gave him.

    If he hadn¡¯t reacted on time, Marcel would have lost Arianna forever and it would have been because of his petty prank. He would have never forgiven himself. The worst part was that Marcel didn¡¯t even know who he was mad at, was it himself for attempting such a joke on her or at Arianna for falling for the stupid stunt?

    It was all stupid!

 Chapter 723 - 723 Asking For His Forgiveness

    723 Asking For His Forgiveness

    She scared him real good, Arianna realized upon seeing a panicking Marcel and the guilt gnawed at her heart. So she tried to remedy the situation by saying,

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to me yourself, Marcel, it¡¯s not your fault. Moreover, I knew deep down that you were going to catch me. You can think of it as me trusting you once again from this moment on.¡±

    But it made everything worse because Marcel snapped at her, ¡°No, you shut it! Don¡¯t even say a word.¡±

    Arianna was sympathetic at first, after all, her death would have greatly affected Marcel and as well turn him into his murderer since no one would believe that she had been the one that fell by herself. It wasn¡¯t everyday that a womanes to visit her ex and falls off the balcony without being pushed.

    No, nobody would believe that Marcel was innocent and her mother would rain fire on him. The war between both of their families would be inevitable. Damn, Arianna had not really thought about the consequences of her action. But then, Marcel¡¯s tone was insulting and her patience soon wore thin.

    ¡°No, Marcel,¡± She corrected him, ¡°You don¡¯t get to talk to me that ¨C mmm,¡±

    Arianna was cut off when Marcel pressed his lips against hers and silenced the rest of her words in a kiss. Alright, she thought, if this was his way of getting her to shut up, then she would make a hell of a noise all the days of her life.

    The kiss took her by surprise as his lips moved against hers firmly and melted away every form of protest in her. Not that she was going to protest anyway. It had been a long since she kissed Marcel and right now, every nerve in her body came alive.

    Arianna knew that she promised Elijah that she wouldn¡¯t return to the base with Marcel, however, with how mesmerizing the kiss was, She was likely going to do anything he asked of her in a blink of an eye. Yes, including returning to the base with him. She missed him so much.

    .....

    A moan left her mouth as Marcel deepened the kiss and she was a goner. Arianna¡¯s legs became weak as if there was no more life in them and gave out from beneath her, and Marcel was the one supporting her so she held onto his shoulder and anchored herself to him while he continued to ravage her lips.

    Marcel kissed her with a ravenous need so great that it stunned her physically and mentally. His tongue stroked hers as he dominated the kiss. His hands wrapped around her waist and pushed her t against his body such that the only space between them was the clothes between them.

    But then, the both of them might as well have been naked because she could feel every hard ne of his body pressed against hers and Arianna knew she would bruise with how tight Marcel was holding her. Her heart was pounding hard in her throat and she wanted air but couldn¡¯t get one since Marcel stole it.

    He kissed her as if she was going to vanish if he dared to open his eyes and he didn¡¯t want to let go of her. The movement of his lips against hers was hard and desperate and it wasn¡¯t until he bit hard on her lower lips enough to draw blood that she yelped and got away from him.

    Arianna greedily swallowed air as soon as they broke apart considering she didn¡¯t know what he was thinking and when he might steal her air again. But then, it happened sooner than she expected because he pushed her up against the wall and his lips crashed down on hers once again.

    Unlike earlier when Marcel had been validating that she was well and alive, he imed her mouth this time in a brutal kiss that cleared away every doubt that she had about him moving on without her. It was as if she was the very air that he breathe seeing how intent he was in stealing it.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Marcel wedged his knee between her thighs and ground her on it earning sweet moans from her mouth. His grip on her waist tightened as he kissed her harder and ground her faster, swallowing her moans into his mouth.

    Arianna clung to him as Marcel took her through the ride or so she thought because he stopped all of a sudden and pushed away from her as if she was horrendous and he didn¡¯t want to be anyway near her.

    ¡°No, no, no! This is not happening again! I refuse to be your ve!¡± Marcel looked at her with his fierce eyes burning into hers and said, ¡°I am not going to let my raging hormones get in the way once again and pretend that this never happened! That you never betrayed me!¡±

    Arianna came down from her high, surprisingly standing on both of her feet even though her legs felt like jelly right now. However, the fog had cleared from her head and she knew that this was the moment of ountability that she had been waiting for.

    She tried to reach for him but Marcel took a step back and that made her heart shatter into pieces even though it was merely a small gesturepared to them making out minutes ago.

    ¡°Speak!¡± Marcel growled at her.

    But then, he had a good reason for avoiding her because all that she needed was a touch and he would be a ve to her once again. Marcel was not going to let that happen again, not until she owned up to her sins. Arianna had been enjoying special privileges until now. She needed to know the other side of him that was unforgiving.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arianna whispered, the tears finally rolling down her cheek as she lowered her head in shame, ¡°I should have trusted you, not doubt every one of your efforts even though you did nothing but ced each of my needs before yours. So please, forgive me, Marcel. I should have done better and not betrayed your trust like that.¡± She asked for his forgiveness.

 Chapter 724 - 724 How Much Marcel Meant To Her

    724 How Much Marcel Meant To Her

    Her heart was thumping frantically in her chest as she waited for Marcel¡¯s response. Arianna has apologized already and prayed that it was enough for him to forgive her. She never thought that she would say this, but Marcel¡¯s silence scared her the most. She would rather have Marcel be mad at her than thispletely cold indifference.

    ¡°So I forgive you and then what?¡± Marcel waited for her answer and her throat went dry instantly.

    ¡°We get back together?¡± Arianna said, feeling a huge lump in her throat that refused to go down. She fiddled with her hands, and lowered her head to the ground instantly, avoiding his gaze. She was both anxious and embarrassed.

    ¡°And then what?¡± He asked again, leaving Arianna at a lost for words. Was he mocking her or was he curious to hear her opinion? She didn¡¯t know what to think.

    ¡°We would then get married,¡± Arianna was tempted to say, but for some reason, the words couldn¡¯t leave her lips. What if she was moving too fast? Marcel hadn¡¯t even forgiven her and might find her thought ridiculous.

    When Arianna didn¡¯t answer him, Marcel let out a disappointed sigh. He said, ¡°It was a mistakeing here,¡± and walked past her, shoving past her intentionally.

    Wait a minute, was he leaving?

    Oh no, she was suddenly filled with dread.

    Arianna watched the scene with her mouth opened wide and she began to panic. No, no, no, he can¡¯t leave just like that! She hadn¡¯t gotten what she wanted, their issues weren¡¯t even resolved.

    .....

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna turned and shouted his name in a hurry. Her heart was hurting and her hands were trembling uncontrobly. She couldn¡¯t let him leave. He can¡¯t leave her.

    Marcel halted in his steps and Arianna was able to breathe. It was a relief that he was listening to her at least. Arianna was so scared to lose him. No, she couldn¡¯t lose him. It took a while for him to turn around, the tension in the room increasing to an ufortable level.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel asked, annoyed.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go,¡± She told him.

    ¡°Really?¡± Marcel found hermandughable. He then walked back to her in strides, intimidating her with his taller height and Arianna had to lift her gaze just to look at him.

    ¡°Give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t leave?¡± His voice was a sneer.

    Arianna breathed, ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished talking -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time, Arianna!¡±

    ¡°I love you!¡± Arianna shouted desperately, confessing the feelings that she had been holding in.

    ¡°I love you, Marcel,¡± She said with conviction the second time while Marcel stood, his feet stuck to the ground. Even as emotionless as he had been earlier, it was clear that Marcel was pretty shaken up by the confession.

    ¡°It has been pretty hard living without you the past weeks. I never forgot what I did to you, Marcel, not even for a breathing second, the guilt tormented me day and night. But then, what hurt the most was the thought of never seeing you again. I don¡¯t want to break up with you, Marcel. I just want to be with you and I¡¯m sorry for what I did. Please forgive me.¡± Arianna burst into tears, unable to hold them in anymore.

    The thought of Marcel leaving her was so severe and raw, she was scared out of her mind. Hence, Arianna had to put away her shame and insecurities to get him. Nothing else mattered aside from Marcel.

    ¡°I can even go down on my knees if that¡¯s what you want ¡­¡± Arianna kneeled in front of Marcel causing his eyes to widen before he grabbed her arm and pushed her up to her feet.

    ¡°You foolish woman!¡± Marcel stared hard at her, unable to believe what she was about to do. However, all he saw was the genuine regret in her eyes and the tears running down her eyes. Arianna was so vulnerable right now his heart hurt.

    At once, he pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tight while Arianna cried louder. Does this mean that he has forgiven her? Were they together again? She had so much to ask him but the tears wouldn¡¯t let her speak.

    ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡± Marcel let out a deep breath, smoothing his hand down her silky hair,forting her. Just like that, every anger Marcel felt towards her melted away like butter on heat. He could never be mad at her, anyway. Not forck.

    Daniel had not been wrong in calling Arianna his weakness. She made him vulnerable. But then, Marcel would rather live a short but meaningful life with her by his side than a long and worthless life. Arianna added color to his life and he was not going to give her up that easily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± Her words were barelyprehensible through the tears, but Marcel figured it out and he nodded, kissing the top of her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, you should stop crying, baby girl,¡±

    Hearing that familiar nickname he used on her brought more tears to her eyes, and she cried harder. And Marcel who once saw ny-nine percent of female tears as emotional maniption was there tofort her.

    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s enough,¡± He cleared the tears with his thumb, even though more kept slipping down her cheeks. But then, she was not sobbing anymore except for the asional hups, and calming her sure took some time.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, good girl,¡± Marcel smiled when the tears stopped.

    ¡°I am not a baby, stop treating me like one,¡± She sniffed loudly.

    Marcel smirked at her, ¡°No, you¡¯re not a baby, only my baby girl.¡±

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    Damn.

    He didn¡¯t even let her recover before he started using those cheesy lines on her.

    Arianna went red in the face and she tried to turn the other way but he saw everything.

    ¡°Did you just blush?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna answered quickly which was a lie and he saw through it.

    ¡°Then let me see,¡± Marcel tried to turn her face but she evaded him and it turned into a childish scuffle.

    However, Marcel won in the struggle and he cupped her face so he was able to look into her beautiful green eyes. He was d to have her in his life again.

    ¡°I missed you,¡± Marcel confessed, waiting expectantly for her answer.

    ¡°I missed you too,¡± Arianna said, bringing a smile to Marcel¡¯s lips. From now on, she was not going to hide how much Marcel meant to her any longer.

 Chapter 725 - 725 Point The Gun At Ezra

    725 Point The Gun At Ezra

    Damn, she has made a huge mistake, Mimi realized as she stared at Victor and Ezra about to tear each other apart.

    How did this even happen?

    Well¡­.

    ______

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Mimi screamed as soon as Ezra knocked into her, pushing her to the ground even though she had been the one who intentionally stepped in his way. But then, Ezra doesn¡¯t know that.

    Seeing Ezra take out Elijah who made no effort to defend himself knowing that he was in the wrong ¨C righteous bastard ¨C Mimi knew that it was only a matter of time before he went after Arianna and couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    The tension between the Draven and Luciano families was none of her business, all that mattered to her was the future of the two young lovers about to get separated by their family feud. Arianna and Marcel must get together tonight, Mimi was determined to make that happen and so she yed her card well.

    ¡°My waist!¡± Mimi shouted when she fell. No, that was not right. ¡°My stomach!¡± she shouted instead, knowing that aspect of her body would catch their attention faster.

    As determined as Ezra was to catch Arianna, that resolution vanished when he saw Mimi on the ground and it was all because of him.

    .....

    ¡°Mimi!¡± He was by her side in the twinkle of an eye, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He asked with a worried expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ ahh, I think my back, no, my stomach hurt!¡± Mimiined about her innocent baby when it was just a small pain in her back.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± Elijah was by her side as well, lookingpletely pale like a vampire. He was so frightened.

    Damn, Mimi was proud of her acting skills. Perhaps, she should venture into the acting industry after the birth of her baby. This great talent of hers shouldn¡¯t go to waste.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Elijah was frantic. Apparently, both of them didn¡¯t know how to handle an injured pregnant woman.

    ¡°You need to get me to a hospital, my baby can¡¯t die just like that,¡± Mimi cried out, improvising further and that was enough to make the brothers panic and listen to hermand. Not to mention that her acting was so impressive that it drew a crowd as well.

    ¡°Yes, hospital!¡± Elijah rushed to get the car started while Ezra carried Mimi off the ground without being told.

    Wow, the strength! Mimi bit back the squeal that almost left her lips and pretended to be in pain instead. But damn, it felt good to be treated like a princess; she enjoyed it.

    In the twinkle of an eye, Ezra carefully ced her inside the car while Elijah raced to the hospital like a madman. But then as fun as the acting was, it was quite tiring because she had to continue with her pained expression.

    Not to mention that she had nearly burst intoughter when she saw Ezra¡¯s expression. It was hard to believe that both of the brothers fell for that. But then, anything for Arianna ¨C Ezra didn¡¯t even remember her anymore.

    Unfortunately for Mimi, she has no idea that Victor sent people to keep an eye on her since he doesn¡¯t trust her being alone with the Draven family. As much as Victor knew Arianna would not let anything happen to Mimi, it was the members of the Draven family that he didn¡¯t trust around his woman.

    Now, news got back to Victor that one of the brothers hurt Mimi and he immediately left everything that he was doing to get to her, his heart in his throat. Victor was anxious, his eyes red with anger, he would kill whoeverid a hand on Mimi. He doesn¡¯t care whatever negotiation Marcel nned to have with them, he would destroy them all.

    ¡°Doctor, what is wrong with her?¡± Ezra and Elijah crowded the man and the doctor didn¡¯t even know who to answer directly.

    ¡°The baby is safe and the mother is fine. All she needs is quality rest and making sure she doesn¡¯t carry out any strenuous activity in the future. And now, if you would excuse me, gentlemen,¡±

    The doctor left them before they could bother him with more questions. Elijah and Ezra both towered over him and the poor doctor felt so intimated being stuck in the middle.

    Suddenly, the door behind them was opened and Mimi stepped out, ring at them. Who knew they would take her acting so seriously enough to have her moved to a private room?

    She was fine! She had been acting all along! The words were right on the tip of her tongue, but Mimi didn¡¯t dare to say them. She did not know how they reacted to being fooled ¨C and she didn¡¯t want to find out.

    ¡°What are you doing? Go back to bed right now!¡± Ezramanded her.

    ¡°I told you that I¡¯m fine already,¡± Mimi whined, almost close to crying. She can¡¯t spend the night at the hospital. Boohoo! This must be karma paying her back for fooling them. Why was karma so quick in judgment this time?

    ¡°Listen to him, Mimi,¡± Elijah tried to convince her, ¡°You might feel fine, but who knows something might be wrong and you might not be able to feel it now, butter. You should at least spend the night here so the doctor can observe your condition and you leave tomorrow, okay?¡±

    Spend the night where? Observe what condition? Leave when? Tomorrow?! That was impossible. Victor would know if she doesn¡¯t return home today and Mimi did not want theplication considering she had been faking it all along.

    However, bad luck always has a nice timing because Victor appeared out of nowhere and Mimi thought she conjured him or something until she saw his furious look.

    Oh no.

    She was doomed.

    Victor looked like an angel of death as he strode towards them in the hallway, his features so wless yet coldly lethal. Victorcked warmth and Mimi had never seen him looking so dead inside that her heart skipped a bit and it wasn¡¯t out of excitement.

    ¡°Victor¡­.¡±

    She tried to stop him but it was toote because Victor alreadynded a heavy punch on Ezra¡¯s face, right before he pulled out his gun and pointed it at Ezra.

    Mimi nearly fainted.

 Chapter 726 - 726 Whatâ€™s Not To Like About Her?

    726 What¡¯s Not To Like About Her?

    ¡°Victor!¡± Mimi shouted his name, almost suffering a heart attack when she saw him point that gun at Ezra who stiffened up like a dry leaf. However, unlike Ezra who couldn¡¯t react, Elijah pulled out his gun as well and faced Victor.

    Oh God, it was over.

    Kill her now.

    While others experience a romantic love triangle, her¡¯s was apanied by guns and the smell of death. Mimi did not doubt they would destroy each other if provoked. Hence, she put herself in between the both of them and told Victor,

    ¡°Put down the gun, love. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Victor looked at her, but there was that stubborn resolution in his eyes; he was not going to put down the gun. Pissed off by his stubbornness, she ordered him, gravely,

    ¡°Put the gun down, Victor!¡±

    Without waiting to see if he obeyed her, Mimi turned to Elijah and told him, ¡°Do I need to remind you to put down the gun as well?¡± She red intensely at him

    However, it seems that both of them were waiting for who would make the first move and Mimi said through gritted teeth, ¡°We are in the hallway of a hospital where anyone could see you both, and trust me if the cops are called on you guys, I would willingly be the witness and have you both locked up!¡±

    .....

    Mimi was serious and they could see that, hence Victor was the first to lower his weapon, hiding the gun behind his waistband as usual, and covering it with his shirt. Elijah seeing his gesture took away his weapon as well.

    Immediately, Victor pulled Mimi into his arms and hugged her as if they had been away forever when it had just been hours. Elijah in question stared at his brother, to see if he was affected by the gesture but his expression was unreadable. He hoped to God that Ezra was not really in love with Mimi because that would onlyplicate things.

    Pulling apart, Victor began to check her body for injuries and Mimi said to him with an exaggerated sigh, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    He was being so dramatic.

    Victor scrutinized her to know if she was lying and when he didn¡¯t sense any difort from Mimi, he tugged her forward saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡±

    However, just as Mimi moved towards him, another hand gripped her and halted her and Victor nced up with slitted eyes.

    ¡°She can¡¯t leave,¡± Ezra told him.

    ¡°What?¡± Victor¡¯s gaze darkened with raw emotion, a storm brewing in there. He has been enduring the Draven scum, but he dared toy a hand on Mimi right in front of him?

    Mimi could sense the murderous energying from Victor and quickly loosened Ezra¡¯s grip on her else Victor misunderstands the situation ¨C which he already did.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She whispered to Ezra in a hurry, warning him with her gaze to back off.

    But then, Ezra ignored her signs and looked at Victor saying, ¡°The doctor says she needs enough rest.¡±

    ¡°She would do all the resting she needs at my ce,¡± He added, ¡°Thank you for your care, but I hope your concern ends at this point because I won¡¯t tolerate you making a move on Mimi,¡± Victor told him straightforwardly.

    Dear God, Mimi facepalmed mentally. And they say women are full of drama!

    The tension in the room was suffocating now and Mimi wished Elijah would do something about it, but he stood on neutral ground and it was not encouraging right now.

    Both men sized each other up and Mimi hoped they were not assessing who was going to win in the event of a fight. They were not fighting each other, not in her watch!

    ¡°Why?¡± Ezra challenged him, ¡°Because she¡¯s your girlfriend -?¡±

    ¡°Fianc¨¦e,¡± Mimi corrected him sternly. Ezra needed to know that she was taking Victor¡¯s side any time, any day.

    ¡°Fianc¨¦e then,¡± He smirked at her correction while Mimi groaned inwardly. Why was he doing this to her?

    ¡°Or you think she can¡¯t leave you just because she¡¯s having your child?¡± Ezra said and this time Victor looked at her, surprised by their closeness. They only knew each other today.

    Seeing the look on Victor¡¯s face made Mimi scowl at Ezra, ¡°You¡¯re an asshole, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Victor,¡± She took his hand without a second thought and began to lead him out before the asshole incites Victor into action.

    However, Mimi stopped at a point and turned to them announcing,

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t bother waiting for Arianna, she won¡¯t be returning tonight.¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± Elijah cursed, punching the air. He should have known that Arianna would not stick to her promise of returning home and keeping everything on the low. Why would she? When she loses her mind whenever Marcel is involved.

    Mimi continued, ¡°Unlike the both of you, she¡¯s spending time with the love of her life. And Ezra¡­.!¡± Mimi called and gave him the middle finger before turning and leaving with Victor.

    Instead of being pissed off by the gesture, Ezra found himselfughing. She was daring and cute. With a smile on his face, he turned only to see his younger brother, Elijah scowling at him.

    ¡°What?¡± He was ufortable with the intense scrutiny.

    ¡°Tell me you don¡¯t really like Mimi?¡± Elijah interrogated him.

    ¡°What¡¯s not to like about her?¡± Ezra patted him on the shoulder and left with a smirk while Elijah remained on the spot.

    Meanwhile, Victor was literally crushing Mimi¡¯s hand with how tight he held her as if to prevent someone from snatching her from him. Yet, Mimi didn¡¯tin and went ahead with him. She had a feeling that Victor doesn¡¯t even know that he was hurting her. His face was scrunched deep in thoughts and though he was physically there with her, Mimi knew his mind was far away and didn¡¯t bother him.

    Outside the hospital, both moved to the packing lot where he parked his car and Victor opened the door for her, saying,

    ¡°Get in,¡±

    And she did so withoutint knowing that he wasn¡¯t exactly in the best of mood. Mimi did not want to have an argument with him, especially not in the open where anyone could stare at them.

    Victor locked the door before walking over to the driver¡¯s side of the car. He first took off his gun and tossed it to the backseat and got in. Mimi stared at the weapon that he could have used and taken Ezra¡¯s life, dread passing through her.

    Victor then started the car and they drove in intense silence even though they had a lot to say to each other.

 Chapter 727 - 727 Kiss And Make Up

    727 Kiss And Make Up

    Nothing was as infuriating as silence. It was too quiet and unpredictable. After a while, Mimi could not take it anymore and was the first to break it.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take Ezra¡¯s words to heart. He¡¯s mischievous and loves to joke around and I¡¯m sure that he was merely trying to get to you.¡± Mimi tried to convince him not to take the event to heart.

    But Victor answered with a biting tone, ¡°You sure know him too much for someone you met for the first time in less than twenty-four hours.¡±

    And thatment was enough to make Mimi¡¯s expression change. She turned to Victor with a serious look,

    ¡°What are you trying to say, Victor?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m driving,¡± He hinted that he might crash if they got into that argument that was brewing between them.

    ¡°Then pull over,¡± Mimi said. He was not going to trigger this conversation and stop halfway. They would see this to the end.

    But Victor ignored her and kept on driving until Mimi hollered at him,

    ¡°I said, stop the car!¡±

    .....

    And this time, Victor swerved to the side without warning and pulled up, the force jerking Mimi forward and she was only saved from smashing her face in the car¡¯s interior by the seat belt.

    Mimi turned and red at Victor. Was he giving her attitude?! She should be the one doing so after sensing the usation in his tone. Did he serously think that she was interested in Ezra?

    ¡°You want to talk, Mimi, let¡¯s talk now,¡± He faced her with his jaw clenched tightly.

    Mimi sneered at him, ¡°For someone concerned for the safety of his child, you sure have no problem driving carelessly.¡±

    ¡°Says the same person who was pushed down by that bastard, who endangered the life of my child, and still yet, you forgave him easily.¡± He countered.

    ¡°Who says he pushed me?¡± Mimi could not believe him.

    ¡°You still defend him?¡± Victor asked, his eyes red with emotion.

    Mimi scoffed at him, ¡°For Christ¡¯s fucking sake, Victor! Ezra never pushed me down! I was the one who intentionally got in his way and fell to distract and take his mind off Arianna. I was pretending all along and perhaps, if whoever you sent to spy on me was brilliant, he would have figured it out as well!¡± She shouted at him.

    There was a long awkward silence in the car as Victor was embarrassed by the fact that he had misunderstood the whole situation. Nheless, Mimi was able to calm down during the time and was able to see things from Victor¡¯s perspective. She would be mad as hell if she heard that a woman dared toy a hand on him, not to mention the both of them being close as well. She would rip that woman apart. Victor belongs to her.

    ¡°He likes you,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°So what?¡± Mimi shrugged, ¡°Men are naturally attracted to women and vice versa. Or have you no faith in me?¡± She asked him.

    ¡°Of course, I trust you, Mimi,¡± Victor reached out and cupped her cheek, running his finger across her skin.

    ¡°Then why were you blinded by sheer jealousy? What makes you think that I would leave the man I love and the father of my child for another and settle for less?¡± Mimi held his gaze unwaveringly.

    Victor swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He rasped, ¡°I have no idea, Mimi. The emotions came in a rush and all I knew was that I couldn¡¯t lose you. I would destroy anybody that tries to take you away from me.¡± He swore.

    ¡°Well, here I am and I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± She ced her hand over hisrger palm, stroking the top of his hand, and leaned into it affectionately while Victor watched, his heart beating in his chest.

    Mimi then took his hand and while staring at him, kissed the top of his palm, sending shivers down his spine and straight to his dick that roused to life. The atmosphere shifted and the air in the room became heated and thicker.

    Their eyes met and held, the air in the car suddenly vanishing while their chest rose and fell in unison. The hairs on their arms tingle in awareness. None of them could tell who leaned in first, but the next Mimi knew, Victor¡¯s lips were crushing hers in a kiss.

    His lips moved against hers firmly, shivers running down her spine while her clit throbbed and there was an ache between her legs. Victor deepened the kiss and her muffled moan vibrated through her body, the emptiness between her legs begging to be filled.

    With building urgency, Mimi blindly worked on his belt and slipped it out when he was through, before pulling down his zipper and freeing his cock which sprang to life as if announcing its freedom. She wrapped her hand around its length making Victor groan.

    She smiled against his lips and then began to bump it while his hand clenched a fistful of her hair and yanked tightly. When he couldn¡¯t take the tantalizing pressure anymore, Victor pulled away from the kiss and groaned out his pressure.

    ¡°I fucking love you, Mimi!¡± He announced, but she was busy pressuring him. And just when his body stiffened, about toe, Victor pulled her hand away.

    Lowering the seat a little to create enough space, he hoisted Mimi from her side of the seat and ced her on hisp so she straddled him. Her dress rode up and he took that opportunity and let his hand trace the globe of her ass and ground her on her while Mimi shut her eyes, relishing the feeling.

    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± Victor murmured, staring at her in awe. He must have been a fool to think that she was a tiny bit interested in Ezra.

    Holding her waist, his hand slipped between them and he tugged her panties to the side as she held onto her shoulder. Victor lowered her hips and impaled her on his dick.

    Mimi gasped, tipping her head back as Victor sheathed himself deep inside of her and she began to ride him. She always loved this part whenever they kiss and make up.

    Tonight was going to be a long one and Mimi hoped Arianna was having fun whenever she was.

 Chapter 728 - 728 Sowed Discord Between Them

    728 Sowed Discord Between Them

    Contrary to what Mimi thought, Arianna and Marcel were not having fun at all, instead, they were engulfed in awkward silence. It was weird, Arianna had thought that once things were good between them again, they would be all over each other, but the reverse was the case.

    You get that feeling when you¡¯re all hyped for a blind date and then when things get serious, you have no idea what to do or start from? Yeah, that was how exactly Arianna felt right now. She was confused as to how to approach this new and upgraded rtionship with Marcel without ruining it.

    Should she make the first move or let him do it instead so as not to crush his male pride especially now they reconciled? The both of them were seated on the sofa without saying a word. Was she going too fast or should they take it slowly this time? Does he want to make out with her or take it all the way? Was he with a condom? Should she ask if he¡¯s with a condom? Ugh! There were just a lot of questions on her mind.

    Not to mention that she must look a mess after crying. Although she had washed her face, Arianna knew her eyes were red and swollen and did not have time for make-up. She wondered how Marcel even found her attractive, she was one breath away from hiding her face in the pillow. Or perhaps, she was overthinking things. God, she was so nervous right now

    At a point, none of them could take the silence anymore.

    ¡°I -¡±

    ¡°Mimi -¡±

    Both of them started at the same time.

    ¡°You should go first,¡± Marcel urged her.

    .....

    ¡°No, you go first,¡± Arianna decided.

    Marcel looked at her and said, ¡°Mimi said there was something important that you needed to tell me. It was one of the reasons I had toe, she sounded pretty serious.¡±

    Of course, leave it to her dramatic best friend to convince even the limb to walk.

    ¡°I guess Mimi might have exaggerated it, although it¡¯s pretty important you hear it. After all, we decided on no more secrets,¡± Arianna sighed, realizing that it wasn¡¯t the best uplifting story to share with him.

    ¡°What is it, Arianna?¡± Marcel asked, reaching out to caress her face and that gesture alone sent tingles down her spine. Arianna froze, Marcel didn¡¯t need to do much and her panties were already wet. Was this a sign?

    A-hem! Arianna cleared the inappropriate thoughts from her head. This was not the time to be horny, this moment belonged to Marcel and the truth he deserves to know. Hence, she readjusted on the seat and mentallymanded her throbbing clit to behave.

    ¡°It¡¯s about your mother,¡± She dropped the bombshell and watched the way the color drained from his face. Of course, his mother had always been a sensitive subject for him, and thinking about it now, Arianna had to admit that she was pretty lucky Marcel didn¡¯t murder her in the past when she insulted his mother.

    ¡°What about her?¡± Marcel managed topose himself and listen to what she had for him. He already had a suspicion about where this was going and mentally braced himself.

    Arianna didn¡¯t quickly rush into the story, rather she took Marcel¡¯srger hand and ced it on hers, and enclosed it with the other hand before stroking the top of his palm and providing mental support.

    She then began.

    Throughout the whole narration, Marcel didn¡¯t interrupt her and listened keenly. Arianna monitored his progress as well and though he had a passive expression, she could tell he was affected by her story based on his bodily reaction. While his face could lie, his body couldn¡¯t. Marcel would tense at a point before rxing as if sensing he had been discovered.

    His most noticeable reaction had been when he grabbed her hand so tight he was close to crushing it when she told him that Daniel had his way with her mother and that resulted in him. His teeth were gritted hard while his eyes shed with a white-hot anger that she was grateful Daniel wasn¡¯t in the room else he would murder his father in cold blood.

    There was another silence by the time Arianna was through the story and she stared at Marcel in worry. His jaw was tightly clenched and his body quaked with the raw emotions vibrating through him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcel,¡± Arianna told him.

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t. You are not the one to apologize to me, not that his apology would be enough for what he did to my mother.¡± Marcel released his hand from her grasp and lifted it to her face.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me this, at least now my anger would be directed at the real culprit, not your mother.¡±

    ¡°M-my mother?¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. What was he talking about?

    ¡°Daniel told me the truth,¡± He shook his head mirthlessly, ¡°Or his version of the truth. I always knew deep down that something was missing, Daniel would never say or do something that doesn¡¯t profit him in the long run. I med your mother for what happened to my mother.

    ¡°They were best friends, how could they do that to her? I felt like I actually betrayed my mother by being with you and so when you betrayed me, I knew it was enough sign to end things with you. Even if I was in agony over losing you, at least, I did my mother proud. That had been myfort. So thank you for telling me the truth. Now, I know I¡¯m not in the wrong for liking you.¡±

    Arianna was dumbfounded by the time Marcel was done. No, she was shocked. To think that without her betrayal, Daniel almost sowed discord between the both of them. That sly bastard! She was going to give him a piece of her mind when sheys her eyes on him ¨C even though she hoped not to see him, like ever in her life. The man gave her the creeps.

    Arianna felt for Marcel, her heart aching. If she could feel this bad, how about Marcel? He probably felt way much. Why couldn¡¯t they let him be happy for once?

    So when their eyes met and held, Arianna found herself leaning towards him. This was a vulnerable moment for Marcel and he needed all the support that he could get.

    Arianna pressed her lips softly against his, remaining that way for a while as if letting him know that she was there for him. And then she moved her lips against his, kissing him slowly yet firmly, and just when she was about to deepen the kiss, Marcel suddenly pulled apart and her face fell in disappointment.

 Chapter 729 - 729 Letâ€™s Make A Baby

    729 Let¡¯s Make A Baby

    She was right, Marcel doesn¡¯t want her. A great feeling of disappointment washed over her and Arianna was about to withdraw entirely from him only for Marcel to stop him. Arianna nced up at him, hope and confusion flickering in her gaze.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± He said.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna did not understand him at all.

    Marcel let her go and Arianna sat back down and waited for him to exin things because she had a feeling that he had a lot to say to her.

    Marcel started, ¡°Since we are in the season of uncovering secrets, I have something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡± Arianna had her ears wide open.

    ¡°Something happened in your absence and I might have announced something to my family that might put you in a tight position,¡± Marcel swallowed.

    By now, Arianna was so curious about what he had to say that the suspense was killing her.

    ¡°Come on, tell me, ¡± She tugged on his arm, urging him to open up.

    .....

    Marcel said, ¡°I told my family that you are pregnant,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I told them that you are carrying my child so they couldn¡¯t suspect you and Elijah are allys,¡±

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Arianna cupped her mouth in shock. However,ughter erupted from her lips in the next minute and she bit Marcel on the chest.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not pregnant, am I?¡± She found it hrious.

    ¡°No you aren¡¯t else the problem would have been solved already,¡± Marcel rubbed pinched the space between his brows, saying, ¡°Daniel does not fail to remind me about his grandchild that I can¡¯t tell if he knows that I¡¯m lying or not. Nheless, I¡¯m in deep shit.¡±

    ¡°But then you wouldn¡¯t be in deep shit if I get pregnant, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I would¡­¡± Marcel trailed off when her words made sense in his head. He looked at Arianna with his mouth slightly open and his narrowed eyes scrutinizing her intensely, unsure she meant what she was implying.

    Nheless, Arianna was not intimidated by him and said to him with confidence, ¡°Let¡¯s make a baby, Marcel.¡±

    Bam!

    Ah explosion went off in his head and he couldn¡¯t think straight

    ¡°No¡­¡± Marcel didn¡¯t even know when the words left his mouth. His head was still reeling from his suggestion.

    ¡°What do you mean by the word, no?¡± Arianna was slightly annoyed by his refusal.

    ¡°Making a baby is not just something that you decide out of the moon. What if you wake up one morning and decide you don¡¯t want me anymore and regret having my baby?¡± Marcel let his fears speak through him.

    However, Arianna didn¡¯t look bothered as he had expected her to be. She was usually the one concerned about all of this. How did the roles reverse so quickly?

    Arianna answered him, ¡°That sounds to me like a future problem and we are currently in the present, Marcel.¡± She reached for him but he avoided her.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re not taking this seriously?¡± Marcel said to her.

    ¡°Or rather you are the one taking it too seriously?¡± Arianna went on to say, ¡°In the past, having a child is all you ever wanted and now that I¡¯m up for it, you don¡¯t want it anymore?¡±

    He gulped, ¡°No, it¡¯s not -¡±

    ¡°I love you, Marcel, and although the future is uncertain, I would never regret having a child with you.¡± She told him seriously, ¡°I keep on telling you, Marcel, you are not your father.¡±

    And thatment struck a chord with him because he stopped moving and Arianna took that chance to lean into him. Well, that was until her lips met his and he remembered to say, ¡°Or maybe we are moving too¡­.¡±

    Arianna swallowed the rest of his words in a kiss and he couldn¡¯t speak anymore. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she settled on hisp and was straddling him, and even as strong as Marcel was, he couldn¡¯t resist her seduction anymore.

    She was still in her dress from the wedding, so when Arianna sat on him, it rode up her thigh. Marcel pushed the skirt futher up her thigh until it hitched around her waist and couldn¡¯t go any further and her ass d in the pink panty was exposed to him.

    Arianna groaned into his mouth when she felt Marcel¡¯s bare hands on her bottom as he ground her on him. Her hand dug into the silky texture of his hair, pleasure coursing through her like a wildfire that was beginning to burn without control, consuming anything in its path.

    The slightest touch from Marcel sent tingles all over her body considering It has been a while since she was with him. Hence she nned to savor every second of being with him as her lips and tongue licked and molded his.

    It was the same case for Marcel as well. He thought that with what happened between the both of them over weeks, his longing and craving for her would diminish. But then, it was the opposite because his hunger for her seemed to have grown greatly and he couldn¡¯t wait to im her till there was nothing to take from her.

    Greedy for more of his attention, Arianna curled her finger into his shirt and tugged him closer to her. She kissed him with feverish urgency as if nothing tasted better in the world than him. They were pressed so closely to each other that they might as well be naked, the clothes nothing but a flimsy barrier between them.

    Arianna kept kissing him, devouring his lips that she had hungered for weeks during their time apart while Marcel¡¯s hand previously resting on her thigh traveled up and the next she knew, he moved his hand into her clit and started to work it with his fingers.

    She moaned muffledly into his mouth, her body tightening around him but it didn¡¯t stop Marcel from circling his fingers around her sensitive nub. When Arianna couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she pulled away from the kiss and tipped her head back. She could feel the pleasure, raw and intense and her body shook through the orgasm.

 Chapter 730 - 730 She Swallowed Their Child

    730 She Swallowed Their Child

    Warning :- Snu-snu ahead

    It was not enough for him. That was like feeding a drop of water to a starving man and he wanted more. Moreover, Marcel had not relieved his need, but then, his main concern was the woman in his arms. With great haste, he got rid of her dress, practically ripping it off her body and Arianna was stunned when she heard the tearing sound. If he ruined her dress, what was she going to wear? She couldn¡¯t go home naked.

    But then Marcel was not remorseful one bit which wasn¡¯t surprising. She knew he was a bit headstrong and insensitive when it came to getting what he wanted. He instead lifted her and made her lie back on the armrest before raising her legs and spreading them apart so he could get a good view of her sex still hidden away by her underwear. Even at that, she looked so beautiful he wanted to imprint the picture in his head.

    Perhaps, he could draw the scene now engraved in his head ¨C Arianna in her underwear and sprawled out on the sofa for him ¨C during his free time even though it has been years since he touched a brush. However, Marcel was feeling so inspired that he did not doubt he would do well if he drew her now.

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t hang such an intimate photo in the open, Arianna belonged to him and no one was permitted to see her half-naked. He would convert one of the empty rooms in the base into her shrine where he would dedicate all of her pictures. Marcel could already see the n working out in his head and it brought a devilish smirk to the corner of his lips.

    Arianna¡¯s breath caught in her throat when she found herself on her back with her thighs apart, already having a hint of where this was going. Her body shivered with anticipation, especially with that dark look in Marcel¡¯s eyes. He looked like a wild animal who just found lunch and her core throbbed.

    ¡°Marcel¡­.¡± Arianna breathed when he lowered his head in between her legs. If she was trying to warn him to go easy on her or didn¡¯t want him to hold back? Arianna couldn¡¯t tell. Her mind was disoriented at the moment, filled with images of the wicked things that he could do to her body.

    However, Marcel merely pressed his nose to her panties and inhaled her sex, ¡°You smell so fucking good, Arianna,¡± He breathed deeply, his warmth teasing her throbbing clit through her panties, and the aching emptiness between her legs intensified.

    Arianna found the erotic gesture so sexy she dripped wetness without him even doing much. Marcel was going to be the death of her. He was so good at what he does and had expert knowledge of how to handle her body.

    .....

    His hand grabbed her hips, holding her in ce as he took her clit in between his teeth through her panties and sucked hard.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Her back arched off the bed instantly. It had been a while since he touched her this way and the feelings had not diminished, rather they intensified.

    Arianna moaned as Marcel continued to suck her clit while her back arched off the surface, he pushed her down and continued his torment on her sensitive part. He hit on her clit and the sharp pain only made her sex clench. She wanted him and God damn it, Arianna was ready to beg him if it required her to.

    She writhed and moaned for him until

    he suddenly pulled away and Arianna was both relieved and disappointed. The torment had ended, but the aching between her legs was not satiated and she was disappointed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love, that was merely a warm-up,¡± Marcel grinned at her with that dark glint in his eyes that promised something more. Her heart skipped a bit and Arianna tried catching her breath, only for him to grab the edges of her pants and ripped them apart.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna squealed, admonition in her eyes. Her dress and now her panties? She thought that he was over that kink but the reverse was the case. What was so attractive about destroying her panties anyway? He was such a weird man, but she loved him nheless.

    He picked the ruined panties and twirled in the air teasingly before the amusement on his face vanished and he said, ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for you to scream, love!¡±

    That was all the warning he gave her as he sucked her clit into his heated mouth.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna groaned, her breath hitching in her throat, but that quickly evolved into a moan as he continued top at her sensitive nub. The slobbering sound Marcel made while feasting on her arousal was enough to send her sailing through the heavens. He was like a starved man as he devoured her cunt without mercy while her cries reverberated.

    She shattered around him, crying out her climax, but even that was not enough to make Marcel stop eating her out. If anything, her cries of pleasure seem to egg him on and he continuouslypped against her cunt till Arianna was panting and crying out in both pain and pleasure. Her clit was so sensitive thanks to the break between them over the weeks and had to immediately adapt to Marcel¡¯s stamina.

    The pleasure was poignant, almost drowning her mind because Arianna couldn¡¯t think straight aside from the overwhelming pleasure shooting straight to her core. His tongue licked from one end to the other before he flicked his tongue and circled her clit, a louder moan leaving her lips. Her toes curled and she didn¡¯t even know when her back was levitating off the seat again.

    His fingers dug into her ass and pushed her closer to his mouth, his face literally buried in between her legs now and her hands traveled down to push him away, it was too much! Marcel kept sucking and licking until her body stiffened around him. And everything came crashing down.

    The orgasm was so intense that her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she was obliterated into a thousand tiny little particles. Arianna came with a soundless scream as her body shuddered.

    Arianna becamex on the couch, panting heavily as her body was thoroughly satiated although she knew deep down that it was not over, being used to Marcel¡¯s antics. And to prove her words, she watched as Marcel shed every single item on his body until he was standing in front of her with his erect manhood.

    Precum was dripping from his head and

    Arianna licked her lips in anticipation, she wanted a taste of him too. She sat up and forced herself into a kneeling position before him, Arianna then wrapped her hand around his bare cock. Marcel groaned as she began to pump like the good girl she was, he had been so immersed with her needs that he had no care for his.

    Arianna smirked up at him, there was something sinfully powerful knowing that she had this rugged, powerful god in the palm of her hand. She then brought the head to her lips, running her lips over it as a hiss left his mouth.

    ¡°Yes, go on, my little vixen,¡± Marcel urged her on and Arianna slid his cock into her mouth while raising her eyes to his and God damn it! It was one of the sexiest things he had ever seen. Arianna moaned loudly for him with their eyes still connected, showing him her excitement.

    It felt so fucking good that Marcel let his hands fall to her head and fisted his hand around it. He began to control and direct her movement in a way that felt so fucking good he was in heaven. Marcel began to pump his hips, fucking her mouth, and in thest move, made her take him right into the back of her throat.

    Arianna gagged in reflex, her eyes watering with tears. But even with that, she took him in so deep that his dick became as hard as steel and Marcel knew that he was about toe. He tried to part from her, if he was going to release his seed, it would be inside of him.

    However, Arianna had other ns because she held onto his hips tight and wouldn¡¯t let go, leaving him no choice but toe hot and hard down the back of her throat. Arianna nearly choked on the salty taste of his cum that nearly overwhelmed her senses. She swallowed down as many as she could while the rest dripped down the side of her chin.

    Marcel looked at her, wide-eyed

    ¡°What is it?¡± Arianna asked casually, while wiping away the mess from her chin.

    ¡°I think you just swallowed our child.¡±

    She arched her brow and said unabashedly boldly, ¡°You have a million of them in there¡­¡± She referred to his dick, ¡°We¡¯d make more.¡±

 Chapter 731 - 731 Take What He Wanted

    731 Take What He Wanted

    Marcel¡¯s brows arched up in surprise as he stared down at Arianna. She had be a lot more shameless than thest time when they had been together. If only Marcel knew that Arianna was done holding back her feelings for him. She couldn¡¯t deny what was between them anymore especially when she was now a member of a family that could go to war with his family. Who knows what might happen in the future? It was better they lived in the moment. So yes, she was done running away from him.

    As if that was not enough, she reached behind her and unsped the bra, which was the only remaining item on her body. Arianna didn¡¯t even look where she tossed the material because her eyes were fixed on him and she spread her thighs further apart while squeezing her breast that had pebbled from the sensation inviting him toe take what he wanted.

    Marcel¡¯s eyes were hard and full of lust, the tension in his body evidence of the effect Arianna had on his body. His dick had grown so hard to the point of pain that he lifted his head towards heaven in a bid to control himself. He had not been wrong in calling a vixen, she was a seductress determined to bring him to ruin. And everything about the tension in his posture promised that he was going to give her exactly what she wanted.

    They had been away from each other for so long that Marcel had so many fantasies that he intended to fulfill tonight. Arianna just doesn¡¯t know that she¡¯s ying but he would surely get that. The next time she attempts to seduce, she would have to make sure that she¡¯s up to the task.

    He stalked her and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but fell into the depth of the emotions in his darkened gray eyes. Her gaze then fell to the veins throbbing in his shaft and she unconsciously swallowed. Marcel was huge and it had been a while since she had him inside of her, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it would hurt like the first time.

    As if sensing her thought, Marcel let out a dark chuckle. She wanted this, she was going to get it from him. Climbing onto the couch, Marcel moved on top of her and the look in his eyes had Arianna second-guessing if it was worth it provoking him to action. The devouring look in his eyes roused her instinct to run from this predator. He was a tiny bit scary.

    The air in the room was heated as Marcel lowered himself and wrapped his mouth around a nipple and she let her head fall back on the armrest with a sigh. His dick was rubbing against her entrance teasingly drawing a moan from her lips while he continued to suck her nipple hard while he squeezed her other breast.

    ¡°Marcel¡­¡± Arianna groaned and writhed beneath him, his weight on her was a delicious feeling, their warm feverish body pressed together against each other. He bit lightly on her nipple enough to cause her core to contract and the aching emptiness between her legs.

    ¡°Please Marcel¡­¡± She was begging him but he was not listening and moved to the other breast, flicking his tongue over her peaked nipple. Arianna arched her back and when he pushed her down with his weight, she began to grind against him, hoping that would take off the edge.

    .....

    As if he finally heard her prayer, he spread her thigh and the next thing Arianna knew, he was pushing his fat cock between her thighs, and her breath caught in her throat, her core clenching in anticipation. But that was just all, only his tip remained buried inside of her with no ns of moving and that was enough to drive Arianna crazy.

    She began to move restlessly with the hopes of somehow wriggling him inside of her, but that hope was dashed as Marcel grabbed her hips and held her still. That was torture! Torture at the highest level! Arianna guessed that she had somehow forgotten Marcel¡¯s viciousness in bed. Just what has she gotten herself into?

    Arianna cried out, begging him to give her throbbing core what it wanted, tears of frustration nearly falling off her cheek. Marcel chuckled like an asshole having proven to her who was in control here contrary to her initial thoughts.

    Marcel nted his lips over hers and kissed her with a ravenous need, some of the tension easing out of her body. His tongue stroked and dominated hers with his body pressing her down on the couch. Arianna traced his hard bicep and the taut muscles of his back, his muscles reacting to her touch.

    He distracted her enough with the kisses and slide into her with one smooth motion, and sheathed every inch of his c*ck inside of her. Arianna let out a strangled sound when she felt the burn of the invasion.

    ¡°God, you are so big!¡± Her whimper was loud and throaty and as excited as Marcel was to go rough on her, he had to go easy on her. The night was still young anyway and he owed her throughout.

    So he remained fully sheathed inside of her, their breath ragged as he ced his forehead against hers. They were finally together after a long time, hence a little patience as she adjusted to him wasn¡¯t going to kill him. Marcel kissed her, slow and sweet, reminding her just how special she was to him.

    And then, he began to move.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Arianna cursed out as Marcel rocked his hips, his huge c*ck filling her in the most exciting ways as her throbbing pussy wrapped around him, pleasure coursing through her veins.

    His thick dick stretched her p*ssy so much that she was wincing, but then pain was a special kind of pleasure. Marcel took hold of her waist and his huge c*ck mmed deeper inside of her while she panted and moaned for him.

 Chapter 732 - 732 Birth A Dozen Kids

    732 Birth A Dozen Kids

    Each thrust from Marcel was so powerful that her moans of pleasure reverberated across the hotel room like a sinful melody. Arianna felt her body begin to tighten and quiver around him and knew that it wasn¡¯t going to be long now.

    ¡°Yeah,e for me, love,¡± Marcel breathed into her ears as she wed at his back before he buried himself into her so deeply that she could swear he hit her womb. An orgasm so intense, so poignant, cascaded through her body and she dug her nails into his shoulder, clinging to him so tightly as if he was her lifeline and she couldn¡¯t let go.

    Arianna¡¯s body was caught in a seizure like-bout and her p*ssy mped around Marcel¡¯s d*ck so hard that he grunted a deep, masculine sound that made her toes curl and her sex contract, prolonging her ecstasy. She gripped him so tightly that Marcel had no choice but toe too, spilling every drop of his cum just for her with a groan.

    Her body becamex after Marcel emptied inside of her and the both of them panted together on the couch. Marcel pressed his forehead to hers, sweat coating his forehead as he tried to catch his breath.

    ¡°If that doesn¡¯t get you pregnant, I don¡¯t know what else would,¡± Marcel breathed hard, his hand tracing her features with a small smile.

    ¡°So you¡¯re giving up now? That¡¯s disappointing,¡± Arianna taunted him. She must be a sucker for punishment for even suggesting that because she saw Marcel¡¯s eyes light up with a glint. He was up for the challenge.

    ¡°Of course, my love. This was just an appetizer,¡± Marcel said.

    To prove his words, his cock swelled up inside of her and Arianna gasped as his mouth found her, kissing her breathlessly. Marcel pulled away from her, some of the loads that he shot into her hole leaking out onto her thighs.

    Not that Marcel minded.

    .....

    As Arianna said earlier, he had millions of them inside of him. One thing was for sure though, he would have to rece the sofa tomorrow morning. And perhaps, he might have it sent back to the base as a little souvenir of their time together ¨C the day they made their baby. Their child would grow up learning the history behind his birth.

    Marcel leaned back and knelt astride her thighs. He caught her leg and lifted it with a wicked grin in his eyes while her core clenched in anticipation. Marcel hooked her leg over her shoulder and aligned his cock with her opening, lodging himself into her deliciously slowly.

    Arianna¡¯s whimper was loud and throaty as Marcel let her feel every single inch of him until he was sheathed deeply inside of her. Unlike the first time, he slid easily inside of her thanks to the delicious wet friction, although there was still the tiniest amount of difort because of his sheer size. But Arianna was not going to give up on this feeling. God, she was so full of him that she couldn¡¯t even get the word out.

    Marcel then thrust his hips forward and her back arched off the sofa with a soundless moan. She gasped, unable toprehend the million amounts of tingles spreading through her body. The angle that Marcel had her allowed him to hit her so deep that it was overwhelming,pletely drowning her senses.

    Pressing a hand to the side of the sofa to brace himself, his other hand secured her hips and thrust inside of her.

    ¡°Do you feel me?¡± He asked, pounding into her clenching p*ssy while her mouth remained open, no wordsing out of it. Dear God, it was too much. His thrust was so raw and powerful that it stole her breath away.

    ¡°Answer me?!¡± Marcel said roughly, mming deep inside of her and the scream was finally wrenched from her lips.

    ¡°You are so big!¡± Arianna cried out, yet moaned when he hit a spot that made her head real. Marcel chuckled darkly, of course, that was not aint at that. He would take that as apliment.

    He continued to fuck her with deep punishing grunt while she moaned and panted for him. But that was not enough for him, Marcel increased his pace, his movement frenzied and she felt the impacts down to her core and she clenched around him.

    But Marcel did not her let chase her orgasm because he slid out of her and before she couldin, hoisted her up and made her lean over the seat¡¯s backrest on her knees. He made sure that she was ttened against it and nudged her legs apart before entering into her from behind in one smooth move.

    Arianna felt a hint of pain from her sensitive core, but the pleasure was greater and she couldn¡¯t give up. Marcel¡¯s thrust was savage and she buried her face into the sofa, burying her screams. He upped his pace, riotously pounding into her and it felt so damn good. Pleasure continuously built inside of her like a dam about to burst open.

    Marcel slowed down only to drive his cock inside her all the way to the base and Arianna let out a muffled scream, her hands digging into the sofa. He grabbed her hips and leaned over with her too, making sure he drove in harder than the first time. Marcel continued to fuck her with the deep, punishing thrust over and over again until she came all over his lips.

    Lost in her ecstasy, Arianna still managed to clench her p*ssy so hard that she wrung an orgasm out of Marcel, making here with her. With clenched teeth, Marcel pumped his hips into her until he exploded inside of her and fell on her, his cock pulsing inside of her.

    Fuck, she was tired. Arianna was satiated. At the rate they were going, she was going to birth a dozen kids. No, she couldn¡¯t go another round. Weeks of being away from him had somehow tapered the stamina she had built and couldn¡¯t catch up with Marcel anymore.

    But then, her pass was not taken into ount as Marcel had other ns for him. He carried her off the couch and made a beeline for the bedroom. The moment her stomach hit the bed, her hip was pushed up into the air and the next, his dick slid into her sensitive pussy without resistance and she mped around him.

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna cried out even though her body was responding with a yes. She clenched and unclenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Yet there she was on her knees taking everything that he gave her until the final scream left her lips.

 Chapter 733 - 733 What He Had Lost

    733 What He Had Lost

    Elijah followed after Ezra, still not satisfied with his ambiguous answer from earlier. He needed to know about his ns concerning Mimi.

    Hence the moment his brother stopped at their car and opened the door to get in, he shut it close with anger instantly, ¡°That is not funny,¡± Elijah rebuked him, ¡°We still aren¡¯t on peaceful ground with the Luciano family and you¡¯re trying to make things worse by going after Mimi, Victor¡¯s woman? Have youpletely lost it or you¡¯re simply asking for death?¡±

    Provoked, Ezra turned and pushed him hard on the chest, ¡°And whose fault is it that things got this bad?!¡± He snapped at him, ¡°Whose fault is it that we are in a feud with the Luciano family?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I intentionally asked for trouble?!¡± Elijah retorted.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem, you intentionally did ask for it,¡± Ezra told him right in the face, ¡°You have always been the favorite, the beau of the season, and others always had to give in to you because you were the apple of our eyes. You were immunized, having the brothers that saved your miserable out of trouble and you must have felt invisible, invulnerable to danger, and of course, soared higher. ¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying,¡± Elijah shook his head in denial. He didn¡¯t believe what his brother Ezra was saying. He was merely being temperamental right now.

    However, Ezra continued, ¡°It must be great to be you, never paying the consequences for your actions, always being bailed out or having others pay the price for you. You never had to suffer, you¡¯re one lucky man, brother,¡± His tone was thick with sarcasm.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t so,¡± Elijah said more to himself. He was so shocked by his brother¡¯s assessment that he stood at that point, his feet stuck to the ground.

    He did not mean to cause trouble for his family, he had aimed to rescue Arianna from Marcel at first. But then things changed and his mission shifted as well to the extent of infiltrating the Luciano n with his fake identity.

    .....

    Although he tried to deny it and justify his actions, now that Elijah thought clearly about it, he realized that his backing had given him confidence. He was Elijah, thest-born son, and sibling to the powerful Draven brothers. No matter what kind of trouble he got into, as far as he was alive they would always rescue him.

    The chilling revtion made goosebumps spread up his arms and Elijah was suddenly weak. The guilt gnawed at his chest and his eyes were suddenly open. But then, it was toote and there was no room for another chance.

    Ezra opened the door to the driver¡¯s seat deciding to leave him all by himself. However, he stopped at thest minute and turned to his brother to say, ¡°Do you know your problem?¡±

    Elijah lifted his eyes to his, curious to know what he had to say about him.

    ¡°You never had the chance to lose. No, you don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to lose.¡± He corrected himself, ¡°Father and our brothers built this safe paradise for you so you don¡¯t get to experience the same hardship we did. Your future was handed on a tter of gold and that was our mistake, giving you an easy life. You didn¡¯t have the chance to sacrifice anything and I pray that one day you would lose something that matters so much to you. Only then, would you understand? ¡±

    And with those words being said, he got into the car and stirred the engine to life. The car roared with power and with no care about how he intended to get home tonight, Ezra drove off. He couldn¡¯t be around the little fucker without beating him to death.

    Elijah stood outside the hospital, looking like a lost person. But his head was filled with thoughts instead, mostly regrets as he went over the events of the past weeks. His brother Ezra might be right on many other things except one. He already lost something that mattered to him.

    Adele.

    He has tried to forget her, after all, if it was easy to get over Arianna, her case wouldn¡¯t be difficult either. But he was wrong, because the memories of their time together haunted his sleep morning and night. Keeping himself busy and helping Eric with his wedding preparation had seemed like a distraction. But it neversted.

    At the end of the day, he was back to dealing with the demons at night that never stopped tormenting him. Elijah couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Adele was living right now. Was she still hurt by his betrayal or had she moved on already?

    The thought of Adele moving on with another man made his heart throb. He hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to ask Mimi about Adele because he had been wary of her ¨C he doesn¡¯t want her pulling his hair again.

    Hence, Elijah decided to take the matters into his hands. He was going to call Adele. He would have gone directly to her ce but he couldn¡¯t risk losing his head on his shoulder and starting a war after his brother¡¯s effort for peace.

    Heart pounding in his throat, Elijah dialed her number with a different number. After his identity was revealed, he left everything that belonged to the Luciano family behind. But then, he never forgot her number, it was ingrained in his head.

    Her line was ringing and he waited patiently for her to answer. However, when the phone rang for a while and no one responded to it, Daniel was about to hang up only for the call to be picked up at thest minute.

    ¡°Hello?¡± He heard her familiar mellow voice and he became nervous. From her rxed tone, It was obvious that Adele had not expected him when she answered the call. However, when he didn¡¯t say a word, she became suspicious and asked.

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    And yet Elijah found himself unable to answer. However, unknown to him, the wheels were turning in Adele¡¯s head and she called,

    ¡°Elijah?¡±

    With lightning speed, he ended the call and turned, clutching his pounding heart. For the first time in his life, Elijah realized with shame what he had lost and he released an anguished roar in the air.

 Chapter 734 - 734 An Unlikely Alliance

    734 An Unlikely Alliance

    Adele loathed her biological mother, yet she found herself standing at the

    front door of her house and ringing the bell.

    She waited.

    The woman named Angelica had never been a mother to her, however, if there was anybody that would understand what she was going through right now, it had to be her.

    Yeah, an unlikely alliance.

    After her birth, her mother had given her away to Benjamin¡¯s wife to be raised as her daughter even though the woman never failed to remind her every day of her life that she was an illegitimate spawn.

    Most Mafia families were patriarchal and traditional, meaning that their men could keep other mistresses aside from their wives. As far as they were concerned their legitimate wife was the Madam of the house and bossdy.

    There were no rules against having illegitimate kids from their mistresses, however, to keep the peace in the family and avoidplications in the future, the men are advised not to have children with their lovers. It was a proven theory that most illegitimate children are known to perform better than legitimate ones because of their hungry drive to improve their status and achieve recognition. So yeah, it tends to be a problem especially when it¡¯s a male child.

    Unfortunately, Adele is a female and was not perceived to be a threat since they knew she would marry off and end up in her husband¡¯s house. Well, that was until she became the underboss to Marcel. As a girl, Adele was not recognized as a threat by her stepmother and while her real mother could have fought for her custody, she did not.

    .....

    Benjamin was a cowardly man, so when his wife found out that he fathered a child with his mistress, the woman threatened fire and brimstone. To save his family plus the fact that Adele was half-Luciano, Benjamin convinced her biological mother to give her up, plus the fact she would have a morefortable life with her siblings and the rest was history.

    Her mother was nothing but a struggling model when she met her father Benjamin and the both of them fell in love, or so she imed. To Adele, Benjamin was a selfish bastard and was incapable of loving.

    While other mistresses eventually moved on with their life and started a family with their new partners, a few fools like her mother stayed behind for a dream that would never be fulfilled. Angelica believed that Benjamin woulde back to his senses and realize that she is the one that he wants, but Adele didn¡¯t know how to break it to her. It was never happening.

    Hoping for a coward is a very poor and terrible investment. You can¡¯t save someone that doesn¡¯t want to be saved. From the years that Adele has lived with the man called her father, she knew he would never leave his wife for her mother. No, not while the woman held him in an iron grip. Angelica was having a piper¡¯s dream.

    But it was not over because Adele had a feeling that the both of them were still seeing each other and the thought of them having sex made her want to throw up. God swears she was going to murder them if they dare birth another sibling for her. Not that it was going to happen since her mother should be in her menopause already. But then miracles do happen.

    Her mother must have seen her through the peephole because there was no questioning before the door was thrown open. And behold, standing in front of her was a wlessly beautiful woman that could turn heads even at her age. No wonder, Benjamin couldn¡¯t let her go. Too cold for him to keep her, too hot for him to leave her. What a selfish bastard.

    ¡°Well, well, look what the cat dragged in?¡± Angelica drawled and Adele could sense the ridicule in her tone. She went on to say, ¡°How long has it been? Ten? Seven? Five years?¡±

    Adele stared at the woman, she was a replica of her mother except that while her hair was longer, Adele wore her dark hair in a bob. Her mother was slim, and dainty, looking like a model on a runway even on a casual day. Angelica was a natural at pulling off such finesse

    While she was the opposite.

    Adele¡¯s body was built from her regr workout routines, and looked polished yet rugged. She was like a harmless cat who would charm and y around for its host until she strikes with her ws. Adele wondered who she inherited that ferocity from because it was definitely not from her charming and weak mother or her ambitious yet cowardly father, Benjamin. She was twice the man that he was and would ever be.

    Adele opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out as she realized that none of her excuses would make up for not visiting her mother over the years. So she went straight to the point.

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    The expression on her mother¡¯s face fell at once and she moved out of the way, saying to her hurriedly,

    ¡°Come inside,¡±

    Adele did as she was told and came inside the living room that was smaller than her ce yet warm andfortable for a woman her age living on her own.

    ¡°Alright, tell me, is this a joke or what?!¡± She heard Angelica¡¯s interrogating voice from behind.

    Adele turned, taking note of her father¡¯s pictures hanging on the wall before facing her mother and asked her in a grim voice,

    ¡°Have you ever seen mee all the way to your ce to joke?¡±

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± It finally dawned on the woman and she went pale in the face.

    Angelica walked over to the table where her ashtray was resting and picked a cigarette from its pack, litting it in a hurry. She took a long smoke before throwing her head back and puffing it out.

    ¡°You do know smoking kills?¡± Adele reminded her. Not to mention secondhand smoke. It was not safe for her either.

    ¡°Well, it would not kill me as fast as my daughter who fucking got pregnant?!¡± She shouted at her angrily, ¡°What the hell were you thinking?!¡±

 Chapter 735 - 735 Can I trust You Enough

    735 Can I trust You Enough

    ¡°Drawing inspiration from you?¡± Adele sassed at her without holding back her anger. She said to her, ¡°It¡¯s just like the kettle calling the pot ck, that¡¯s quite riching from your mouth, mother.¡± Her tone held a note of finality that sliced through the air around them.

    Angelica¡¯s mouth opened and closed at the same time without a single wording out and she almost looked like a fish that had stepped out of itsfort zone and was now gasping for air onnd. She looked at her daughter with her wide, unbelieving eyes and couldn¡¯t take the insult lying down.

    Adele¡¯sment provoked an outburst of anger from her, she said through gritted teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t know what vendetta you have against me, Adele? I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s probably revenge for giving you away to your father¡¯s family, but then I would do that over and over again! Your family was the one that was capable enough to give you a bright future! This¡­ !¡± She pointed to her stomach with a look of disdain,¡± is exactly why I never had you stay with me?!¡±

    ¡°Well, reality check one,¡± The corners of her lips lifted in a sneer, ¡°It didn¡¯t exactly work out the way you wanted, why? They never cared about me! And perhaps, if you were eager enough to fight for me and weren¡¯t obsessed with a man that doesn¡¯t give a fuck about you, then this wouldn¡¯t have happened! I would have been raised with love and enough guidance not to repeat your mistake?!¡± Adele shouted back at her.

    ¡°You rude brat!¡± Angelica lifted her hand to p her but she caught it and said in a condescending tone,

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of it when you don¡¯t have the right to do so! You shouldn¡¯t be surprised anyway, after all, like mother, like daughter.¡± She fling her hand away and waited to see her next reaction.

    With the way her mother¡¯s chest was heaving up and down, Adele thought that she would try to start a fight with her or even kick her out. However, her mother did the opposite by breaking down into tears and leaving her dumbfounded.

    And that was the point where Adele knew that she had to leave. Nobody was going to emotionally manipte her into doing something that she doesn¡¯t want to. However, Adele took just one step when Angelica grabbed onto her

    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave,¡± She looked up at her with her teary eyes and began to apologize profusely, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Your mother is so sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have given you up so easily, please forgive me, Adele.¡± Angelica begged her so desperately that even though Adele still held grudges against her, she had to give up on them for the moment.

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, so can you stop pulling my arm before you dislocate it,¡± Although her words were not cold as before, they stillcked warmth, but then it was baby steps, right?

    A few minutester, her mother hadposed herself and the both of them were seated down, conversing amicably for once. Angelica was smoking away at another cigarette and she looked soposed whenpared to her meltdown earlier.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the baby¡¯s father?¡± Angelica asked, more like interrogating her. At least the judgemental look in her eyes was gone and Adele could endure her a little bit more.

    ¡°Someone you wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Adele answered honestly, yet vaguely.

    Her mother gave her the look, she wanted more.

    Adele sighed, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know him anyway, but his name is Elijah and currently both of our families are not on the best terms so you can understand why I came to you. This news can¡¯t get out, not while tension is still tight between both families.¡±

    ¡°Is he rich enough to take care of you and the baby?¡± Her mother¡¯s primary concern was his financial status. She refused to believe that her daughter was knocked up by a nobody. If there was any trait her daughter should have picked up from her, it should be her ability to select the ¡°right¡± men.

    ¡°Well, his family is old money, so you can say he¡¯s rich enough. But then, he wouldn¡¯t be taking care of me because he has no knowledge of my pregnancy and would never know. I¡¯m training my child all by myself!¡± She stated firmly.

    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± Her mother shot up to get her feet, beginning to panic. She whirled around to Adele and said to her with red-shot eyes, ¡°You really want to end up like me? Is that it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where you are wrong¡­.¡± Adele stood up to her feet and told her, ¡°I would never end up like you because I have worked so hard and made a future for myself. I am in a position in the family where I¡¯m second to the best. I have my own money, can eat whatever I want, and buy whatever I want without me having to hook up with a man.¡± Although Adele knew that it was too rude of her to bring that up and rub it in her mother¡¯s face, it was the best way to sink the information into Angelica¡¯s head who thinks the entire world revolves around men.

    She went on to say, ¡°This child is my foolish mistake and a temporary setback. And I would raise him or her without the father and give my baby the best life. So don¡¯t give me that sympathetic look because my future is secured already. I can do it without him.¡±

    ¡°But then, he -¡±

    Adele cut her off with her cold re and Angelica shut her mouth, swallowing numbly. Adele said to her, ¡°The only reason I came to you is that I know nothing about childbirth. So don¡¯t think too much about it because as far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re still that woman that abandoned me after birth.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Angelica took a deep breath, ¡°Then sit down and let me make you something to eat, you¡¯re a mother now and need all the nutrients that you can get. After that, we talk.¡±

    Her mother said and was about to walk past her, only for Adele to grab her arm and halted her in her steps,

    ¡°The Draven family and our family are not on good terms which means that Benjamin cannot know of my pregnancy for the moment. Can I trust you not to go spill your guts to him?¡± Adele searched her gaze, knowing that she was taking a huge leap of faith here.

    Angelica stared back into her eyes, saying, ¡°I know that I have many shorings as your mother. However, no matter what, my daughteres first before any other thing. It¡¯s my time to make it up to you, Adele.¡± She promised her.

    ¡°Good,¡± Adele said, finally letting go of her arm with an air of relief.

 Chapter 736 - 736 How Late Are You?

    736 How Late Are You?

    Bored out of her mind, Adele wanted to join her mother in the kitchen, but the woman kicked her out, iming that her first lesson as a mother today was to recognize her limits. She couldn¡¯t do any hardbor from now on which was honestly a huge setback for Adele.

    How was she going to keep in shape from now on? Adele realized that it was the first drawback of pregnancy. Her insecurities kicked in and she began to wonder if she could do this. Wasn¡¯t it better to stress her body and have a miscarriage and get this over with?

    Or even consider the abortion Marcel once talked about, why make this hard upon herself? Benjamin and the others wouldn¡¯t even know once she had the child removed. It would be as if it never happened unless her mother goes bbering her mouth.

    It would be the easy way out, but then, Adele knew she couldn¡¯t do it. Her mother birthed her, why choose the cowardly way and get rid of a child she was blessed with? Adele knew that she couldn¡¯t deny her baby her right to life.

    Aside from that, Adele knew deep down that she wanted something that belongs to Elijah to hold onto. To remind her of the time they spent together knowing the both of them could never be again. So yeah, maybe she was a tiny bit selfish.

    Adele was still lost in her thoughts when her phone rang, rousing her to reality. She stared down at her screen only to discover that the number was unknown and hesitated to answer it.

    She was not exactly a fan of answering unfamiliar calls until the second ring, only then would Adele know that whoever was on the line was serious about speaking with her.

    But for some reason, she feltpelled to answer this particr call. Or perhaps, she was simply bored and needed a mystery to solve. She answered the call at thest minute,

    ¡°Hello?¡± She said, pressing the phone to her ear, expecting that whoever was on the other end of the call would state his purpose.

    .....

    However, when the person on the line didn¡¯t say a word, her brows drew together in a furrow. Adele knew whoever that was could hear her clearly because she could pick up background noises.

    Adele wasn¡¯t in a hurry to end the call because she had on more than one asion had whistle-blowers inform her of an iing attack from other rivals aimed at crippling their resources or even an arrest from the police having secured evidence against them. In that case, they would react quickly and intercept whatever evidence they procured against them or alert the chief of police and the corrupt officers eating out of their palms to stop them.

    It was her responsibility as the underboss to have Don¡¯s back when he was busy or distracted with other matters. So she always settled it quietly and then informed Marcel about it. But then most whistleblowers were often quiet and cautious as they wondered if they could trust her or not. Hence, Adele did not rush whoever was on the line and asked gently yet firmly,

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    And still, yet, there was no answer.

    At this point, Adele lost her patience and was about to curse out at whoever that was for wasting her time only to pick up his heavy breathing and freeze. She could recognize that breathing pattern anyway, anytime even with her eyes closed. She connected the dots in her head and everything made sense. He wasn¡¯t confident to speak to her; he was hiding.

    ¡°Elijah,¡±

    His name left her lips in a whisper, almost a caress as she couldn¡¯t believe that it was him. Adele never expected that he would call her so her emotions took the better of her. Instead of the anger that should be directed at him for what he did to her, she was instead filled with a desperation to speak to him. To hear his voice once more and assure herself that he was well because her poor heart was stirred.

    However, he dashed that hope when he ended the call and she hurriedly called him back, but he wouldn¡¯t answer. With tears slipping down her cheeks, Adele called him up to four times but he wouldn¡¯t answer. It wasn¡¯t until the fifth ring that Adele caught herself and wondered what she was doing?!

    She promised herself never to cry and sulk over that guy, so what was she doing? He was the one that hurt her, he should be the one begging on his knees and apologizing for what he did to her! She was the fool who fell for him and got hurt in the process. Moreover, she made up her mind never to let Elijah into her life, so this can¡¯t do.

    Adele hardened her heart once and bottled whatever positive feelings she had for Elijah, recing them with her anger and hate. This wasn¡¯t the time to be a girl with raging hormones but a mother desperate to secure her child¡¯s future. So she cleared her eyes and took a deep breath.

    It was alright. She was going to be okay. Nothing is impossible. She can¡¯t do this. Those were her mental chants as she took deep, steady breaths until she wasposed emotionally. There was nothing that she couldn¡¯t achieve once she put her heart into it.

    Not long after, her mother returned with the soup she prepared and ced it in front of her. Honestly, Adele has not been eating properlytely, however, the smell of the soup stirred her appetite and she found herself devouring it in no time.

    It has been a while since she had a well home-cooked meal like this one and Angelica seems to have a talent for cooking. Had she gotten Benjamin¡¯s heart through his stomach? Why was the thought sarcastically funny?

    ¡°So howte are you?¡± Her mother asked her in the middle of the meal.

    ¡°What?¡± Adele didn¡¯t understand her question.

    ¡°How long have you been pregnant, Adele?¡± she asked

    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know. I just found out through the pregnancy kit test that I was pregnant, that¡¯s all. Although I¡¯ll say a month or more?¡± Adele answered nonchntly while digging into the chicken and didn¡¯t get to see the way her mother¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.

    ¡°You mean to tell me that you haven¡¯t even gone for a scan?¡± She was shocked.

    Adele shook her head, still eating.

    Angelica shook her head in disbelief, her daughter was clueless. At least now, she knew where to begin.

 Chapter 737 - 737 Beat Him Up

    737 Beat Him Up

    Elijah got back home at ater hour after getting some air. It had been chaos in his head earlier as the emotions tried to overwhelm him ¨Cthe guilt of what he had done to Adele nketed him till he was nearly drowning in it.

    However, he was able topose himself and was back. But then, the moment he walked into the living room, Ephraim was standing in there alongside his huge brother Elvis, as if the both of them had been waiting patiently for his return.

    Elijah gulped unconsciously knowing that trouble was already waiting for him. Since Ezra was not in sight, he could already guess he had told them everything. Hence, he unconsciously braced himself for the chaos about to unleash. Ephraim was slow to angerpared to his twin Eric, but when his bottled emotions reach their limit, he¡¯s much more ferocious.

    ¡°You¡¯re still up?¡± Elijah said casually, hoping to walk past them without trouble when Ephraim asked,

    ¡°Where¡¯s the girl,¡± Ephraim was leaning against the pir while Elvis in question pulled him back by the shirt before he left.

    Elijah scratched the back of his head before he stared up at his brothers. None of them were smiling at him, which was enough to convince him not to lie to them. They were going to kill him tonight.

    He took a deep breath before saying,

    ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°Gone where?¡± Elvis asked sternly. Amongst all of his brothers, he likes throwing his weight around even though he wasn¡¯t the eldest child ¨C and Elijah was grateful that he wasn¡¯t in Eric¡¯s position.

    .....

    Ejivis believes that he would have been the second eldest child had Ephraim note around. Hence, both of them tend to fight a lot even though Ephraim would win in the end. While Elvis was strong, Ephraim would always win with his wiles and brains.

    Every family had its problem and

    as united as his brothers seem to be, they had their ws too, nor were they indifferent to sibling rivalry. Sure Ezra might argue that he ¨C Elijah ¨C depended on them to get his mess cleaned up, but then, that was his only way of drawing attention.

    Having four overachieving brothers, where was he supposed to step in? How was he supposed to disy his special attribute without being covered by the shadows of his brothers? It was always Eric who did this or Ephraim did this or Ezra did this and even the less brainy one among them, Elvis did that.

    He was not just their baby brother anymore. But then, each time Elijah tries to do his own thing, he ends up causing trouble instead. Any time he attempts to gain his brothers¡¯ respect, to make them stop thinking of him as their brother whom they attempted changing his diaper as a kid, it all goes wrong.

    He must be a jinx.

    ¡°She¡¯s with Marcel,¡± Elijah let out.

    ¡°You!¡± Elvis stepped in, raising his hand to hit him only for Ephraim to step in and stop him.

    He turned to Elijah and said, ¡°Come to the boxing ring.¡±

    And yeah, they do have a boxing ring.

    To engage his children, their father made sure to provide for and fulfill whatever sporting desires they loved and one of them had been boxing. There was just something so intense, so aggressive, heart-pounding, and beautiful about the game that drew in hispetitive brothers.

    They often used the ring to resolve their issues. Whenever they had a dispute and a little violence was needed to settle the matter, they were advised to take it to the ring where they ended up beating each other to exhaustion. In one word, Elijah knew that he was only going to receive a beating there, so he braced himself.

    ¡°You have only five minutes,¡± Ephraim announced to Elvis who finished putting on his boxing gloves and did a little warm-up by throwing a few practicing punches in the air, that is if you could call it that with the knowing looks he was throwing Elijah¡¯s way.

    Elijah was silently thinking of many ways to save his ass from getting terribly kicked. It has been a while since they did this since everyone had moved out and there was no time to get into fights anymore. Of course, they taught Elijah everything that he needed to know, and he knew their fighting styles nor was he out of shape.

    But then, the same could be said for his siblings too. There was no way that they had been cking off and had practiced as well. Hence, Elijah couldn¡¯t tell if they had improved or not, or what new trick they had picked along the way.

    However, if there was anyone that Elijah feared more, it was Ephraim, not the heavily muscled Elvis. Sure, Elvis was fearsome, but he was all about brute strength and Elijah nned to go on the defensive until his time was over else his brother would break him in two.

    He couldn¡¯t go confrontational with Elvis and from the smug look the asshole has been giving him for the past minutes, Elijah was sure that he knew that too.

    But Ephraim?

    He was calcting, maniptive, and as smart as he was. While Elvis strikes on the surface, his other brother is good at psychological attacks and they hurt more because they run deeper.

    So the moment they entered the ring, Elijah was already calcting his exits and mentally scanning Elvis body to see an advantage in this unfair fight. Something like his brother favoring his left or right leg, aka a recent injury. None of them were wearing protective measures like headgear or mouth guards. This was not a sport to be enjoyed, but a chance for them to beat each other up or in his case, get punished for what he did.

    So the instant Ephraim gave the signal, Elvis charged forward with a primal growl and took the first jab while Elijah began to defend himself.

 Chapter 738 - 738 Kick Your Ass

    738 Kick Your Ass

    Sweat trickled down his face while his wrist hurt from continuously blocking Elvis¡¯ hits. Elijah couldn¡¯t give up now, not when he knew the time was almost up. For the past minutes, he had been dodging, diving, and spinning out of the way of his brother¡¯s heavy punches.

    Although he did get hit a few times, it was nothingpared to how the state of his face would have been had he dared go on the offensive.

    And Elvis was getting pretty frustrated with his blocking ability which was a blessing to Elijah since his brother¡¯s moves were getting sloppier and more predictable. Although the punches were getting heavier because he was putting in all of his strength.

    Sadly, Elijah got toofortable with his moves so when Elvis spun and kicked him all of a sudden, he could not dodge in time.

    The force of the kick forced Elijah to stagger backward till he was leaning on the ring rope and cleared the dizziness out of his eyes only to see Elvis diving at him and his eyes widened in shock. Elijah moved out of the way but by mere inches and Elvis still managed to box him in, throwing punch after punch.

    His teeth were gritted hard as he blocked each hit until Elvis found an opening in his defense, punching him in the guts and he exhaled deeply as the breath was knocked out of his lungs. Elvis pushed harder and harder until he couldn¡¯t block his moves anymore and Elijah was left defenseless.

    Quick to take advantage of that opportunity, Elvis drew his hand back and was about to hit him in the face only for the rm to sound.

    His time was over.

    At once, a small victorious smile curled Elijah¡¯s face to the side, he did it! He survived. He passed the first hell and was left with one trail. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

    .....

    However, even with time over, Elvis still did not release Elijah and his fist was dangerously close to his face. Elijah eyed him, having no clue what to do until Ephraim¡¯s voice cut through the air,

    ¡°Give up honorably, Elvis. Don¡¯t be such a bully,¡±

    Elvis stared back at Elijah before he released him with a disgruntled grunt. ¡°You are one lucky bastard, brother,¡± He patted Elijah on the face before letting go and leaving him alone on the ring.

    Elijah slid to the ground, throwing his head back with a deep breath of relief. He needed water, he needed rest. Tonight was hard on him already and yet he still had to fight Ephraim. It was a nightmare.

    The next Elijah knew, a water bottle was flying in his direction and he caught it before it could hit him in the face.

    ¡°Drink up,¡± Ephraim told him, ¡°You have two minutes of rest and you¡¯re up on your feet again.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± He was grateful at least for the water, but when he tried to open the cap, he winced in pain. His hands had taken the brunt force of Elvis¡¯ punches and he must have sprained them in the process. Elijah sighed inwardly, he could already see himself losing the next punch before it even began.

    While he rested, Ephraim was putting on his hand gears and when he was done, did a bit of stretching here and there. He then bent and looked down at his phone at the corner of the ring before he stood straight to announce,

    ¡°Rest time is over, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± he bumped his gears together.

    As soon as the rm went off, both of them began to circle each other until Elijah jabbed at him first and his brother dodged it.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Ephraim said, going back to circling and studying his footwork.

    Unfortunately, his talking was the problem and unlike Elvis, Elijah was not going on the defensive but offensive. He had to shut Ephraim before he struck his weak spot. But then, it was toote because he said,

    ¡°It¡¯s quite sad that you can¡¯t run away from trouble as quickly as your blows.¡±

    However, Elijah refused to be affected by his words and strengthened his mental shield. He threw a good left jab followed by an uppercut that threw him off bnce. He then swept out his legs, intending to use it to dislodge his feet from behind him but Ephraim found his bnce and avoided it.

    ¡°Nice job.¡± Heplimented him again, only to say, ¡°I heard that you and Arianna were a thing in the past. So tell me, did you two go all the way or did your ancestors whisper enough wisdom into your world to you to stop halfway considering the both of you are family now?¡±

    Elijah was not going to listen to Ephraim¡¯s words knowing that it was intended to throw him off bnce, yet his mind did drift off and that was a mistake. Pivoting his toes, hips, and hand, Ephraim surprised him with a hook in the jaw, catching Elijah unaware as it came from out of his vision.

    His head snapped to the side and his mouth filled with a metallic taste. Elijah licked away the blood from his bottom lip and tried to shake off the throbbing pain. He tried to counter with an uppercut since they were at close quarters but Ephraim had a good bnce and wasn¡¯t moved.

    It failed miserably and his brother¡¯s fist connected with his temple instead. Elijah found himself falling until his back hit the ground and Ephraim bent over him, saying,

    ¡°It¡¯s time you learned that your actions reflect on this family and decide our fate in this city,¡± He punched him.

    ¡°Messing with the Luciano family was crossing the line!¡±

    Punch!

    ¡°I heard about the other woman you yed with from Arianna and that is quite low for a Draven heir, brother!¡±

    He punched him again.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to grow up!¡±

    Punch!

    ¡°Eric specially told me to kick your ass. No bad blood, brother!¡±

    Hended the final blow that knocked him out.

 Chapter 739 - 739 Tried Out Every Position

    739 Tried Out Every Position

    For the first time since the past weeks, Arianna slept very peacefullyst night. It felt like a heavy burden was finally taken off her chest and now she could finally breathe and oh¡­ that felt good¡­. yes, yes that angle¡­. wait a minute, what was going ¡­. damn, that felt good¡­

    Her eyes snapped open at once and Arianna woke up to Marcel eating her out early in the morning.

    Dear God, she couldn¡¯t believe the sight. His head was buried in between her legs while he clenched her thigh firmly, keeping her just where he wanted her to be because Arianna didn¡¯t realize that she had been writhing in her sleep all this while.

    Arianna had to admit that it had been quite a while since Marcel woke her to such special treatment and she missed it so much. She wanted to say something to him but those words were forever lost aspped at her sensitive clit and all that left her mouth instead was her moans.

    Her moans of pleasure urged Marcel on because he licked her again and again till she was screaming. Arianna dug her nails into the sheet and clutched her hand around it as Marcel continued to tease her without mercy. He was so heartless in bed, not that she wasining, but alsoining at the same too.

    Only God knew that he would be the end of her.

    Marcel kept sucking and licking her until she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and she broke apart under the administration of his tongue. However, even her orgasm was not enough to stop Marcel from eating her out because he increased his pace instead and extended her ecstasy.

    ¡°Fuck it!¡± Arianna cursed out through gritted teeth, her back arching off the bed. The pleasure was too much and seemed to being from everywhere. Her mind was reeling and all she could think about was the wicked things Marcel was doing to her body.

    Unable to control her body anymore, her hand reached down and yanked on his hair, trying to push him away but Marcel was adamant and wasn¡¯t through with her. He pped her hand again and steadied her hips which kept moving off the bed.

    .....

    The erotic sounds Marcel made as he devoured her clit were enough to drive her crazy. His tongue slid from one end to the other and kept licking and sucking and biting andpping till her body tensed up as if suffering from a seizure.

    The pleasure was so intense that her eyes rolled to the back of her head and Arianna found herself soaring through the heavens. Her scream reverberated across the room while her nails dug into Marcel¡¯s shoulder enough to draw blood as she was soaring higher and higher till she crashed to the earth.

    Her body fellx on the bed and she began to pant heavily as if she had been running a marathon all this while. Arianna greedily sucked in the air to calm her ragged breathing while her body slowly recovered. That was one of the most poignant orgasms that she had ever had and it was simply amazing.

    Marcel finally lifted his head from beneath her legs. Her clit was pulsing and she stared at him with hooded eyes. Her wetness coated his face and there was a glint in his eyes when Marcel used his finger to swipe at the corner of his lips and tasted it from her finger.

    It was so erotic that Arianna felt her core clench. She wanted more. She wanted him inside of her.

    As if he could read her thoughts or perhaps she must be exuding pheromones, Marcel crawled back up until his face was level with hers.

    ¡°Good morning, love,¡± Marcel said, his gray eyes gone so dark that she could feel shivers running down her spine. Arianna shivered, all she could see was his animalistic side of him about to devour her and the glint in his eyes that whispered dark promises of what was about to happen.

    However, she pushed the dark fear to the back of her mind and opened her mouth to speak only for Marcel to muffle her words with his mouth. Arianna¡¯s eyes widened to the size of saucers, doesn¡¯t he know that she hadn¡¯t brushed? But then, Marcel seem to be perfectly fine and the emotions finally clouded her judgemental brain.

    His lips tasted salty and of sex. Marcel fed her the taste of her, his tongue prodding her mouth open and deepening the kiss. It wasn¡¯t as bad as Arianna thought it would be and soon enough, their tongues were twisted together and teasing each other.

    And while he possessed her with the kiss, Marcel shifted his weight till he was lying on his side, lifted her legs, and hooked it over his arm. He then positioned himself to her entrance while he devoured her lips, distracting her with the kiss only to slide into her in one move.

    Arianna moaned loudly into his mouth, her body awakening to the thought of him inside of her as he began to move. Marcel thrust into her with sure, deep strokes until he titited his hips and hit spots inside of her that made her head lull back, breaking apart from the kiss.

    His thrusts soon gained pace but without breaking the rhythm while Arianna buried her face into his neck and cried out her pleasure. Marcel began to m into her deeper and deeper and the pleasure building inside of her finally reached its limit and exploded.

    Arianna bit down on his shoulder, muffling her cries while her hands dug into Marcel¡¯s back as she rode out her climax. She shuddered from the pleasure vibrating through her body as she clenched his dick tight. With a few pumps of his hips, Marcel came with her, releasing all of his seed inside of her before he copsed on the bed, exhausted.

    He said to Arianna with ragged breath, ¡°Mission aplished, we have tried out every position.¡±

 Chapter 740 - 740 Taken A Woman In During Her Absence

    740 Taken A Woman In During Her Absence

    Arianna and Marcely down on the bed, snuggled up close to each other. After their intimacy, they stayed that way, enjoying the moment of peace between the both of them before they returned to their normal lives.

    With his hands resting on her naked flesh, Marcel continuously traced the curve of her back starting from her shoulder down to her the top of the buttocks without going any further down. Even with such a ravenous appetite, Marcel knew when he had to stop, and right now, he has pushed Arianna to her limits.

    Marcel simply enjoyed touching her.

    He loved every part of her body ¨C including her ws. Arianna looked perfect to him. Marcel loved her beautiful green eyes, it was one of the most outstanding features of her body. He liked it whenever she was angry because her eyes would kind of shoot out liquid fire that looked adorable to him ¨C not that she needed to know that.

    Arianna would surely murder him if she knew that he sometimes pisses her off on purpose just to see that look in her eyes. Another thing Marcel loved about her was the way she bit on her lower lips whenever she was horny. Of course, she doesn¡¯t know that as well because It¡¯s like a reflex action only Marcel gets to notice. After all, he¡¯s watching her.

    Last but not least, Marcel loved her empathy. He might not admit it but Arianna was his motivation and pushed him to be a better person. She reminds him of his mother and her love for humanity even though Arianna had more fire in her. Arianna would never take the shit his mother Penelope took from Daniel, she would fight back, the same way she has been fighting him since the first day they met.

    Good thing that he wasn¡¯t Daniel else he would have missed out on Arianna, the same way his father missed out on Natalie which worked in his favor anyway. So cheers.

    Nheless, It has been so long since Marcel spent time like this with Arianna and he nned to savor every second of it. He would have to send her back soon before Eric¡¯s peoplee for her, that is, they weren¡¯t here already and just didn¡¯t want toe in since they don¡¯t know what to expect.

    Good for them, because he was not letting her go of Arianna until he was done with her.

    .....

    Marcel¡¯s hand moved down to her side, his palm ttening over her belly. He caressed her t belly wondering what it would feel like if she had his babe in there already.

    ¡°It¡¯s too soon to tell.¡± Arianna guessed what was going through his mind through his gesture. She added with a bit of disappointment in her tone, ¡°And we don¡¯t even know if I will get pregnant this time.¡±

    ¡°I know you are,¡± Marcel said with conviction even though there was no way to tell aside from waiting patiently for the uing weeks.

    He continued, looking her deep in the eyes, ¡°With the way, I fucked you thoroughlyst night and this morning, Arianna? There¡¯s no way that you can be pregnant. Not to mention the males in my family are quite virile.¡±

    ¡°What if the problem is from me then¡­?¡± She said, her brows drawn together in concern.

    ¡°My mother had just me, what if it¡¯s some sort of problem that affects the women in my family?¡± Arianna expressed her fears even though she hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to ask her mother if she experienced any difficulty while birthing her. She simply conjured everything in her head.

    ¡°Yet your mother had you?¡± Marcel pointed that out with his brows arched. He sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you are infertile, Arianna. Even if we don¡¯t hit a baby this time, I¡¯ll keep fucking¡­.¡± He emphasized his point by slipping his hand into her slit and touching her there, drawing a gasp from her lips before withdrawing his hand.

    He then rested his hand on her stomach saying with emotions,

    ¡°and fill your womb with my seed until one of them gets fertilized and you have my baby. So no, I¡¯m not giving up on you, nor our baby, Arianna.¡±

    Aww, Arianna was so touched by his confidence that she literally melted inside. So she said to him, ¡± In that case, I¡¯ll have to return to the base ¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel answered her so quickly he startled her.

    Arianna blinked at him, surprised. And just like every woman out there, she began to have her suspicion that Marcel had a secret he was protecting, that was why he didn¡¯t want her returning to the base and ruining them. Not that she believed that Marcel would cheat on her with what they just shared and their ns for the future. He just seemed suspicious and her sixth sense began to tingle. Had he taken in a woman during her absence?

    Marcel answered immediately, ¡°I have this nagging suspicion that Daniel is up to something and I don¡¯t want you anyway near him, especially now he thinks you¡¯re carrying my child. You¡¯re safer with the Draven for the moment while I resolve the conflicts between both our families,¡±

    He intentionally didn¡¯t tell her the part where he was attacked and still hadn¡¯t figured out the perpetrator behind the attack. One thing was for sure though, if whoever attacked him had a grudge against him, then Arianna would be his next target. That was a known fact in their line of business.

    If you can¡¯t defeat the king, take his queen and the throne belongs to you.

    Marcel loved Arianna too much to lose her. She would be safe under the protection of the Draven brothers who are now her brother-inw. Arianna was technically part Draven.

    ¡°If you say so then,¡± She sulked a little. On the bright side, thank God it was not what she had been thinking.

    ¡°I¡¯lle to see you as much as I can, even though I would technically wait outside your gate,¡± Marcel promised when he saw the disappointment on her face.

    ¡°While I¡¯ll have to fight with my mother each time I want to see you. It¡¯s quite hrious because I can already imagine our colorful conversation,¡± Arianna chuckled under her breath. Her mother was going to lose it when she heard what she did in her absence.

 Chapter 741 - 741 Arianna Was Secreting Pheromones

    741 Arianna Was Secreting Pheromones

    Music Rmendation:- Kiss you ¨C Caity Baser

    __________

    As usual, Marcel ordered a new set of clothes for her to wear after they were done and right now they were seated in the hotel¡¯s restaurant having breakfast. As much as Marcel needed to send Arianna back home, he was dying the inevitable on purpose. He wanted to spend more time with her.

    If Marcel had a way to freeze time, he would leave everyone else to be stuck in the moment while he and Arianna carried on with their lives forever. But then, it was impossible and yes, he was that selfish. If it means that he gets to have her in the end. Marcel would do anything for her.

    ¡°Mmmm, this tastes good,¡± Arianna squeezed her eyes shut as she relished the taste of the hotel¡¯s exquisitely made fluffy Belgian waffles topped with syrup, berries, and whipped cream. Although they¡¯re not the healthiest option thanks to the sugar bomb, Arianna needed to replenish her energy.

    Marcel stared at Arianna, captivated by the gesture. He watched the way her head fell back in delight and exposed her white slender neck that he inched to run his lips over. Like in slow motion, her lips formed into an ¡®O¡¯ shape as she moaned. The sound was so intense to him that it vibrated through his body and down to his dick, rousing it to life.

    Holy, mother of God, Marcel gripped the edge of the table so tight that his knuckles turned white. It was a good thing that he was sitting opposite Arianna and not beside her, else she would have sensed something was wrong with him. Arianna was seduction personified.

    Arianna had her eyes open now and continued eating her delicious waffles, unaware of the predicament she put Marcel through. However, the universe must be set on torturing Marcel because he saw a bit of the cream at the corner of her upper lips.

    He gestured to his face at the same spot, ¡°You have something on your ¡­¡± Marcel reached out to wipe out the cream from the corner of her lips when her tongue darted out instead, running it over her lips and he froze.

    .....

    The gesture happened right in front of Marcel and yed in a loop in his head. All Marcel could see was her red tongue running over that luscious lips that he wanted to kiss so much. Marcel was now so hard that his dick strained against the fabric of his pants.

    At once he shook the ridiculous thought out of his head and sat his ass back in his seat while trying to calm his ragging brother down there. Something must be wrong with him, he reasoned. There was no way that he was in heat or something. That was for women, right? Or perhaps, it was Arianna¡¯s doing.

    He had once read an article that said just like animals, humans do excrete pheromones. Pheromones are a hidden form ofmunication sent from one individual to another of the same species. Thus, triggering a hormonal change in the individual receiving the signal. Could it be that Arianna was sending him signals?

    Damn, he must be losing his mind, Marcel sighed inwardly. What does him having a hard-on for the woman in front of him got to do with pheromones and biology?

    ¡°What is it? ¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t help but notice that he was distracted, not to mention the beads of sweat on his forehead. She didn¡¯t realize that it was hot in here ¨C even though the air conditioner was on.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Her face was creased in confusion.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcel covered up his difort with a smile. What was he going to tell her? That he needed her help with his erection that still doesn¡¯t want to go down?

    ¡°And you still have¡­.¡± A bit of the cream was still on her face.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Arianna wiped her face with the back of her palm and then looked to him for confirmation, ¡°Is it still there?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re clean.¡± Marcel was thankful he didn¡¯t have to touch her else he was a goner.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relieve,¡± Arianna beamed at him, exposing her white teeth.

    How nice it would feel if those lips were wrapped around him.

    A small whiny sound left Marcel¡¯s lips when his dick hardened more in response to his dirty thoughts.

    Dear God, he shouldn¡¯t think that. It was like fanning the mes that were threatening to engulf him. At once, Marcel pushed his seat closer to the table so an outsider couldn¡¯t see what was going on with him.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Arianna didn¡¯t know what to believe at this point. While she wanted to trust his words, her instincts told her something was wrong with him. Was he sick or what?

    Arianna was merely acting out of concern but Marcel knew he was dead meat when he saw her reach out toward him. Unfortunately, Arianna¡¯s touch was enough to send him sailing through the heavens. He couldn¡¯t let that happen here. It would be embarrassing if he released in his pants. He had to do something quickly.

    He had to think of something that turned him off quickly. Marcel was filled with apprehension as he saw Arianna¡¯s hand getting closer and closer ¡­.

    Marcel had been nning to envision Daniel until his gaze caught them and his expression changed at once. So even when Arianna touched his face, nothing happened. His hard-on died off as if freezing water was poured on it.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arianna¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion, noticing the tension in his frame. Something was not right.

    ¡°Come on, we have to leave. Our time is up.¡± Marcel¡¯s face had darkened, standing up to his feet.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna still didn¡¯t understand what was going on. One moment they were having fun and the next he was all serious. He got to have seen something.

    ¡°Marcel¡­¡± She urged him to open up.

    Marcel tilted his head in their direction, ¡°Your people are here.¡±

    Oh.

 Chapter 742 - 742 Iâ€™m The Villain, Princess

    742 I¡¯m The Viin, Princess

    It wasn¡¯t until they got outside that Arianna finally understood what Marcel was talking about. She had not been observant of her surroundings, unlike Marcel who captured both men that had been watching them the entire time in the restaurant.

    They looked away as soon as their gaze connected with him but Marcel was quick-witted and knew that it was people from the Draven family. The fact that none of the brothers came to bother themst night was a blessing in itself, but it was obvious their hospitality hase to an end and they wanted Arianna back.

    The both of them immediately left with Marcel dragging her along and got to where his car was packed.

    ¡°Get in,¡± he ushered her inside the driver¡¯s side of the seat.

    ¡°Marcel?¡± Arianna wondered what he was doing even as she sat down obediently. She was slightly worried about him knowing that this was about to end in a confrontation.

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t answer her and leaned against the body of the car protectively as he waited for Eric¡¯s people to arrive. And they didn¡¯t fail his expectation, because the men located them in a jiffy.

    They came to stand in front of him imposingly, but Marcel was not intimidated by their numbers or appearance. If anything, Marcel looked rxed as if they weren¡¯t worth his attention and he could take on the both

    of them at the same time.

    One of them stepped out to say to Marcel, ¡°Your time together is over, we need the girl back.¡±

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m taking her home myself as you can see,¡± Marcel gestured at the fact that she was seatedfortably in his car, ¡°So tell me, do you have any problem with that?¡±

    They looked at Arianna who stared back at them, her heart in her throat. She could sense the tension brewing in the air and didn¡¯t like it one bit. She would not let them be if they daredy a hand on Marcel ¨C even though he was capable of protecting himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but the boss¡¯s order was for us to take her home.¡± said the second person.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but correct me if I¡¯m mistaken, isn¡¯t home our destination? So what¡¯s the big deal if I take her back and not you guys? In the end, you still did your job.¡± Marcel wanted toe to terms with them. Unfortunately, the idiots wanted to cause trouble.

    The first man came closer till he was looking Marcel in the eyes, saying,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but an order is an order.¡±

    He then gestured to his partner to go get Arianna from the car. However, the said partner barely made a move when Marcel announced coldly,

    ¡°Try making a step and let¡¯s see if you would still walk with both feet afterward.¡±

    The man in question halted his steps at once and looked between his partner and Marcel, unsure whose orders to follow. It was like being stuck between the devil and the blue sea.

    ¡°Get the girl!¡±

    He was ordered by his partner once again, and though Marcel didn¡¯t say a word, the hardened look on his gaze was enough words. And once again, the man remained at that spot anxious and unsure. He already knew of Marcel and his crazy father and had a feeling that he was not joking about breaking his legs. Not to mention, the tension in the air added to his anxiety and he couldn¡¯t do a thing.

    ¡°Fine, since you won¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll do the job myself, coward!¡± His strict partner said and made a move.

    Marcel reacted at the same time.

    But then, someone beat him to it.

    None of them saw the flying shoe until it hit the bastard right in the face and drew blood. Only then, they all turned in that direction to see a furious Arianna ring down at the Draven¡¯s men in particr. Arianna was standing outside the car and had thrown her heel at the asshole the instant he wanted to cause trouble.

    ¡°Are you dumb or what?! He already says he driving me home? So what¡¯s your problem?! Why can¡¯t you guys settle your problems for once without initiating violence?!¡± Arianna shouted at them.

    But then she was not through with giving them a piece of her mind because Arianna walked over to them, with no shoes on one foot and Marcel noticed that. She came over to the man who was bleeding from the nose where the shoe hit him and said to him,

    ¡°Which of the brothers sent you? Didn¡¯t they educate you on how to respect your elders?¡± Although Marcel was not older than the man in question he was higher up the hierarchy and deserved to be treated with caution.

    Arianna continued, ¡°Moreover, do I look like a child? I am an adult with opinions and I chose to go with Marcel. If you have a problem with that, take it up with my family, and let¡¯s see who would be supported in the end?¡±

    She poked him in the chest, saying,

    ¡°So this is what we are going to do. I¡¯m getting into his car and Marcel would drive me home while you both trail behind and make sure we are protected. Do I make myself care?¡±

    Both men hesitated at first but when Arianna arched her brow at them pointedly, they gave in at once.

    ¡°Good,¡± Arianna said, a victorious smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. She was usually not this vicious but their world was different from others and to be respected here, she had to toughen up. It was time for her authority to be respected in this family; she was not weak.

    Satisfied with the result, Arianna turned to Marcel, hoping that he was moved by her performance only for him to carry her off her feet and drew a squeal from her mouth.

    ¡°Marcel!¡±

    Arianna was slightly startled because she had not seen thating.

    He snorted with a bit of humor in his tone, ¡°What do you think you are, Cindere? How can you lose your heel that easily?¡±

    ¡°And what are you?¡± Arianna retorted, ¡°My prince in shining armor?¡±

    ¡°I think we both can agree you¡¯re no princess in distress when you just stood for yourself.¡± He added, ¡°Also, I¡¯m more of a viin, princess.¡± Marcel winked at her.

    While she burst intoughter, Marcel carried her over to her seat once again. He didn¡¯t want her walking bare feet again.

    He then returned to the spot where the shoey on the floor andmanded the man, ¡°Pick it up.¡±

    Marcel saw the indignation in the man¡¯s eyes at being treated this way, sadly, he didn¡¯t exactly care. He reluctantly picked up the shoe and handed it to him with a sour face.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Marcel grinned at him knowingly before he turned to go take care of hisdies. Others be damned.

 Chapter 743 - 743 I Will Always Find You

    743 I Will Always Find You

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t throw your shoe next time. What if you hurt yourself while walking barefoot?¡± Marcel said with a tenderness in his voice that melted her heart.

    Arianna propped up her chin on one elbow so she could look at Marcel all she wanted while he helped her wear her stiletto heel. Staring at him with a love struck expression, It was hard to believe that they hade this far. Arianna remembered vividly that she hated his ass even though she had been attracted to him.

    Thinking about it now, Arianna thought the reason she hated Marcel so much was not just because he uprooted her from her life, he was just not what she wanted. If one should ask Arianna what her life would be like in the next five years without Marcel¡¯s interference, she would say happily married to an ordinary man.

    Being involved with a Mafia Don did not meet the criteria in her wish list.

    In that future of hers, after taking control of the trust fund her father left for her, Arianna would open up businesses that she would run together with Mimi. Together, they would be two rich badass friends ¨C even though Mimi was technically rich already ¨C living their life to the fullest.

    She woulde out of her shell all thanks to Mimi¡¯s influence and would have enough fun with all the guys she wants before deciding to settle down for marriage. Oh no¡­. Wait a minute, something seems amiss¡­ Arianna knew it deep down.

    Oh yes, her mother woulde for her and since Natalie isn¡¯t married to Eric by then, she and Elijah would have a chance encounter and fall in love with each other ¨C eww, but she had to go on for this purpose. Because of her shorings in her life, her mother would have no choice but to end her love for Eric, and give her the chance to have a future with Elijah.

    And just like that, she and Elijah would get married and have kids. Together, they would live happily ever after.

    Yeah, it was a pretty good future, but wee to reality.

    .....

    Although Marcel represented her lost future that she would never have, this reality was so much better. The future was bound to change but Arianna was sure of today and today is her choice. Lovees in different ways and while some persons have an easy and fairytale love, others have to first battle the thorns before seeing the beauty within.

    And like she always said, if all the girls married the good men, what about the viins?

    ¡°Done,¡± Marcel finished sliding her gorgeous leg into the heel, intentionally caressing the length of her long leg.

    ¡°I have a question though,¡± Arianna said, intentionally ignoring the shivers he elicited inside of her with that gesture.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Marcel said, crouched down in front of her without taking his gaze off her.

    Arianna stared at him hard, saying, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t requested that we meet and reconcile, would you have broken up with me for life? Would our future be over just like that?¡±

    ¡°Says who?¡± Marcel retorted.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna blinked at him, confused. She muttered under her breath, ¡°But you didn¡¯t want to see me¡­ I thought¡­ you meant¡­ the silence¡­. You were angry¡­ you broke up¡­ ¡± She effused, having no clue what to say to that.

    Marcel chuckled at her flustered state. She looked so adorable while confused. He then stood up suddenly and leaned over her and caused Arianna to decline into the seat awkwardly, startled by his movement. She was seated on the side of the seat instead of facing her front.

    ¡°Sure, I was pissed off at you,¡± Marcel admitted. ¡°But hear me, Mia Cara (my dear) I could never stay away from you for too long and I had nned to kidnap you back to the base and start our history all over again.¡±

    Hearing his confession, Arianna¡¯s jaw fell open. He had been nning to kidnap her again? What¡¯s with these people kidnapping her? And though Arianna found his willingness to bring her back to the base cute, she still was concerned about the kidnapping part.

    A small gasp left Arianna¡¯s lips when Marcel wrapped his hand around her waist and made her sit upright without warning. She was pressed against his chest and her nipples prickled in awareness. Her breath became ragged with Marcel sessfully wedged in between her legs and his hand slowly trailing down to rest on her thigh.

    Arianna gulped, with them this close, it was doing weird things to her body. Not to mention that Marcel lowered his hot lips into her ears and said to her with promise.

    ¡°You can never run away from me, Arianna. No matter where you run or whoever tries to separate us, I will always find you. The both of us are meant to be together.¡± He finished by looking into her eyes ¨C slightly shocked green eyes meeting darkened, lustful gray ones.

    That didn¡¯t sound creepy at all, Arianna thought about his words. Instead, she was turned on by it. It was not surprising when Marcel tilted his head to kiss her, she opened up to him immediately.

    However, just as their lips touched, a horn sounded from behind, shattering whatever heated attraction that saturated the air around them. Both parties broke apart, startled by the noise.

    While Arianna was grateful they didn¡¯t push ahead, Marcel turned to re at those two idiots behind them with zing intensity. He was going to murder them pretty soon. Nheless, he made his point to Arianna already. She was going nowhere as far as he was alive. The both of themplimented each other perfectly.

    Arianna sat properly on the seat and Marcel closed the car door after her. While Marcel should have walked through the front of the car to get to the driver¡¯s side, he intentionally walked through the back to catch a glimpse of the fool.

    The idiot Arianna hit earlier was the one who pressed the horn and Marcel stared at him as he worked his jaw.

    ¡°Are we going to stay here for the rest of the day or what?¡± He asked when Marcel stood there without making a move, watching him as he acted oblivious to what he did.

    Marcel eventually calmed down and left him. He climbed into the car and started the ignition, ready to take off. The idiot was not worth the trouble.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that there was tension between both families right now, Marcel would have dly had a nice conversation with him tonight.

    For once, Marcel did not choose violence.

 Chapter 744 - 744 I Love You, Arianna, Too Much

    744 I Love You, Arianna, Too Much

    The more distance they covered, the closer they came to saying goodbye and Arianna realized that she was beginning to miss him already. How did she be this soapy? She was never this emotional with Marcel before. But then, aftering close to losing him, she realized just how much she loved him after all.

    Marcel, as if sensing the change in her mood, took his other hand that he wasn¡¯t driving with and intertwined it with hers causing her brows to raise in surprise. Nheless, Arianna didn¡¯t say anything, a small smile curving her lips instead while blushing.

    Then she heard a bark.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Arianna noticed it, unlike Marcel. Or perhaps, he was pretending after all.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel gave her an innocent look and she tilted her head to the side, unsure. Perhaps, she must have been imagining things, Arianna thought.

    And the bark sounded again.

    ¡°Alright, I heard that and it seems to being from the backseat,¡± Arianna said, beginning to look around the car.

    ¡°Are you sure of what you¡¯re saying,¡± Marcel still denied it, ¡°I can assure you that there¡¯s nothing -¡±

    Another bark came as if to prove Marcel wrong and point out that he was lying.

    .....

    He tried to speak again but the bark came again and again.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Marcel sighed, ¡°That dog has no sense of loyalty,¡±

    Hearing that word from Marcel¡¯s mouth, Arianna took a moment to digest it and connect the dots, before letting an excited scream leave her mouth.

    Redhead was here?

    Without thinking twice about it, Arianna let go of Marcel¡¯s hand and turned in her seat, trying to find out where Marcel was hiding the dog. That pretender!

    Marcel in question stared down at his empty hand and shook his head in pity. Arianna already abandoned him for her second love. No wonder he hated that adorable cute thing ¨C they had a love-hate rtionship. There were just too many living beings vying for Arianna¡¯s love and to think that he was defeated by a mere chihuahua was simply heartbreaking.

    Arianna finally found Redhead, he was inside a bag on the car¡¯s floor and must have barked out after recognizing her voice. The dog¡¯s head peaked out and Arianna kneeled on the seat before leaning over to pull it up from the floor. Once she took a hold of it, she sat back down.

    ¡°My love!¡± Arianna cried out in excitement and pressed the dog to her chest. Redhead made sad whiny noises at the back of his throat. They finally met after a long time.

    Unfortunately, Marcel stared at both of their interactions with a stab of jealousy. How dare that little bastard take the title of being called her love? He ¨C Marcel ¨C was her only love. While he was just a mere chihuahua ¨C an annoyingly cute dog that he couldn¡¯t get rid of even though he was tempted to right now.

    Marcel cleared his throat just to get her attention but Arianna was clearly invested in the dog. And so Marcel tried another alternative by saying to Arianna,

    ¡°Redhead was supposed to be a surprise to you. He would have to stay with you until I find a way to return things to the way it was.¡±

    Arianna turned to him with wide, delighted eyes, ¡°Really? I can go home with him?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can go with¡­.¡±

    Marcel trailed off when Arianna took him by surprise by kissing him right on the cheek. Damn, how could she attack his poor heart like this? He was driving and they could have had an ¡­ oh well, it was nice? Marcel had a goofy smile on his face while driving.

    However, Marcel was not satisfied with the gesture because he said, ¡°Although you could kiss me on the other side of the cheek to make ¡­.¡±

    Arianna was not listening, she lifted Redhead yfully in the air and prattled loudly, ¡°Who is my best doggie?!¡±.

    ¡°Who is my good boy?!¡±

    Marcel red at Redhead and thought in his heart, lucky bastard. Look how he was cuddled close to Arianna¡¯s chest ¨C he should be the one receiving that special treatment, not him!

    Had Marcel known, he wouldn¡¯t have brought the chihuahua along and let him wallow in sadness back at the base while he alone basked in Arianna¡¯s affection. Then, he wouldn¡¯t have to share it with him. Did Redhead just realize now that he had a selfish owner? Oh, he did.

    Seeing that none of his methods worked anymore, Marcel gave up on drawing her attention and faced reality. It was so sad that he had to return Arianna to the Draven family and while in his absence, Redhead would enjoy all his love. He was so sad. Why was his life so hard?

    It was quite unfortunate that all good things had toe to an end because they arrived at the Draven¡¯s family residence and Marcel couldn¡¯t even drive in, so he parked outside.

    ¡°I guess this is goodbye,¡± Marcel said, finding it hard to let go of her just like that. He wished they had more time together.

    ¡°It¡¯s just for today. We will meet more now. I n to stand up to my mother, Marcel. She would have to support our rtionship or she would let me go.¡± Arianna was determined now. No more momma knows best.

    ¡°And speaking of meeting¡­¡± Marcel reached into the car through the window and brought out a phone package.

    Arianna looked at him shocked, ¡°You bought me a phone?¡± She received it from him.

    ¡°Mimi told me what happened. Use this from now on. My number and Victor¡¯s are there already. We willmunicate through it.¡±

    She narrowed her gaze at him, ¡°How do I know it¡¯s not bugged like thest one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Marcel told her, ¡°I trust you now, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°And I believe you, Marcel.¡± She blushed red.

    Looking down at Redhead in her arms, Marcel instructed her, ¡°Don¡¯t shower him excessively with the love meant for me else I¡¯ll be jealous and might take him away.¡±

    Arianna snorted.

    ¡°You are unbelievable,¡± She rolled her eyes toward heaven. He wasn¡¯t even a kid.

    ¡°I love you, Arianna, too much.¡± He suddenly confessed, causing her heart rate to elerate.

    ¡°I love you too, Marcel, more than you know,¡± She said to him.

    A grin appeared on Marcel¡¯s face and in a joyful mood, he climbed into his car and locked the door before blowing her a kiss. He could have kissed her, but he didn¡¯t trust himself to stop.

    ¡± Goodbye, Arianna. ¡±

    ¡± Goodbye, Marcel.¡±

    The both of them giggled like teenagers falling in love for the first time before Marcel drove off and Arianna kept waving at him till he was out of sight.

 Chapter 745 - 745 Find Out The Bastard

    745 Find Out The Bastard

    ¡°Someone sure seems happy,¡± Victormented as soon as Marcel came into the kitchen as soon as he returned home.

    ¡°And someone sure seems satiated,¡± Marcel jibed back at him, drawing a smile from his lips.

    ¡°As satiated as a cat,¡± Victor shamelessly acknowledged.

    ¡°Mmmhmm, I can see that.¡± Marcel walked over to the counter, looking for something.

    ¡°Here, have this,¡± Victor handed the coffee to Marcel knowing that was what he was searching for.

    Marcel looked at the dark liquid and nced up at Victor with gratitude.

    ¡°What would I ever do without you, my wife?¡± He teased him, bringing the cup to his knees.

    ¡°Exactly, I wonder,¡± Victor said, basking in the glory.

    Marcel gulped down the coffee, feeling his body getting rejuvenated. He could not do without a cup of this on a good morning. He loved it the most, that is, after sex with Arianna. It was his second-most favorite thing in the world.

    .....

    ¡°From the look on your face, I don¡¯t need to ask if it went well,¡± Victor started the conversation, leaning on the counter and watching Marcel¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°It went well then,¡± Victor breathed in, ¡°One problem finally evaded amongst our seas of problems.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Marcel could sense Victor was not telling him something.

    Victor finally put down his cup on the surface and began, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing after I heard about the attempt on your life and so I did some digging around. Although the bastard was able to hide his traces on the dark web, I did find something interesting.¡±

    He pulled out his phone and swiped at the screen before dropping it on the counter and pushed it in Marcel¡¯s direction. Marcel stopped the phone from tipping over from the edge and picked up the phone only for his eyes to widen slightly when he saw the photos.

    ¡°Keep on looking,¡± Victor told him and Marcel scrolled through picture after picture until he came to the end.

    Marcel looked at him, ¡°Drugs? How are there so many in the streets? Who is pushing them in?¡±

    ¡°Richardo Santo, he¡¯s back in the city and trying to mark his spot,¡± Victor answered him.

    ¡°With drugs? He¡¯s not even keeping it on the low and with this kind of attention, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the fedse snooping around!¡± Marcel said through gritted teeth, the veins on his neck bulging.

    As much as drugs were a lucrative trade, it was cancer that ate deep into the city and it¡¯s only a matter of time till whoever is in power does a sweep. It was quite the problem with small gangs who do not understand the risks they pose to bigger businesses. Marcel would not let some wannabe crime lord try to put the family he swore to protect in trouble.

    As much as the authorities were looking away, they wouldn¡¯t for so long when crime bes too much. When a pattern bes the order of the day, questions would be asked, and with questionses discovery. Ricardo had to step down his production or risk being taken care of.

    ¡°His father didn¡¯t exactly have a moral code and took up any business as long as it provided profit, so it¡¯s not surprising that his son, the apple, didn¡¯t fall far from the tree. They moved out of the city years ago and now they¡¯re back with his son in control of his business.¡±

    ¡°You think that this Richardo person ordered the assassination?¡± Marcel asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Truthfully speaking, he found it a bitughable. Richardo or whatever he called himself was a nobody.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, however, I don¡¯t believe in coincidences either. He returns to the city, drugs litter the streets and an attempt on your life is made. That sounds sus to me.¡± Victor said.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say, Richardo came even rtively close to assassinating me, why? Most people who try to attack me are people who couldn¡¯t get to Daniel and decided to take it out on his son or those who simply don¡¯t like my face and finally, those who hold grudges ¨C they are the most dangerous. So why? I have never even heard of the guy until today.¡± Marcel pointed out that he was a bigger yer and had nothing inmon with the fool.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Victor shrugged, ¡°Perhaps a power tip. Our family holds substantial control of our part of the city and your death would bring about a power struggle and it might be just the distraction he needs to make a strong footing here and establish himself.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll give it up to him, he sure dreams big.¡± Marcel didn¡¯t think of him as a threat.

    ¡°I would say not to underestimate him, especially If he really was the one who hired the mercenaries. For someone to make such a bold move, I¡¯ll say he has cards that he isn¡¯t showing us right now.¡±

    Hearing those words from Victor, his consigliere aka advisor, Marcel moved in the direction till he was standing in front of Victor. He said,

    ¡°So I should be scared of a nobody?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying that we should keep an eye on him.¡±

    Marcel sneered, ¡°If I keep an eye on even the smallest problem, I¡¯ll go crazy from overthinking. Just send our people to take care of him if he bugs you too much.¡±

    ¡°Marcel -¡±

    ¡°I just had an amazing morning, Victor. Do not ruin it.¡± Marcel told him with a note of finality.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡± Victor did not push the case anymore.

    ¡°Thank you, wifey,¡± Marcel was back to his jovial self. He stretched his body while on his way out, saying, ¡°Any other Issues, you know where to find me. I have a lot of things to do in the office and meetings to attend as well.¡± He was full of energy this morning.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Victor tried to be cheerful, but as soon as Marcel left, his features were back to being serious. He stared hard at the photo of the drug being distributed in the streets and clenched his jaw. He was surely going to find out this bastard.

 Chapter 746 - 746 A Long, Slow, Dramatic Death

    746 A Long, Slow, Dramatic Death

    ¡°Yes¡­.¡±

    Macy¡¯s moans reverberated across the room as Richardo pounded into her, the both of them enamored in the throes of passion. And then she fell apart with a moan as he pumped his hips a few times and finally came.

    Richardo copsed on her, his member still pulsing inside of her while Macy endured his weight. Richardo couldn¡¯t see her expression and didn¡¯t notice the aggravation set between her furrowed brows.

    He finally lifted himself off her body, supporting his weight on his arms and Macy had to produce a fake smile as he stared at her else he suspects that she wasn¡¯t satisfied with his performance.

    ¡°That felt magical, right?¡± Richardo asked hopefully, caressing her face.

    ¡°Yes, it was wonderful,¡± Macy lied without blinking an eye. She didn¡¯t know how to tell him that he performed badly in bed and she even had to fake her orgasm. She sincerely missed having sex with Victor, he was like a sex god who knew what bottom to push and have her screaming her desires in minutes. Not to mention Marcel¡­.

    Macy halted her thoughts at once. She no longer allowed herself to think of him. As far as she was concerned, Marcel was a past that she could no longer think of and she nned to get rid of him anyway. What was the point of pinning after someone that she couldn¡¯t have?

    If she couldn¡¯t have Marcel, then he was of no use to her and was better off dead. That way, she would be doing one thing right getting vengeance for her father and giving him the peace that he deserves. That was why she would do anything, even if it means surviving Richardo¡¯s s horrible sex.

    The drug addiction had done Richardo more harm than good to the extent he needed them to get hard. Without those drugs, his dick would remain soft and ppy, no matter how much forey she engaged him in just to turn him on. The only reason Macy was hanging around was that she hadn¡¯t gotten what she wanted yet and Richardo didn¡¯t realize that she was using him.

    .....

    Macy knew Richardo had a crush on her since they were kids and wouldn¡¯t admit it even though they were currently having a sexual rtionship. You could sort of call them friends with benefits. Until Marcel was dead and her mission fulfilled, she had to remain by his side nheless.

    When he was done, Macy put on her clothes before returning to bed with him and there she reminded him,

    ¡°Marcel is still alive,¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You know?¡± She looked at him, waiting expectantly for an answer but all he did was pull out a cigarette and light it.

    ¡°It was hard for me to get information about his whereabouts that day and it¡¯s only a matter of time before he begins to suspect me.¡± Sheined.

    ¡°Then just quit there and begin to work for me. It¡¯s only a matter of time before I get rid of him, anyway.¡± He said cockily, letting out a puff of smoke.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Macy was stunned by his request, having not seen that oneing. Although she no longer worked closely with Marcel, she still heard gossip about him from the men and could spy on him from a distance. Macy did not want to admit the fact she missed him and hid her feelings with her ims of hate.

    Even at that, working for Richardo was out of the question. With Marcel, she could do real work and was useful to him, but with Richardo, what would she be? His little slut? That was not what she signed up for. At least, Marcel respected her capability and her identity as a woman, but Richardo didn¡¯t see beyond the pleasures of her

    This was not what she wanted. This was not the way everything was supposed to y out, Macy was beginning to get conflicted. Was it worth giving herself to Richardo all just to have her revenge?

    Her heart wavered for like ¡­ thirty seconds before she hardened them again. No, if this was the price she had to pay to get rid of Marcel, then so be it. Nothing came easily anyway and she had to give up something to gain another.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± Macy rejected his offer and Richardo looked at her in surprise.

    She exined to him immediately upon seeing the suspicion on his face, ¡°I mean to say, you need someone on the inside who would keep you updated on Marcel¡¯s movements. See how easy it was thest time and you know it¡¯s quite hard nting a mole ever since Elijah fooled them.¡± Macy tried to convince him. She can¡¯t leave the Luciano family, not now. And not because of him.

    ¡°Fine. You do make a lot of sense.¡± Richardo said, running his hand through her hair and Macy chuckled nervously. Why does it feel like she was treading on hot coals here?

    ¡°But you have to end Marcel quickly,¡± She told him, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before he finds out about you.¡±

    ¡°Let hime.¡± He said undisturbed and that made Macy more curious about him. Even while under the influence of drugs, not everyone would boldly dere war on Marcel. Unless he had a backup n.

    Richardo was hiding something from her.

    Still, she said to him,¡± You shouldn¡¯t underestimate him, Richardo.¡±

    ¡°Nor should he underestimate me either.¡± He turned to face herpletely, propping his head in his arm. Richardo asked her, ¡°What kind of death do you like?¡±

    Macy didn¡¯t answer and when he waited long enough for her reply, he said, ¡°I prefer a long, slow, and dramatic death. It¡¯s always worth the wait.¡±

    He confessed, ¡°I knew the mercenaries would not end him, that was just my way of announcing my arrival.¡±

    ¡°You have something you could use to defeat him, don¡¯t you?¡± Her suspicion increased.

    Hearing that, Richardo leaned over her and with a devilish smirk, asked her,

    ¡°How do you think I got all the drugs?¡±

    Macy scrutinized him intensely until it finally made sense in her head and her expression paled at once. Her eyes widened and her lips trembled with the name, ¡°Bratva¡­¡±

 Chapter 747 - 747 The Babyâ€™s Father Family History

    747 The Baby¡¯s Father Family History

    The wait outside the obstetrician¡¯s office was not as fun as Adele thought it would be. Not that it was a field trip or something, but then the sight of most pregnant women with their husbands or boyfriends by their side caused a sour taste in her mouth. They were so sweet with their partners, it left her very annoyed.

    Just like Adele who came with her mother, there were other youngdies in her condition too, but then, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but stray to the couples. Adele couldn¡¯t help but release a sigh, running her hand through her hair in frustration. If only she had closed her heart ¨C and legs ¨C she wouldn¡¯t be in this condition.

    Thanks to the stupid sex, she is about to lose everything she worked hard for just when she¡¯s at the pinnacle of her sess. God must really hate her. All kinds of depressive and negative thoughts ran through Adele¡¯s head that she didn¡¯t hear her name being called until her mother tapped her on the shoulder and she roused to reality with a slight gasp.

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± Angelica told her, gesturing to the secretary standing at the entrance of the doctor¡¯s office and watching her with a bit of impatience.

    Her cheeks burned in shame and Adele hurriedly rose to her feet. She was usually not this dim-witted but she wasn¡¯t at her top form at the moment. Masking her expression and ignoring the stares the others were giving her, has drawn attention with her little drama, Adele followed after her mother.

    The secretary opened the door for them and they walked into therge office and closed the door after them. They came for an ultrasound and the doctor was a middle-aged woman who smiled brightly at them and requested they took a seat.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking it that this is your first pregnancy?¡± The doctor surmised.

    ¡°Yeah, I got knocked up by the baby¡¯s father,¡± Adele said crudely without an ounce of a smile. If it wasn¡¯t for the slight irritation in her tone, one would think that she¡¯s emotionless.

    ¡°Oh. Is that so.¡± The doctor said to her, ¡°Well, the good news is that you¡¯re not the first and I have a lot of girls in your condition.¡±

    .....

    ¡°And I guess none of them was deceived by the baby¡¯s father who used her to get the woman he had been after and instead she received an unwanted pregnancy as a parting gift after getting what he wanted.¡±

    ¡°Urm¡­.¡± The doctor¡¯s jaw dropped open, feeling a bit lost. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with this one, no one told her it was a counseling session.

    ¡°We came here for an ultrasound, doctor,¡± Angelica stepped in and saved the doctor from being treated to another of Adele¡¯s dramatic fuss. The youngdy could be a pain in the ass especially when she¡¯s grumpy.

    And that was it with the questions, the doctor instead directed Adele to the bed where she was to lie down. Hence while she got onto the bed, the doctor informed her as a formal procedure,

    ¡°The ultrasound would sound waves to create images of your baby while it¡¯s in the uterus aka your womb. It is a safe and pain-free test, and there is no increased risk of miscarriage or harm to your baby. The sound waves used are at very low frequency and so will not hurt you or your baby and your baby will not be able to hear them.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± Adele said nonchntly. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out of here because it represented the reality of motherhood that she just stepped into.

    ¡°Fine,¡± The doctor breathed. This was not the first time that she had a patient with an attitude.

    Adele already lifted her shirt so the doctor ced the gel on her stomach and when she shivered involuntarily, the doctor told her, ¡°It would feel cold, but only for a while. And you should rx.¡±

    And she did rx, her eyes fixed on theputer with expectations as the doctor ced the transducer against her skin. Adele didn¡¯t understand whatever happened next and it was only the doctor speaking, telling her that pulses of sound waves are being sent from the probe to her baby, creating echoes that are turned into images by theputer.

    Adele was unable to interpret the images on the monitor until the obstetrician said, ¡°And there¡¯s your fetus, congrattions.¡± She pointed to the grayish picture that kept pulsing.

    Honestly, she didn¡¯t know what she had been expecting, however Adele still stared at the screen in awe. That little thing was growing inside of her?

    ¡°Everything seems to be progressing well, your baby¡¯s heartbeat is strong and¡­ oh my God,¡± The doctor suddenly gasped, drawing both Angelica and Adele¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Adele leveled an anxious look at the doctor. She hoped the woman wasn¡¯t about to tell her that her child hadplications and she couldn¡¯t have it, just when she was beginning to like the idea of pregnancy.

    ¡°Is there a problem, doctor?¡± Angelica asked with concern when the doctor didn¡¯t answer and stared at the screen with intense concentration. And when the doctor did open her mouth, it was to ask,

    ¡°The baby¡¯s father, what¡¯s his background? Is there a history of multiple births in his or even your family? If you¡¯re a multiple yourself or your mother and, or sisters naturally conceived multiple babies, then you are more likely to as well. This is because there is a gic link of hyper ovtion amongst the women in some families¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by multiple births¡­.?¡± It quickly dawned on Adele, ¡°Y-you mean like twins?¡± She stammered, swallowing uneasily. How could she have twins? How would she take care of two children all by herself?

    But the doctor answered, ¡°Wrong answer. Dream bigger. Quadruplets.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Both mother and daughter didn¡¯t know who screamed the loudest, but the look they shared briefly mirrored the fears on both of their faces. However, unlike Angelica who was simply struck speechless, Adele fainted right away ¨C and wished she would never wake.

    ¡°Adele!¡± Angelica screamed, shaking her, she couldn¡¯t lose her daughter like this. But the doctor took over from her and attempted to revive her.

 Chapter 748 - 748 Inform Elijah About The Baby

    748 Inform Elijah About The Baby

    Adele didn¡¯t die, although she regrettably wished she had. Death seemed like a better option than the hell she was about to face in her reality.

    Quadruplets, is that it?

    She was having four kids, huh?

    How is that even possible?

    As much as Adele could not remember the number of times she and Elijah went at it, was that enough to create Quadruplets? Didn¡¯t they say those sperm had to swim a long way to get fertilized? Or was it a ploy from God to punish her for fornication when she had been chaste all this while? Even at that, wasn¡¯t it too cruel?

    ording to the doctor, in her case, one set of Identical (monozygotic) twins urs plus another two entirely separate embryos or another set of identical twins. The reason why the obstetrician had not been able to suspect the possibility of twins right away was that the other one had been hiding behind the other. However, like some sort of miracle, it stopped being shy plus the discovery of the other twins.

    Adele didn¡¯t know how she was able to hold herself together throughout the rest of the session with the obstetrician, but she did it somehow. And while the idea of multiple births always attracts attention and there was generally a great deal of fascination about the concept of more than one baby being born at the same time, it didn¡¯te risk-free.

    Having rare multiple pregnancies like her case was high risk and she would have to double her checkups, unlike normal pregnancies. The obstetrician rambled on and on and all of that floated behind her vision.

    Adele was like a living zombie, going along with whatever the doctor said until she was in the safety of her car, having left the hospital and her mother was driving instead of her. Apparently, being pregnant with Quadruplets was equivalent to being handicapped.

    .....

    The obstetrician mentioned there were chances of miscarrying one or all of the quadruplets. Not to mention Premature birth is a risk factor in multiple births and the father of the child had to know about the pregnancy ¨C he had the right to know in case something happens to one or all of his kids. In one word, she would have to make contact with Elijah.

    Adele burst intoughter at the thought and startled her mother. Angelica looked at her daughter anxiously, she knew that this wasn¡¯t easy for her, but she hoped to God Adele wasn¡¯t losing her mind.

    She had sworn to take care of her child all by herself without the knowledge of Elijah and now she had to inform the bastard of the pregnancy she wanted so much to hide from him. Adele felt stuffy inside and she wanted to explode. It was unfair! She didn¡¯t ask for any of this?! Why does she have to suffer this and the male goes scot?!

    The lifestyle changes she would have to make hurt her the most. She would have to give up her position as Marcel¡¯s underboss for this pregnancy! Everything that she had ever worked hard for! All of it would vanish in the twinkle of an eye as another takes her ce.

    Adele wanted to leash out! Scream at the world and its partiality. But she held it all in. This was not the time or ce. No, she was a strong woman. She could do this. Crying over a problem was not going to solve it. She had to face it head-on. Yes, that sounds more like her. This was not the time to be emotional, but rather pragmatic.

    The moment they got home, Adele hurried into the house, but her mother trailed after her.

    ¡°We have to talk about this, Adele,¡± Angelica said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about. I fucked up big time and this is the consequence. I had to clean up the mess.¡± She told her.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the baby¡¯s father.¡±

    Adele intended to go upstairs and have her rest, but hearing her mother bring up Elijah again, made her halt in her step. She turned to Anglica and said,

    ¡°What about the baby¡¯s father?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t hide this kind of pregnancy from him. What if something happens to the children? How would you exin that to him? At least give him the chance to make that choice.¡±

    ¡°Even if that choice affects me and Marcel?¡± Adele said with a sneer and the nk look on the woman¡¯s face told her that she waspletely clueless. Of course, a typical mistress. Angelica had no idea what was going on in the family.

    To make sure she doesn¡¯t get ideas in the future, Benjamin never taught her mother about the family business nor introduced her to other members of the family aside from the countable few she knew. So she had no idea of the tension in the family.

    Adele said to her, ¡°I told you that I can get a huge position and can take care of myself with it. However, they would take it away from me the moment they learn of this pregnancy and my position would be left vacant for the sharks who can¡¯t wait to eat Marcel alive. So until I can¡¯t hide it anymore, the baby¡¯s father can¡¯t learn of this and you best keep your word about not telling Benjamin either. This is yourst chance to y your role as a mother in my life, Angelica. Betray my trust again and I won¡¯t have a mother. ¡±

    And with that being said, Adele returned to her room. She should have left her mother¡¯s ce by now, but for some strange reason, she couldn¡¯t. Adele wasn¡¯t ready yet to face the world and what the future awaits her. It seemed lonely.

    If there was one person that she couldn¡¯t hide this news from, it was Marcel. And so Adele called him right away as soon as she came inside the room and locked the door.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Marcel¡¯s voice came alive and whatever Adele wanted to tell him vanished into the air and she began to cry instead.

 Chapter 749 - 749 A Holy Conversation With Marcel

    749 A Holy Conversation With Marcel

    Unlike Marcel who was invigorated enough to carry on with the rest of his work, Arianna was out cold the instant her head found the bed. She was so tired that she couldn¡¯t lift a finger and Redhead whoy beside her was smart enough not to bother his mistress. He simplyid down and slept beside Arianna.

    By the time Arianna woke up from her sleep, the sun had already gone down and to her shocking discovery, she had slept for ten hours, uninterrupted. No, she could have slept more if it wasn¡¯t for Redhead who woke her up with a full lick on the face. He was quite an effective rm.

    Nheless, Arianna woke up feeling strong and refreshed. She had not felt this genuine happiness in a while and she knew deep down it was all thanks to Marcel. They were together again!

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Arianna asked Redhead, right before she began to swing the dog around with both arms. She was on top of the world! Who knew the world was this beautiful? Arianna was delirious.

    She and Redhead must be kindred spirits because the dog shared in her happiness, although Arianna had to chase him out of the bathroom during her bath. Redhead was male, remember? She was not going to corrupt her innocent baby.

    By the time Arianna was done with her bath, she returned to her room to see a message floating on the screen of her new phone. It was a message from Marcel.

    [Just a gentle reminder, Redhead seems to have developed a kink for biting fingers]

    A slight furrow appeared on Arianna¡¯s brows when she read that. She turned to stare at Redhead on the floor who stared back at her with a heart-melting puppy look as if he knew that he had been found out and didn¡¯t want to be punished.

    Just what bad habit had he picked up during her absence? Arianna had no doubt it was Samson¡¯s doing. Even a mere chihuahua would believe he¡¯s a lion after hanging around the predator for a while.

    .....

    Well, she was here now and would straighten that habit out. If Redhead was going to hang around here, she can¡¯t have him going around and biting people¡¯s fingers.

    She typed back,

    [And whose fault is that? Your son, Samson, is a bad influence on Redhead?]

    Arianna sent it, only for her phone to beep with a response almost immediately, startling her. Geez, she thought Marcel was a busy man. What kind of leader was he? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be on the road most times? She could not even remember the number of night trips Eric took while living with him the past weeks.

    She opened the message,

    [Oh, we are taking sides now? Fine, you started it and we are going to see this to the end. Come online]

    Although it was a mere message, she found the authority in his tone, hot. If only he would ask her to spread her legs for him in that ¡­. Jesus Christ, get your mind off the gutter, Arianna!

    Arianna groaned, throwing herself on the bed with the towel wrapped around her body. She should dress up, but no, chatting with Marcel was more interesting. She was going to enjoy arguing this issue with him tonight.

    And so, their conversation online, began

    [Marcel: What makes you think Samson is responsible for Redhead¡¯s actions?]

    [Arianna: I¡¯m just pointing out the fact that your son Samson is so ferocious and scary, unlike my meek and adorable son, Redhead]

    [Marcel: And you think the meek and adorable ones aren¡¯t bad as well?]

    [Arianna: Redhead does not bite fingers until he began hanging around with his brother, Samson. Perhaps, caution that rough son of yours a bit.]

    [ Marcel: I can be meek and adorable if you want me to]

    She blinked, what the heck?

    [Arianna: How did the conversation change to this all of a sudden?]

    Arianna was thrown off bnce, that was not the response she was waiting for. She thought they were talking about raising their children better.

    [Marcel: Aren¡¯t we talking about the meek and adorable having a bad side to them? I¡¯m using myself as an example]

    Use himself as an example, her butt! Arianna knew this was a topic change. That trickster cannot fool her!

    [Arianna: Let¡¯s continue with our children, then. I don¡¯t need you at the moment]

    [Marcel: Really? You don¡¯t NEED me?]

    He emphasized that word and Arianna¡¯s mind instantly went down the dirtyne.

    No!

    She mentally pped the thought out of her head. The word ¡°need¡± refers to many things like a need for life; a need for food; the need for money! It¡¯s not just generated entirely internally, as in the need for pleasure, or¡­.. Arianna swallowed numbly. If the word was just a necessity required for life, why then was she feeling flustered?

    Another chat from Marcel came in,

    [Marcel: Why aren¡¯t you responding? Cat got your tongue? Or do you NEED me already?]

    Christ Jesus! Arianna¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she read the message. She had be so sensitive to the word, it became a red g in her sight.

    The chat continued to drop from him.

    [ Marcel: Fine. If that¡¯s the case then, let¡¯s talk about us.]

    [Marcel: And do reply to me this time.inserts winky eye emoji. ]

    Sly bastard, this has been his intention all this while. Pretend to be chaste in conversation at the start and just when her mind is far from sin, hees in to sway her like the devil. A very sexy devil.

    But then, why was she behaving like a virgin, either way, Arianna wondered. It¡¯s not like she hadn¡¯t done everything with him. She was not exactly chaste material anymore. Hence, Arianna pushed shame to the furthest part of her mind and typed,

    [Arianna: What do you want us to talk about]

    [Marcel: Interesting conversations]

    [Arianna: Like what]

    [Marcel: What are you wearing right now?]

    Arianna paused, going red in the face.

    Of course, what had she been expecting from Marcel? A holy conversation with him? What a joke, Marcel was all for the dirty talks.

    [Arianna: I¡¯m wearing a pretty dress]

    [Marcel: Liar. ]

 Chapter 750 - 750 Her Mother Was Back

    750 Her Mother Was Back

    Reading that response from Marcel, made Arianna¡¯s eyes widen a little. She sat up abruptly and began to look around her room. By chance¡­ it can¡¯t be that he inserted secret cameras in her room to spy on her?

    No, Arianna cleared the ridiculous idea from her head. Marcel has not even stepped inside the house, not to talk of her room. It was impossible. Could it be her phone then?

    Ariannaid back down on the bed and stared at the camera in front of her. Was she thinking too much or was the phone¡¯s front camera made with a spy cam? None of it made sense.

    Another message came from Marcel and she remembered her chat with him.

    [Marcel: Why are you silent?]

    [Arianna: How did you know that I¡¯m naked?]

    It wasn¡¯t until the double tick at the end of the message shed blue, signifying that it had been read by Marcel, Arianna finally realized what she wrote to him.

    Oh no, that was not what she intended to say to him. She panicked a little but the deed had already been done.

    [Marcel: A bold confession. Interesting. Inserts smirking face emoji.]

    .....

    She was doomed. Arianna could already imagine what he was thinking? Why did her dumb finger have to type that?! It was a mistake.

    [Arianna: That¡¯s not what I meant to say]

    [Marcel: So you¡¯re not naked then?]

    Arianna sighed, what has she gotten herself into?

    [Arianna: I¡¯m technically naked. But the point is, how did you know I lied.]

    [Marcel:I¡¯m curious about the technicality of your nakedness. Nheless, I knew you were lying when you hesitated in your reply. Not to mention, it¡¯s sundown and I¡¯m your boyfriend, who are you wearing a pretty dress for?]

    Damn it, Arianna had to admit that Marcel was smart. Very smart. No wonder he was the leader of their family at a young age.

    [Marcel: So tell me, are you naked? Yes or no?]

    Arianna swallowed. It was a mere question yet it sent shivers down her spine because she imagined him asking that.

    [Arianna: I¡¯m wearing a towel, fresh out of the bathroom]

    [Marcel: Send me a pics of what you look like without the towel]

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna shouted out loud, her heart pounding in her chest. Did he want her nude pictures?

    [Arianna: No!]

    She refused.

    [Marcel: Why? You¡¯re not bold enough]

    [Arianna: Not just that. What if something unfortunate happens and your phone is hacked or the picture leaks and the next thing, I find my face all over the inte?]

    [Marcel: You make a fine point, Arianna. But then, you forgot one thing, no one dares to hack my phone and lives to tell the tale. And I have the money to bring down all the photos if it does happen ¨C but it wouldn¡¯t. So you have nothing to worry about. However, I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s just that I miss you so much. Inserts a pensive face and face with bandage emoji. ¡±

    Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind.

    [Arianna: Fine, I¡¯ll send it. However, if you have to promise to delete it after you¡¯re done watching or doing whatever you want with it.]

    She was not ignorant of what men do with a woman¡¯s smutty pictures in their privacy.

    [Marcel: Cross my heart.]

    Well, she trusted him.

    Lying down, Arianna released the tower and then crossing her arm over her breast, she lifted the phone and took a picture of herself in that position, bare from her tummy upwards.

    She sent the photo to him while biting on her lips nervously. What if Marcel doesn¡¯t like it? Did her face seem weird? She was unsure until his response.

    [Marcel: Why hide the breast? You are beautiful the way you are, Arianna, and you don¡¯t know how good you taste when I have your nipples in my mouth and suck on them. ¡±

    Her core throbbed with need and she clenched her thighs together to relieve the ache. Marcel was so good at arousing her.

    [Arianna: I¡¯ll send more]

    Inspired by hispliment, Arianna stood up and began to try out various sultry positions she captured on her camera. So much for trying not to corrupt Redhead, because the dog stood there and watched as she indulged his master.

    At this point, Arianna was kneeling in front of the camera, her hands hiding that spot down there and pouting her lips sexily as the timer counted down, only for the door to open abruptly and a scream left her mouth. The camera ended up capturing a horrified expression rather than a sexy one.

    Arianna was quick to grab the sheet and cover her body while wondering what bastard woulde into her room unannounced especially when she¡¯s in a house crawling with men.

    With fire burning in her eyes, she turned, intending to give whoever that was a piece of her mind, only to see that it was¡­

    ¡°Rose?¡±

    ¡°Hello my new sister!¡± The young girl announced and probably would have hugged her if it wasn¡¯t for her guarded look.

    ¡°Although I wonder why you look like I caught you doing something bad?¡± The girl asked her.

    ¡°Perhaps, you wouldn¡¯t have to wonder about that the next time if you knock beforeing in,¡± Arianna told her in a slightly annoyed tone, her gaze falling to her phone. She turned off the screen and faced her, the sheet still wrapped around her body.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, I was just excited to tell you the good news that Mother is back with papa and she wants to see you!¡± Rose announced without a clue that this wasn¡¯t good news to Arianna at all.

    Of course, Arianna knew this moment woulde. So she calmed her racing heart knowing the dispute with her mother was inevitable. By now, Natalie must know she went to Marcel, having sent for her the moment she arrived.

    She turned to Rose and told her confidently,

    ¡°Tell my mother I¡¯ll be down in a jiffy to see her.¡±

    Arianna was determined not to let her mother intimate her again.

 Chapter 751 - 751 She Didnâ€™t Feel Fulfilled

    751 She Didn¡¯t Feel Fulfilled

    The stifling ambiance was enough telltale of the death sentence waiting to be unleashed on her downstairs. Nheless, Arianna walked into her ughter calmly and without fear ¨C a trait she learned from being with Marcel. Her boyfriend could charismatically walk through the valley of his death without flinching. And so, Arianna refused to be intimidated into making a decision she didn¡¯t want to.

    This was the time to stand up to her mother now and forever.

    ¡°Mom. Eric. ¡± Arianna announced her presence. She then walked over to where Natalie was seated and though the woman was as stiff as a block of wood, it didn¡¯t stop her from pressing a kiss to her cheek. Natalie didn¡¯tin even though Arianna knew deep down, she knew what she did.

    Unfortunately, that kiss was reserved only for Eric and Arianna merely said, ¡°Wee,¡± to her stepfather. The both of them hadn¡¯t grown close enough to exchange kisses.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Eric understood her reservation and didn¡¯t push her. At least he was a cool man and she respected him enough.

    The both of them weren¡¯t the only ones in the room, the other brothers were there with them except for Elijah whom she strangely hadn¡¯t seen since yesterday. It didn¡¯t cross her mind until now and Arianna hoped they weren¡¯t so hard on him.

    Arianna had to admit that she felt like amb among wolves. She was not delusional enough to think that anyone in this room was on her side. Ezra had first sold her off and now this was a trial that would determine her death and survival in this family.

    Arianna started, ¡°The both of you are newlyweds and should have spent more time together, rather than rush back home -¡±

    ¡°So you could spend more time with Marcel?¡± Natalie interrupted her and Arianna¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line.

    .....

    And Here they go.

    ¡°What is wrong with spending time with the man I love?¡± Arianna asked, startling her.

    ¡°What?¡± Natalie had not expected the open defiance from her. She was sure that her daughter was close to giving up Marcel days ago. Just what has that boy done to her obedient daughter?

    Arianna told her, ¡°You¡¯ve married Eric, the love of your life. So tell me, why can¡¯t I be with Marcel? Or are you the only one that deserves happiness as my mother? Who runs such a monopolistic economy?¡±

    Natalie shot up to her feet infuriated, her furious eyes nearly spitting out fire while she red down at Arianna, ¡°I already told you why you can¡¯t be with that boy, you insolent child!¡± She shouted at her.

    ¡°Natalie, I think¡­¡± Eric tried to step in but Natalie stopped him in a clear move that said, ¡°This matter is between my daughter and me, don¡¯t step in,¡±

    Natalie looked at Arianna with a hurt expression, ¡°How could you go behind my back and betray me like that when everything I have ever done is for you!¡± She shouted at her.

    ¡°Oh please, could you stop using me as an excuse for every one of your actions for literally five seconds of your life!¡± Arianna retorted, ¡°You did it for yourself too!¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Arianna faced her and said, ¡°You sessfully escaped Daniel so I could never be found by him, yes, that¡¯s right. You sent me away to papa and disconnected all connections so Daniel could never find me, yes, but don¡¯t be mistaken, it was also a way for you to live your life too. So don¡¯t say it was all for me. And let¡¯s be honest here, if it hadn¡¯t been for Elijah, I¡¯m sure you would have continued living your life without me as a burden! Moreover, you married Eric, was it for me too?¡±

    Natalie was so dumbfounded by Arianna¡¯s speech that all that left her mouth was, ¡°You¡¯re talking rubbish. ¡±

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s hypocritical to conclude that Marcel is the same as Daniel when you have made no effort to get to know him first?! He¡¯s even your best friend¡¯s son. Penelope even gave up her life, her youth, her everything to help you escape Daniel and what did you do in return, you take it out on her only son? The only child she left behind that you could have taken care of to express her thanks for her help?¡±

    Staring at her mother and realizing her shorings towards Marcel, her best friend¡¯s son, made Arianna so bitter that tears slid down her cheeks and her lips trembled as she said,

    ¡°Marcel is so lonely that the only connection he has to his mother is you, do you know that?! He has no one by his side aside from me and you want to break that connection as well? What did Marcel do so wrong to you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­.¡± Natalie¡¯s voice wavered, unable to stop the tears that slid down her cheeks as well. There was a tightening feeling in her chest as the guilt began to gnaw at her.

    Arianna never intended to manipte her mother¡¯s guilt, but things ended up that way. And perhaps, she needed to hear it after all. Holding her gaze, she told Natalie, ¡°Penelope must be disappointed in you. I wonder how you would face her in the afterlife? After everything she did for you!¡±

    ¡°I said, that¡¯s enough!¡± Natalie grabbed the ss from the small stool beside her and crashed it on the ground, hitting a small distance away from where Arianna stood.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Arianna!¡± Eric shouted at her this time with an intensity that startled her. Arianna was taken aback as she saw her mother crumble to the ground in tears. Her mouth opened and closed helplessly, she didn¡¯t mean to push it this far.

    Arianna lifted her gaze to look at the other brothers, hoping that at least one of them would support her, but all that greeted her were their disappointed faces. So while her mother Eric was busyforting her mother, Arianna slipped back into thefort of her room.

    While she had won this round, Arianna didn¡¯t feel as fulfilled as she thought she would be. Not that her words were wrong, but seeing her mother in such distress didn¡¯t sit well with her. Why couldn¡¯t they just agree for once?

    Arianna sighed deeply.

 Chapter 752 - 752 Punishment For His Sins

    752 Punishment For His Sins

    When did he even be this close to Adele? Marcel had no idea. But then, the instant she called him on the phone and started weeping, the next thing he did was drag her ass to wherever she was. Of course, Marcel didn¡¯te alone because Victor trailed after him, especially after seeing him run out of his office like a madman.

    Marcel could not exin it, but at first, it had been simply admiration for Adele. Out of his family members, she was the only one he shared some sort of connection to. Both of them were outcasts ¨C he was the son of the monster, Daniel who everyone dreaded while she was the bastard daughter.

    Nheless, both of them didn¡¯t let that weakness define them and rose above the criticism to get to the point where they are today. Although Marcel still held admiration for Adele, he now felt protective towards her. Ever since he found out that he was pregnant, Marcel felt responsible towards her like some sort of godfather or something.

    So when Adele kept on crying on the phone, Marcel thought that she had done something stupid like going on with the abortion even after finally supporting her decision to keep the baby. What if she got rid of the child just to keep her position at his side? That one would be on him.

    So when Marcel anxiously arrived at her mother¡¯s ce with the negative thought in his head, he was able to breathe when he found out that she was okay. And so was her baby.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Marcel asked whileing into the house with Victor closing the door behind him.

    Angelica gestured upstairs, ¡°The room on your left. She¡¯s locked herself in there since we returned from the hospital. I think she¡¯s still traumatized by the news.¡±

    ¡°Traumatized with the news?¡± Victor asked her with suspicion.

    Angelica opened her mouth to narrate the news to them only to change her mind in the end. She said to them,

    .....

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if you hear it from the horse¡¯s mouth.¡±

    Thanks to thatment, Marcel and Victor shared worried looks. From the intense energy in the air, they could tell that this was serious.

    Marcel was just about to take a step forward when he stopped and faced the woman. Angelica looked at him in confusion wondering what was up now.

    ¡°Thank you for being there in this critical time,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Huh? Oh.¡± She finally understood him, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Adele is my daughter and it¡¯s my responsibility to¡­¡± Angelica was still talking when Marcel and Victor left her without looking back.

    Angelica was left dumbfounded. She thought they were interested in what she had to say. Children nowadays¡­. She breathed deeply.

    Marcel found the door and knocked on it twice before it was swung open by Adele, who stood before him with red, swollen eyes. Just how much she had been crying.

    ¡°Hi¡­¡± Marcel lifted his hand awkwardly in the air. This was the first time he was making such a personal visit to Adele and he didn¡¯t know how to go about it. Their rtionship had always been kind of formal.

    Before Marcel could say anything else, Adele threw herself into his arms, nearly bringing him down if not for his strong footing. Marcel stiffened up, his feet glued to the ground with his hands hanging awkwardly midway while Adele cried on his chest.

    What was he supposed to do?

    If Adele was Arianna, he would rub her back with his hand and run his hand through her hair soothingly. Well, Adele was family, but they were not that close. But then, when Adele cried harder, tightening her hands wrapped around his waist, Marcel had no choice but tofort her.

    Victor simply stood in the corner watching them with a hidden smile on his lips. The Marcel of the past wouldn¡¯t do that, no, he wouldn¡¯t even care, not to talk ofing to see her. Arianna finally made a man out of him. Perhaps, he should let go of the grudge of the past incident and finally forgive her. It was not like he could stay mad at her forever, not when Marcel was bing adorable with the day gone by.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Marcel asked minutester after Adele was able to pull herself together.

    Adele was seated on the far end of the bed and leaning against the wall, looking fragile and vulnerable in her current look.

    She said, ¡°I went for a CT scan today with my mother.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m having more than one baby.¡±

    Victor¡¯s eyes shone with delight, ¡°You are having twins?¡± Their family was not blessed with multiple births, hence he was happy to see how this one would turn out.

    ¡°No,¡± She said, confusing Victor and Marcel.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Both men shared looks once more wondering what they were missing out on.

    ¡°It¡¯s quadruplets.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± They stood up abruptly and shouted at the top of their voices, their eyes widening to the size of the moon.

    ¡°What do you mean quadruplets?!¡± Marcel shouted.

    ¡°Whose are they going to pop out from?!¡± Victor was ¡°highly¡± concerned.

    ¡°That¡¯s the least of our problems,¡± Adele told them, ¡°I¡¯m carrying a high-risk pregnancy, the doctor said Elijah needs to know.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Marcel refused right away, turning his back, ¡°I told you never knowing about his kids would be his punishment. Elijah made that bed and would sleep on it.¡±

    He faced her, ¡°I would take care of you, Adele. You don¡¯t need that bastard in your life, you and your child, no, children.¡± He still found it hard to believe she had four children growing inside of her.

    Not to mention that he was a tad bit jealous at the same. While Marcel just wants a kid at the moment with Arianna, someone else was having all four of them at once. It was unfair. It almost seemed like the universe was being unfair to him on purpose. Perhaps, this was the punishment for his sins.

 Chapter 753 - 753 Business With Angelica

    753 Business With Angelica

    ¡°What are we going to do about my position then?¡±

    ¡°What position?¡± Marcel didn¡¯t understand what she was talking about.

    Adele sighed, the both of them didn¡¯t fully understand what was at stake here. She didn¡¯t me them though, they were men, what were they supposed to know about pregnancy? She didn¡¯t know about her own child, no, children until today. It was going to take Adele time as well to adjust to the reality of having quadruplets. While pregnancy was a gift to many, this one seemed like a curse to her.

    She exined to them, ¡°I can not do hardbor with this pregnancy, meaning I can¡¯t be your underboss. Not to mention that it¡¯s only a matter till my baby bumps be apparent and people begin to suspect me.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Marcel cursed, running his hand through his hair and disheveling it. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that part,¡± He said, frustrated.

    ¡°Unfortunately, if the greedy rtives I know, find out about your pregnancy, they might, no, would surely request for your dismissal using your incapability to deliver your duties at the moment and that would leave the position open to¡­ anyone,¡± Victor pointed out the fact that his family would fight over the spot.

    ¡°We can¡¯t allow that,¡± Victor breathed deeply, staring at Marcel who kept pacing up and down the room, deep in his thoughts. He hoped his cousin came up with one of his marvelous ideas because they needed it right now even though he was the consigliere and was supposed to find the solution.

    He continued to say, ¡°We don¡¯t have anyone else from our side to fill in that position. Not to mention my sisters aren¡¯t active either nor have they worked enough for the organization to be deemed eligible for the spot. Of all times Elijah had to get you pregnant.¡± Victor sighed deeply,

    Marcel suddenly stopped pacing and looked up at Adele, drawing his cousin¡¯s attention as well. He asked her, ¡°When would your belly start showing?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Two weeks at the minimum and three weeks at thetest. Body type varies, it¡¯s a contributing factor.¡± Adele answered.

    ¡°Good¡­.Good¡­..¡± Marcel breathed, going over the idea in his head. He said to her,

    ¡°You are going to return to work and pretend like nothing happened to not draw attention to your situation. And in the meantime, I¡¯ll look for an excuse before the week runs out to send you abroad throughout your pregnancy so no one suspects a thing.¡± He came up with the best idea.

    However, Adele¡¯s face fell the moment she heard she would have to stay abroad. Even though Marcel ims that Elijah should never know about the pregnancy, she had hoped that he would find out somehow ¨C before it¡¯s toote ¨C ande to fight for his child. She knew it was a stupid thought, but it was merely a wish.

    But then if she goes abroad, Elijah would never know about the babies. Not to mention that she would be all alone. No matter how strong Adele was, she didn¡¯t want to be alone. She was scared of this pregnancy and didn¡¯t want to be away from her loved ones.

    Unlike Marcel who was thinking of a workable solution to their problems and didn¡¯t notice her mood, Victor was the one to find out Adele was not happy with the decision. He was an uing father for just one kid and still, he couldn¡¯t be far from Mimi, so he could already imagine what it was like for Adele. She can¡¯t do this alone.

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s the best solution?¡± Victor asked instead of her. He knew Adele was in no position to tell Marcel to reconsider the idea, and neither would she. She was merely a subordinate who would carry on with whatever decision Marcel came up with. So he decided to say it in her stead.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°You heard her, her pregnancy is a risk itself. You think it¡¯s wise to keep her in the states all by herself?¡± Victor asked him, his gaze connecting with Adele. She gave him a grateful look but he didn¡¯t respond and shifted his gaze to Marcel else he figured out what happened.

    Marcel looked at Victor for a while and then asked Adele,

    ¡°Is your mother trustable?¡±

    ¡°I-I think so,¡± She stammered.

    ¡°Then she would go with you, alongside other people I would arrange to help you with the babies over there,¡± Marcel said, walking over to the bed and sitting down on it. He then reached out and ced both hands on her shoulders saying with assurance,

    ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Adele. You are safe. I would make sure of that ¡±

    Adele swallowed nervously, yet she gave a half-hearted smile. She was grateful for Marcel¡¯s help, but at the same time, she wasn¡¯t sure if this was the best decision. Nheless, she had no choice but to go along with him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She told him sincerely.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Marcel answered her.

    Meanwhile¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s my son up totely?¡± Daniel asked, seated with his legs crossed while his hands were intertwined and he propped his jaw on it. He was probably the only father who kept tabs on his son, but it was awfully quiettely and he didn¡¯t like it. Not to mention that Marcel won in thest round and he should be looking for ways to counter it.

    Haz his assistant stood before him and began to fill him in, saying, ¡°His movements are always a secret, sir. I think Marcel knows you have your eyes on him.¡±

    ¡°Of course, he knows that. Why wouldn¡¯t he know that? If he doesn¡¯t know that, it makes him a useless son and an unworthy opponent and I have no use for him,¡± He looked up at his second inmand with a glint in his eyes, saying, ¡°Are you telling me you have nothing for me?¡±

    ¡°O-of course not, boss,¡± Haz nearly hupped on his answer. He quickly said, ¡°Just this afternoon, he and Victor quickly left for somewhere.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s interest was piqued. He asked, ¡°And where exactly is that?¡±

    ¡°To Adele¡¯s biological mother¡¯s home.¡±

    ¡°Angelica¡­¡± Daniel hummed, ¡°What business does Marcel have with her?¡±

 Chapter 754 - 754 Give Marcel A Chance

    754 Give Marcel A Chance

    Natalie couldn¡¯t stop crying no matter how hard Eric tried to stop her. It wasn¡¯t the fact that Arianna spoke to her that way that hurt, but because her words were right and stabbed right into her heart. Arianna was right, she had been an ungrateful and cold bitch towards Marcel amid what his mother, Penelope did for her.

    If Penelope hadn¡¯t taken her ce that night, perhaps, their fate would be reversed and she would be the one in the grave by now. As if her eyes were finally opened, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but imagine how she would feel if Arianna was being treated the way she treated Marcel. She would feel bad. Penelope must be disappointed in her wherever she is.

    The guilt wed at her heart deeply and Natalie cried harder. She was so sorry towards her poor friend, Penelope. Natalie didn¡¯t mean to maltreat her son, but then growing up around someone like Daniel, she already imagined the worst. She thought that Marcel would be just like his father and to think he had to go fall in love with her daughter. Natalie was so caught up in her fear of the past, she didn¡¯t want her daughter to go through the same thing.

    It was her duty to protect her daughter and that was what she was doing, yet, why did it feel so wrong? Everything that she has done so far was for her and Arianna. But in the end, it was all wrong. Her daughter wanted who she wanted and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. And he¡¯s Penelope¡¯s son.

    ¡°I¡¯m such a horrible person,¡± Natalie cried out while Eric said nothing, he only remained by her side and watched her. The confrontation with Arianna opened up all of the memories she had intentionally hidden over the years and now they were back raw and hauntingly.

    ¡°Arianna is right, I didn¡¯t even get to know her son before cing judgment on him. If Penelope was in my shoes, she would have taken care of my daughter. She had such a kind soul and bright smile while I¡¯m the opposite. I¡¯m a cold, calcting selfish mother that would do everything to keep her only child from her best friend¡¯s son whom she called a monster. ¡± Her heart ached greatly as she realized everything that she had done to Marcel ¨C and had been nning to do.

    Eric moved and this time he sat down on the sofa with her and pulled her to his side. Massaging her scalp with his fingers, he murmured,

    ¡°Human nature is selfish and we have all done one thing that we regret greatly at a point, Natalie. We are parents, not gods, and are bound to make mistakes.¡± Heforted her.

    Natalie sniffed, ¡°For Arianna to stand up to me like this, she must hate me now.¡±

    .....

    But Eric told her, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make wild guesses like that. Indeed, the both of you haven¡¯t gotten along well and your rtionship is rocky, however, she is your daughter and can¡¯t hate you.¡±

    ¡°You really mean that?¡± Natalie found that hard to believe. The way Arianna had red down at her today and the disappointment in those beautiful eyes of hers shattered her heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Eric hugged her tight. Even as smart as Natalie was, she could be dumb sometimes.

    ¡°You really think that I should give Marcel a chance?¡± Natalie asked while looking into his eyes, willing to trust his judgment this time.

    He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s not bad to allow him to prove that he¡¯s different from his father and find out things yourself as well. It would be like an examination¡±

    ¡°An examination?¡± Natalie thought over it.

    Eric broke away from the hug so he could look at her as he said, ¡°Marcel got back to me on that issue and he¡¯s up for a peace talk. We will talk outside tomorrow, however, if you want, I could bring him home so the both of you can speak afterward.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?! I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Natalie began to panic, unsure about this, ¡°What if -¡±

    Eric cut her off by pressing his finger against her lips, ¡°No doubt this time, woman. Just do it.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Natalie agreed atst.

    The warmth of her mouth coated his finger and Eric swallowed numbly as he felt something stir from below. No, this can¡¯t happen now, they were merely having a conversation.

    He at once removed his finger, but Natalie caught it mid-air causing his eyes to widen slightly.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Eric gulped, his heart rate quickening.

    Her gaze flickered to his and she answered him with a sexy smirk, ¡°What do you think?¡± She winked at him.

    Eric found out his throat suddenly went dry as Natalie slowly brought his finger to her mouth and just when she was about to lick it, he withdrew his hand immediately in a sh.

    Natalie looked at him stunned,¡± What are you doing?¡± She thought he was in for this.

    Eric cleared his throat, mentally chiding his pulsing member to behave. He said, ¡°We just got back home, shouldn¡¯t we exercise some sort of restraint.¡± He chuckled nervously.

    ¡°And why should I?¡± Natalie gave him a long look, ¡°How is that my business? I¡¯m married to you and technically we¡¯re still on our honeymoon. We only had to return because of your business. Not to mention¡­.¡± A sleazy smile appeared at the corner of her lips, ¡°It¡¯ste at night.¡±

    ¡°Urm¡­aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Eric was thinking of an excuse to distract her while she slowly pushed him down to the sofa till his back was resting on the armrest.

    Natalie hovered over him saying, ¡°I am not tired at all, dear husband. We could go at it all night.¡± She smirked with a wicked grin.

    Eric was dumbfounded, how couldn¡¯t she be tired after the rounds they wentst night and for half of today and now tonight? It was befuddling. He thought his sex drive should be stronger, but he was wrong.

    However, just as Natalie lowered her head to kiss her husband after straddling him, the door was suddenly pushed open as Rose¡¯s voice reverberated across the room.

    ¡°Mummy, are you okay?!¡± She heard about the intense argument between her precious mommy and her beautiful sister, Arianna. So she hurriedly came to check up on her mummy without knowing she just interrupted something important.

    Hearing that voice was like cold water being poured on them and they broke apart with lightning speed. The both of them scampered away like two thieves caught in the middle of their crime, having forgotten the door was unlocked.

 Chapter 755 - 755 Marcelâ€™s Little Hacker

    755 Marcel¡¯s Little Hacker

    ¡°A beautiful flower for my beautiful girlfriend,¡± Akim said, nting a bouquet in front of her face and blocking the view of theptop.

    Winters lifted her head only to see Akim and a smile crossed her face. She took the flowers and sniffed them happily. She said,¡±That is quite a cheesy line but I like it nheless.¡±

    Hearing that, Akim lowered his head and kissed her fully on the mouth while she buried her fist in his shirt, pulling him closer. He was close to deepening the kiss when Winters pulled apart only to remind him they were in a public space. However, it was toote because all eyes were now on them.

    Luckily for them, there were no children around, just older people and younger people like them, especially the girls who began to swoon over them.

    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome and they look so good together,¡±

    Hearing that, heat crept up Winter¡¯s cheeks and she turned her face the other way in embarrassment. This was not the first time she has heardments like that and each time, she ended up blushing like a teenager. Well, she was technically a young adult. But then, this was her first ever serious rtionship and she wanted to make something out of it.

    It has been more than a month since Akim helped break her out of Spencer¡¯s holding cell and trusted her unconditionally notwithstanding her crimes. She was a spy sent by Marcel to infiltrate Spencer¡¯s residence and though it was for a justifiable cause, it was still a crime and she broke his trust first. Still, Akim forgave her because he loved her and Winters nned to make it up to him.

    Since then, they had been jumping into city after city to get away from the Spencers who were hell-bent on finding them. Well, Akim to be precise. Winters knew deep down that they gave no shit about her and she could rot in hell for all they cared. But the same couldn¡¯t be said for Akim who was the crown prince of Lincolnshire. His status was much higher and tens of her life could not amount to hers. No, it was a privilege to even be his lover.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Akim took his seat beside her and leaned closer to view what she was doing, their bodies pressed closely.

    .....

    ¡°Studying the capital market,¡± She said, her eyes returning to the screen.

    ¡°Really? Are you sure you¡¯re not hacking them instead,¡± Akim joked, staring at the screen and couldn¡¯t understand a thing there. For starters, numerous windows were running at the same time and the screen was mostly filled with numbers and line charts.

    He could only grasp a few things like the significant growth of the line chart she was studying, other than that, the girl was a genius. Akim knew deep down that Winters sometimes felt inferior to him and must think that she didn¡¯t deserve him because of his princely status. Winters was ashamed of her hacker background, if only she knew that he was the most fascinated with her.

    Winters was so brilliant that Akim had this stupid fantasy that he could cut open her head and look into how her mind worked. Of course, it was merely a thought and there was no way he was having psychopathic thoughts of cutting open her head and studying the working mechanism of her brilliant brain.

    So he propped his elbow on the table and supported his chin on it, watching as Winters worked. All that was missing was her wearing sses and his fetish would be fulfilled. He studied the serious expression on her face and the way her brows would draw together in concentration once in a while. However, the only drawback about Winters¡¯ working mode was that nothing else mattered to her at that point ¨C not even him.

    She was so involved in her work that Akim already consumed two cups of coffee without her knowing. However, they have been working on that defect and now, Akim had an effective method of calling her attention whenever he felt neglected for too long.

    Winters gasped slightly when he felt a warm hand slip into her shirt and she turned to look at Akim with a startled look. However, the naughty prince gave her a knowing smile. He then leaned closer and sniffed her deeply like a police dog. A habit that she found fucking hot and arousing.

    A moan nearly left her lips when he kissed the top of her ear, but she grabbed onto the edge of her table tight and braced herself. Akim would be the death of her.

    He whispered into her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time we went home, my workaholic girlfriend,¡±

    ¡°Ye-yes¡­ let¡¯s go¡­¡± Winters was highly flustered and she hurriedly began to pack her properties, missing a few things in the process. As smart as she was, her brain bes a train wreck whenever he messes with her.

    It sent a surge of pride through him; he was the only one that could make her heart fluster.

    ¡°Leave it,¡± Akim stopped her.

    He then helped her pack up instead. Akim put theptop, her charger, and her books into the backpack and strapped it on his shoulder.

    He wrapped his arm around her waist possessively and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±

    Together, they made it out of the coffee shop and continued with their walk. Although Akim purchased a car with which they traveled from city to city, the current house they were staying in was not far from the coffee shop where Winters spent a lot of time. So it was easy to walk back home.

    ¡°What should we have tonight? Chinese? Thai? I can order.¡± Winters asked him.

    ¡°Or perhaps I can make us dinner?¡± Akim suggested.

    ¡°Cool.¡± She stared at him with lovey-dovey eyes.

    ¡°And perhaps, after dinner¡­.¡± Akim wriggled his brows suggestively and she yfully shoved him away.

    ¡°You are a depraved prince.¡± Sheughed.

    ¡°What? I can¡¯t have fun with my girlfriend again?¡±

    The both of them were caught up in the moment that they didn¡¯t notice the vehicle tailing them until it was toote. The door was suddenly pushed open and three men rushed out and surrounded them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The both of them were confused as to what was happening. However, two men grabbed onto Winters and began to take her away as she screamed Akim¡¯s name for help.

    ¡°Winters!¡± Akim shouted her name back and tried to fight them off, but the third man overpowered him before beating the hell out of him.

    While he could have killed the boy, the order was not to harm him. Akim came from a powerful background and they didn¡¯t want trouble with him, all they needed anyway was Marcel¡¯s little hacker.

 Chapter 756 - 756 Things Normal Couples Do

    756 Things Normal Couples Do

    Marcel was thoroughly exhausted by today¡¯s event and he groaned in relief the moment his back hit the mattress. He wiped his face with his palm, staring at the ceiling with so many things going on in his head. Today had been a long one for him amid the happy moments.

    With great effort, he hauled his ass to the bathroom where he washed up. The cold water running down his body was enough to calm his head and by the time he came out of the bathroom, Marcel felt less overwhelmed by his problems.

    Lying down on his bed, Marcel hugged the pillow that was in the position where Arianna should have been. Shit, he hated this distance between them. He missed her so much like the air he was breathing. Marcel missed pulling her warm body close to him at night. When things return to normal and he is back in his bed? At this rate, he would not be able to sleep tonight.

    As if he conjured her or something, Marcel¡¯s phone rang at that moment and he picked it up with lightning speed, his hope leaping in joy when he saw it was Arianna calling.

    Marcel didn¡¯t answer immediately else she begins to think that he was desperate for her calls. He cleared his throat and hesitated a bit before answering. Sadly, before he could press the answer button, the call ended and his face fell.

    What the heck ¡­?

    He was bbergasted. The call didn¡¯t evenst a minute. Did she not intend to call him or does she want him to call her instead? No, he was not going to call back.

    Marcel intended to prove that Arianna missed him more than he missed her. So he ignored the missed call and waited for her call. It was quite unfortunate that his cell did not ring nor did it light up with a call. And when his phone did light up, it was a message from hiswork provider and that irritated the hell out of him that he blocked the message immediately.

    He waited and waited all to no avail. Fine, he would put down his pride and call. However, Marcel withdrew his hand as soon as it touched the phone lying on his bed while battling with his mind.

    .....

    Arianna had sworn she would be the one to put in extra effort in their rtionship, so why should he call her? He had to wait till she called back, right? However, the minutes went back and the tick-tacking sound from the wall clock in his room was enough to drive him crazy.

    That is it.

    She won!

    He was the weak one in their rtionship, so what?! He loved her so much.

    And just like that, Marcel lost a battle Arianna was not even aware of. He called her.

    Meanwhile, Arianna could not sleep that night. The argument with her mother kept ying continually in her mind and bothered her. It was at moments like this that he wished Marcel was by her side.

    And speaking of Marcel, Arianna decided to call him. However, in the middle of the call, she realized how selfish her action was. What if he was busy with work? Knowing Marcel, he would give up everything just to speak with her. They talked earlier already and she didn¡¯t want to bother him anymore. So she ended the call right away.

    But to her relief, Marcel called back and her heart missed a call. Arianna picked up the phone without hesitation.

    ¡°Hello?¡± She said,

    ¡°Hello, Arianna? I saw your missed call¡± Marcel intentionally told her, waiting for an answer.

    ¡°Oh, that. I assumed that you were busy earlier and let you be or weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Marcel was stunned and here he was thinking that she was holding back on her feelings for him. Who knew she was being considerate?

    ¡°I mean, weren¡¯t you busy when I called?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I was,¡± Marcel lied without blinking. Well, what was he supposed to tell her? That he had been anxiously waiting for her call like a fool?

    Arianna sighed, ¡°That means you¡¯re still busy with your work, it has not been long since I called -¡±

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m not!¡± Marcel said quickly when he sensed her beginning to change her mind about speaking with him.

    ¡°What?¡± Arianna was a tiny bit confused here. Was he or was he not busy?

    ¡°I mean,¡± He exined to her, ¡°I was busy at first, but now I¡¯m free,¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Good then. We¡¯re free to talk.¡± Arianna¡¯s voice sounded excited through the phone and Marcel was actually pleased she wanted to talk to him. It wasn¡¯t until now that Marcel understood thatmunication was vital in a long-distance rtionship.

    Damn, how did his rtionship get to this point? They were living in the same city and yet so far away from each other just like the moon and the sun revolves around the earth yet can never meet unless in the case of an eclipse¡­. Jesus Christ, what was he even talking about in the first ce?

    ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Arianna asked, bringing back his attention, thankfully.

    ¡°Lying on my bed and waiting to drift away to dreand. You?¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Arianna chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m in my bed too, and waiting to sleep off. In that case, let¡¯s sleep together then.¡±

    Unfortunately, Marcel¡¯s mind went down the dirtyne and although he caught himself at thest minute, his silence had given him away to Arianna.

    She exined quickly, ¡°I mean to say, let¡¯s sleep off together, you know, at the same time. Neither is it possible to sleep with each other with the distance between us ....¡± Arianna trailed off.

    Marcel snortedughter, ¡°I know what you mean, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°And yet you let me continue speaking like a fool?¡± Arianna shook her head with a sigh.

    But Marcel told her, ¡°You are not a fool, Arianna and I like hearing your voice. It¡¯sforting.¡±

    At this part, Arianna melted from the inside. How did Marcel suddenly be so cute?

    And just like that, the both of them ended up discussing frivolous things as normal couples do till midnight.

 Chapter 757 - 757 The Easy Way Or The Hard Way

    757 The Easy Way Or The Hard Way

    Marcel woke up in the morning and was startled to see the call fromst night was still ongoing. The both of them must have slept off at some point and he must be the first to wake up between the both of them.

    ¡°Good morning, love.¡± He spoke into the phone, not bothered that she didn¡¯t hear it. Arianna was still asleep. All that mattered was that his heart was in the right ce.

    Coming to think of it, Marcel was kind of grateful that Elijah took Arianna away from here. Thanks to the move, he could now have a healthy rtionship with her and Arianna would never have any reason to believe that her affection for him was a case of Stockholm syndrome. She loved him for who he was.

    Pushing the matter to the back of his mind, Marcel prepared himself for the meeting with Eric. Victor had passed the result of their meeting to him and he agreed to talk with him in a confidential location. In one word, Marcel would not know of their meeting ce until thest minute. It was a move done to ensure their safety and prevent any sabotage of any kind.

    The both of them ¨C he and Victor ¨C dressed formally, although they kept their movement low key. Marcel was not ignorant of Daniel¡¯s devices and since he lost to him at thest minute, his father must already be thinking of creative ways to make his life miserable.

    So Marcel was careful he wasn¡¯t being followed and when the location coordinates were finally sent to him, he directed Victor on where to go. It was a Chinese restaurant and when they went in, the manager in charge of the ce recognized them and led them to the room Eric selected, and there he was already seated down and awaited him.

    The manager shut the door on his way out and Marcel read the atmosphere, he could not sense any murderous intent. He then walked over to Eric who stood up to his feet and thrust his hand out for a handshake.

    ¡°Wee,¡± He said with his hand out and Marcel enveloped his hand with his. He told him,

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Please sit,¡± Eric gestured and everyone in the room sat down. Just like Marcel who came with Victor, his cousin, and advisor, he came with Jason, his second inmand as a backup.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast first before we go into business. I hope you can stomach spicy foods.¡± Eric said to him.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcel answered him with confidence and Victor gave him a pointed look, yet he refused to meet his cousin¡¯s gaze.

    A little chili does not scare him. If this was a challenge, he intends not to disappoint Eric. He would prove to him that he was a man too. Although Eric was older and probably much more experienced, Marcel doesn¡¯t n to lose to him. He was young and capable.

    Eric signaled them and in the next minutes, several Chinese cuisines ¨C some he had tasted and some he hadn¡¯t ¨C were ced in front of him. Marcel had to grab the table in front of him to brace himself while putting on a brave smile. He could do this. A little pepper would not kill him, right?

    Although it might be seen as old-fashioned, a food taster was avable and he took bites from all of the food avable to confirm that it was safe to consume ¨C there was no poisoning. This move was done to establish trust between both parties.

    Everyone dug into the food and Marcel showed off the mastery of his chopstick. They ran intentional deals and showing cultural appreciation was one way to win over a client, Daniel taught him that. No, all of the men in the room seemed to know their way with chopsticks, so they all ate their food in silence.

    Marcel could stomach spicy food but to an extent, he was not exactly a huge fan of it, unlike Eric who swallowed down his spicy noodles as if it was nothing. Like he was immune to the spiciness. At first, Marcel was on par with him, however, he began to slow down, and though the air conditioner was on, sweat formed on his forehead and he was red in the face.

    His tongue was on fire but Marcel endured it. Instead, he psyched himself mentally with the saying,

    ¡°Pain is a twisted form of pleasure.¡±

    He could endure it.

    No, he will endure it.

    Sadly a minuteter, he could not endure it.

    Marcel picked up the ss of water in front of him and swallowed down all of the content and yet, nothing happened. He stopped eating. How could he continue to eat when it felt like his taste buds would be singed forever?

    He poured out another ss of water and while he would retain the liquid in his mouth, it was not a great relief and had to pour himself another ss of the cold liquid after a while. But it seems that drenching his burning tongue turned out to be the worst thing he could do.

    At this point, Marcel just grabbed the edge of the table tight and endured the spicy heat.

    ¡°To cancel out the spicy heat,¡± Eric began, ¡°You need to bnce it with an acid that can help neutralize the molecule¡¯s activity. This means drinking or eating something acidic may also help cool your mouth down,¡±

    He reached out and grabbed the wine on the table and opened it. He poured it into a ss and kept it in front of Marcel.

    Marcel looked at the ss and then back at him, asking, ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°The wine can provide the relief you need or¡­.¡±

    Marcel narrowed his gaze at him, sensing there was something more to be said.

    ¡°Or?¡±

    ¡°You can wait for the burn to generally dissipate in about fifteen minutes. So which one would it be, the easy way or the hard way?¡±

 Chapter 758 - 758 A Seat In The Commission

    758 A Seat In The Commission

    Of course, Marcel chose the hard way. He had suffered so much because of the spicy burn already that he should give up halfway when sess was so close to him.

    So, he endured it.

    Even when the veins on his forehead were prominent and the sweat which was evidence of the torture that he was going through rolled down the sides of his face, Marcel endured it all.

    His grip on the table tightened and the veins in his hands were close to popping out, but he still did not give up. If Marcel had supernatural strength, he could have crushed the table already with the way he was holding onto it.

    However, his strong grip lessened with time as the potency of the spicy burn lessened to an endurable degree Marcel could work with. After a while, he was perfectly fine and Eric¡¯s apuse broke the silence.

    ¡°You are quite an admirable young man,¡± He said, looking down at his watch, ¡°Fifteen minutes done.¡±

    Although Marcel lifted his head with pride at thepliment and for having proven himself to the man and earning his respect, annoyance still shot through him and he asked Eric,

    ¡°What was the point of this though? What were you hoping to achieve with this? What was the lesson?¡± He wanted to know. Was this a test of strength? Endurance? What¡¯s the prize?

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Eric shrugged nonchntly, giving Marcel the shock of his life. All of this had been for nothing?! Marcel¡¯s temper gradually began to rise.

    .....

    Eric continued to say, ¡°You are just so arrogant that it¡¯s annoying and I decided to bully you a little.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Marcel stood up abruptly before he could control himself, pointing using hands at Eric with his jaw ajar from the shock as he was unable to believe that the man would trick him this cruelly.

    ¡°Hey?¡± Eric scoffed at the disrespect in his tone and said, ¡°Is that the way you refer to your future father-inw?¡±

    As if the gears in Marcel¡¯s head began to work again, he quickly made the connections and in the next minute forced his ass back down on his seat with a ttering smile on his lips.

    ¡°Of course not, it was just my way of expressing the shock of your magnanimous kindness.¡± Marcel lied through his teeth. Magnanimous kindness, his ass! He couldn¡¯t believe Eric would use this card on him.

    With Natalie marrying Eric, that means Arianna was now a Draven, at least half of it. In one word, Eric had a huge role to y by influencing and convincing his wife Natalie to give him a chance to prove himself to her. Not to mention that if things go right between them, he would have to call Eric, father-inw?!

    Marcel gritted his teeth because the thought never crossed his mind until now. He had to be careful in his dealing with Eric since it could affect his marriage ns with Arianna. Well, if pushes to shove, he had the other option of kidnapping her once again and taking her to a ce where they would get married and no one would be able to stop them.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s hear it now. What¡¯s your conclusion? What does your family want in exchange for not going to war?¡± Eric was down for business.

    Marcel didn¡¯t answer immediately, rather he poured himself a drink and swallowed it down before cing the ss on the table.

    Lifting his head, he said to Eric,

    ¡°The East End Waterfront,¡±

    The instant Marcel mentioned the name, Eric¡¯s brows slightly arched, disturbed. He had a feeling that Marcel would set his sights on the port and he didn¡¯t prove him wrong. The young man had an eye for lucrative business ventures.

    ¡°Your family runs the docks and controls the port, we want in as well. A share of the ownership. You can think of it like a partnership. With the Luciano family also working as its caretaker, who would dare to cause trouble for you?¡± There was a glint in Marcel¡¯s eyes as he proposed business to him.

    Aside from his affection for his loved ones, the second thing close to his heart was making money, and would never give up on such a lucrative opportunity.

    Eric didn¡¯t answer right away and poured himself a drink too, gulping it down before asking, ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one more.¡±

    His eyebrow quirked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Marcel leaned closer to the table and holding Eric¡¯s gaze with him, he announced, ¡°I want a seat in the council.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Eric¡¯s expression shifted.

    Even Jason, his second inmand, wasn¡¯t able to control himself and shared in his shock.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Jason turned it down right away even before his boss could make the decision.

    Victor answered him, as both men face off, ¡°While each crime family has its own territory and operates independently, nationwide coordination is overseen by the Commission, which consists of the bosses of each of the strongest families. The Luciano family is one of the five main crime families yet we don¡¯t have a seat in the crime family. Doesn¡¯t that sound prejudiced?¡±

    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± Eric asked him calmly yet Marcel could see beyond that facade. His future father-inw was not calm at all.

    Of course, it was all Daniel¡¯s fault. You don¡¯t go about causing trouble and expect to be acknowledged by the higher-ups. While Daniel could have been offered a seat in themission after his grandfather¡¯s sacrifices for this family, his callousness and impetuosity were considered a liability. Daniel was a ticking time bomb and they couldn¡¯t wait around to see it explode right in their faces.

    Thanks to him, the Luciano family has been operating independently and misses out on some of the privileges other families enjoy from being part of themission. Although Marcel has answered a few summons in his ce from themission over the years, it was still not enough to earn him a seat there until now.

    Marcel can¡¯t let go of this opportunity now.

 Chapter 759 - 759 Trusting Eric

    759 Trusting Eric

    ¡°Put me on themission,¡± Marcel requested.

    ¡°No,¡± Eric rejected right away.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The Luciano are no good there and I have worked so hard to put things together, I wouldn¡¯t watch my efforts crumble right before my eyes.¡± He said firmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, not my father.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know, Marcel. You are a fair, ambitious, and hardworking young man and though your father might not control you any longer, the consequences do.¡±

    However, Marcel would not give up on this and was set to convince him, ¡°I deserve that position. I have worked hard for it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcel. But you would have to request something else.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to request but the both of them,¡± Marcel reminded him,¡± It¡¯s five lives versus two requests, Eric and from what I see, you are the one gaining. Your brother took lives that can never be returned.¡±

    .....

    Eric¡¯s face was set in a frown as he was deep in thought. And when he didn¡¯t answer right away, Marcel told him,

    ¡°And let¡¯s be honest here, you need this more than I do. You talk about preserving themission, but you do know that there would be nothing to preserve when the head of themission who is supposed to be propitiative is involved in a war himself. Do you think you would be able to keep that position?¡±

    ¡°Or perhaps, I can take advantage of that opportunity and collide with the rest of the crime families and crush the Luciano family once and for all.¡± His eyes darkened as he dared Marcel, ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me, young man. You might be smart and calcting, but I have years of experience on my side, not to mention the support of the other crime family, unlike your father who has been a thorn in their side. Between the both of you, who do you think would win if we go to war?¡±

    Marcel smiled at him, saying,¡± Of course, you would win. But then¡­. ¡°His voice turned serious,¡± Would it be worth it though, losing Elijah, your brothers, or even¡­. ¡± His gaze met his,¡± Your wife?¡±

    Hearing that, Eric¡¯s jaw was clenched tightly knowing that Marcel was painfully right. He had promised Natalie a safe environment, not to mention his daughter, Rose. The mafioso tends to strike where it hurts the most and there was no doubt both women would be their priority.

    His head rate evened out and his pounding heart decreased. He looked at Marcel and said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    A smile slowly curled Marcel¡¯s lips to the side, the fact that he was willing to think about it meant that the deal was as good as finished.

    Marcel bowed his head in respect, ¡°Thanks for seeing me today. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± He was close to standing up to his feet when Eric shouted,

    ¡°Wait -!¡±

    Marcel halted at once, looking at him in confusion, and wondered what was next.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Eric sighed with difficulty. After the threat from the kid, he should be kicking his ass out of here. But then, he could not allow his grudges to cloud his judgment.

    He said to Marcel, ¡°Natalie wants to meet you.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Marcel nearly slipped from his crouching position. He just never saw thating, itpletely took him by surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret having her give you a chance,¡± Eric told him seriously. If Marcel ever does anything to hurt Natalie or her daughter ¨C anything that hurts Arianna hurts her mother ¨C war or not, he would kill Marcel himself.

    At once, Marcel¡¯s expression lit up and it didn¡¯t matter anymore if Eric fed him another round of his torturous spicy foods, he would take it all. He finally had a chance to impress Natalie and that alone was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    Marcel was so happy that he was close to engulfing Eric in a hug, thankfully he was able to control himself on time. Amid the tension between the both of them, Marcel could see he and Eric were on the path to a great rtionship as inws.

    While Victor should have returned, he insisted on going with him. His dear cousin still had those ims that the small fly Richardo or whatever he called himself, was after him.

    Not to mention that after such a tense negotiation with Eric, Victor wanted to make sure that this wasn¡¯t a trap by Eric to end him once and for all. Marcel let him do his job anyway considering he can be quite careless when ites to matters concerning Arianna.

    Hence Marcel didn¡¯t get into Eric¡¯s car and followed after him instead in their own ride.

    ¡°Do you think we can trust him?¡± Victor asked him on their way to Eric¡¯s ce, trailing after his car.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him,¡±

    Victor frowned, ¡°Then why¡­ ?¡±

    ¡°But Eric is an honorable man. If he¡¯s going to get rid of me, it won¡¯t be like this. And not while using Arianna to lure me because she would never forgive him. Perhaps, it¡¯s in my favor that he ended up with Arianna¡¯s mother as a wife. Whatever happens to Arianna would affect Natalie and he loves her so much he wouldn¡¯t dare to incur her wrath. The both of us are simr in that way. ¡± He said.

    ¡°Yeah, lucky you,¡± Victor joked.

    After some time, they arrived at their destination and for the first time, Marcel was let in through the gate under Eric¡¯s directive. Victor followed their actions by packing in the open space before he and Marcel stepped out, only for one of the soldiers to walk over to them and said, ¡°Surrender your weapons.¡±

    Victor turned to Marcel for direction, were they really going to trust Eric blindly? Without their weapon, they were defenseless and as good as dead.

    Eric stepped out of his car, saying, ¡°It¡¯s apulsory procedure. I can¡¯t allow an outsider to possess weapons while being in close contact with my family.¡±

    ¡°And what about your brothers?¡± While Marcel might trust Eric a little bit, the same couldn¡¯t be said for his brothers.

    ¡°You are my guest, they won¡¯ty a hand on you.¡± Eric gave him his word.

    Marcel gave up his weapons and hoped to God that he was right about him.

 Chapter 760 - 760 Seeing Marcel In A Positive Light

    760 Seeing Marcel In A Positive Light

    Arianna had thoughts of hiding in her room all day after the confrontation with her motherst night. But then, for how long was she going to avoid the woman? Fine, she had to face her problem head-on.

    So she headed down for breakfast as soon as she was alerted by one of the staff. These days, her schedule is pretty predictable. Wake up, eat, rebel against her mother, gossip with Mimi, and plot on how to meet Marcel, sleep, and the circle continues.

    Although it gave her time to plot for her future knowing that she couldn¡¯t depend on her mother, Draven or Marcel forever. Arianna wants an upation before she ends up a housewife ¨C if she marries Marcel. She would be twenty-four soon and would receive the trust fund her father kept for her. With that money, she would achieve a lot. Arianna could already see her bright future.

    Arianna stopped short when she saw her mother at the dining table with Rose and her throat dried up suddenly while the air in the room seemed to have been sucked up. Although she braced herself for this moment, it still didn¡¯t make things any easier.

    What was she going to do? Should she join her mother at the dining table and wave at her like yesterday¡¯s incident never happened? Or she could keep a straight face and have her breakfast in silence without showing that she was affected by the tense ambiance. You know, y it cool and all?

    Ugh, Arianna groaned inwardly. She hated this kind of tension. Why was her rtionship with her mother soplicated? Was their conflict normal or was she the only one in the entire world unable to get along with her mother?

    Fine, Arianna decided to y it cool. Moreover, what did she do so wrongst night aside to express her ¨C Natalie- prejudice towards Marcel? She did nothing wrong and had nothing to fear.

    ¡°What are you standing there for?¡± Her mother¡¯s voice roused her from her thoughts, startling her. The woman knew that she was here.

    Natalie turned to her and said, ¡°Are you waiting until your food gets cold, or don¡¯t you want to have breakfast with your family anymore?¡± She murmured under her breath, ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone is forcing you to observe the tradition anyway.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was confused. What was going on here? She had expected her mother would be cold and unresponsive toward her. Why was she ying it cool? That had been her n.

    Still reeling from the turn of events, Arianna had to force her ass on the seat and wondered what was next.

    ¡°Hello, sister. How was your night?¡± asked Rose, the most enthusiastic out of the three women present at the table.

    ¡°It was good.¡± Arianna tried to match the kid¡¯s energy. She didn¡¯t want to seem unapproachable and detached from the kid when all she wanted was to have a loving rtionship with her step-sister. Moreover, Natalie would worry less if they got along as sisters. Not to mention that she was older and should set a good example.

    ¡°I heard you and mother foughtst night¡­¡± The girl said, suddenly looking downcast

    Arianna and Natalie¡¯s gaze connected and held, however, they broke apart in the next minute without saying a word to each other.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡± Rose grabbed her hand and enveloped it with hers since she was seated beside her, saying, ¡°Please don¡¯t fight with mummy anymore. Violence is never the right answer.¡±

    Arianna cleared her throat awkwardly yet she nodded her head, forcing a smile on her face.

    ¡°Good!¡± Rose let go of her hand and got out of her seat only to walk over to Natalie who was seated opposite them.

    ¡°And mom, you shouldn¡¯t be angry at Arianna for too long,¡±

    ¡°Who said I¡¯m still angry -¡± Natalie was still saying when Rose grabbed her hand and pulled it across the table before taking Arianna¡¯s hands and doing the same until both of their hands were intertwined together.

    They didn¡¯t dare withdraw their hands, scared to kill the hope ignited in the young girl¡¯s eyes. In one word, both of them had to make up under Rose¡¯s strict supervision.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry forst night. I shouldn¡¯t have judged and talked to you in that manner.¡± Arianna apologized to her sincerely.

    Natalie said as well, ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for forgetting my role as a mother was to listen to my child¡¯s opinion too. I shouldn¡¯t have abused my power as your mother.¡±

    ¡°So are we good now?¡± Arianna asked her, unsure.

    Natalie nodded, ¡°Yes. We are good.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Rose jumped, pumping her fist in the air victoriously. However, seeing the looks they gave her, the young girl quicklyposed herself, reining in her excitement.

    She suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m suddenly not hungry. The both of you should enjoy your meal.¡±

    ¡°Wait -!¡± Arianna said, but the girl had already zoomed off before she had the chance to stop her. For a young girl, Rose was quite smart. She knew deep down that Rose left on purpose to give them the chance to talk.

    They didn¡¯t talk immediately as Rose wanted them to, instead, they ate their food in silence. Fortunately, the suffocating tension from earlier subsided and Arianna could rx in her mother¡¯s presencepared to earlier.

    ¡°Where is Eric?¡± Arianna decided to start the conversation.

    ¡°He¡¯s out for a business meeting with Marcel,¡± Natalie said and Arianna¡¯s hand holding the spoon halted mid-way.

    She lifted her head to look at her mother, surprise in her eyes.

    ¡°A business meeting.¡±

    ¡°The boy is quite intent on promoting peace between both families.¡± Although Natalie¡¯s voice was t, Arianna could sense a tinge of satisfaction in her tone.

    Arianna was so proud of Marcel that she wanted to sing his praises at the top of her voice, no, at the rooftop, but she had to control herself in front of her mother. She had no choice but to hold in her excitement else her mother changes her mind about him. Not when she was beginning to see him in a positive light.

 Chapter 761 - 761 Those Three Special Words

    761 Those Three Special Words

    ¡°Marcel is on his way here,¡± Arianna could not recall the number of times she went over her mother¡¯s announcement in her head. So the instant she heard and confirmed his car driving into theirwn through her blinders, Arianna broke into a sprint.

    She practically flew over the flights of stairs in her haste to go see Marcel. Nearly running into the staff who were busy putting everything in ce to make the guest¡¯s stay asfortable as possible ording to Natalie¡¯s orders.

    Arianna nearly kicked the door out of her way and there she saw him. Marcel was outside, speaking with Victor and her heart leaped in joy. He was here? Marcel was really here! In flesh and blood. It was a miracle!

    Without a second thought, Arianna ran over to him.

    ¡°We are toast if this goes wrong.¡± Victor reminded Marcel, eyeing the number of Eric¡¯s soldiers guarding the residence and the possibility of them making it out of here alive if pushes to shove.

    ¡°For once, you should learn to trust -¡± Marcel did not get to finish the rest of his words because he felt somethinging his way and lifted his eyes only to see Arianna leap into his arms.

    Dear God.

    It had taken Marcel a great deal of effort to catch Arianna and maintain his bnce at the same time. Even at that, he still staggered back from the impact; she nearly brought him to the ground.

    Stunned by her action, Marcel wanted to scold her seriously. She could have injured herself had he not caught her on time, but when Marcel looked at her and saw the genuine happiness on her face, no words came out of his mouth. Was she that excited to see him?

    .....

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Arianna breathed, smiling at him widely. Her beauty was so radiant that it could have shamed the sun as well, not to talk of Marcel who was held spellbound. If Arianna was Redhead, she would be wagging her tail at him right now.

    Marcel¡¯s anger dissipated without Arianna doing much and she put the cherry on top by kissing him on the lips in front of everyone. Arianna¡¯s action shocked everyone in the vicinity ¨C including Marcel ¨C who saw them. Even the guards had to force their gaze away from the scene.

    ¡°Urm¡­¡± Victor cleared his throat beside him, ¡°We still have -¡±

    But Marcel turned his cousin¡¯s face the other way with his hand while his lips were still connected with Arianna¡¯s. If his girl wanted to kiss him, who was he to refuse such a privilege? So he wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing her flush to his body, and kissed her thoroughly.

    Marcel¡¯s lips curled up at the corners, he loved kissing her and her lips tasted so sweet he was practically addicted to it. Not to mention that Arianna imed him in front of his enemies and Marcel found the move so hot that he decided to reward her by kissing her as if the world was ending and it was merely the both of them left in existence.

    She moaned as he kissed her harder, her head reeling from the sensations. Arianna fisted her hand in the inside of his shirt, dragging him to her body till there was not a single space between them and she was practically grinding on him.

    It was at that point that Eric decided he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and he cleared his throat loudly enough for the both of them to pull apart reluctantly. The both of them had silly grins on their faces when they broke the kiss, their breathing in pants.

    But then, Arianna didn¡¯t give Marcel a chance to recover from the surprises she gave him already because she confessed to him, ¡°I love you, Marcel.¡±

    Marcel stiffened at once, his eyes going wide at what he just heard while Victor sighed. Had he known everything would turn out this way, he wouldn¡¯t have worried too much and returned to the base. But now he had to watch and swallow down this public disy of affection by the couples right in front of him ¨C even though he was happy for Marcel.

    ¡°W-what did you just say?¡± Marcel was shaken up by her confession. No, he wanted her to say it again because it felt like he didn¡¯t hear her say those three special words.

    ¡°I love you Marcelo Xavier Luciano from the bottom of my heart,¡± Arianna said to him. She was sure of it now. She loved him to the moon and back.

    But then, the reaction Arianna received from him was not what she expected.

    Marcel let go of her and then paced up and down, looking confused, if not, disoriented for a while. And then, he drew his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs, shocking everyone. When he was done, he turned to Arianna and carried her off her feet, causing a squeal to leave her lips.

    He then began to twirl her around while Arianna screamed in both excitement and surprise, his reaction was so over the top and unexpected ¨C and she was getting a little embarrassed. Especially when he put her down and began to shower her with loud, fluttery kisses.

    ¡°Marcel¡­.¡± Arianna tried to hide her face from him but was unsessful. His enthusiasm was overwhelming. If only she knew what those words meant to him and what they did to him.

    To Marcel, those three special words meant he wouldn¡¯t have to force her to be with her; he wouldn¡¯t force her to have his child; he wouldn¡¯t force her to be his wife. She would be with him willing. Not to mention that Arianna was quite reserved about her feelings for him and for her to say it out loud in front of everyone, meant a lot to him.

    So he answered, ¡°I love you too, Arianna from the deepest part of my heart,¡± And his heated mouth was on hers again, kissing her with all that he had.

    ¡°Oh well,¡± Eric gave up on separating them again and went inside. When the lovebirds were done, they knew where to find him.

 Chapter 762 - 762 Break Away From The Cycle Of Hate

    762 Break Away From The Cycle Of Hate

    Marcel and Arianna walked into the house hand in hand with all eyes on them like they were some exotic species from another. Those who had no idea of the history between Arianna and Marcel were appalled at the sight of both of them together while the others were surprised that Eric let Marcel in. Nheless, all they could do was look and could noty a hand on him.

    Even though he tried to be positive and confident, Marcel was still nervous inside, after all, he was about to meet his mother-inw for the first time officially and wanted to make a good impression. The both of them got off on the wrong foot because of his family¡¯s history and a lot of misunderstanding, but now he hoped they got along fine.

    However, with Arianna¡¯s hand tightly intertwined with his, he felt strong and there wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t conquer. Moreover, even if the woman gave him consent or not, he intended on marrying her daughter. This was just him doing it the right and easy way.

    Thanks to the butterflies dancing in his stomach because of Arianna¡¯s life-changing confession, Marcel was not gripped much by anxiety until Natalie stepped into the foyer and he halted in his steps instantly.

    As expected, Marcel did an investigation on Natalie and he had to admit that the pictures did not do her justice at all. Natalie was an extremely beautiful woman ¨C no wonder Daniel could not take his eyes off her ¨C but what caught his attention the most was the uncanny resemnce between her and Arianna.

    The both of them could be almost mistaken as sisters. They were that simr.

    However, Marcel was startled when he saw tears slip down the woman¡¯s cheeks and his mouth opened speechlessly. What did he do? No, he didn¡¯t do anything. So why was his mother-inw crying? He didn¡¯t recall his face being that scary.

    ¡°M-marcel¡­¡± Natalie¡¯s voice cracked as she stared at the young man who resembled his mother and her best friend, Penelope. Even with all the mental preparation she did, it was still startling to see that familiar face.

    She took slow steps towards the boy but each step Natalie took felt heavy like lead while the tears continued to flow down her cheeks, making her sight blurry. Marcel in question didn¡¯t dare to make a move, entranced by the emotions ying out on her face.

    .....

    Having sensed that this moment doesn¡¯t belong to her, Arianna let go of Marcel¡¯s hands and wanted to protest against her gesture ¨C he wanted her warm hands back in his. But he didn¡¯t have the time toin because Natalie was now standing in front of him.

    Suddenly, Natalie reached out and took his face in her grip causing his entire body to stiffen up. He was not used to strangersing up to him this close, not to talk of touching him, especially his face. But he didn¡¯t sense any ill intent from her and let her be.

    What does she want with his face? Marcel was curious. Fine, he was more than curious. The suspense was killing him! Or could it be that she was bewitched by his good looks too?

    Oh no, Marcel swallowed numbly.

    Natalie can¡¯t fall for him too, how was he going to handle both mother and daughter? And did he forget to add that Eric would kill him for daring to seduce his wife? Not to mention wasn¡¯t he a tad bit young for Natalie?

    But then, when he looked into the woman¡¯s eyes, Marcel realized that it wasn¡¯t what he was thinking at all.

    ¡°You do look like her,¡± Natalie pointed out, tentatively tracing his features with her shaky hands. Aside from the eyes, Marcel looked nothing like Daniel. He took after his mother.

    ¡°H-her?¡± He choked.

    Marcel realized that she was talking about his mother and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He didn¡¯t realize that his mother was the first issue his mother-inw would bring up on his first visit. Now he remembered, they had been best friends and if there was anyone that knew much about his mother, it was her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Natalie began to apologize profusely to him, ¡°I never meant to leave your mother behind, nor did it cross my mind that Daniel would be so cruel to her as to force himself on her. I wanted toe back for her, but I couldn¡¯t. I was so selfish and upied with preserving my own life that I cut her off. I¡¯m so sorry, Marcel. I have been a very bad person. I don¡¯t deserve your forgiveness but I just needed you to hear this. Your mother was a good woman. She didn¡¯t deserve the hell that Daniel put her through and I failed her. I don¡¯t deserve her forgiveness at all,¡± She cried, burying her face in Marcel¡¯s chest while he stood there awkwardly.

    Marcel didn¡¯t know how to feel, was he supposed to get mad at Natalie and push her away? Should he me her for nevering back for his mother when she had help from the Draven family and perhaps, things would have gone differently? Or should he just forgive her and move on as if nothing happened?

    How was he supposed to react to this confession? Because right now he was numb. The emotions and the manner he should behave warred inside of him and he didn¡¯t know what to do. Marcel was just on the spot and staring at nothing until Arianna came into his sight and it didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    It was all in the past and knowing his mother¡¯s humble spirit, Penelope wouldn¡¯t want her friend to suffer this much. It was up to him to break away from this cycle of hate caused by Daniel before it consumed everyone and everything in his path. Not to mention that he had Arianna, his revenge on Natalie would be to love her daughter all the days of his life.

    So Marcel wrapped his once reluctant arms around the woman and let her cry out her heart on his shoulder.

    It was okay.

    Everyone makes mistakes.

 Chapter 763 - 763 Three Protective Brothers

    763 Three Protective Brothers

    Perhaps, Arianna should consider this meeting between her mother and Marcel a blessing because the interaction between the both of them changed for the better. They both chatted away like two estranged friends who finally got back together after a while and she was happy about the sudden turn of events. Although their conversations revolved around Penelope, she didn¡¯t mind.

    However, there was a tiny little problem in the name of Ephraim, Elvis, and Ezra with no Elijah ¨C she has no seen him since the night he helped her meet up with Marcel.

    But then, the presence of all three of them was making Marcel ufortable even though he wasn¡¯t showing it. Why wouldn¡¯t Marcel feel difort when they were ring at him so intently they could have bored a hole in his head by now.

    Arianna pped her hand down on the armrest in annoyance and said to Eric, who was quietly sipping his tea and pretending to be oblivious to his brother¡¯s shenanigans,

    ¡°Should I say it or are you going to say it?¡±

    Eric lowered his cup and asked innocently, ¡°Say what?¡±

    Arianna closed her eyes with a sigh, were they going to y this game?

    ¡°You. You. And you. What are you really doing here?¡± She pointed at all three of them.

    While Ezra and Elvis merely shrugged, Ephraim the tricky one answered her, ¡°We heard that our little Arianna brought a boy home. What do you think we are here to do if not to wee him?¡± He gave her a wide smile.

    .....

    ¡°Well, you guys have been doing enough of that wee for over fifteen minutes and you¡¯re not even the host,¡± The host Eric was busy drinking tea and staying on neutral ground. She retorted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it high time you guys left already, or don¡¯t you have something to do?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, we don¡¯t have anything to do, which is why we havee to show our support to you, our precious sister-inw,¡± Ezra chipped in this time and Arianna could not even answer back. The level of their shamelessness left her speechless.

    ¡°Eric, do something,¡± Arianna almost whined like a baby. They were clearly here to bully Marcel, not help him.

    At this point, even Arianna and Natalie could not continue their conversation any more thanks to their distraction. Not that Marcel had been paying full attention to the conversation with Natalie anyway ¨C he heard everything Arianna and the Draven brothers were talking about.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie finally realized something was wrong.

    Knowing her mother would be on her side, Arianna opened her mouth to speak but Ephraim beat her to it, saying ¡°Dear sister-inw, Natalie, we are here to scan and ess Arianna¡¯s boyfriend as caring and responsible rtives that we are. However, she is making a huge deal and wants us to leave which I find highly suspicious. Why does it feel like she has another motive in mind which is why she wants us as far as possible?¡±

    His words were ambiguous and Arianna

    threw up blood mentally. It was confirmed, they were here to ruin her time with Marcel. She should have known that Eric¡¯s brothers were not going to ept Marcel that easily. But then, who needs their approval?!

    ¡°Even if she has another motive in mind, aren¡¯t both of them adults and capable of taking responsibility for their actions, or are you merely nosy rtives?¡± Victor came to her defense and she smirked victoriously at them.

    Beat that.

    Ezra answered him, ¡°This is our house and it is our responsibility to look out for her as family, ensuring that she made the right choice. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, so the house is the problem?¡± Victor snorted, ¡°Even though it¡¯s your father¡¯s house. Aren¡¯t you ashamed to say that?¡±

    Now everyone had their eyes on Ezra and Victor, sensing the hostility between both men. They could sense something was up but just couldn¡¯t figure it out, except Arianna and Marcel who knew the bone of contention between Ezra and Victor.

    Mimi.

    Right now they were trying to prove who was the better man.

    Fools.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s my father¡¯s house, and you are nothing but an intruder.¡± Ezra narrowed her gaze at Victor, electricity crackling between them when their eyes met.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Eric said, putting down his cup, done with his tea. Instant silence saturated the room while his gaze took in everyone in the room.

    ¡°Marcel is a reputable guest here, respect him.¡± He dered and it was final.

    There was an awkward silence for a while until Elvis suddenly stood up and walked over to Marcel while everyone watched, curious about what he was up to. The man had a huge frame so when he stood in front of Marcel who was seated beside Natalie, hepletely towered over him.

    Arianna watched the scene with her heart in her throat and her eyes wide, hoping that he was not about to do something stupid amid Eric¡¯s instructions. So when he suddenly thrust his hand in front of Marcel¡¯s face, Arianna nearly screamed out of terror thinking that he was about to hit him or something.

    But he only said,

    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Elvis ¡±

    His hand was out only for a handshake and not to hit him as she had thought. Damn, that was quite a scare, Arianna tried to calm her racing heart. This family would be the end of her one day.

    Marcel was flustered too and it had taken him a lot of control to not react when Elvis suddenly moved in front of him. He could tell the man had done it on purpose to scare and test him at the same time.

    Nheless, Marcel put on a bright expression as he stood up to his feet since he couldn¡¯t shake his hands while sitting.

    ¡°Nice to meet you too, I¡¯m Elvis.¡± He shook his hands firmly.

    Without warning, the man suddenly tugged him forward and Marcel fell into his arms, stunned. Elvisughed loudly and patted him on the chest and when no one was looking, he said to Marcel in a low voice,

    ¡°Elijah deserved what came his way. However, hurt Arianna and I would break every single bone in your body.¡± He threatened him.

    Marcel swallowed, breaking apart from Elvis with a smile that didn¡¯t touch his eyes. And just like that, the two other brothers weed him and with a very graphic warning in the end that involved Arianna. And he did not doubt that they meant it.

    Instead of brothers-inw, it almost seemed to Marcel that Arianna gained three protective brothers instead.

 Chapter 764 - 764 Marcel Was Obsessed With Her

    764 Marcel Was Obsessed With Her

    Men were so weird, Arianna decided as she stood watching the men who were prepared to tear each other apart minutes ago as they drank cheerfully. Everything happened so quickly and it all started with Elvis asking Marcel if he could hold his liquor.

    She just couldn¡¯t understand how men¡¯s egos worked at all because instead of Marcel turning down the offer, he agreed right away just to make an impression on them and prove he was man enough to carry on the task. Arianna didn¡¯t need her damned brothers-inw¡¯s permission to date him, but then Marcel was just insistent and thorough in whatever he did.

    And just like that, Elvis boasted he came into the possession of a hundred year old wine. Of course, it intrigued the men who couldn¡¯t wait to taste such a treat. But then, such a drink was supposed to go along with a snack and that was how she and Natalie ended up in the kitchen making finger foods that go perfectly with drinks while the men got themselves wasted in the living room. Hopefully they got along in her absence and not kill each other.

    ¡°I owe you an apology,¡± Her mother Natalie said to her out of nowhere while they were making the mini duck rice paper rolls with coriander peanut salsa. The other staff was present as well to make the work a lot faster and easier.

    ¡°Apology for what?¡± Arianna asked as she wrapped the duck and vermicelli in rice paper rolls, served in a baby cos lettuce leaf, and drizzled spicy peanut sauce on it.

    Natalie let out a deep breath, ¡°You were right and I was right all this time. He¡¯s nothing like his father. I let my fear of the past try to hold you back and I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± She apologized sincerely.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Arianna shrugged, ¡°I was indeed very mad at you, but then, I couldn¡¯t help but look from your perspective at the same time. You¡¯re my mother and thought you were doing the right thing. Honestly, Daniel scares me as well and if I were in your shoes, I would hide my child away from that monster forever. ¡±

    It was at that moment that Natalie turned and faced her, asking with a serious tone, ¡°While you were with Marcel, did Daniel try to hurt you or anything?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Arianna thought it over and said, ¡°He tried to kill me once because, in hisnguage, not mine, I was making his son, Marcel weak, however, Samson was there to save my ass, and ever since then, he¡¯s practically left me alone.¡±

    .....

    Natalie¡¯s gaze narrowed with anger when she heard that story. That asshole tried to hurt her daughter. She should have ended him when she had the chance to end him that day! However, she managed to rein in her anger and asked, ¡°Who is Samson?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna was startled when her mother asked that. She didn¡¯t let out that name on purpose and how was she going to tell her mother that Samson was Marcel¡¯s pet lion?

    Nope, Arianna decided against the idea without a second thought. Not now Natalie was beginning to see Marcel in a favorable light. There was no way she was going to ept a man who raised a lion as a bed for her daughter.

    So Arianna lied through her teeth,

    ¡°About Samson...he¡¯s one of er¡­ Marcel¡¯s men and quite capable as well. He bravely fought through Daniel¡¯s minions to get to me that day, ¡± yep, he ripped an arm with his razor-sharp teeth. So brave of him.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Then I need to see him in person and thank him for saving you from that monster¡­.¡± Natalie said, without much thought, and didn¡¯t notice the cold sweat that broke out on her daughter¡¯s face.

    ¡°I need to thank him for saving my precious daughter¡¯s life ¡­.¡± Her mother said with a tone of appreciation, reaching out to tug her hair to the back of her ear while Arianna put on a nervous smile.

    She hurriedly said, ¡°Sure, I would make it possible for the both of you to meet one day. But you can¡¯t visit the base for now and when the timees, the both of you would get along fine,¡± Arianna hoped, since Samson was not so weing to strangers and knowing her mother, she wouldn¡¯t be open to keeping such a predator close by.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Natalie agreed without thinking much while Arianna managed to calm her racing heart. That had been so close. The things she would do for love, Arianna sighed tiredly.

    ¡°You should be careful though,¡± Natalie suddenly said and she lifted her face to meet her somber expression. What now?

    ¡°Be careful about what?¡± She asked curiously and cautiously.

    Natalie didn¡¯t answer right away; rather she handed thest of the finger snacks on a tray to the staff to have it delivered to the men while they continued their conversation.

    Done, her mother leaned against the counter with her arms folded across her chest, and Arianna asked her once more, ¡°What should I be careful about? Daniel?¡±

    ¡°No, yes, I mean¡­¡± Natalie got flustered while trying to exin herself and she paused momentarily. She was much clearer this time when she continued, ¡°Of course, you should be careful of Daniel. But this time, I mean Marcel.¡±

    Hearing Marcel¡¯s name made Arianna suspiciously narrow her gaze at her mother, wondering what she was about to say about him this time. She thought they were over this conversation already.

    Natalie went on, ¡°While Marcel might not be like his father, Daniel, he still has his blood running through his veins and like his father, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he has a deadly obsession over you too. So I¡¯ll advise you to back out now if you can¡¯t handle that before it¡¯s toote and history repeats itself once again. It would be hard at first to get away from him but unlike me who had no help in the past, you have me, your mother, and the Draven brother, and together we would help you.¡± Her mother offered her a way out.

    Arianna¡¯s lips were pressed in a thin line as she thought over her mother¡¯s words. Was Marcel obsessed with her? Was it not love? That can¡¯t be.

    No, Arianna refused to believe in such nonsense. She can¡¯t begin to have doubts now that things are beginning to work out between them. Her mother simply worries about a lot of things.

    So she said to Natalie with conviction, ¡°Thanks for your concern, mother, but I¡¯m sure that I can handle that level of affection.¡±

 Chapter 765 - 765 An Overdramatic Marcel

    765 An Overdramatic Marcel

    Arianna really underestimated men¡¯s love for sports because they were merry till evening. It happened that while the women were busy in the kitchen, everyone drank the hundred-year-old wine in tense silence. Even if his brothers weed Marcel as their guest, it still didn¡¯t mean they wanted him here.

    So they gave Marcel the silent treatment amid Eric¡¯s efforts to make him feel at home. It all proved abortive until he turned the television on and there was a football match going on. And just like that, the atmosphere slowly changed.

    At first, both sides pretended to be reserved and watched the match silently with their drinks, however, when the first goal was scored, celebration erupted from their mouths and they couldn¡¯t hold in their excitement anymore.

    Just like that, the once silent room was invigorated as they began to argue about the yer¡¯s tactics and the football formation. In one word, before the woman could return with the snacks, their men were already wasted.

    Both Arianna and Natalie were dumbfounded at the scene of the once quiet men cing bets with wine sses in their hands. What was going on here? Did the earth suddenly be t? They were surprised at the turn of events.

    Thanks to the awkward ambiance earlier, Natalie had been nning to cut her meeting short with Marcel and perhaps they meet another day. But now, there was no need for that anymore and let them have their fun instead. Natalie was more than relieved to see them getting along now.

    The cozy scene was astonishing to Arianna. Thanks to their upation, it was sometimes hard to imagine them like normal people, but right now they were engaging in mundane things and she couldn¡¯t help but get entranced by the scene. Arianna would love to have a family one day full of joy andughter and prayed she would be able to achieve that with Marcel.

    By the time the match was over, both sides had already suffered losses and gains thanks to their extravagant betting. Marcel lost his wristwatch worth thousands to Ephraim who honestly had been targeting it from the start. Eric in question would have no choice but to relegate one of his betting shops to Marcel.

    Victor was the only one who didn¡¯t engage in drinking since he would be driving his cousin hometer. With Marcel wasted, one of them had to be sane enough not to get them into an ident. So he couldn¡¯t engage in the betting since it all started on a drunken wimp anyway.

    .....

    So he acted more as Marcel¡¯s babysitter while his cousin had all the fun. But then, just like every other thing, the good times muste to an end too.

    ¡°Alright buddy, it¡¯s fine to go,¡± Victor hitched Marcel up to his feet, it was time to leave.

    But Marcel waspletely drunk and ced all of his weight on him, causing Victor to stagger along with him.

    ¡°Shit, you¡¯re heavy,¡± Victor groaned, managing to maintain his footing and shifting Marcel¡¯s weight to one side. They only managed to make it outside when he nearly buckled under his weight. Damn, he was really heavy.

    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Eric said from behind them and Victor turned to look at him. Unlike his brothers whoy in a drunken mess on the sofa, he looked fine and Victor had a slight suspicion that it had something to do with the tea he consumed earlier.

    ¡°No, I can handle¡­¡± Victor was still saying when Marcel pushed him away and staggered towards Eric with a sheepish grin.

    ¡°Father-inw! You are my father-inw!¡± Marcel shouted drunkenly. His cheeks were flushed red and he had difficulty standing.

    ¡°About the deal, I would think about it.¡± Eric calmly said to him.

    Marcel saluted him at once, ¡°Sir, yes, sir! I¡¯ll keep¡­. in mind¡­.¡± His speech was slurred, ¡°Y-youre best father-inw in the world¡±

    ¡°Come here,¡± Victor pulled at his arm but Marcel pushed him away once again and he groaned in frustration. This was why he hated a drunk Marcel. He was a big pain in the ass.

    Natalie appeared at that moment with Arianna behind her and Marcel¡¯s eyes lit up like Christmas.

    ¡°My mother¡¯s best friend!¡± He shouted with his arms wide open and intending to hug Natalie.

    Eric must have been understanding the first time Natalie and Marcel hugged, after all, it was a reunion, but for it to happen a second time, especially when Marcel was drunk? Nope, impossible. Not on his watch.

    So when Marcel was close to embracing his wife in his presence, Eric simply pulled him back by the cor and Natalie released a sigh of relief. That was close; the boy startled her.

    And without a second thought, Eric tossed Marcel over to Arianna who caught him at thest minute with a bit of effort.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Arianna breathed, steadying him.

    Marcel lifted his head and saw her only for him to smile so brightly that there were literally stars dancing in his eyes.

    Oh boy, that was not good. Arianna recognized a disaster when she saw one.

    ¡°You are my love!¡± Marcel announced and sped her cheeks with both of his hands while Arianna gave a nervous smile.

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    Although Arianna affirmed his ims, she tactically searched around for Victor and when she saw him, pleaded with her eyes for him to save her from his entric cousin right now.

    ¡°Tell me you love me,¡± Marcel demanded.

    Arianna had no choice but to obey. She said, ¡°I love you, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°Shout it at the top of your voice!¡±

    ¡°I love you, Marcel!¡±

    ¡°Shout it as if your life depends on it!¡±

    ¡°I love you, Marcel!¡± Arianna shouted it at the top of her lungs and had to catch her breath.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Victor grabbed him from behind this time and made sure his grip was strong enough that Marcel was not able to break through it easily.

    ¡°No!¡± Marcel screamed anxiously. What was going on? They were about to separate him from his love, Arianna, he couldn¡¯t let that happen!

    He was overdramatic.

    Just how much of that wine did he take? Arianna was sure Marcel would be embarrassed to death when he woke up tomorrow morning

 Chapter 766 - 766 A Drunk Marcel

    766 A Drunk Marcel

    ¡°Are you sure that you can handle him?¡± Even Natalie was concerned when she saw Marcel had be aggressive especially when Victor tried to separate him from her daughter.

    She suggested, ¡°Perhaps we can have one of our people assist you.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you for your concern but I can -¡±

    Marcel bumped his head into his on purpose to break away from his grip and Victor groaned from the pain, cursing out loudly. What on earth had he gotten himself into by deciding to chaperone his cousin today?

    As for Marcel, he ran over to Arianna¡¯s side, almost startling her in the process yet she didn¡¯t do anything. She stood as still as a stone as Marcel wrapped his arms around her waist and clung to her side like a little child who was scared of being away from his mother.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me. Don¡¯t let them take me, Arianna. I don¡¯t want to leave you,¡± Marcel said, holding on to her tighter, leaving her dumbfounded, as well as shocking everyone else around her with his childish attitude.

    Watching Marcel¡¯s drunken drama aggravated Victor and he decided that he was done with him. If Marcel wished to sleep over at the Draven¡¯s residence and risk having one of them slit his throat in the middle of his sleep, then so be it. He was done with him ¨C even though he knew deep down that he couldn¡¯t let him be.

    Looking at Marcel who refused to let go of her waist, Arianna thought it over and decided, ¡°I think I should go with him,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    .....

    ¡°What?¡±

    Everyone was stunned by her decision, most especially her mother, who then narrowed her gaze at her.

    Seeing her mother¡¯s suspicious look, Arianna quickly exined, ¡°It seems that I¡¯m the only one that can calm him down enough for Victor to safely get him home and then I can return.¡± She assumed.

    And to prove her point, Marcel murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go without you, Arianna.¡±

    Arianna was right, everyone could see that, but all eyes were on Natalie knowing that she would never approve of it.

    ¡°It iste.¡± Natalie hinted at the possibility of her finding it difficult to return home at this time.

    Although Natalie finally approved of Marcel because of her close rtionship with his mother, Penelope, and her sacrifice in the past, she still couldn¡¯t fathom the thought of her daughter returning to that ce where he held her hostage for months. What if Arianna decides not to return afterward? She was unsure about this.

    ¡°Urm¡­¡± Arianna said to Eric, ¡°Perhaps one of your men can ride with us and take me back then.¡±

    Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up with the idea, ¡°Good idea -¡±

    ¡°He can bring you back home,¡± Eric cut his wife off before she could conclude on the matter, gesturing at Victor who pointed at his chest,

    ¡°Me?¡±

    He blinked at Eric. How did he get involved in this? However, Victor received the secret signal Eric gave him and responded immediately,

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll bring her back home.¡±

    Thanks to their carefully constructed n, Natalie wasn¡¯t outnumbered and she couldn¡¯t go against it.

    ¡°Fine then.¡± Her mother had no choice but to give in. Moreover, she already promised to give Natalie a chance and this was the time to prove it.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Arianna was relieved and then said to Marcel, ¡°Alright,e on, we need to go.¡± She tried to make him stand upright but he was too heavy for her and Victor had toe to her aid. This time, Marcel did not push him away since he had Arianna by his side and his attention was on her the entire time as they walked over to their car and pushed him in.

    ¡°Arianna¡­ where are¡­.?¡± Marcel groaned, reaching for her as soon as he was seated inside the car and Arianna hurriedly climbed in after him.

    ¡°I am here.¡± She answered.

    Marcel at once hugged her waist once again beforeying his head down on herp. He buried his face in her stomach, greedy to make contact with her while a contented smile curved the corners of his mouth. Marcel sniffed in her scent before muttering gibberish Arianna didn¡¯t even bother to interpret.

    She simply dug her hand into his silky hair and began to massage his scalp making Marcel release a moan. He then snuggled closer into her and Arianna giggled at the action.

    Marcel was almost like his lion Samson who always behaved like he was starved of affection and liked her running her hands through his mane. And that was exactly what she did to Marcel, except he didn¡¯t have a mane of course. Nheless, her touch must have been soothing to him because he fell asleep in no time while Victor drove them home.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eric asked his wife when she showed no attempt of going on with him after Victor drove away from their residence.

    Natalie sighed, rubbing her hands up and down her arms thanks to the night breeze. She said to him,

    ¡°I want to wait outside for Arianna until she returns home.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not returning,¡± Eric dropped the bombshell on her and Natalie whipped around to face him with wide eyes.

    ¡°What?!¡± Her eyes nearly popped out of its socket from the shock. Natalie red at him, asking through gritted teeth, ¡°What have you done, Eric?¡±

    ¡°Come on, love, they¡¯re two hot-blooded couples, let them have the fun they want.¡± Eric nudged her yfully with his hips, hoping to escape her impending wrath with his charming smile.

    ¡°Eric!¡± Natalie went red in the face. How could he deceive her like that? She would have squeezed the life out of him if she didn¡¯t love him.

    She scolded him, ¡°You don¡¯t make decisions like that without ¡­.¡±

    However, the rest of her words were muffled as Eric took her lips in a kiss out of nowhere. The kiss was sweet yet brief and Natalie was a bit disoriented when they broke apart. Until she discovered that it was all a distraction.

    ¡°You-! ¡± She was about to give him a piece of her mind when Eric kissed her once again and this time it was longer and sweeter. Eric kissed her hard, easing every form of resistance from her body that by the time they pulled away once more, Natalie began to wonder why she was even resisting him in the first ce.

    She was the one that tugged him forward by the shirt, pulling him in for another round of kisses until her head was reeling from the sensation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± Natalie suggested with ragged breathing, giving little or no care about her daughter. At the moment, all that mattered was her husband and she was determined to have him tonight ¨C and would make sure to lock the door properly.

    And just like that, Eric sessfully took her mind off Arianna returning home that night.

    At the same time¡­

    They arrived at the base and Arianna didn¡¯t know which one was worse, having a drunken hyperactive Marcel or a sleeping drunken Marcel because his weight had tripled and she struggled to hold him up while Victor parked the car in the garage.

    Suddenly his weight was easily taken off her and Arianna lifted her head in surprise only to see that it was Luca and she was able to breathe freely. As if it was a surprise seeing him once more, Luca flung Marcel over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing and Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.

    ¡°What the¡­.¡±

    She didn¡¯t have time to marvel over his strength because Luca left right away and Arianna had no choice but to follow after him to make sure that Marcel was okay. Arianna had to admit that it was nostalgic going visiting this house once more but she didn¡¯t have time to relish the memories because they ended up in Marcel¡¯s room and Luca dropped him on the bed as if he was a sack of potatoes.

    ¡°Easy¡­.¡± She red at Luca who only stretched and flexed his shoulder muscles.

    ¡°You can take care of him now, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Arianna was still saying but Luca left already. What¡¯s with the cold attitude? Could it be that he was mad at her for leaving their boss? She considered that possibility.

    However, there was no time to think about that problem, her gaze settling on Marcel sprawled out on the bed instead. Arianna set to work by undressing him, she couldn¡¯t let Marcel sleep with his clothes on. So she stripped him down to only his boxers knowing Marcel loved sleeping with little or no clothing at all. But then, her eyes were going to remain holy tonight.

    Done, Arianna looked at her work in satisfaction. Now, it was time to keep to her promise by returning home. But the moment Arianna turned, Marcel tugged her down to the bed and wrapped his body around her like a damn octopus so she couldn¡¯t escape him even if she wanted to.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± Marcel murmured, holding her tight, unwilling to let go.

    Arianna gave up when all her efforts to get out of his death grip proved abortive. Fine, she would concede to him for the moment, and then when Marcel falls asleep, she would leave.

    That was her n.

    But it was quite unfortunate that sleep had other ns¡­.

 Chapter 767 - 767 A Deal With Daniel

    767 A Deal With Daniel

    While Marcel was carried away by the good times, his father Daniel had other ns for him, and right now, he had summoned a very important guest.

    No one was everfortable in Daniel¡¯s presence and the same could be said for Gabriel. He had thought that it had been a joke when he received a message that the man wanted to see him. He means, why would Daniel want to see him?

    Aside from the fact that they were rtives, they had nothing else inmon. Moreover, Daniel was bad news. Why then would he want him at his ce? Could it be that he wanted to eliminate him and reduce thepetition for his son?

    No, it didn¡¯t make sense. If Daniel wanted to end him, he would do it incognito mode and not literally hand him an invitation to his death. He already informed his men and if he doesn¡¯t return in one piece, they would inform his parents who would take action.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Daniel said,ing towards him and Gabriel nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been lost in his thoughts all this while. He stood to his feet hurriedly, bowing his head slightly.

    ¡°Make yourselffortable, I don¡¯t bite,¡± Daniel said to him with a warm reception, showing off his white teeth that Gabriel imagined as shark¡¯s teeth instead.

    Gabriel sat down reluctantly. If he had been ufortable before, he was anxious now. He had been told stories about Daniel¡¯s nefarious activities since young; it had been ingrained in his head as an adult. Hence, it wasn¡¯t surprising he reacted nervily to Daniel¡¯s presence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are curious to know why I invited you over?¡± Daniel asked him.

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Gabriel cleared his throat at once, and answered firmly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very curious.¡± If Daniel wanted to end him, they wouldn¡¯t be having this cordial conversation.

    .....

    Daniel leaned back into his seat and scrutinized him with intensity and Gabriel shifted ufortably in his seat. What did he do now?

    He asked him, ¡°What do you think about my son¡¯s decision to make peace with the Draven?¡±

    Gabriel opened his mouth to answer, but Daniel cut him off by saying, ¡°I am not my son Marcel and need your sincere contribution. You don¡¯t have to worry because nothing you say would leave this room.¡± He promised him, ¡°You have my word.¡±

    Realizing Daniel needed his opinion gave Gabriel a boost of confidence,

    ¡°I think your son is a coward,¡± He said tentatively, expecting that Daniel would explode for calling his son a coward. But when seconds passed and nothing happened, Gabriel narrowed his gaze at the man. Does he sincerely mean that?

    ¡°And?¡± Daniel needed the rest of his opinion.

    The sun must have risen from the west today, Gabriel was surprised to see the change in Daniel. He wasn¡¯t here to defend his son but to hear someone¡¯s opinion about his son¡¯s decision. Since that was the case, Gabriel decided to go all out. There was no holding back.

    ¡°I honestly think that Marcel has be tender-hearted and forgotten that no growthes without a war. Even the nts must battle the weeds to nourish and grow. Our family has indeed witnessed a tremendous increase in ie since his reign, however, the respect given to our family is beginning to diminishpared to when it was under your rule,¡± He indirectly praised Daniel whose head of course swelled with pride even though he did not show it.

    And by respect, Gabriel was talking about fear inputted into people.

    ¡°Even small gangs these days challenge our authority, something that did not happen in the past. But if we go head to head with the Draven family and win, our past glory would be revived and -¡±

    ¡°What if we lose?¡± Daniel asked him before he could finish.

    ¡°We cut our losses, but only after putting up a mean fight. By then, we have regained our respect even though we lost in the end.¡± He said.

    There was no reaction from Daniel by the time Gabriel was through and it made him begin to think that he had said something to offend him only for a smile to slowly grow at the corner of his lips.

    ¡°You would make a good leader if my son hadn¡¯t upied that position,¡± Daniel said and hope grew in Gabriel¡¯s heart. Was he trying to say that he would support him if Marcel wasn¡¯t in the picture?

    No, no, no, he shook the ridiculous thought out of his head. Had he forgotten that Daniel was tricky and good at using people to get what he wants? He refused to be deceived by him.

    Holding Daniel¡¯s gaze, he asked him, seriously, ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this? What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you want to be the one to make that history?¡±

    ¡°What history?¡± Gabriel already sensed where this conversation was going.

    ¡°Stop the pact Marcel ns to have with the Draven family before it is toote.¡±

    His eyes widened, ¡°No way,¡± Gabriel refused right away.

    ¡°Give them a reminder and the deal would fall through naturally,¡± Daniel told him, unaffected by his declination.

    ¡°No,¡± Gabriel told him, ¡°I know what this is. You n to use me as a scapegoat in whatever ns of yours. You think Marcel would let me be after ruining his chances of a treaty with the Draven family?¡±

    ¡°You all are so short-sighted,¡± Danielughed in amusement. He said, ¡°Why do you think I chose you? You¡¯re Benjamin¡¯s son, why would Marcel punish you for doing something that you thought was right?¡± He grinned devilishly.

    The gears began to work in Gabriel¡¯s head. He looked at Daniel in suspicion but the temptation was too real.

    ¡°What do I get from this?¡± He needed to know.

    ¡°You have always been outshined by your cousin, Arthur. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s time you have your stage now?¡± Daniel offered him his support.

    Never make a deal with Daniel, that had been one of the warnings Gabriel received as a kid. But he was a grown-up now and scare stories like that are best left in the past.

    ¡°Deal.¡±

 Chapter 768 - 768 Over For The Luciano Family

    768 Over For The Luciano Family

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Winters shouted and struggled fiercely with the strange people who had taken her. Call it a feeling but she knew they weren¡¯t back in her city anymore considering they have been driving for hours and her bum, no, entire body was sore from the ride.

    She had been transported a few times and one of them involved a trunk or so, because she couldn¡¯t brace herself and hit her body hard each time it went through a bump or braked without warning. Not to mention that the driver had not exactly been gentle.

    It must be the people that she hacked from, Winters thought. After all, she had offended a lot of people in her line of business and she had more enemies than allies. Finally, one of them must have finally caught up to her ¨C and she knew deep down that nemesis would catch up to her one day.

    Winters only wished that Akim was safe, wherever he was. She shouldn¡¯t have agreed to date him knowing deep down that she couldn¡¯t stay around in a ce for too long. However, Winters loved him and for once, she thought the universe would have mercy on her especially now she decided to go down the rightne and give her a happy ending. She guessed not.

    ¡°I said let me go!¡± She blindly elbowed the one that was by her right, having felt him. Winters was blindfolded throughout the whole journey and couldn¡¯t see a thing.

    But then a punch to the stomach knocked the breath out of her lungs and Winters gasped in pain, hunching over. They didn¡¯t even give her time to recover and dragged her along. It took a while but Winters was relieved when they deposited her roughly on a seat. At least, she could try catching her breath now.

    The blindfold was snatched from her face and Winters had to squint her eyes against the blinding sunlight. It took her time to adjust to her surroundings and when she could see clearly, Winters realized that she was seated at a dining table.

    It was a long rectangr table and Winters discovered that she was seated at the far end while the head seat was empty; she was the only one in the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you weren¡¯t given the best reception,¡±

    .....

    Winter¡¯s head whipped in the direction of the voice and stared at the maning towards her. She didn¡¯t know him, which made no sense. Why would someone she hadn¡¯t offended kidnap her?

    She knew the faces of the people she stole from and the possibility of theming after her ¨C which was why she stole carefully until now. Perhaps he¡¯s a rtive of the victim and hase to avenge his loved one.

    ¡°Killing me would only rid my mortal body but it would not give you the vengeance you want,¡± Winters said all of a sudden causing the man to stop at once.

    His brow lifted in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± He said, ¡°Most people in this situation start by asking who I am and what I want from them. You are quite interesting.¡±

    ¡°Does it matter who you are when all of your intentions are the same?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite logical, but not everyone in your situation can possess such an amount of self control in the face of trouble. That¡¯s why I said you are interesting¡­.¡± He stopped in front of her, and said with a smirk, ¡°Marcel¡¯s brilliant wonder maker.¡±

    Winter¡¯s eyes widened in shock yet narrowed in the next minutes as she scrutinized him.

    ¡°Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?¡±

    He smiled widely, ¡°In the end, they still ask the question.¡±

    He took a seat, turning it so he could face her and sat down. Crossing his leg over the other, he revealed to her,

    ¡°I¡¯m Richardo Santi and I believe that this is our first time meeting.¡± He thrust out his hand for a handshake, but Winters only looked at the hand without taking it.

    Richardo withdrew his hand, saying as if it was nothing,

    ¡°I believe you¡¯re still mad about the way my men treated you and I totally understand. But you should know there is a need for that and the news has to get to Marcel.¡±

    Hearing Marcel¡¯s name from the man¡¯s mouth for the second time sent off warning bells in her head. Something was not right, Winters could tell. Could it be that Richardo was an enemy to Marcel? If that was the case, then she was toast. Winters was in unknown territory and she didn¡¯t exactly have a n B.

    Winters opened her mouth to question her once again when a voice spoke,ing in their direction,

    ¡°Richardo, where are you and what¡¯s -¡± Macy trailed off when she came into the dinning, her eyes widening when they connected with Winter¡¯s.

    ¡°Y-You!¡± Winters recognized her right away. She should have known that the bitch would betray Marcel.

    Closing her eyes, Macy cursed under her breath. Damn it.

    Watching their interactions, Richardo stood up and leaned against the table, facing the both of them,

    ¡°Oh, I see, the both of you finally meet.¡± He smirked knowingly.

    Folding her arms across her chest,

    Macy faced him with an unsmiling face, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? She knows no face, which means my identity is not safe anymore!¡±

    ¡°Ohe on, Macy, we both know that it¡¯s only a matter of time before your cover gets blown anyway. So think of this as a timely warning and get away from there now that you still can.¡±

    Macy expressions changed, was that supposed to pacify her? This was not how everything was supposed to go. Richardo was taking things too far ¨C he even involved Winters now and revealed her involvement before the time was due.

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t you think that my n is brilliant? If Marceles for her, he dies. And if he doesn¡¯t, his little wonder maker would have no choice but to reveal his criminal dealings to the FBI with evidence and boom, it¡¯s a much worse fate because the Luciano family would be over once and for all. ¡± He cackled viinously while the blood drained from the faces of both women.

 Chapter 769 - 769 Resisting Marcel In Bed

    769 Resisting Marcel In Bed

    ¡°Ugh¡­ what the hell¡­.¡± Marcel groaned in pain because his head felt like it would split in two. What did he even dost night?

    Speaking of what he didst night, Marcel got a shback that merelysted for a second but his head pounded so greatly he felt he would die. He hadn¡¯t felt a hangover this severe until now. At least, he remembered going to Draven¡¯s residence and Elvis serving him a hundred years old wine.

    Just what was in that wine? Why did he even agree to take it in the first ce?

    God, he must be a sucker for pain. Marcel groaned once again. He should have known his limit, but no, he wanted to impress and win over his inws with his drinking skills. Damn it. This was definitely his punishment.

    Marcel was crouched over on the bed with his eyes squeezed shut while he held his head in his hands. The sunlight made things worse and he wondered who left the window open because he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Take the aspirin, you would feel good afterward,¡± Someone said and the next thing, a tray with medicine and a ss of water was ced right in front of him.

    Without thinking much, Marcel took the medicine and put it in his mouth, swallowing it down with the water before cing the empty ss on the tray and saying to whoever served him, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± The voice answered and Marcel who was about toy back down on his stomach stiffened at once. His brows drew together in concentration as he wondered why that voice sounded oddly familiar to Arianna. Not to mention that the wrist that held the tray was fair even though he hadn¡¯t seen the face.

    No, Marcel shook the ridiculous thought out of his head. There was no way it was Arianna, she was at Draven¡¯s residence with her mother. However, it was at that moment that a memory of him dragging Arianna into his bed shed in his mind. Marcel turned around with lightning speed, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground when he saw Arianna standing there and giving him a knowing look.

    .....

    ¡°Ari¡­.¡± Marcel was bbergasted, ¡°How¡­.?¡± He was confused for a while until all the memories of the night returned in full force, bringing along a headache that made him wince and he rubbed his temple.

    By the time Marcel was done recalling everything that happenedst night, he was so pale that it looked like all the blood in his body was drained away. What did he just see? He did all that? It was impossible. He could handle his drink ¨C when he drinks appropriately. He clearly went over his limit.

    Even at that, Marcel could not believe that he was capable of such entric drama while drunk. He literally disgraced himself in front of everyone, especially in front of Eric.

    What would the man think of him now? A child? What if Eric refuses to agree to the deal because he views him as an unmatured man thanks to the drama? Marcel was so ashamed that he wished that he could borrow into the ground and hide there forever.

    How was he going to face everyone now?

    Arianna ced the tray on a chair and faced Marcel with her arms wrapped around her chest, saying proudly, ¡°From the look on your face, I can tell that you have remembered everything,¡±

    Hearing those words, Marcel slowly lifted his head and pouted his lips while Arianna rolled her eyes toward heaven. Does he think that charm was going to work on her? She would not be deceived!

    Thanks to him cuddling her like some damn octopus, she fell asleep and forgot all abouting homest night. It was a relief Arianna found out this morning that Eric got her covered, else she wondered what she would have told her mother.

    The first time the woman let her go out with Marcel and she broke her promise already? Eric might not know it, but he just scored points by covering up for her. It seems the man wasn¡¯t what she thought he was and Arianna was beginning to like him.

    However, as determined as Arianna was not to show mercy to Marcel, she found her resolve shaking even though she did not show it as Marcel gave her a puppy face.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry forst night, I don¡¯t know what came over me. I should have stopped when I was able to, but I guess I was influenced by peer pressure.¡± He apologized innocently and Arianna was left dumbfounded by his excuse.

    When did he and the Draven brothers be friends enough for their sway to be called peer influence?

    Of course, no matter what situation Marcel found himself in, her shameless boyfriend always had a way out.

    Arianna nodded her head and said to him, ¡°You know I think you deserve whatever you¡¯re going through right now. Since I can¡¯t punish you, let the hangover do the work.¡±

    Hearing those words, Marcel told her, ¡°How could you say that?¡± He feigned hurt by grabbing his chest and walking towards her on all fours on the bed. Marcel took her hand and ced it on his chest.

    ¡°I am hurting.¡±

    But Arianna scoffed, ¡°You would get over it.¡±

    Marcel blinked up at her, saying, aggrieved, ¡°How can you be so calm when your boyfriend is going through so much pain?¡±

    Arianna smiled at him, although it didn¡¯t touch her eyes.

    ¡°Perhaps, my boyfriend should recognize his limit next time and not put everyone through a lot.¡± She wished he could suffer a bit more so he can learn his lessons.

    ¡°Sure, sure, he has recognized his mistakes and now needs a little petting from his girlfriend,¡± Marcel tugged on her hand, wanting to drag her down to the bed with him.

    But Arianna resisted him, knowing that she was a goner once she sumbed to him. Arianna knows her strength and refusing Marcel in bed was not exactly her strong suit. He was an incubus and she wasn¡¯t to his seducing powers.

    In one word, she can¡¯t get on that bed!

 Chapter 770 - 770 Sell His Animals

    770 Sell His Animals

    Resist the devil and he shall flee away!

    That was Arianna¡¯s motto after she woke up that morning and realized that she had overslept and failed her promise to her mother. Thankfully luck was on her side and she decided she would leave early. But then, Arianna could not bear to leave without making sure that Marcel was okay, so she decided to stay only until he awoke.

    Having known Marcel¡¯s tactics, Arianna observed her morning rituals, so he couldn¡¯t trick her into anything and was ready to leave. Sure, she missed him, but Arianna needed to be home before her mother¡¯s patience ran out. But as usual, Marcel had other ideas, and as tempting as it was ¨C very, very tempting- she had to get down.

    Perhaps the next time hees to get her mother¡¯s permission, without getting drunk, they can get physical. But for now, it was not happening. However, it was quite unfortunate that Marcel was stronger than her, and he sessfully pulled her down to him.

    Arianna knew that she lost the moment her face hit his chest, feeling his warm body. Before she could recover, he already flipped her over and had her lying beneath her.

    Oh no.

    ¡°Marcel¡­¡± Arianna ced her hand on his chest, trying to push him away but Marcel grabbed those hands and pinned them above her head so she was unable to move them anymore.

    Arianna swallowed a lump down her throat while shivers danced along her skin as she stared at the incubus hovering over her. Marcel was still bare fromst night so her eyes couldn¡¯t help but greedily take in the powerful lines of his body.

    She drank in his gorgeous lean muscles and his ridged abs. If God specifically created a special group of persons on a Sunday aka his resting day, Marcel was definitely one of them because he took his time with him.

    .....

    Her eyes further looked at his lower stomach muscles that taper down in a V shape and it brought a blush to her cheeks knowing that was a route that pointed down to where his massive cock was. Arianna looked away at once only for her eyes to connect with Marcel and he gave her a knowing look.

    She became flustered and defended herself instantly,

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t answer, rather he lifted a brow that spoke volumes and Arianna sighed. She practically brought this upon herself by staring. But then, what could she do? You don¡¯t ce a sumptuous meal in front of someone and expect the person not to look.

    She said to him, nheless, ¡°You know this does not change anything, I need to get ¡­.¡± The rest of her words vanished when Marcel ced his hand on the side of her face and her heart began to race.

    It wasn¡¯t just his hands that did the magic, the intense look in Marcel¡¯s gray eyes made the air in the room be charged with electricity. He stole all the air with him because Arianna was finding it suddenly difficult to breathe.

    So when he traced her chin and moved down to her throat, Arianna let out a gasp. Warning bells went off in her throat, she should push him away, but her body suddenly felt like lead and she was not able to move a muscle.

    He caressed her smooth, slender neck with his hands causing her breath to be ragged and she began to breathe hard. However, his hand found the button to her shirt and her breath hitched in her throat.

    She should say no, the words were right at the tip of her tongue but she was incapable of making a speech. Marcel¡¯s eyes had darkened with lust, the sight holding her spellbound. He was so beautiful. And her silence gave him the incentive to pop a button open, and the second until he could see the swell of her breast.

    He caressed the top of her breast with the back of his hand and a shiver danced down her spine. Her core throbbed with an arching emptiness and Arianna began to writhe beneath him.

    ¡°Marcel please ¡­¡± Arianna didn¡¯t even know what she wanted from him. She wanted him to let her go and at the same time, she wanted him close.

    Thankfully, the choice was made for her because before Marcel could finally seduce her with his powers, they heard a heavy stomping sound and both of them slowly broke away in confusion wondering what was going on.

    But in the next minute, the door was knocked down, shocking both of them. However, that was nothingpared to the way Arianna¡¯s eyes grew to the size of the moon when she saw Samsoning at her at full speed.

    Oh no.

    The lion knocked a shocked Marcel to the ground and took his ce as he tackled Arianna to the bed and began to lick her face excitedly.

    Ouch! She definitely missed that sting.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my boy!¡± Arianna had no choice but to cate the excited lion, rubbing its belly and rubbing her hand through its mane as she yed around with it.

    As for Marcel, he slowly rose to his feet with a scowl on his face. He looked between his damaged door and the lion taking his ce in Arianna¡¯s life.

    Why?

    Why can¡¯t these animals let him enjoy his girlfriend?!

    First, it was Redhead, and now Samson. Yes, both of them must surely be in cahoots to steal Arianna from him. The more Arianna yed andughed with Samson, forgetting him, Marcel was suddenly in the mood to sell the animals to a potential buyer.

    ¡°Whoah, what is going on here?¡± Chloe, who heard the ruckus came to investigate the matter only to see her brother in nothing but his boxers while a woman was entangled in one of Samson¡¯s rough ys on his bed.

    What in the name of all weird things was this?

    ¡°Hi,¡± Arianna managed to wave at the girl, peeking out from beneath Samson¡¯s crushing weight.

    Fine, she gives up.

    Samson wins.

 Chapter 771 - 771 Impressing Her Daughter-in-law

    771 Impressing Her Daughter-inw

    It seems everything was happening in turns. First, it was Marcel trying to make a good first impression on his inws and currently, she was the one trying to impress his sister over breakfast

    ¡°So you¡¯re Chloe, right?¡± She told the girl, ¡°Your brother was not himself after your abduction and did everything possible to get you back. It¡¯s nice to know that you are home now and bonding.¡±

    And her efforts to start a conversation ¨C which was usually the pathway to great friendships ¨C with the girl was met with silence. Arianna suddenly wished that she hadn¡¯t said a word, because the atmosphere now was awkward. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, nheless, Arianna gave a fake smile when her gaze connected with the girl¡¯s.

    Unlike Rose, who was younger ¨C and kinder ¨C Chloe was a teenager, and if Arianna understood how the mind of girls her age works and the snobbish aura that she was giving out, she would say the girl didn¡¯t like her.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that Chloe and Marcel were not biologically rted, they looked nothing like each other. For starters, she didn¡¯t have Luciano family¡¯s signature gray eyes and was blessed with icy blues ones instead. Shecked color in her cheeks and her skin was so pale she could almost be mistaken for a vampire ¨C at least as the folklore describes them.

    The only thing the girl possessed was the fierce instinct to protect her family.

    Marcel could not endure the suffocating tension either, it was like being stuck between the devil and the blue sea. So he said, ¡°I think what Arianna is -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t defend her, brother.¡± Chloe cut him off and Marcel¡¯s jaw opened and closed on its own. She gave Arianna an using look, ¡°I know that she¡¯s the one that broke your heart.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she heard that. So that was the problem, the girl was trying to avenge her brother. How cute, Arianna would have thought of it that way at another time, but not now. It seems that she was going to be at the receiving end of the me from Chloe for a while. How did she even know about ¡­. Oh right, that was the week Marcel brought home.

    .....

    ¡°Chloe¡­¡± Arianna swallowed with difficulty. How was she going to say this? She lowered her spoon, the food in her mouth instantly losing its vor. She told her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to witness that troubled part of our rtionship, but conflict is a normal process. And you should know that I would never hurt your brother.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry, you already did.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Chloe lowered her spoon as well and wrapped her arms in a business-like manner as she stared at Arianna with a detached expression, saying,

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much my brother suffered when you left him¡­¡±

    At this point, even Marcel stopped eating and stared at his sister intent on fighting for him. Nor did he bother to interfere this time, it was between thedies. That was his excuse.

    With her unforgiving eyes boring into Arianna¡¯s, Chloe continued, ¡°My brother is all that I have, and thanks to you I almost lost him. It was much better during the day because he could distract himself with his work, but at night, he would always get drunk while calling out your Mmmm -¡±

    Chloe could not finish the rest of her statement because Marcel suddenly pushed a fat slice of bacon into her mouth, shutting her up. Infuriated at being interrupted, Chloe turned to her brother with a ring look, what the hell?

    However, Marcel simply grinned while smoothing his hand down his sister¡¯s head affectionately. He said, ¡°You should eat before the food gets cold.¡± But in his mind, Marcel thought, you talk too much.

    Arianna saw through Marcel¡¯s gesture and let out a small smile, he didn¡¯t want her to get the juicy yet embarrassing details of his actions during their time away from each other.

    Chloe didn¡¯t get the chance to say anything else because her brother kept feeding her continuously as if he didn¡¯t want her to talk anymore.

    ¡°I understand your point, Chloe and I don¡¯t fault you for disliking me nor would I force you to look at me favorably either. No, if I were in your shoes, I would torment whoever broke the heart of my loved ones. However, all I ask is that you give me a chance to prove to you that I love your brother as much as you love him.¡± Arianna told her, hoping that the girl sees the sincerity in her words.

    And this time, Marcel didn¡¯t cut Chloe off with food so they could hear what she had to say concerning the issue.

    ¡°Well¡­ ¡± Chloe shrugged haughtily, knowing she had the upper hand here,

    ¡°Samson is a good judge of character and since he hasn¡¯t eaten you amid what you did to Marcel, I¡¯ll trust his judgment as well.¡±

    Hearing that, Arianna¡¯s face lit up like Christmas and she reached for Chloe¡¯s hand, almost startling her in the process. So excited, she gripped her hand firmly and dered, ¡°I promise you that you would not regret this.¡±

    Now that she has Chloe on her side, Arianna had no use for Daniel, nor was she interested in bringing him to her side either. Arianna was satisfied with Chloe and Marcel and Samson and Redhead and Victor and a lot more; Marcel had more family than she thought. With these people on her side, she had nothing to worry about knowing they had her back.

    Now that she and Chloe settled the dispute between the both of them, Arianna realized that the girl was chill. She had a big warm heart like her brother ¨C even though they don¡¯t show it ¨C and Marcel raised her well.

    Chloe let her in on a lot of secrets Arianna didn¡¯t know about Marcel like the fact that he was scared of Chickens because one of them chased him when he was a kid and nearly left him traumatized.

 Chapter 772 - 772 Samson Disrespected Him

    772 Samson Disrespected Him

    It was time to leave but Marcel didn¡¯t want her to go, not to mention that Arianna too was tempted to stay. But she knew deep down that she couldn¡¯t waste any more time here, not if she wanted to gain her mother¡¯s trust for the next time.

    Natalie already overlooked her crime of not returning homest night thanks to Eric, but if she fails to go home today as well, her mother would go ballistic and Arianna didn¡¯t want the already blossoming rtionship between the both of them ¨C Natalie and Marcel ¨C to go sour.

    ¡°Give me a second to find my keys, I¡¯ll drive you home myself,¡± Marcel said, searching for the key on his desk. He needed to apologize to Natalie for making Arianna fail her promise to her.

    If he hadn¡¯t gotten drunkst night and made a scene, Arianna wouldn¡¯t be forced to return to the base with him. It was a privilege that Eric hadn¡¯t sent his people toe to take her already.

    ¡°Found it!¡± Marcel said and walked towards Arianna, cing his hand on the small of her waist, and leading her away. But the instant they stepped into the living room, Samson was there blocking the entrance causing the both of them to exchange a curious look. What was going on here?

    ¡°Please tell me Samson is merely guarding the door and is not trying to stop us from leaving,¡± Arianna could feel the swift change in the lion¡¯s movement.

    ¡°More like he¡¯s trying to stop you from leaving,¡± Marcel corrected her, he too saw it.

    She turned to him with a shocked expression.

    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do then?!¡± Arianna practically screamed in his face, throwing her hands in the air as she panicked a little. It¡¯s not like she could return to Draven¡¯s residence with the lion.

    .....

    It had taken Samson time to get used to her, not to talk about being around so many strange faces. He would get agitated and his hunting instinct triggered which would lead to a disaster. That is if they don¡¯t shoot him on sight first. Eric doesn¡¯t joke about the safety of his family.

    ¡°Try persuading him?¡± Marcel shrugged. He was not even sure that it would work, it was a mere suggestion after all.

    However, Arianna took it quite seriously and walked over to the lion prowling across the entrance. Samson took the job seriously.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Arianna waved at him with a nervousugh. It was at this point that she wished that animals couldmunicate their opinions verbally. Sure, Samson was a special lion and the both of them bonded, how were they supposed to have this serious conversation?

    ¡°So¡­.¡± Arianna swallowed when Samson faced her as she spoke and his yellow eyes didn¡¯t look friendly at all. She gulped, ¡°All I¡¯m trying to say is that I don¡¯t live here anymore and won¡¯t be around twenty-four /seven to y with you.¡±

    Arianna added immediately when he saw the way the lion¡¯s eyes dimmed with disappointment, ¡°But I woulde to visit as much as I can, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±

    The lion could understand her, Arianna thought until Samson¡¯s nostrils red out and she didn¡¯t know what to make of that. Arianna turned to Marcel with uncertainty,

    ¡°Why does that sound like a no?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s a no,¡± Marcel told her.

    Arianna¡¯s face fell.

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± She couldn¡¯t remain here any longer and the lion certainly didn¡¯t want her here only for today. Probably, all the time.

    ¡°What do you think¡­¡± Marcel said with a cocky grin on his face, rolling up his sleeve, ¡°I use my master authority.¡±

    He was smug as he went over to Samson and bent forward. He thenmanded him, ¡°You should leave now.¡±

    Samson stood his ground by releasing a low growl at the back of his throat.

    ¡°Not going to happen, buddy.¡± Marcel pointed at his chest, ¡°I make the rules here and you follow them.¡±

    This time, Samson didn¡¯t answer, instead, the both of them stared each other down, and Marcel was forced to avert his gaze. Damn it, Samson was so cold-hearted.

    ¡°Fine, perhaps we cane to a concession.¡± Marcel finally gave in, ¡°Let¡¯s not make things difficult for thedy, shall we? Come on,¡± He couldn¡¯t go any further than that ¨C Marcel couldn¡¯t beg the proud lion.

    Arianna stared at the man and the Lion in wonder, wondering what would happen next. And for a moment there, she thought Marcel would lose as she did, but Samson suddenly turned and her jaw dropped to the ground in shock.

    With such a huge expression from Arianna, one should already imagine the smug look on Marcel¡¯s face when he realized that he won. However, that happiness didn¡¯tst forever because Samson swiped his short tail on his face and Arianna burst into heartyughter.

    Marcel stiffened on the spot because that gesture was a show of superiority. In one word, Samson didn¡¯t let Arianna go on Marcel¡¯s terms, but because he wanted to and made sure to express that to him. Samson showed him pity.

    ¡°That rude little -!¡±

    ¡°Come on, give up already,¡± Arianna couldn¡¯t control herughter even as she stopped him from going after Samson.

    ¡°God, the both of you are a match made in heaven.¡± She continued to tease him while Marcel¡¯s face was sour.

    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t be so sad.¡± Arianna turned his face and pressed a peck to both sides of his cheek. She said to him, ¡°You can¡¯t me Samson though considering you taught him everything he knows. Like father, like son.¡±

    Arianna just couldn¡¯t stop theughter. God, it was so hrious and her stomach was beginning to hurt.

    But then Marcel didn¡¯t find it funny so while she was bent over and stillughing amid the belly pain, Marcel left without her.

    ¡°Hey, where are you going?! Wait for me!¡± Arianna hurriedly went after him.

    When she was close enough, she hopped onto his back without warning and Marcel had no choice but to catch and piggyback her. With a smile on her face, Arianna buried her face in his neck and they left. It was not like he mad at her forever, anyway.

 Chapter 773 - 773 He Was Whipped, She Has Lost Her Mind

    773 He Was Whipped, She Has Lost Her Mind

    Arriving at their destination, Marcel was not refused entrance and he drove into Draven¡¯s residence, deeply pleased at the level of trust that he¡¯s gained with Eric.

    He parked in the open space and stepped out of the car to open the door for Arianna, helping her step out.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna told him nheless, knowing he was just being a gentleman.

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything, rather he pulled her to his side, his hand resting on her waist. His touch was subtle, almost nonexistent but enough for her to feel the protective warmth he naturally exuded.

    Together, the both of them walked up to the porch only to find out that Natalie was outside, waiting for them. And for once, Marcel was grateful that he had listened to his head that warned him to do the right thing by sending Arianna home, unlike his dick that had other ns contrary to this.

    ¡°And here I thought I would have toe to take my daughter home myself,¡± Natalie said to no one in particr, but Marcel was not stupid enough not to figure that those slightly sarcastic words were aimed at him.

    ¡°Mother,¡± Arianna went ahead to hug Natalie who didn¡¯t refuse her, rather she reciprocated the gesture. She sighed, wondering why her mother was making a huge deal out of this. All that mattered now was that she was home anyway.

    Marcel stood straight, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Natalie. It¡¯s all my fault and I have no excuse.¡±

    Natalie scanned Marcel who lowered his head in apology and though she appeared to be mean to him, the truth was that she was touched by his level of humility notwithstanding his position in the Luciano family.

    .....

    But then, men would go to great lengths to get the woman they love ¨C especially one that they might be obsessed with. She still had to watch out for him.

    ¡°Well, my daughter is back to me in one piece, so I can guess I should go easy on you,¡± She cut him some ck, and Arianna was delighted by her decision. It seems that her mother must have finally let go of all the prejudice she previously had against Marcel.

    ¡°You are indeed magnanimous,¡± Marcel showered her with praise.

    The young man was a sweet talker and Natalie was pleased with his attitude. She gestured to the house, invitingly,

    ¡°Perhaps, you might want to join us for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°We already had breakfast,¡± Arianna broke the news to her before Marcel could.

    ¡°Oh. Is that the case?¡± Natalie sounded a bit disappointed but her expression brightened in the next minute as she said, ¡°Then I hope to see you around from now on.¡±

    Of course, Marcel already nned on doing just that before Natalie brought it up. There was no way that he was going to leave Arianna alone when he missed her like crazy, especially now his rtionship with the Draven family had be better. He would take advantage of every little time he could spend with her until he thinks of a permanent solution to their living problems ¨C probably get married to her.

    Marcel left that thought at the back of his mind as he answered Natalie,

    ¡°Of course, I would try to visit as often as I can, not to mention that the both of us still have a lot to talk about.¡± He hinted at his mother.

    ¡°Sure. Come meet me whenever you want to.¡± Natalie was about to go in with her daughter hand in hand when she suddenly stopped. Releasing a deep breath, she turned to face Arianna who arched a curious brow in response. What was going on?

    ¡°Say your goodbyes ande in,¡± Natalie told her and a huge grin broke out on her face. Ariannaunched herself on her mother and hugged her out of gratitude. The woman was bing cooler and better than she thought.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arianna pecked her on the cheeks before breaking apart and running over to Marcel, hugging him too.

    Natalie took one look at them and sighed, she hoped to God that she was making the right decision here. Then she went in knowing that Arianna would follow after her by the time she was done.

    ¡°Don¡¯t miss me too much,¡± Arianna told Marcel in between a giggle. Her arms were wrapped around his neck while his hand pulled her to him by the waist.

    ¡°You know that I would,¡± Marcel said, lowering his head to kiss her but she averted her face, teasing him and he groaned in disapproval. He needed to kiss her as badly as he needed oxygen to breathe. Although, he wouldn¡¯t need oxygen in this case.

    So he chased after her lips and Arianna sucked in a sharp breath when his mouth found hers. His warm lips brushed across the corner, gentle at first until he was kissing her breathlessly and Arianna moaned as his tongue stroked her lips.

    The breath was knocked from her lungs when he pushed her back against the wall beside them and he pressed her into it, branding her with kisses. Arianna moaned into his mouth, the delicious sounds she made egging him on and her body delighting in the pleasures that he provided.

    Marcel kissed her over and over again till she couldn¡¯t recognize her right from her left and they finally broke apart. Arianna opened her eyes and looked at Marcel, his eyes were hard and full of lust. She knew deep down that if this wasn¡¯t Eric¡¯s ce, he would be fucking her against that wall right now.

    He reached out and caressed her swollen lips, a shiver running through her and shooting down to her core. Arianna clenched her thighs together to relieve the aching, God damn him for making her horny when he knew he wasn¡¯t going to satisfy her.

    Marcel¡¯s hand traveled through her hair and massaged her scalp, Arianna shut her eyes and relived the feelings. But the feeling didn¡¯tst for long because he released his hand and her eyes shot open.

    ¡°Stay safe, Arianna,¡± He suddenly said

    ¡°I will.¡± She promised him.

    Arianna told him too, ¡°Stay safe as well.¡±

    He grinned, ¡°I will.¡±

    And with that, Marcel took his leave even though her body drew him to her like a ma. At this rate, he might even recognize her in a crowd of people while being blindfolded

    Yep, he was whipped.

    May God help his soul.

    Arianna continued to wave at him until he was out of sight, only then was she able to lean against the wall and rest her weak knees. She touched her swollen lips and squealed inwardly at the memory.

    She has officially lost her mind.

 Chapter 774 - 774 Who Is He

    774 Who Is He

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Adele was not pleased when she saw Victor standing in front of her mother¡¯s ce that morning just when she was about to leave.

    ¡°Are you trying to bring attention to me or what?¡± She fired another question at Victor before he had the chance to answer, looking left and right to make sure that he hadn¡¯t broughtpany with him.

    The words Victor wanted to say to her didn¡¯t make it past his tongue with her level of intimidation. Honestly speaking, Victor was kind of impressed that Elijah was able to break past the walls that she put up around herself. Enough to put his dick inside of her and get her pregnant. He was quite ballsy and deserved a hand shake from him.

    Victor was kidding though because the handshake that asshole Elijah would be getting from him would be a punch to his face. Just because he was not as close to Adele as he was to Marcel even though they were rted doesn¡¯t mean he would let an outsider taint her dignity and go scot-free. She was still family. Perhaps, Daniel was right in ending that asshole. That would teach the others a lesson.

    His gaze traveled down to the bag in her hand and he snatched it from her hand, saying, ¡°You¡¯re leaving, right? Good, I can drive you back while we talk on the way.¡±

    ¡°Talk?¡± Adele was confused. She asked, ¡°Did Marcel send you here?¡± If they had something to talk about, it was probably his idea. She and Victor were not exactly on speaking terms. While the Luciano Family might present a united front to the outside world, only insiders know of the division and household conflicts.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m here on my own because I need your expert opinion on something that has been bothering me.¡± Victor said before his eyes scanned the inside of the house and he asked, ¡°Where is your mother?¡± Victor noticed that she wasn¡¯t present.

    ¡°Still asleep.¡± Adele shrugged nonchntly

    ¡°And you want to leave without informing her. That¡¯s quite cold.¡± Victor said without thinking and her eyes shed, offended by his words.

    .....

    However, Adele managed to control herself and said through gritted teeth,

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake her because she has been stressed out the past few days while taking care of my needs and lecturing me about motherhood. So I wanted her to have more rest, not to mention that she knew from our hearty conversationst night that I am leaving this morning. Also, I posted a note by the side of her bed for when she wakes up.¡±

    ¡°Fine, you were being considerate. You win. I take back my word, you¡¯re not cold.¡± Victor knew when to call it quits especially when battling with women and at the moment, it looked like Adele was about to eat him for breakfast.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± He went over to his car with her bag, tossing it in the back while opening the front seat for her to go in.

    Adele gave him a suspicious look as he held the door open for her.

    ¡°The front?¡± She pointed out that she could easily sit in the backseat with her bag.

    ¡°I like reading the expression on the faces of whoever I¡¯m talking to. I¡¯ll be driving, would you rather want me to turn my neck every five minutes just to look at you? I still love my life and my fianc¨¦e wants me alive to meet our kid, so make things easy for me please.¡± He opened the door widely. It was not an order, but a request if she went along with it.

    It was not like she had a choice anyway, Adele decided as she climbed into the car Victor closed the door after her, and together, he drove away.

    ¡°So what¡¯s so important that you literally had to ambush me on my way out?¡± Adele asked him, curiosity in her tone. With Victor looking this serious, it had to be worth her time.

    ¡°Marcel was attackedst week,¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Adele shouted in shock. She was thankful for the fact that she wasn¡¯t the one at the steering wheel else she would have hit someone by now.

    With her brows furrowed and her eyes slightly widened, she asked him, vexed, ¡°How did this happen? Why don¡¯t I know about this?¡±

    ¡°Because my dickhead of a cousin wanted it that way,¡± Victor scoffed, ¡°No wonder the bibles says, and I quote, ¡®

    Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation].''¡±

    However, Adele turned to him and thundered, ¡°And I quote, ¡®enough of your Bible references and tell me what the fuck is going on!¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°Fine, someone sent assassins after Marcel¡­.¡± He reassured her when he saw the way her face lost color, ¡°But he escaped unscathed, perhaps, a little concussion or something close to it.¡±

    ¡°And then what? Who is behind it? My father? Benjamin? Daniel?¡± She was greedy for details. Adele didn¡¯t want to think that Marcel¡¯s father was capable of harming his son, but the man was unpredictable and one could never rule out that possibility.

    ¡°No, none of our family members are capable to pull that off, it was someone else.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Adele wanted to know, her fist clutching already as she craved to spill his or her blood already.

    As Marcel¡¯s underboss, it was also her responsibility to keep him safe even though his death would put her next in line to the throne. Not that Adele didn¡¯t want to be boss, but not in this way. If she was going to have that position, it would be through her hard work.

    ¡°Richardo Santi,¡± Victor announced to her expecting that her eyes would light up in recognition, but there was nothing.

    Adele thought hard about it and it still didn¡¯t ring a bell in her head.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Victor concurred, ¡°Who is he?¡±

 Chapter 775 - 775 Found Out About Macy

    775 Found Out About Macy

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Adele looked confusedly at Victor, pointing to her chest and then back at him, ¡°You were the one that brought him up and now you¡¯re asking me about this Richardo or whatever he is?¡± It was fucking bullshit. Was he kidding with her?

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the fact that Marcel underestimates him just the same way you did right now,¡± Victor said.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the dude, what do you expect me to say?¡±

    ¡°Marcel had the same nonchnt attitude towards him even when all evidence pointed towards him.¡±

    Adele opened her mouth to say something, but she gave up, she was not in the mood to argue with him this morning. She would not be the reason for his mood change.

    ¡°Fine, tell me what you know about him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Victor apologized to her suddenly, ¡°It just annoys me when everyone treats the bastard so insignificant when he could end up being a thorn in our side.¡± He said.

    ¡°So how do you know that Richardo is the one who sent assassins after Marcel?¡± Adele was curious to know. He had to give her something and then they can work from there.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have concrete but circumstantial evidence.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Circumstantial evidence?¡± Adele frowned, this better be worth her time.

    ¡°Richardo is trying to flood the streets with drugs, Marcel is not a fan of such a venture. What do you think a wannabe crime lord would do to pave a way for his business to boom?¡±

    ¡°Murder Marcel? No, no newbie is that ballsy.¡±

    ¡°Not unless he has help or a reason to be confident,¡± Victor said, reaching for the glovepartment but Adele got to it first and pulled out folded papers from the dashboard.

    Adele¡¯s expression was set deep in concentration as she stared hard at the list of names and then information about an orphanage.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°After Elijah managed to infiltrate our organization out of our own carelessness, I decided to double-check the background of our members secretly.¡±

    ¡°No way, that would take up to weeks!¡±

    Adele was impressed by his attentiveness.

    A smug expression appeared on Victor¡¯s face as he said, ¡°Make that a week.¡±

    Adele¡¯s jaw opened in disbelief, however, she managed to control herself; she could not let Victor get any prouder.

    He continued, ¡°That was when I stumbled upon something more shocking...¡± Victor turned to Adele who was staring at him with intrigue before shifting his gaze back unto the road.

    ¡°It turned out that Macy grew up in the same orphanage that Richardo¡¯s father sponsored. What was the possibility that she handed out Marcel¡¯s location to Richardo on the day that he was attacked?¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Adele was enraged, ¡°You call this circumstantial evidence?! We should get that bitch by now and torture everything she knows out of her lying mouth!¡± She shouted in his face, worked up already and Victor had to remind her gently.

    ¡°I am on the wheels.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Adele apologized, leaning back into her seat. However, from the way that she kept tapping her feet, Victor knew that she couldn¡¯t wait to spring into action. Just like his workaholic cousin Marcel ¨C until Arianna came along ¨C Adele took her work quite seriously.

    She turned to him with her lips pressed into a thin line, obviously displeased that he kept such a huge secret from her, ¡°What is your line of action? What would you have done if you haven¡¯te for my expert opinion?¡±

    ¡°Do what I do best.¡±

    ¡°And that is?¡±

    ¡°Protect my family.¡± Victor stared her straight in the eyes.

    Adele told her, ¡°I wonder if everyoneprises under your definition of family, or is the list limited?¡±

    ¡°Family is family,¡± Victor told her with deeper meaning, their eyes holding for seconds although it seemed like forever before refocusing them on the road once again.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice to know,¡± Adele muttered under her breath, facing her front. There was nothing but silence between the both of them for a while until she asked him,

    ¡°Does Marcel know about this?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. But he gave me full authority to pursue the case. I don¡¯t want to bother him until I have the concrete evidence that he needs to believe that Richardo is a threat.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention Macy of all people,¡± Adele sighed under her breath, ¡°And to think that I felt pity for her.¡±

    Victor¡¯s head whipped around to her, feeling disgusted by the thought,

    ¡°You felt pity for her?¡±

    ¡°Her situation felt a bit simr to mine, she was rejected by both men she felt something for.¡±

    ¡°No, hers was a case of greediness. Macy didn¡¯t love either of us, she just didn¡¯t know what she wanted,¡± Victor said between gritted teeth, ¡°Marcel and I are not properties to be shared in turns.¡±

    ¡°Fine, how do you propose we get her then?¡±

    ¡°We go the natural way,¡± Victor said, ¡°I know Macy and if indeed she is working with Richardo, she would have her guards up knowing she¡¯s taking a risk here. This means that we have to be careful around her so we don¡¯t identally alert her and she takes off. We know nothing about Richardo and it seems that she¡¯s the only one that can provide us with such information. ¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­.¡± Adele went over the ns she had with Victor as they exchanged ideas until he nodded his head in approval.

    ¡°We would go with that then,¡± Victor agreed and the both of them drove on infortable silence until they arrived at their destination.

    Adele¡¯s apartment.

    ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± Adele said, taking her bag from him.

    ¡°I can help you take it upstairs.¡± Victor offered, considering her condition but Adele turned it down. She was not as fragile as they thought.

    ¡°No, but thank you for your help.¡±

    And with those words, Adele bid him goodbye and went into the lobby. She then went into the elevator that took her to her floor, arriving at her apartment.

    Adele inputted the password and was cleared, she then turned the doorknob and went in only to halt in her footstep almost immediately.

    Something was not right.

 Chapter 776 - 776 Donâ€™t Let Us End

    776 Don¡¯t Let Us End

    Adele was trained to notice even the most subtle change in her environment, not to mention that she lived alone and knew when something was not in ce. And right now, whoever broke into her ce tried his best, but that cologne gave him away.

    Pulling out her pistol and holding it in a strong grip, Adele carefully stepped into the corner of her living room, using the wall as a shield before stepping into view, seconds away from pulling the trigger at the intruder only for her eyes to widen when her sight fell on Elijah sitting on her couch.

    ¡°Hey,¡± He waved at her as if he owned the ce while Adele¡¯s feet were stuck to the ground. What the hell?

    Adele didn¡¯t lower her weapon nor did she let go of the trigger, her finger just rested there, her mind undecided. Of all people to break into her home, Elijah was the least of them and it was quite a shock, to see him once again.

    The past few days that she had been all by herself, Adele couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she would do if she everid her eyes on Elijah once again. She would probably end his life before he had the chance to say a thing or even ask for an apology.

    Unfortunately, Adele did not do any of that. She was simply numb as she wondered, was Elijah staring back at her, or was she seeing things? She looked at him and he had bruises on his face that were beginning to fade.

    Although Adele was curious to know what happened to him, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the same time if he had purposelye to see her in this condition to arouse pity from her. After all, he was a master of maniption and it shouldn¡¯t surprise him if he decided to go that low.

    Suddenly, Adele was enraged, how dare hee to see her with such a motive? He was a scum to the end. No, Elijah was a chapter of her life that she wished to end once and forever, but then, the Quadruplets¡­.

    ¡°Give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t st your brains out right now!¡± Adele aimed the gun with a hardened expression. What had she even seen in this guy? She wondered, but then her treacherous heart couldn¡¯t help but remember the good times. Adele pushed the memories to the back of her mind, this was not the time to get emotional.

    .....

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any reason left and it would be a mercy to die in your hand considering what I did to you,¡± Elijah told her with so much pain in her tone that nearly touched her. But then, Adele refused to be affected by his emotions, if this was another of his shenanigans to get her to forgive him easily, then he was at a loss.

    Perhaps, she could have forgiven him with time, but with a kid, no, kids involved, it was not happening. Deceiving her and knocking her up was an unforgivable sin, not that he knew of thetter.

    Adele lowered her weapon and said to him, ¡°You should leave.¡± She was not ready to face him. No, she didn¡¯t want to face him. Adele had too many things to say to him ¨C like how she was pregnant with his children ¨C but Marcel was right, this fool doesn¡¯t deserve her opening up to him.

    Elijah stood up, ¡°Adele¡­.¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡± Adele was tired and that was obvious with the way she pinched the bridge of her nose.

    But Elijah was not listening and continued walking towards her as he said, ¡°I never meant to hurt you. My primary goal had been to get Arianna out of Marcel¡¯s grip and I was so zealous to get what I wanted and things gotplicated.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was the coteral damage, nor did you think that you would get deeply involved with me. No¡­¡± Adeleughed hysterically until her expression shifted at thest minute and she sneered, ¡°getting involved with me was the n, wasn¡¯t it? I was the shortcut to aplishing what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Adele. I¡¯m very, very sorry.¡± He apologized, now standing in front of her and closing the space between them.

    Adele took a step back, ufortable with their proximity. She scoffed, ¡± It¡¯s quite unfortunate that the word, ¡®sorry¡¯ doesn¡¯t change anything. You can leave now and don¡¯t evere back because you might not be fortunate the second time.¡± She threatened him, hoping that the words had gotten into his head.

    However, the instant she turned to leave, Elijah grabbed her hand and turned her to him. The force knocked her into his chest, drawing a sharp breath from her lips as she felt the heat of his body.

    Adele looked up at him with slightly round eyes that were full of questions, why was he doing this? And Elijah took advantage of that moment of weakness to sp her cheek. He whispered to her, ¡°I love you, Adele.¡±

    Just like that, she stiffened. Her eyes grew much wider than before, her heart thumping in her chest. Oh no, this was not happening. Adele knew deep down that she was notpletely over him and couldn¡¯t fall for his charms again.

    She tried to move away but Elijah¡¯s hand was firm on her waist, giving her no chance of escape. Adele ced her hands on his chest, intending to push him away, all to no avail and it stayed on his chest instead.

    ¡°You were not what I expected, and neither did I n to fall for you. All my life, everything that I did was perfectly executed until you came along like a wrecking ball and shattered eveything. You are the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me and you don¡¯t know how much I regret that things ended for us this way. I was stuck between my duty and my heart and I didn¡¯t know what to do. However, I don¡¯t want to give up on a good woman like you, please Adele, don¡¯t let ¡®us¡¯ end. ¡± He begged her desperately.

 Chapter 777 - 777 A Second Chance

    777 A Second Chance

    ¡°Lub-dub¡±

    ¡°Lub-dub¡±

    That was the sound of Adele¡¯s heart as she listened to Elijah¡¯s confession. He held her gaze while speaking hence she was able to feel the raw and intense emotions in his eyes and it left her speechless.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you, Adele,¡± He whispered, his hand caressing her cheek lightly, and like a siren, she fell under his spell.

    Suddenly, the air in the room around, electricity cackling between them such that the hairs on her arm stood on edge and Adele found it difficult to breathe. His eyes were as stormy as the sea and Adele couldn¡¯t help but want to be carried away in it. Perhaps, then, all of her problems would be over.

    None of them could tell who leaned in first, but the attraction was undeniable as his lips brushed across her, sending shivers down her spine. She unconsciously arched into him as he pressed his lips firmly on hers.

    Elijah shivered as he kissed her, his hand trailing down her arm. This scene right now felt like a dream to him and he held Adele as if she was a fragile egg that would shatter and break if he were rough on her. He savored the moment, kissing her lips slowly and sweetly as if he wanted to imprint this special memory in his mind.

    But when she moaned into his mouth, he lost a fragment of his control and deepened the kiss. His tongue parted her mouth and tasted her, their tongues intertwining while her hand dug into hair and clutched a fistful of his hair, pulling them tight enough to cause pain.

    Elijah groaned, he missed this thing between them. So while he kissed her senselessly, his hand trailed down her body until it got to the buttons of her shirt. He fiddled with the first button, tempted to open it, but then, Elijah didn¡¯t want to confuse her with sex anymore ¨C that was not what he came here for. He wanted to prove to her that he was the man for her and deserved a second chance.

    .....

    So he cupped her breast instead, massaging and kneading them while she moaned his name. It wasn¡¯t until his hand slipped underneath her shirt and was about to feel her stomach that her eyes snapped open and she pushed him away from her with lightning speed.

    Elijah staggered backward and was able to get his footing, however, there was a befuddled look on his face as he stared at Adele who was frozen on the spot as well. What just happened? He had no clue. Perhaps, he pushed too hard and should have exercised caution.

    What has she done? The reality felt like cold water had been doused on Adele. Just a few sugary words and she was about to give in to him already, Adele felt ashamed and disappointed in herself. She couldn¡¯t make a second mistake. The pleasure was not worth a second heartbreak. She couldn¡¯t do this.

    Elijah who didn¡¯t notice the change in Adele thought things were good between them and took her hand with a smile, saying, ¡°I promise you this time, I would -¡±

    ¡°Get out,¡± Adele said so coldly that Elijah almost suffered a mental whish from the suddenness.

    ¡°W-what?¡± His voice wavered, having not seen thating. Her band slipped through his grip and fell, Elijah was shocked. He thought Adele was giving him a second chance¡­.

    ¡°Get out of my house, now!¡± Her voice was taut and grim and he still had a hard time trying to understand what was going on.

    ¡°Adele, what are you talking¡­.¡± He reached for her hand again and in the heat of the moment, her handnded on his cheek in retaliation. Adele pped him.

    Elijah stiffened, his hand slowlying up to feel his cheek that stung from the pain. He slowly lifted his head to Adele whose mouth was agape and she stared at her hand with the same shocked expression that was on his face. She didn¡¯t mean to hit him, it happened all of a sudden.

    But Elijah didn¡¯t care for any of that. If hitting him would take off all of her anger toward him, then so be it. He was willing to take a hundred strikes from her if that means they would end up together again. He needed a second chance from her.

    ¡°Adele¡­¡± He stepped towards her while she took another back.

    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer,¡± Adele warned him. What was wrong with him? Shouldn¡¯t he leave her alone already after pping him?

    ¡°Just what do you want from me?! ¡± Adele screamed at his face, tears of frustration running down her cheeks. She was unable to take all of the emotions bottled inside of her anymore. It has reached the bottleneck and was suffocating. She couldn¡¯t breathe. It was tiring. She wanted to let it all out.

    ¡°I just want us together again,¡± Elijah pleaded with her.

    ¡°Us?¡± She sneered at him, ¡°News sh, there was never an ¡®Us¡¯. It was a lie and the little magic we managed to make came crashing down the day the truth was unveiled. Moreover, what about the people that you offended? You think that my family would wee you with open arms the moment you decided to get together with me?¡±

    Adeleughed mockingly, ¡°Please don¡¯t kid yourself, the both of us know that we can never end up happy. So why don¡¯t we end this ruse before one of us ends up getting hurt? In one word, leave me alone.¡±

    There was nothing but tense silence between them after Adele said those words. Although she had a grim expression, her heart beat nervously. Adele hoped deep down that Elijah would not give up on her. That he would fight for her ¨C and the children ¨C no matter how hard she pushed him away or the world tried to keep them apart.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave just as you want,¡± Elijah said and her heart stopped beating.

    ¡°No!¡± Adele wanted to wail at him but the sound was lodged in her throat like a lump. She wanted to move and stop him from leaving but her feet were glued to the ground and her own body did not belong to her any longer.

    Adele didn¡¯t even know how she was able topose herself until Elijah left and she broke down in tears.

    He shouldn¡¯t havee!

    Elijah shouldn¡¯t have stirred her heart just when she was getting over him and opening up a raw wound.

    She didn¡¯t deserve this.

    She deserved so much better.

    Adele cried while clenching her heart. God damn it!

    Why does it hurt so much?

 Chapter 778 - 778 Angelica And Daniel

    778 Angelica And Daniel

    It has barely been an hour since that cold daughter of hers left without waking her up and all she left behind was a note. Angelica nned to wake up on time to see Adele off, it was quite sad that she overslept instead.

    However, that was the least of her problems as she stared at the man that rang her doorbell.

    ¡°How may I help you?¡± Angelica strictly asked the stranger standing in front of her. He was dressed nicely in a suit and although he attempted to exude a warm impression, the wires attached to the back of his ear like some sort ofms gave him away. Angelica has been with Benjamin long enough to recognize one of them.

    ¡°My boss wants to see you,¡± He gestured to the car parked at the corner of the street and Angelica stared hard at it. The windows were tinted so she could not make out the figure, but for strange reasons, she felt whoever was in that car had his eyes on her and it made her ufortable.

    ¡°Who is your boss?¡± Angelica wanted to know who she was getting involved with. She did not fear anyone hurting her, after all, she minded her business. Even Benjamin¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t bother her anymore after fulfilling her promise of sending her daughter, Adele to be raised by her. The woman was pleased knowing that her husband would never leave her for a nobody like her.

    ¡°Daniel Luciano,¡± The man said and her brows drew together as she thought about that name. Angelica excepted herself from the affairs of the Luciano family considering she was merely a mistress, but for some reason, that name sounded oddly familiar.

    Perhaps, Benjamin talked about him during one of his visits. He tended to rant about a lot of things that didn¡¯t go well in his life. Perhaps, Adele was right, her father was a coward, always looking for a shortcut to achieve his sess.

    But she loved him and nothing could change that ¨C although her daughter Adele has be her priority at this point in her life. Angelica knew this was her second and who knows,st chance to make it up to her and she couldn¡¯t waste it.

    ¡°What does he want from me?¡± She asked with a hint of fear in her tone. She was not ignorant of what the Luciano family does for a living and who knows what this Daniel wants from her? What if he means her harm?

    .....

    ¡°I have no idea, Madam, but you can find out yourself by speaking to him,¡± The man told her, ¡°And you have nothing to worry about, you are in safe hands,¡± He must have sensed her fears.

    ¡°Fine, let me get my things then.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Her brows arched in response, ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to dress up or anything, it would only be a short conversation.¡± He tried to assure her.

    Angelica swallowed numbly. To be honest, she was no longerfortable with this arrangement, and her hand slowly reached inside her pocket for her cell phone, but there was nothing in there. Angelica winced inwardly, recalling that she left it on her nightstand ¨C she had not anticipated this visit.

    She looked at the man who was waiting for her to make a move and Angelica had a feeling that she didn¡¯t exactly have a choice in this matter. Perhaps, she should run off, but Angelica gave up on the thought knowing he would outrun her in no time ¨C she was too old for this. It was not a good idea.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Angelica closed her door and followed after him.

    He opened the door for her to go in and Angelica climbed in excepting to see Daniel Luciano seated there but there was no one and her heart raced at once. Thinking that this was a trap, Angelica was about to panic but the man climbed in after her, saying,

    ¡°Daniel awaits us.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Angelicaughed nervously and turned her face the other way, her mind in thinking mode. How does she escape from this unfortunate predicament?

    Angelica remained calm throughout the ride, waiting to see what they were up to and it wasn¡¯t until they arrived at a restaurant, that she was able to breathe in relief. Thankfully, it was an open space.

    The man from earlier guided her into the restaurant and led her to a table where she finally set her eyes on the man called Daniel. To be honest, he was not what she expected. Angelica imagined Daniel as an old man with protruding belly and bad breath. She never thought that she would find him oddly handsome and enigmatic, but then looks were deceiving and she had no clue what he wanted from her yet.

    Like a gentleman, Daniel stood up to his feet and thrust out his hand, saying, ¡°Daniel Luciano,¡±

    ¡°Angelica.¡± She enveloped her smaller palm with his calloused ones, evidence of the fact he worked a lot with his hands. Angelica couldn¡¯t help but admire the strength in his hand and those sinewy arms. Does he work out every day or what?

    Alright, that¡¯s enough, Angelica censored her dirty mind at once. This man oozed danger and she shouldn¡¯t get involved with the likes of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Angelica with no surname,¡± He joked, showing off surprisingly clean white teeth. Daniel caressed the top of her palm while she stared at him and it made her stomach flutter.

    Angelica withdrew her hand at once, clearing her throat, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about my surname, I don¡¯t think we are close enough for thatst name basis.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Daniel was not offended. He pulled out a seat for her, saying, ¡°You should have a seat, mydy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Angelica didn¡¯tin and sat down on it and Daniel took his seat as well.

    ¡°Why am I here?¡± Angelica went straight to business immediately. She can¡¯t waste any more seconds with this man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry, darling. I don¡¯t think we have the chance to know each other considering your birthed your extraordinary daughter called Adele.¡± Daniel said with a gleam in his eye and all color lost from her face.

 Chapter 779 - 779 She Was Thinking Too Much

    779 She Was Thinking Too Much

    She knew it! This man was not ordinary and that was proved when he mentioned her daughter¡¯s name. rm bells went off in Angelica¡¯s head and she lowered her hands to herp, fiddling with them nervously. Whatever Daniel wanted from her, Angelica had a feeling that it was not going to be favorable to Adele.

    She lifted her head to meet Daniel¡¯s gaze, but the intensity in those gray eyes made her uneasy. There was just something about him that unsettled her and if he aimed to scare her, it was definitely working. But Angelica pushed her fear away and went straight to the point.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Angelica asked him, knowing he had ulterior motives for inviting her over. There was no way a man like him would send his people to get her here if he didn¡¯t want something important from her.

    ¡°Patience,¡± Daniel said nonchntly as if he had all the time in the world.

    ¡°Now tell me.¡± He said, picking up the menu on the table and going through it, ¡°What do you want for breakfast?¡± Daniel asked her.

    Angelica frowned, her temper slowly beginning to rise to the surface as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, so perhaps we can start this conversation and get it over with.¡±

    ¡°In that case, you can watch me eat then,¡± Daniel decided, gesturing to the waiter toe and serve him, taking his eyes off her.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Angelica grumblingly snatched the menu from him with a glower. What kind of annoying man was this? How does he expect her to sit and watch him eat breakfast while she had nothing this morning?

    Looking through the menu, she settled for buttermilk oven-fried chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed broli. Angelica handed her order to the waiter, turning her attention back on Daniel who was staring at her with intrigue.

    .....

    ¡°What?¡± She scowled at him. Why was he looking at her that way? Surely, he didn¡¯t fancy her or something ¨C this was not the first time she¡¯s had men falling for her at first sight. The first thing men always noticed about her was her beauty and this man called Daniel couldn¡¯t be one of them too, right?. Or perhaps she was thinking too much.

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to corrte the simrities between you and Adele and aside from the physical attributes, you are nothing like her and she is nothing like you. The both of you share nothing inmon.¡± He scrutinized her.

    She narrowed her gaze at him, ¡°Should I take that as apliment or what? Why do I find your words kind of offensive?¡±

    Daniel shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m merely pointing out the fact that both of you are special in your own ways. Unlike Adele, you are¡­.¡± His eyes scanned over her in such a way that made heat rise to her cheeks, ¡°Fragile yet ferocious. I can see where Adele got her fire from, at least, it¡¯s not from her useless father.¡± He was not bothered that he just insulted her daughter¡¯s father right in front of her.

    The same couldn¡¯t be said for Angelica who red at him so deep she could bore a hole in his head. Whatever illusion she had about Daniel was shattered the instant those words left his mouth. He was nothing but a stalker and a bully. Daniel has no respect for her.

    ¡°For someone who seems so interested in me, you fail woefully at getting on my good side. You have no right to judge Benjamin that way.¡± She said between her teeth, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    ¡°You think that I am interested in you? That¡¯s quite a bond im to make.¡± Daniel scoffed as if he found the thought utterly hrious. However, in the next minute, his searching gaze swept down her body and he said smugly,

    ¡°Although I would have to admit that you are beautiful and it¡¯s natural for us men to find someone like you attractive. Isn¡¯t that the reason why my dear cousin Benjamin shackled himself to you and wouldn¡¯t let go despite having a wife?¡± He added immediately, ¡°But you have nothing to worry about, I get my dick satisfied somewhere else,¡±

    Angelica went so red in the face that one would think that she was about to explode. And she did explode.

    ¡°What do you take me for?!¡± She stood up abruptly, mming her hand down on the table so hard it rattled, ¡°You had them bring me all the way from my ce just to reduce me to what?! A whore?! Is that it?¡± She shouted at the top of her voice, seeing red.

    At this point, other customers in the restaurant had their eyes on them, drawn by the drama and Daniel was not a fan of such ¡°negative¡± publicity. But he bore the embarrassment by not looking at them and said to Angelica through gritted teeth,

    ¡°Sit down woman, we are not done here.¡±

    Hearing that, Angelica sneered, ¡°Fuck you,¡± She gave him the middle finger and didn¡¯t bother reaching for her things since she came with nothing. She didn¡¯t leave her house ande here to be insulted by the asshole. Who does he even think he is?

    If only she knew.

    ¡°And this is why women should have never been created in the first ce.¡± Daniel muttered to himself as if he was some actor in a show, delivering a monologue.

    He clicked his tongue, ¡°So emotional.¡± amid the disapprovaling from the audience who saw their little drama. But then, he was not affected by such sentiment.

    However, in the next minute, Daniel dragged his ass off the chair and went in pursuit of the woman.

    ¡°Angelica!¡± Daniel shouted after her when he got outside but she walked on in strides, purposely ignoring him.

    Daniel breathed deeply, he didn¡¯t sign up for this. And yet, he ran after her until he overtook her, blocking her path.

    Angelica nced up at him with a re, ¡°Get lost.¡± she hissed.

    But Daniel was calm as still water. He said to her, ¡°I told you that I am not done with you.¡± He added, ¡°And do you know, no one walks out on me, those who attempted such disrespect didn¡¯t see the¡­.¡±

    Daniel was still talking when Angelica saw a man step out of the street only to pull out a gun suddenly and aimed it at Daniel.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± She panicked as bile rose at the back of her throat. Angelica didn¡¯t know what happened next, but she reacted by turning Daniel the other way, putting herself in harm¡¯s way instead as the gun went off.

 Chapter 780 - 780 You Are Despicable

    780 You Are Despicable

    Daniel was not ignorant either, because as soon as Angelica turned him with that look of fright on her face, he knew something was up and pulled her behind him, reversing their position in a blink of an eye.

    Hence, Angelica was left traumatized when she heard a whizzing sound, and the next Daniel was knocked to his ass by the impact, bringing the both of them down.

    There was instant chaos when the bullet went off as people ran helter-skelter for safety while Daniel¡¯s guards formed a protective barrier around him, their guns out and ready to fire at the assant.

    ¡°Daniel!¡± Angelica¡¯s lips trembled as she shook him, trying to wake him up. This was the first time that she saw such a shocking scene ¨C staring death in the face ¨C and was shaken. As annoying as her encounter with Daniel had been, she didn¡¯t wish him death ¨C even though many others certainly wish him that.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t die,¡± Tears stung her eyes, blurring her sight so she was unable to notice that for someone shot in the chest, he was not bleeding. She buried her face in his body and sobbed until she heard someone cough weakly,

    ¡°What makes you think that I would leave easily when I told you that I¡¯m not done with you?¡± He asked with a tired tone.

    Angelica stiffened.

    She then lifted her face slowly, her eyes full of hope as they connected with Daniel¡¯s, and her heart leaped in joy. He was alive.

    ¡°Oh, thank God!¡± Angelica breathed in relief, hugging him straightaway only for a pained groan to leave Daniel¡¯s lips. It then hit her that she had no idea how he survived this and looked down at his body to see the bullet on the floor.

    .....

    It couldn¡¯t be what she was thinking, right?

    Before Daniel could stop her from touching him, Angelica already opened his top two buttons and revealed the concealed armor t-shirt he was wearing under his shirt. It was made of ultra-lightweight materials, no wonder she hadn¡¯t been able to spot it.

    ¡°If our position was reversed, this move would be seen as sexual harassment. Such prejudice against men,¡± Daniel had the nerve to joke around amid the pain distorting his features.

    ¡°Shut up and tell me where you are hurt!¡± Angelica tried to pull his shirt up but Daniel grabbed her hand and stopped her.

    ¡°For someone who hated my ass minutes ago, you seem so eager to save my life, what changed? Why would you put yourself in danger for me?¡± He asked her seriously, his grip on her hand tightening without even noticing it.

    Angelica thought about it and she merely shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just seemed like the right thing to do at that moment.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, the heroplex then. I¡¯m beginning to see the simrities between you and your daughter. Adele is always ready to save the day, much like my son, Marcel.¡± He said with a bit of disdain in his tone. What was the use of saving people who would only end up being a thorn in your side?

    Hearing Daniel call her daughter¡¯s name again was the reminder Angelica needed to know the man she had befortable with was of no good. He was dangerous and shouldn¡¯tmunicate with him.

    ¡°What do you want with my daughter?¡± Angelica¡¯s gaze became cold and distant, all joviality leaving her voice. She was crouched down in front of Daniel who was still on the floor without giving a care that people were slowly returning after the pandemonium.

    ¡°You are like a mother hen fiercely protecting her chick and I just ruffled your feathers,¡± Daniel was amused.

    He told her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I mean your daughter no harm, yet. She still has much use for my son at the moment.¡±

    Angelica was bewildered by that statement, what kind of human being was this? He just threatened her daughter right in front of her without blinking an eye. She was worried and intrigued at the same time.

    ¡°However, I hate being kept in the dark. You don¡¯t how much damage a single loophole could wreck on my ns.¡± Daniel looked at her, reaching out to caress her face, and her heart skipped a beat.

    Strange.

    ¡°So tell me¡­.¡± Daniel continued, ¡°What has your daughter been up to somethingtely?¡±

    Angelica didn¡¯t answer straight away, rather she leaned closer to Daniel to the point their breaths were exchanging and it almost looked like they were making out in public. The air around them became heated, and she bit on her lower lips. A gesture Daniel noticed because the shivers shot straight to his dick and he was in danger of an erection even though he didn¡¯t show it.

    Just when it looked like she was about to kiss him, Angelica turned her face and whispered into his ear,

    ¡°You are despicable.¡±

    Then she pushed him away, hitting that spot where it hurt the most and he groaned in pain, lying back entirely on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll end your life if you daree near my daughter.¡± Angelica threatened him with fire in her eyes. She didn¡¯t care who he was or what he could do, but she would protect Adele with her life. Perhaps, she should report this to Benjamin before it was toote. Her instinct was warning her off this man ¨C no matter how attractive he was.

    Shut up!

    Angelica stifled her hormones from speaking.

    Having made her point known, Angelica was ready to leave until she remembered she had no phone nor transport money.

    Damn that asshole.

    With a great deal of aggravation, Angelica stormed back to where Daniely on the ground and searched through his pocket neither did he stop her. If anything, Daniel began tough. Heughed so hysterical that even Angelica began to consider he had lost his damn mind. If only she knew why he wasughing.

    Not only does she dare to threaten him, but she also robs him in broad daylight at the same time. Daniel just found it hrious. He, of all people. Others tremble at his name, but The woman didn¡¯t fear him or perhaps, she just doesn¡¯t know who he was.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for my transport,¡± Angelica took the cash from his wallet and tossed it to his body, saying, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t drag me out with nothing.¡±

    Honestly speaking, Angelica had no clue what gave her the courage to speak to him like that. But then, his annoying attitude unlocked the inner bitch in her. She was simply sick and tired of people seeing her as soft and weak.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking to that next time.¡± Daniel chuckled with a glint in his eyes Angelica took no notice of it because she left right away.

    The amusement in Daniel¡¯s eyes died off as hemanded his men, his tone utterly different from when he was so speaking to Angelica.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±

    He gave one of them his hand and was helped up to his feet. Daniel groaned in pain because while the vest may have offered protection against projectile pration and fatal wounds, the kic energy of the bullet still hurt him.

    Being shot by a 9mm handgun from close range while wearing soft armor was like being hit in the chest by a sledgehammer. He felt knocked over and winded, not to mention that breathing was hard and Daniel had a feeling that he had broken ribs.

    And that was confirmed when he got into his car and was able to see the nasty bruise on his side. His ego was bruised as well.

    ¡°Find out who attempted that attack on my life and make sure he doesn¡¯t see the sun go down. Failure to do so, you would take his ce.¡± Danielmanded his second inmand who broke out in cold sweat.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± He said nheless, hiding his nervousness.

    ¡°Also,¡± Daniel remembered, ¡°Did you find out anything about her.¡±

    And yes, Daniel was talking about the fact that he had his people search Angelica¡¯s house while he was out there with her.

    ¡°They stumbled upon a written note with a doctor¡¯s address on it.¡±

    ¡°Doctor¡¯s address?¡± Daniel had a furrow on his face. ¡°Find out everything you can about it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±

    ¡°Now take me back to the base to recuperate.¡± Daniel leaned back into the seat. Unlike the others ¨C to be precise, his weak son ¨C he knows how to separate pleasure from work.

 Chapter 781 - 781 She Knew

    781 She Knew

    ¡°Yo Macy! Boss Adele wants you in her office,¡± That was the message Macy received while on duty, and the warning bells went off in her head immediately.

    However, Macy had to calm herself down, after all, she could be making a huge deal out of nothing. After Marcel found out what she did in the past, he put her to work directly under Adele who would keep an eye on her, hence it wasn¡¯t surprising she summoned her.

    It¡¯s just that ever since Richardo risked her identity by kidnapping Winters, Macy has been feeling paranoid, thinking Marcel might have caught up to something. While Richardo advised her to leave the organization, it was not as easy as it sounded.

    Being a member of a crime family was not a taxi. Once you are on, you are on. They won¡¯t let her get out. She knows enough about them to be considered a liability. And knowing Marcel, If the choice will be between her life or his life or his loved ones spending the rest of their lives in jail, her life will always be his first choice.

    It was, ¡°blood in, blood out,¡± meaning that she was initiated through a ceremony that involves a little blood ritual and she leaves through death. Although there are a few members who retire due to ill health or other problems and are in effect, out. Officially, they¡¯re still in, but are considered ¡°shelved¡±

    Had she gone through her initial n of killing Marcel, Macy knew deep down that she was not going to survive it. The Luciano family would hunt her down whenever she ran and would never stop until they decapitated her head as conquest. At least she would die honorably, having avenged her father.

    Unfortunately, things have changed and she is now scared of dying. Having tasted the sweetness of life, Macy didn¡¯t want to give up on it anymore which was why she decided to use Richardo. She would y the role of the inside woman who would give him all the information needed to take out Marcel, while Richardo takes the lead in the war and ends Marcel once and for all.

    However, It was quite sad that she joined forces with a bastard who didn¡¯t understand her aspirations. Richardo was merely using her as an excuse to pick a fight with Marcel when all of this should be vengeance for her father¡¯s unfair death. If there was anyone who knew her well and her need for revenge, she thought it would be Richardo, but she guessed time changes people.

    While Richardo promised her protection if she leaves the Luciano family, Adele didn¡¯t trust it. He was impulsive and put all of his trust in the Bratva ¨C who could always fail him at any time ¨C unlike Marcel who was a clever businessman. Not to mention that he has his shrewd father, Daniel, by his side, which alone was a huge threat.

    .....

    Deep down, Macy could sense all of her ns crumbling down but she could not look back now. It was already set in motion and there was no stopping it. The only thing she could do now was find a way to escape alive from when all hell breaks loose. Lives were going to be lost and she didn¡¯t want to be one of them.

    So Macy left everything that she was doing and went to answer Adele¡¯s call. On her way to the office, her senses were on high alert as she scanned everyone that walked past her in case this was a trap after all. There was no harm in being careful.

    Standing in front of her door, Macy¡¯s hand lingered on the doorknob for a while, steadying her heartbeat andposing herself before stepping into the office.

    Adele lifted her gaze as soon as she came in, focusing them on her and Macy had to admit that she was a little unsettled by her probing gaze. If there was anyone she had to be careful around aside from Marcel, it was this woman, Adele Luciano.

    Ambitious, smart, fierce, and grim, Adele wouldn¡¯t hesitate to have her killed once she uncovers her betrayal of the organization.

    Macy unconsciously straightened up,

    ¡°You called for me, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Adele stood up, picking a brown paper-wrapped bundle from the desk as she walked over to her,

    ¡°I want you to deliver something for me,¡± Adele said, standing in front of her and intimidating her with her height.

    ¡°Of course, ma,¡± Macy agreed right away. That was how it worked, there was no questioning. You go wherever you are sent without negotiation.

    ¡°Good.¡± Adele handed the parcel to her and Macy received it, trying hard not to feel it. She had no clue what was inside and was naturally curious.

    ¡°If I may ask, Ma¡¯m, who is the recipient?¡±

    And at that question, Adele¡¯s eyes gleamed with an emotion that she couldn¡¯t tell except that it made her feel ufortable. Something was not right.

    Adele answered, ¡°Richardo Santi,¡±

    Bang!

    It felt like an explosion went off in her head. That exins the strange gleam in her eyes.

    She knew.

    They knew.

    This was a n to get her into an enclosed space to limit her chances of escaping, it dawned on her. But then, knowing that this was a trap didn¡¯t deter her survival instincts.

    But the instant Macy attempted to make a move, the door burst open and several of the soldiers she once knew and worked with, banged into the room with their guns aimed at her leaving her no choice but to raise her hand in surrender.

    All this while, Adele didn¡¯t move and leaned against the desk with her arms folded across her chest knowing everything was under control. One of the soldiers came out and forced Macy down to her knees, cuffing her hands from behind.

    Suddenly a path was created in the middle of the room and Macy was shocked when her eyes rested on Victor. Of course, he was the only one she never thought would find out about her ¨C when he was the one that knew her too well.

    The both of them stared at each other and for a moment there, Macy thought she saw emotions in his eyes.

    But Victor dered to her shock, ¡°Macy, you have been found guilty and charged with the crime of betraying the Luciano family,¡±

    He looked at the soldier by her side,manding him, ¡°Take her away,¡±

    She was roughly dragged to her feet and Macy realized that this might finally be her end.

    Oh no, she can¡¯t die like this.

    ¡°Victor!¡± Macy shouted, hurrying over to touch him and plead for mercy.

    But she was pulled back and forcibly dragged out of the office while continuously yelling his name.

 Chapter 782 - 782 Save Winters

    782 Save Winters

    ¡°Thank God! Finally!¡± Reina, Nius¡¯ wife, breathed in relief as soon as she set her eyes on Akim. Although the young man was much taller than her, it didn¡¯t stop her from pulling him into a hug and Akim had to hunch down to settle to her height.

    ¡°You are safe now,¡± Reina muttered while running her hand soothingly across his back, ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡±

    But Akim was notforted because he broke down into tears instead and she felt for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t cry, eveything would be fine. We all make mistakes,¡± She continued to pat him on the back while he cried, burying his face in the woman¡¯s shoulder.

    It was at that moment that Nius came into the living room and saw both of them. He opened his mouth to speak but Reina shook her head, hinting that this was not the time. So he sighed, running his hand through his hair so tightly his wife, Reina feared for his scalp.

    Reina knew deep down that it took Nius every fiber of his being not tosh out at his nephew right now. It has been weeks, fucking weeks since he ran off with that girl, Winters, and all their efforts to find him proved abortive. He not only put them ¨C Reina and Nius ¨C into a deep state of unrest, but his parents as well, King Kai and his wife, Emily.

    The both of them had toe down to the country to find their runaway son whom they heard took off with a dangerous hacker. Nius knew deep down that Winters had a hand in why they weren¡¯t able to track them down easily. As much as his pride wouldn¡¯t allow it, Nius had to admit that the girl was damn good at what she does.

    Nius could identify teenage rebellion when he sees one ¨C even though the young couples were legally adults. He had been hard-headed and tough while growing up, even till adulthood. Nius went to great lengths to be with his wife today, so he understood and respected true love when he saw one.

    Unfortunately, Akim was the crown prince of Lincolnshire, and his absence during the past weeks has thrown the kingdom into confusion. Not to mention that both of them were young and feelings change all the time ¨C they don¡¯t fullyprehend what love was. He would not let Akim destroy his future over some teen love.

    .....

    Nius didn¡¯t know what happened, but Akim returned on his own, and his men located him on the way, bringing him in safely. However, the deep sadness on his nephew¡¯s face told him that it wasn¡¯t good news. It would be nice if that girl finally came to her senses and broke up with him.

    So he waited ¡°patiently¡± for the boy to keep it together before he began his interrogation. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the boy¡¯s mother, Queen Emily was his sister and trusted him, Nius bet she would have him locked up in jail already, believing he had a hand in whatever happened to her only son.

    After all, what parents would believe that their son who came to spend time with his uncle¡¯s family suddenly eloped with a hacker he ims to be in love with? It was suspicious. Thankfully, there was video evidence to support the im.

    ¡°What the hell were you thinking?!¡± Nius fired, the instant the boy was able to calm down. His eyes were red with anger and the veins on his face protruded.

    Akim in question didn¡¯t dare to look into his uncle¡¯s eyes and lowered his head shamefully instead. Right now, Nius was a live wire and he would only get electrocuted if he dared step on it.

    ¡°Do you know how worried your parents were? They had toe down to the country just to look for you and you were what? Having a good time with the love of your life?!¡±

    ¡°Uncle, it was the only way that I could -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk while I¡¯m speaking!¡± Nius thundered.

    ¡°Nius!¡± Reina stepped in, her gaze silentlymunicating with him to calm down while she ced her hand on Akim¡¯s palm, squeezing it softly.

    She said to her husband with a gentler tone, ¡°Scolding him all day would not erase what happened, Nius, we should be more grateful that he¡¯s back home without any harm. Moreover, this misunderstanding was a result of mimunication. We weren¡¯t listening to him and he probably made his point by running off with her. ¡±

    Nius apuded him sarcastically,

    ¡°Good job then. You solved your problem like a man by running away, bravo! What made you return home then? You should have kept running until we caught up to you. So why did youe back here looking like a mess?!¡±

    ¡°They took her,¡± Akim confessed, tearing up once again.

    ¡°Who took her?¡± Reina asked out of concern, her hand resting on his shoulder. Even Nius who was angry couldn¡¯t help but get interested in the case.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who,¡± Akim exined to them, ¡°We were outside for a while rxing and just when we decided to return home, a car stopped right beside us. They took Winters and overpowered me so I couldn¡¯t go after them. But ever since then, I haven¡¯t heard a thing from Winters and I truly fear that something has happened to her. ¡±

    ¡°Well, good riddance!¡± Nius said without thinking and all he got from his wife was a re.

    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Akim stood up from his seat and walked over to his uncle, falling to his feet, ¡°You have to help me find her. Please, you have to save her.¡±

    But Nius looked down at him, saying without sympathy,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but the only responsibility I owe towards your parents is sending you home safely. And you¡¯re leaving for Lincolnshire first thing, tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Please uncle, I have to save her¡­!¡± Akim begged him, holding onto his feet but Nius wasn¡¯t listening. If anything, he gestured to the guards around who came over and took a hold of him.

    ¡°Nius -¡± Reina tried to mediate but his cutting look silenced her. His decision was final.

    ¡°Uncle!¡± Akim screamed after Nius as he was dragged away. He can¡¯t give up on Winters. He had to save her.

 Chapter 783 - 783 Covet Me

    783 Covet Me

    ¡°So the both of you are good now,¡± Mimi asked, meticulously spreading strawberry jam across her slices of trimmed bread making sure it wasn¡¯t smeared at the edges.

    It has been a while since Mimi visited her best friend, Arianna because she has been busy spending time with Victor¡¯s family. Her mother-inw Carmine and her daughters couldn¡¯t get enough of her and they were quite close to each other now. Mimi had to admit she was lucky enough to be marrying into a family that epted her workout reservation.

    But then, here she was once again to get thetest gossip directly from Arianna. So after ransacking their refrigerator ¨C thankfully Natalie had left ¨C she settled for bread and jam. Although she might have been warned by one of the staff that the jam belonged exclusively to master Ezra.

    Well, who cares? After the incident at the hospital that night, the least he do was to sacrifice his jam. And so, here they were rxing on the patio, gossiping as normal girlfriends do.

    ¡°Yes, Marcel and I have reconciled,¡± Arianna affirmed, feeling giddy.

    She then reached out and took Mimi¡¯s hands in hers, preventing her from eating her bread and jam. Mimi nced up at her with a puzzled expression but let her nheless, curious to see what she was up to.

    Arianna faced her and began, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you for what you did for me, Mimi. Even when I gave up, you didn¡¯t and held the faith for both of us. Sometimes, I think I don¡¯t deserve you, but time after time, you prove that you are a priceless treasure gifted to me. Thank you so much for being my best friend, Mimi Davis.¡± She told her with gratitude.

    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet,¡± Mimi said, blinking her eyes repeatedly as if something got into her eyes, ¡°And while I should be excited that you finally confessed your undying affection for me, why am I crying instead.¡± She fanned her face with her hands.

    Arianna giggled at her hrious reaction and pulled out a sheet of serviette that should have been used for wiping her mouth and fingers while eating to wipe her tears instead.

    .....

    ¡°Here, have this. ¡± She handed it to Mimi who epted it and wiped her tears till she calmed down.

    ¡°How are you feeling now? Better?¡± Arianna hoped so. She didn¡¯t mean to make her best friend cry even though she knew deep down that it was pregnancy hormone speaking.

    ¡°Yes. I feel better now and thank you for those kind words,¡± She reached for her bread and jam, anxious to eat them now her appetite was stirred. Mimi took a bite and moaned with her eyes closed, that felt like heaven.

    She stuffed her mouth with the bread, swallowing it down with a ss of juice at her side. Almost immediately, she took the second loaf and shoved it down her throat to Arianna¡¯s shock.

    She looked at her friend with worry,

    ¡°Jam is loaded with sugars and transfats, shouldn¡¯t you cut down on the amount you take? Aren¡¯t you worried about putting on weight?¡± Arianna advised her.

    But Mimi shook her finger in her face in a ¡®no-no¡¯ sign. She told Arianna proudly, ¡°Victor says I should eat all I want for the baby to get all the nutrients he needs. When I deliver, he would have one of the best dietitian and weight loss coach help me shed the baby weight.¡±

    ¡°You mean he told you to eat healthy food,¡± Arianna gave her a look that says she can fool others, but not her. Mimi was guilty as charged and it was confirmed when she saw the emotion sh across her face briefly.

    Mimi cleared her throat, ¡°That¡¯s what the baby wants.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhmm,¡± Arianna nodded her head, amusement in her eyes, ¡°I believe you.¡± She did not believe her.

    Mimi sighed knowing that her best friend could see through her. She said defensively, ¡°I just can¡¯t control my craving and it tastes so good you should have a bite too.¡± She lifted two of the bread slices she sandwiched together and brought it to Arianna¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t want to.¡± She refused, pushing it away from her lips but Mimi was quite persuasive.

    ¡°Just a bite, bestie,¡± Mimi urged her, taking advantage of their rtionship.

    ¡°Fine, a bite,¡± Arianna chomped down on the edge of the bread and began to chew slowly until her grinding motion paused and her eyes lit up with enlightenment.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it tastes good,¡± She took another bite, and dear God, it was heaven on earth.

    This time, Arianna took the whole loaf from her, gobbling it down. Mimi watched her, thrilled to have initiated her into the circle. However, what Mimi never expected was for Arianna to snatch the butter knife from her and began to spread the jam in her bread and swallowed it in the twinkle of an eye. Done with that, she moved to the next slice as Mimi watched with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Mimi shouted, startling her as Arianna nced up at her with innocent eyes.

    ¡°W-what?¡± She gave her a nk look, the corner of her lips smeared with the jam.

    ¡°There¡¯s just a loaf of bread renaming,¡± Mimi whined, ¡°You said it¡¯s transfat and yet you gobbled the whole thing. If I wasn¡¯t so sure, I would think that you are the pregnant one here.¡±

    ¡°What?! PREGNANT?!¡± Arianna nearly choked on her saliva.

    ¡°Who¡¯s pregnant?¡± Someone said from behind them and both women screamed in fright until they discovered it was no one but the sneaky Ezra.

    Someone should tie a bell on that guy, he nearly gave them a heart attack.

    ¡°Oh, so this was where it went?¡± Ezra reached for the jam container, but Mimi pped his palm away.

    ¡°I already coveted it. It¡¯s mine.¡± Mimi dered, pulling the jam container possessively to her chest.

    ¡°In that case¡­.¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes glistened with mischief, ¡°Why don¡¯t you convet me too? All of me.¡±

 Chapter 784 - 784 This Baby Has A Godfather

    784 This Baby Has A Godfather

    Without a second thought, Mimi handed the jam back to him. If he thought a single container of jam would make her give up on Victor, then he was in for a loss. At first, Mimi found Ezra¡¯s pursuit sweet and kind of funny, not to mention that being admired by the opposite sex notwithstanding her pregnancy made her feel confident in her body, but now it has lost its luster.

    There was nothing funny about it anymore.

    Thest time at the hospital, he and Victor almost got physical because of his teasing. Mimi had to put herself in Victor¡¯s shoes and if there was ady, hovering around her man and iming to like him notwithstanding his rejection, she was definitely going to rip the woman apart with her bare hands. She can¡¯t sit and watch wide-eyed as another bitches to reap where she didn¡¯t sow.

    So yeah, Mimi had to make her stand clear to Ezra now, once and for all. She can¡¯t let any misunderstanding arise between her and Victor especially now things are going well.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you should reject it,¡± He grinned at her, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I was joking around, you don¡¯t have to take it seriously. You can have the jam, I would make moreter,¡± He offered her, feeling generous.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°What?¡± Ezra sensed the swift change in her countenance. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He asked, even though he had a feeling where this conversation was heading.

    ¡°Alright, this is where I leave.¡± Arianna took that as her cue to get out of there. She was not stupid not to notice the tension between Mimi and Ezra. They needed to talk it out, whatever it was between them. She trusted Mimi would make the right choice.

    As soon as Arianna left, tense silence fell on the both of them until Ezra asked,

    .....

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously asking me that?¡±

    Ezra ran his tongue across his teeth and looked at her, ¡°I thought we were cool?¡± He said.

    ¡°If the definition of cool means that I¡¯m bothered by the fact that you are making passes at me, then no, we are not cool.¡± She told him seriously.

    It was rare to see Mimi with such a grim countenance since she always seemed carefree, hence throwing Ezra off bnce. One moment they were joking and the next, they weren¡¯t.

    ¡°I told you that I like you,¡± Ezra said.

    ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± Her gaze bored into his eyes, searching for the truth, ¡°Is that truly how you feel? Do you really have affection for a pregnant woman engaged to be married to the father of her child who also happens to be your family¡¯s nemesis? Do you have that much confidence to go against Victor? Are you sure you won¡¯t regret dragging your loved ones into a fight that could have been avoided if you didn¡¯t try to steal another person¡¯s woman?¡±

    When Mimi saw the way his face fell, the answer became clear to her. She said wryly, ¡°I thought as much.¡±

    ¡°In that case, here¡¯s the rules then, I can¡¯t avoid you since Arianna is staying here, which means you don¡¯t make any suggestivement around that could give rise to misunderstanding between us. Secondly¡­¡± Mimi thought over it and well¡­

    ¡°You don¡¯t make anyments at all. I don¡¯t ept your feelings whether sincere or not. Stop the jokes, end it all at once!¡± She gestured, crossing her hands in an ¡°X¡± shape.

    Breathing, Mimi looked up at him, waiting for what he had to say, but all that greeted her was silence.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say something? Anything?¡± Mimi was waiting for his response.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Ezra breathed.

    Mimi frowned, ¡°That is all?¡± She thought he would start up an argument with her or try to convince her to give him a chance, annoying her more. Men tend to grovel in front of the woman they like.

    ¡°You are quite cold.¡±

    Oh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me me. I have to draw the lines before it¡¯s toote.¡± She said to him,

    ¡°Is that so,¡± Ezra shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He asked her, ¡°I never stood a chance with you, right?¡±

    Mimi smiled, ¡°Perhaps in the past, yes. Now, it¡¯s impossible. You would find out that I know exactly how to handle men like you and I bet we won¡¯t evenst anyway.¡±

    Ezra scoffed, ¡°What¡¯s so bad about me?¡±

    ¡°You fell for me easily, that¡¯s the problem.¡± Mimi made a chomping sound with her teeth, ¡°I eat men like you for breakfast.¡±

    Ezra arched a brow at her, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Okay, maybe that was a little exaggerated,¡±

    They looked at each other and broke intoughter.

    ¡°Perhaps, we can be friends then,¡± Ezra suggested.

    ¡°Nah, a man and a woman can¡¯t be friends,¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d prove them wrong then.¡±

    ¡°You already have feelings for me, there¡¯s nothing to prove, you dummy, ¡± Mimiughed at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be your baby¡¯s godfather then.¡±

    Mimi¡¯s mouth dropped open, taken aback by hisment.

    ¡°You seriously don¡¯t mean that,¡±

    ¡°With every breath of my being.¡±

    ¡°Victor would kill you if he catches you hovering around his kid,¡± Mimi told him, ¡°You both don¡¯t have a good history together, and putting you both in a room, not to mention with my kid around, that¡¯s a disaster.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mimi,¡± He ced his hand on her shoulder, squeezing assuredly, ¡°We men have a way of solving our differences,¡± Ezra said.

    Even at that, Mimi gave him a long, hard look, ¡°You are one strange man,¡±

    ¡°No, you simply missed out on a great man,¡± His pride was simply out of this world.

    ¡°As if,¡± Mimi snorted.

    She watched as Ezra picked up the jam and handed it to her, ¡°You should have it. Since I know you like my recipe, I¡¯ll make sure to produce more and send them to you.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to -¡±

    ¡°I insist. I¡¯m taking my role as this baby¡¯s godfather very seriously and I have to provide him with the best nutrition.¡± He said with a manner of seriousness that left Mimi stunned and she had no choice but to take the jam from him.

    ¡°I have to ask though, what¡¯s your secret? I haven¡¯t tasted a strawberry jam this sweet. What did you put in it?¡± She was curious.

    But Ezra answered with a devilish grin, ¡°My semen.¡±

    Ezra!!!!!!!!

 Chapter 785 - 785 What We Could Have Been

    785 What We Could Have Been

    No one could tell what was going on in Marcel¡¯s mind as he stared at the footage of Macy being imprisoned with rapt attention. But then, when Victor peeked at the screen, there was nothing going on except the scene of the betrayer being tied to a chair and staring at nothing.

    Victor looked back at Marcel and it hit him that his cousin was lost in his thoughts. So when Marcel suddenly straightened up without warning, he nearly startled him yet he was able topose himself at thest minute.

    ¡°Take me to her,¡± Marcelmanded, leaving with a file in his grasp while his other hand was inside his pocket. Although he seemed fine, his steps were heavier and so was his heart. This was not the type of news Marcel expected to hear.

    No, he had not believed it when the message came to him of Macy¡¯s betrayal until he had evidence staring down at his face. Macy had made pretty bad choices like being in a rtionship with Victor and sleeping with him at the same time in the past, but none of them hurt as badly as this discovery.

    He trusted her.

    He depended on her.

    She was once his second inmand.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the part where he wouldn¡¯t realize her betrayal until he was staring death in the face. He would never suspect a thing until he got kicked to the curb.

    It was perfect.

    .....

    Marcel¡¯s heart ran cold with each step he took until he was standing right outside the door. Victor gestured to both men standing guard and they pushed the heavy door open.

    The both of them walked into the basement until Macy lifted her face and Marcel halted in his steps when he saw her appearance. He turned to Victor,

    ¡°You beat her up?¡±

    Victor turned to the men standing behind the door and back at Marcel. He said, ¡°A little force had to be applied when she resisted being taken away,¡±

    Marcel didn¡¯t say anything and his expression showed he didn¡¯t care either. He stared Macy dead in the eyes with his jaw clenched as he approached her and when he got there, pulled the nearby chair to her front and sat down. Victor made himself invincible; he was there but his presence was not enough to distract Marcel from his work.

    He didn¡¯t say a word, Marcel simply took in her appearance. Macy had a ck eye on the right side of her face and could barely open it. Aside from that, she lookedpletely fine. Her body was tied tightly to the seat with her hands bound from behind so there was no chance of escape.

    However, there was nothing more annoying than theplete disregard in her eyes. Now that her secret was out in the open, there was no more need to pretend or suck up to the boss, was there?

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this ce look familiar to you?¡± Marcel told her, ¡°Just months ago, you were standing over there¡­.¡± He pointed to an empty spot in the basement, her gaze following his line of sight, ¡°while I tortured Peter Ivanov for my guns, and today here you are in the same position.¡±

    Macy threw her head to the side and spat out a huge lump of saliva on the floor.

    ¡°So what¡¯s your point?¡± She sneered.

    Marcel simply opened the file and tossed it to the floor, making sure that the page he wanted was open before her.

    Macy stared at the record and scoffed, hinting at her background.

    ¡°It took you that long to find out,¡±

    She added immediately before Marcel had the chance to speak, ¡°And please don¡¯t give me the ¡®I trusted you¡¯ speech, that¡¯s old already, can¡¯t you think of something creative?¡±

    But Marcel shook his head, ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to say that, rather I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Amuse me then,¡± Macy said with a heavy tone of sarcasm, gesturing to her environment, ¡°As you can see, I am bored out of my mind here.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it? With the blind trust I had towards you, you had ample opportunities to take me out. Why dy the inevitable? Why did you not kill me when you knew deep down it was either me or you?¡±

    ¡°Oh please don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know the reason why Marcel!¡± Macy shouted at him. His ignorance was beginning to get on her nerves.

    ¡°Do you know that I was so full of anger the first time we met and I couldn¡¯t wait for the day when I would get my hands on you? Though it would be a fast death, I would relish watching life leave your eyes¡­.¡±

    Her expression turned pitiful the next few seconds, ¡°But the more I got close to you, I began to justify the reason for my father¡¯s death. And then Victor came in and showed me a rare kindness, it was sweet while itsted. But I wanted more. If my father¡¯s death was going to be waved aside like that, it had to be worth it. Being your wife was enoughpensation, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Macyughed once again and while she found it hrious, it wasn¡¯t funny to Marcel who sat as still as a rock with his impassive mask on. It was impressive how he was able to keep a straight face as Macyughed till she ended up coughing instead.

    She cleared her throat and continued, ¡°We had something great, you know. Together, we would have been unstoppable. A formidable couple as the romanticists call it. But you had to go bring in Arianna,¡± Macy called her name with so much poison. The deadly look in her eyes was enough proof of how much she loathed Arianna.

    ¡°Everything would have gone perfectly if only she hadn¡¯t appeared to take away what I worked hard for. I tried so hard to eliminate the threat while it was still in the bud, but you didn¡¯t have the foresight and let her sink her ws into you. If you hadn¡¯t opened up to her, we would have been married by now and I would forget all about my revenge. But look where we are now, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s unfortunate, Marcel?¡±

 Chapter 786 - 786 Arianna Is The Target

    786 Arianna Is The Target

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Marcel asked because her viinous cackle was already getting to him. They weren¡¯t even shooting a horror movie here and it was getting annoying.

    He told her, ¡°I can give you more time to unload your grievances before you leave this earth. You can consider it a privilege for the time spent together,¡±

    ¡°How magnanimous of you,¡± Macy mocked him. Sheughed again, but unlike the other times, this one seemed self-deprecating.

    It was as if she realized at thest minute how stupid she was by sparing his life. She shouldn¡¯t have shown him mercy ¨C because he wouldn¡¯t show her one now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no then,¡± Marcel said when he saw her seething. Macy knew deep down that it was over for her.

    ¡°For starters, I think the unfortunate one here is you, not me. You¡¯re the one bound to a chair, remember.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­.¡± He leaned closer, ¡°From what I have learned from your story so far, you think Arianna is your problem. No, she is not. Allow me to tell you what your problem is, Macy. It is greed.¡±

    He continued, ¡°Even if we did get married, would it ever be enough for you? You thought having me as a husband ispensation enough for your father¡¯s death, what if I lose my worth? What if you are not satisfied with your position by my side and want my seat instead? What if you finally decided the Luciano family ispensation for your father¡¯s death?¡±

    Marcelughed sarcastically, ¡°That¡¯s the cycle of greed, Macy. It never stops but rather keeps growing until every little thing bes the reason for your action,¡± He hinted at the fact she used Arianna as an excuse to want to take his life.

    .....

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie, you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Even up to now, you¡¯re still trying to make reasons for her. Arianna should have never been there in the first ce. You should have killed her for stealing from you and keeping Elijah¡¯s identity a secret!¡± she argued.

    ¡°Yeah, totally unlike someone who wanted to kill me.¡± He sassed.

    Macy¡¯s expression shifted when she realized none of her words would impact him. She then spat out,

    ¡°Your father is right, you are too weak, Marcel.¡±

    The mask Marcel put on earlier cracked and the emotion he was trying to hide was revealed a little. Macy had once been close to him and knew just the right button to push. There was a deep frown on his face, but surprisingly, Marcel let it all go in the next minute.

    His mask was back on.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite lowing from you of all people,¡± He was disappointed.

    Confusion knitted her brows, Macy thought he would havest his calm by now. The Marcel she knew, wouldn¡¯t take that insult lying down.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite fortunate that Arianna tells me the opposite of that, every day. And guess what, I don¡¯t care about looking weak in front of scum like you, because at the end of the day, your opinion isn¡¯t worth a thing.¡±

    He stood up, ¡°I think this is the point where I take my leave. Send my greetings to your father in hell when you see him.¡± Marcel was just about to leave when she shouted,

    ¡°Richardo would not let this go!¡±

    Marcel scratched the side of his face, he was bored of this game already. He slowly turned to her and said, ¡°Is this the point where you try to negotiate with him for your freedom.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± She said haughtily, ¡°This is the point where I tell you that the fight is far from over.¡±

    ¡°To be honest Macy, I thought you were smarter than this. Joining hands with a nobody like Richardo is a smear on your reputation, not to talk of mine. You should have chosen wisely.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Macy admitted to his surprise, ¡°At the end of the day, you would surely win against him, but at that cost? Arianna¡¯s life?¡±

    Marcel stiffened upon hearing that, his hands forming into a fist by his sides while his jaw clenched tightly. He would kill anyone who dares touch a strand on her head by a thousand cuts. He didn¡¯t care, Marcel swore he would peel the person¡¯s skin off his body while alive. It would be a long, agonizing death.

    He strode over to Macy and grabbed her by the chin tightly.

    But she simpered through the pain, ¡°Your father doesn¡¯t get to you anymore, but the threat on Arianna¡¯s life does, huh?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Provoke. Me.¡± Marcel warned through gritted teeth, his grip on her jaw tightening.

    She retorted, ¡°This is not a provocation but a quick reminder as to what would happen if you take my life. Do you think Richardo is stupid or merely suicidal? Have you asked yourself why he is so confident in taking you on? What if he has a trump card that he hadn¡¯t revealed yet? How confident are you that you would win this battle?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s grip loosened but he didn¡¯t let go entirely as he searched her gaze. There was just a confidence in those eyes that told him to take a second to reconsider ending her. He looked in the direction where Victor hid in the shadows and noticed his subtle gesture.

    He let go of her and Macy gasped slightly before beginning to work her jaw. That hurts so much.

    ¡°You better pray he¡¯s worth my attention,¡± He threatened her.

    ¡°I should be the one telling you not toe begging at my feetter for help.¡± Macy was smug.

    With one final look of disgust, Marcel left her there. The moment he was out, Victor was by his side, saying,

    ¡°I know people in theirst moments tend to bluff a lot but I studied Macy and that was no bluffing. I think she knows something we don¡¯t know.¡±

    Marcel halted in his steps and so did his cousin. He turned to him, and ordered,

    ¡°Find out everything you can on that Richardo guy and check for my blind spots, my weaknesses. Keep enough security on Chloe, and put an alert to Adele. Ask her to kindly look out to see if any of my annoying rtives are missing and might be used as a bargaining chip in this game. ¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Victor took note, ¡°And what about you? What are you going to do?¡± He knew Marcel wouldn¡¯t keep quiet about this since it has gotten to this point.

    Marcel said, ¡°Going to check up on Arianna. She¡¯s the target.¡±

 Chapter 787 - 787 Immoral Thoughts

    787 Immoral Thoughts

    Marcel drove at top speed, all the while his head filled with thoughts. Although he doubted that Richardo would be able to topple Eric¡¯s top match security and get to Arianna, he still needed to be sure that his woman was safe. After all, Eric has no idea about Richardo and even if he does, he would probably wave it aside like he ¨C Marcel ¨C did until Macy happened.

    To be honest, Marcel still looks down on the wannabe kingpin, however, with the threat involving Arianna, he would take it seriously. There is no second life and he can¡¯t stay around and wait till something happens to her before he believes the threat exists and makes a move.

    This was not the first time the safety of his loved ones have been threatened by his enemies, however, this is the first Arianna is being involved and it sent anger coiling inside of Marcel, like an impending volcano waiting to uncurl and explode upon the earth. He gritted his teeth while he grabbed the steering wheel tightly. May God help any soul that tries to harm Arianna because there would be no mercy.

    Thanks to his speeding, Marcel arrived at Eric¡¯s ce in no time. However, he didn¡¯t drive in, rather parked at the corner of the road and looked out at the building, hoping to make out where she stayed but he didn¡¯t know her room so it was futile. He had seen Arianna today already, hence Marcel found it unnecessary to bother her again ¨C even though he wanted her in his arms right now.

    He decided to call her instead, hearing Arianna¡¯s voice would calm and assure him that she was fine. At first, the phone rang with no answer, only for her to pick up the second time he called, calming his racing heart.

    ¡°Arianna?!¡± Marcel called anxiously, relieved at the sound of her voice. When she hadn¡¯t answered her phone, his heart skipped a beat and he had a thought that the threat hade to pass, that she had been taken. But it seems that he was thinking too much.

    ¡°Hi to you my handsome boyfriend,¡± Her teasing voice drifted into his ears. She asked him almost immediately, ¡°Why do you sound so out of breath?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel was flustered.

    At once, he cleared her throat, and lied to her, ¡°Exercise. I had been exercising right before you came to my mind and I decided I needed to hear your voice.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Arianna said unsuspectingly, ¡°I wondered how productive your exercise was if you couldn¡¯t get me off your mind?¡± She flirted with him.

    Hearing herment brought a smile to Marcel¡¯s lips and he unconsciously tapped his fingers on the wheel.

    ¡°I missed you.¡± He confessed.

    ¡°It¡¯s been less than twenty-four hours since we saw each other.¡± Arianna reminded him.

    ¡°Even at that, I miss you so much that I wish you were the air I breathe, that way I can inhale you all the time.¡±

    ¡°Have I ever told you that you are a sweet talker?¡±

    But Marcel answered her, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, all I can tell you is how I feel for you.¡±

    There was a sudden silence on Arianna¡¯s side and a furrow appeared on Marcel¡¯s brows. He withdrew the phone and stared at the screen with a puzzled expression. The call was ongoing, so why wasn¡¯t she saying something?

    Suddenly Marcel heard her excited squeal as Arianna groaned, ¡°God! Go easy on my heart! You don¡¯t know how much your words affect me. You say one sweet thing and then my heart goes ba-dum, ba-dum and I can¡¯t control it. Jesus Christ! I can practically feel it pounding against my ribcage¡­¡± She rambled on while Marcel burst into heartyughter, imagining her describing her situation.

    The sound of hisughter was loud, rich, and unadulterated, surprising even to him. Marcel had never been this happy and he knew it was all because of her. Arianna was just too cute. He could never have a bad day with her by his side and herughter chased away all of his troubles.

    ¡°I missed you too,¡± Arianna finally confessed and a warm feeling bloomed inside his chest. Dear God, he couldn¡¯t wait to marry her.

    ¡°I¡¯m outside,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t know when the words slipped out of his mouth. He had just been so happy, he let out the secret unknowingly.

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna shouted, ¡°You mean, like outside? Outside of my, no, Eric¡¯s house right now?¡± She had not seen that oneing, the confession taking her by surprise.

    ¡°Yes, right now.¡± He affirmed that the cat was already out of the bag. Since he can¡¯t go in, he would see her outside before he leaves.

    It didn¡¯t even take five minutes before Marcel looked through the window and saw Ariannaing out of the gate to meet him. She stopped to say something to the guards stationed there while he took the chance to step out of the car.

    Marcel waited for her at the other side of the car, leaning against the body and watching as she ran over to him with a delighted smile on her face. Arianna crossed the street and upon getting to him, jumped onto his body and Marcel caught her swiftly, shaking his head in disbelief. She never learns, does she?

    ¡°What a surprise!¡± Ariannaughed, hugging him and filled with happiness while Marcel made sure to hold on to her tightly. She was wearing a spaghetti strap nightgown that rode up her thighs when she wrapped her legs around his waist. So when Marcel¡¯s hand touched her thighs, he felt bare flesh and his cock twitched in response.

    Okay, this was not the time nor ce, Marcel scolded his crown jewel down there. He would only put himself in pain if he kept thinking about it. Everything about her tempted him. So he summoned every bit of self-control he had in him to resist this temptation.

    Thankfully, she climbed down his body and Marcel was able to breathe. He put on a sweet smile even though he was sweating internally. She would never understand how much she tempted him with such little effort.

    ¡°What are you doing outside here? If you are here, why don¡¯t youe inside?¡± She questioned, frowning down at his action.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Marcel said, looking at her wryly, ¡°We already met earlier today, I don¡¯t want your mother to think that I¡¯m obsessed with you or something?¡± Even though he technically was. Marcel wanted to feel her, taste her and breathe her in every fucking moment.

    Yep, he was definitely obsessed.

    ¡°Silly, my mother is not home yet,¡± Arianna hit him yfully on the chest.¡± Nor is Eric.¡±she batted hershes at him, leaving Marcel a bit stunned. He tilted his head unsure, was that an invitation he sensed in her voice?

    Oh no, no, he must be thinking things now.

    His mind was beginning to rot with the plenty immoral Thoughts in there.

 Chapter 788 - 788 Arianna Was Giving Him Signals

    788 Arianna Was Giving Him Signals

    Marcel pretended he didn¡¯t notice the signal Arianna was giving him. No, he must be thinking too much. There was no way his goody-two-shoes girlfriend would invite him into her parent¡¯s ce while they were away. That doesn¡¯t sound like Arianna.

    He was still in the middle of his thought when Arianna leaned into his body, and trailed a finger slowly down his chest. ncing up at him, she said to him with pouty lips, ¡°So¡­. what do you say?¡±

    Marcel looked at her and swallowed. This was unfair to him. How could he resist her when she was looking at him with those sexy eyes? He was not ignorant not to know what she was offering him, but then a part of Marcel¡¯s brain was still functioning. And the thought of Eric catching him in his home, fucking his stepdaughter did not exactly appeal to him.

    He grabbed her shoulder to pull her back, ¡°Arianna, I don¡¯t think this is a -¡±

    ¡°I have a good n.¡±

    ¡°But still, I -¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want this?¡± Arianna tempted him by grinding her body against him and his breath caught in his throat.

    She leaned towards him and just when Marcel thought she was about to kiss him, Arianna turned her face at thest minute and whispered into her ears temptingly, ¡°I know you want this,¡± her voice had dropped to a lower, sexy octave.

    Arianna withdrew from him with a powerful smile knowing that she was in control here. He couldn¡¯t resist her. But what she never expected was for Marcel to turn her without warning, pushing her into the car and her back hit the cold metal, a startled gasp was drawn from her lips.

    .....

    He was in her space at once, his lips brushing against her own causing her to part her lips while her back arched unconsciously. Arianna waited with anticipation to feel the firm press of his warm mouth, but Marcel moved his lips to her ears and said instead,

    ¡°What¡¯s the n here?¡± He kissed the tip of her ear instead.

    Arianna shut her eyes with a deep sigh. She shook her head mentally, having forgotten that she was a vindictive partner. In her point of view, Marcel was so childish. She reopened her eyes and ced her hands on his chest, creating space between them as the aching desire in her core eased away as if doused by cold water.

    ¡°For starters, pack your car further down the street where none of them would be able to suspect a thing when they return.¡± She directed him and Marcel did as she ordered. He had to trek back to her after packing his cars yards away.

    ¡°What now?¡± Marcel asked with his hands on his waist. ¡°What do we do about the guards? They would be sure to tell Eric or Natalie of my presence.¡± He pointed out.

    Arianna told him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I made a good work of my time here by befriending most of the soldiers and they can do me the favor of keeping your presence tonight a favor.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± That was all Marcel said and Arianna raised a brow at that unenthusiastic response. She had been hoping that he would be impressed by her efforts.

    ¡°Why do I feel like you don¡¯t like this?¡± Arianna asked him, studying his expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering about the numerous men I would have to deal with for looking at you the wrong way.¡±

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Arianna rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him along. Marcel could be so overdramatic sometimes.

    Getting to the entrance, the gate was opened for both of them and Arianna walked in, giving a thumbs up to the soldier who smiled back at her in response. Sadly, that smile died off his face when the soldier turned to meet Marcel¡¯s murderous re.

    The man swallowed at once, cold sweat forming on his forehead and he focused on closing the gate while Marcel¡¯s hostile gaze lingered on him till Arianna dragged him away.

    ¡°No,¡± Arianna stopped Marcel when he tried to go through the front door. She quickly exined to him, ¡°There¡¯s a camera at the entrance and I don¡¯t doubt Ezra would be ying around with the footage.¡±

    She continued with a tinge of pride, ¡°I have studied all of the camera¡¯s blind spots and we should be able to avoid being captured.¡±

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Marcel ruffled her hair yfully and a blush crept up her cheeks. Arianna smiled bashfully.

    She then said, ¡°All you have to do is follow my lead.¡±

    Marcel saluted her, ¡°Aye, captain,¡± He grinned at her.

    Pushing the fluttering butterflies in her stomach and her fluctuating emotions to the back of her mind, Arianna focused on the mission at hand. They went through the backyard and Marcel never for once took the lead from her. He obeyed every of her instruction till they sessfully sneaked through the kitchen into the main house.

    When they got in, Arianna made sure everything was clear before leading Marcel up the stairs that led up to her room. Knowing that she wasn¡¯t the only one that lived on that floor, their steps were light and measured till they found her room.

    Arianna opened the door and helped him in before she went in and locked the door behind her, leaning against it as she tried to catch her breath.

    ¡°That was so close,¡± she breathed, her heart still racing. She lifted her gaze only to see Marcel looking at her with a strange look.

    ¡°And you were awesome out there.¡± Heplimented her and a blush formed on her cheeks again. Damn, why was she blushing a lot tonight?

    But that was all Marcel had to say because when she looked at him again, his pupils were dark as pitch and the atmosphere in the room shifted and two steps were what it took Marcel to cover the distance between them.

    He then cupped both of her cheeks with his palm, her lips already parting open as his mouth swooped down on hers, kissing her breathless with her eyes shut. Their lips molded together, his tongue gaining entry when she opened up to him. Arianna couldn¡¯t stop the lustful moan that escaped her lips and she let go of her grip on the doorknob, wrapping it around his waist instead and pulling him closer to her body.

    His warm tongue yed with hers, his hand holding her head still as he devoured her lips, pressing her impossibly further against the door till there was no space between them, their bodies flush against each other. They only parted for air, Arianna was breathing heavily with a flushed expression when he took her lips once again in a passionate kiss.

 Chapter 789 - 789 Marcel Never Settles For One Round

    789 Marcel Never Settles For One Round

    The both of them were too impatient to wait and Marcel was surprised when Arianna spun him around, pushing him into the wall instead before the wet heat of her mouth was upon him. She tugged at his shirt, greedily slipping her hand beneath and moaning at the feel of his strong, gorgeous, lean muscles tensing beneath.

    To be honest, Marcel found it hotter when Arianna took the approach to seduce him and that was evidenced by his cock throbbing in his pants. She was the finest thing that he had ever tasted, like a burst of sunshine on his tongue that dueled with hers.

    But then he found himself always wanting to be in control, to want to please her. He turned her into the wall this time, pushing her closer so their bodies were stered together.

    The passion ignited and their kiss became urgent, wetter, and hotter. Arianna was breathing deeper and faster through the kiss, her head reeling with all the sensation.

    Marcel¡¯s hands moved and the flimsy material of her nightgown dropped to the ground between them, his gaze darkening at the sight of her breast. He cupped her breast, heat searing through her. Arianna moaned loudly into his mouth while he rolled her pebbled nipples in between his fingers.

    He lifted his head and Arianna peered up at him with her lust-induced eyes as a wicked grin curved the corners of his lips and a shiver went through her. He lowered his hot mouth over her nipple and Arianna arched her back into him, a gasp leaving her lips.

    Marcel¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t cover her nipple, it engulfed it and engorged it. He licks her overly sensitive breast while the other massages the other breast. Arianna moved against him, her hands digging into his shoulders through his shirt and wishing he was as naked and vulnerable as she was.

    But Marcel had other ns because he gave up on her breast and she felt steady movements only for his fingers to slip her panties off her legs and she stepped out of it. He slowly slides his hand over her p*ssy, her breath hitching in response.

    Marcel plunges a finger in and out of her, a moan leaving her lips. He then withdraws the finger, bringing it to her open lips, and traces them, leaving a sticky, wet trail behind. He puts the finger inside of her mouth and Arianna eagerly sucks the length of his hand, the libidinous sounds she made at the back of her throat causing his dick to harden, straining against the confines of his pants.

    .....

    He takes back his finger and licks up every drop on her lips before invading her mouth with his tongue. Marcel¡¯s hands move to her ass and yank her forward so his erection grinds against her p*ssy and makes her groan a hoarse sound into his mouth.

    Arianna had had enough of the appetizer, she wanted a taste of the main dish, especially when knowing she was on borrowed time ¨C her mother might return at any moment. Then her hands were moving frantically, yanking on the button of his pants and Marcel arched his hips in encouragement, making her chest pound in anticipation.

    She ripped his pants and underwear off leaving him in astonishment. Marcel knew deep down that Arianna was never like this, what had he done to this once pure, innocent soul? He tainted her soul ck, turning her into a dark goddess fit for him and he was so proud of his handwork.

    She helped him stripped, naked skin meeting naked skin. Arianna swallowed yet her hips couldn¡¯t help but arch into him, she wanted him now. With both hands on her ass, Marcel boosted her up so she could wrap her legs around him while pushed up against the wall. He kissed her once again, devouring her mouth with his tongue.

    Setting his thickness between the wet fold of her pussy, Marcel drives into her in one, wild motion.

    ¡°Oh fuck.¡± Arianna¡¯s voice trembled into the silence of the room, as her channel squeezed Marcel¡¯s dick so tightly he gritted his teeth.

    ¡°God, you are too tight,¡± Marcel groaned, his voice sounding unsteady.

    More like he was too huge.

    Arianna panted shakily, feeling his cock pulse inside of her.

    However, a protesting groan left her lips when she felt him beginning to slide out from her. A dark, satisfied chuckle left Marcel¡¯s lips as he slipped out of herpletely, punishing her with his absence only to m into her with fluid ease, drawing a whimper from her lips.

    That asshole, Arianna wanted to re at him but a low, satisfied sound rolled through her instead. Marcel settled his dick so deep inside of her that her p*ssy was stretched and she winced. His hand clutched her ass and Arianna shuddered, her hands holding onto Marcel¡¯s shoulder when he started to move.

    He thrust into her with such smooth, fluid motions that made it hard to breathe. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Marcel yanked her face forward so he could kiss her while he fucked her. And though they kissed with intense ferocity, sucking and devouring each other¡¯s lips, it still didn¡¯t distract nor break off Marcel¡¯s pace. Instead, the erotic kiss fueled him.

    They got into a rhythm so hard and fast that it forced Arianna to break the kiss and squeal loudly.

    ¡°Marcel ¡ª oh fuck¡ª¡± She panted, her voice a hoarse, desperate wreck.

    Marcel in question grabbed her ass and mmed her down on his dick, deepening the pleasure while she shuddered, having rubbed a spot inside of her that made her breath catch.

    He continued mming into her while Arianna panted, delirious with pleasure. She facilitated the move by pounding her hips downward to meet every one of Marcel¡¯s upward thrusts, building the pleasure and making their fucking twice as intense, hard, and frantic. She was so overly sensitive that she couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡°Marcel -!¡± She cried out, her body quaking like a leaf in winter as a great pleasure vibrated through her.

    Marcel didn¡¯t stop, he continued plowing into her without mercy, prolonging the ecstasy until he came with her too. He groaned, the raspy sound making her shiver around him while his seed filled her so much that the rest dripped down her legs.

    He kissed her, but it was less urgent, more like sharing mutual satisfaction and she leaned into him. He slowly pulled out of her and Arianna missed the hot contact. She wanted more of him.

    And more she got because Marcel never settles for one round. Not even for a quickie.

 Chapter 790 - 790 A Request From Marcel

    790 A Request From Marcel

    Natalie was running homete and it was in Arianna¡¯s favor because right now she was bent over the edge of her bed with Marcel settling behind her. He puts one hand on her hip while the other settles on her ass, holding her as he sets his thickness between the wet folds of her p*ssy. He then slides into her with one smooth motion.

    Arianna mewled, burying her face into the bed as he buried himself inside of her, sheathed to the hilt. She was so sensitive, and he was so huge. Both of them were a sensation she didn¡¯t like and liked at the same time. His finger digging into her hip, Marcel circles his hips in a motion that hit a special spot inside of her that made her cry out.

    Fuck this, she wanted more!

    He grabbed her hips with both hands, but this time Arianna was lifted to her tiptoes. Her tits were pressed flush to the mattress with her ass poised in the air. In this position, she held no leverage; her body was designed for his pleasure and Marcel buried his hand in her hair, tugging hard she moaned.

    He began to move inside of her and never started slow. Marcel pounds in and out of her and her hands dug into the sheet, trying to brace herself. His thrusts were so powerful and intense that Arianna didn¡¯t realize she was leaning off the bed until his hand found her neck and he pushed her back down, the side of her head pressed to the bed while he fucked her breathlessly.

    ¡°Fuck! Marcel!¡± She moaned from the onset of pleasure.

    He continuously mmed

    into her before nting himself in so deep that Arianna shattered around him, crying out her climax. But that was just the beginning because Marcel never stopped, his movements getting out of control.

    Arianna screamed, moaned, whimpered, and begged him as she felt the impact of his thrusts, the sound of flesh hitting flesh filling her ears, and feeling it down to her toes. Her core was so sensitive it was beginning to hurt. But with more pleasure.

    .....

    She felt Marcel caress her ass only for him to bring his hand down on it, the sound echoing through their surroundings. Her p*ssy contracted from the pain, a whimper leaving her lips. But dear God, she wanted him to do it again.

    ¡°What do you want from me, Arianna?¡± Marcel questioned her out of nowhere.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Her mind was hazy.

    He smacked her ass again for that response and Arianna bit down on her lips. Her hands are bunching the sheet hard. The p on her ass was enough to clear the fog from her brain so when Marcel asked again.

    ¡°What do you want from me, Arianna?¡±

    She shouted huskily, ¡°You! Just fuck me, Marcel!¡±

    He answered her prayer.

    Marcel drove in wildly, the thrust breaking into riotous pounding while he constantly spanked her assbined with her throaty cries till her buttcheeks were red and sore. She was going to have a hard time sitting with that tomorrow.

    Her muscles spasmed, her body locking up as Marcel sent her over the edge. Her body was caught in a seizure-like-bout and Arianna clenched her p*ssy hard enough to make her climax with him. Marcel came hard, exploding inside of her with a satisfied groan.

    Wasted, Marcel fell on her, his cock still throbbing inside of her and relishing the little aftershocks. The both of them were silent for several minutes trying to catch their breaths until their eyes crossed and they smiled at each other. Marcel leaned and kissed her sweetly on the mouth, and parted only to withdraw out of her. His dick was limp, satisfied for the moment, but he didn¡¯t trust it for one moment while inside of her. It was an insatiable monster.

    He carried Arianna from the edge andid her down in the middle of the bed, disappearing into her bathroom to clean up, and appearedter with a bowel and a towel which he used to assist her in her clean up.

    Done, the both of them cuddled infortable silence, naked under the sheet.

    ¡°How would you know when your mother returns home?¡± Marcel asked her. He needed to be sure when to make his escape. It felt kind of sinful and exciting, you know, to fuck his girlfriend in her home and sneak out before her mother returns.

    He had watched a few young adult movies like that and probably would have experienced one as a teenager if he had a normal life.

    Arianna decided to let him in on the secret. She said to him, ¡°You see, as I told you earlier, I discussed with the guard outside and he would alert me once my mother or Eric drives in.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Marcel said, feeling a bit guilty. He did re at the man, not that Arianna needed to know. But then, what if the guard purposely has revenge on him by failing to inform him of Natalie¡¯s arrival? Marcel swallowed ufortably, he would have to be alert then. That was the least of his problems, anyway.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Arianna noticed the change in his countenance and something seemed to be bothering him.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Marcel blinked away the emotions in his eyes, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Arianna said to him sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to lie to me, Marcelo Xavier Luciano. You can fool others, but not me. What is going on?¡±

    At this point, Marcel knew that Arianna spelling out his full name meant that she was not taking no for an answer. He had to tell her.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, something did happen.¡±

    Her brows drew together, she was right of course.

    ¡°I want you to do something for me first, Arianna,¡± Marcel said, taking her hand in his and covering it with his palms.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, curious about this unexpected request. It was not like Marcel to ask something of her.

 Chapter 791 - 791 Learn How To Use A Gun

    791 Learn How To Use A Gun

    Arianna¡¯s heart was pounding with anticipation as she waited for Marcel to reveal his intention. She swallowed thickly, licking her lips nervously and knowing that the look on his face meant that it was serious.

    So when he announced, ¡°I want you to learn how to handle a gun,¡±

    Arianna choked, ¡°W-what?¡±

    Her gaze lifted to his, searching the depths of his eyes and God knows, he was fucking serious.

    ¡°You want me to u-use a gun?¡± Arianna was having a hard time preserving that information.

    ¡°Not only that,¡± Marcel told her, ¡°Learn how to fight if possible. A war ising and I won¡¯t sit still and watch you be the casualty loss.¡±

    He sighed, ¡°I should have done that while you were with me but I was busy chasing after you and preserving your innocence.¡± Marcel said with regret.

    ¡°B-but¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know!... Why?... where is thising from?¡±Arianna sputtered, overwhelmed by the sudden request. Thest time she fought, she ended up taking up Cassie¡¯s life, even though it was practically self-defense.

    But then, the point is, she still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the trauma of Cassie¡¯s death, how could she take training in the hope of taking more lives? However, what had she been expecting when she lived with danger all around?

    .....

    Marcel would protect her. Or Eric or Elijah? They were family now, eh? She thought. But then, what if they¡¯re far away or unable to protect her? What would she do? Would she barely defend herself like thest time when Cassie nearly took her life with the garrotte? What had she been expecting when she was surrounded by criminals with numerous enemies?

    Perhaps, Arianna knew deep down that things would eventuallye to this point. After all, it was only a matter of time till one of them figured out that she was Eric¡¯s stepdaughter or Marcel¡¯s lover and thinks of her as their weakness. Moreover, for Marcel to suggest something so ridiculous, there must be a problem.

    ¡°Hey, hey¡­.¡± Marcel shushed her, ¡°Look at me,¡± He took her face in his palm and made her look at him. He could see the apprehension in her beautiful green eyes and he hadn¡¯t even told her of the threat yet.

    ¡°No one is getting to you, it¡¯s my promise to you,¡± Marcel told her, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you with every fiber of my being, however, I don¡¯t want to leave any loopholes, Arianna. I want to know that before I or anyonees to your rescue that you can buy time for yourself.¡±

    Arianna opened her mouth to say something, but the words couldn¡¯t leave her lips knowing that Marcel was right. If something happened or a war broke out unexpectedly, she would only end up being a dead weight. She needed to be able to defend herself, at least.

    ¡°Okay,¡± She breathed, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± Arianna said. It was not like she was taking anyone¡¯s life immediately. She just had to have one or two self-defense skills and know how to handle a gun since they tend to make use of it.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel said and then touched his lips to hers, coaxing her mouth open and plunged his tongue in, tasting the inside of her mouth before ying around with her tongue.

    ¡°Wait¡­ !¡± Arianna broke away from the kiss, breathing heavily as she pushed him back, ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± She knew Marcel, If they didn¡¯t talk about this now, then it was bye forever especially when he had his tongue in her mouth.

    Marcel sighed deeply, that was a mood crusher. Nheless, he told Arianna everything that she ¡°needed¡± to know about Macy and her betrayal. There were still aspects of his business that Marcel kept away from Arianna if he wanted her to look at him the same way ¨C like how he murdered Macy¡¯s father at a young age.

    Sure, she decided to be with him because she loved him but Arianna was new to this and her moralpass has a lot of red gs. In the future when she gets used to this lifestyle, he would open up to her more and perhaps, introduce her to some of the family businesses ¨C when they get married.

    Although Marcel knew deep down that he would be keeping Arianna on the legal side of his business. He would be the one doing the dirty work and keeping her safe.

    ¡°So you think Richardo woulde for me?¡± Arianna asked him.

    ¡°Might,¡± He pointed out the probability. Marcel exined, ¡°If he has his sanity intact, then he wouldn¡¯t dare to cross Eric by harming you. Your stepfather is not exactly the kind of man you want to provoke with the kind of influence he has in themission and for a small gang. However, if Richardo is half the madman my father, Daniel is, then you¡¯re exactly his target. ¡±

    Arianna swallowed, Daniel is enough madman in the world. She didn¡¯t want his clone.

    Filled with determination, Arianna promised him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take my training seriously.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Marcel smiled in gratitude before he said, ¡°In that case, I should reward you in advance.¡±

    ¡°Reward me in advance,¡± Arianna blinked at him in confusion until she saw the dark glint in his eyes and a tremor went through her body.

    Oh no.

    ¡°No¡­¡± She was still saying when Marcel pulled the sheet over them and disappeared beneath it. Her heart pounded out of her chest when she felt his hands on her thighs, spreading them apart and she shivered in anticipation.

    Arianna¡¯s breath caught in her throat when she felt one wet swipe of his tongue. Her eyes squeezed shut and she reopened them only for him to lick her from top to bottom, sucking her clit briefly to earn his first moan.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± She didn¡¯t even realize she was levitating off the bed as Marcel devoured her with his mouth. Arianna moaned loudly, throwing her head back before her hands traveled down to trace Marcel through the sheet.

    There was something wildly erotic about knowing that he was covered beneath while she was not shielded from feeling everything he was doing to her body with his marvelous tongue. Arianna was writhing in need when her phone beeped with a message and her eyes flew open knowing it could only be one person.

    She picked up the phone even while Marcel¡¯s tongue swept through her wetness and read the message. Just as she feared, her mother was home and she opened her mouth to inform Marcel but that was the moment he flicked at her clit and a moan left her lips.

    Dear God, they couldn¡¯t continue. Marcel had to stop now. It was time for him to take his leave.

    ¡°Marcel¡­¡± Arianna finally mentioned his name, trying to warn him, but she must have sounded too lustful because he continued to eat her out. No, he chose that moment to punish her with his tongue and she forgot all about his mother returning home as the pleasure built like a dam ready to burst.

    Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long for him to drive her over the edge and toss her over it. Marcel licked her through her orgasm, and it wasn¡¯t until he took the sheet off his body and rose on his knees between her thighs with a dark smile, that she informed him breathlessly,

    ¡°My mother is home.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± His expression broke into a panic.

    He scampered off her body with lightning speed, searching and picking his clothes from the ces they had been strewn. Thanks to the intimate act, Arianna¡¯s muscles felt like jelly and sheid down on the bed, finding the scene of Marcel running around her room buck-naked hrious.

    Marcel dressed up as quickly as lightning and by the time he was done, Arianna already sat up and was waiting for him.

    ¡°How would you get out of here?¡± She asked out of curiosity, willing to hide him in her closet for the rest of the night if he couldn¡¯t leave.

    ¡°Your window of course,¡± Marcel said, heading over to it and checking it out, ¡°Thankfully, it isn¡¯t barred.¡±

    ¡°You are going to jump from there?!¡± Arianna had no choice but to walk over and check it out herself and she had to admit that it was the average height of a two-story.

    ¡°Of course not, love, I¡¯m not Superman.¡± He cleared her thoughts and she breathed in relief.

    ¡°Although,¡± Marcel said immediately, ¡°I might have to be Spiderman by climbing down, albeit carefully. Just do me a favor and inform your Intel to low-key tell the others not to shoot me on my way down.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Arianna started to text him.

    ¡°Done.¡± She said,

    ¡°See you then,¡± Marcel smooched her on the lips, lifting the ss.

    ¡°Be careful¡­¡± Arianna was still talking when he sessfully climbed out of the window and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She prayed he wouldn¡¯t slip and fall on his way down.

    If only she knew that was a piece of cake for Marcel.

 Chapter 792 - 792 The Luciano Family Was Done For

    792 The Luciano Family Was Done For

    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s Macy. I¡¯m not here right now, so please repeat the secret code and leave a message! if you get it right, I will call you back!¡±

    Richardo had a deep furrow on his face when he called Macy¡¯s phone for the nth time and it was sent straight to voicemail. One should see the way his face distorted into pure rage and he grabbed the phone so hard he could crush it before he turned and tossed the phone to the wall with a primal roar.

    He was not stupid not to know that something was wrong. Macy was so attentive and sensitive about her phone that she couldn¡¯t miss this number of calls, unless something happened ¨C like her cover being blown.

    He should have known! He warned her! He told her to leave that family while she still could! But then, she was stupidly confident in her ability to take care of herself. He had never seen anyone as annoyingly headstrong as she was. She should have just listened to him!

    What was he going to do now?! Richardo ran his hands through his curls and grabbed it so hard he nearly pulled it out. At this rate, Marcel finally noticed him as he wanted, but he never expected it would be at the expense of Macy¡¯s life.

    What was the use of this revenge if Macy died? She was the one who motivated him to go up against Marcel. He was doing this for her ¨C and also for the benefit in the end. He wanted to impress her and make himself worthy in her eyes after he got revenge for her father ¨C his future father-inw.

    Marcel would not kill her, at least not for now. Richardo knew Macy and she was as tenacious as a cockroach and should be able to keep her life until he gets to her.

    He needed to think.

    Richardo wanted Macy back, but that would be difficult if Marcel was already using Macy as leverage the same way he was using¡­. the hacker.

    .....

    A devilish grin curved the corners of Richardo¡¯s lips before he called one of his men.

    ¡°Boss,¡± The man approached him, bowing his head without daring to meet his gaze. Although it was just a small organization, Richardo relished respect and was treated like a king.

    The members of his gang even respected him more than his father and he had instilled that respect into them through fear. They didn¡¯t respect him as a leader, but because they had to else they were in trouble. He was a tyrant even his people didn¡¯t dare to cross.

    ¡°I need an update on Macy,¡± He needed to confirm that she was taken before making any move. If Marcel has her, then they would meet sooner than expected. But if Macy was avoiding him and intentionally keeping him at arm¡¯s length¡­? Well, that was a problem that needed to be addressed as well.

    Richardo couldn¡¯t exin it but he felt Macy withdrawing from him recently. He has liked her for a long time since they were kids and only kept being her friend just so they could keep seeing each other and she could confide in him.

    He had never forgotten the fear and disgust on her face when she discovered what his father was doing with the children back at the orphanage. So he protected and kept her safe with the hope that one day Macy would look at him differently and not the same way she looked at his father.

    Sadly, fate had other ns and he had to leave the country, neither would shee with him no matter how hard he convinced her because she had her vengeance to wreck on Marcel Luciano. But then, luck was on his side by bringing her back to him again and he was not going to lose her this time.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡±

    As soon as the man left, Richardo decided to go visit the little hacker. There has been a little change in ns and he needed her to work a little faster.

    One should have seen the way Winters nearly jumped out of her skin when the door was banged open and Richardo came in, announcing,

    ¡°Hello, Marcel¡¯s little bird.¡±

    She choked, her eyes widening with fear while her typing on the keyboard slowed down till she came to a stop.

    ¡°Oh dear, you shouldn¡¯t stop on my ount.¡± He mused,ing to stand beside her, and said not to her, but to the other male in the room with her, ¡°And I paid you Alex to keep an eye on her, not read magazines.¡±

    The man called Alex was lounging on the single couch in the room, groaning in disappointment as he tossed the magazine to the side.

    ¡°I¡¯m keeping an eye on her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit. If you are half as good as her, you should have been the one doing this, you dumb bastard.¡± Richardo scolded him, angrily.

    While Marcel had a little girl for a brilliant hacker, all he had was an overgrown adult who couldn¡¯t do his work as a hacker properly. He wasn¡¯t even sure the bastard deserved that title.

    With a grumble, the so-called Alex dragged himself over to Winter¡¯s side, leaning on the arm of her seat. Winters had never felt so ustrophobic with both men on her side.

    ¡°What¡¯s taking too long for me to have the evidence?¡± Ricardo asked sweetly, but she was not fooled by the look on his face else she would not have these bruises on her face.

    Winters had tried dragging time till Marcel found her but he saw through her ns and punished her by pping her till she saw stars. The only reason he did not harm her further was that he wanted her in good working condition.

    She answered timidly, ¡°There are a lot of things to set up and the firewalls are not easy to pull down ¡­ not to mention theputers are not mine.¡±

    ¡°They are mine.¡± Alex said for rification, ¡°And boss, she¡¯s not kidding. That firewall is a bomb, even I cannot pull it down. It¡¯s like a never-ending maze, when you think you have found the way out, but no, it¡¯s a dead end¡­¡± He trailed off when Richardo pinned him with a re.

    ¡°You put up the firewalls there, you bring it down,¡± Richardo told her through clenched teeth.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that. I set it up for him as a gift, so even I cannot bring it down against situations like¡­.¡± Winters swallowed when she met his murderous eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand your situation here¡­¡± Richardo leaned towards her and Winters couldn¡¯t lean back because the damned Alex was at her side.

    He threatened her, ¡°If you can¡¯t get me what I want by tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll cut off your hands so you can no longer be useful to anyone else,¡± He looked down at her hands for emphasis and Winters flexed her hands for good measure. She knew deep down that he was not kidding.

    ¡°Do you get my point?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± It was crystal clear.

    He pulled away from her with a satisfied chuckle before turning to Alex and instructing him, ¡°You keep an eye on her, and if she tries contacting outside help, shoot her in the head without thinking twice. I trust you can handle it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, boss,¡± Alex looked at her with a predatory look in his eyes that made Winters shiver, but not in a good way.

    He took a lock of her hair and sniffed it, saying, ¡°The both of us are going to have so much fun together.¡±

    And with that, Richardo headed out, his phone ringing almost immediately and he smiled when he saw the contact name. It was his fellow in the FBI he had struck the deal with.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°When do I get the proof of their crimes?¡±

    He went straight to the point.

    ¡°Sooner than you think.¡± Richardo hung up on him, while humming a happy tune. The Luciano family was done for this time.

 Chapter 793 - 793 Be My Successor

    793 Be My Sessor

    ¡°Hi mom,¡± Arianna met her mother downstairs before the woman had the chance toe to check up on her in her room. Natalie had keen eyes and she did not doubt that the woman would be able to sense that something happened there. She couldn¡¯t risk it.

    ¡°You are not asleep yet, it¡¯ste.¡± She told her.

    ¡°Oh that, I wasn¡¯t able to sleep, and then I found out that you are back.¡± Arianna lied to her best.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you able to sleep? What are you thinking about?¡± Natalie said, taking off her coat and folded it before cing it neatly on the couch. She wasn¡¯t ready to retreat for the night yet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Arianna shrugged, ¡°I just couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Natalie said, heading to the kitchen while Arianna followed her like a lost puppy.

    And speaking of a puppy, Arianna has not seen Redhead around and she knew that it was Rose¡¯s handiwork. The girl had taken a liking to the chihuahua. Although Arianna didn¡¯t know how to feel after Rose admitted that Redhead was a stupid name for such an adorable dog.

    Its fur wasn¡¯t even red, she imed.

    As much as Arianna agreed with Rose¡¯s opinion, it was her boyfriend, Marcel that she supported in the end. Rose would understand her decision when she grows up.

    .....

    ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡± Natalie asked her while rummaging through the fridge.

    ¡°Yes, I have. Although¡­ ¡± Arianna bit down on her, saying unsure, ¡°If you want me to keep youpany, why not?¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± Was all Natalie said as she transferred the food from the stic container into the ceramic dishware and put it in the microwave, setting the temperature.

    While she waited, Natalie turned to her daughter and said, ¡°If you find it difficult to sleep again, tell me and I¡¯ll rmend you some drugs.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need benzodiazepine medications, I¡¯m fine,¡± Arianna said without thinking much, but she caught the way her mother¡¯s brows arched in surprise. What now?

    ¡°Indeed, you are my daughter, you never went to medical school and yet the love for science runs in your veins.¡±

    ¡°I only worked in an animal hospital for a bit of time, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°An animal hospital that treated criminals?¡± She reminded her.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna sighed, ¡°I know a thing or two about the human body, so what? It¡¯s not like I would end up being a doctor anyway?¡±

    ¡°You could be,¡± Natalie said and Arianna scoffed,

    ¡°Where¡¯s thating from?¡±

    ¡°You could be my sessor.¡±

    Arianna froze.

    Though she knew her mother had a hospital, it didn¡¯t cross her mind that the woman would want her to inherit it.

    ¡°You are kidding, right?¡±

    Natalie didn¡¯t answer her, because her food was done and she got it out of the microwave before taking everything else she needed from the fridge and took a seat at the dining table.

    Arianna joined her,ining,

    ¡°I can¡¯t be your sessor, I¡¯m not even qualified.¡±

    ¡°What does one need to be qualified? Education? Certificate? You would get all that in due time, Arianna. You are young and smart and I¡¯m not going anywhere yet. I just want to be sure that mybors would be taken care of by my own blood and understand its worth.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know if I want to be a doctor?¡± Arianna argued.

    ¡°Then what do you want to be?¡± Natalie put down her spoon and wrapped her arms across her chest, facing her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be twenty-four soon and get the money my father left me. It¡¯s huge.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll start up my own business or anything that gives me lots of money?¡± She shrugged, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to ever be poor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good dream,¡± Natalie admitted, nodding her head, ¡°But then, you would let a talent inside of you that others would kill to have, die like that? You don¡¯t even know what type of business you would do once the moneyes in? Or don¡¯t you know money grows when you invest it?¡±

    ¡°I would think of one before the timees,¡± Arianna said nervously. She felt like a child who thought she won a medal only to discover that it was fake.

    ¡°And what about your family? Marcel is not stable and you think he would let you move around the world when you both settle down, especially when you give birth to a child?¡±

    ¡°I -¡± Arianna didn¡¯t know what to say, she hadn¡¯t exactly thought about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not against women fighting for their future, but you can invest into majorpanies and be a stockholder, that way you would get returns. However, you must never forget something, Arianna, you¡¯re not with a normal man, Arianna. Neither are we a normal family.

    ¡°Danger lurks at every corner and freedom is not an option for people like us. What if one day Marcel is shot right in front of you and you are unable to save him because you never thought of upgrading your skills? My hospital caters to the well-being of my husband and his people and you can do the same for Marcel. We are their queens, Arianna, meant to support and protect our family and be prepared for the inevitable in the future. Because whether you ept it or not, danger will alwayse for us. That¡¯s the price we pay for living like this.¡±

    By the time Natalie was done, Arianna was nearly shivering from the fear and her hands shook so much she had to ce them on herp to hide them from her mother. Arianna had to admit that Natalie sometimes came on too strong and intimidated her. She was ashamed.

    Her future was sure, Arianna knew what she wanted in life ¨C money. She had nned to travel around for a while after getting the money while growing her business with Mimi. What business though? Not to mention that the n was made before Marcel arrived in her life.

    It was like a fairy-tale dream that has just been shattered. However, what scared Arianna so much was the thought of Marcel dying in her arms and her being unable to help him. The imagination made her heart wretch with pain. She didn¡¯t want a reality without Marcel by her side.

    But then, something hit Arianna at thest minute when she remembered her mother¡¯s words.

    She turned to her mother, wide-eyed, confusing Natalie with the look.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Reeling from the shock of the discovery, Arianna asked,

    ¡°Are you saying that you give me the permission to marry Marcel?¡±

 Chapter 794 - 794 She Would Show Her

    794 She Would Show Her

    ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie looked taken aback by that question. It then dawned on her that she might have given her daughter ideas.

    ¡°I never said such a thing,¡± She denied it at once, picking up her spoon and sipping the soup noisily to drown out her daughter¡¯s protest which would undoubtedlye.

    As expected, Arianna did not let the matter go. This was good news ¨C if she could get her mother to admit her words.

    ¡°You did say so,¡±

    Natalie sipped her soup louder to block her out but it didn¡¯t work. Arianna¡¯s eyes were lit with excitement and it didn¡¯t seem like she was going to give up anytime soon.

    ¡°Your words were these¡­¡± Arianna refused to give up, ¡°And I quote, ¡®And what about your family? Marcel is not stable and you think he would let you move around the world when you both settle down, especially when you give birth to a child?''¡±

    Arianna continued, ¡°It definitely sounded like you were giving us your blessings. I didn¡¯t know you were in a hurry to have a grandchild?¡± She said smugly.

    At this point, Natalie knew there was no point denying it. Just like her, Arianna was persistent when she wanted something. For someone who doesn¡¯t believe in her ability to be her sessor, she sure has a retentive memory. Love was one good motivator.

    Natalie set her spoon down and said calmly, ¡°I was only making a reference, it doesn¡¯t mean that I want the both of you to get married yet.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Sure, sure, keep on saying that,¡± Arianna gave her a look that says she doesn¡¯t believe her one bit.

    Natalie rubbed her brows, ¡°Stop giving me a look,¡±

    ¡°What look?¡± Arianna pretended not to have an idea what she was talking about.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about?¡± She added immediately, ¡°And don¡¯t you go do something stupid. I¡¯m warning you, I didn¡¯t give the both of you permission to marry,¡±

    However, Arianna was not listening because she already stood up from the seat with a smug smirk on the corners of her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, I¡¯ll disown you if you dare to marry Marcel behind my back!¡± Natalie threatened her daughter but she didn¡¯t take it seriously.

    Arianna instead yfully rubbed her hand over her belly, ¡°In one word, you are going to disown your grandchild as well?¡± She said jokingly.

    Natalie scoffed, rolling her eyes,

    ¡°What do you mean grand¡­.¡± Her expression changed at once, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re pregnant?¡±

    Arianna choked, denying it at once, ¡°O-of course, not!¡±

    For some reason, the murderous look on her mother¡¯s face gave her a feeling that Marcel might not survive tonight if that turned out to be true.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Natalie narrowed her gaze at her, scrutinizing her intensely and making her nervous.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth! I was only joking around earlier. Marcel and I are very careful.¡± Sheughed to cover up her nervousness. Being careful her butt! Marcel doesn¡¯t even know the word, ¡°protection.¡±

    Keep up the good work, Arianna, she sarcastically told her lying self. God knows she was toast if it turned out otherwise. But she had no reason to get worried anyway, after all, she and Marcel had been trying to conceive the past months all to no avail. And she was beginning to have a feeling there was a problem with her. Not that Marcel would admit.

    Even her careful friend, Mimi got pregnant easily. Although all bodies were not the same and there were many factors to consider, there was nothing, despite Marcel¡¯s ¡°great¡± effort. However, what Arianna couldn¡¯t understand was why her mother was against her getting pregnant for Marcel. She thought they were good now.

    ¡°Good,¡± Natalie was able to rx after the intense scrutiny. She said to Arianna, ¡°Things are messed up at the moment and it¡¯s not a good time for you and Marcel to think about having a child with the conflict looming over both families. Aside from that, if Marcel values you, he would seek your hand in marriage the proper way, and then both of you can start a family legitimately. I¡¯ll kill him if he dares knock my daughter up, do you get me?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I get you.¡± Arianna had a smile the entire time even though she was dying inwardly. At this point, she hoped a miracle doesn¡¯t happen. Perhaps she and Marcel should have thought more about the situation at hand before going in. Arianna became anxious for strange reasons.

    ¡°What are you standing there for? Aren¡¯t you going to bed?¡± Natalie roused her from her thoughts.

    ¡°O-of course¡­¡± Arianna stammered, about to leave when it suddenly came to her. She suddenly said to her, ¡°I need your help,¡±

    ¡°You need my help?¡± Natalie was surprised and grateful at the same time. She liked the fact that her daughter was beginning to getfortable with her enough to ask for favors.

    She sat up straight, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I want to learn how to use a gun.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± That was not the favor she was expecting.

    ¡°You said it yourself, favor looms around and I at least have to be able to take care of myself, don¡¯t you think so? You guys can¡¯t protect me forever.¡± She said, without going into details about the threat upon her life. Arianna didn¡¯t want to panic her mother else she restricts her freedom more in a bid to protect her.

    Natalie thought over it and she was right. Her daughter needed to learn how to protect herself from bad people.

    ¡°Fine, we¡¯d begin training tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°We?¡± Arianna pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you on that.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± Arianna had to stifle herughter. Was her mother kidding her? She didn¡¯t believe her mother was good enough to teach her.

    Natalie noticed her expression and didn¡¯t say anything, but her wry expression said it all. Arianna didn¡¯t believe in her. But then, she would show her that she didn¡¯t survive her hellish years on luck alone.

    ¡°See you tomorrow then,¡±

    Arianna shivered slightly when she saw the dark glint in her mother¡¯s eyes. Did she say something wrong?

 Chapter 795 - 795 Get Away From Winters

    795 Get Away From Winters

    ¡°Boss,¡±

    Marcel tore his eyelids open and set his gaze on the person who woke him up and was not exactly pleased. He recognized him, it was one of his men, but Marcel didn¡¯t appreciate the fact he just disrupted his beauty sleep.

    He had worked all night and returned to the base early morning. Thanks to his spending time with Ariannately, he had neglected much of his duties and had to take care of them before they became a problem. Victor has been doing a good job of covering up for him, but it was only a matter of time before negligence like this starts to get noticed and poses a problem.

    He was the boss and has to make appearances to solidify his position. People would often assume that his position was easy and begin to get ideas when they see him cking off ¨C and believe he wasn¡¯t worthy of that position. Marcel had to tighten his control and stomp out every fire before it gets out of control.

    Hence, it was a long and tough night ¨C fighting and torturing ¨C and he needed to rest. However, it was obvious fate had other ns for him.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, his voice etched with tiredness and a bit of annoyance.

    ¡°There is this person that wants to see you?¡±

    Marcel breathed, ¡°Does he have an appointment?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Is he someone important?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a young man, boss.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to entertain kids, and you can tell him this is not a yground,¡± Marcel dismissed him, closing his eyes to continue his sleep from where he stopped.

    ¡°He says he has something urgent to tell you and that you¡¯d recognize him by his name.¡±

    Marcel groaned, wiping his palm down his face and erasing every trace of sleep from his face.

    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°Akim. He ims he¡¯s a prince and that he needs your help.¡±

    Hearing those words made Marcel¡¯s brows furrow at one. Nothing good could evere out of anyone asking for his help. It was always a favor that required him to do something dangerous. Moreover, why didn¡¯t the brat go to his pompous uncle, Nius Spencer? Either this was some sort of sick joke and a trap or something was seriously up.

    ¡°Fine. Let him in then, I¡¯ll meet him downstairs.¡±

    Marcel had no choice but to stand up to his feet and go into the bathroom where he brushed and washed up as quickly as he could before going down quietly, hands in his pocket.

    He didn¡¯t make his presence known and spotted Akim before he could see him, taking the time to study him. His appearance looked rugged as if he was involved in a scuffle beforeing here. His hair was ruffled and he kept tapping his feet impatiently against the floor as if he couldn¡¯t wait to see him?

    As if the Akim sensed his gaze on him, he turned and their eyes connected. Marcel frowned when he saw his red, swollen eyes as if he had been crying all night and that made him nervous for strange reasons. Thest time he saw him, the boy took off with Winters.

    Winters¡­.

    Marcel felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought of her. He was a quick study and over the years, he has learned how to read the atmosphere in a room. And right now, his instincts were loud and clear, something happened. Not to mention, the boy didn¡¯t exactly know how to hide the emotions on his face and the grief was raw.

    No way.

    Akim didn¡¯t wait for Marcel toe to him. He already began to walk over to Marcel with tears streaming down his face while the mob boss¡¯ feet stood rooted to the ground.

    ¡°Marcel¡­¡± Akim cried out when he got close enough to him, but Marcel wasn¡¯t there tofort him because he grabbed him by the shirt and hitched him up, growling in his face.

    ¡°Where is she?!¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Akim answered and Marcel¡¯s stomach churned.

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?! The both of you left together!¡± He was barely holding off his rage.

    ¡°We were until they took her,¡±

    ¡°Who are they?!¡± Marcel¡¯s grip tightened around his neck he was beginning to suffocate him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! That¡¯s why I had toe to you,¡± Akim exined to him, ¡°We were returning home when they came out of nowhere with their identities hidden and abducted her. I had to return and told my uncle to find her. But Nius doesn¡¯t care, he thinks it¡¯s one of the people she offended that took her to have their revenge and that she deserves it. He was only concerned about my safety and wanted to send me back to Lincolnshire, but I managed to escape by sheer luck and came to inform you. Winters spoke so highly of you¡­ please.. f-find¡­ ¡±

    Marcel found out that he was beginning to go red in the face from theck of air and let go, pushing him away roughly. He should have protected her! He shouldn¡¯t have taken her away from his sight if he knew that he was going to lose her like that.

    Akim copsed to the ground trying to catch his breath while Marcel paced up and down the space.

    ¡°God damn it!¡± He cursed, running his hand through his hair. He began to think hard, was it really the people she offended that took her?

    No, it didn¡¯t make sense.

    Marcel knew Winters and she was a genius and wouldn¡¯t do such a sloppy job. Moreover, she was under his protection, no one would dare to touch a hair on her hand without fearing his retaliation unless¡­

    It dawned on him.

    [ I should be the one telling you not toe begging at my feetter for help.]

    The target was not Arianna, but Winters.

    That was the reason for Macy¡¯s confidence. That had her already.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Marcel picked up his phone at once and called Victor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it but I want every single detail about Richardo from Macy right now!¡± Without waiting for a response, Marcel hung up on him. He had to get moving.

    However, his cold gaze fell on Akim

    ¡°And as for you,¡± He told him, ¡°Your uncle, Nius is right. Don¡¯t you dare involve yourself in this matter. You just return to your kingdom and be the cute, little prince you were meant to be. If I get you around Winters ever again, I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡± Marcel threatened him.

    And he meant it.

 Chapter 796 - 796 Meeting Of The Bosses

    796 Meeting Of The Bosses

    The atmosphere in the warehouse was so oppressive that no one dared to make a sound with Marcel around. One didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell them that the boss was in a foul mood considering they have been torturing Macy for the past hour, trying to milk every single detail they could about Richardo.

    Unfortunately, Macy might be female but she¡¯s as hard as nails: very tough and not easily frightened. Not to mention that she had once been a high-ranking member of this organization and knew all their torture techniques. Honestly speaking, it was weird for them, just days ago, they had been family and joked around, but today, she was being tortured for her crimes.

    But then, they had to push sentiments aside and concentrate on their job. Macy was the first to betray the family and she knew from the very start that the crime was punishable by death ¨C she swore it on her initiation. They had been brothers and sisters until she went astray. Now she has to pay for her sin as a lesson to others. They had to protect their family.

    Sure, she endured most of the torture but they were able to get enough information from her. Right now, Macy was hanging mid-air with her head tied above her head. She was unconscious and dropped low to the ground to be able to support her weak knees. Macy has been suspended mid-air for hours and had dried blood at the corner of her face. In one word, she looked a mess.

    Marcelmanded, ¡°Wake her up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± One of the men dropped the wooden bat he was holding and went ahead to grab a bucket full of water at the side. He walked over to Macy and sshed the entire liquid on his face, waking her instantly.

    Macy woke up with a startled gasp, looking like a drenched rat as her hair stuck to her scalp and she shivered from the cold air that met her skin. She had been so tired from the torture and harassment that she fell asleep, but now, thanks to the little shower ¨C She stunk ¨C all traces of sleep erased from her eyes.

    Her gaze lit up in crazed excitement when she located Marcel and the corners of her lips lifted in a sneer. She said to him, ¡°Finally, you are here. How delightful.¡±

    Like a lion, Marcel slowly moved towards his prey till he was standing right in front of her. He was as calm as still waters. However, if one looked beyond the exterior, one would notice the tension in his frame coupled with the soothing anger surging through his veins. He just hid it too well.

    .....

    ¡°I told you, Marcel, you woulde begging at my feetter for help,¡± She said, confidently.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± He smirked with a dark glint in his eyes.

    ¡°I -¡±

    It happened too quickly and Macy wouldn¡¯t have recognized what happened if not for the stinging pain on her cheek. She turned to Marcel with a wide look on his face, shocked out of her mind. While others could do the dirty work for him, Marcel would never hit women thanks to the trauma of watching his mother getting beaten by his father.

    But now, Macy didn¡¯t know what to believe anymore. She opened her mouth to express her dismay only for another p tond on her cheek and this time it was as real as day. There was no wait nor interval, Marcel just kept pping and pping, pouring out his frustration on her while her cheeks whipped in the directions until Victor stepped in and wrapped his arms around his cousin, stopping him.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Marcel!¡± Victor didn¡¯t release him as they struggled.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Marcel roared at him, blinded by his anger, ¡°How dare she! I¡¯ll tear her apart!¡±

    ¡°We still need her!¡± Victor reminded him through gritted teeth, restraining him from making a mistake that he was going to regret.

    Macy recovered from the ps. She could feel the stinging pain and her face was swollen. She spat out blood from her busted lips, lifting her pained gaze to Marcel. How could he?

    ¡°You know this is quite sad¡­¡± Macy said all of a sudden, ¡°While Arianna would be remembered as the love of her life, I would be remembered as the woman you everid a hand on.¡±

    She chuckled, ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s not sad after all, I¡¯ll forever be in your memories anyway,¡± Macy burst into hystericalughter this time, the sound of it filling the warehouse.

    ¡°You have lost your damned mind.¡± Marcel pulled apart from Victor¡¯s arms and he moved, thinking that he was about to pounce on Macy again. But Marcel turned and instructed him instead, ¡°Facetime Richardo right now, I want to see how great of a man he is.¡±

    This time he looked at Macy while saying, ¡°You should Winters is still alive else I¡¯ll treat you to the slowest death ever.¡± Marcel meant every word of it.

    But she sneered, ¡°The more people you have to protect, the weaker you be Marcel. Don¡¯t you see it? I¡¯m even doing you a favor here.¡±

    ¡°Please shut that bitch¡¯s mouth,¡± Victor instructed his men. Even Macy was beginning to get to him. They set to work without hesitation, gagging Macy till only her muffled screams were heard.

    A desk was set up there and Marcel took a seat while Victor worked on the Mac, his fingers typing on the keyboard,

    ¡°All done,¡± He said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if he would ept the invitation or not?¡±

    So they waited.

    And not long, Richardo joined the call.

    The call revealed his background and just like Marcel, he was seated in front of a desk too, probably in his office, unlike Marcel¡¯s spacious torture room. The fact that Richardo didn¡¯t hesitate to answer the call showed Marcel that he had been waiting for him all this way.

    Both men didn¡¯t say a word, instead, they scrutinized and checked one another out. It was the meeting of the bosses after all.

 Chapter 797 - 797 Uncharted Territory

    797 Uncharted Territory

    ¡°Marcelo Xavier, Son of Daniel Luciano, what an honor to finally meet you,¡± Richardo was the first to break the tensed silence between them.

    Marcel smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I was this famous.¡± He added, ¡°Although I can¡¯t help but feel that my father is much more famous than I am, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    No matter how tried Marcel tried to establish himself, Daniel was always a constant people recognized first and attribute his sess to his father¡¯s sacrifice. It was almost as if Daniel worked hard to make sure he could never bypass the glory of his name.

    ¡°No,¡± Richardo disagreed with that, ¡°Sure your father is a force to be reckoned with, however, I find you more intriguing, honestly. There¡¯s nothing more motivating than young people ruling the world.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marcel hummed, ying with an invisible speck of dirt on his finger.

    ¡°Of course,¡±

    ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t I speak formally to you, after all, you¡¯re older than I am and I should pay my respect,¡± Marcel asked in an innocuous manner when in reality he was looking down on him.

    Richardo¡¯s expression shifted for a fraction of a time when he heard that, however, his lips curled up at thest minute as he covered his displeasure with a smile.

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so serious. After all, you¡¯re a legend, I should be honored to get the chance to speak with you. Look, we are even face-timing as real friends do. I say we put the decorum aside,¡± Heughed, even though inwardly his fists were clenched on hisp.

    .....

    Marcel had the natural talent of making someone feel inferior to him and if the both of them were to be voted andpared, Marcel Luciano was a prince, a royalty in the underworld,pared to him. He was a nobody trying to climb up the food chain with all means necessary ¨C by bringing down the royalty.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marcel was having fun, ¡°The pleasure is mine then,¡± Since the bastard wanted to y the game of pretense, he was in.

    The thing about people like him who rose out of nowhere was that they don¡¯t like to be reminded of their past. In their mind, they felt they¡¯d made it and wanted that dark chapter of their life erased forever, if possible.

    ¡°Although I have my concerns about us being friends,¡± Marcel raised the matter, ¡°You see, people I associate with always tend to end up trying to covet what belongs to me. By chance, you wouldn¡¯t end up doing the same, would you?¡± He asked such an obvious question, with a straight face.

    Richardo lowered his head, his body beginning to shake with theughter that raked through him. When he lifted his face once again, it was obvious to Marcel that he finally decided to drop the act.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we cut to the chase and go straight to the point,¡± He sneered, his expression filled with disdain.

    ¡°I thought you were never going to say it,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°And I never thought you were this shameless,¡± Richardo retorted.

    Marcel told him, ¡°You have what I want.¡±

    Richardo answered, ¡°You have what I have too.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we relieve our problems tonight?¡±

    ¡°Good with me, too,¡± Richardo said to Marcel who shared a brief look with Victor standing at the far end. He didn¡¯t interfere with the call.

    ¡°We meet by nine.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll pick the location.¡±

    Marcel lifted a brow when he heard that.

    Richardo replied, ¡°You have arger organization and a lot of people on your side. What are the chances that you wouldn¡¯t try to take me out.¡±

    ¡°If I wanted to take you out, we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation and I would send my people to end your pathetic life.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯d lose her.¡± Richardo reminded him. If his life was threatened in any form, he would make sure the girl doesn¡¯t see the light of day. He would make sure to take away something precious to Marcel.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Marcel admitted bitterly, ¡°I¡¯ll lose her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll still pick out the location,¡± He insisted.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel let him be, ¡°However, you can only take two men with you in this exchange and I would do the same. Any number other than that, I¡¯ll take it that you nned an ambush and Macy would not see the light of day either.¡± Marcel threatened him too. That bastard was too cocky and it was beginning to get on his nerves.

    ¡°Fine. Two men.¡± Richardo agreed through gritted teeth.

    And just like that, both men spent a while negotiating their meeting ce until they came to an agreement.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you tonight, Marcel Luciano,¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to see you too, Richardo Santi,¡± There was a hint of promise in Marcel¡¯s tone right before he ended the video call.

    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Victor was by his side in a sh as soon as he stood up from his seat.

    ¡°Richardo dies tonight,¡± Marcel dered and Macy who heard it began to make a muffled protest, her eyes going wide.

    The both of them looked in her direction but Marcel was the first to take his eyes off her. His heart hardened and whatever feelings or sympathy he had towards her had exhausted. Marcel could easily forgive her for what she did in the past, but the crime of plotting his death was unforgivable. To Marcel, Macy was dead in his heart.

    ¡°But you gave him your word,¡± Victor reminded him, knowing his cousin never goes back on his promises.

    ¡°Not when he intends to take me out. Richardo knows I won¡¯t let him survive after tonight, so he would do everything possible to end me too. One of us has to die tonight for the other to survive and he already has an upper hand by choosing the location. I¡¯m stepping into uncharted territory.¡± Marcel said causing his cousin Victor to gulp unconsciously. It seemed more serious than he thought.

    ¡°Should we tell Daniel?¡± He asked.

    Marcel snorted, ¡°As if he doesn¡¯t know already.¡±

 Chapter 798 - 798 What Do You Want

    798 What Do You Want

    Daniel has great timing, Adele swore inwardly. Sarcasm intended. She had a lot on her te at the moment, especially fixing this mess Macy made and ensuring Marcel¡¯s safety during the negotiation tonight, but then Daniel¡¯s summons wasn¡¯t something you ignore.

    If Marcel bears grudges, Daniel ¡°remembers¡±. Yeah, one could see where the resemncees from. Moreover, Adele was curious to know what Daniel has for her. It wasn¡¯t every day they get to meet like this ¨C even though she didn¡¯t look forward to meeting him. Marcel¡¯s father was ¡°trouble¡± and the best way to defeat trouble was to avoid it. You can never defeat it.

    They made a Cafe far away from her office since Adele didn¡¯t want to create a misunderstanding in case she gets caught seeing Daniel. Marcel was quite sensitive about his father and until she was done conversing with him, Adele didn¡¯t want anyone updating him on their ¡°date¡±. She would tell Marcel about it when she was done here.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I kept you waiting,¡± Adele said, cing her small purse on the table and taking a seat across from him.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± Daniel said, ¡°After all, I¡¯m an old man and I¡¯m beginning to find myself with less timetely and it gets boring which is why I need to get myself grandchildren pretty soon.¡±

    Adele blinked at him, her mouth nearly forming an ¡®O¡¯ from that answer. She didn¡¯t exactly ask for those details and why does it seem like he wasining to her? Neither was he as old as he assumed. Moreover, how would he get himself a grandchild if Marcel doesn¡¯t give him one? Daniel was clearly a narcissist on top of his other ¡°charming¡± qualities.

    Thest thing Adele wanted was to validate a narcissist¡¯s ego and Marcel¡¯s father already had an inted sense of self-importance. So she merely gave Daniel a tight smile, dismissing the issue as soon as it came. If he wanted a grandchild, he should take up with Marcel, not her.

    Not to mention that Adele was ufortable discussing a child with Daniel when she was hiding four of them which would threaten her position when the secretes to light. She was toast if Daniel hears of her pregnancy, he would not let her stay by Marcel¡¯s side knowing she would be nothing, but a liability to him.

    As ifposing himself as well, Daniel asked her, ¡°What do you want? Coffee ¨C?¡±

    .....

    ¡°No coffee!¡± She interrupted him before he could finish.

    Adele was currently watchful of the things she took and consumingrge amounts of caffeine during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage or low birth weight. Although the doctor said she can still enjoy a mug of coffee now and then during her pregnancy, just make sure not to go over 200mg of caffeine in a day.

    Adele was taking no risk. It was better safe than to be sorry and she would grieve and mourn theck of coffee in her life for the next seven months and weeks left; she would survive that. Her children were important to her and she wouldn¡¯t put them in danger.

    However, it wasn¡¯t until Adele saw the look on Daniel¡¯s face that she realized that her response might have drawn more attention than she intended. She nearly screamed at the mention of coffee and the ever-vignt Daniel was beginning to find that response of hers suspicious.

    ¡°I mean¡­.¡± She hurriedly tried to cover it up, ¡°I have been consuming arge intake of caffeine nowadays and it¡¯s beginning to affect me. ¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Daniel said, and something about the tness of his tone made Adele ufortable, not to mention that their gaze connected in the same minute and it was almost as if he could see through her.

    No wonder many people fidget in their seats while in his presence. Daniel effortlessly exuded a dreadful aura around him, but Adele stood her ground. She would not be intimidated.

    ¡°Yes,¡± She answered, wetting her lower lip with her tongue unconsciously,

    ¡°I need just a ss of water.¡±

    ¡°If thedy says so, then,¡± Daniel was amused and gestured to the waiter, and the youngdy came over as he made their orders.

    Momentster, Adele sipped her ss of water before setting it down on the table and watched as Daniel slurped his Americano through the straw. He almost looked like a kid doing so and If one wasn¡¯t so careful, they would be deceived by his calm and innocent facade without knowing that he was a viper ready to strike without warning.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± Daniel suddenly pointed out of nowhere, interrupting her train of thought.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Your zer,¡± He gestured, ¡°Here I am having an iced Americano because it¡¯s hot outside and yet you kept your zer on. Don¡¯t you feel hot or are you hiding something else?¡± Daniel said with a gleam in his eyes and it dawned on Adele.

    He knew.

    Daniel knew of her pregnancy.

    Adele released a shaky breath while a shiver of dread went through her. How did he know? She ced her trembling hands on herp to steady them. Adele was sure that Marcel would never let her secret out ¨C he had a tight lip. But then, this was Daniel she was talking about. He had his means of finding things out.

    Suddenly, there was a lump in Adele¡¯s throat as she choked out,

    ¡°W-what do you want?¡±

    Daniel gave her a full-toothed grin, before pointing at her with barely containedughter, ¡°And this is why you¡¯re my favorite among the others, always straight to the point.¡±

    Adele tried her best to be strong even though she was close to falling apart. All of the efforts she made over the years were about to be torn down in the twinkle of an eye. And who doesn¡¯t know that it was suicide making a deal with Daniel. But then, what choice does she have?

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Adele asked him once again, her voice steadier than before. She was ready to do anything to keep her position.

    Daniel answered, ¡°Elijah,¡±

 Chapter 799 - 799 Give Up Elijah

    799 Give Up Elijah

    ¡°W-what?¡± Adele felt like she had heard wrong, after all, it wasn¡¯t even a full statement. It must have been a slip of tongue, she assumed.

    But when Daniel said, ¡°Hand Elijah over to me.¡± She knew at once that he wasn¡¯t kidding.

    He really wanted Elijah, but why? What was he up to now? After all, Marcel was in the middle of a peace talk between both families. What does Daniel want now? Was he not satisfied with his son¡¯s efforts?

    Nervous sweat coated her forehead and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. Adele opened her mouth to speak, only to find out that her throat was suddenly dry from the tension. Nheless, she said to him, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do you want with Elijah?¡±

    ¡°Is that what you should be concerned about? After all, it is only a matter before your belly starts showing and you won¡¯t be able to hide it anymore, not even with zers.¡± His gaze started a heated trail down her belly that made her feel vulnerable and Adele crossed her arms around her body.

    Daniel made her feel ufortable.

    ¡°Once other family members find out about my pregnancy, it¡¯s over for me anyway, so what¡¯s the use of agreeing to your ridiculous deal!¡± Adele told him with a great deal of annoyance, nearly banging her hand on the table.

    Daniel stared down at her clenched fist on the table and said,

    ¡°It feels unfair, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    .....

    Adele red at him before taking the ss in front of her and swallowing down the rest of the cold water to calm herself down. She can¡¯t get worked up, because that was a weakness Daniel was beginning to exploit.

    Taking a deep breath, she said to him,

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what diabolical ns you have in mind but you should not dare recruit me in it because it¡¯s not going to work. You can go ahead to spread the news of my pregnancy, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± She muttered under her breath, ¡°It was bound toe out anyway.¡±

    Adele said with a tone of finality,

    ¡°It was a nice try, Daniel. Your reputation indeed proceeds you and you deserve apuse for the job well done. I don¡¯t know what God created you but you should have been the god of chaos instead, that role suits you better.¡± Adele didn¡¯t know where the confidence came from, but she was suddenly in the mood to give Daniel a bollocking.

    She continued, ¡°And did I forget to add that you are a narcissist asshole. You have this grandiose sense of self-importance and entitlement even when you don¡¯t deserve it. You frequently demean, intimidate, and bully others. Not to mention that you want constant praise and admiration and when you don¡¯t get the attention, you find a way of making Marcel¡¯s life miserable.¡± Sheughed sarcastically,

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if you¡¯re jealous of him too.¡±

    By the time Adele was done, a tense silence fell over the both of them, and neither did she wait around for Daniel to respond. Insults are best given when your opponent has no chance of retaliating. So she picked up her purse and stood up to leave only for Daniel to say,

    ¡°You and Angelica are the same, now I can see where you got that sharp mouth from. Like mother, like daughter.¡± He emphasized hisst words causing chills to travel down Adele¡¯s back.

    The blood drained from Adele¡¯s face and she didn¡¯t need Daniel to tell her to sit her ass down because she did, having read between the lines. It wasn¡¯t only the fact that he knew her mother that scared her, but the casual ease at which he called her name as if they were friends or something. But Adele was not fooled, they were no friends, and the threat was there in his tone.

    ¡°How did you get to know my mother?¡± Adele knew Angelica and the woman tried her best to stay out of the Luciano family.

    Moreover, a narcissist like Daniel believes he is superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people. He has no use for Angelica, so what could have possibly brought the both of them together if it wasn¡¯t to threaten her?

    ¡°How did I get to know her?¡± Daniel thought over it, ¡°I was only concerned about you when my son of all people frequented your home and I thought something must be up. As a concerned father, I decided it was right that the adults meet up and discuss the future of their children,¡± He smiled, ¡°Who knew that your mother would be an interesting personality?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you darey a hand on my mother?! She has nothing to do with any of this!¡± Adele hissed at him.

    Daniel chuckled, ¡°Who said anything about harming such a beautiful woman? I¡¯m merely extending an olive branch to you, Adele.¡± He said it as if he was doing her a huge favor.

    Adele clenched her jaw shut, realizing just how annoying Daniel was and the fact Marcel deserved an award for surviving him all these years. The man had a talent for getting under one¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Also,¡± Daniel continued, ¡°I have to say that I¡¯m disappointed in you. I let you stay by my son¡¯s side because you were strong-willed and there was this fire in you to seed. But I don¡¯t see that anymore.¡±

    He clicked his tongue in disapproval,

    ¡°I guess you would give up everything to be a mother to your children, your career sunken down to the bottom of nothingness all because you can¡¯t give up a guy who used you and knocked you up with quadruplets. What a record.¡± The sarcasm was deep in his tone.

    Daniel¡¯s seat squeaked as he stood up,¡± I guess this is the end then. Have a nice day.¡±

    ¡°Wait -!¡± Adele eximed, her hand stopping halfway when she realized she was about to touch him.

    ¡°What?¡± Daniel rolled his eyes, tired of this drama. He was a busy man, you know.

    Adele lifted her head, asking unsure, ¡°You are not going to kill him, right?¡±

    Daniel¡¯s lips curled up, ¡°I only believe in a fair trial.¡±

 Chapter 800 - 800 Motivating Her Daughter

    800 Motivating Her Daughter

    ¡°Holy mother of God!¡± Arianna fell from her bed when the ring of the rm startled her from her sleep.

    Groaning, she lifted herself from the floor with a great effort. Annoyance shot through her as she wondered who would y such an unkind prank on her. However, her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she saw her mother standing in the middle of her room with a handheld megaphone raised in the air.

    ¡°Get off the bed bitch and get ready to rumble!¡± She sounded the rm once again and Arianna groaned miserably, shielding her ears from the noise as she wondered what demon possessed her mother. The woman standing before her was not her.

    Natalie was wearing a crop top and

    joggers and paired it with converse. Her brte hair was pulled back into a ponytail and from her look, it was obvious that she was ready to work out unlike herzy daughter, Arianna who climbed back into her bed and nuzzled into the warmth of her duvet cover to her disappointment.

    ¡°Arianna¡­.¡± The woman called her name only to get a sleepy grunt in response. It was barely six in the morning, why was her mother bothering her? Arianna prayed someone would send her away; she didn¡¯t want to wake up.

    ¡°You said you wanted to learn how to use a gun, how would you handle that with your miserable form? You¡¯re weak and you need to make yourself stronger!¡± Natalie pointed out.

    But then, all her motivational speeches fell on deaf ears because her daughter muttered iprehensible nonsense and fell deeper into sleep.

    Hand on her waist, Natalie released a sigh. It seemed that she was the only one who had been over-excited about this training.

    .....

    Arianna gave her no other choice because Natalie dropped the megaphone by the side and went over to her daughter¡¯s bed. She grabbed Arianna¡¯s ankle and began to pull her down while her daughter stubbornly held onto her sheet till she ended up falling hard on the ground once again, tangled in the sheet.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Arianna cried out. Can¡¯t a girl get her beauty sleep around here?!

    ¡°Get your ass off that floor, you are the one who called for the training!¡± She scolded her.

    ¡°Fine, I cancel it! Let me have my sleep instead,¡± Arianna didn¡¯t care anymore. Nobody told her that she would have to wake up before six in the name of training.

    Watching Arianna cling to the sheet left Natalie dumbfounded. She thought the girl would be a hard worker like her, who knew she was merely azy ass. But that was until an idea hit her and she put it into action immediately.

    Natalie snorted, ¡°I wonder what Marcel would think if he saw youzying around.¡±

    And it worked like magic because Arianna¡¯s eyes snapped open at once.

    Natalie continued, pulling out her phone, ¡°Perhaps I should take a picture of his hardworking girlfriend and send -¡±

    And just like the sh, Arianna was up to her feet.

    ¡°I¡¯m up!¡± Arianna announced to her mother.

    She then walked over to the woman and bribed her with a peck on the cheek, ¡°Why are you being like this, Mrs. Draven? We, women, should be on each other¡¯s side.¡± Arianna took the phone from her mother¡¯s hand and slid it back into the pocket of her pants, grinning sheepishly.

    ¡°You just give me five minutes to brush ¡­¡± She saw her mother¡¯s disapproving gaze, ¡°Make that three minutes then.¡± Arianna disappeared into the bathroom to begin brushing already.

    But as soon as the door closed behind her, Natalie¡¯s serious look vanished and she burst intoughter, cupping her mouth with her palm at thest minute. At least she has found something or rather someone she could use to ¡°motivate¡± her daughter ¨C Marcel ended up being useful to her in the end.

    When Arianna told her mother she wanted to learn how to use a gun, she didn¡¯t know it entailed her running around the property that early morning. She thought they would go straight to the shooting range and bam! Bam! She would start her training.

    Unfortunately, Natalie imed that she wasn¡¯t just going to learn how to use a gun but to protect herself overall from the bad guys, and right now, her form was too weak. She needed to be light on her feet, sadly, staying at home and eating soups the past week had supplied her with crazy amounts of calories and fat.

    However, that was not a problem because Arianna maintained a healthy BMI and what Natalie wanted to do was hone her reflexes. And she was doing that by jogging?

    ¡°Hey!¡± Natalie scolded Arianna when she logged behind her, ¡°Are you the older one here or me? How do I run better than you then?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, I wonder,¡± Arianna answered, breathing heavily. The woman should have just contested for the Olympics. God, she was so tired. They have been running for an hour.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Natalie said coyly, tugging the lock of hair that escaped the bind to the back of her ear, ¡°I was once a member of the girls scout when I was younger and earned the gold award for my talents and showing extraordinary heroism.¡±

    Arianna scoffed, was her mother showing off in front of her right now? Unbelievable! Perhaps, that must have fueled her desire to win because Arianna gained on her in the next round and she rejoiced by the time it was over.

    ¡°Give it up for the younger generation!¡± Arianna celebrated her win, wriggling her butt at her mother in sheer mockery.

    But then, Arianna should have really been watching during her short celebration because she didn¡¯t notice the huge animal dropping in her way ¨C even though Natalie noticed it and kept quiet ¨C only to slip on it.

    Honestly speaking, Arianna didn¡¯t even understand what happened until she found herself on the ground with her breath knocked out of her lungs. The next she saw was her mother, Natalie hovering over her with a smirk.

    She sassed, ¡°Yeah, the short-sighted younger generation.¡±

 Chapter 801 - 801 How To Use A Gun

    801 How To Use A Gun

    Arianna spent time washing up in the bathroom after getting rid of her ruined sneakers and walking back to the main house barefooted. If there was one thing mobsters enjoyed, it was having a spacious residence and Draven¡¯s family property stretched for miles with acres of emptynd.

    It was a private property with lots of hidden traps and no one dared to trespass without the fear of losing a limb. The Draven reputation precedes them so even the daredevils looking for a thrill don¡¯t cross the property.

    Not to mention the number of soldiers that kept the ce safe. Arianna suspected they did this on purpose in case of a police raid, it would take enough resources to cover much ground ¨C by then, vital evidence would be destroyed.

    Moreover, Eric carried out other activities on the property like his grape field which was all a facade to hide the main activities going on there. Unlike in the past, mobsters nowadays were smarter and more versatile. They are not just mobsters, they are businessmen too.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Natalie said to her daughter, looping her arm around hers and Arianna looked at the gesture without saying anything. The both of them were getting along fine these days and she was d to have opened up to her.

    Natalie led her to a stand-alone structure and the shooting range was housed in the basement Arianna was awed at the sight. Even with weeks of roaming around the property, she hadn¡¯te across here. She had assumed they would practice in an open space, not this isted ce.

    While Arianna looked around, Natalie exined to her, ¡°The walls are sufficiently imprable and provide adequate ballistic protection from stray shots and back stter. Lead and other pollutants are regted by venttion in a range. The configuration of the supply and exhaust air systems is critical for proper operation. ¡±

    She continued, ¡°The more you practice the more you be perfect, and you are restricted to the use of high-power calibers and would have to start with the handgun I give to you. I would act as your range master for today and my position might be taken up by any of Eric¡¯s brothers at the time. I would put up a word to any of them avable. ¡±

    ¡°The brothers? Which of them? Ephraim? Elvis?¡± She was mostfortable with Ezra and Elijah ¨C even though she has not had much of himtely. Arianna hoped to God he was lying quietly and not causing any more trouble for Marcel.

    .....

    She wouldn¡¯t know what to do if both families get caught in another conflict. It would be awkward especially now she and Marcel are getting along so well.

    ¡°Any of them willing to take you up.¡± Was Natalie¡¯s brief answer and Arianna was not able to get much information from her.

    Natalie took her to the safety room where she taught her to pack, unpack or holster a gun, clean or repair, dry fire, and train with empty magazines. Arianna had to admit that she was greatly impressed and felt bad to have thought too little of her mother¡¯s ability.

    No wonder she didn¡¯t have the zeal to begin her training early that morning. But now, Arianna suddenly wished her mother would continue to take her up on the training because God knows she would die if Ephraim ends up being her teacher. That one was so cold and unfeeling when it came down to business.

    ¡°You should note this while handling a gun. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, ¡± Natalie directed, her palm on top of Arianna¡¯s hand holding the empty gun, ¡°It¡¯s the most basic safety rule, you should never point your gun at anything you do not intend to shoot especially when loading or unloading a firearm. In the event of an idental discharge, no injury can ur as long as the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction.¡±

    ¡°Secondly, never touch the trigger on a firearm until you actually intend to shoot. Keep your fingers away while loading or unloading your weapon. Never pull the trigger on any firearm with the safety on the ¡°safe¡± position or anywhere in between ¡°safe¡± and ¡°fire.¡± It is possible that the gun can fire at any time, or eventer when you release the safety, without you ever touching the trigger again.¡± Natalie showed her how it worked.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Arianna breathed, feeling like a novice. She never thought there were so many procedures to be considered while handling a gun because It seemed so easy in movies ¨C and in reality. You just pull the trigger and bam, it goes off, right?

    ¡°Also, if your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, don¡¯t bring it up to your face to check, that¡¯s how idiots lose their life,¡± Natalie said with a bit of sarcasm that made Arianna swallow. Honestly speaking, she would be tempted to check. Thanks for the lesson, mom, she thought inwardly.

    Natalie exined to her what to do in that situation,¡± You handle the gun with care. asionally, a cartridge may not fire when the trigger is pulled. If this urs, you keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Keep your face away from the breech. Then, carefully open the action, unload the firearm and safely dispose of the cartridge.¡±

    Arianna proved to be a fast learner and in no time put on her safety equipment to begin her shooting. She was required to wear ear and eye protection at all times when within the defined boundaries of the range. ording to Natalie, they are exposed to lead dust from bullets or cartridge primers, which can be inhaled or settle on skin or clothing.

    Not to mention that even the small-caliber gun she gave her is easily loud enough to permanently damage hearing, and can throw off unexpected power that can fly into her eyes and cause serious injury. So yeah, Arianna didn¡¯t hesitate to cover up, she still wanted to live.

    Also, Marcel would scold her fiercely if she vited the safety procedure and hurt herself ¨C even if the idea of learning how to use a gun had been his.

 Chapter 802 - 802 A Mother Like Her

    802 A Mother Like Her

    ¡°Grip the gun with your dominant hand,¡± Arianna mentally recited as wrapped her middle, ring, and pinky finger around the handle, resting itfortably in her palm.

    Although it was a mere target, Arianna took it seriously as if she was on a battlefield already. For starters, she wanted to impress Marcel and at the same time have the ability to protect herself. Marcel was right, anything could happen and if pushes to shove, Arianna wants to be able to handle herself before helpes.

    The target was a piece of corrugated cardboard with a printed image of a silhouette. The target system consisted of the target object, the target carrier system, and the target control system. The system allows the range to operate more efficiently and safely by transporting the target between the firing line and the target line in both downrange and up-range directions.

    In one word, Arianna did not have to wait for a ¡°ceasefire¡± and her mother physically walked downrange to examine and set up the target. Natalie also controlled the operation and movement of the targets through control modules that can be operated in the shooting booth.

    ¡°Press your non-dominant hand so that it covers the portion of the grip that¡¯s uncovered by your dominant hand. ¡± Natalie called out when she saw the way she supported the gun.

    Damn, this was too much pressure, Arianna could feel the sweat rolling down her forehead. She nervously pulled the trigger and swore to God her arm almost left her body. It hurt like a bitch.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Natalie swore before removing her ear protection and strode over to her daughter, hitting her on the back of the head hard.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Arianna whined, removing her ear protection and looking at the woman with an exasperated expression. What did she do wrong now? She flexed her arm in the process, it had not been easy pulling that shot.

    ¡°Are you dumb or what?!¡± The woman shouted at her face and lifted her arm so the loaded gun pointed away from her and onto the target.

    .....

    She continued to scold her, ¡°Can¡¯t you use yourmon sense to figure out that you hold the gun tightly?!¡±

    Arianna swallowed, ¡°I did hold it but¡­¡± She began to doubt herself and her palm got mmy.

    ¡°You should know that you¡¯re holding a projectile and with ites a small explosion, physics should have taught you that.¡± Arianna pulsed her lips, fearing like a child under her mother¡¯s disapproving gaze.

    Natalie went on, ¡°All guns have at least some kick to them and that is why you should hold it tighter than you think you should, but avoid holding it in a ¡®death grip¡¯,¡± With her mother¡¯s palm guiding her hand and under her guidance, Arianna shot at the human silhouette.

    When Arianna came to check the target, she found out that her nervous shot hit the number nine on the chest while the shot under her mother¡¯s guidance hit a lower score. In one word, she scored better on her own.

    ¡°I think I might have a knack for this, thanks for your guidance.¡± Arianna was smug when she skidded over to the woman

    ¡°Really? Is that so?¡± Natalie¡¯s smile was tight, viewing her daughter¡¯s response as a challenge, ¡°Sure, have a go at it.¡± She said, putting on her ear protection.

    Compared to thest time, Arianna was much more confident and released a series of shots before she excitedly checked her result, and let¡¯s just say, pridees before a fall.

    Arianna was bewildered to know that out of eight shots, only one got even close to hitting the silhouette square in the chest, the others derailed and hit outside the target with two shots scoring number six and her face fell at once.

    ¡°What a great student you are,¡± Natalie nced at the result from over her shoulder, clicking her tongue and taunting her on purpose.

    Arianna rolled her eyes, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try shooting yours if you¡¯re so perfect,¡± she retorted, vexed by the sarcasm in her voice.

    ¡°I thought you were never going to ask,¡± Natalie winked at her, causing her brows to narrow in suspicion. Her mother was hyper-excited about this opportunity and her stomach fluttered nervously.

    And indeed, Arianna¡¯s suspicion was right. Natalie has been waiting for the opportunity to show off, annoyed by the fact that her daughter has been underestimating her prowess all this while.

    Arianna stood at the side and Natalie turned to her and said loudly, ¡°Watch and learn,¡± with a wide smile before putting on her ear protection and facing her target.

    Unlike her daughter, Arianna, Natalie was more rxed and her aim was precise and experienced. And just as Natalie intended, she was here to blow her horn. So when the results were out, Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground from the shock ¨C and she was lucky no fly was around.

    Her mother scored a perfect twelve, a direct hit on the target¡¯s head. And it wasn¡¯t just one, but all of her shots. How was this possible? On no, this ability was on another level, Arianna¡¯s eyes twinkled with pride and she was close to falling on her feet and worshiping her mother. She never knew that she had a badass mother. The revtion was too shocking.

    Of course, Natalie was not oblivious to the reverential looks of her daughter and so she flipped her hair over her shoulder, basking in the glory. Who wouldn¡¯t want to have a mother like her?

    ¡°How did you ¡­.no, why didn¡¯t I get such a result? Gosh, you are so O.P!¡± Arianna gushed over her.

    ¡°What is O. P?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t answer the word. Young people and their ng these days.

    ¡°Overpowered?¡± Arianna exined to her, ¡°You know, like in those animes when the character has a set of skills or does things that make him or her distinguished. You are so overpowered right now,¡± She continuously praised her and Natalie shamelessly relished them all.

 Chapter 803 - 803 Thinking Too Much

    803 Thinking Too Much

    ¡°We are women and the pride of our men. We do not just keep the home, we protect it from intruders and you would have a home one day as well and should learn how to protect it.¡± Those were the words her mother told her and though it was just to psych her, Arianna took it seriously.

    What if one day after she finally has her dream family with Marcel and while he¡¯s away on his ¡°job¡±, an enemy strikes? What would she do? Arianna knew deep down that she would protect her children with all that she has ¨C even at the expense of her life.

    Although she doesn¡¯t n to go down easily.

    Thanks to the thought in her head, Arianna had an active imagination and created a lot of action scenes in her head to counter that situation ande out, unscathed. Don¡¯t even ask the names of the monkey moves she executed mentally ¨C and if it was possible in real life.

    Arianna practiced for a while to her mother¡¯s delight and Natalie pointed out what she did so wrong in her shooting, correcting her stance and helping her find afortable position. In the end, Arianna was able to fire within the circle and was confident that with more practice, she should be able to hit the highest score consecutively like her mother. After all, she was her mother¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°Keep practicing at this rate and you would be a perfect shot in no time. Our training would diversify with time and the brothers should take you on the lessons when I¡¯m not around, and not excluding hand-to-handbat and mastery of other weapons. Not all situations require a loud and huge gun.¡±

    Just one thought came into Arianna¡¯s head after her mother¡¯s announcement, she was going to be a ninja! Oh well, don¡¯t mind her. Something must be wrong with her because she was oddly happy today.

    Arianna washed her hands and face as soon as she got into her room. This was to ensure that she did not ingest or absorb lead particles from bullets, as well as the chemicals produced by burning powder that is on her hands and face after shooting.

    However, the moment Arianna took off her shirt and flung it in the air to get rid of any residue, the smell of lead got into her nose and it didn¡¯t exactly feel good. Honestly, Arianna had been feeling a bit ufortable since the shooting began thanks to the smell of the burning powder.

    .....

    But she had been enduring it because she didn¡¯t want to disappoint her mother and flunk on the first day of training. She had forgotten to ask her mother if the smell was naturally reclusive to some people because Natalie looked fine, if not,fortable with the smell. Perhaps, it was because she was not used to it.

    There was nothing nobody holding Arianna back this time as she rushed into her bathroom with lightning speed and threw up straight into her toilet. She gagged till there was nothing to vomit and sat on the toilet floor, trying to catch her breath. That was fun, sarcasm intended.

    Arianna leaned her head against the tiled wall and closed her eyes for a moment. Feeling better, Arianna got into the shower and took her bath, wanting to get rid of any smell that might linger on her. Once inside, she disposed of her shirt carefully and thenid back on the bed with her phone.

    She texted Marcel and though he wasn¡¯t online, probably busy with Richardo¡¯s issue, Arianna decided to leave him a message. She narrated to him how sessful the training had gone today and then asked if the smell of gunpowder felt repulsive to him.

    Done with that, Arianna went down to have breakfast, suddenly feeling ravenous after throwing up everything she ate the night before. Her mother, Natalie already left for work, she said something about a meeting for directors she needed to attend, leaving just her and Rose at the table.

    While the girl should have had her breakfast earlier ¨C Arianna waste to the table, thanks to the training ¨C Rose waited for her. ording to the young girl, she learned that eating together at the same table improved family bonds. Rose might be young, but Arianna imagined an ancestor living in the body of that girl.

    Well, the breakfast wasn¡¯t as boring as Arianna imagined it would be, no, it was purely the opposite with her sister Rose peppering her with questions that were above children her age and she had no answer to. The girl was inquisitive and though it was a normal trait for children her age, her curiosity was on another level.

    Thankfully, the appearance of a special guest in the name of Redhead took the attention off her and Arianna was able to enjoy her food in peace.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot you ate today,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna nced up at the girl carrying Redhead in her arm and trying to feed him her bacon.

    ¡°You usually don¡¯t eat that much,¡± Rose pointed out the fact that the tes in front of her were wiped clean.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t usually eat this ¡­.¡± Arianna spoke with a mouthful of food, ¡°But I exercised a lot today and my body is craving for more. I need fuel to go about my daily duties, you know.¡± That was her excuse.

    Rose didn¡¯t bother her for the rest of the breakfast and by the time Arianna returned to her room, Marcel already sent a reply to her message.

    [¡°It¡¯s nice to know that you¡¯re taking the training seriously, I¡¯m so proud of you, love. ¡°]

    Arianna¡¯s cheeks heated up when she read that and she fanned her face with her palm while the fluttering in her belly continued.

    [¡°For your question, it depends on the time of gun, and though most gunpowder has an acrid bite to it, it usually isn¡¯t overwhelming. By the way, why do you ask? Did the smoke bother you or did something else happen?]

    Arianna wanted to narrate what happened to Marcel, but she stopped at thest minute. With a slight furrow on her face, she stood up and took off her shirt. Arianna then walked over to her mirror and began to check her belly from different angles. Nothing felt strange or different about her body.

    Perhaps, she was thinking too much.

 Chapter 804 - 804 The Two Red Line Were Visible

    804 The Two Red Line Were Visible

    A knock on the door sent Arianna scrambling from her bed and she hurried over to open it for her best friend.

    ¡°When you said code red, I didn¡¯t realize the emergency was to purchase a PT strip for you¡­..¡± She was still saying when Arianna quickly palmed her mouth and pulled her into her room.

    Giving one final look outside in case someone followed her and intended to eavesdrop on their conversation, Arianna shut the door behind her, leaning against it and releasing a deep breath.

    Shooting herself forward, Arianna asked her, ¡°Did you get it?¡±.

    ¡°Of course, I got you covered,¡± Mimi grinned at her friend, opened her purse, and pulled out the whole package that left Arianna dumbfounded.

    ¡°I just need one dipstick.¡± Arianna

    facepalmed mentally. She should have known when sending Mimi for this kind of errand. She snatched the package from Mimi, shaking her head in disbelief. What was she going to do with all of these?

    However, Mimi said, ¡°I was just trying to ensure the strip is guaranteed. You should know that products fail a lot nowadays. So the n is if we test one and it gives a negative result, we try it all until it works out. ¡±

    She ced her hands on Arianna¡¯s shoulder and continued, ¡°I have good faith that something woulde out of your romping with Marcel this time. Also, Victor and I went to church the other day and I prayed for you ¨C prayed that God will give you lots of children. Would ten kids be enough?¡±

    .....

    It wasn¡¯t until the hint of a smile appeared at the corner of her lips that Arianna realized that her friend was messing with her and she pped her hand away. Mimi burst intoughter.

    ¡°That is not funny,¡± Arianna said, tearing the package open with a bit of annoyance.

    ¡°You are so stiff as a rock, I was trying to loosen you up,¡± Mimiughed harder, the look on her friend¡¯s face was so serious.

    ¡°Like I believe that,¡± Arianna picked one of the strips and headed in the direction of the bathroom.

    ¡°Are you sure you know how to use that? Do you need my guidance or perhaps I can keep youpany!¡± Mimi offered from the goodness of her heart.

    ¡°Keep mepany my ass,¡± Arianna retorted, workout sparing a look at her.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t stick it up your ass!¡± Mimi shouted after her in betweenughter and earned the middle finger from Arianna before she walked into the bathroom.

    Okay, this was it, Arianna took a deep breath. She first washed her hands and container which she then used to collect her urine sample. She tore the wrapper and dipped the absorbent tip into the urine sample, cing it on a t surface.

    How did Ariannae to this point? Well, after having that ridiculous thought in her head earlier, she decided that she needed to test it out. She can¡¯t just keep on making assumptions. For once in her life, Arianna wanted to face a problem headstrong and then discuss her next course of action. Not that her pregnancy was a ¡°problem¡±. She and Marcel wanted this for a long time.

    Arianna nned to see the result and then share it with Mimi when she came out, but then, she became so anxious that she covered her face and took the strip, deciding it was much better if Mimi broke the news to her instead. Arianna was nervous, and scared, well, more nervous to be precise.

    If she doesn¡¯t turn up pregnant this time, not only would she be highly disappointed, but it would also prove the fact that something was wrong with her ¨C or Marcel. Arianna dreaded thinking that way. So she somehow traced her way back to her room to the surprise of her best friend.

    ¡°What is it¡­?¡± Mimi trailed off when Arianna brought the strip to her face, looking the other way.

    ¡°Please help me check it.¡± Arianna swallowed, her heart pounding loudly through her chest.

    Mimi looked at her friend with pity, understanding dawning on her. So she epted the strip from her and Arianna took a step back, ready to ept her fate.

    It was as if she was in some sort of talent show, standing before Mimi, the judge, and waiting for the announcement with anticipation except that I¡¯m this case, she had nopetitors. She studied Mimi¡¯s expression as she stared down at the stick and her brows knitted in concentration.

    What was she seen? Arianna was so nervous that she didn¡¯t even realize that she wasn¡¯t breathing anymore.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Mimi frowned down at the strip before lifting her face and their gaze connected. She didn¡¯t need her friend to speak, Arianna could tell from herck of zeal that it was an epic failure. She failed to get pregnant.

    A cold chill washed over Arianna and it felt like darkness washed over her. Her face fell and her eyes prickled with unshed tears. She tried her best, you know?

    It wasn¡¯t until a pair of feet appeared in her vision that Arianna realized Mimi was in front of her and she lifted her head, a tear sliding down her cheek.

    Mimi took her hand and ced the strip in her palm saying, ¡°Congrattions Arianna, I don¡¯t think that you need another strip.¡±

    ¡°W-what,¡± She choked, her brows drawing together in confusion. And that was when Arianna nced down and saw the two ring lines.

    Dear God!

    Her heart nearly burst out of her chest.

    A small gasp left her lips before Arianna screamed, cupping her mouth with her hands at thest minute and the strip fell to the ground.

    ¡°Congrattions bestie and wee to the pregnancy league,¡± Mimi pulled her into a hug and Ariannaid her head on her shoulder and couldn¡¯t stop the tears from falling.

    She finally did it?

    It honestly seemed surreal to her and Arianna had to break out of Mimi¡¯s arms to pick the strip from the floor and stared at it once again. Tears blurred her vision but the two red lines were visible. Nothing was wrong with her, nor Marcel.

    At that moment, Arianna didn¡¯t care about Natalie¡¯s threat or the fact she probably disappointed her. All that mattered to her was relishing this beautiful moment. She slipped her hand beneath her shirt and rubbed her t stomach.

    She was pregnant¡­ atst!

    A child was growing inside of her.

    A child with Marcel.

    Their child.

    And this was just the beginning of their family.

 Chapter 805 - 805 He Was Going To Be Back

    805 He Was Going To Be Back

    They were set to move out now, there were so many activities going on in the base that Marcel couldn¡¯t catch his breath until thest minute. The operation tonight was important and he couldn¡¯t afford a mistake. Richardo already sent a location and it was a container depot.

    Smart bastard! Marcel cursed under his breath. Who knew what awaited him in those empty shipping containers? There was no time to scout the location because the bastard intentionally sent the locationte. One thing was sure though, this was a trap and he had to be prepared because there was no way he was leaving Winters behind.

    Macy was right, the more people he had to protect, the weaker he became. But then she was right in the sense that he should have been more careful. He should have protected his loved ones well and not given an opening to opportunists like Richardo. Macy won this round because he rxed, but it was not going to happen again, Marcel promised himself.

    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s time to go,¡± His soldier, Samuel informed him. He was the soldier who took Macy¡¯s position by his side and the one Arianna shot at in the past when she tried to escape him.

    ¡°Give me a little time,¡± Marcel told him, pulling out his phone to call Arianna. He should have informed her of his movement earlier on, but he just didn¡¯t know how to say it to her, not to mention that he had been busy. But now, he couldn¡¯t leave without speaking to her¡­ what if this was thest time?

    No, he was not going to die. If it wasn¡¯t for any other reason, he would do everything in his power toe back because of Arianna. Marcel already promised to marry her and start a family with her and he intends to keep to that promise. So he was not dying tonight. Moreover, dying in the hands of a nobody like Richardo would be a huge shame to the reputation he carefully built over the years.

    So he called Arianna right away, his heart beating with anticipation of hearing her voice. He couldn¡¯t tell when it began, but his world currently revolves around Arianna.

    ¡°Hello¡­.¡± Her voice came alive and at that instant, Marcel thought he could die from happiness. She was everything to him ¨C everything that mattered. Even if he died right now, Marcel was a fulfilled man.

    ¡°Hello love, how are you doing?¡± Marcel answered, shifting his weight to his other foot with the phone pressed to his ear.

    .....

    ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    There was an awkward silence between the both of them which was unusual and Marcel would have suspected something was up except he didn¡¯t have much time.

    ¡°I have something to tell you¡­¡±

    ¡°I have something to tell you¡­¡±

    Both of them said at the same time, surprising each other.

    ¡°This is weird,¡± Ariannaughed, ¡°But you go first¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you go first¡­¡± Marcel said instead. There was no way her news could be more dreadful than his.

    ¡°Are you sure¡­.¡±

    He sensed her hesitation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Marcel said.

    Before he left, Marcel wanted to know what was on her mind ¨C in case it was thest time. No, he had to stop thinking that way. He was not dying today.

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    Bam!

    It felt like an explosion went off in his head and Marcel stiffened.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re what?¡± He croaked, his throat suddenly dry while the hand holding the phone trembled that it was a surprise it didn¡¯t slip from his hold.

    ¡°Unbelievable, right? I know, I felt the same way too, Marcel! It took me hours for the information to sink in, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t call you right away. No, I wanted to meet you and tell you the news but I couldn¡¯t keep it in the instant I heard your voice. I just can¡¯t believe it when we tried for so long ¡­.. ¡± Arianna rambled on while Marcel stopped listening at the point where she confirmed her pregnancy

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± A gasp tore from his lips when realization dawned on him and he brought his hand to his mouth. Marcel began tough. Heughed so hard that even Arianna became concerned from her side and asked if he was okay.

    But he ignored her,ughing so hard that tears slid down his face. Marcel covered his face with his palm and though it looked like he was crying, the truth was that those were tears of joy. Marcel was so happy he didn¡¯t know how to express it.

    Arianna was pregnant!

    He was going to be a father?

    God damn it, he was so happy!

    Marcel had not seen iting. This was not the news he had been expecting. Itpletely took him by surprise all even though it was what he ever wanted. Marcel wanted to be a father so much that when the good news finally came, it sounded too good to be true.

    But then it was true.

    He was going to have a child!

    It was reality.

    ¡°Marcel? Hello? Are you there¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here, love,¡± He said, his voice chipper than usual.

    ¡°Alright, this is what we are going to do, I¡¯ll be there¡­..¡± Marcel trailed off when he remembered he had a ce to go. A mission to cover.

    Oh no, he was carried away by the excitement.

    ¡°Marcel? You were saying?¡±

    ¡°Listen to me, Arianna¡­¡± Marcel swallowed.

    Arianna must have sensed something was wrong because she asked,

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°We are going after Richardo,¡± He let out the news instead of beating around the bush.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be back in no time and then we can talk about the baby.¡±

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She scolded him, ¡°What are you not telling me?! You¡¯re about to do something dangerous, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Was all he told her.

    ¡°Marcel please¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go now. I love you, Arianna.¡± He ended the call before she shook his resolve. It took everything in Marcel not to abandon the mission tonight and go to her. But then, he was the boss and this was his responsibility.

    He was going to be back for her and his child.

 Chapter 806 - 806 This Was A Trap

    806 This Was A Trap

    ¡°Tell me she¡¯s done with it,¡± Richardo asked, walking into the room where Winters was working.

    ¡°She did it,¡± Alex announced with a sleazy smile, lifting the USB as if it were some prize and something told Winters deep down that the asshole would have imed her work as his if Richardo didn¡¯t know about her.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Richardo¡¯s eyes twinkled, staring at the USB as if it was worth a million dors. But then, it was worth more than that, after all, he was about to destroy the Luciano family with it.

    ¡°Thank you so much, kiddo,¡± Richardo pulled Winters forward and hugged her tight while she flinched in his embrace. The hugsted for only a minute but it was the longest minute of her time and it wasn¡¯t exactly enjoyable.

    Winters felt like bugs were crawling all over her body and when his hand actually traveled down to squeeze her butt, she felt bile rise to her throat. She didn¡¯t want to be touched that way and that gesture brought up her old trauma that left her sick to the stomach.

    Thankfully, Richardo pulled away before she could throw up on him, but his hands remained on her arms as he said, ¡°You are such an excellent young woman and would have been a great contribution to my side, but then, that damn Marcel wants you back.¡±

    Winters¡¯ head jerked up as soon as she heard Marcel¡¯s name and hope grew inside of her. Marcel wants her back. Was Marcel actually here for her? Thanks to that annoying Alex¡¯s presence, she was not able to send out an SOS to him and only prayed that Akim got to him on time.

    Her heartbeat quickened and she prayed that this wasn¡¯t some false hope or a ploy by the bastard Richardo to lower her guards, only to end her life when she least expects it. Trusting any of these guys was equivalent to putting a hand on fire and expecting not to be burned.

    That was the only reason she worked with and trusted Marcel. He was a man of principle and had a code of honor he operated with. But Richardo? No, he was slimy and would always sell her off to the highest bidder to get what he wanted.

    .....

    She couldn¡¯t work with people like him who would only stab her in the back. It might not seem like it but reputation was everything in this business and Marcel already built enough of it.

    ¡°However, as a parting gift, I¡¯ll keep to my word by not cutting off your fingers. After all, you have already given me what I wanted.¡± He simpered, sending goosebumps down her arms.

    Ricardo tilted his head in Alex¡¯s direction saying, ¡°See that our guest arrives safely.¡±

    Expecting to be led through the door, Winters panicked when a ck bag was suddenly pulled over her head and she couldn¡¯t see anything. She fought hard until she felt a prickling pain in her neck and it wasn¡¯t even up to a minute when she felt her body be weak.

    Winters felt hands on her body and the next thing, her feet were lifted off the ground. She was tossed over a hard shoulder, his frame digging into her body and the position so perilous that she was close to throwing up. But nothing of that nature happened since her eyes closed in sleep.

    When Winters woke up again, it was because she was sweaty and feeling ustrophobic. Where the hell was she? It was dark and she couldn¡¯t move her hands as if they were tied together. It wasn¡¯t until the bump that shook her body that Winters recognized that she must be inside a car boot.

    Where were they going? More like, where were they taking her? She remembered Richardo¡¯s words that Marcel was here for her. Could it be that Marcel paid for her ransom? Tears sprang to Winters¡¯ eyes ¨C and she hardly cries ¨C touched by the gesture.

    Winters was not scared of dying, knowing what her high-risk job entailed. But after being with Akim and realizing the beauty in this fucked up world, she decided to live just a little, until Richardo appeared.

    Also, rescuing her from a man like Richardo was the biggest favor Marcel has ever done for her. Honestly speaking, Winters doesn¡¯t care anymore if Marcel wanted to be her brother and her as his sister in exchange for this. She was eternally grateful to him. Even though they weren¡¯t rted by blood, he was the first real family she ever had.

    The car suddenly came to a halt and she started a countdown to when they would open the car boot and dread crawled down her spine. Winters wanted this to be over already and she couldn¡¯t wait to be in the safety of Marcel¡¯s arms.

    Winters could hear conversations as they approached her and that was when she discovered that this wasn¡¯t a ransom but a prisoner exchange. They were swapping her for Macy. One could say that Winters was highly relieved that Marcel uncovered Macy¡¯s treachery.

    But then her fears crept up as well, Richardo was scum and couldn¡¯t be trusted. Even though he liked Macy ¨C Winters had seen the way he practically drooled over her ¨C and yet, he still felt her ¨C Winters- up. Someone like him wasn¡¯t trustworthy and he already had a vendetta against the Luciano family.

    Winters knew Marcel was smart but she really prayed that he came with his brains this time because something told her this was a trap and they might not leave this ce alive.

    It was night, however, Winters still had to squint when the boot was opened and the man shone his touch at her while the other pulled her out of the car.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Winters was dragged along roughly but she didn¡¯tin knowing this was going to be over soon. She needed to have a little patience.

    ¡°Shall we leave now, Boss?¡± The asshole said, pushing her forward to a man wearing a gas mask Winters assumed him to be Richardo based on the way that he was addressed, even though he looked strange. Only Richardo was referred to with that title.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± The man said and a cold chill washed over Winters. This was not Richardo.

    Oh no.

 Chapter 807 - 807 More Eager To Meet His Pregnant Girlfriend

    807 More Eager To Meet His Pregnant Girlfriend

    The car was silent as they drove to the meeting ce, everyone lost in his thoughts. Perhaps, the tension was heightened by the fact that their boss, Marcel, has been rigid and distant since the ride. He must be thinking about the many ways things could go wrong tonight, they assumed. Not knowing that Marcel had a different thought altogether.

    Marcel was pragmatic and thought no further about the exchange tonight having already made ns that would ensure its sess. Sure, they were walking in blind and things could go wrong, but what was the use worrying? It would only make him nervous and that state of mind tends to lead to mistakes. He had to be cool-headed enough to protect his team. That was his role as a leader.

    In reality, Marcel was filled with anticipation and longing instead. He couldn¡¯t wait to go back to his wife, no, he means Arianna. Obviously, she wasn¡¯t his wife yet. But then, he would make that a reality as soon as Eric approves of his deal. He couldn¡¯t marry Arianna yet not with the tension between both of their families. He would need Eric¡¯s permission as well to whisk her away.

    This is what Marcel nned to do after he was done with this mission tonight. He doesn¡¯t care about the time, but he would drive to Draven¡¯s residence and demand ¨C respectfully ¨C to see her. When Ariannaes out, he would sweep her off her feet and then kiss her till her lips stung and she couldn¡¯t breathe any other air than his. Then he would ce his head on her belly, and feel his baby.

    Their baby.

    The life they created together.

    His body zinged with excitement and he tapped his feet rhythmically against the floor of the car, a gesture that his men mistook as anxiety, not that any of them pointed it out. This Richardo guy must have really gotten under their boss¡¯s skin to make him this irritated.

    Perhaps if Victor was there, he would have talked his cousin into calming down, but he wasn¡¯t there and no one wanted to try their luck.

    Was it a boy or a girl? Marcel already began to deliberate about the sex of his child. Not that he really cared about that, he wasn¡¯t his father Daniel who judged a child¡¯s worth by its gender. Times have changed and If his child turned out to be a girl, she would lead this organization one day ¨C if that was what she wanted. Most women wanted nothing to do with such risky and uwful upation. But then, there were always special women like Adele ¨C he hoped his daughter would be one of them.

    .....

    If it turned out to be a boy, his son would take his ce as the first child ¨C Marcel nned to have many more children after that ¨C as long as the boy had the knack for this. Sure, Marcel honored the birth order, but whoever was going to inherit this position in the future would have to work hard for it. This was a family business and yet not a family business. He needed someone with the heart and capability to lead this family and not just because he¡¯s the eldest son.

    Honestly speaking, Marcel was not sure he wanted a son yet upon remembering his rebellious years with his father. The both of them were constantly at loggerheads and thinking of fighting with his own son made him wince internally. Who knew such a day woulde? It confirms the saying, What goes aroundes around.

    Hence, the thought of having a daughter was moreforting. She would have his gray eyes and her mother¡¯s red hair ¨C and stubbornness. Marcel snorted inwardly, either way, it seems he was going to have a handful once his child was born.

    ¡°We have arrived, boss,¡± Samuel announced and it hit Marcel that Victor should have been here instead of him. But then, he sent his cousin on a special mission instead. Richardo¡¯s death would not be enough, he needed to destroy him thoroughly and eliminate the chances of another Richardo spurting up. Tonight, he was going to remind this city why his family was not to be messed with.

    The car was opened for him and Marcel stepped out, looking around as the cool night breeze tossed his hair around. There was nothing all around him but empty containers and the fact there was no watchman on duty proved that Richardo had probably bribed them for the night. The depot was free for their transaction. He squinted his eyes as if he could make out an assassin hiding in the darkness.

    ¡°Bring her out.¡± Hemanded no one in particr but Samuel already set to work and in no time he was dragging the bonded Macy along. She kicked and cursed but there was nothing much that she could say with her mouth gagged. Her eyes were filled with nothing but loathing andplete disregard towards Marcel. If her hands were free right now, she would have gouged out his eyes.

    However, Marcel didn¡¯t even spare her a look and walked ahead. He had other things to worry about and she was the least of his problems. Just as agreed, they were a total of five and in no time found Richardo and his goons, they were five in number too ¨C as far as his eyes could see. He was not a fool. This was a trap.

    There was a huge space between both sides until a man wearing a mask stepped forward, ¡°Marcel Luciano,¡± He said, causing his brows to furrow.

    ¡°What is this, Richardo?¡± Marcel stepped out too, his men having his back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised, I¡¯m just making sure that I don¡¯t breathe the same air as you do. It¡¯s contaminated,¡± He insulted him, bursting intoughter.

    His menughed with him but Marcel was unmoved. If Richardo nned to ruffle his emotions, it was not working.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin this,¡± He said instead with a stoic face. Marcel was more eager to meet his pregnant girlfriend back home.

 Chapter 808 - 808 Marcel Was Shot

    808 Marcel Was Shot

    Both leaders had their captives on their sides and Marcel¡¯s gaze fell on Winters. Just like Macy, her mouth was gagged and he could see bruises at the corner of her face. Marcel did notin, if any he was grateful, because, unlike Macy, she was in a better condition.

    He looked at Winters who gestured to him with her eyes and Marcel slightly narrowed his gaze, trying to understand the signal she was giving him. Her eyes moved to Richardo and he tried not to stare too much so as not to draw attention to their silent conversation.

    ¡°Fine, we¡¯d pass the captives over at the count of three,¡± Richardo told him.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°Now, at the count of one¡­ two¡­ three,¡±

    Marcel pushed Macy forward, and at the same time Richardo released Winters as well and both women walked over to meet their people. However, Winters had other ns because instead of joining Marcel, she got in Macy¡¯s way and headbutted her right in the nose and she cried out in pain. That was her punishment for getting her involved in her revenge and betraying Marcel.

    Unfortunately, that was the cue needed for all hell to break loose. Of course, Marcel knew that Winters would be their first target, they knew how much the young girl meant to him and her death would be a huge loss to him. So he protected her, firing at Richardo, more like his recement.

    Marcel knew the moment he arrived here and saw him in a mask that he wasn¡¯t the real Richardo. He was not born this morning and even before he took over the family trade, Marcel often followed his father Daniel to negotiations like this.

    And so far, it wasn¡¯t umon to see cowards who bail out at thest minute of a deal and use another person in the ce, the willing sacrifice. If there was anything Daniel taught him so far, it was to think like his enemy. Richardo was a nobody and it was obvious, even to Macy that he was going to die in this negotiation today.

    .....

    Marcel was not going to let him survive.

    If Richardo was an honorable gangster, he would stand his ce and fight to the end like a warrior. But then, he was no warrior, instead, he was a sneaky cockroach, who would do anything to survive. And that includes sending someone else in his ce to poise as him and try to take him out.

    The n was lousy anyway. Why would anyone wear a gas mask if he didn¡¯t n to release dangerous chemicals into the air? And out of everyone, why only him? The depot was an open space, and releasing such gas wouldn¡¯t achieve the result he wantedpared to a closed space unless the gas killed quickly.

    And finally, Winters gave him that look, and his suspicion was confirmed. The recement¡¯s role was to kill him by surprise once the deal was over, but Richardo was a fool and Marcel was ashamed to even think he thought of him as a problem in the first ce.

    Taking out the four of them was easy as pie, leaving only Macy who was sprawled on the ground, her hands covering her head. The men sent to get her were all dead and she was the only surviving person ¨C Marcel left her alive on purpose.

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Winters called his name muffledly, her mouth still gagged, but that didn¡¯t stop her from throwing herself on him, hugging Marcel tightly.

    Marcel reciprocated her hug, relieved at the contact. An error could have cost her life and he wouldn¡¯t know how to deal with that. Winters hase to be someone important in his life ¨C one of his own.

    But the hug didn¡¯tst because Winters pulled away and Marcel removed the tie from her mouth knowing she had a lot to say. She winced from the pain and flexed her jaw, before informing him hurriedly.

    ¡°As much as I appreciate this reunion, we have to get out of here, more are stilling. Richardo is working with ¡­.¡± Winters was still saying when a bullet hit Marcel from the back and he grunted in pain while a scream left her lips.

    Oh no, terror-filled Winters and she froze on the spot. There was no way Marcel was going to die, right? Tears filled her eyes and she stood at the spot even as more bullets flew in their direction.

    ¡°Take cover now!¡± Samuel yelled orders to the other men standing their ground.

    ¡°We have to go now!¡± He dragged her arm, pulling her along.

    ¡°No, what about Marcel¡­.?¡± Winters looked down, expecting to see him lying on the floor in his pool of blood but it was the opposite. Marcel was on his feet, returning shots for shots at his enemies in the dark. And it wasn¡¯t until he turned and yelled at her,

    ¡°What the fuck are you standing there for? Move it!¡±

    Winters finally shook the shock away and realized that she was in the middle of a battlefield. She watched Macy get away and was tempted to go after her, but they were kind of in a perilous situation and overpowered.

    Together, they got into a space between two containers and one of Marcel¡¯s soldiers shot down a man who came from behind while another fell from the top of the container, having been shot down.

    ¡°How?¡± Winters was befuddled and didn¡¯t understand how Marcel was still alive, she clearly saw him get shot. Unless he was a cat with nine lives, he better has an answer for this.

    ¡°Ker!¡± Marcel answered in the middle of throwing instructions to his men, ¡°And you don¡¯t have one right now, so you better get behind me!¡±

    Thanks to the intensity in his eyes, Winters didn¡¯t need to be told twice and got behind Marcel just as he shouted to his soldiers, ¡°Diamond formation!¡±

    In this position, everyone had a standard role and was flexible enough to the changing circumstances, providing coverage from all sides. They worked independently yet simultaneously as a team and Winters was protected in the middle.

 Chapter 809 - 809 Pray It Wasnâ€™t Too Late

    809 Pray It Wasn¡¯t Too Late

    ¡°We have to move! We are under too much fire! Kill the lights now, Samuel!¡±

    Samuel turned and shot at the bulb light illuminating their position. The number of shots ceased as their enemies tried to make out their position with the light gone.

    ¡°Move! Move! Move!¡± Marcel whisper-yelled at them, intentionally lowering his voice in case an enemy is nearby and locates them with the sound. Even he knew their enemies were moving position.

    As if to prove his point, a grunt of pain was heard and Marcel knew that a man was down. It was a good thing he came with the best of his men. They moved slowly yet vignt in anticipation of hostile contact.

    ¡°I need a gun,¡± Winters whispered to him. She already released her bound hands and wanted to help. There was no way she would sit around and do nothing.

    ¡°Have you ever used one before?¡± Marcel asked her.

    ¡°No, but I¡¯m a quick study.¡±

    ¡°The answer is no.¡±

    ¡°Marcel!¡± She said through gritted teeth, ¡°We are under fire and under numbered.¡±

    .....

    ¡°And I am with experienced soldiers and each move is carefully executed. You are much more dangerous to us with a gun than you are with nothing right now. Get behind me!¡± Marcel scolded as he shot at the figure he caught hiding from the corner of his eyes.

    Although it was night, there were bulbs everywhere and they could not destroy all the lights because they too needed them to be able to see their enemies in the dark. Winters ducked and waited until the enemy fell and the exchange was over before she moved again having no idea where they were going. The container depot was too huge and it waste at night. How would they cover everything tonight?

    ¡°Shit!¡± Marcel cursed, narrowly dodging another bullet, ¡°Richardo shouldn¡¯t have this many people? Just how many frencers did he buy? I didn¡¯t know he had such wealth.¡±

    ¡°Not if he has the Bratva on his side?¡± Winters said.

    Marcel went cold as soon as he heard that name and that distraction cost him because an idiot managed to get him in the side, knocking the breath out of his lungs but Samuel had his back, putting his attacker down with two gunfire.

    ¡°Boss,¡± Samuel came to his side, as Marcel leaned against the container.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± He said, grunting. While the Ker inside his clothes offered him protection, it wasn¡¯t hundred percent, and God, the injuries hurt like a bitch. There was only so much Marcel could do and he wasn¡¯t superman. But at the moment, he had bigger problems.

    ¡°When is the reinforcementing?¡± He asked, his chest heaving.

    ¡°They¡¯re here. Just got confirmation of their position.¡± Samuel answered. As if on cue, another set of gunshots rang out and the pressure mounted on them decreased.

    ¡°Call Victor, he needs to know¡­.¡± He groaned in pain, holding his side, ¡°Richardo is working with the Bratva. He needs to be aware of that.¡±

    ¡°Yes boss,¡± Samuel answered, bringing out his phone to make the call while Winters moved to Marcel¡¯s side.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked out of concern, seeing the sweat forming on his face.

    ¡°Pretty bad shape but I have survived worst,¡± Marcel told her while working at controlling his breathing. He didn¡¯t feel much of the pain earlier thanks to the adrenaline, but now, his body was protesting.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t¡­ Yes, you can. Tell him¡­¡± Marcel pointed at one of his soldiers who stalked out, protecting the boss in case an enemy snuck up on them, ¡°I need the shot.¡±

    Winters had no idea what the shot was but when she ryed the message, he rummaged through the small bag he carried, and the next minute, Winters returned to Marcel with an injection.

    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re not doing drugs,¡±

    Marcel wanted tough but it came out as a snort instead thanks to the pain.

    ¡°It¡¯s called morphine, a pain reliever,¡± He added, ¡°Just try not to get addicted.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not afraid of shots then?¡± Winters asked while trying to identify the thickest part of his deltoid muscle.

    ¡°You underestimate me this little young woman, why would I be scared of a needle¡­..¡± Winters inserted the needle at a nighty degrees angle to his skin with a quick thrust, silencing the rest of his words.

    As she pushed the medicine into his muscle, Marcel drew back his head and shut his eyes, relishing the feeling of utter euphoria. Protected, warm, and safe, that was how a morphine shot felt like and it was no wonder it was so addictive.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Marcel raised his brows at her question.

    ¡°Is the pain gone like that? You know, poof.¡± She snapped her fingers in a demonstration.

    Marcel smiled and answered her, ¡°It takes up to thirty minutes or sixty minutes to work but wears off after four or five hours. I should be able to get medical attention then, so you have nothing to worry about.¡± He assured her.

    ¡°Boss,¡± Samuel said, drawing Marcel¡¯s attention and ending the conversation between him and Winter.

    Marcel didn¡¯t even need an answer, the look on Samuel¡¯s face said it all.

    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get through his line.¡±

    And it was not surprising. While in the middle of discreet missions, all phones are turned off in order not to give their position to the enemy and avoid distraction at the same time.

    ¡°Send another team after him immediately!¡± Marcel ordered, getting up to his feet with no care for the pain. He was beginning to feel better even though the drug hadn¡¯t fully kicked in. This was more important, he couldn¡¯t lose his cousin, Victor.

    Suspecting that Richardo might pull off a trick like this, he sent Victor and his team on a mission to track him down in his home and destroy him and everything precious to him ¨C the warehouse he stored his drugs. But that was until this happened and he got news of the Bratva¡¯s involvement. Now, Marcel could only pray that it wasn¡¯t toote.

 Chapter 810 - 810 Going After Richardo

    810 Going After Richardo

    Everything had been going well for Victor until¡­

    ¡°I just got reports from the other team, the mission is aplished,¡± The caporegime informed him.

    While the underboss should have taken up this mission, Marcel had considered Adele¡¯s condition, and Victor decided to go instead. He was more than just a consigliere, a soldier that Marcel trusted with his life.

    Moreover, there was no way he could sit at home and continue with the title of an advisor while the others catch all the fun. His abilities would get rustic and he wanted to feel the thrill of the hunt again. Victor was oddly invested in Richardo and if there was anyone that would get him, that would be him.

    So he picked the best caporegime from all the divisions and formed two teams. While Marcel would deal with the exchange, he would make sure that Richardo has no life to return to ¨C if he does escape from the negotiation alive.

    The first team¡¯s duty was to burn down Richardo¡¯s drug house and they already located the warehouse where the drugs were being stored. They would leave no man alive while burning the warehouse to the ground. And now that it was done, the second phase of the n has begun.

    The blood bath.

    Victor and his batch of soldiers were currently hiding outside Richardo¡¯s residence and were waiting for his order to move. Marcel¡¯s order was to leave no man alive, except for children and women. His cousin worked with that code of conduct and every member of his organization worked with that.

    Before they parted ways, Marcel already expressed his doubt about Richardo showing up at the depot tonight and if that was the case, it was up to him ¨C Victor ¨C to deal with the bastard. And he was determined to see this to the end. Anyone that daredy a hand on his loved ones would meet the wrath of his bullet.

    .....

    Hence, the instant Victor gave the order, they set to work immediately. The soldiers worked as a team, with two of them lifting their partner enough for him to climb over therge fence and get down to the other side.

    Then they waited outside patiently and in no time, a muffled gunshot and a man¡¯s grunt were heard and the next, the gate was opened for them. They all got inside, careful not to get caught by the surveince camera.

    The operation was meant to be stealthy and quick and thanks to the cover of the night they were able to infiltrate Richardo¡¯s residence. But then, it was not long before one of Richardo¡¯s men on patrol found one of the bodies and raised the rm. They were under attack!

    ¡°We have been discovered!¡± Victor warned his team to be watchful. And thus, a shootout between both sides began.

    Before they set out on this mission, he and Marcel had nned everything out carefully. Taking into consideration the number of Richardo¡¯s men and the obstacles they were likely to experience on the way. Hence, it didn¡¯t make sense to Victor when they got outnumbered.

    ¡°Quick! We have to retreat!¡± Victor announced when they came after a heavy fire. Whatever Richardo did, it was obvious that he had outside help and the guys were brutal and skilled, unlike Richardo¡¯s sleazy men they took out earlier.

    They would not win at this rate, not to mention they had no idea what, or rather who they were dealing with. As much as Victor was eager to destroy Richardo, he also knew when to give up on a losing battle, and right now, this was one of them. They had no reinforcements who could back them up and perhaps then they would have a winning chance.

    ¡°Retreat now! I said, retreat!¡± Victor shouted at the top of his lungs and watched with horror as his people fell one after the other. They were being surrounded and if they didn¡¯t leave right now, this ce would be their burial ground ¨C and he wasn¡¯t ready to die in the enemy¡¯snd. He had his pregnant fianc¨¦ to return to.

    He grabbed the capegrim and was about to drag him away when a bullet hit him and the breath was knocked out of his lungs. Although he wore a bulletproof jacket inside, he still felt the impact from the projectile and it hurt as shit.

    Victor fell to the ground, but that didn¡¯t stop him from picking up his gun and shooting at the bastard that got him.

    ¡°Victor!¡± It finally dawned on the Caporegrim at that moment and he reached out and pulled Victor from the heavy gunfire, the both of them taking cover behind one of the pirs in the foyer.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even get an inch to Richardo,¡± Victor hissed, his breathing ragged as he held onto his side where he was shot.

    ¡°We will get him another time, we just have to make it out of here now. We don¡¯t have many people left.¡± The caporegime

    ¡°Fine, you have my back, I have yours.¡± Victor gave out instructions and started a countdown.

    At the count of three, they both stepped out, taking out the targets they already spotted from their hiding ce. It was tough but both of them made it out of there, along with some of their men. And things seemed to be going well for them until Victor somehow looked through the chaos and spotted him.

    Richardo!

    And he was being nked by two men who were hurriedly leading him to a car parked on thewn.

    ¡°I see him! I¡¯m going after him!¡±

    ¡°No, Victor!¡±

    The caporegime tried to stop him but it was toote, Victor already took off. So he had no choice but to follow after him too.

    ¡°Richardo!¡± Victor shouted, pulling the trigger at him from that distance, but he felt the hot pain sear into his flesh instead.

    His world reeled and the night sky was thest thing he saw before his eyes closed.

 Chapter 811 - 811 Marcel Needs Your Help

    811 Marcel Needs Your Help

    It was way past the time Arianna usually slept but she could not catch a wink. How could she when Marcel could be dying out there and she has no idea?

    It didn¡¯t help the fact that Victor¡¯s line couldn¡¯t be essed either and that means two best friends worrying over their loved ones. The both of them knew deep down that wherever Marcel was, Victor was sure to follow. In one word, the both of them paced up and down the room in worry.

    The least people Arianna was attracted to were military men because of the risk thates with their upation. Imagine the heartbreak thates with hearing bad news like him dying while executing his duty. But then, who knew in the end that she wouldn¡¯t even date one and yet worry endlessly about another man that wasn¡¯t part of the military.

    Instead, he was part of the Mafia and she still got tangled up in the same situation she dreaded. What Arianna feared the most finally caught up to her. Hence, it came as a huge relief to her when her phone finally rang and she looked down to discover that it was Marcel.

    A breath away from answering the call, Arianna halted, her finger hovering over the ept button. What if this wasn¡¯t Marcel, rather another person was calling to give her the bad news. Her breath quickened and cold sweat formed on her face. Arianna wasn¡¯t sure that she was ready to face that. For Christ fucking sake, he promised that he was going toe back alive.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Mimi came to her side, staring at the screen. She was on tenterhooks as well, waiting for news on Victor.

    ¡°Marcel?¡± Her hopes grew and before Arianna could even think of answering, Mimi already snatched the phone from her..

    ¡°Mimi, no -!¡±

    However, Mimi didn¡¯t look back and picked the call at once, saying, ¡°Hello?¡±

    .....

    Arianna gulped, licking her lower lips as she waited for the news from her best friend. Perhaps, it was better if Mimi told her instead of hearing it first hand..

    ¡°Okay,¡± Mimi said, and pulled the phone from her ear.

    ¡°It¡¯s Marcel,¡± She handed the phone to her and Arianna released the breath that she had been holding in all the while. He was okay. Marcel was safe. She had nothing to worry about.

    ¡°Hello¡­.¡± Arianna said, her heart still pounding in her chest.

    ¡°I need your help.¡±

    Oh no, the blood drained from Arianna¡¯s face. She knew what that entailed. He must be injured.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you got shot?!¡± She gripped the phone so hard that her knuckles turned white. What was she going to do? She hoped that it wasn¡¯t deadly. Well, the fact that he was still able to talk to her meant that he was okay. She hoped. Marcel was good at hiding his pain.

    ¡± It¡¯s Victor¡­.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s gaze flickered to her friend¡¯s and she swallowed down nervously.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Mimi noticed her gaze and wasn¡¯tfortable with that look.

    But Arianna put up her hand, gesturing that she was not through with her call and Mimi had no choice but to wait.

    Mimi couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was wrong and she knew Arianna long enough to know that she was hiding something from her.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± She asked, careful not to unintentionally let out the secret.

    ¡°Very badly, he¡¯s losing a lot of blood and we are currently at Ruth¡¯s animal shop. Her hands are filled and she wants you here, Arianna.¡±

    Damn it, Arianna didn¡¯t know whether to be concerned that Victor was dying or the fact she was going back to the ce where all of this began.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be there immediately. ¡± Arianna said and was just about to end the call when Marcel said to her,

    ¡°Also, be careful. Richardo is still out there. I¡¯ll tell you everything when you get here.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Was all Arianna said and ended the call only for Mimi to pepper her with questions right away.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did he say anything about Victor? Why can¡¯t I get through with you? Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Richardo is still alive. Marcel needs my help handling the injured and I need to get to Ruth¡¯s ce.¡±

    ¡°Ruth? Your former boss?¡±

    ¡°The one and only,¡± Arianna said, picking up her coat from the wardrobe because the night was cold.

    ¡°What about Victor? You have not answered me. Who is he not answering his phone?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s busy. I told you, there¡¯s a lot of his men who are injured and have his hands filled at the moment.¡± She lied to Mimi. Her friend was pregnant and until she checked out the situation, Arianna wouldn¡¯t put her under tension.

    ¡°I¡¯ming with you, I would be able to help you too,¡± Mimi decided.

    ¡°Thank you for your help, Mimi, but you¡¯d be more of a liability to me there. Moreover, you¡¯re pregnant and can¡¯t be exposed to diseases or harmful substances. Trust me, Mimi.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t just stay here without knowing what the hell is happening. I can¡¯t even get through to Victor and I¡¯m so worried¡­¡±

    Arianna hugged her friend tight, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mimi. You have nothing to worry about and I¡¯m sure Victor would not appreciate you worrying this much. You have your baby to think about now. I¡¯ll keep you posted and make sure nothing happens to him.¡± She promised her.

    When Arianna made it out of the room, she nearly bumped into her mother on the way.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Natalie asked, looking at her from her head to her feet and observing her appearance.

    ¡°Something happens and Marcel needs me.¡± Arianna saw it was no use lying to her mother and if she were to be honest, her mother¡¯s help would be needed as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Natalie noticed that something was wrong.

    ¡°I need your help, mother. No, Marcel needs your help,¡± She requested nervously and just when Arianna thought her mother would turn it down, Natalie said,

    ¡°Where is he?¡±

 Chapter 812 - 812 Take Her Motherâ€™s Offer

    812 Take Her Mother¡¯s Offer

    ¡°Why is he here?¡± Arianna was surprised to see Ezra leaning against her mother¡¯s car and giving her his signature devilish grin.

    ¡°If what you just told me is right, then we need extra protection.¡± Natalie faced her, ¡°I¡¯m not risking your life for anything, not even for Marcel. You¡¯re my daughter and I¡¯ll do everything to protect you.¡±

    And yes, Arianna had no choice but to narrate the situation to her mother. Although Marcel intended to inform Eric about Richardo, there was no time and then this happened.

    ¡°Fine, let hime along then, as far as he doesn¡¯t talk too much,¡± Arianna said, hurriedly getting into the car. There was no more time to waste, Marcel needed her.

    But Ezra rolled his eyes towards heaven, he was older than her for speaking out loud.

    ¡°You should get in, mydy,¡± Ezra gestured for Natalie to go in with her daughter but she disagreed with him.

    ¡°No, I should drive while you be on the lookout.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can do both,¡± He said, already nudging her into the car and Natalie knew that this couldn¡¯t be argued. So she let him be.

    Just before Ezra got into the driver¡¯s seat, he sensed a movement from his peripheral view and stopped, looking in that direction.

    .....

    ¡°What is it?¡± Arianna noticed he was distracted and her gaze followed his line of sight but came up with nothing.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± He gave her a sweet smile, but not without looking through the rearview mirror and smirked, settling down in the driver¡¯s seat. He turned the ignition and started the car, carefully driving out of the residence.

    Throughout the ride, Arianna was not rxed and kept tapping her feet against the floor impatiently.

    ¡°Instead of worrying anxiously like that, you should call your Ruth, and ensure that everything is set in ce for when we arrive. We don¡¯t want to lose any life all because she ran out of medicines, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Arianna stammered, before picking up her phone and making the call. Unlike her, her mother was calm and collected and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Natalie was made that way or simply cultivated suchposure over the years. If it wasn¡¯t Victor but her in that condition, would she be this calm?

    Her mother¡¯s suggestion helped with Arianna¡¯s anxiety because it kept her busy and on the phone for a while. Not to mention that she was updated on Victor¡¯s condition and, to be honest, it was not encouraging.

    ording to reports, Victor had been wearing Ker for protection while out on this mission, but then how manyyers had he been wearing and against how many rounds? For sure, Ker is strong and can keep a bullet from prating his body, but it cannot prevent blunt-trauma force because it¡¯s flexible.

    Ruth imed he received tears in his internal organ that was squished by the bullet pressing hard into his body before it was stopped. The weapon was a .30 caliber bullet in a cartridge about one inch long. The bullet had fifty percent more energy than most nine-millimole bullets. Not to mention that he was shot in the thigh as well and was bleeding out.

    Thankfully, Ruth got the bleeding part under control, although he lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion. In one word, if Victor survives tonight, he should thank the lord for his life in his favorite church. It was a good thing that Marcel brought him to Ruth¡¯s ce on time without calling and waiting for his doctor to arrive else it would have been toote.

    ¡°You should calm down. If Ruth is anything I remember, then Victor is in safe hands.¡± Natalie said, cing her hand on her knee and squeezed it tenderly.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arianna arched a brow at her mother, ¡°You do know Ruth?¡±

    Natalie snorted withughter, ¡°The world is a small ce. The both of us worked together as nurses while I was pregnant and the day I gave birth to you, I left you with her before your father arrived to pick you up. Daniel found out I worked at the hospital and I couldn¡¯t let him find out that I had you. God knows he would hold you hostage just to make me stay by his side. ¡±

    Arianna¡¯s jaw dropped open so wide a swarm of flies would have flown in with no obstruction. What in the name of creepy coincidence was this? The woman that she had been working with in the past was the same woman who carried her at birth.

    By chance, could it be that Ruth knew her identity all this while? Was that why she treated her well and wouldn¡¯t let her go? It wasn¡¯t surprising, after all, with the risky business she run, the woman made sure to do a background check on all her employees. If Ruth knew her father from when she was born, then she could have easily made the connection.

    That woman!

    Arianna gritted her teeth in annoyance. She knew about her mother and didn¡¯t say a word. But then it was actually nice to know that she acted like her guardian angel all this while.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Arianna breathed. Her mind was blown off right now and it took the tension off her body. But not for long.

    Arianna received a call not long after and her face distorted at once.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie knew something was wrong the instant she saw her expression.

    ¡°Ruth wants to move Victor. The incident drew attention to her shop and now the police -¡±

    ¡°Say no more. Give me the phone,¡±

    Arianna had never loved her mother more than that moment when she took charge and concluded Victor be moved to her hospital instead. She already made ns and he was to be received without questioning. Hence, Ezra had to reverse and drive to her hospital instead.

    As soon as they arrived and stepped out, there were doctors lined up at the entrance as if they have been informed of her mother¡¯s arrival and they acknowledged her presence.

    ¡°I told you not to make a huge deal out of this,¡± Natalie scolded an older doctor with bald hair in their midst who seems to be the chief resident. The manughed, scurrying over to her mother¡¯s side and ttering her.

    Arianna was left dumbfounded by the scene, she never knew her mother was this powerful until now. Even she was a bit intimidated and lingered behind Natalie, hoping none of them questions her identity. She was like a fish out of water, unlike Ezra who looked more rxed and in ce. It wasn¡¯t his first time here.

    While some of the doctors left ¨C whom she assumed to be resident doctors and trainees- the professionals remained and her mother got into doctor mode immediately.

    ¡°How¡¯s the patient?¡±

    ¡°He was wheeled into the surgery room moments ago and is lucky to be alive. By chance, do you want to be a part of the operation or supervise it?¡± The bald man asked her.

    And at that question, Natalie stopped and looked at her daughter. The man sensed her mother¡¯s gaze and turned to look at her.

    He asked out of curiosity, ¡°If I may ask, who is she? ¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter,¡± Natalie announced with pride and one should see the shock on the faces of the doctors present.

    Suddenly, all eyes were on Arianna, making her ufortable and she wished the earth would open up and swallow her. The intensity of their gazes was enough to bore a hole in her head and she didn¡¯t know how to behave. Was she supposed to wave or introduce herself?

    The expression on their faces was a telltale sign that her mother liked to keep her life private. They probably couldn¡¯t believe that she had a grown-up daughter ¨C who was currently pregnant with a grandchild that she had no idea about. That was a matter for another day.

    ¡°The patient is very important to me so I¡¯m taking part in the surgery,¡± Natalie said and Arianna¡¯s heart surged with warmth. The fact that her mother was willing to go all out for Marcel¡¯s cousin whom she has never met touched her. At that moment, she regretted ever treating her harshly in the past. Her mother was a good person.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna told her with a smile and her mother acknowledged it with a nod.

    ¡°I need to change,¡± Natalie said and headed into the lobby, followed by an entourage of doctors while Arianna and Ezra followed at a slower pace.

    Arianna knew she couldn¡¯t follow her into the surgery room. While she was good at assisting and stitching one or two things, this ce was full of professionals that would do their best to save Victor¡¯s life.

    At that moment, Arianna resolved inwardly that she would take up her mother¡¯s offer and be her sessor. If it wasn¡¯t for this ce, they would have lost Victor tonight. Arianna knew she had to make ns not to lose Marcel in the future as well.

 Chapter 813 - 813 Arianna Was Mad At Marcel

    813 Arianna Was Mad At Marcel

    ¡°Marcel!¡± Arianna was relieved when she saw him in the waiting room and ran over to him. She literally jumped into his arms, breathing in relief that he was alive. And he looked fine. Or so she thought.

    Although he caught her as usual, the sound of a pained groan escaped his lips and she definitely heard that. With a furrowed brow, Arianna broke apart from him and took a few steps back, taking him in.

    There were a few bruises on his face, his hair was ruffled and he generally looked like he had been dragged out of a bin. Yes, his clothes were dirty but he looked fine physically, still yet, Arianna was not convinced and that was confirmed by the way he tactically averted her gaze.

    Arianna knew Marcel too well and right now, her stubborn boyfriend and father of her child was hiding something from him. Her lips pressed together, she strode over to him and grabbed the hem and his eyes widened.

    Gotcha.

    ¡°Arianna¡­.¡± Marcel pleaded, cing his hand over her grip to try to stop her from lifting his chest. But Arianna was not listening, he dared to lie to her.

    She shrugged his grip off and lifted his shirt only to see the vest-sized bruise on his torso from the impact.

    ¡°Holy mother of God,¡± Arianna gasped from the shock, lifting her other hand to her trembling lips while her eyes grew wide.

    ¡°H-how¡­¡± She tried to speak, but no words woulde out of her mouth, still stunned by what she saw.

    .....

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Marcel said, lowering his chest and trying to convince her that he was okay. But the words alone made her eyes sh in anger instead.

    ¡°What do you mean by this is nothing?! Does this look like nothing?! Were you waiting until you died before you asked for treatment?! You¡¯re in a fucking hospital, Marcel?!¡± She scolded him, intensely.

    Arianna had been through so much in one night and the thought of losing Marcel made her so emotional that she took it all out on him.

    ¡°Arianna¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± She cut him off, ¡°How are you even moving right now? With such bruising on your chest, even breathing should be worse.¡±

    Marcel gulped nervously, should he or should he not tell her?

    ¡°Marcelo Xavier Luciano!¡± She used her serious tone on him and stepped closer to the point where she was looking straight into his eyes ¨C even though he was a head taller.

    ¡°Morphine!¡± He breathed out, unable to longer withhold the truth anymore. God, she was scary.

    Her face distorted, ¡°What?¡±

    Marcel felt like a child being scolded by his mother and looked the other way, unable to look her in the eyes.

    ¡°You can¡¯t depend on morphine and should be receiving treatment right now! How are you so dumb!¡± She yelled in his face and then turned to see one of the doctors standing with Ezra and watching their drama.

    ¡°You!¡± She pointed at the doctor, who awkwardly pointed back at himself, looking around to see if she had mistaken him for someone else.

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you!¡± Arianna said and then began to drag Marcel along saying, ¡°While it¡¯s right to worry about Victor, you¡¯re in no condition to worry about someone else. Right now, you need a scan and medical attention,¡±

    But Marcel told her, ¡°You¡¯re right Arianna, but you need to calm down first of all.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down!¡± She retorted, ¡°How do you expect me to calm down when you can¡¯t even take care of ¨Cmmmm,¡±

    Marcel cut her off by pressing his lips against hers and kissed her leaving their audience ¨C Ezra and the doctor ¨C surprised at the turn of events. They had been awaiting Marcel¡¯s response and never saw the kissing.

    Oh no, this was not happening!

    Arianna knew this was Marcel¡¯s tactic to keep her from talking. But then, she had a lot of pent-up energy inside and needed to let it out. In one word, she wants to give Marcel a piece of her mind. This conflict cannot be averted with a mere kiss.

    So with all of her strength, Arianna managed to push him away, untangling herself from the kiss.

    ¡°Y-You!¡± She looked at him with eyes of fury, ¡°How dare try to distract me with a ¨C¡±

    Again, he crushed his lips to hers, stealing the rest of her heated words, his hand wrapping around her waist and pressing her to his body so she was not able to escape from him the second time.

    It was not just a kiss. It was a possession and Arianna felt it down to her toes that curled. Marcel¡¯s hand traveled into her hair and kept her still as he ravished her mouth. He kissed her hard and deep, nearly punishing her until every form of resistance left her body.

    Why was she even fighting in the first ce, Arianna wondered as she moaned into his mouth. She arched into him, her hand curling around his neck before digging it through his silky hair as their tongues battled.

    Nheless, all that mattered was that he was here. Even if he acted like an asshole sometimes and a dumb fool like now, he was alive. Marcel finally eased the ferocity of his kiss when he sensed the anger left her system. So he tasted her sweet lips, nibbling on her lower lips. His tongue teased her once again until they pulled away and he leaned her forehead to hers.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He apologized to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you too much.¡±

    Arianna wanted to be mad at him for endangering his health, but he already melted away the anger with his tongue and now, she was merely tired.

    ¡°How can I get mad at you when you have a face as handsome as the Greek gods?¡±

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Marcel said.

    She lifted her face in surprise, thinking she said something wrong, ¡°What?¡±

    Marcel smirked, ¡°Have you forgotten all Greek gods¡¯ statues have small dicks?¡±

    What the¡­.. Arianna burst intoughter instead.

 Chapter 814 - 814 Lie To Me

    814 Lie To Me

    ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Marcel finally noticed their audience and Ezra in question waved at him enthusiastically.

    ¡°He came to keep us safe. I had no choice but to tell my mother the truth, Marcel.¡± She said.

    ¡°You did the right thing. Although this wasn¡¯t the way I intended to notify Eric about Richardo, they should have an idea of him rather than work in the dark.¡± Marcel told her, tugging a lock of her hair to the back of her ear.

    ¡°We should go check you out now,¡± Arianna said, ignoring the butterflies dancing in her belly thanks to him touching her.

    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± Marcel either didn¡¯t hear or was pretending not to have heard her.

    ¡°The scan, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for our baby to be born and the fact that he or she would have your look gives me great joy.

    Their eyes met and locked. Arianna felt it down to her bones, Marcel meant the words he said and it was that realization that made her heart begin to beat faster.

    He continued, ¡°You might not know this, but the battle out there had been tough, but the thought of you and our baby kept me going. I knew deep down that I couldn¡¯t die out there, no, I had a purpose to live now. Honestly, I don¡¯t care about the pain and I¡¯m so happy that I want to scream your pregnancy at the top of my ¨C ¡±

    .....

    Arianna covered his mouth at once with her palm casting a nervous look in Ezra¡¯s direction and wondering if he heard that.

    ¡°What?¡± Marcel spoke into her palm, confused at the gesture. The heat of Marcel¡¯s mouth on her palm sent tingles down to her core, but Arianna pushed her hormones to the corner and focused on the task at hand.

    She pulled her palm free and grabbed his face with both hands this time, keeping his attention on her. Casting onest nervous look at Ezra, saying to Marcel with a lowered voice,

    ¡°My mother can¡¯t know of my pregnancy yet.¡±

    ¡°Okay, wait ¨C what?¡± His brows furrowed, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story Marcel and this is not the ce for it, you need to get tested. Anyway, the point is you can¡¯t ever tell her or anyone close to her that I¡¯m having your baby. Call my mother old-fashioned, but she thinks it¡¯s disrespectful to get me pregnant before marrying me. ¡±

    ¡°So we are going to keep it from her?¡± Marcel cast a look at Ezra and was sure by now that he was suspecting their conversation, ¡°For how long? You know we can¡¯t hide the truth forever and I¡¯m ready to marry you tomorrow if you want it.¡±

    Arianna sighed, rubbing her temple, ¡°Just for the moment okay? At Least until this is over. And please do not procrastinate any longer, you need to get treated.¡± She grabbed onto his arms and began to pull him in the direction of Ezra and the doctor ¨C who felt out of ce.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel agreed, letting her pull him along and when they got to where the others stood, he cleared his throat.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°You look a mess, Marcel.¡± Ezra smirked at his appearance, ¡°Else, I wouldn¡¯t know how tofort my rtive, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°Ezra, behave,¡± Arianna warned him between gritted teeth. He was the most annoying out of the brothers and she had to deal with him every day.

    ¡°Ahh, no need to bite, little kitten. After all, your boyfriend just came out of a battlefield and I wouldn¡¯t want to be killed by me.¡± Heughed.

    And although Ezra meant that as a joke, the doctor at his side heard it all and nervously pushed his sses to his nose. He kind of felt earlier that these people were not ordinary, moreover, it was a bullet case and it was not reported to the police. Instead, the director demanded that the operation be handled discreetly.

    Just what kind of people were this, they already knew his face. He heard nothing, you know. He didn¡¯t want to die yet.

    ¡°Is this the doctor?¡± Marcel asked the man who was close to shivering in fear

    ¡°Yes.¡± Arianna said and stepped forward to the doctor, ¡°Please¡­.¡±

    To her surprise, the man stepped back. And though the move befuddled her, Marcel was grateful he wasn¡¯t getting close to his woman.

    She said nheless, ¡°He suffered a blunt-trauma force to his body and self-medicated with Morphine. That¡¯s the only reason he¡¯s on his feet right now. I would need you to scan and confirm the¡­¡±

    Arianna was still saying when she heard an oddly familiar voice call her out. She lifted her eyes and was surprised to see Mimi striding in her direction. How did she even know toe here? She must have somehow been following them. But Ezra would know ¡­ unless he let her intentionally¡­.

    That damned bastard, Arianna cursed inwardly. She should have known never to trust her friend¡¯s words to stay back, especially when Victor¡¯s involved. Mimi¡¯s eyes were red and tears were sliding down her cheeks even as she approached her. She must have heard the news about Victor.

    ¡°Mimi, I¡¯m sorry -¡±

    Arianna was interrupted by a p on her face and a shocked gasp left her mouth. No, she never saw iting. This was the first time Mimi everid a hand on her since that day they met and fought in school. The action was so shocking that Arianna remained in that position until Mimi approached her again and this time, Marcel stood before her protectively while Ezra drew Mimi back.

    ¡°How could you do to me?! You lied to me, Arianna! Why didn¡¯t you tell me he was in danger?! What if this was hisst time¡­!¡± Mimi shouted, turning toy her head on Ezra¡¯s shoulder and cried out her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mimi. I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. I was merely trying to keep you safe.¡± Arianna said, while sping the spot her friend pped on her face, the tears slipping down her cheeks.

    She didn¡¯t mean to keep her in the dark and was so sorry.

 Chapter 815 - 815 Messed Up Their Friendship

    815 Messed Up Their Friendship

    Music Rmendation:- Overpass Graffiti ¨C Ed Sheeran.

    _____________

    It took a lot of convincing for Marcel to go for the scan, especially after that drama with Mimi. But then, Ezra stepped in and stopped her emotional friend from doing more damage. Only then, was he able to leave with the doctor and promised to be back as soon as he was through.

    The p left Arianna so emotionally drained that she did nothing but sit down on the bench all alone and waited for the news on Victor while Marcel underwent treatment.

    To be honest, Arianna was not mad at Mimi for hitting her but rather at herself for keeping the truth from her. She had good intentions for keeping the truth from Mimi though. Her friend was in the first trimester and shouldn¡¯t be stressed since there was a higher risk of a miscarriage. Victor¡¯s Incident was shocking and she was merely looking out for Mimi.

    At this point, Arianna didn¡¯t know if Mimi would want to be her friend anymore considering what happened between them and it made tears slide from her eyes. Mimi was the only best friend she had known for years and ever had. Arianna didn¡¯t know how she would move on without her. Her heart ached at the thought.

    ¡°Crying at the corner doesn¡¯t fit you, you know,¡± someone said and Arianna didn¡¯t even need to lift her head to look at him, having recognized the voice.

    Ezra wasn¡¯t offended by her silence, instead, he went and sat down beside her on the same bench.

    ¡°How did Mimi know to get here? Did you tell her?¡± Arianna interrogated him. Lately, the both of them ¨C Mimi and Ezra ¨C had be so close that she was even beginning to get jealous. Arianna couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was trying to snatch her best friend from her.

    .....

    But Ezra scoffed at the usation, ¡°What? You think that I¡¯m what? A snitch? She probably got into the boot while we were distracted and followed us here.¡± He found it amusing.

    That was when Arianna¡¯s mind shed back to that instant Ezra was distracted right after he got into the car.

    She frowned, ¡°You knew she got into the car?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. It was dark and I couldn¡¯t see a thing yet I had my suspicion and it seems somehow my suspicion came to pass.¡±

    ¡°Ezra! You could have told me!¡±

    ¡°And then what? What would you do?¡±

    Arianna opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn¡¯t produce a word. She sighed instead, rubbing her temple.

    Ezra told her, ¡°You should know Mimi already and when she makes up her mind to do something, nothing can get in her way. No one at all.¡±

    As annoying as it was to admit it, Arianna knew deep down that Ezra was right. Perhaps, she had be toofortable with her bestie that shepletely overlooked her ws and forgot her doggedness.

    In some ways, both of them were simr in the sense that they fought hard for what they treasured. Perhaps, that was why theysted for so long. The both of them loved and held each other in high esteem.

    Arianna suddenly groaned, lowering her head to herp and letting her hair fall over her face like a curtain. A few secondster, she lifted her face and wiped her palms down her face, saying,

    ¡°I think I just messed up our friendship. Mimi and I have had quarrels over the years, but this is the first time she ever hit me since the first day we met at school. I can¡¯t help but feel that this is the sign of the first remarkable crack in our rtionship.¡± Arianna groaned once again, wishing she could magically make things right between her and Mimi again.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ezra said with confidence that make her look at him strangely.

    ¡°What?¡± She shook her head, he wasn¡¯t making any sense. He saw the heated dispute between her and Mimi, how could he still ask such a question?

    ¡°You sure have small faith, Arianna,¡± He smirked and that reaction enough left Arianna confused. It wasn¡¯t until she noticed that his gaze has been fixed at a point now that she turned and was stunned to see Mimi standing a few meters from them.

    Arianna sprang up to her feet at once, nearly losing her bnce. ¡°Mimi¡­.?¡± she whispered, wondering how long she has been standing there. And to think that asshole rtive of hers didn¡¯t inform her, Arianna tactically red at Ezra who looked away smugly. He wasn¡¯t bothered.

    Both friends stared at each other unsure. Mimi had red eyes from crying while Arianna¡¯s hair looked like a bird made a nest out of it from running her hands through it the entire time.

    ¡°Mimi, I¡¯m sor ¨C ¡± Arianna was still saying when her best friend walked over to her and simply pulled her into her arms and her pounding heart finally settled.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to keep you in the dark. I thought that I was protecting you,¡± Arianna finally apologized to her while hugging her friend, and Mimi who had been trying to hold the tears back, couldn¡¯t anymore. It was as if the dam was broken and she burst into tears.

    Arianna never once med Arianna for pping her knowing she deserved it. Moreover, she knew Mimi was simply being emotional, coupled with the stress. That was enough to make even the most innocent of peoplesh out.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ s-sorry too,¡± Mimi apologized to her through the difficulty of the tears. But then, she meant it. She didn¡¯t mean to p Arianna, but then she had been filled with so much despair and anger. How could she keep such important news from her?

    ¡°I know,¡± Arianna said, unable to keep her tears from falling as she held her friend. Just like Marcel, the thought of losing Mimi was scary too. She was very important to her.

    And just like that, both friends cried on each other¡¯s shoulders while Ezra had the privilege of recording the scene with his phone. As an approved godfather ¨C by the baby¡¯s mother ¨C Ezra intended to make a little film for the baby depicting the dramas and his mother¡¯s travails during the period of pregnancy to his birth.

    He would name it,

    [The Chronicles of my Godson]

 Chapter 816 - 816 Make Marcel Pay

    816 Make Marcel Pay

    ¡°You good for nothing!¡± Richardo¡¯s furious voice could be heard echoing across the walls as his unfortunate victim became his scapegoat.

    After he narrowly escaped death, Richardo moved to a new location knowing that Marcel was hot on the search for him. Good thing he had not gone to that negotiation today else he would be dead already. He knew Marcel was smart, but what Richardo never sawing was him attacking his warehouse and destroying every bit of drug in there, leaving him stranded.

    The scapegoat was unfortunately one of the idiots who should have kept his drugs safe! He should have kept it safe with his life, note back to report the news of the attack and the destruction of the source of his ie.

    What was he supposed to do with the news? Or should he apud him for being the sole survivor out of the others? Richardo knew that Marcel intentionally left the man alive to ry the news to him and that infuriated him! How dare he! Who was he to y around with him like this?

    Richardo knew that his life was over at this point. The drugs were gone and soon the Russians woulde for him ¨C if they weren¡¯t on their way already. The news should have reached their ears already considering most of their men were the causality loss. The only reason the Bratva was willing to do business with him was that they believed he would sell their drugs and provide them with ie.

    Unfortunately, Richardo could not deliver anymore. There was no drug. Nor money. Everything was zeroed to the ground and here he was hiding away like a scared little rat. He had to find a way to pay the Bratva else it would be his head on a spike, even before Marcel gets to him.

    Hence, he pushed his aggression on the fool, kicking and stomping the helpless man, and yet it wasn¡¯t enough. Richardo pulled him up by the shirt and rammed his fist in his face. He hit the man over and over and over again till his fist was bloody and the man was unconscious. Then he let go of his shirt and the man dropped to the man like a corpse. Not that he cared whether he was alive or dead.

    Richardo threw his back and let out an aggrieved wail causing the rest of his men to back away. It was obvious to them that he was in a bad mood and none of them wanted to end up like the unfortunate man on the ground.

    With his chest heaving up and down, Richardo looked around with red eyes, his teeth gritted together. Almost immediately, his phone rang and while he could have ignored it, thanks to his sour mood, it turned out to be his associate in the F.B.I.

    .....

    Finally, some good news!

    Richardo couldn¡¯t wait to relish the scene of the Luciano family being destroyed. The thought made him feel a lot better. If he was going down, it was satisfying to know that he wasn¡¯t going down alone. Marcel thought that he won, but no, he didn¡¯t. This would be the beginning of his hell, as he watches the Luciano family being reduced to nothing and he would be unable to do anything.

    ¡°Hello,¡± He picked up, his heart already beating in anticipation.

    ¡°DID YOU FUCKING TAKE ME FOR A FOOL!¡±

    Huh? Richardo frowned, wondering why his associate would yell at him like that. He had to pull back and stare back at the contact, ensuring that he was speaking to the right person and indeed, he was the one. In that case, what was happening?

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He asked, rubbing the spot where his head ached. He had gone through a lot in one night and the least he wanted was another setback. His entire hope depended on this deal working out.

    ¡°When you said you were giving me evidence, you should have crosschecked the file and not given me a virus!¡± The FBI agent yelled into the phone, nearly ruing his hearing.

    ¡°A virus? What are you talking about?¡± Richardo was still trying to wrap his mind around this piece of information. Neither did it help matters that the headache was getting worse. He has been put through enough for the night already and needed a break.

    ¡°Whatever file you got from that girl, she infested it with her own virus. It was not noticeable at first, probably a n to buy her enough time. But it wiped clean my device and then the FBI database¡­ God, it¡¯s chaos out here! Why do you have to employ that bitch for this?! Do you know the trouble you put me into right now!¡±

    Richardo¡¯s blood ran cold and he wasn¡¯t even listening as the man rambled on. All that mattered was that his n to ruin the Luciano family failed. Did it fail? Richardo hung up on the associate and let out an inhuman roar. He was so furious that he wanted tobust.

    That bitch!

    He should not have let off that bitch easily! He should have killed her slowly and watched the light leave her eyes for betraying him like this. How dare she? And to think that she was currently safe with Marcel sent another surge of anger through him.

    Marcel! Marcel! Marcel!

    Richardo didn¡¯t care anymore if he lost everything, but he was going to take Marcel¡¯s life. He was the cause of his misfortune. Everything he lost was Marcel¡¯s fault and he would pay for it.

    If it was thest thing he would do, he would make Marcel feel excruciating pain before he left this world. He would be sure to cost him what he loved the most. And Richardo knew just who.

    As if he somehow conjured him, Richardo¡¯s phone rang all of a sudden and ncing down, it was no one else but Marcel.

 Chapter 817 - 851 Chs

    851 Chs

    ADD

    817 Curse Richardo Until He Feels Better

    Marcel finally felt the pain. And by pain, it wasn¡¯t just the physical aspect of it, but emotional as well. All this while, Marcel had been holding himself together, telling himself that everything would turn out well, but after that drama with Mimi in the waiting room, it was as if he had been in denial all this while, and reality was dawning on him.

    He once held Victor in his arms. All of his cousin¡¯s blood had been on his body, but Marcel had to wash it off in the hospital¡¯s restroom before Arianna arrived and saw it. The sight of blood didn¡¯t make her skittish but he didn¡¯t want to make her worry. She was carrying his child, he had to make sure that nothing stressed her enough to lose his baby. He had waited a long time for this blessing and would not lose it.

    So he never for once showed his pain nor difort to her ¨C even though he found out anyway. Marcel had to be strong for both of them. But now, the four hours were over and the effect of the morphine was easing off, Marcel felt it. That raw pain. But it was nothingpared to the anguish burning inside of him over Victor¡¯s condition.

    If his cousin died, he would not know what to do. He received the news from the captain, the fool had tried to go after Richardo all by himself, but he was outnumbered and eventually shot. In the end, the Ker which was supposed to protect him, ended up doing much damage. At least, it protected his heart.

    Victor suffered two bullet wounds aside from the others he encountered in the middle of the operation. Another fetal shot caught him in the thigh and he almost bled out from that one. Thankfully, the reinforcements that arrived on time took him to Ruth¡¯s ce where she was able to stop the bleeding.

    He had been there at Ruth¡¯s hospital, transfusing the lost blood to Victor while she fought hard to keep his life. Marcel didn¡¯t know what he had done to deserve this favor, but any resentment he held towards Natalie for abandoning his mother in the past was gone. She has made up for it. Now, all he had to do was pray that Victor survived the night. No, his cousin would not die just like that, he was a fighter.

    For Arianna¡¯s sake, Marcel willingly underwent all the tests withoutint and in the end, the result was out.

    ¡°You are suffering from chest contusion, a bruise to the skin, muscle, or ribs. It ranges in severity, but when force is applied directly to the sternum, it can cause bruising or even fractures to the sternum. Thankfully, your case is rarely deadly, but it can cause extreme pain and difort, and often leads to pneumonia.

    ¡°Fractured ribs usually take about four to six weeks to heal, while bruising should take two to weeks to heal. Although it is still usual to feel some difort even after such time. Since taking deep breaths and coughing are important normal actions that our bodies do every day, you would need to rest and allow the break to heal your wound. ¡±

    .....

    And that alone was an instruction Marcel knew that he couldn¡¯t keep. This was not the time to have a bed rest, Richardo was out there and he couldn¡¯t rx until the fool was gone from the surface of this earth.

    The doctor continued, oblivious to the frown on Marcel¡¯s face, ¡°During your break, ice the chest area to treat both swelling and pain. You should also take over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.¡±

    Marcel let the doctor talk on and on until he was free to go. Even when he left, Marcel didn¡¯t go to Arianna right away, but rather he located the hospital¡¯s balcony where no one was around and leaned against the railing, letting the night breeze toss his hair about.

    He hardly smoked because of his health and desire to live long, but at that moment, Marcel wished he could have just one stick. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t a smoker and when he dipped his hand in his pocket instead, he only came up with his phone.

    Marcel stared at his phone, so many thoughts running through his head, and finally, he came to a decision. So he ended up dialing a number he never thought he would call a second time.

    Richardo.

    It rang on and on and a sarcastic smirk tilted Marcel¡¯s lips to the side when the bastard wouldn¡¯t pick up his call. He threw back his head andughed dryly. Was that bastard so scared he would not pick up his call now? No, this was just the beginning. He would not let him go like this.

    Although it wasn¡¯t Richardo who shot Victor ording to the eyewitness, it was one of his people and that meant it was his responsibility to share the consequences. So Marcel called him a second time and just like the first, it rang on and on with no answer. And just when Marcel thought he would ignore the call like the first time, Richardo picked up.

    ¡°Marcel¡­¡± He called his name in between a hiss and a dark smile lit up Marcel¡¯s face. Someone was furious and Marcel took satisfaction in that. He can¡¯t be the only one in pain.

    ¡°What a surprise, you¡¯re still alive. I must say that I¡¯m quite taken by your resilience. It¡¯s not every day that I get to see such a rare talent like you,¡± Although Marcel praised him at first, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case as he continued,

    ¡°Even those without talents know not to run away from a battle but then, it must be my fault for having much expectation for a coward like you. You might have talent, but you¡¯re trash and need to be scraped away,¡± He spat at him with undiluted mockery.

    Marcel had always been petty and shameless in the first ce, coupled with the fury coursing through his veins, he needed to curse Richardo out until he felt better.

 Chapter 818 - 818 Victor Is Dead

    818 Victor Is Dead

    Humans were no different than animals. Animals knew when to recognize hierarchy and so did Richardo when he saw Marcel¡¯s call. Although it was involuntary, fear took over him and he wasn¡¯t able to answer the phone.

    He stared down at the phone which trembled in his hands, Marcel¡¯s number boldly shing across his screen. To further feed his pride, Richardo didn¡¯t save Marcel¡¯s number because he felt he wasn¡¯t worth his time.

    Why should he save it? Because he¡¯s Marcel. What was so special about Marcel anyway? Because he¡¯s Daniel¡¯s son? Richardo didn¡¯t exactly care and wouldn¡¯t be one of those who fawned over the bastard all because he was born into a position of power. Richardo knew he would perform better than Marcel If he was born into the Luciano family instead of him. It was only a matter of luck and circumstance.

    Hence, jealousy and envy overwhelmed his initial fear. He loathed Marcel! Loathed his existence! Who gave him the right to be the protagonist of this story? All these thoughts went through Richardo¡¯s mind as the call rang on. He stared down at the number, even if he was woken up from a night of sleep, he would be able to recognize it with his eyes closed.

    He missed the call.

    Ricardo was tempted to call back and proved that he wasn¡¯t scared of him. Marcel must think that he has him on a leash now that he lost everything, but that wasn¡¯t the case. A man with nothing has no fear. He has nothing to lose anymore. And that meant that he was willing to go to great threats to destroy his life.

    So he was about to press the call button when his phone rang again and his finger simply hovered over the screen. It was Marcel. Richardo couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was so eager to speak to him. Could it be that this was a trap? What if Marcel was trying to track him down through this call?

    No, he refuses to fear Marcel. What¡¯s the worse that he could do anyway? So he answered the call.

    ¡°Marcel¡­¡± Richardo hissed. Knowing that his arch nemesis was alive, even after going all out to end his life didn¡¯t sit well with him. Had he known that he would lose everything after all, he would have gone to that meeting and the both of them would go down together. He would have made sure of it.

    .....

    ¡°What a surprise, you¡¯re still alive. I must say that I¡¯m quite taken by your resilience. It¡¯s not every day that I get to see such a rare talent like you,¡±

    Even though it was apliment for surviving today¡¯s incident, Richardo knew that it didn¡¯te from his heart and that angered him. Who gave him the right to mock him?

    He didn¡¯t interrupt and let Marcel continue. He said, ¡°Even those without talents know not to run away from a battle but then, it must be my fault for having much expectation for a coward like you. You might have talent, but you¡¯re trash and need to be scraped away,¡±

    At this point, Marcel was no longer sugarcoating his words, he was out rightly mocking him. Richardo¡¯s fist curled at his side, his knuckle turning white while he held the phone tightly to his ear.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I was a coward for running away,¡± He admitted, ¡°But don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit childish to call and insult me.¡±

    Richardo snorted, licking his lower lips, ¡°To be honest, I thought you were calling to threaten and tell me how much you¡¯d enjoy killing me?¡±

    That was what Richardo hoped for. He expected Marcel would rain threats on him, at least that way, he would be satisfied to know that he suffered losses too. But instead, Marcel came to taunt his shoring and pick on him. He simply can¡¯t be the only one suffering.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marcel said before bursting intoughter. The sound of his richughter was like a billion daggers digging into Richardo¡¯s heart. Marcel shouldn¡¯t be this happy, no, not after what happened ¨C even his cousin was shot. He should be raging mad at him, that was the emotion Richardo wanted from him.

    ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s hrious threatening a dead man on the phone? ¡± Marcel said, and he gulped.

    He continued, ¡°I think that¡¯s stupid. Why should I threaten a man that would be dead in my hands soon if the Bratva doesn¡¯t get to him first? You might escape me, but you actually don¡¯t think that you would escape them, right? I don¡¯t remember the Bratva being as patient or cultured as I am. ¡±

    Hearing the name of the Russian Mafia sent a shiver down his spine and his hand holding the phone trembled. Richardo ran his hand through his hair and was grateful Marcel wasn¡¯t here to see him full of anxiety.

    ¡°You¡¯re right that the Bratva wouldn¡¯t let me alone, but on the bright side, your cousin Victor is dead before me,¡± He sneered,¡± I think you should send yourst words to him through me and who knows I might be able to ry the message to him when we meet in hell.¡±

    Ricardo knew that he touched a sensitive part when Marcel didn¡¯t respond for a while. Although it was a guess on his part, it seems to be true. Was Victor really dead? Richardo had been trying to preserve his life during the chaos, but he had seen that shot and there was no way Victor would survive that.

    He began tough. Richardo¡¯sughter became so loud and hysterical that tears even escaped his eyes and they echoed across the wall. Did Victor really die? Marcel finally lost his right-hand man and cousin. Was that why he called him? To let out the burning rage in his heart by belittling him? Good thing he knows the truth now. In the end, his dream came true. He did not suffer alone.

    Marcel was suffering too.

 Chapter 819 - 819 She Was Willing To Love Him

    819 She Was Willing To Love Him

    He was happy that his men shot down Victor and he wished that his dear cousin was dead. fury seethed through Marcel at the sound of that bastard¡¯sughter. Although Victor was not yet dead, his case was critical and there was a high chance he would not make it through the night. And that fear alone made Marcel harden his heart. His jaw was clenched and his teeth ground together.

    The bastard said to him after he was done with hisughing fit, ¡°You might have won this round, but you lost someone close to you. At least I managed tond a scratch on you.¡± He mocked him.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I was careless and lost my beloved cousin,¡± Marcel did not attempt to correct the impression that Victor was dead and went along with his games. Sometimes the most satisfying revenge was the truth. Richardo would be more devastated to learn that the victim he assumed was dead, was alive and kicking ¨C and that was why Victor needed to survive this. He can¡¯t die. It would be a huge shame.

    Marcel said, ¡°I am unlike you who has lost everything and everyone that mattered to you¡­.. or maybe not everyone.¡± He smirked before adding, ¡°You still have Macy.¡±

    There was a brief silence on Richardo¡¯s side as if it just hit him that his lover had been spared from the chaos, unlike his father who had been killed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s intentional or not, but I guess I should thank you for keeping her alive. Or perhaps you just don¡¯t have the heart to kill her because of your history. I know it all, Marcel.¡± He wasn¡¯t even grateful.

    Marcel burst intoughter only for his tone to turn serious the next minute as he said, ¡°If you knew me too well, then you should have epted my gift while I was still being nice.¡±

    He added, ¡°Enjoy your time with Macy, Richardo. I wish both of you happiness forever.¡± And that was it, Marcel hung up on him.

    However, that was not all because as soon as Marcel ended that call, he called up another number as soon as he was done. As soon as the call connected, he gave out amand.

    .....

    ¡°Do it now.¡±

    And he ended the call too.

    It wouldn¡¯t save Victor from dying nor make him ¨C Marcel ¨C feel better, but he liked to pay back with the same measure ¨C if not worse. Slipping his phone back into the pocket of his pants, Marcel let out a long deep breath. It has been a long night and he was dead tired, but he couldn¡¯t leave here, not without getting good news about Victor.

    ¡°Marcel?!¡±

    He heard Arianna calling for him andposed himself at once. She cannot know that he was weary. His fatigue was his problem to deal with, not hers.

    Since he was around the corner, Marcel answered, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    Arianna was quick to locate him and he put on a smile for her immediately.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Are you done with your test? I couldn¡¯t find your doctor, nor were you around in the examination room?¡± She questioned him with her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

    Marcel couldn¡¯t help but smile, sometimes she was too observant for her good. He simply drew her into his arms, albeit gently, and hugged her. He affectionately rubbed his face on hers before burying her face into her neck and murmuring, ¡°I¡¯m good. I simply need rest and pain relievers.¡±

    Arianna shivered upon the contact of his heated lips on her skin, but she pushed the feelings to the back of her mind. This was not the time for it.

    She slowly entangled herself from his hold causing his eyebrows to furrow slightly, but said to him, ¡°You need to go and have a rest.¡±

    ¡°You want me to return home?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You heard the doctor, Marcel. You need a break and you don¡¯t look good either. You need to rest, my mother and I and Ezra can take care of the rest. ¡±

    ¡°I am not stepping a foot out of here until I¡¯m sure Victor is out of the operating room and well.¡±

    ¡°Marcel -!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s final.¡±

    Arianna halted once she saw that stubborn look in his eyes and knew there was nothing more she could do to convince him. She couldn¡¯t me him anyway knowing how close he and Victor were. But then, he was in no position to look after anyone for now

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do this then.¡±

    Minutester, Marcel took a private room in the hospital just to rest his head.

    ¡°The operation would take time so you should close your eyes even for a few minutes. I¡¯ll wake you up as soon as I get news about Victor.¡± Arianna promised him and only then was Marcel able to rx with her beside him.

    He shut his eyes while Ariannay beside him, running her hand through his hair, and in no time, he gave in to sleep.

    Meanwhile¡­

    Richardo was unsettled by the creepypliment from Marcel. Well, he had nothing to fear and shouldn¡¯t think about it. As if on cue, he heard his name being called and lifted his head to see that it was Macy.

    His heart leaped in joy. Richardo might have lost everything but he had her and she came back for him. Thus, a smile graced his features and he opened his arms wide for Macy.

    At first, Macy was walking towards him, but she picked up speed and ran into his open arms. She might not have loved this man at first, but everything changed after tonight. He saved her life after everyone else turned their back on her. She was willing to love him now and together, the both of them would destroy Marcel.

    They broke out of the embrace and Macy was just about to speak to him when she heard a buzzing sound in her head. It was low at first but increased in frequency until the point where she was clutching her head and screaming in pain.

 Chapter 820 - 820 Iâ€™m A Businessman

    820 I¡¯m A Businessman

    ¡°Macy!¡± Richardo shouted, confused as to what was going on. One moment she had been fine, and the next this madness.

    ¡°Talk to me!¡± He tried to touch her but she would not let him, still screaming in agony and leaving everyone bbergasted. None of them had a single clue as to what was happening and it created confusion in their midst.

    ¡°I feel like my head is going to explode!¡± Macy shrieked, clutching her head so tightly.

    Perhaps, it might be something about the word, ¡°explosion¡± but Richardo took a step back. And suddenly, the words from Marcel came back to him.

    [¡°Enjoy your time with Macy, Richardo. I wish both of you happiness, forever.¡±]

    Oh no, it was never apliment from Marcel in the first ce, but rather a farewell message. It finally dawned on Richardo why Marcel let Macy escape unscathed in the first ce when he could have easily killed her. This was his revenge for the death of his cousin, Victor. An eye for an eye.

    With trembling and fear, Richardo lifted his head only to see that Macy was bleeding from the ears and eyes. She wiped at her face leaving her hands bloody.

    ¡°Richardo!¡± She called, reaching for him with those bloody hands but he dodged her. Whatever Marcel put inside of her, he didn¡¯t know how it worked and didn¡¯t want to be a victim ¨C that was his excuse.

    Although Macy¡¯s face was bloodied, her features distorted when Richardo avoided him. She thought that they were on the same side. She thought he loved her. How could he abandon her now when she needed him the most?

    .....

    Macy was filled with rage even in her dying moment. Men were all scum. One abandoned her for another woman while the other left her to die all alone. In her next life ¨C if there was one ¨C she would live for herself. She would live an ordinary life and pray never to cross paths with Marcel.

    She was not familiar with this new form of torture, but whatever device they put inside of her must be remotely controlled. Marcel must have inserted it inside of her while she was asleep. There was a bald patch at the back of her head that she hasn¡¯t taken seriously until now.

    She thought Marcel finally let her go in consideration of their past together. Who knew that she was wrong? Macy began tough so hard amid the pain. However, the buzzing in her head increased to an intolerable level as herughter turned into screaming, until bam! There was nothing but peaceful silence and she dropped to the floor.

    Thest thing she saw was Richardo stepping further away from her as if she was a gue and tears of regret slipped down her cheeks just as the light left her eyes and Macy died.

    For over a minute, there was nothing but tense silence in the hall. Not even a pin dropped. Richardo stared at Macy in shock, blood flowed out from every orifice in her body and he didn¡¯t need a doctor to tell him that she was dead.

    ¡°No!¡± Richardo let out an aggrieved scream. There was no way that she could be dead, but the truth stared him right in the face.

    Richardo wanted to crawl over to Macy and hold her body in his arms and cry, but like the coward he was, his feet stood rooted to the ground. What if there was something else in her body and as soon as he touched her, it would go off?

    But whatever reason he had couldn¡¯t justify the guilt in his heart that he let her die like that and made no attempt to save her. No, everything happened too fast. How was he supposed to know what to do?

    This was all Marcel¡¯s fault! He killed Macy and he was not going to go scot-free! Richardo was sure that Macy would want him to avenge her and that was why he couldn¡¯t die yet. He had to survive to get back at that bastard.

    He had to leave here as well! It was not safe. If Marcel could do this to Macy from wherever he was, it wouldn¡¯t surprise him if he had tracked down his location as well. Richardo was sorry that he couldn¡¯t give Macy a proper burial, but he was going toe back for her. And he promised to get back on the pain Marcel put her through. Only then would he be worthy enough to face her.

    Hence, Richardo instructed men to take away the corpse, but that was until he safely exited the building. He left with the others and barely made it outside when headlights from various directions came on, blinding him and he had to put up his hand to shield his face.

    At first, Richardo thought that Marcel had caught onto him but when his eyes were able to adjust to the lightning and saw a bearded bulky man step out, the blood drained from his face. Someone better kill him now. No, it would have been much better if Marcel had killed him instead of Macy.

    ¡°Konstantin,¡± Richardo swallowed the lump in his throat.

    ¡°Richardo,¡± The man mentioned his name, his ent thick.

    Richardo put on a nervousugh, he cautiously approached the man, saying, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I heard some unpleasant news,¡± The man said, spitting out the gum he had been chewing before running his hand through his long hair that had been pulled into a short ponytail, ¡°And no good for business.¡±

    ¡°I can exin.¡± Richardo fumbled with his words, ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t look good now.. no, I can make something out¡­ It¡¯s not yet over¡­ I can somehow still be useful to you!¡±

    But Konstantin smiled widely, showing off his white teeth that gleamed in the darkness, ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, not a phnthropist.¡±

    Richardo was just about to exin when he felt a blunt blow to the back of his head.and he lost consciousness.

    ¡°Bring him along!¡± Konstantinmanded his crew right before he entered his car and drove into the night.

 Chapter 821 - 821 Looking After Victor

    821 Looking After Victor

    ¡°Marcel? Marcel¡­.¡±

    He was woken up from his sleep and he let out a grunt of protest. Marcel was so tired, his muscles ached and he wished that he wouldn¡¯t wake for at least a week. He needed sleep.

    Seeing his condition, Arianna would have let him be, but she made him a promise and she intended to keep to it. Sure, the sleep would benefit him, but knowing Marcel, he would be mad at her when he woke. Hence she did everything that she could to wake him up.

    ¡°Victor is out of surgery,¡± She leaned over and whispered into his ear and that name alone was enough for Marcel¡¯s eyes to pop open.

    He sat up with lightning speed and Arianna had to put her hand on his shoulder to stop him from quickly getting up to his feet.

    His cousin was alive.

    Victor did not die.

    One could not imagine how relieved Marcel was by the news. Had he been a female, he would be shedding tears of joy by now, instead, he took Arianna into his arms and hugged her tight before cing a loving kiss on her forehead. Had it not been for her and her mother¡¯s help, Victor would be long dead. His condition was that dire.

    Together, the both of them made it to the floor where Victor was wheeled into only to meet Natalie and a few doctors standing at the entrance and speaking. The instance her mother noticed them, she dismissed the doctors and they walked over to her.

    .....

    ¡°Congrattions, your cousin is strong and has passed the critical stage. However, we would still have to watch over him and see how he progresses.¡±

    ¡°I can see him, right?¡± Marcel couldn¡¯t wait to step into the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Natalie suddenly said and one should see the way Marcel¡¯s face fell. Even Arianna was ufortable by the look and asked her mother,

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Marcel already waited a long time to make sure that his cousin was okay and now he couldn¡¯t see him. Arianna knew deep down that Marcel was not going to ept that shit.

    ¡°It¡¯s hospital policy for his case and limited to just one visit for tonight,¡± Natalie exined to her.

    ¡°In that case, he can still see -¡±

    ¡°Mimi is in there with him.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Ariannapletely forgot about her. If there was another person more anxious about Victor¡¯s situation, it was Mimi. She nced up at Marcel a little concerned, wondering if he was going to go against her mother¡¯s words and force his way in. Arianna was worried about that even if his reason for doing so was pretty justifiable.

    ¡°But then¡­.¡± Natalie added and Arianna looked at her mother with high expectations. ¡®Please consider¡¯, she prayed inwardly.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m the owner of the hospital, I guess I can make one exception,¡± Natalie sighed, taking off her hair met.

    However, she was slightly stunned when Arianna suddenly squealed and grabbed her, lifting her a few meters off the ground and she screamed. She had not seen thating. Itpletely took her unaware.

    Natalie ced her hand on her pounding chest when Arianna finally put her down, a bit white in the face while her daughterughed in excitement.

    Seeing that the gesture was from her heart, Natalie found herselfughing as well. She was touched by the warm gesture, although a little heads-up might be nice the next time. She was not as young as she used to be.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Marcel bowed his head in appreciation.

    ¡°Please get up,¡± Natalie told him, ¡°It was nothing. Moreover, it¡¯s my duty as a doctor to save lives, it¡¯s an oath I took when I started down this path. There was no way that I could have done nothing, enemy or not.¡±

    Who was she kidding? Arianna knew deep down that if that had been Richardo in Victor¡¯s situation and it was up to her mother to revive him that she would not do so. Her mother already told her, everything she does was for her. Natalie just doesn¡¯t want to admit that Marcel has gained a special ce in her heart. Well, Arianna would let her be until her mother¡¯s unable to deny it anymore.

    The both of them followed a bit of medical procedure like covering their hair and wearing face masks before they were let into the room. Once inside the room, they saw Mimi by Victor¡¯s bedside. She covered his hand in her palm and lifted it to her face and kissed it at the moment they entered.

    Mimi greeted them with silence as if saying,e have a look yourself. Her eyes were red and puffy even though she had stopped crying. If Victor woke and saw her in this condition, he would surely die from a heart attack.

    On Marcel¡¯s part, the look on his face was unreadable as he took in his cousin¡¯s appearance. Victor was unconscious with many machines attached to his body.

    Marcel looked at her questioningly, ¡°Is he in aa?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so,¡± Arianna answered unsure, ¡°It must be all the drugs. He should wake when it¡¯s out of his system.¡±

    With that answer, they went both to staring at Victor until Arianna broke the silence by saying, ¡°I think the both of you should go have a rest, I¡¯ll take care of Victor for tonight.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Marcel and Mimi said stubbornly at the same time and Arianna pressed her lips into a thin line.

    She faced Marcel, ¡°My mother already told you only one person can stay over. Also, do you want to break down before Victor wakes? You fucking need to rest.¡±

    And to Mimi, she told her, ¡°Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Do you want to scare Victor when he wakes? It¡¯s three in the morning, you cane to see him in the morning, looking better.¡±

    Although there were a few arguments, Arianna might as well take up the profession as awyer because she won the debate. Marcel and Mimi left and she looked after Victor.

 Chapter 822 - 822 A Gift From Me

    822 A Gift From Me

    ¡°From the look on your face, I¡¯m right to conclude that the boy survived,¡± Ruth Nickerson said as soon as Natalie joined her on the bench. Both women were seated in the hospital¡¯s garden at that ungodly hour.

    ¡°He barely survived. It was all based on his luck.¡± Natalie said with a sigh, throwing her head back and staring at the sky void of stars. It seems even the heavens were not happy tonight.

    Natalie was tired and should have retired for the night but she could not say no to an old friend. Although the both of them had merely been acquaintances and not besties at that time they worked together at the hospital.

    Being on the run from Daniel, Natalie did not have the time to make friends who would only betray her in the end ornd in trouble for associating with her. Daniel would use anyone or anyone that mattered to get to her. Hence, she kept to herself. They simply worked together in the past, but Natalie knew to honor a person who saved her daughter¡¯s life.

    Natalie watched as Ruth brought a pack of cigarettes and put a stick into her mouth and handed another to her, saying, ¡°Do you mind?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a doctor, you of all people should know that shit would kill you faster.¡± Natalie lectured her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a no, then.¡± She returned the cigarette stick to the pack and put it into her bag beforeing up with a lighter.

    ¡°Everyone would die eventually, so why don¡¯t you live your life a little fuller?¡± She said while lighting the cigarette.

    ¡°To everyone, it¡¯s appointed a time to die, however, it doesn¡¯t mean that we should be careless with our lives. I for one, would do my best to live longer to carry all of my grandchildren in my arms.¡± Natalie said.

    .....

    ¡°Well, lucky you, some of us don¡¯t have grandchildren to look forward to,¡± Ruth said with a wry smile that spoke volumes.

    Natalie turned to her and asked, ¡°What happened to you?¡±

    ¡°What happens to everyone else. Life happened.¡± She went into detail, ¡°Fell in love with the man of my dreams and had not the slightest detail that he was in the syndicate. With time, I had my suspicion and when I confronted him, he said he was going to change.¡±

    Ruthughed, ¡°Funny part is that he did change and quit the organization even though it was hard. Unfortunately, there was a bust and his former members sold him out to the police. There wasn¡¯t even an arrest, they just broke into our appointment and shot him dead. He didn¡¯t have a fighting chance and I couldn¡¯t save him. ¡±

    ¡°So you dedicate your life to saving others like him?¡± Natalie said.

    Ruth released a long puff of smoke, ¡°I can¡¯t kill the police, so that¡¯s my little revenge. Save the viins and make their life a little harder. ¡± She said, looking away.

    There was a silence between both women before Natalie said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Ruth shrugged it off, letting the cigarette ash fall to the ground.

    Natalie asked her, ¡°When did you know that Arianna was my daughter?¡±

    ¡°Since the day she walked into my office after seeing the notice I put outside my door for an assistant and I set my eye on her. The both of you could pass as sisters, the resemnce is uncanny. I didn¡¯t even look into her background, all I needed was her father¡¯s name, and every other piece of the puzzle fitted into ce. ¡±

    ¡°So you took care of her for me?¡±

    ¡°The girl is nice and hardworking and the daughter of a past acquaintance. I did what I had to do, you owe me nothing.¡± Ruth told her.

    Natalie smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure is mine.¡±

    And just like that, silence fell on the both of them and it was Ruth that said this time, ¡°I heard you are married.¡±

    Natalie was amused, ¡°So it wasn¡¯t my daughter¡¯s background, you looked into, but mine.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get involved but somehow fate keeps dragging me in.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not too old to get married and have a child either. You¡¯re barely months older than I am.¡±

    And to those words, Ruth snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t have a decent man in my life at the moment.¡± She found the suggestion hrious.

    ¡°Then make a man out of the indecent ones you roam with every day. You were able to redeem yourte husband, there could be a drowning soul out there that needs to take your hand.¡±

    Ruth burst intoughter, taking the cigarette from her mouth and stomping it out. She tried to say something but theughter wouldn¡¯t let her. And speaking of theughter, it must be infectious because Natalie joined her too.

    ¡°When I decided to visit, I never thought that I would be visiting a love therapist.¡± She chuckled at the end.

    ¡°Judging from my past, I don¡¯t think that I deserve that title.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of that past¡­¡± Ruth suddenly turned to her with a serious expression that made her brows raise.

    ¡°Daniel¡­.¡± She said and Natalie¡¯s expression changed at once. It shouldn¡¯t surprise her that the woman knew about him as well, but that reaction had already been ingrained into Natalie from the traumas of over the years. Whenever anyone mentioned that name, it made her ufortable.

    ¡°Are you going to let him be?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Natalie asked even though she had a hint where this conversation was going on.

    ¡°Are you going to leave him alone like that after everything that he has done?¡±

    ¡°Ruth¡­¡± Natalie called her name ¡°I already decided to give up on revenge. Trust me, there¡¯s nothing more tiring than -¡±

    ¡°What about your daughter, Arianna? With the way things are going between her and Marcel, she would undoubtedly marry into that family. Aren¡¯t you worried about Daniel at all?¡±

    Natalie gulped down a lump. It would be a lie if she said that she still wasn¡¯t concerned about Daniel and his motives.

    ¡°I have connections and you don¡¯t have to do a thing, Natalie. All you have to do is to give me an order and none of them, not even your daughter would know about your involvement in his death. You can think of this as a gift from me.¡±

 Chapter 823 - 823 Visit An Old Friend

    823 Visit An Old Friend

    ¡°Boss¡­.¡±

    ¡°What now?¡± Daniel said, sipping his coffee and going through the newspaper.

    ¡°I have news, it¡¯s about your son. ¡± He said, cautiously.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Daniel said nonchntly. He then lowered the newspaper to look at Haz before turning the page to him saying, ¡°By chance, does it have to do with this?¡±

    Haz nced at the paper hesitantly, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the headlights

    [Gang War Leaves Container Depot In Ruin.]

    When Daniel was sure that he was done reading, he folded the paper into four sides and dropped it on the sofa. He then propped his chin with his hand, saying to his assistant, Haz,

    ¡°This incident happenedst night, why am I hearing about it this morning?¡± He asked him.

    Faz swallowed, knowing his head was going to end up on a spike today. Today was the day he would die. He had only been promoted to this position because his predecessor was ¡°punished¡±. That is if you get what he means.

    .....

    ¡°Why won¡¯t you answer and stop staring at me like a dog with no sense of direction!¡± Daniel barked at him and he was startled into giving him an answer.

    Haz fell on his knees at once, ¡°I was distracted, boss, and forgot my duties, but I promise that it¡¯s not going to happen again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen again, is that so?¡± Daniel thought over it.

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± He answered hurriedly knowing that his life was on the line here.

    Daniel got up to his feet and the poor man¡¯s heart began to pound hard. Even with his head lowered, he could sense Daniel¡¯s movement and sweat dripped from his face and onto the ground. Soon he was staring down at Daniel¡¯s pink flip-flops and his heart rate elerated faster than before.

    Haz shut his eyes knowing that this was hisst time on earth. Had he known, he would have made up with his girlfriend after fighting with herst night, but now it was toote. He knew if God gave him a second chance, he would apologize right away and fix things between them.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± Danielmanded and he did not hesitate to lift his head, his face coated with sweat. Daniel squatted down before him and he was staring the man right in the face in that position.

    ¡°You see¡­.¡± Daniel started, ¡°I take my son¡¯s affairs quite seriously. He¡¯s my only future and if he fails tomorrow, that¡¯s all on me. It¡¯s quite fortunate that I like you and am giving you a second chance. Another mishap and I¡¯m not informed on time, you¡¯re losing your position.¡± He told him

    Haz didn¡¯t need to be told what losing his position implied. He was going to work harder from now on.

    ¡°Thank you, boss!¡± He said, lowering his head to the ground and appreciating him over and over again.

    Daniel ignored him and returned to his seat. He picked up the newspaper and continued reading the book. Thankfully, the police had attributed the incident to a fight between two rival gangs and the Luciano family was not implicated. The bodies belonging to the Luciano family were cleared up before the police arrived.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my son?¡± Daniel asked him without taking his eyes off the paper.

    ¡°He¡¯s currently at the hospital,¡± Haz answered, ¡°Victor was injured in the incident and he¡¯s been treated at the hospital.¡±

    Hearing the mention of a hospital, Daniel¡¯s brows distorted. Has his son finally lost it? Why would he bring a gunshot victim to the hospital? He was practically putting a target on himself and the family.

    ¡°What hospital?¡±

    ¡°The hospital is said to belong to the Draven Family¡¯s bossdy, Mrs. Natalie, and Arianna¡¯s mother.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Daniel was amused, unbelieving that Natalie would be willing to treat anyone from Luciano¡¯s family. She hated the whole of them. Unless she knows the truth already.

    ¡°She¡¯s getting weak.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Daniel said, continuing with his reading. Or he tried to because he snapped the paper shut in no time.

    He stood up and Haz looked at him questioningly.

    ¡°Where do we go, boss?¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s on me,¡± Daniel said, heading into his room to dress up and go see an old friend.

    Meanwhile¡­.

    Carmine was the first person to arrive at the hospital before everyone else. The woman had almost lost her mind when they told her her son nearly died. Out of all of her children, Victor was her favorite and only son out of all her children. No, everyone liked Victor, he had that effect on people since the day he was born.

    She knew what getting into the family¡¯s business entailed and tried to stop him from participating by all means, but the boy was stubborn, not to mention his tight rtionship with Marcel. Hence, she lived with her heart in her throat, waiting on the day she would get the bad news. And it seems it finally happened.

    Thankfully, Victor was a fighter and did not fall into aa. He woke up before his mother arrived and it was he and Arianna talking before she came inside.

    ¡°Victor!¡± The woman shouted when she saw her son looking so fragile on the bed with an IV attached to his body, and she was filled with anger.

    ¡°Mother,¡± Victor said, surprised to see his mother. Well, he shouldn¡¯t be since it was normal for his mother toe to check up on her son, but Mimi had been the one he was expecting.

    Unfortunately, his mother saw the disappointed look on his face and she connected the dots.

    ¡°Wait a minute, you don¡¯t want to see me?¡±

    ¡°Mam, it¡¯s not like that?¡± He tried to exin. What was he going to exin?

    ¡°You thought that I was someone else? Is it Mimi?¡±

    Victor swallowed, that was the truth but then, why does it feel like admitting it would be the end of his life?

    ¡°You know I love you, mam,¡±

    ¡°Love, my butt! You unfilial son!¡± The woman took out the banana from the fruit basket she came with and hurled it at him, and Arianna caught it on time, thankfully.

 Chapter 824 - 824 He Was Jealous Of Her Happiness

    824 He Was Jealous Of Her Happiness

    The family looked pretty normal at face value, Natalie peered at the drama going on in Victor¡¯s room. She simply shook her head and moved on, intending to check on her other patients. But then, the instant she took a step, there was Daniel standing in front of her.

    Stepping back from him in fear was a reflex gained over the years, but Natalie caught herself at thest minute. Why should she fear Daniel? Gone are the days when he could kidnap her and assault her. It is impossible now. Why? Because she had power. The strongest ruled the world and right now, Natalie proudly says she was at the pinnacle.

    Natalie didn¡¯t want to conclude that he was here to see her, after all, Victor was still his family member and he must be here for him. So she changed her trajectory and continued with her journey. However, the instant she was about to walk past him without a word, Daniel called her name.

    ¡°Natalie¡­.¡±

    She halted in her tracks and turned to look at him. Daniel turned to face her as well and the both of them took in each other¡¯s appearance. Daniel cleaned up well to be this good-looking even at this age, but Natalie had zero point zero interest in him. She has seen enough of his character in the past to know that she would never develop even the slightest spark for him.

    Good looks didn¡¯t equal good character and she was done with him. Moreover, she was married now and had a husband much more handsome and younger than he is. Eric loved her and their sex life was great, so what more could she ask for?

    She shone brighter now than in the past, Daniel noticed. The Natalie he knew then was different than this present one who looked intimidating. Even though they had once been together, Daniel couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was staring at a stranger. To think that his world had once resolved around her made him feel a little ashamed, to be honest. Right now, he was looking at reality, not a dream ¨C he didn¡¯t like this reality.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Natalie asked with a frown, dipping her hand in the pocket of her white medical gown.

    ¡°Can we talk?¡± He told her.

    .....

    ¡°What for?¡± Natalie asked with her head proudly lifted high.

    ¡°You can rest assured that I mean you no harm.¡±

    But she snorted, finding hisment utterly ridiculous. Natalie told him,

    ¡°Are you even in a position to harm me? As reckless as you are Daniel, even you know that you can¡¯t take on the Draven family.¡±

    Daniel put up his hand innocently, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not here to argue who would win in a war between both families. I only want to chat with an old friend and for the future of our children who are in love with each other.¡±

    Natalie wanted to say no to the meeting, he already ruined her mood with his presence, but she changed her mind at thisst sentence.

    ¡°Come, there¡¯s the hospital dining upstairs and also¡­.¡± She came closer to warn him, ¡°I am not your friend.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Daniel shrugged, ¡°Inw then.¡±

    Natalie wanted to re at him and dispute the ims, but what was the use when their children were so close enough, marriage was a doorstep away.

    The both of them got into the elevator that took them upstairs and though Natalie was sure that Daniel would noty a hand on her, she still was anxious. After all, the both of them were in a tight space and he could reach out and strangle her to death ¨C although she was going to give him one hell of a fight.

    Reaching into the pocket of her gown and feeling no weapon made her feel kind of vulnerable. Natalie would feel more at ease if she had something to defend herself with. She would never have believed that in years toe that she would be in the same space with Daniel without him having ulterior motives.

    No, who was she kidding? Daniel always had ulterior motives. She bet he must have a n foring to see her. The instant the elevator door opened, Natalie was the first to step out and was able to breathe normally.

    Thankfully she didn¡¯t make a fool of herself in there by panicking and giving Daniel a reason to believe that he still had control over her life. It has been a long battle but she would surely get over this trauma one day. Perhaps, meeting him face-to-face was good therapy, it would prove to her that she had no reason to fear him anymore. It was all in the past.

    At this point, Natalie was grateful that she had not epted that offer from Ruth. Sure, Daniel hurt her deeply and that was a scar that would never heal, but revenge would only birth bigger revenge and the circles of destruction would never end. She wanted peace for the sake of Arianna.

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Natalie gestured to him and took a seat too just as a staff member came over to take her order. One could say Natalie had special treatment as the head of the hospital.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked him, hands on the table and awaiting his order.

    Daniel looked around the stations and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t there fast foods?¡±

    ¡°This is a hospital, Daniel, and we are centering around fresh, modern, innovative, and healthy choices. So I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s no space for your junk food.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± He said out of nowhere and Natalie looked at him in confusion. What was he talking about?

    ¡°I don¡¯t get you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Daniel smiled at her and then said, ¡°Please help me make a healthy choice, dear doctor.¡±

    Strange, was he teasing her? It confused Natalie, however, she didn¡¯t think much about it and beckoned the staff. So while she spoke to the staff, Daniel stared at her with a wistful look.

    He was jealous of her happiness.

 Chapter 825 - 825 Natalieâ€™s Condition

    825 Natalie¡¯s Condition

    It was the most awkward meal that she has ever had. Natalie didn¡¯t know how to behave around Daniel. At least, in the past, she hated his ass enough not to eat at the same table with him, unless forced, but now, she just doesn¡¯t know. And don¡¯t be mistaken, she still hated him, it¡¯s just that the feeling is a lot moreplicated now.

    Thankfully, he did not attempt to start a conversation with her until the meal was over and they were having their drinks.

    ¡°That was a nice meal¡­.¡± He began to reach for his wallet saying, ¡°How much would I need to -¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Natalie stopped him right away, ¡°It¡¯s on me. You can consider it a treat.¡± Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to take his money. That was like epting a gift from the devil.

    ¡°If you say so then,¡± Daniel smiled at her, returning the wallet to his pocket, and then faced her. The both of them were back to staring at each other.

    ¡°What?¡± Natalie asked him when his staring became ufortable. The way he sounded earlier, she thought this would be a serious conversation, not him creeping her out with his intense looks.

    ¡°It might sound absurd to you, but I¡¯m trying to make a mentalparison¡­¡± He gestured to his head, ¡± of the woman you are today and the one that I know in the past. They¡¯re different.¡±

    ¡°Alright, this is it.¡± Natalie pushed the chair back with a squeak, ¡°I¡¯m taking my leave.¡± She was about to stand when he said,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not sending you a wedding gift,¡±

    .....

    Was he kidding her? Why would she require a wedding gift from him? That would be equivalent to jinxing her marriage.

    With a big sigh, Natalie had no choice but to sit back down and said to Daniel, ¡°Let¡¯s be frank here, what do you want from me? Stop beating around the bush and tell me why you¡¯re really here.¡± She was dead serious and was not in the mood to y games with him.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the kids, Marcel and Arianna, what do you think about them?¡±

    And at the mention of the both of them, Natalie squirmed in her seat like a fish out of water. She lifted her gaze and asked him, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Arianna is pregnant for Marcel, till when do you intend for them to get married, or do you want a shotgun wedding?¡±

    Bam!

    An explosion went off in Natalie¡¯s head and she leaned forward to the table asking him seriously, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Daniel¡¯s brows arched as he studied her and it dawned on him, ¡°Wait a minute, you don¡¯t know of your daughter¡¯s pregnancy?¡± He leaned back into his seat amused, ¡°And here I was thinking the both of you were an inseparable pair.¡±

    Natalie sat up straight, her face burning with embarrassment while she ced her trembling hands on herp. Arianna clearly told her that she wasn¡¯t pregnant, so how was this possible? Unless her daughter had lied to her and Daniel was telling the truth.

    Being embarrassed was an understatement, Natalie was mortified. To think that she would get to hear the news of her daughter¡¯s pregnancy from the mouth of someone she loathed ¨C her enemy! It was shaming.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so crushed, this is good news, not one to be sad over,¡± Daniel said.

    But even with Daniel¡¯s encouragement, there was not an ounce of a smile on Natalie¡¯s face as she asked, ¡°When did you get wind of this? How did you know that Arianna is pregnant for your son?¡±

    ¡°When¡­.?¡± Daniel thought about it,

    ¡°That should be the same time Elijah¡¯s identity was revealed. There was a meeting and the family demanded an investigation into Arianna¡¯s past rtionship with your husband¡¯s brother. They were sure your daughter helped him infiltrate the organization by feeding him information. But then, Marcel cleared her and then announced the good news, the both of them were expecting a baby.¡±

    By the time he was done, what Daniel never expected was for Natalie to burst intoughter as if all he did was crack a silly joke.

    ¡°What is funny?¡± Daniel asked, confused. Something told him deep down that she was mocking him.

    Natalie opened her mouth to say a word but the confession was too heavy on her lips and sheughed once again. It was just so hrious.

    Perhaps, it must be the change in Daniel¡¯s expression, but she abruptly stopped. Clearing her throat, Natalie adjusted her position on the seat and said to him, ¡°Clearly, Marcel must have told you that Arianna is pregnant to save her ass from your family because I can assure you that my daughter is not pregnant.¡±

    This time, it was Daniel¡¯s turn to be befuddled by the news. He let out a disbelieving chuckle before asking her, ¡°How can you be so sure of that? From what I¡¯ve seen, your daughter hides secrets from you and this might be your ploy to refute the ims.¡±

    He added, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Natalie, I know you hate my son the same way you hate me and would do everything in your power to separate the both of them so our family wouldn¡¯t be joined together.¡±

    Hearing those usations from Daniel, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but shake her word in sympathy. One would always think the worst of others based on how he viewed himself. Just because he was evil, he thought everyone was like him.

    Natalie said to him,¡± If I didn¡¯t want the kids to get married, do you think that the both of us would be seated here, talking amicably?¡±

    She went on to say, ¡°Do you think that I have forgotten what you did to me? You practically destroyed my life. You took away my family! I never even saw Arianna¡¯s father before he died! And my daughter, Arianna, grew up without a mother, all because of you! Most of all Penelope¡­ ¡±

    Natalie didn¡¯t want to cry. She didn¡¯t want to show her weakness in front of that bastard, Daniel. But there was no way that she couldn¡¯t think of her friend without tears springing to her eyes.

    ¡°The least you could have done was to treat her well if you weren¡¯t going to let her go. But then, you didn¡¯t and made her life miserable. Do you know how much bitterness I feel inside my heart¡­.¡± She beat her chest, ¡°each time I remember her and you say what, I don¡¯t want the children to get married because I hate you, Daniel?¡± She said with emotion.

    And while any other person would have been touched by her speech ¨C and perhaps repent ¨C Daniel said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s more reason why the kids should marry? Their union would bury years of bad blood between the both of us and then when they birth a son, our family would be one. In one word, there¡¯s no need to dwell on the past.¡±

    Natalie could not believe him. Did he think that the union of their children would make up for his sins? Honestly, Natalie had no idea what she had been expecting from Daniel, but perhaps, a little remorse on his part or an apology for all the things he did to her and Penelope, would have gone a long way to set things right. And perhaps, she would have gotten the conclusion she wanted.

    But no, she didn¡¯t get any of that. That was when it dawned on Natalie that Daniel was incapable of loving. He was toxic and would harm anyone close to him, even unconsciously.

    ¡°No,¡± She said, ¡°If our children are going to get married, then I don¡¯t want you anywhere near them. That would be my condition to Marcel. I don¡¯t care where you go, but you would have to stay as far away from them as possible, probably out of this country. That would be your punishment. You should feel the same pain I felt while being separated from my loved ones, and perhaps, you might be human after all. ¡±

    ¡°You must have lost your damn mind,¡± Daniel said in response to Natalie¡¯s condition, standing up to his feet.

    What does she mean by he would have to go away for the children? He had a life here! He has built something great here. The thought of leaving Marcel to go far away sounded absurd to him. How would he leave his son and give up his authority in the family? Her condition was equivalent to banishment and there was no way in hell he was giving in to it.

    Grabbing both ends of the table, Daniel leaned over, saying, ¡°It seems that I made a mistake,ing to share ideas with you.¡±

    Natalie stood up as well and copied his posture, till she was staring him in the face and said, ¡°You¡¯re too toxic and I hope you never find happiness because it would be at the expense of your partner.¡±

    Daniel snorted, a smirk curling his lips to the side.

    ¡°Goodbye, Natalie.¡±

 Chapter 826 - 826 Marcel Lied To Him

    826 Marcel Lied To Him

    Marcel would arrive soon to check up on his cousin, so Arianna decided to go home and rest. She had not slept a winkst night to ensure Victor was okay and was not experiencing any difort whatsoever. From time to time, she would check his heart monitor and blood pressure. In one word, she wanted to be sure that he survived the morning while in her care.

    Standing in front of the elevator that would take her to the lobby, Arianna yawned loudly. God, she was so tired and her body ached fromying on that couch. Her body was stiff and she decided to do a little bit of stretching before the elevator arrived. Arianna was still in the middle of bending sideways when the elevator door opened with a ding, and she looked at the figure inside before standing straight abruptly.

    It was Daniel.

    She and Marcel have been having such a smooth rtionship that it hadn¡¯t crossed her mind that Daniel would be a significant part of their lives. Since that day her future father-inw nearly killed her, Arianna has not set her naked eyes on Daniel, hence one could imagine how startled she was to see him out of nowhere.

    To be honest, she was scared of this man and as much as she was determined to love Marcel¡¯s family as if it were her own, Arianna wasn¡¯t so sure that her affection could be extended to this man. Not only had he tried to kill her, but he was also the reason why she didn¡¯t grow up with a mother. No, aplete family. His sins were numerous.

    Daniel must not have noticed her at first, because he seemed genuinely surprised when their gaze connected, only for his brows to draw together in the next minutes while an unknown emotion shed across his eyes. Oh no, what now? Arianna felt shivers dance down her spine.

    Before Arianna had the chance to turn the other way, Daniel already strode out of the elevator and grabbed her arm firmly, a startled squeal leaving her mouth. He was hurting her, not that Daniel cared to know. He was more interested in getting his answers.

    She should have run, but somehow her feet were glued to the floor and there was no one in the hallway to save her from this man. What was she going to do? No, Arianna had to calm her panicking mind and think logically. There was no way Daniel would hurt her here. There were cameras around.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Arianna was surprised that she found the voice to speak to her psycho father-inw.

    .....

    ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re not pregnant?¡±

    Arianna¡¯s eyes grew to the size of saucers and her lips trembled, ¡°H-how did you know?¡±

    Daniel looked into her eyes as if trying to check her words and the answer he saw in there made him withdraw his hands as his blood chilled.

    ¡°Marcel lied to me,¡± Daniel muttered, his face distorted with rage.

    ¡°W-what?¡± She was confused.

    While Arianna was shocked that he got a hint of her pregnancy, Daniel in question misunderstood her reaction. He thought that Arianna was shocked that he knew that she wasn¡¯t pregnant while Arianna was confused as to how her father-inw was able toe close to the word, ¡°Pregnancy¡±.

    Before Arianna had the chance to clear things, Daniel already turned back into the elevator and Arianna didn¡¯t dare to follow. What the hell was that? She stood in front of the elevator befuddled.

    The fact that Daniel was able to ask such a sensitive question meant that something happened and Marcel had to know about it. So Arianna picked up her phone and called him right away. She didn¡¯t want to get into the elevator until she was sure that Daniel had left the hospital premises, eliminating the chances of bumping into him the second time.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Marcel¡¯s slightly husky voice sounded in her ears and her stomach did a double flip. He must have just gotten out of bed which was why he sounded so sexy this morning ¨C or she just woke him from sleep. And thetter made Arianna feel a little quality.

    Marcel deserved all the rest that he could have, hence she was not bothered that he woke upte. If she had the power to make him fall into deep sweat, Arianna would do so without hesitation. But she was sure that the stubborn ass would resist her.

    ¡°How¡¯s Victor?¡± He asked, and Arianna was not even surprised that it was his first question. He cared for his cousin way too much ¨C and she was beginning to get jealous.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake,¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Thank God,¡± He let out a long deep sigh into the phone.

    Ask about me, too, Arianna hoped inside of her.

    ¡°Thank you for taking care of him, love. How are you doing?¡±

    That¡¯s it! She was marrying this guy! No one was going to tell her otherwise, not even Daniel was going to stand in the way of her happiness.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arianna said, giggling foolishly inside of her until she remembered the reason she called in the first ce.

    ¡°I just saw your father,¡± She confessed when Marcel least expected it and there was silence from his side for over a minute.

    ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± He finally asked, his voice tensed as if he was ready to explode if she said no.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t, but he mentioned something strange.¡± And just like that, Arianna narrated their conversation to him.

    ¡°Oh that,¡± Marcel sighed into the phone, ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Arianna insisted, moving to the corner to make her call and not be in the way of people stepping in and out of the elevator since she wasn¡¯t ready to move yet.

    Marcel narrated everything to her and said in the end, ¡°He was bound to find out one way or another that I fooled him. However, he can¡¯t know that you¡¯re pregnant for real. Keep the news from everyone for now.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna breathed. But deep down, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder when would be the right time.

    She was still on call with Marcel when a message came into her phone and it was from her mother.

    [We need to talk. Tonight]

    Arianna felt dread wash over her knowing what that tone implied. She looked at the elevator and frowned. By chance, Daniel did not¡­. Oh no.

 Chapter 827 - 827 Be My Woman

    827 Be My Woman

    Marcel was a failure and Daniel needed a grandson. A child that would take the family¡¯s business to the next level. He needed a grandson that would see from his perspective and not inherit his father¡¯s weak and emotional mind. But now, that was no longer possible, was it?

    Daniel was burning with rage, a wave of great anger! How dare Marcel fool him like this?! He should have suspected that his words would be a lie, but seeing his pathetic son was enamored with the girl, he assumed that she would be with his child already.

    He gets reports from time to time and it was said that Marcel was a fool for the girl. In the same way, he had blindly loved Natalie, his son loved Arianna too. It must be a curse or something since the cycle continued except that his son seeded in his case. Or who knows, things might change in the future.

    However, that was not the point but the fact that his trusted son fooled him! Now his n has been pushed back, coupled with the fact that Natalie gave him her ridiculous condition for both of their children to settle down.

    Daniel could select another girl for Marcel but knowing his stubborn son, he was going to make a huge deal out of it. He didn¡¯t have much time anymore, who knows how long he had to live on earth and he needed to see his grandson. He can¡¯t have any more dy, nor would he leave his family.

    Natalie leaves him no other choice but to take matters into his hands. For once, he decided to be a good guy, but then, people never recognize his good works. Never. It was much better and stress-free being the viin. That marriage had to happen by all means possible.

    Daniel was in the hospital¡¯s underground car park when he suddenly stopped and made a call.

    ¡°What now?¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice came alive from the other line.

    Daniel pursed his lips, listening to his words. The child needed to be taught how to show respect to his elders, but that would wait until he yed out his role in his n.

    .....

    ¡°Commence with the ns.¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡± Gabriel responded, ¡°Is this a sick joke or what? You wanted me to stop not long ago and now you want me tomence once again. What changed? How do I know that this isn¡¯t some sort of trap?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the indecision, I was momentarily confused, but don¡¯t worry I have made up my mind now thanks to a certain someone. So tell me, are you in or can I find someone in the family that is willing to take the role more seriously?¡± Daniel retorted.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Gabriel grumbled at the end of the call, ¡°Let¡¯s just hope you don¡¯t change your mind before the end of today.¡± He hung up on him.

    Daniel chuckled at the action, this was why you don¡¯t do business with kids because they were impatient and would show forth their true colors in no time. At least, he would y his role, that was all that mattered to Daniel.

    Done with the call, Daniel was about to locate his car when he spotted someone out of his peripheral vision, but he ignored it only to halt in his step. He turned around quickly and just as he thought, it was her.

    My oh my, what a pleasant surprise.

    It was Angelica and he didn¡¯t need to guess why she was here ¨C unless she was dying from a terminal disease. There must be an OB-GYN department where she came to inquire for daughter, Adele. Natalie¡¯s hospital seems to be quite popr.

    He stalked over to her and she never for once noticed his presence which brought a satisfying smile to his lips. In this situation, he was the predator in the hunt and she was the poor prey. But no worry, he wasn¡¯t going for the kill yet.

    Daniel merely tapped her on the shoulder from behind while she was in the process of trying to open her car. She turned with a scream, instinctively lifting her hand to punch him in the face

    but he caught her hand.

    ¡°Hello, we meet again,¡± Daniel smirked, still holding her hand.

    ¡°D-daniel?¡± She peered up at him through narrowed gaze, her hand on her pounding heart.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± Anglican pulled her arm free while ring at him. She almost suffered a heart attack because of him, thinking one of Benjamin¡¯s enemies had gotten to her. Who knew that it was no one but this¡­.. Forget it.

    Angelica took a deep breath, tucking her hair to the back of her ear, and asked him, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Daniel nudged her shoulder, ¡°Am I not allowed to say hi to a friend?¡±

    ¡°We are not friends and can never be friends, Daniel.¡± She made it clear to him.

    ¡°Is that so? What are we then? Lovers?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Angelica nearly choked on her saliva. What does he mean by lovers? It was utterly ridiculous.

    She coughed to clear her throat and said to him, ¡°You must have lost your damn mind.¡± Angelica made to turn, but Daniel blocked her path and instead, forced her to step back till her body was pressed back against her car.

    ¡°D-daniel¡­.¡± Angelica stuttered, feeling ufortable with where this scenario was headed. She was not a kid anymore, and with years of experience, already knew how this was going to end. Unfortunately, she would be a sucker for trouble to even think about getting into anything with Daniel. The man was mad for crying out loud.

    ¡°Now that I look at you, you are quite beautiful,¡± Daniel said, taking a lock of her hair in his hand and letting it slip in between his fingers before his eyes rested on her lips without shame.

    ¡°Eyes up,¡± Angelica said, having no idea where the confidence came from.

    Surprisingly, Daniel did asmanded, lifting his head, a smile lingering at the corner of his lips.

    He then said to her, ¡°Do you want to be my woman?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Someone said I wouldn¡¯t be able to find happiness, are you going to help me prove that person wrong?¡±

 Chapter 828 - 828 She Intrigued Him

    828 She Intrigued Him

    She must be crazy to even consider this. However, Angelica was not going to lie, her heart missed a beat when Daniel said those words to her. He was a straightforward man and she was a sucker for men who fought for what they liked. A man who would fight for her unlike Benjamin, the bastard.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think that this is a good idea,¡± Angelica stuttered.

    After her first encounter with Daniel that day, she did a bit of research about him and the testimonies about the man were nothing to write home about. The man was danger personified, and if she had enough brain cells left, she would stay away from him.

    ¡°Why?¡± Daniel asked, his gaze boring into hers,¡± Are you still in a rtionship with Adele¡¯s father?¡±

    ¡°W-what?! Benjamin?!¡± She shouted in shock, nearly spitting out blood.

    It was funny because even her daughter, Adele, doesn¡¯t believe she has ended things with her father, Benjamin. Angelica couldn¡¯t me her daughter either way, after all, she had loved the man blindly. Her whole life revolved around Benjamin until two years ago when she decided that she has had enough. But Adele wouldn¡¯t know that since it has been years since theymunicated with each other.

    While Benjamin put up the image of a faithful and responsible father to his family, he woulde to her in secret, afraid to incur his wife¡¯s wraith if she found out they were having an affair again. However, Angelica suspected his wife knew about their rendezvous over the years and intentionally kept mute. The woman had a son while Adele was a woman, she didn¡¯t fear Angelica woulde to steal her position as his wife.

    But not anymore.

    Angelica was a fool because it took her years to know that she deserved better. Years after years of receiving less was over and right now she was engrossed more with self-love. However, another man was standing right in front of her and proposing rtionship to her and she didn¡¯t know how to feel about that.

    .....

    She was thrilled of course, it has been a while since a man made her feel desired again ¨C Benjamin did numbers on her self-esteem. But not him, not Daniel, even if he exuded sex appeal and aged handsomely. Don¡¯t go there, Angelica.

    Taking a deep breath, she said to him, ¡°I¡¯ve broken things up with Benjamin for a while now, actually, he¡¯s the one chasing after me. But I refuse to crawl back into his web full of lies and deceit. As you said, I¡¯m a beautiful woman and I deserve a better man. I refuse to let some bastard make me second ce in his life. ¡±

    At this point, a slow smile tugged Daniel¡¯s lips to the side knowing that she was going to ept him. He won. He always wins.

    She continued, ¡°And the same goes for you, Daniel. I¡¯m not dating you.¡±

    The smug expression on Daniel¡¯s face fell at once. What the hell was she talking about? He couldn¡¯t believe it. She didn¡¯t just reject him, right? This must be a joke.

    Daniel frowned, scratching the side of his face. He asked, ¡°Why? I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m not Benjamin. If you were my woman, I would not hide you away.¡±

    Angelica smiled, ¡°That¡¯s where you got it all, I was notparing you to Benjamin.¡±

    ¡°Then what¡­.¡± He trailed off as it dawned on him, ¡°You don¡¯t like me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a dangerous man, Daniel and I¡¯m sensible enough not to y with burning mes. Moreover, the first day we met, you threatened me with my daughter. What woman in her right mind would date a man who threatens her child¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯ty a hand on your daughter, I give you my word,¡± Daniel promised her. Shit, why was he even begging her? It¡¯s not like he was desperate for a partner or something.

    But even with the promise, Angelica shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s still not going to work Daniel.¡±

    ¡°What then do you want?¡± Daniel honestly had no idea anymore. He thought that he knew women, but this one was a nk page. No, a roller coaster ride. He wasn¡¯t prepared for this and yet he couldn¡¯t leave her.

    ¡°Someone told you that you wouldn¡¯t be able to find happiness, I think I¡¯m going to trust that judgment. Such words cannot be given without experience. You see, I have enough self-preservation and I don¡¯t want to mingle with danger.¡± Angelica said firmly, hoping he would give her the chance to leave now that she has made her stand clear.

    Instead, Daniel stepped closer till they were so close that their bodies were touching and she was acutely aware of the heat of his body.

    ¡°So¡­. ¡± Daniel said with a sudden threatening tone that made the hairs on her body stand on edge, ¡± Are you not scared that I would your life for rejecting my advances?¡±

    Angelica didn¡¯t answer right away, rather she lifted her face to look Daniel in the eyes and said to him, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±

    ¡°It would be a waste.¡± She added with details, ¡°Perhaps in your prime, it would stroke your ego dealing with the girl who looked down on you, in your perception. However, you¡¯re older and your priorities have changed and so have your taste. It wouldn¡¯t satisfy you to end my life and bring about unnecessary troubles. Benjamin wouldn¡¯t let it be. Even cowards show unexpected bravery in dire times. ¡±

    Daniel was dumbfounded. It was almost as if she could see through him and she left him bare which Daniel didn¡¯t like. He thought that she was merely a pretty, dumb woman but Anglica was too perceptive for her own good.

    Before the shock could wear off, Angelica pushed him away and turned to her car, grabbing the cars handle only to hear,

    ¡°Go on a date with me.¡±

    Her pulse quickened.

    Fuck, what has he said?! Daniel wished that he could kick himself in the feet. He doesn¡¯t do dates, not after Natalie. Moreover, the woman already rejected him, why was he still simping after her? But when she turned to him with that huge surprised brown eyes that looked like melted coffee, he knew there was no going back.

    ¡°Go on a date with me. You only heard people¡¯s vision of me but you haven¡¯t given your review of me yet. I might be a monster, but I still have a soft spot inside of me. Aren¡¯t you curious at all to see that version of me?¡±

    Angelica folded her arms across her chest. She said,¡± So in one word, you are going to give me a filtered version of yourself. ¡± She smiled sweetly, ¡± No thanks. ¡±

    She turned again only for Daniel to reach out and grab her, ¡°Please?¡± He didn¡¯t even know when the words left his mouth.

    Dear God, this is the lowest that he has ever gone. Thankfully, neither his son, Marcel nor any of the Luciano family was here to view this moment. He wouldn¡¯t have the courage to go through with it if they were present ¨C he had a reputation to preserve.

    ¡°Fine, a date then,¡± Angelica agreed after a moment of hesitation. But she said immediately, ¡°However, I¡¯ll be the one picking up the location.¡±

    Don¡¯t trust her, this is a trap, his instinct warned him but Daniel said to her, ¡°Deal.¡± He was not used to trusting people, especially women. This was the first time that Daniel was working on his love life after the challenge from Natalie. Yes, he took her words as a challenge. He would prove to his first love that she waspletely wrong.

    ¡°See you then, Angelica,¡± Daniel pressed a kiss to her cheeks surprising her. She thought he would aim for the lips ¨C which was a bit disappointing. Oh, stop it, she chided her inner chatter. At least, he was trying to be a gentleman.

    Daniel made sure that Angelica drove off before him. He was merely keeping out an eye since he could never be too careful. There were always enemies hiding in the shadows and with his long list, he was even beginning to wonder if it was wise to chase the woman.

    Daniel has done well over the years because he had nothing to lose. Marcel was the only person he cared about aside from his sister, Carmine, and his enemies couldn¡¯t touch them because they could take care of themselves. But Angelica was too weak.

    Jesus Christ, what has he gotten himself into? He shouldn¡¯t have considered this, but then, he was no bastard either that would go back on his words. He was not Benjamin. Daniel battled inwardly.

    Fine, he would keep an eye on her. No one under his watch would get hurt and he was going on that date. To be honest, he was excited, no, more than excited to know what she had in store for him. No woman had intrigued him like this after Natalie, until her.

    Hello, date.

 Chapter 829 - 829 Move In With Her Daughter

    829 Move In With Her Daughter

    It was getting worse every day, Adele realized as she leaned over the toilet seat, hurling. She merely came to work when one of the men passed her by and God knows, she had no idea if the man got straight from the gym, or if he took his bath that morning at all, but the instant she caught his odor, a series of flip-ups began in her stomach.

    Yeah, it was a violent dance in her stomach and it was a wonder how she was able topose herself until she came into the privacy of her office, and here she was. These days even the smallest scent could trigger her nausea, especially a male¡¯s.

    Adele didn¡¯t know if this was a ploy by the children to keep her off men ¨C not that she had any space for any man in her life at the moment, not even their father ¨C but whatever it was, all she could say was that it was working. The scent of most men upset her and Adele was not happy with such hormonal changes since the majority of people she worked and associated with were men.

    Adele had no idea how long she could keep this a secret. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if her subordinates were beginning to suspect her ¨C her emotional outburst, her unusual forgetfulness, the long breaks, and a lot more. However, she might be overthinking things since she was working with dumb men. But then, she had to be a lot more careful.

    As usual, she sat down on the toilet floor, leaning against the wall with her head thrown back. She was exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. She couldn¡¯t even think anymore. The weight on her was heavy, suffocating even!

    At one point, Adele even questioned why she had to go through this. It would be risky to get rid of all the kids, but she would be free. However, would it be worth it? She might not even survive it thanks toplications and the thought of ending, not just one, but all four kids didn¡¯t sit well with her.

    Honestly speaking, she was tempted to call Elijah. It was right that he shared her pain, not that he would experience the pregnancy symptoms and all. But then, the thoughts of him being worried for, if not her, but the safety of the babies would bring a sense of satisfaction to her. Since he doesn¡¯t love her, he should love his children.

    But now she couldn¡¯t tell Elijah even if she wanted to, she had a deal with Daniel. Adele sighed, rubbing her cold mmy hands down her face. Marcel would be mad at her once he hears this. But then, she needed this. She deserves it. His father, Daniel knows she¡¯s the only one keeping their greedy rtives froming close to iming his son¡¯s position and would do everything to keep her there.

    Marcel¡¯s idea was good, but Adele didn¡¯t want to go far away. Why should she leave and go give birth to her babies in secret? All because she was a woman and got pregnant? She was only going through a natural process, how does that make her incapable? The rules were unfair.

    .....

    She worked hard for this and wouldn¡¯t let any person ¨C especially from her family ¨C reap the fruit of her hard work, even if it involved making a deal with Daniel. Hence Marcel can be mad all he wants but he was a male and the ¡°chosen one¡±. He already had it easy unlike her. She was merely securing her ce.

    A knock on the door woke Adele from her reverie and she quickly rinsed her mouth and washed her face before going to answer the door. She already expected it to be her assistant, the woman was the only one aside from the others who knew about her pregnancy and she trusted her to keep it a secret.

    Surprisingly, it was her mother and Angelica let herself in because her daughter stood at the door without moving.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Adele asked her when she finally recovered.

    ¡°Can¡¯t a mother visit her daughter at her workce and why is it so hard to get a hold of you? You work at so many ces?¡± She grumbled, setting a lunch box on her desk.

    ¡°I¡¯m Marcel¡¯s underboss and handle his businesses. I have so many grounds to cover and what is this?¡± Adele asked, hesitantly walking over to her desk. She was cautious not to have her nausea triggered again.

    ¡°I have been making a lot of research about your pregnancy and I got rmended to a doctor. It¡¯s been years since I gave birth to you, so I don¡¯t know much anymore. I asked around and you need this¡­.¡± She reached into her purse and brought out a vitamin bottle, saying, ¡°This is A prenatal vitamin that you need to help with the morning sickness.¡±

    ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re a lifesaver,¡± The words slipped from Adele¡¯s mouth before she could stop them. She didn¡¯t know when she began to lean on the woman, but her mother was proving to be a better person day by day.

    To be honest, Adele regretted not reaching out to her before this. But then, it wasn¡¯t toote to get to know each other more and spend time as mother and mother. The downside was that she came to her with problems in the name of quadruplets.

    ¡°You have been having morning sickness?¡± Angelica was not surprised, taking a seat in front of the desk.

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Adele twisted the container and poured out two pills into her palm.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take that without food¡­.¡± She was still saying but her daughter Adele swallowed it down her throat with the half-filled water bottle that had been on her desk before she arrived.

    Angelica clicked her tongue, ¡°You never listen, do you?¡±

    ¡°Before I eat and after I eat, what¡¯s the difference when they would still get digested in my stomach?¡± She argued.

    Angelica looked at her and shook her head in sympathy, ¡± Your children are lucky to have a caring grandmother like me, else I can already imagine their fate with you. Perhaps, you should take a break from work and concentrate on ¨C ¡±

    ¡°What food did you prepare?¡± Adele intentionally cut her off, focusing on the lunch box instead.

    Angelica recognized this was her tactic to end the conversation and didn¡¯t pursue the issue further.

    She said to her instead, ¡°ording to the doctor, to help relieve morning sickness, you should select foods that are high in protein, low in fat, and easy to digest. So you should avoid greasy, spicy, and fatty foods. So I made you rice, it¡¯s nd and shouldn¡¯t cause you any problem. ¡±

    God must be on her side because as soon as she smelled the vor of the rice, her appetite was stirred and she began to gobble it as if she hadn¡¯t eaten in centuries.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Angelica cautioned her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Adele confessed in between mouthfuls of rice, ¡°They¡¯re so picky with food and this is the best thing that I have tasted in a while.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Angelica sighed, ¡°This isn¡¯t good. Perhaps, I should move in with you and I can cook good food, as well as take care of you until the pregnancy is due.¡±

    Adele lifted her face, stunned by the request. ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll be so happy, you don¡¯t know how bored I am these days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it then,¡± Adele said. There were a lot of things to consider if her mother was to move in with her, but if she were, to be honest, Adele needed someone by her side desperately.

    Angelica¡¯s expression lit up at the thought of her daughter even considering the thought of them living together. She was going to make up for the time lost between them.

    Suddenly it crossed her mind, ¡°Also¡­.¡± Angelica brought the issue up, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s high time that we inform the baby¡¯s father that -¡± The woman didn¡¯t get to finish the rest of herment because Adele cut her off with a re and she swallowed the rest of her words down her throat.

    Jesus Christ, the girl was so scary!

    But then, for how long can her dumb daughter keep the pregnancy a secret from the father? Pregnancies like hers can¡¯t be kept a secret even if she wanted to. She was having quadruplets for crying out loud.

    Angelica had a lot of things to say to her but she had to awkwardly clear her throat and mind her business. The both of them were beginning to get along and she didn¡¯t want anything to ruin it. Adele wouldn¡¯t mind cutting her again, the girl could be cold-blooded when she wanted to be. She must have inherited it from her father¡¯s side of the family. So annoying.

    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Adele said atst after minutes of tense silence. When would her mother understand that talks involving Elijah was off-limits.

    But then, something else hit her.

    Angelica was in the middle of arranging the sk when Adele asked her,

    ¡°By chance, did Daniel contact you?¡±

    She froze.

 Chapter 830 - 830 Stay Away From Trouble

    830 Stay Away From Trouble

    There was no way Adele missed out on that reaction, not with her hawk-like gaze watching her mother slowly. She might not know her Angelica too well, but she knew bodynguage and that reaction said it all.

    She shot her a look, ¡°So you did meet him.¡±

    Angelica blinked, ¡°Kind of.¡±

    ¡°Kind of?¡± Adele pointed out. A visit from Daniel can never be ¡°Kind of¡±. Even as strong-willed as she was, Daniel still scares the daylight out of her, not to talk of her weak, sometimes dumb, ignorant mother.

    ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Adele already had a feeling it was about her and it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if Daniel threatened her mother too. It was his modus operandi.

    Angelica wanted to wave aside the question but the steely look in her daughter¡¯s eyes dared her not to. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder who was supposed to have more authority here. She was her mother for crying out loud, and yet Angelica still found herself answering,

    ¡°He met up with me, more like had his men escort me to the shop which was an open space¡± She was trying to assure her daughter that she wasn¡¯t threatened, ¡°Daniel talked about a lof of things, but then, he was strangely curious about you. ¡±

    Her mother leaned closer to whisper, as if someone was going to eavesdrop on their conversation even though it was merely the both of them present in her office, ¡°I think he¡¯s beginning to suspect that you¡¯re pregnant.¡±

    Of course, there was no way Daniel would have known about her pregnancy except her mother gave it away, not that she knows. Daniel was smart and cunning and the fact he met up with her mother means he saw her as an easy target. Her mother Angelica might not have said yes, but Daniel didn¡¯t need a response when he could easily read her bodynguage.

    .....

    ¡°Daniel, huh?¡± Adele pointed out the way she called him and her mother gave her a shrug.

    Usually, when people called the name ¡°Daniel Luciano¡± She could always notice the fear, disgust, or anger in their tone. But with her mother, it sounded casual, as if she was merely referring to a friend and Adele didn¡¯t like it.

    Daniel fucks people and she should detest him, not even hold a trace of sympathy for him. Adele can¡¯t have her mother associating or even involving herself with him. It was too risky. Daniel has no heart and would not mind harming her just to get what he wanted. He was a poison everyone avoided.

    ¡°I want you to stay as far away as possible from Daniel. If he happens toe back and wants to see you for any reason whatsoever, I want you to call me on the phone right away and I¡¯ll straighten things out with him.¡± Adele told her seriously.

    ¡°How would you straighten things with him?¡±

    Adele swallowed down, how was she going to tell her mother she had a deal with him? For that reason, Daniel can¡¯ty a hand on her. She can take advantage of the deal between them and convince Daniel not toe close to her mother. Not to talk of harming her.

    ¡°I have my ways,¡± Adele said to her, ¡°Moreover, you know nothing about our world, but I can handle everything myself.¡±

    But Angelica argued, ¡°I might not be a part of your world, but I¡¯m your mother and should be the one making such bold derations. It¡¯s my duty to protect you, Adele.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no longer a kid, and the whole thing is greater than you, mama. So please, just take my advice and stay the hell away from Daniel. That man is bad news and anyone that gets close to him always gets hurt if he doesn¡¯t hurt them himself.¡±

    Honestly speaking, Adele was relieved that her mother was the least interested in Daniel ¨C that would be a disaster and her worst nightmare. She was still in love with her father Benjamin, and couldn¡¯t possibly be interested in that psychopath, Daniel.

    Angelica pursed her lips, fiddling with her palms and swinging her feet beneath the table. How was she going to tell this stubborn daughter of hers that she already agreed to a date with Daniel? No, she couldn¡¯t see Adele agreeing to it, the girl would give her an earful and possibly find ways to stop her from attending.

    She couldn¡¯t cancel either. What if Daniel now gets furious and murders her in her sleep tonight? All in all, she couldn¡¯t cancel the date. Moreover, this was her decision as well. People were so scared of that man, and she wanted to know why. While everyone else thought this was a mistake, Angelica saw it as a rare chance to view the inside life of a perceived monster.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stay away from him and keep you informed if hees near me again.¡± Angelica lied through her teeth. She was an adult and can¡¯t have her daughter telling her what to do with her life. She would take responsibility for her actions.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Adele said all of a sudden, ¡°And I¡¯m not just thanking you for bringing me home, but for everything you have done for me.¡±

    ¡°Stop being so modest, I¡¯m your mother and it¡¯s my responsibility to help my daughter out when she needs me. You¡¯re making me embarrassed.¡± Sheughed it off, a blush creeping up her shock. Although Angelica didn¡¯t take it seriously, hearing her daughter¡¯spliment still meant a lot to her. She didn¡¯t take her efforts for granted.

    ¡°Thank you, nheless.¡± Adele insisted.

    The both of them stared at each other and Angelica smiled at her, ¡°If you say so then.¡± And then her eyes fell on her wristwatch, and she found out that she had a lot to do before the date with Daniel tonight.

    She cleared her throat, ¡°I think this is the point where I leave.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Adele stood to her feet with her.

    ¡°Take breaks in between your work, you¡¯re a pregnant woman now, remember that. Also¡­¡± She added, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to move in with you, I don¡¯t mind. I can still send your meals without living with you. You¡¯re a grown ass woman that I¡¯m proud of and totally understand your need for privacy.¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll think about it. I haven¡¯t concluded yet, mama. Fingers crossed.¡±

    Mama? Angelica liked the sound of that.

    ¡°Fine then, have a nice day at work, Adele.¡±

    ¡°You too, have a nice day, and stay away from trouble.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± She said, even though it wasn¡¯t a promise.

 Chapter 831 - 831 A Lioness For Samson

    831 A Lioness For Samson

    Marcel felt like a train wreck when he finally woke up. And did he forget to mention that he was alsote to go see his cousin Victor in the hospital; it was nearly eleven in the morning. Hence, the first thing he did was to pick up his phone and call Arianna to know how Victor was doing. Or he tried to because she called him right at that moment.

    Hello¡­¡± Marcel answered hoping that his voice didn¡¯t betray him. He should be at the hospital by now.

    ¡°How¡¯s Victor?¡± He asked in concern, hoping to God he wasn¡¯t about to go ry bad news to his aunt, Carmine. What was he going to tell her? That her son died on a mission that he sent him? The woman understood the risk that came with their upation, but still, it was going to be heartbreaking.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake,¡± Arianna announced.

    Marcel let out the breath that he had been holding in.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± He wanted to confirm.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Thank God,¡± Marcel let out a long deep sigh. So no bad news then. However, it crossed his mind that the only reason he had been able to sleep this soundly was that Arianna kept watch over Victor and so he asked her,

    ¡°Thank you for taking care of him, love. How are you doing?¡±

    .....

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arianna said to him, and just when he was about to appreciate her for all of her effortsst night, he heard,

    ¡°I just saw your father,¡±

    Dang!

    His silence was a knee-jerk reaction as it took Marcel over a minute to digest what he just heard, and when he finally spoke a word, he asked,

    ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±

    While other men would be excited that their father took out time to visit the woman they were interested in and get to know her, the same couldn¡¯t be said for Marcel. He would rather his father not see Arianna till the day he died. Yeah, he didn¡¯t want his unappreciated interruption in his rtionship.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t, but he mentioned something strange.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    And just like that, Arianna narrated their entire conversation to him and Marcel pinched the space between his brows as he sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Arianna insisted, and it wasn¡¯t surprising. Moreover, it was a critical issue. If Daniel already found out that he lied to her and assumed that she was not pregnant, then Daniel¡¯s next stop would be at his ce. His father doesn¡¯t appreciate people making a fool out of him.

    Left with no choice he narrated the event to her, saying in the end, ¡°He was bound to find out one way or another that I fooled him. However, he can¡¯t know that you¡¯re pregnant for real. Keep the news from everyone for now.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Arianna said but he could sense the hesitation in her voice. Marcel knew that he was asking a lot by telling her to keep her pregnancy a secret, but this was not the time. He needed to figure out his father¡¯s shit as well. One time, he¡¯s against he and Arianna, and the next, he¡¯s rushing them into a rtionship. Something smells fishy.

    ¡± I want ¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Marcel, but I have to go. See youter. Love you.¡± Arianna ended the call before he was through with his words.

    Marcel exhaled loudly, she must be busy or something. He turned and nearly suffered a heart attack.

    ¡°Dude!¡± He called out to Samson, the lion who must have been standing at the side of his bed all this while without making a sound and staring intently at him or so he thought. Marcel nced down at his phone and figured it out.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her.¡± He confirmed what he was thinking. Who said animals were not intelligent?

    ¡°However,¡± Marcel added in disappointment, ¡°She¡¯s noting home yet.¡±

    Samson made a rumble deep in his throat, but that didn¡¯t stop Marcel from reaching for him, saying, ¡°I know you miss her buddy, I miss her too.¡±

    Marcel intended to embrace andfort him, however, Samson turned at thest minute, swiping his tail in his face instead, and pawed away leaving a stunned Marcel in his wake.

    ¡°That proud, cocky bastard!¡± Marcel hissed through gritted teeth. Who even let him out of his den?

    These days Samson was being so temperamental that one would think that he was having his period. What if he¡¯s in heat season? Would he have to go find Samson a lioness that Victor would probably name Delh? His cousin had once joked about it.

    But then, Marcel wondered where he would go find a lioness that the bastard would probably knock up and deliver numerous lion cubs that would litter hispound. Not to mention that mother lionesses are much more fearsome. He didn¡¯t have the time to go tame another creature, not to mention the cubs.

    No, no, no, the thought of it brought a headache to Marcel. At the moment his problems were choking him, add a lioness to it and he would drown. Not to mention that females were too much trouble. He would have to find a way to make Ariannae down here and appease the angry lion.

    A groan left Marcel¡¯s lips the instant he tried to stand up to his feet. Arianna had not been kidding when she said he needed bed rest. His ribs hurt and the breath was knocked out of his lungs. Marcel was tempted to return to his bed, but he couldn¡¯t, there were just so many things he had to do.

    For starters, Daniel would undoubtedlye to his ce to blow off some steam and y the victim in his twisted game. Then, he had Winters to deal with for running away without even calling for once plus the aftermath of yesterday¡¯s disaster. So yeah, he was not given the option of bed rest.

    Standing was impossible, the pain was piercing, hence he reached for the nightstand, albeit with difficulty, and pulled out one of the drawer, taking for the pain relievers that was given to him by the doctorst night. Marcel drank over the rmended dose by one pill, he needed a quick effect.

    ¡°Only ten minutes,¡± Marcel said to himself as heid back on the bed for a short rest.

    But he woke up hourster instead.

 Chapter 832 - 832 Call For BackUp

    832 Call For BackUp

    ¡°On a scale of one to ten, how mad do you think Marcel would be at me?¡± Winters asked Chloe. Perhaps, it might be because the both of them were young, but they seem to get along and were close like sisters since they met.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re talking about my brother¡­.¡± Chloe thought over it, tapping her chin in an innocent gesture while Winters looked at her with great anticipation.

    Winters was scared of Marcel, not after the way she ran off with Akim without dropping as much as a call to him. The both of them did not have the time to talkst night because he sent her away with his men after saving her ass. But the conversation was inevitable today, the both of them were going to talk and Winters wasn¡¯t sure she was ready to face him.

    If only Arianna was around, then she would take shield behind her. Sadly, Winters was on her own. Hence, one could imagine the way her face fell when Chloe, whom she put so much faith in said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± She was wide-eyed, ¡°What do you mean by you don¡¯t know? I mean, you said it yourself, you know your brother the most. Just give me something, Chloe, my heart has been pounding non-stop since I woke.¡± She was close to grabbing her feet and begging her even though she was much older.

    This was a critical situation. Someone should help her! Winters cried inwardly.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean, my brother is unpredictable, so I can¡¯t tell what to expect. However, the only thing I can tell you is if he yells and scolds you, then ept that in good faith. It¡¯s kind of a blessingpared to when he gives you the silent treatment. Marcel is really petty and could bear a grudge for days, months even. And trust me when I say he¡¯d surely get even with you in the end. Payback is his thing.¡±

    She was finished, Winters buried her face in her palm with a loud groan. What was she going to do? Was Marcel giving her the silent treatment? Was that why he wasn¡¯t downstairs yet? It was almost afternoon and way past his waking time already.

    Should she go upstairs and start begging for his forgiveness already? No, that was a bad idea because Marcel hated anyone interrupting his sleep, especially not her. She was unfortunately not in his good grace at the moment. Ugh! There were a lot of activities going on in Winter¡¯s head.

    .....

    Suddenly, there was amotion outside and both of their attention was drawn in that direction.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there an attack?!¡± Chloe went white in the face. She hated the sight of blood and gore. She witnessed a hit once in the base as a child and she was nearly traumatized by the incident and wouldn¡¯t want to experience such again.

    This was why she preferred Spencer¡¯s residence, it was always peaceful unlike here and she could go anywhere she wanted without anyone trailing her in the shadows for safety¡¯s sake.

    Winters slowly stood up, and stretching her neck while looking out, said,

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± There should be the sound of gunshots if there was an attack and someone should havee to rm them. Moreover, who in their right mind would attack them in broad daylight? Those attacks were very convenient at night.

    ¡°Then what is¡­..¡± Chloe trailed off when an unfamiliar man ran into the house, looking around frantically with his disheveled appearance from the scuffle outside and she would have screamed in fright only to hear Winters call his name.

    ¡°A-akim?¡±

    What in the name of an unexpected scenario is going on here? Winters had never thought in her wildest imagination that her royal-ass boyfriend would fight his way into Marcel¡¯s ce. It was startling and romantic. Aww, she has never had a guy fight for her like this.

    ¡°Winters.¡± Akim was practically panting by the time he strode over to her and pulled her into his tight embrace. ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re safe,¡± He breathed, the air tickling her neck.

    From over his shoulder, Winters watched the two soldiers on duty who Akim bravely fought to gain ess here ¨C and she was so touched by the gesture. So she gestured to them and they reluctantly left them alone, returning to their position outside.

    ¡°Akim¡­¡± He was almost squeezing her lungs and Winters needed to breathe. As if sensing her difort, he pulled away and took a good look at her.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t hurt you, did they?¡± He asked, looking at her closely as if inspecting for hidden wounds.

    ¡°Well, Richardo pped me a lot and threatened to cut off my fingers,¡± She of course, didn¡¯t say that outloud knowing that was only going to send him into a full-blown panic

    ¡°Aside from my bruised ego, I¡¯m fine.¡± She said to him instead, with a smile and he hugged her once more in relief. Although he was gentler this time in the way he handled her..

    When they broke contact, she was about to say, ¡°Also, this is Marcel¡¯s younger sister¡­.¡± But those words never left her mouth because Akim¡¯s lips were on hers and he kissed her.

    ¡°Oh-oh,¡± Chloe was stunned when the scene yed out right in front of her and she turned the other way, going red in the face. In the next few seconds, she stole a peek at them ¨C for educational sake, nothing else.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Winters was surprised to feel his lips on hers but soon she rxed into the kiss and responded, her lips perfectly molding against his.

    It wasn¡¯t until she felt a slight tug on her clothes from an external force that she realized that they have been kidding for a while without air and they broke apart with knowing smiles on their faces.

    ¡°I missed you,¡± Akim said, running his hand through her hair. He was so grateful nothing happened to her.

    ¡°I missed you too.¡± Winters finished saying only to feel another tug on her clothes and she looked at her side to realize that it was no one else but Chloe.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Was Chloe annoyed because she didn¡¯t introduce her boyfriend before they started smooching? Not that, she intended to go straight into that, you know. It just took her by surprise. Akim took her by surprise.

    Chloe didn¡¯t say a word, rather she tilted her head in forward and Winters followed her line of sight only for the blood to drain from her face. Oh no.

    It was Marcel. And he looked as startled as she was, his feet stuck to the ground, clearly never expecting that this was the scene that would wee when he finally came downstairs. Dear God, kill her now.

    Akim noticed the tension in the room and turned as well to notice Marcel and he swallowed nervously. Truth be told, when he stepped out on this journey, he was determined to stand up to Marcel and prove his feelings for Winters.

    But now that he saw Marcel bare-chested with the stack of raw muscles and tattoos running down his arms and over his back and peeking out over his shoulder, Akim was a hundred percent sure that even with his royal defense ss, he could never defeat this man. Marcel would beat the crap out of him. He was a childpared to him ¨C although he would try his best to survive. The fate of his kingdom depended on him.

    ¡°Sir¡­.¡± was the word that left Akim¡¯s mouth especially when he saw the deep frown set on his face. With his stance, Marcel looked like a lion who was mad that someone trespassed into his territory. Or perhaps, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and he ¨C Akim ¨C didn¡¯t want to offend him.

    So he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now¡­.¡±

    ¡°Akim?...¡± Winters looked at him with a longing expression before turning her pleading gaze on Marcel.

    ¡°Hell no!¡± Marcel grunted and turned the same way he came from. He didn¡¯t just painfully drag his body off the bed only toe to deal with teenage love. Could his day get any worse?

    At least, it seems his father spared him the confrontation, which was new. However, he was returning to bed. Marcel swore to God he would lose his mind dealing with Winters and Akim right now.

    He had a lot to say to Winters, but not when he could hardly breathe without wincing. Everything hurt like a mother fucking bitch and the pain made him grumpy. Extremely grumpy.

    ¡°Marcel¡­.¡± Winters tried to go after him, but Chloe grabbed her arm and shook her head as a warning. This was not the time.

    ¡°Then what do you want me to do then?¡± Winters ran her hands through her hair. Marcel was the only thing she had close to a family and couldn¡¯t lose him all because of a stupid mistake.

    ¡°Call for backup?¡± Chloe suggested.

    ¡°Backup?¡± Winters was confused.

    But Chloe made her fingers meet suggestively with a frivolous smirk at the corner of her lips.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Winters was able to connect the dots.

    That kind of help?

 Chapter 833 - 833 Too Much Information

    833 Too Much Information

    [¡°I¡¯m sorry but our conversation would have to be shifted to another time, an emergency came up at the hospital. Do not wait for me, go to bed. I love you. ]

    Arianna sighed in relief when that message came to her and it was from Natalie. She had been unable to rx, having a hint her mother was going to confront her about the rumored pregnancy tonight. She didn¡¯t want to lie to her, but Marcel was right, it was the best option to keep this a secret at the moment. There were too many things going on.

    [Fine, we can always have the conversationter. Love you too] Arianna responded to the message.

    Tonight was going to be a boring night. With Mimi taking care of Victor, she didn¡¯t want to bother her and Ezra was probably going to stick by her side like a goddamn sidekick ¨C so annoying. Her step-sister Rose would have made nicepany, but the girl was too inquisitive and asked questions that were quite beyond her age.

    As for Elijah, she does not see him around much these days and though he had his own ce, he usually used to visit them a lot but he stopped recently. It was almost as if he crawled into a hole and didn¡¯t want toe out. Arianna didn¡¯t bother him as well knowing that his solitude was probably rted to Adele.

    As much as Arianna was an enthusiastic advocate for true love, what Elijah did to Adele was unforgivable. He yed her for a fool and Arianna understood Adele¡¯s anger towards him and the guilt he ¨C Elijah ¨C was feeling as well.

    It was like when she betrayed Marcel, although she technically didn¡¯t betray him and had merely kept Elijah¡¯s identity from him because she didn¡¯t want the both of them to kill each other. Well, whatever.

    The point is, Elijah was going to have to work hard in gaining Adele¡¯s favor back if he was truly in love with her. He can¡¯t keep on wallowing in self-pity. Regret has never helped anyone move forward. She was only going to help him gain Adele¡¯s trust back when he ¨C Elijah ¨C takes the first step by reconciling with her.

    With no other option left, Arianna was already contemting calling Marcel to know how he was doing. She felt bad cutting the call abruptly on him that morning, but her mother¡¯s message had been pretty startling.

    .....

    Arianna received a call from an unknown number instead and that set her brows in a frown. Not many people knew about this number because Marcel got it for her. Nheless, she picked up the call, her heart pounding as she had a nauseous feeling that it might be Richardo calling to threaten her.

    ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± She asked, waiting in anticipation for a message.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± Someone wailed into her ears and she had to pull the phone away, startled.

    With a deep frown, Arianna stared at the screen again to discover that it was an unknown number. But then, whoever just called knew her personally and the voice sounded oddly familiar. Arianna just couldn¡¯t detect where she heard that voice. It sounded like someone she knew and it was frustrating because the truth was right at her fingertips. She just couldn¡¯t pinpoint it.

    So she ced the phone back on her ear and said again, ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Arianna, you have to save me from Marcel.¡±

    And that was it. It hit like a hammer to the head.

    ¡°Winters?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Arianna chuckled, ¡°What a surprise and what in the name of the lord are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Marcel! He¡¯s giving me the silent treatment and Chloe says it¡¯s the worst form of punishment. What am I going to do? I didn¡¯t mean to keep him in the dark but I didn¡¯t know if he was working with Nius Spencer and they wanted to take Akim away. It¡¯s selfish of me but I wanted to spend more time together with Akim¡­!¡± She said all in one word.

    ¡°Alright, slow down. Take a deep breath, honey.¡± She told her.

    ¡°You have toe here Arianna and plead my case for me. Do your charm or whatever you do. You¡¯re the only person he listens to anyway.¡± She begged him.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be there,¡± Arianna promised her without thinking much, only to realize the implication of what she just did, but it was toote.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting then and thank you so much. Muah!¡± Winters hung up before Arianna could tell her she was not exactly permitted to go over to Marcel¡¯s ce until the conflict between both families had been officially approved.

    ¡°What have you done now, Arianna?¡± She groaned, throwing herself on the bed and tossing around. Fine! She sat up. Arianna knew she had to do something first.

    Eric was a cool person and she was sure that he wouldn¡¯t mind her going to Marcel¡¯s ce, but the problem was her mother. If anyone had told Arianna years back that there woulde a time when she would have to take permission from the mother she thought dead to go see her boyfriend, she would never believe it. Totally Unbelievable.

    With her heart beating fast, she typed to her mother.

    [Something came up, I need to spend the night at Marcel¡¯s ce.] She added, [Just so you know, I¡¯m going even if you say no, I just thought to inform you as my mother and the fact that I¡¯m currently under your roof]

    Arianna sent it and waited, tapping her feet restlessly against the floor.

    Almost immediately, a reply from her mother came through.

    [A night only, be back tomorrow. Use protection.]

    Arianna nearly choked on her saliva. Does the woman think her daughter was so horny she would only go to her boyfriend¡¯s ce for sex? Do mothers embarrass their daughters like this or was it only her?

    She typed back,

    [ Just so you know, Marcel has bruised ribs, and can¡¯t perform under such conditions. Have a little faith in your daughter.]

    Natalie must have her phone in hand because a response came instantly,

    [Of course, I trust my daughter, but it¡¯s her hormones and Marcel that I don¡¯t trust. Men are like animals and they would surely find a way to stick it in no matter the circumstance.]

    Alright, too much information! Arianna gave up.

 Chapter 834 - 834 Kiss It Better

    834 Kiss It Better

    Marcel was in pain and he was all alone. He didn¡¯t know which of the two was more annoying. This was not the first time that he had been caught in a shootout and suffered a bullet wound. He used to manage the pain better but for some strange reason, he was very annoyed and grumpy today. He wanted someone by his side to take care of him. Wasn¡¯t he a patient too?

    Unfortunately, the nurse he wanted was far away and he couldn¡¯t ask her toe to his ce even if he wanted her to. Why was love so hard? The movies and books were all a lie! Marcel thought when you love someone, things be easier and smoother. But now, it seems he and Arianna face the greatest persecution from both of their families.

    Marcel moaned once more on the bed. He wanted Arianna. It was so painful. Why must he pretend to be so tough? He wasn¡¯t superman, he was human. Marcel wanted some tender, loving care. Call him a child for throwing such a fuss, he doesn¡¯t care. He wanted Arianna!

    God, what has he done? Marcel feared he must have conjured Arianna from his imagination when someone walked into his room. He hadn¡¯t even heard the door to the living room open. Maybe he was slowly losing his mind from missing her too much.

    So he watched her intently, his heated gaze never leaving her not even for a sec until she came to sit on the edge of his bed with a smile.

    ¡°Wow, I can even feel the dip in the bed, this imagination of mine must be topnotch. Kind of like a 7D hologram technology.¡± He mused.

    Arianna frowned, what was this idiot rambling about?

    ¡°You¡¯re even frowning?¡± He noticed, ¡°It almost seems real.¡±

    ¡°By chance, are you having a fever?¡± Arianna had no choice but to feel his forehead and it was cool to the touch.

    .....

    ¡°Your hands¡­.¡± His brows twitched, ¡°It feels fleshy, warm, and real.¡± His curious gaze took her in, was she really here? Like here?!

    ¡°Jesus Christ, stop scaring me, Marcel!¡± She hit Marcel on the chest with the back of her hand, forgetting that he was injured.

    ¡°Oof!¡± He felt like the air was knocked out of his lungs as he doubled over in pain. Even the action of bending alone sent twice the pain coursing through him.

    ¡°Oh my God, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes were filled with horror when she realized what she just did. Was she trying to kill him or what?

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± She continuously apologized as Marcel coughed before gently pulling him back to the bed, making sure that he was seated upright. If only he hadn¡¯t scared her with his unintelligent numbering.

    ¡°You¡¯re real,¡± Marcel said.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry,¡± She answered.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s your presence that matters.¡± He added, ¡°But then, if you want to make it up to me, just kiss it better.¡±

    ¡°You mean your chest?¡±

    ¡°I mean my lips.¡±

    Arianna lifted a brow, she could see where this was headed.

    ¡°Your lips are not injured. Usually, we kiss the injured area to make it better.¡± She told him

    ¡°ording to science, the lips have more than a million different nerve endings, making it one of the most sensitive parts of our body. In one word, I think your generosity would be much more expressed on my lips.¡±.

    Arianna stared at Marcel, dumbfounded. Then she snorted augh. His shamelessness was unrivaled. She then climbed onto his bed, lying on her side with her arm propping her head. Marcel then turned to his side as well to face her, but she heard the hiss that left his lips from the action even though he tried to hide it.

    She continued, ¡°Since you are so versed in human anatomy, why don¡¯t you tell me about the brain?¡±

    Marcel smiled smugly as if he knew the answer to her question and Arianna couldn¡¯t wait to hear about it.

    ¡°The brain is the mostplex, detailed part of the body¡­.¡± Marcel trailed off, smiling at her.

    Why was he looking at her that way? He hadn¡¯t even finished answering her question.

    ¡°Go on,¡± Arianna was interested in this conversation and wanted to hear the rest of his answer.

    ¡°It is the source of all the qualities that define our humanity and right now, it¡¯s showing me a picturesque scene of you kissing my lips.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s jaw hung open and when she finally closed them,ughter escaped through her lips.

    ¡°You never give up, do you?¡± He was so hrious

    ¡°Not as long as I remember,¡± Marcel answered, looking into her eyes with anticipation.

    ¡°Fine,e here, you big, naughty boy.¡± She moved closer to him instead, careful not to hit him on his injured area.

    Arianna pushed herself up on her arms and then leaning over him, she took his face in her palm. Lowering her head, she brushed her lips across his instead and Marcel muttered with his eyes closed, ¡°No teasing Arianna, kiss it better.¡±

    And then, her lips were on his, firmly, softer, and better. Marcel wouldn¡¯t mind having bed rest for the rest of the week if it means that he was going to receive this tender loving treatment.

    Arianna was so considerate of his condition that she practically did all the work herself. Tangling her hand into his hair and massaging his scalp while her tongue gained entrance into his mouth and touched his. Marcel was tempted to grab her waist and ce her on his scotch, feeling the globe of her ass rubbing her against him. But all of that was impossible until he recovered.

    But no matter how careful Arianna was, they were locked in passion and he moved in a way that drew a groan from his lips and it wasn¡¯t from pleasure.

    Arianna drew back and looked at him, asking, ¡°When did you take your painkillers?¡±

    ¡°A while?¡±

    His stomach grumbled.

    ¡°What did you eat?¡±

    Marcel swallowed nervously, ¡°Nothing?¡±

    Her eyes shed.

    _______

    Hi guys, I made sure to publish the chapter before adding this so the cost is not added and the announcement page is too small for this. Anyway, I have a little question: What genre would you guys prefer I write next after this book ends.

    1) Fantasy

    2) Contemporary romance

    3) Or a sequel to ¡°Taken By The Mafia Lord¡± and it revolves around Marcel and Arianna¡¯s daughter.

    And if fantasy is what you choose, let me give you a little preview on what I¡¯m working on.

    Fantasy :

    All Angelica wanted was a fairy tale love, just like Cindere. She always knew deep down that she was not fated for her small vige. She wanted something beyond, a love so magical.

    But her mother warned her,

    ¡°Never cross over to thend of the faes¡±

    ¡°The faes are never to be trusted,¡±

    But she never listened.

    And when the summer prince saved her life and whisked her off her feet, it became a regr rendezvous. They would meet at the borderline of thend of the fae and humans and he would sing to the stars for her till they twinkled. She was in love.

    Until he came.

    Dark, broody, ruthless yet dangerously handsome, the dark prince of the winter court. He stole her away. Took eveything that she could have had with the summer prince.

    She hated him. Loathed him. She would destroy him. And he could take eveything that she has, but not her heart.

    Or would he?

    Note : there might be small changes to the plot when I¡¯m through, but at the moment, this is what I have in mind.

    I would really appreciate your response, thank you so much!

 Chapter 835 - 835 She Scald His Tongue On Purpose

    835 She Scald His Tongue On Purpose

    Whoever thought Marcel was better off without an adult¡¯s supervision, obviously thought wrong. Marcel was insufferable! How could he take those drugs without eating? And she didn¡¯t trust that hot-headed gangster to stick to prescription. Arianna has stayed long enough with Marcel to know that he never sticks to the rules. So annoying.

    ¡°Miss Arianna, perhaps if you can leave everything to me¡­.¡± said Beatrice, the housekeeper, who finally returned after her long leave. However, the cutting look from Arianna shut her up and she didn¡¯t bother her anymore.

    One needed not guess that Arianna was in a foul mood from the way she chopped the vegetables loudly, and with energy on the chopboard. She stomped across the kitchen to grab the ingredients she needed from the fridge, the irritation clearly written on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my negligence¡­¡± The woman said after a while when Arianna wouldn¡¯t talk to her, ¡°It¡¯s just that Marcel sometimes skips his meal and I had no idea that he was not feeling.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Beatrice,¡± It was all her boyfriend¡¯s fault, ¡°I am not mad at you, but at Marcel, and I would love it if you would let me express that through my cooking.¡± Arianna didn¡¯t want to transfer her aggression to the woman.

    ¡°If you say so then,¡± Beatrice looked at her, reluctantly leaving the kitchen when she found out that there was nothing she could do there. She was being a distraction to the youngdy ¨C and stopping her from expressing her anger.

    Arianna went about her cooking all alone until she sensed a presence and turned to see that it was Chloe and Winters. The girls were standing at the entrance of the kitchen unsure whether toe in or not.

    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t think of it,¡± Arianna warned her when she saw Chloe put a foot out. ¡°This is my kitchen, no distraction.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mad.¡± She said.

    .....

    ¡°At your brother, yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised, he¡¯s good at pissing people off and stubborn too.¡± Chloe pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, annoyingly stubborn.¡± Arianna concurred while adjusting the gas burner.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Chloe probed, ¡°Are you going to leave him? Because he pisses you off and is stubborn?¡±

    Arianna turned to look at the girl surprised. She asked her, ¡°What makes you think that?¡±

    ¡°Even good couples do break up sometimes and you said it yourself, my brother is infuriating.¡±

    Arianna raised a brow, ¡°Honey if I wanted to leave your brother, I had plenty of opportunities to do so in the past.¡± She walked over to where the girl stood and whispered to her hearing, ¡°He¡¯s not exactly my type. I think your brother actually charmed me into loving him.¡±

    Chloe chuckled and Ariannaughed with her too. She then reached out and ruffled the girl¡¯s hair, saying, ¡°The point is that a few bad qualities are not going to stop me from loving your brother. I¡¯m not innocent either, I have my bad attributes too, and can be impossible to convince. So I think we are a match made in heaven.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the most romantic thing that I have ever heard after seeing Akim sweep Winters off her feet with a mind-blowing kiss.¡±

    The instant Chloe said that, Arianna¡¯s gaze rested on Winters with a pointed look that said, ¡®What have you been teaching this kid?¡¯

    But Winters merely shrugged, no one said Chloe was innocent either. She had a boyfriend and knew things kids her age in this generation would.

    ¡°Speaking of Akim¡­.¡± Arianna started, ¡°I hope he¡¯s settled down properly?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s currently lying low in one of the guest¡¯s rooms, although, I would have to inform you that Marcel has no idea he¡¯s spending the night over. You should have seen the way Akim grew wide-eyed when he saw him, I have this feeling that Marcel warned him off me. ¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me, sometimes, Marcel can be protective to a fault.¡± Arianna let out a deep breath, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about a thing, leave it all to me. I¡¯ll handle Marcel, myself. You guys go rest up and we settle things in the morning. Marcel is in no condition to deal with any drama. He needs to have rest and I havee to make sure of that.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Winters was only able to rx after he heard that promise.

    Akim has been on the run again from his family and had no ce to go. They want to send him back to Lincolnshire ¨C and made sure their rtionship ended. Nius thought of her as bad luck and Winters has no idea what Akim¡¯s parents thought of her since they haven¡¯t met face to face. But she bet they must have heard the rumors and don¡¯t think highly of her either.

    Winters didn¡¯t me them though. Most people don¡¯t think much of her reputation and people who stayed with her always ended up hurt. Perhaps, it would be a good thing if they broke up. Come to think of it, both of them were from two different worlds and there was never a time she would have ended up anyway as his queen. They were young and there were plenty of times to fall in and out of love.

    Even at that, the thought of ending things with Akim sent a searing pain through her. It was as if someone stabbed her in the chest with a knife, twisted it and left it there for her to bleed out to death.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Arianna asked, noticing the way the girl went pale in the face.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m good,¡± Winters covered it up with a smile, ¡°I think I should check up on Akim.¡± She made up an excuse to leave before Arianna sensed something was up.

    Arianna in question stood at the spot, watching her retreating figure. Something was bothering Winters, she could tell.

    ¡°I think your soup is burning.¡± Chloe reminded her, pointing in the direction of the stove.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Arianna cursed and hurried over, turning off the gas. This is why you don¡¯t need a distraction while cooking. By the time she turned to the entrance, Chloe was gone as well. Wonderful, everyone leaves you during the bad time.

    Thankfully, her chicken soup didn¡¯t burn as much as she thought and the next minutes, Arianna went upstairs with the food on a tray. Marcel was on his phone typing when she came in.

    ¡°Phones away,¡± Shemanded him.

    ¡°Just give me ten minutes, love, this is work-rted and I would give you all of my attention afterward.¡±

    ¡°Is anyone dying?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No. Why do you -¡±

    ¡°Is there any sort of trouble?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I need -¡±

    ¡°Put the phone away, Marcel.¡± She said sternly and for a moment there, when he lifted his head and their eyes connected, Arianna thought he was going to be mad for telling him what to do.

    But to her surprise, he said,

    ¡°Yes, bossdy.¡± And put the phone down, pushing it to the far end of the bed, asking, ¡°Satisfied?¡±.

    ¡°Very,¡± Arianna said, before setting the tray on the bed and taking a seat in front of him. She removed the lid covering the food and he saw,

    ¡°Chicken soup?¡±

    Arianna answered, ¡°Chicken broth is rich in essential fatty acids and protein. Both help your body build and repair healthy muscle, bone, skin, and blood cells. You need proteins the most now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± He said, reaching for the spoon but Arianna took it from him, saying, ¡°Open up.¡±

    ¡°Cool, you¡¯re feeding me too, best day ever. I love this baby treatment.¡± Marcel was smug.

    However, Arianna was not in the mood for his jokes as she stirred the soup and lifted a spoonful saying, ¡°Open up, Marcel.¡±

    And he did, only to flinch in the next seconds because the broth was too hot and it burned his tongue.

    ¡°Too hot!¡± Heined.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Arianna said, ¡°This is what would happen the next time I check up on you and happen to hear that you skip a meal.¡±

    It hit Marcel, did she just scald his tongue on purpose?

    He swallowed, ¡°I¡¯m so scared.¡±

    ¡°You should. Now open.¡±

    Unlike the first time, Marcel did not open his mouth widely until Arianna blew on the spoon and fed the food to him. It didn¡¯t burn him anymore, the torture was over, and he was relieved. He thought he was scary, but it seems his girlfriend was scarier.

    Perhaps, he could add this torture to his collection. Of course, he would have to do a bit of improv, but torture by eating doesn¡¯t seem that bad of an idea. Arianna had no idea that she has given Marcel a new idea of how to deal with the bad guys.

    It seems after the raines sunshine because the meal turned out to be more enjoyable than he thought. In the middle of feeding, the soup dripped down his chin, and instead of Arianna wiping it away with her palm, she instead leaned towards him and licked it clean with her tongue.It was a simple gesture yet erotic enough to make his heart pick up speed and his member rose.

    Sadly, it was a pity he couldn¡¯t engage in any vigorous activity. What a loss.

    _________

    Hi guys, as you guys figured out, Akim and Winters would not end up together in this series. A reader once suggested making a standalone book for them and I¡¯m considering that. In one word, Akim and Winters story would be the contemporary genre. I would try my best toe up with a synopsis so you guys have an idea of what we dealing with. And then we can take a vote between the fantasy genre and the contemporary genre. We have until the end of February to hear all of your lovely opinions!

 Chapter 836 - 836 Make Me Look Younger

    836 Make Me Look Younger

    At Daniel¡¯s residence, Haz could be seen rushing into the boss¡¯s room after the man rang him up, thinking that it was an emergency. But then his jaw dropped to the ground when he entered the room and appeared as if a burr broke in. But then, what robber in his right mind woulde to steal from Daniel Luciano? It was equivalent to asking for a death sentence.

    One would have thought that a storm happened in there because the room was a mess. His clothes were sprawled all over and the mess started from his walk-in closet. His eyes took in the scene until he heard footsteps and lifted his eyes to stare at his boss who was wearing nothing but his underwear and a two-piece suit in his hands with a discouraged expression.

    Haz swallowed, this was a scene he wouldn¡¯t forget anytime soon. Nheless, he shook himself out of the shock and said, ¡°Boss.¡±

    Daniel didn¡¯t acknowledge him, rather he lifted the clothes and asked, ¡± Why are all of my clothes in monochromatic colors?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re a psychopath that loves a dull, meaningless life.¡± Haz sassed in his head. He was not ready to die yet.

    ¡°Those are usually your preference, sir.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s expression changed and that told Haz that he just made a wrong answer. Daniel didn¡¯t want anyone to confirm his clothing choice, he knew that, rather the boss needed a solution to whatever fit he was throwing.

    Haz said immediately, ¡°Perhaps if I have an idea of what is going on, I might be able to help?¡± He offered. Hopefully.

    Hearing those words, Daniel tilted his head and stared at the boy before a small smile ¨C that didn¡¯t assure Haz ¨C crept up his face as he said, ¡°Actually, I think you might be able to help.¡±

    .....

    ¡°I do.¡± He swallowed a second time.

    ¡°I have a date to attend tonight and that¡¯s a young people¡¯s thing.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Haz¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the ground. The boss had what? A date? It was unbelievable! What has gotten into him? He doesn¡¯t even go on a date with his sugar babies and has them on a contract to satisfy his urges. What has changed now? Who is the unlucky, no, slightly lucky woman?

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like a beehive is hovering above my head, say something. You should have an idea of how to dress up for the asion.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Daniel frowned at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here to gape at me like an idiot.¡±

    Realizing that he just stretched his patience, Haz knew that he had to make a useful impact or else. He didn¡¯t want to know thetter.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the monochromatic suit is the problem. I wouldn¡¯t even advise you to wear the colored suits to date,¡± He added, ¡°Except of course, you intend to take her to a formal asion.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the one picking the location.¡± Daniel answered, tossing away the suit, and stood in front of the mirror, running his hand through his hair and muttering, ¡°Why do I look so old?¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s the one taking you out on the date, I¡¯ll suggest wearing something casual yet nice -¡±

    ¡°And makes me look younger,¡± Daniel added to his surprise.

    He wanted to look younger, but Haz shuddered. The surprises were giving him whish.

    When Haz thought that he saw it all, it was the beginning because Daniel added immediately, ¡°Also call that artist guy¡­¡± Daniel examined the wrinkle on his face, ¡°he should be able to hide this.¡±

    ¡°You mean the makeup artist?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Daniel said, ¡°Tell him he has just mere minutes to attend to me, or I¡¯m recing him.¡±

    ¡°You never had a contract with him in the first,¡± Haz wanted to say but buried the words inside of him and hoped Daniel¡¯s version of ¡°recing¡± was what he was thinking.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± He said and moved to the corner of the room where he made a call to the makeup artist. This was annoying, Haz kicked the ground in annoyance while he waited for the call to be answered.

    Didn¡¯t Daniel hate makeup? He imed only cowards hide underyers of powder. Who uses powder these days? It¡¯s called foundation! Haz was tempted to educate him, but no amount of temptation was greater than the love for his life.

    Thankfully, Daniel had enough money and he was able to offer the artist enough that he wasn¡¯t able to resist and also arrive as quickly as he could.

    ¡°Are you done? Is the artisting?¡± Daniel inquired as soon as he was done with the call.

    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±

    ¡°Now,e help me with an outfit then.¡± Daniel walked in the direction of the closet and Haz had to turn his face the other way when he couldn¡¯t stand watching the sway of his ass. Daniel was wearing nothing but ck underwear and it wasn¡¯t a sight Haz enjoyed.

    Once he was inside the messy closet ¨C his heart goes out to the cleaner ¨C Haz had to search around and eventually settled on a white shirt and clean ck skinny jeans ¨C he found by luck. He guessed one of Daniel¡¯s young girlfriends (bless her soul) got it for him and he tossed it to God knows where until tonight.

    ¡°Just this?¡± Daniel didn¡¯t seem all that impressed when Haz lifted his choice.

    Haz said, ¡°I barely have a rough idea of your date but since a woman is in charge, she¡¯s not going to take you to a ce that charges above her purse. Take it from me, no woman in the world is immune to the charms of a sharp ssic. They make you look super suave, and skinny jeans scream perfection for men of all ages. Women love men who put the extra effort to look good and younger. ¡± He enticed Danielpletely.

    Daniel looked at him doubtfully for a moment yet epted the clothes from him. However, Haz announced to him at thest minute, ¡°You need sneakers to go with it and I don¡¯t see any in your closet.¡±

 Chapter 837 - 837 He Wasnâ€™t So Bad

    837 He Wasn¡¯t So Bad

    Some might say Daniel was old-fashioned, but in his view, he was being himself and right now, he didn¡¯t feel like himself. Although his makeup was minimal, he still felt like scrubbing the chemicals off his face. But then, he looked younger and Haz mentioned something about women liking men who made efforts to their dates. Tonight was all about showing Angelica that he could be normal and capable of loving another woman ¨C after Natalie.

    They branched off at a store before and Haz purchased the white sneakers which he wore. Angelica already sent him the location and it was at a child care center. There was no way they could have their date there, so she probably had something to do there and would be out as soon as he arrived.

    When they finally reached the destination, Daniel ordered Haz to be on the lookout. He could get carried away and give the enemies a chance to strike. But with him here, nothing would happen, and did Daniel forget to mention that he was nervous? Just a tiny bit. If he needed help, Haz was here for clues.

    Standing outside the one-story building, Daniel called Angelica and waited for her to pick up. However, the phone rang on without an answer. Daniel didn¡¯t think much about it and called the second time. But then, when the same thing happened the second and third time, his expression hardened with his eyes as cold as ice.

    There was no way Angelica stood him up, right? There was no way that he would have made all of this effort only to be yed for a fool. Great anger coursed through Daniel and his hands curled into a fist. This is why emotions are useless, in the end, he¡¯s the one who showed weakness.

    The phone rang almost immediately and lifting it and seeing that it was Angelica calling him back, the coldness in his eyes eased away.

    ¡°Hello?¡± He asked, hope growing inside of him.

    ¡°Hi Daniel, I¡¯m so sorry for missing your calls, I have my hands filled in here and I know that it¡¯s too much, but could youe upstairs, please?¡± She begged him.

    Hearing her plea, Daniel turned around and stared at the building, his brows drawn together. What in the name of trouble was she doing in here? He did not have a good idea about this, but in the end, he walked into the building.

    .....

    What Daniel first noticed was the bright vibrant colors and then the noises from disturbances aka children. While Daniel appreciated having a grandchild to carry on the legacy of his hard work, it didn¡¯t mean he appreciated thepany of a swarm of them. He liked them when they were all grown up, and could think and produce results.

    Hence, Daniel looked like a stranger in a foreign country when he stepped into the spacious hall and it was chaos everywhere. The children were crying! Some were running helter scatter while the care providers chased after them. Some of them were kind enough to settle down and y with their toys. However, the ratio of the crying and unruly children was much higher than the ¡°sensible ones¡±.

    And it was in the middle of the chaos that she saw Angelica, she had two toddlers in her arms and they weren¡¯t the best because they were crying at the top of their voices and she looked distressed. No wonder children were a pest to society.

    Before Daniel even knew what was going on, his feet already took him to where she was.

    ¡°No wonder you missed my calls, it¡¯s self-exnatory.¡± He said with a bit of criticism in his tone.

    ¡°Daniel!¡± Angelica said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± She began to apologize while also dealing with the children in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m running low on staff currently and I should have canceled on the date. However, I didn¡¯t want you to think that I didn¡¯t want you or something.¡±

    ¡°You want me?¡± He grinned, exposing his white teeth. The strict appointment with the dentist finally paid off.

    Angelica¡¯s jaw dropped open when she realized the weight of her words and thanks to that distraction, one of the kids slipped from her arm and nearly fell if it hadn¡¯t been for Daniel. His movements was swift and he caught the child on the arm before lifting the baby so he could take a good look at her.

    ¡°Jesus, thank you!¡± Angelica breathed in relief. It would have been ustrophobic if the child sustained injury. How would she ry the news to her parents?

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Daniel said without looking at her, all of his attention on the ugly thing that was now staring back at him, gripped with the shock of the fall. However, as if the switch was flipped, the child¡¯s expression distorted and the next thing, she cried out at the top of her lungs.

    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Daniel pointed a finger in her face and boomed ¡°Silence!¡±

    The child stopped crying, looking startled and Angelica¡¯s face palmed mentally. Daniel just provoked her, her cries would be worse now. But contrary to her thoughts, the baby didn¡¯t cry rather she reached out and grabbed Daniel¡¯s finger pointed to her.

    ¡°Hey, let go.¡± Daniel tried to pull her hand off but the little nuisance was stubborn and held onto it further. If anything, she smiled at his attempt to pull free.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny,¡± Daniel was serious and tried to pull free but the little devil mp her tiny fingers around it and wouldn¡¯t let go. She even had aughing fit even though he has no idea about what was hrious about his finger being held hostage by her.

    And while this was going on, Angelica watched the drama with a smile on her face. Perhaps, he wasn¡¯t so bad after all.

    Realizing that the little devil was not going to let him be, Daniel stopped struggling and let her take his finger hostage. But that freedomsted until the toddler started pulling his finger in the direction of her mouth

    Noo¡­..

 Chapter 838 - 838 Trial Of The Gods

    838 Trial Of The Gods

    After the incident where the toddler nearly sucked on Daniel¡¯s finger, Angelica made him wash his hands for hygiene¡¯s sake since he was around children and anything could happen. He obeyed while the toddler who he hade to know as Pam clung to him.

    It was strange, while the adults ran as far away as they could from him out of fear, this toddler was active and attempted to climb all over his body as if he was a damndder. Didn¡¯t they say children have keen senses and would cry whenever they¡¯re close to an evil person? This baby must be a strange one if that was the case.

    She was annoying and while he would love to tie her up so she could stay a ce, he didn¡¯t dare to expose such a thought in front of Angelica. Come on, people, he¡¯s trying to woo a woman here and wanted to be on his best behavior.

    Hence, Daniel had to endure Pam¡¯s disturbances because she had taken a strange liking to him and wouldn¡¯t even go to Angelica without breaking out in shrieks.

    ¡°You know¡­.¡± Angelica started, ¡°If you were with a wife, I would say look out, you might be experiencing a child soon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Daniel frowned.

    Both of them were seated at a table while the other children were supervised by the avable staff. There was a kid¡¯s cartoon ying on the television that gripped most of their attention and there wasn¡¯t as much ruckus as earlier. Although some parents had arrived to take their kids during that time, there were still more left.

    Angelica said to him, ¡°There is a superstition that children are a blessing and when one of them weirdly clings onto a stranger, that means the person is expecting. But then, I guess the superstition is wrong considering you don¡¯t have a wife. Bless her soul.¡± she made the sign of the cross

    ¡°You know about my wife?¡± Daniel asked, surprised. Well, he shouldn¡¯t be. Anyone willing to go on a date with him should not expect flowers. She was wise to do her research.

    .....

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t treat her well.¡± Angelica pointed out, her gaze holding his as if daring him to refute it.

    ¡°Those were hard times.¡± He said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse, Daniel.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the full story.¡±

    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t excuse the crime. You should be in prison for domestic violence,¡±

    Daniel hesitated when she spoke and he asked, ¡°Why agree on the date with me then if you know that I am a monster that hits women?¡±

    ¡°You said I should hear your story, remember?¡± She told him.

    Daniel looked around, ¡°So I guess our date is taking ce here?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Angelica gave him an apologetic look, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t happen next time.¡±

    ¡°And there will be a next time. That sounds hopeful.¡± Daniel had a grin tugging at the corner of his lips at the prospect of another chance.

    ¡°Sure, another date.¡± Angelica thought ofpensating him that way. She leaned closer, ¡°So now tell me your story.¡±

    Where was he going to begin? Daniel had no idea and now that he actually thought about it, his life story was lengthy. He might even bore her out.

    ¡°It all started¡­..¡± Daniel started from the beginning and that included telling Angelica about his childhood and discovering that he was a member of the Luciano family after his father cut ties with his grandfather.

    He told her about his determination to take back his rightful ce in the family and that his cowardly father had easily given up simply because he was scared of gore and death. He shouldn¡¯t have taken away that choice from his children.

    Daniel told her that his efforts were not appreciated and instead, he was alwayspared to his brother, Albine. He narrated his mistake that led to his brother being murdered by his vicious uncle.

    From there, Natalie came into the picture and of course, everything was narrated from his point of view. Daniel told her about the sacrifices he made for Natalie and she did not return his affection. Perhaps, he was cursed or something since the people he loves, don¡¯t love him back.

    Throughout the story, Angelica listened with rapt attention and never for once cut in or judged him even when he acknowledged r*ping Penelope and leading to the birth of his son, Marcel. His greatest gift, at least until, he grew up and didn¡¯t turn out the way he wanted him to be.

    One could say Daniel stripped himself bare before Angelica. He didn¡¯t omit any event that shaped and made him the man that he is today. And he had to admit that he felt better like a load has been taken off his chest. When he was done, he watched and waited for her to me and judge him as the others do. He was not stupid enough to think that Angelica would take his side. Daniel knew deep down that he was evil and didn¡¯t deny it.

    Perhaps, that was why he liked Angelica, she was not scared of him and would tell him the truth straight in his face. Not that he wanted her to sugarcoat the truth in the first ce. Also, she¡¯s the first woman that he isfortable with, enough to spill his secrets ¨C he wasn¡¯t even this rxed with Natalie. Daniel didn¡¯t even notice it but Pam was sound asleep in his arms, instead of Angelica, he bored her out.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Angelica breathed after Daniel was done. It wasn¡¯t funny but it felt like she just watched a high-grossing movie out of a movie cinema that still had her reeling. It was a lot to take in.

    ¡°You¡¯re definitely dark and twisted,¡± Angelica said and Daniel was not surprised by the response. He waited patiently knowing there was more toe.

    ¡°Also, I think all of this stems from your control issues.¡±

    ¡°Control issue?¡± Daniel said, surprised.

    Angelica answered, ¡°You¡¯re so overly focused on controlling situations around you. People who struggle with the need to be in control often fear being at the mercy of others, and this fear may stem from traumatic events that left them feeling helpless and vulnerable. I think your issues started from childhood, your anxiety and determination to impress your grandfather and prove to your father that you¡¯re better than him and not make the same mistake you thought he made. ¡±

    She continued, ¡°Your father¡¯s choice to be far from the underworld doesn¡¯t make him weak and less of a man. And I think that¡¯s your problem. You invoke respect through fear, but that¡¯s wrong. Admiration and respect are not bought nor forced, it¡¯s earned. And strength doesn¡¯t equate to cruelty, ruthlessness, or apathy. Emotions are actually what makes humanity interesting. Because of your anxieties and worries, you made others follow your rules and that led to the fall between you and Natalie.

    ¡°And you¡¯re obviously not over that habit because your controlling behavior now meddles in the lives of your son, Marcel. You¡¯re trying to remain in charge of all the decision-making in his life because you fear he would abandon you too. I¡¯m afraid, Daniel, but you¡¯re the bad guy here. Sure, others might have contributed to your reaction, but everything that happened so far is your choice and I am afraid that they woulde back to haunt you.¡± Angelica concluded

    ¡°So you¡¯re not going to be my woman?¡± Daniel might have looked a little hurt. He even made an effort, you know.

    ¡°I believe in second chances, Daniel,¡± Angelica said and his eyes lit up at once, ¡°However, I need to know what I¡¯m getting into and if there¡¯s an exit route. I said I¡¯m going to date you, not be your woman yet.¡±

    ¡°But I already told you everything you need to know about me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a psychopath, Daniel.¡±

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    Angelica went on even though she just called him a psychopath, ¡°Just like electricity devicese with operational booklets and warning, your story was just to know your triggers and be cautious. You can consider our future dates as a beta test or trial, those would determine if I¡¯m going through the mes of hell with you or not. ¡± She leaned closer, ¡°Or do you think that it was going to be easy?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, you¡¯re not an easy woman.¡± Daniel lied through his teeth. He thought with this date, he would get her to agree to be his woman. Who knew there were more dates toe where she would try to unravel him?

    It was tough. Tougher than he thought. The anticipation was nice but he didn¡¯t like the unknown and this was all a probability. She said it herself, this was all a test. Who knew dating women now was a trial of the gods?

    ¡°So are you up for this or do you want to give up chasing me now?¡± Angelica gave him an option and if she were, to be honest, she wanted him to give up on her now. She was way over her head with this one. Everything changed after hearing his story.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Daniel refused to give her up, ¡°I would go through the dates.¡± He was not a quitter.

 Chapter 839 - 839 Holy Mother Of All Handsome Males

    839 Holy Mother Of All Handsome Males

    ¡°So you run a daycare?¡± Daniel inquired as he walked her home. It was a thirty-minute trip back to her ce and Angelica thought it a brilliant idea to trek and get to know each other more. Only this time she wasn¡¯t the one doing the questioning but Daniel.

    She let out a nervous chuckle, saying, ¡°It¡¯s kind of hrious but I think of it more as a Night care in the sense that we take care of the kids till evening. These days there is a growing number of single mothers and fathers and some of them are so busy with their careers or work overtime that they don¡¯t have the time to pick up their children tillte at night. So we are there to help them with that problem, not that children are problems, you know. ¡± Angelica yfully nudged him on the shoulder hoping that he got the joke.

    Sadly, Daniel didn¡¯t get the joke, but he did notice that she was touchy-feely. Not that he wasining. To him, children like Pam ¨C even though she was annoyingly cute ¨C would always be a problem until they turned out to be productive. He never signed up for diaper duties.

    ¡°So what made you choose that? You once had a prospering career and with Benjamin¡¯s help, he would have catapulted you in a position of power, not this¡­.¡± Daniel trailed off, realizing that he was looking down on the upation that she chose.

    From the hurt that shed across her eyes, Daniel knew that he just fucked up. Wonderful, he has just blown off his chances of making her his woman. Whatdy in her right mind would want a man who belittles her career? If only he had sealed his mouth and kept his opinion to himself. Perhaps she was right, he was just too dark and twisted.

    Angelica said to him, ¡°Who said that I wanted power? I just want afortable life with my loved ones.¡± She stood straighter, saying with a fire in her eyes, ¡°You asked why I choose that upation instead of something greater?¡±

    There was anger now in her voice and something told Daniel deep down that he poked the ho¡¯s nest. Whatever made Angelica run a daycare was personal.

    ¡°After I practically sold my daughter to Benjamin¡¯s wife, I felt dead inside. There was nothing that I could do to wash away the guilt from my conscience and the realization that I don¡¯t have a future with my own child. So I decided to seek penance that way, taking care of other¡¯s children when I couldn¡¯t nurture mine. It¡¯s a punishment, not redemption.¡± with those words said in between angry tears, Angelica turned and strode away.

    Daniel swallowed as he watched Angelica leave. What should he do in this situation? Of course, the answer was clear, ignore her angry ass forever, and problems solved. That has been his way of dealing with problems aka emotions, turning a deaf ear to everything.

    .....

    But then he swore to win this woman over. And perhaps she was his penance. His punishment. A beautiful punishment. And so Daniel found his feet walking towards her even before his brain could function properly.

    ¡°Angelica,¡± He called her.

    She ignored him.

    ¡°Angelica!¡± He called a little louder this time, his walks doubling, nearly jogging after her. Heavens, she would be the death of him.

    ¡°Angelica!¡±

    He called once more and perhaps, it might be the fear of drawing attention, Angelica stopped and turned to him with a re. What does he want now? She was not going easy on him.

    Sadly, in Daniel¡¯s haste to get to her, he didn¡¯t look at the store beside him and he halted in his steps, letting out a loud gasp as he felt a sudden coldness seep into his bones. It so happened that a store owner had been cleaning up to lock up for the night and thinking that the coast was clear, poured the water only for it tond on Daniel. And the water was by no means clean.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Angelica gasped, lifting a trembling hand to her mouth and the color draining from her face. Who just signed her death certificate?

    Daniel was so frozen by the shock that it took him minutes toprehend what just happened. He nced down at his white shirt specifically chosen by Haz which should have attracted Angelica to him now looking a different color. He was never taking dating advice again from a kid.

    He then finally looked at the perpetrator of the crime, a woman who was still holding the bucket, the object used to carry out her crime, her feet stuck to the ground from the shock. She could have sworn that she didn¡¯t see anyoneing until it was toote.

    It must be the murderous look in Daniel¡¯s eyes because the woman fell to her knees and began to apologize, crying for mercy. She didn¡¯t ssh the water on him on purpose. God, he looked so scary.

    With a sigh, Daniel eased the expression on his face. He lifted his hand and rubbed his throbbing temple with his eyes closed. If he killed everyone whomitted even a little crime against him, then he would have been on the wanted list already. He executes his move perfectly so like a viper, he likes when his opponent expects it.

    When he opened his eyes, Angelica was in front of him, looking at his ruined clothes with a sad look in her eyes that made his heart miss a beat. Strange, was she sorry for his clothes and yet didn¡¯t spare him a look when he was willing to apologize for his mistake? Women were so weird.

    ¡°Come on, we should get you dried up.¡± She tugged on his arm, intending to pull her along but Daniel didn¡¯t make a move.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that at home and my car is around the corner.¡± Although his ride was not in sight, Daniel knew that Haz was somewhere watching over them. That was how it worked.

    ¡°And risk you catching a cold!¡± She scolded with her fiery eyes, ¡°You are not getting any younger, Daniel!¡±

    Without another word, she tugged him along and he didn¡¯t protest. Just like Mary and the littlemb, Daniel followed after her obediently until they were in thefort of her cozy home.

    ¡°Bathroom is that way!¡± She directed him, ¡°You should have a bath while I make you hot cocoa.¡± Angelica paused to ask, ¡°Do you take cocoa or the blood of your victims?¡±

    Danielughed, a deep rumble in his chest that somehow sent chills running down her spine. However, Angelica was able to control her reaction to him. She was not a teenager that experiences silly butterflies in her stomach. That was all in the past.

    ¡°Do you know you have a dark sense of humor? And no, I drink cocoa just fine,¡± Daniel had a grin on his face that made him look human. Like he was just an average human that doesn¡¯t murder people who get in the way of what he wants.

    ¡°Good, move along,¡± Angelica waved him off and though she appeared unaffected, as soon as Daniel vanished into the bathroom, she let out the breath that she had been holding in.

    Holy mother, what has she done? She brought Daniel into her fucking house, the realization finally dawned on her. Earlier, she had been acting on the adrenalin, but now that it was all gone, it left her a nervous mess. She was not a fool to think nothing happens when you invite a male to your home. A handsomely twisted psychopath.

    Fine, she should calm down first and think of how to handle this situation. She might have invited Daniel into her house, but that doesn¡¯t mean shit. She¡¯s only helping him out. Moreover, things were made clear to him not to have hope. They might or might not work. That means he was not expecting anything, Angelicaforted herself with that thought.

    So she busied herself with making the cocoa and ignored the tension in the lower part of her belly. Angelica didn¡¯t have to wait long for Daniel because he appeared mere minutes after she was done preparing the cocoa for the both of them.

    She grabbed the cups and turned saying, ¡°It¡¯s¡­. ready?¡± Angelica trailed off as she drank in the sight of Daniel standing in front of her, wearing nothing but her white towel around his waist. Holy mother of all handsome males, who dropped the mortal on this earth?

    Daniel might be older but that doesn¡¯t mean that he has lost his virility. If anything, his sexual appeal was more enthralling, honed richer with age. Angelica rubbed her thighs together as desire shot straight to her core while taking in the ridges of his hard stomach she was tempted to run her hands over.

    When Angelica finally dragged her eyes off his body, her gaze connected with his and she knew those confident gray eyes knew what she had been thinking.

 Chapter 840 - 840 Sex Isnâ€™t Love

    840 Sex Isn¡¯t Love

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Angelica cleared her throat, breaking away from whatever just exchanged between them.

    ¡°Here, have this,¡± She took a few steps before reaching out to him and he took the cup from her. Angelica was surprised at her level ofposure because her feet had softened like jelly.

    While her morals didn¡¯t approve of Daniel, her hormones were definitely dancing to the rhythm of whatever charm he ced on her while her body screamed APPROVAL!

    They were in the living room, with Daniel leaning against the pir and Angelica standing awkwardly. She had to force her ass down on the sofa and drink her cocoa in silence. Angelica med the sudden rise of temperature on the steam from the cocoa and not because both of them were charging attraction enough to power a transformer.

    To say the silence was ufortable was an understatement, the air in the room was stolen and she was finding it hard to breathe. And that was made worse each time she stole a peek and saw Daniel sipping his tea nonchntly as if she was the only one that entered heat season. Not that she wanted him to do something about it.

    God, why would she want him to do something about it? And Eyes, would you stop staring at his abs? You are not a horny pervert! Angelica was having a war in her mind. No, she had to calm down. Perhaps, she was the one overreacting. Look at Daniel, he was so calm and collected. Imitate him!

    And that was exactly what she did. Pretend not to feel the millions of butterflies rioting in her stomach. She was an adult and could handle this. So when Daniel was done with his drink before her and left to dump his cup in the sink, Angelica was left with both relief ¨C and disappointment. This was for the best, he was going to leave now.

    So when Daniel returned only to plop down next to her and before she could remind him he wasn¡¯t decent, he took the mug from her and put it away.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Angelica asked, her heart beginning to pick up speed. She had to smoother the horny hooker inside of her. They can¡¯t do it. There were so many reasons why they couldn¡¯t do it ¨C and it all had to do with him.

    .....

    Instead of answering her, Daniel reached out and sped her cheek with his hand, a little gasp leaving her mouth at the contact. Her lips parted of their own will and his heated gaze dropped to it making her shiver.

    ¡°We are all adults here¡­¡± Daniel drawled, his voice husky and sending heat straight to her core, ¡°Are we going to pretend that this attraction between us doesn¡¯t exist?¡±

    Angelica opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn¡¯t. How could she when this confident devil was looking at her with those intense eyes that looked like he nned to devour her whole? A feeling inside told her that was why what he nned to do.

    ¡°W-we don¡¯t have to¡­¡± She finally choked out, ¡°Attraction is normal and it¡¯s notpulsory to act on¡­.¡± Angelica trailed off when Daniel suddenly drew so close that he brushed his lips across hers, sending tingles through her.

    ¡°Or perhaps, you are scared that I would steal your heart with just a touch.¡±

    Angelica swallowed, this man would be the death. However, she stood her ground, saying, ¡°Sex isn¡¯t love.¡±

    ¡°But it builds intimacy,¡± Daniel countered before a slow smirk curved his lips, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of building that intimacy with him.¡±

    She was sinking, Angelica was sure of that. And It wasn¡¯t just any ordinary water, but theke of fire because she knew one dip with Daniel and he was going to burn her, badly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡±

    ¡°Prove it.¡± He said, the amusement in his eyes egging her on. The way he looked at her made it seem like he was the master controller when this should have been her game in the first ce.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Angelica said, closing the distance between them and when it looked like she wasing in for a kiss, she pushed him harder instead so Danielid back on the armrest with his legs spread and she knelt in the middle.

    ¡°I¡¯m notining,¡± Daniel grinned when he saw the wheels turning in her head. Whatever she nned to do to him was going to be wicked.

    And that was what Angelica did because she loosened the towel around his waist like some badass only to falter¡­.. perhaps there was a back-forward button that would take her before this moment.

    It was not an ordinary package, Angelica deduced while staring down at it. Perhaps, she should have begun by kissing him, you know, starting from the easy level and climbing up the difficulty levels. But then, she wanted to be a badass witch. And now, this is what badass bitches face.

    ¡°Why?¡± Daniel pointed out her hesitation, ¡°Scared?¡±

    This cocky man, Angelica wanted to re at him. Whoever told him that she needed his servicing with this anaconda he had in between his leg must be crazy. She didn¡¯t pray to be ripped apart in two.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Angelica gave him a sharine smile, boldly wrapping her hand around him and started stroking. Daniel let out a sigh with his eyes closed as her hands traveled up and down his huge length.

    She then moved to his balls, squeezing gently so a moan escaped his lips and Daniel looked like he was in paradise until Angelica squeezed so hard his eyes popped open and he was looking at her wide-eyed. No movement.

    ¡°I think you should be more scared of the woman who has your life in her hand,¡± she added more pressure to prove his point making him groan in pain or so she assumed.

    Daniel burst intoughter instead, ¡°And you call me a psychopath? Looks like I found a woman after my own heart?¡±

    He got off on the pain, Angelica was dumbfounded at the realization. He was truly dark inside. Before Angelica had the time to think of something else, she found herself on her back with Daniel hovering on top of her with a glint in his eyes.

    ¡°H-how¡­. ¡± It happened so fast.

    Daniel grinned devilishly, ¡°My turn now.¡±

 Chapter 841 - 841 It Was Done

    841 It Was Done

    Meanwhile, the same night, all the members of the Basil family gathered around for an emergency meeting. The Basil family was one of the five crime families holding territory in the city. And whatever power theyckedpared to the other families, the Basil familypensated for it with money. Yes, the family was the richest of them all.

    However tonight every core member of the family had been called together for an emergency meeting. They had received a tip-off that the Bratva has set eyes on their territory. Hence they gathered tonight to resolve the problem.

    The hall in which they gathered was filled with every member of the family while the soldiers stood outside protecting them.

    ¡°We all know why we havee here,¡± said a middle-aged man in the front who was obviously the Don of the family.

    ¡°We have settled here for years without any problem from the Bratva, why then would they fight for a territory that doesn¡¯t belong to them?¡±

    ¡°First of all, who received the tip?¡± Another man asked, much older than their leader.

    ¡°Fin did.¡± The leader of the Basil family said, pointing to a younger man who was standing unlike the others seated down.

    Fin was no other than his nephew. To be precise, he was born illegitimately after his mother cheated on her husband. He would have been killed if not for his intervention and took him in for a son.

    ¡°Fin, you wouldn¡¯t mind telling the family what happened?¡± He gestured to the young man who stepped out in the middle to face them.

    .....

    He said, ¡°While on our way to carry out our business, we were attacked in by the Bratva. I and another soldier were lucky enough to survive and we managed to shoot down a member of the Bratva. That was when he gave me the message, they areing for us.¡± He narrated and the expression on the faces of his rtives present turned gloomy.

    ¡°This is preposterous!¡± Another man shouted, standing up to his feet furious, ¡°How can they pick on us because we are the weakest of the five families?! The Bratva have no ce here! This is not theirnd!¡±

    The other man from earlier spoke up, asking their leader, ¡°Themission wouldn¡¯t let this happen. If the Bratva gets a hold here, they would contend with the other families since their greed is insatiable. We need help from themission, have you let them know about our situation?¡±

    ¡°Themission has been informed and they intend to review the problem with the other families first.¡±

    ¡°Review with the other families?!¡± Another person shouted, ¡°Do they n to review the problem when we are dead?!¡±

    As if the very man jinxed their luck, one of the soldiers dropped to the ground with a thud and everyone in the room who saw it became alert . Whoever did that, must have used a silencer gun.

    Everyone in the room picked up their weapons having a suspicion they were under attack. All of their attention was focused on the door where the soldier fell and it came as a startle when every window in the room was shattered, the bullets catching the unlucky ones close enough.

    And just like that, a shootout began.

    However, it became obvious to them that they were losing. Whoever the attackers were had been making a move in the dark while they had been busy with their meetings. In no time, they were outnumbered and every single member of the Basil family was gunned down aside from their leader and Fin.

    The leader of the Basil family knew that he was staring death in the face as their attackers surrounded them. It was two against multitude and there was no way he wasing out of this alive.

    ¡°Fin, listen to me¡­.¡± He slowly whispered while watching the attackers who surprisingly hasn¡¯t made any move. It was almost as if they were waiting. For what?

    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Fin answered, his weapon held securely in his grip.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to make it, but you need to survive.¡± He whispered to him, ¡°I¡¯ll cause a distraction and cover your back while you escape. If you do survive, find my wife and kids and send them to themission. They would know what to do and protect them. Now promise me that you would get out of here alive. ¡±

    ¡°I promise you, uncle.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± The man swallowed, trying to hide his nervousness knowing that he was about to die. He said to him, ¡°Now, we move at the count of three, are you ready? One¡­ two¡­ now!¡±

    And while the leader of the Basil family shot at the two that would likely stand in Fin¡¯s way, his niece in question turned and shot at¡­. him?

    Even as the man fell, there was nothing but shock as he felt the painful sting of betrayal from his own family. That was when it dawned on him, Fin was the one the enemies had been waiting for to make a move all this while. Eveything was aset up.

    ¡°Why?¡± He asked, coughing up blood.

    Finughed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that it came to this uncle but I¡¯m sick and tired of being treated like second ss. No matter how much you try to cover it or make me feel better, I¡¯ll only be the one to finish up the mess for you and your son and I want something more! I deserve more. Now, as soon as you die, everything that I helped you work for woulde back to its rightful owner, me. ¡± He cackled viinously.

    The man tried to speak but he couldn¡¯t, already drowning in his blood.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, because of the love you showed me, I¡¯ll give you a quick death.¡± Fin shot him in the head and he died instantly.

    ¡°Bye-bye, uncle,¡± He blew him a kiss before turning to face the enemies that he had been working with.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± He announced joyfully.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Richardo, entering the room full of gore and death.

 Chapter 842 - 842 It Takes A Monster To Kill A Monster

    842 It Takes A Monster To Kill A Monster

    It was indeed Richardo standing in the room full of the murdered members of the Basil family. In a twinkle of an eye, one of the powerful ruling families in the city was wiped out and it was all thanks to his scheme.

    It was a struggle for his life having fallen in the hands of Konstantin who hade to collect what he was due with their business falling through. It was hard to get Konstantin to spare his life, but Richardo had always been a shrewd businessman and was able to strike a deal with him.

    Killing him was not going to provide his money nor bring back his drugs destroyed in the hands of Marcel, but Richardo had a n that would assure the both of them got what they wanted. It was hard to get Konstantin to agree to it considering he was scared the council would put a target on his head, but Richardo assured him. Before even the council would catch even a whiff of what was happening, he was already halfway across the ocean ¨C with his money intact.

    While others would recognize the move tonight as a power grab, Richardo was not interested in it. The target was the Basil¡¯s family off-shore ounts, with the money in there he could settle Konstantin and pursue his revenge against the Luciano family with the rest of it. Sure, Marcel pushed him over the edge of the cliff and thought he won, but this was just the beginning.

    Marcel only helped remove a weakness Richardo never realized he had until now and that was his humanity. Nothing else fueled his urge to live other than the taste of revenge ¨C he was determined to spill Marcel¡¯s blood. The Luciano family doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going to hit them. They might have been a bit bigger yer all these years but they are about to meet a master yer.

    ¡°I told you it was going to work,¡± Fin said gleefully as soon as he came in, feeling a surge of pride.

    Of course, Richardo couldn¡¯t have pulled this off, not without the help of like-minded individuals or as he would like to call it, allies. Fin has no vendetta against the Luciano family, but he wants his own empire, and what better way to gain that other than to strike a deal that would work for the both of them.

    His uncle had not seen iting. A man¡¯s enemy is a member of his family, even the Bible had not lied about that one. The man thought that he had a helper by his side, who knew that he was nurturing a lion cub that soon grew to devour him. Sometimes mercy was a big mistake. He should have never let Fin in but rather kick him to the curb like the others when they recognize the threat he could be in the future. In the same way, Marcel should have killed him when he had the chance.

    But now, there was no going back. No looking back. Richardo knew that he wasn¡¯t going to survive the bloodbath that was about to flood the city, but he would die bringing Marcel down. The chosen one of the Luciano family was going down to hell with him.

    .....

    There was a change of aura around Richardo, he reeked of death. Something snapped in him that night after watching Macy die in front of him. He recognized that the weak were nothing but prey in the hands of the powerful and now he wanted that power, even at the cost of his soul. He still had wounds around his face from the tortures Konstantin had put him through the previous night. But none of them hurt as the fire that burned inside of him for vengeance.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± He asked, referring to the ounts.

    ¡°He keeps them protected.¡± Fin grinned maniacally as he said, ¡°But he should have protected it from me.¡±

    Fin pulled out a de from his pocket and then bent over his uncle¡¯s corpse, he cut off one of his right fingers and said, ¡°follow me¡±.

    Richardo went with him, along with two of the soldiers that Konstantin had given him for this mission. The others stood behind to make sure there was no interference whatsoever ¨C everyone in that room must remain dead and not call for help. Their major inference would be themission and Richardo wanted it to be done before they came.

    They found the safe in the house but it could only be opened with his Uncle¡¯s finger which he had already chopped off and pressed against the screen. The safe opened with a click and Fin pulled out the suitcase in there. He opened it and brought out the phone inside of it which he opened with the dead finger too.

    ¡°Alex!¡± Richardo called his hacker who had survived the pandemonium.

    He came into the office and dropped hisptop on the desk and Fin tossed the phone to him which he caught and began to do his magic. Although it was mere minutes, it felt like forever for Richardo who began to fidget. This was the only n he had to have his revenge on Marcel and if it didn¡¯t work, it would take him years toe up with something.

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Alex announced and Richardo was d. Finally, everything wasing together.

    The funds were moved three ways; a percentage was sent to Konstantin and cleared his debts; another percentage was sent to Richardo¡¯s ount to fund his revenge against the Luciano family; the rest was given to Fin to run his empire.

    ¡°Now that it is done,¡± Fin said, stretching his hands for a handshake, ¡°It was a business doing business with you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise,¡± Richardo said, enveloping his palm with his. They were still shaking hands with each other when a bang was heard and Fin dropped to the ground with a thud.

    Richardo showed no response other than to wipe out the blood that sshed on his face with his handkerchief. If Fin could betray even his own family, what was the probability he wouldn¡¯t cross him too?

    He nced down at his watch, it was time already. As if on cue, his phone beeped with a message

    [It¡¯s done.]

    Konstantin was dead.

    Richardoughed at the top of his voice as Alex set to work, sending all of the funds to his ount alone. It took a monster to destroy a monster. What was the use of paying off his debt when he could be in charge instead? With moneyes power and now, he has bought over the Bratva.

    The streets of this city was about to swim with blood. There would be no mercy.

 Chapter 843 - 843 Mama Is Always Right

    843 Mama Is Always Right

    ¡°Good morning, sleepy head,¡± Those were the words that greeted Marcel when he opened his eyes. Arianna was lounging on his bed and she was smiling down on him, today was going to be a good day.

    Excited at the rare and beautiful sight, Marcel lunged at her, intending to gather her into his arms but the sharp pain that cut through him did well to remind him that he was still a patient. Good grief, can¡¯t a man get a woman here?

    Arianna snorted, amused at the scene, and decided to do him the favor by leaning forward and pressing a brief kiss to his lips, ¡°Good morning, Marcel.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, love.¡± He said, chasing after her lips but Arianna turned her face the other way, saying,

    ¡°Brush.¡±

    Marcel groaned, lying back down on his back. He swore he was usuallyzy around her and he liked it. It was hard to catch a break around here and her presence seemed to make everything easier. Sadly, this was not the time to go on leave. There were so many things to handle since that shoot-out .

    ¡°Marcel,¡± Arianna sat up, patting him on the shoulder, ¡°Get yourzy ass off the bed.¡±

    He turned, only to wrap his arms around her waist, and ced his head on herp instead, mumbling some words that she couldn¡¯tprehend. Arianna looked at him and shook her head in pity, this is what happens whenever shees around.

    So she let him be, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t remain on the bed forever. Instead, she leaned back against the bed¡¯s headboard, staring at nothing while her fingers yed with his silky hair. The both of them remained in that position, relishing thefortable silence until Arianna felt a hand travel up her thigh, and she could feel the goosebumps upon her soft skin.

    .....

    The breath catching in her throat alerted Marcel that she was now aware of what he was doing and when she did not attempt to stop him, he took it as a silent approval.

    She should stop him, Arianna had thought. But then, why? He was her boyfriend and he was making a move on her. Well, except for the fact that her boyfriend was currently injured and shouldn¡¯t engage in any vigorous activity till he recovered. Perhaps her mother was right, nothing can stop a man from having a go at it even if he was crippled.

    ¡°Marcel¡­.¡± Arianna reminded him, his hand getting increasingly close to her sensible nub. Her breath was ragged now, her chest rising and falling.

    Arianna was in his shorts that she stole from his wardrobe yesterday to go to bed. The shorts were bigger on her which meant Marcel had enough space to slip his hand through the edge and she was not wearing any panties.

    But Marcel only hummed a response as his hand continued its expedition until he found her clit and rubbed through her wetness. A sound that was close to a moan left her throat and Arianna had to bite down on her lips to keep the sounds froming.

    Her hand was clutching the sheet tightly as she felt the feelings beginning to spring to life and Marcel said to her, ¡°Come on, love, we both know that you can¡¯t hold it back forever.¡±

    And as he spoke, Marcel began to circle his fingers on her clit and she let out a sharp gasp, throwing her head back as she tried to hold on to that semnce of control. But then, there was something sinfully wicked about him working her clit like that and she can¡¯t even see him.

    ¡°You know that you can¡¯t win this, Arianna,¡± Marcel said even as he continued to circle her clit and she could feel it in every inch of her body. He was like a master violinist and her body was the poor strings being pulled.

    Arianna was writhing against the bed, her hand clutching a fistful of his hair and pulling at it so hard it hurt but she stubbornly refused to moan out her pleasure and give Marcel what he wanted.

    She said to him in between a hiss, trying so hard to control herself, ¡°You can¡¯t always have what you want¡­ God damn you, Marcel!¡±

    Marcel must have been waiting for that response because he increased his assault, and a moan slipped free from her mouth. Damn, she failed! But who cares when it feels so good?

    Arianna finally let herself go as Marcel wanted, mewling and moaning her desire as his finger slid from one end to the other,pping at her clit. He increased his pace and added another finger so her head felt light and she felt she was levitating as white-hot pleasure cascaded through her and then she was falling back to earth.

    Her chest was heaving as Marcel finally withdrew his fingers and sat up to face her so she watched as he licked her juices off his fingers. The heat in the depth of his gray eyes told her that not even his injuries would hinder him from devouring her whole this morning.

    Her mama was right.

    ¡°You said something about brushing, you wouldn¡¯t mind assisting a patient carry out his morning hygiene routine?¡± Although Marcel said it so innocently, Arianna knew from the glint in his eyes that this was far from over.

    Marcel was not going to force her to do anything she doesn¡¯t want to, so she should say no for his health¡¯s sake. But of course, she did the opposite, always a glutton for punishment. But then, could you me her? The man was so devilishly handsome that if he said, drop your pants, she would do it without hesitation. He wielded his weapon beauty like a weapon.

    Moreover, she was leaving soon and who knows when they would meet again. She had to take advantage of this moment to the fullest else she misses him again. So Arianna got out of the bed and stretched her hand which he took and she helped him to his feet.

    And they went into the bathroom where she helped him with his hygiene routine.

    Wink wink.

 Chapter 844 - 844 Fight For Your Love

    844 Fight For Your Love

    A sexually gratified couple was a happy couple. That could be said for Marcel and Arianna as they finally left the confines of their bathroom and bedroom to associate with the living. But then, thanks to their hanky-panky, Arianna forgot to release a piece of very important news to Marcel and one should have seen the murderous look on Marcel¡¯s face when he came downstairs to find Akim dining with his family.

    ¡°You!¡± His features distorted and Akim who had once been enjoying his conversation with Winters over breakfast stood up abruptly, his seat producing a squeaky sound. He looked like a rat who had been frightened into a corner by a bigger predator and fiddled with his hands nervously, sweat coating his face.

    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Marcel said in between a hiss, striding in his direction but Arianna got in his way.

    ¡°Babe,¡± She sped his face, hoping to calm him down.

    ¡°Do not ¡®baby¡¯ me right now,¡± Marcel didn¡¯t want to listen to Arianna knowing only she could talk him out of it. He already made it clear to that boy that he didn¡¯t approve of him. He was a prince and Winters was a hacker. The both of them were two worlds apart and he would only hurt Winters.

    But Arianna persisted, sping his cheek with both of her palms and fixing his gaze on her, and said, ¡°Everything¡¯s my fault, I was so distracted taking care of you that I forgot to tell you that he slept overst night.¡±

    ¡°Eeh?¡± His brows drew together, ¡°He did what?¡±

    That was when it dawned on Arianna that she just said the wrong thing. Instead of extinguishing the mes, she added fuel to the burning mes. Uh no.

    ¡°That bastard!¡±

    .....

    Akim swallowed when Marcel pinned him with a look and his feet got moving as soon as Marcel slipped from Arianna¡¯s grip and came after him.

    ¡°You dare to sleep over at my ce¡­.with Winters?¡± Marcel lunged at him but Akim narrowly escaped and now they were ying a game of chase around the dining table.

    ¡°Fuck it! It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking, Marcel!¡± Winters defended him. She too was on her feet and stood protectively in front of Akim. If Marcel wanted to get Akim, he would have to go through her first.

    ¡°Tell me what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Marcel sneered.

    ¡°Exactly? The both of them slept in different rooms. Nothing happened, Marcel. They didn¡¯t vite your home and you¡¯re really in no condition to be running around.¡± Arianna reminded him of his injury.

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth, brother.¡± Chloe supported, but unlike the others running around the table, she was more engaged with her delicious pancakes.

    ¡°All of you are in cahoots,¡± It dawned on Marcel and the fight left his body. Everyone had kept him in the dark, although he faintly remembered telling Winter to do whatever she wantedst night. Wonderful, he brought this upon himself.

    Closing his eyes, Marcel let out a deep down and when he opened them, it was tomand him, ¡°Sit down,¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Akim wondered if he was speaking to him

    ¡°Finish your breakfast.¡± He shouldn¡¯t be stingy about that at least, Marcel thought as he took his seat in the dining. However, his eyes shed when he saw the boy still standing.

    ¡°Do I need to spell it out for you now?¡±

    ¡°O-of course not,¡± Akim stammered, forcing his ass back down and it wasn¡¯t until Winters was sure that he had no ulterior motives did she reluctantly sit with him.

    This family was definitely weird, one moment Marcel wanted to end his life, and the next, they were having breakfast like one happy family. Goosebumps filled his arm. Sadly, that was not the end because when Akim nced down at the table, he discovered that he was in a new position and his food was beside Marcel.

    His morning keeps getting better.

    Akim swallowed, not knowing what to do. Should he return to his seat and directly face the devil or should he fast while the others ate? He wasn¡¯t really sure Marcel would appreciate thetter. Thankfully, Chloe, bless her, reached out and took his te and utensils, passing them over to him.

    He gave her a grateful smile but when Marcel caught him beaming at his sister, the expression faded away and Akim faced his front. Why were there death traps everywhere in this family? It was as if he had to watch his feet before taking a step else he was toast. Does he have to be cautious of the water as well?

    With Marcel and Arianna joining them, Beatrice had toe to serve them and it became the most awkward breakfast they ever had.

    ¡°So you slept the night over at my ce?¡± Marcel raised the issue out of nowhere and Akim nearly choked on his food. It was hard enough he was having problems swallowing down, now they had to continue the conversation from where they stopped.

    Before Akim had the chance to say something, Winters answered in his ce, ¡°Nius wants to send him back to Lincolnshire, however, he barely escaped on time to inform you that I was kidnapped. Ever since then, he has been hiding from his family and doesn¡¯t have a ce to stay. Your ce is kind of the only ce he¡¯s safe at the moment. ¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you, but him,¡± Marcel told her, pointing his fork at Akim. He looked him in the eyes saying, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before Nius discovers you¡¯re here and demands your return. It¡¯s quite sad that I don¡¯t involve myself in other people¡¯s business.¡± He hinted at the fact he would send him packing if Niuses knocking on his door.

    ¡°Marcel¡­.¡± Arianna tried to interfere but he put up his hand and she knew it was her cue not to interfere. This conversation was between the both of them ¨C he and Akim.

    Marcel asked him, ¡°What¡¯s your n, Akim? How do you intend to fight for your love?¡±

 Chapter 845 - 845 Marry Me, Winters

    845?Marry Me, Winters

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Akim finally acknowledged his responsibility, ¡°I can¡¯t keep running from my family forever. Even if you offer me protection from them, I still owe a responsibility to my kingdom and that is a position I can¡¯t avoid.¡±

    He continued, ¡°I believe that my family is biased towards Winters because they don¡¯t know her as much as I know her. Sure, her past isn¡¯t clean but what matters is the future and we love each other enough to move on and that is why¡­..¡±

    Akim turned towards Winters and took her hand in his, squeezing them affectionately. With a smile on her face, he asked her,

    ¡°Would you marry me, Winters? ¡±

    .....

    Bam!

    The fork slipped from Marcel¡¯s hand and fell to the ground with a tter. Chloe¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground while Arianna was unlucky enough to be sipping from a ss of water at that moment, choking on it and entering a coughing fit. What the fuck?! None of them saw thating.

    Winters sat in her seat, frozen and unable to believe what was happening. Seeing her reaction, Akim let out nervousughter as he said,

    ¡°Yeah, I know that it¡¯s a little shocking but it¡¯s the best alternative we have at the moment. My parents would have no choice but to approve of our rtionship when they hear that we are getting engaged. And then, we would move to Lincolnshire and there, you would spend time with them and before you know it, they woulde to love you. Not only that, we would n our future together, you would learn Lincolnshire culture as my fianc¨¦e and when we get older, we would settle down as husband and wife. You would make a beautiful queen of Lincolnshire, Winters.¡± It was a foolproof n but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Winters.

    Dear God, she couldn¡¯t breathe. Winters was suddenly feeling ustrophobic and Akim¡¯s hand holding hers suddenly felt like bondage. Everything was going too fast and the look on Marcel¡¯s face suggested the same. However, when Winters saw the hopeful look on Akim¡¯s face, her heart clenched and she couldn¡¯t disappoint him.

    ¡°Yes, I would marry you, Akim. Let¡¯s go ahead with the n.¡± Winters said, but deep down, there was a voice screaming inside of her that this was a bad idea. She would make Akim happy, but what about her? Would she be happy as well?

    She nced up and saw Marcel¡¯s expression. There has always been this understanding between her and Marcel and right now, he didn¡¯t approve of this arrangement.

    As if everyone finally woke up from the shock, Arianna pped her hands together, ¡°I don¡¯t know how this is going to work out, but congrattions guys on your engagement.¡± Even she had her doubts.

    ¡°Congrattions Winters and Akim!¡± Chloe was the happiest of them. Since she was younger, she couldn¡¯tprehend the subtle tension in the air and was excited by the good news.

    ¡°Congrattions,¡± Marcel said, holding her gaze.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Winters responded nervously. She has stayed enough with Marcel to know thatpliment was not sincere.

    Akim said to Marcel, ¡°I know that you¡¯re not rted to Winters biologically, but she holds you in high regard and in a way, you¡¯re like family to her¡­ and that is why I would want your blessings.¡±

    Marcel lifted his gaze and looked at the young man. For a moment there, Arianna thought he was going to strike at him or something, which was why she ced her hand on his back, coaxing him. Instead, Marcel grumbled, ¡°The both of you do whatever you want,¡± and went back to having his breakfast.

    Silence descended once again and this time, the tension in the room pulled and pulsed between them. Even Chloe who had been ignorant at first finally noticed it and kept shut. Her brother was not happy.

    It wasn¡¯t long when one of Marcel¡¯s men approached him and whispered something in his ears. Winters¡¯ stomach dropped when she saw the way Marcel¡¯s gaze flickered to her momentarily while listening to the guard. He nodded his head and she knew undoubtedly that the moment she dreaded hade. Nius was here for Akim.

    A cold sweat washed over her and her hands suddenly became mmy. It was a good thing Akim was not holding her anymore else he would have felt her nervousness. Everything else passed in a blur but Winters heard Marcel say, clearly,

    ¡°The moment that we have been waiting for is here. Nius is here to take you. I guess it¡¯s time to drop the marriage surprise on him too.¡± He smiled, revealing those teeth of his that gleamed like those of a shark.

    She turned to look at Akim who looked like the blood had drained from his face, but he was quick to push the emotion and put on a brave mask. When he turned to her, she too put on her mask, smiling at him brightly even when her stomach churned violently and she felt like throwing up.

    No, Winters felt like running away, to a ce where no one could find her and then she could erase the voices of everyone in her head telling her what to do and what not to do. And yet when Akim said, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she put her hand in his and let him take her to her death.

    Winters was like a zombie, her body was moving and yet she wasn¡¯t really in charge. She felt like a puppet under the control of a puppet master. Nothing she was about to do was of her free will. And just before they got outside, Akim stopped to assure her,

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything, just leave it all to me.¡± She nodded her head obediently like the good puppet she was.

    It wasn¡¯t until they got outside that Winters recalled those words, ¡°She was young and there were plenty of chances for love.¡±

    For the first time, Winters searched deep inside of her and she realized that she didn¡¯t want this. She needed to make her future, not one nned and handed down to her. That was what her heart wanted.

    Freedom.

    Even at the cost of her love.

 Chapter 846 - 846 Letâ€™s Break Up

    846 Let¡¯s Break Up

    Akim broke out in a cold sweat when he came outside to realize that not only was his uncle, Nius, here to take him away, but his parents were present too. Of course, it shouldn¡¯t have surprised him that Nius would inform his parents of the development after he narrowly escaped being sent back to his kingdom.

    He couldn¡¯t help but stare at his parents. Although it has been months since he left the kingdom of Lincolnshire, his parents looked the same. His mother, Queen Emily was wlessly dressed as usual, with her glowing skin unlike his father, his royal majesty, King Kai who stood beside her with a severe expression.

    Akim¡¯s stomach dropped and for a moment there, he wondered if he could still go ahead with this, however, he squeezed Winter¡¯s hand in his and he knew that it was now or never. No matter what he told his parents here today, they would never believe him nor ept Winters. And that was why he had to do this.

    ¡°Akim, dear!¡± His mother was the first to speak out and wanted to step out but his father put out a hand and stopped her. His father wanted him toe to them. They were mere meters away from each other and yet there were a thousand walls between them.

    ¡°Mother,¡± Akim called, taking a step only to realize that Winters did not make a move. He turned and gave her a reassuring look before walking forward and this time, she followed.

    The tension in the air was so thick that one could slice a knife through it. All that kept Akim going was the thought that Winters was by his side and with her support, he could do this. She was his world, his everything and he wasn¡¯t about to lose her all because his family didn¡¯t like her. They would have to get used to her.

    Akim stopped at a safe distance from his family. He couldn¡¯t help but eye the bodyguards his parents came with and had the horrible thought of them taking him away and separating the both of them together. He wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.

    ¡°What is this madness, Akim?!¡± His father Kai roared at him, not caring about the audience. He was so angry that veins bulged from his temple and throat while his eyes shed. ¡°All of this because of a girl?¡± He pointed at Winters, eyes full of disdain.

    Akim swallowed, ¡°I thought you of all people should understand, father. You were once in love with her, the same way I am in love with her,¡±

    .....

    ¡°Love,¡± His father snorted, ¡°What do you know about love? You¡¯re young Akim and your duty should be towards our kingdom! Even if you were going to fall in love, you should have chosen someone more¡­.¡±

    His father didn¡¯t have to finish the rest of his words because he got the point. They didn¡¯t like Winters, none of them ever did, because she was a hacker, a profession they considered dirty and improper.

    Indignation filled Akim.

    How dare they judge her! They know nothing about Winters! If they knew her well enough, they should be in awe of her ability. She was a natural genius! A raw talent that hadn¡¯t even been tapped into yet.

    If Winters was trained the right way, she was a golden talent that would benefit their kingdom immensely. Imagine the kingdom of Lincolnshire having a queen like her in the future, it was brilliant!

    ¡°You have to end this now ande home with us, Akim.¡± His father concluded without giving him a chance to defend her.

    ¡°You have to listen to your father, Akim,¡± His mother was the next to speak, ¡°We have missed you greatly already.¡± She emphasized her point by stretching her hand, wanting him to take it.

    His uncle Nius snorted augh by the corner and it was obvious to Akim that he never believed that he was serious with Winters in the first ce. But then, he was going to show him. He would show them all.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting married to Winters.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± A shout erupted from his mother¡¯s mouth, the blood draining from her face. His father¡¯s reaction was not far from his mother¡¯s except he had better control. And as for his uncle, he looked like he just pped him on the face.

    ¡°Dear God¡­.¡± His mother groaned before sliding to the ground in despair and herdy in waiting came to her rescue.

    Akim¡¯s heart clenched in pain watching the scene, he didn¡¯t want to hurt his mother but this had to be done. It was the only way for them to ept Winters.

    ¡°Akim!¡± His father boomed, attempting to lunge at him but the guards held him back. With the amount of anger coursing through him, he might as well kill the young prince.

    ¡°You must have lost your mind! What has that girl done to you?!¡±

    ¡°She did nothing! This is just me proving to you the length I would go for her¡­.!¡± Akim was still saying when he felt Winters withdraw her hand from his grasp.

    With a frown, he turned to give her a questioning look. He could sense this was too much on her, but she had to endure and soon it would be over. Akim was just about to open his mouth and tell her that she had nothing to worry about when he heard three shocking words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break up,¡±

    Bam!

    It felt like a bomb went off in Akim¡¯s head and he took a step, nearly stumbling back from the shock.

    ¡°N-no¡­.¡± He shook his head in disbelief, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Heughed, hoping to God that this was some shock. It had to be a joke.

    Winters lifted her head and looking him straight in the eyes, she said it firmly,

    ¡°Let¡¯s break up, Akim. ¡±

    Akim didn¡¯t want to believe it, but it was the reality staring right at his face. Even his parents had stilled, staring at the drama going on.

    No, Winters wouldn¡¯t do this to him, not after all of his efforts to keep them together. He was fighting for their love, for the both of them!

    Why then, did she abandon him?

 Chapter 847 - 847 Itâ€™s Over

    847 It¡¯s Over

    Music rmendation:- While you¡¯re at it ¨C Jessie Murph

    __________

    ¡°Winters¡­..¡± Akim stepped towards her but she moved back at once. She didn¡¯t want his hands on her knowing how confusing her emotions are. She wanted to do this with a clear head.

    ¡°They don¡¯t like me,¡± Winters told him.

    Akim sighed, rubbing his throbbing temple, ¡°That is why I¡¯m doing this,¡± He argued, ¡°They don¡¯t like you because they haven¡¯t gotten to know you yet, but when you spend time with them, I¡¯m sure their opinion of you would change!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you?!¡± She retorted, ¡°They don¡¯t like me and would never ept me! Your parents already have an impression of me and no matter what I do, I would never be good enough for them! For you! It¡¯s all useless!¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even tried!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of trying when it¡¯s not going to work? You¡¯re merely twenty and I¡¯m eighteen! How long are we going tost, huh? How long do you think we would stay in love with all of the persecution around us? To your parents, I am a nobody who confused their son, hence I should save myself the heartbreak rather than join a wrecking ship!¡±

    She continued, ¡°Also, you don¡¯t decide for me! I have my future, you know! Dreams! Aspirations! And you don¡¯t just get to whisk me away to Lincolnshire to be a good queen! To suck up to your pompous parents who would never give me a chance for crying out loud.¡±

    .....

    By the time Winters was done, the blood hadpletely drained from Akim¡¯s face and his lips trembled. At that moment, it felt like he was staring at a different person and he hadn¡¯t known Winters at all. It wasn¡¯t until a tear slipped down Akim¡¯s face that Winters realized that she might have taken her word a little too far.

    ¡°A-Akim¡­¡± She approached him but he avoided her. His head was reeling and her words felt like arrows that pierced through his chest. No, she practically ripped his heart out of his chest and God, it hurts.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± He finally acknowledged it, ¡°We should break up,¡±

    While she had been the first to suggest it, hearing Akim acquiesce to it shattered her heart into pieces. Suddenly, Winters didn¡¯t want it anymore. Couples fight and make up all the time, right?

    Winters opened her mouth to tell him that she was sorry, that she didn¡¯t mean any of those words she spoke. But yet, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it knowing that it was true. Winters didn¡¯t want to go to Lincolnshire and bootlick his biased parents, her pride wouldn¡¯t allow that, but she didn¡¯t want to break up with him either.

    And just like that, her mouth was agape with no wording out of it even when he said, ¡°I was the fool.¡±

    She swallowed instead, pushing down the tears that threatened to pour out in a torrent. While she wanted to be with him, the world was against them and Winters didn¡¯t want to be the reason he was estranged from his parents. She was young and had many chances to love, but Akim had many things to lose because of her ¨C his parents, and his throne. She couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Winters whispered to him, ¡°You should go to your parents and carry out your role, prince Akim,¡± Those were thest words she told him before walking away.

    But she didn¡¯t walk for long before familiar hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her to his chest. With her back turned to him, Akim buried his face in her neck, begging, ¡°Don¡¯t go Winters.¡±

    A shiver went through her but that rush of lust was extinguished when she felt something wet on her neck and came to realize Akim was crying. A sharp ache pierced through her, choking the breath from her body. She couldn¡¯t leave him like this.

    Winters turned in his arms, intending to tell him that she takes back every single word that she said, but her gaze connected with the queen¡¯s instead. It was a silent conversation, the woman wanted her son back. Her face nched as Winters realized all of this was happening because of her. She ruined her own family, would she ruin Akim¡¯s as well?

    And then, when she lifted her face to look into his tearful eyes, it was to say, ¡°Goodbye Akim.¡±

    She didn¡¯t wait around for Akim to try to beg and change her mind, Winters broke away from him and ran away like a coward. She ran and ran amid everyone¡¯s watchful eyes and never turned around for once.

    Winters was scared to see his once beautiful eyes that held adoration for her now filled with hate. She knew that she hurt him, but this was for his good. The both of them were simply not meant to be together. Before love,es family. She can¡¯t let Akim go against his family all because of her.

    ¡°Winters,¡± Marcel called after her but she ignored him and went inside. All of them had been there watching the drama. It was so embarrassing.

    She hid behind the wall in the foyer and somehow, Winters wished Akim woulde after her. She already tried her best to push him away and If he came for her once again, she would not let him go. Not now. Not ever.

    However, she waited and waited and nobody came. But yet, Winters wouldn¡¯t give up and stood at the spot, unwilling to lose the give up. It took a while but she heard some stepsing in her direction and her heart leaped in joy.

    Except that when she came out, it wasn¡¯t Akim, but Marcel and the others. When her gaze connected with Arianna, she shook her head and Winters knew instinctively that Akim was gone.

    A great deal of sadness washed over her and before Winters knew what was going on, her legs buckled and she fell in a heap on the ground crying. It hurts.

    Why does it hurt too much?

    __________

    Hi guys,

    Yep, I know the chapter is so sad and you probably want to kidnap dear author wherever she is right now, you¡¯re free to do so ( just make sure there¡¯s enough food and movies to keep mepany and I¡¯m all yours ??).

    Anyway, the end of something is the beginning of another and that is why Akim and Winter¡¯s story deserve a stand alone novel. Yep, their story is the contemporary story I was talking about. So below is the synopsis or plot I have at the moment and tell me what you think about it :

    ************

    Ten years ago, he was willing to give her the whole world. Akim Revatio, heir to the throne of Lincolnshire proposed to the love of his life only to have the proposal thrown at his face and he was dumped right in front of his parents.

    Akim has closed off his heart ever since and dedicated his life to leading his kingdom. Time was enough to heal his wounds, or so he thought. But just when he¡¯s about to start another chapter of his life, she barges in like a wrecking ball.

    It wasn¡¯t every day one received a marriage proposal from a prince, but Winters did and she broke his heart in return. Years have passed since that incident and just when Winters thought things couldn¡¯t get any worse, she¡¯s thrust right back into his life.

    Winters woulde to discover that there¡¯s a thin line between love and hate. Years have changed him and Akim, who she once rejected, turned out to be an irresistible Adonis and she¡¯s quite not sure that she¡¯s over him yet.

    Except that there¡¯s a little problem because Akim hates her ass and finds every way to make her life miserable and also, he now has a fianc¨¦e. Yep, Karma hase back to pay her back.

    What would Winters do? Would she give in to fate and let him have his happily-ever-after love? Or would she fight for her love and pray fate gives her one more chance to right her wrong?

    And Akim, would he be so consumed by hate and rage that he doesn¡¯t see the future ahead of them? Or perhaps behind those rages, is there still a sizzling attraction?

 Chapter 848 - 848 What Happens Between A Man And Woman

    848 What Happens Between A Man And Woman

    Daniel woke up before Angelica and while he should have gotten out of bed and left already, he didn¡¯t. He just lunged on the bed, watching her sleep. It wasn¡¯t until now that Daniel realized that he had beencking intimacy. It is said that the older one gets, the more he recognizes the value in people and that seems to be the case with Daniel.

    It took Natalie¡¯s dare to show him what he had been missing out on and he didn¡¯t want it to end. Obviously, Daniel doesn¡¯t love Angelica ¨C he wasn¡¯t capable of such emotion ¨C but he wanted a woman by his size. Fooling around with girls young enough to be his daughter didn¡¯t make the cut anymore.

    He wanted more.

    Something like this; waking up to a woman in his arms. He didn¡¯t want the young girls who were only after his money, but a sensible woman. Daniel knew that he wasn¡¯t getting younger anymore and perhaps it was time to find a wife that would take care of him for the rest of his life. Contrary to other people¡¯s thoughts, Daniel believes he was going to live a long time on this earth.

    Daniel needed Angelica. He was attracted to her and she is beautiful and mature. She would make a fine wife and she already loves children. Angelica would be a nice grandmother to his grandson whenever Marcel decides to give him one.

    Without caring that Haz have been on the lookout the entire night and must still be in the car, awaiting his return, Daniel rxed in bed. His eyes took in Angelica¡¯s naked body, her fine dark hair tumbling over her shoulder in waves and he was able to spot the love bites he had given her on her body. Daniel was not shy to admit he was an animal in bed ¨C why do you think she was still asleep?

    Also, he wanted more.

    Hence, he leaned in and began to kiss her neck, stirring her from sleep. His time was limited and soon he would have to leave, and Daniel nned to properly satiate his urges before he walked through that tongue. His lips skimmed over her naked back, sending shivers down her spine and Angelica made a sound that was between a pleasurable moan and a tired groan.

    What more does he want? Angelica wanted her beauty sleep. They had gone at it all through the night and she barely caught a wink this morning and here he was again demanding more. Daniel needed to go get checked at the hospital, she was sure of it.

    .....

    Angelica knew she was way over her head with this man, but she was a glutton for punishment. With just his hands, mouth, teeth, tongue, and dick Of course, he was able to erase whatever intimacy she thought she had with Benjamin. Daniel was the real deal. But then, everything came with its disadvantages and for starters, Daniel was quite demanding.

    Although her eyes were still shut in sleep, Angelica was very much aware of what he was doing to her body. His hands were on her breast, fondling it while his lips were everywhere. On her neck, cleavage, shoulder, cheeks, and finally her lips. The both of them were lost to passion when the doorbell suddenly rang.

    At first, they ignored it, hoping that whoever was there would take the hint and leave them alone. Not to mention they were desperate to be joined as one, but that wasn¡¯t the case because the bell rang over and over again and the both of them had to break apart, panting.

    ¡°Are you expecting anyone today?¡± Daniel asked, his gaze so dark with desire it made her heartbeat elerate, wetness pooling between her legs.

    ¡°No,¡± Angelica was surprised she could even find her voice. She was so turned on that she inwardly cursed whoever interrupted them.

    ¡°It must be Haz then,¡± Daniel assumed, ¡°While I would love to ignore him and have my wicked ways with you, it could be something that needs my attention. I will be back soon.¡±

    Angelica felt a rush of desire when she heard those words, ¡°Have my wicked ways with you¡± and that was it. Anything else Daniel said didn¡¯t exactly register in her mind.

    Daniel had the ¡°decency¡± of putting on his brief before going to answer Haz¡¯s call. The bastard was now impatiently ringing the doorbell which only served to annoy him. Just because this was the first time he was sleeping over at a woman¡¯s ce doesn¡¯t mean he has to bring down the whole house to confirm that he¡¯s still alive.

    He was still mad at having his time with Angelica interrupted. What if she changes her mind by the time he makes it back to her bedroom? Haz was going to get it from him. Thanks to the distraction, Daniel didn¡¯t bother to confirm his identity through the peephole.

    Opening the door, he said, ¡°I know I¡¯m getting older, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m ¡­..¡± Daniel trailed off when his gaze settled on Adele instead of Haz. A scowl appeared on his face, things just got messed up.

    Of all the people Adele expected at her mother¡¯s ce, Daniel Luciano didn¡¯t evene close to the list. Never in her wildest dream did she expect to see Marcel¡¯s father standing at the entrance of her mother¡¯s door, wearing nothing but his underwear that barely concealed the contours of his bits. It was a sight she wished she could unsee.

    At once, the wheels turned in her head as Adele trained toprehend this situation. Why was Daniel in her mother¡¯s ce half-naked? Of course, what do you think happens between a man and a woman when they¡¯re all alone? Her inner mind answered.

    Oh no, the color drained from her face.

    Without a word, Adele shoved past Daniel and hurried into the house. This can¡¯t be possible. She had to see it with both eyes, until then she refused to believe it.

    And so, she ran into her mother¡¯s room, and there the evidencey in abundance.

    Adele fainted right away.

 Chapter 849 - 849 Mess Up The Family Tree

    849 Mess Up The Family Tree

    Adele had a nightmare.

    In that weird dream, it was Christmas and everyone was high in the holiday spirit, except her. All of their family members were gathered together around the long dining table amid the animosity they had toward one another.

    The table was full of mouth-watering dishes and trays full of Christmas turkey. It was weird because she felt the situation didn¡¯t call for a celebration. Something bugged her that this wasn¡¯t right, however, everyone seemed to be creepily high on something. Theirughter was twisted and unnatural like puppets under the control of a puppet master.

    And that was when she saw Marcel. He was seated beside Arianna of course and they both were staring at each other andughing at God knows what was funny. She approached him and turned him away from Arianna so the both of them could talk.

    ¡°Marcel,¡± She tried to shake him out of this madness, ¡°What is going on? Where is my mother?¡±

    ¡°Where is your mother?¡± Marcel asked at first and then, like a scene from a horror movie, Arianna, who was beside him, repeated the same question. Soon, it was a cacophony of voices repeating the question. The hairs on her back stood on the edge, this was unnatural.

    Suddenly, the light in the room dimmed only for a spotlight to focus on the head table and her mother whom she was looking for materialized out of thin air, and sat on it.

    Adele swallowed, ¡°Mom, what is going on?¡±

    ¡°Adele, darling,¡± Angelica said, her teeth gleaming at her, ¡°Have a seat, your father has an announcement to make.¡±

    .....

    When her mother mentioned, ¡°Father¡± Adele looked around, waiting to see Benjamin appear, but to her horror, Daniel came out of the shadow instead with a glint in his eyes that made her take a step back.

    And before her very eyes, she watched as Daniel leaned toward her mother and they began to kiss passionately like young lovers who hadn¡¯t seen each other for a while.

    Instead of Marcel stopping them, he was the first to begin to p and before long, the others began to apud them.

    ¡°No!¡± Adele shouted at the top of her voice.

    She wanted them to stop.

    This can¡¯t be happening!

    This was not happening!

    ¡°Adele dear, what¡¯s the problem?!¡±

    She realized the freak show had ended during her meltdown. Looking around, Adele discovered that the scene had somehow changed and now it was just a few people at the table. And by a few people, she meant Marcel, Arianna, Chloe, her mother, and Daniel.

    ¡°What is this?¡± She summoned the courage to ask.

    ¡°Why? What do you mean? Our family, of course.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Adele shook her head vigorously, ¡°This is crazy! No, no, I¡¯m not in support of this.¡±

    But her mother answered nonchntly, ¡°Adele, sit down, you¡¯re beginning to bother your father.¡±

    And by father, she meant Daniel, who ced his hand over her palm and squeezed it affectionately. Adele¡¯s stomach churned at the sight, she was going to throw up.

    ¡°You should sit.¡± Her mothermanded.

    ¡°No!¡± Adele said firmly. She would not be part of this madness. Daniel can¡¯t be her father, her mother must have lost her mind.

    ¡°Sit down, Adele,¡± Angelica ordered her the second time.

    ¡°I said, no! What is the meaning of this?! You have to stop this mother! You¡¯re beginning to freak me out!¡±

    However, all of her pleadings fell on deaf ears because her mothermanded once again, ¡°Sit down, Adele!¡±

    And this time, Adele felt like she was no longer in control of her body as an unknown force dragged her down on an empty seat, directly facing Marcel. She tried to fight it but the power was stronger and Adele couldn¡¯t even lift a finger.

    ¡°Now¡­.¡± Angelica watched them, saying with a sweetly sick voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t we one happy family?!¡±

    As if on cue, everyone at the table burst into creepyughter once again while tears slid down Adele¡¯s face. She can¡¯t ept this. This had to be a nightmare! It had to be a nightmare!

    And suddenly, she woke up with a loud gasp, hurriedly getting off the bed and nearly head-butting the doctor who hade to check up on her in the process.

    ¡°Hey, calm down,¡± The woman was the one who held her steady else Adele would have taken off, frightened by her dream.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Adele asked, trying to calm her mind. Her head was reeling and she was trying to remember what brought her here.

    ¡°You¡¯re in a hospital and ording to your mother, you hit your head hard when you fainted.¡± The doctor said, nudging her back to the bed until she was sitting on the edge.

    She continued, ¡°You¡¯re a pregnant woman, Adele and you should always be careful of your blood pressure. Avoid stress ¡­¡±

    The doctor tipped her head back before she could ask the question in her mind, shining a small torch in her eyes, ¡°No sign of concussion either. We would run a small test to see if the babies are okay and then you¡¯re free to leave.¡±

    ¡°Where is my mother?¡± Adele finally asked the question in her mind. She finally recalled what happened, her mother has been sleeping with Daniel! Was she out of her fucking mind?! Of all people that she could have, why Daniel? Also, wasn¡¯t she secretly seeing her father as well? It didn¡¯t hit her that Daniel prefers women who two-times. Even at that, her mother had the talent of attracting the wrong men in her life!

    The doctor told her, ¡°Your mother dropped a message saying she would meet you at home after you have calmed down.¡±

    ¡°Calm down?!¡± Adele sneered at the thought because the fury inside of her kept getting hotter with each passing minute.

    What was she going to tell Marcel? That both of their parents were fooling around? By chance, if Daniel and her mother managed to get together ¨C which would never happen ¨C what does that make her and Marcel?

    Half-step siblings?!

    This is why you don¡¯t mess up the family tree!

 Chapter 850 - 850 They Abandoned Her

    850 They Abandoned Her

    By the time Adele walked through the front door, which was opened as if she had been expecting her, Angelica had already prepared herself physically and mentally against the scolding that was sure toe.

    Adele didn¡¯t even rush it but rather walked into the living room at her own pace. There were so many things running through her mind and she didn¡¯t want to ruin it by being too fast. Her mother was there when she came in and their gaze connected, but Adele looked away and sat down across from her.

    The anger was boiling inside of her. Adele wanted to scream at her face. What the hell was she thinking? Daniel of all people?! Was she that ignorant or was she simply asking for a quick death? Adele wanted tosh out at her mother, but she held everything inside of her. They needed to discuss this like civilized people.

    However, the feeling of betrayal hurt her deeply. Angelica denied having any connection with Daniel and even promised to steer clear of him. Had Adele known this was her definition of staying away from danger, she would have kept a close eye on her.

    Seated directly across from her mother, she lowered her head and took a deep breath, as if trying to gather the courage for this conversation. When Adele lifted her face, it was devoid of emotion and it took her everything to ask, calmly, ¡°So is there anything more that I need to know before wemence?¡±

    Angelica licked her lips nervously, cing both of her hands on her knees. Right now, she looked like a child about to be scolded by her mother ¨C even though she was technically the mother here.

    She said to her, ¡°We weren¡¯t really supposed to sleep together yet, it just kind of happened.¡±

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± The color drained from Adele¡¯s face and she lifted her hand to pinch the space between her brows. Both of them were seeing each other.

    Adele hissed, ¡°You told me you had nothing to do with him and would stay as far as you can from him.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Of course, I did. I tried my best to mind my business but we kept getting involved with each other and he wanted me to be his woman. We are only dating.¡±

    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Adele¡¯s face was filled with horror and nausea rose to her throat. This was not happening.

    She jerked up to her feet and hurled at her mother, ¡°Are you fucking out of your mind!¡±

    Angelica stood as well, retorting, ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t respect my choice but that is no way to speak to me, Adele!¡±

    Adele blinked, taken aback by herment. Consumed with rage, she didn¡¯t realize that she had crossed the bother line of being disrespectful to her mother.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She apologized, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t erase the fact that you¡¯re making a huge mistake here. You don¡¯t even know what Daniel has done?! What he is capable of!¡± God, she wished someone would kick some sense into her head right now.

    ¡°I know,¡± Angelica said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I know about him, Adele, Daniel told me everything,¡± Angelica confessed to her.

    Adele¡¯s brows arched in confusion, ¡°And you still want to be with him?¡±

    Please say no.

    But Angelica didn¡¯t need to say a word, Adele saw the answer on her face and she froze.

    ¡°No,¡± She shook her head in refusal, ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be considering being together with him! That man is a monster, mother!¡± Adele was desperate now to prove to her that she was making a big mistake.

    ¡°Monster or not, he¡¯s still a man beneath all that. Even monsters need someone by their side.¡± Angelica preached.

    ¡°Yes, they can, but not you. Daniel can find anyone else, just not you!¡±

    ¡°Adele!¡± Angelica was bing frustrated with her, ¡°I am an adult and I make my decisions and this is between Daniel and I.¡±

    ¡°Not when you¡¯re making a huge mistake here,¡± Adele told her, ¡°Daniel is a bad choice. What happened to Benjamin? I don¡¯t care anymore, choose him or whoever you want, but not Daniel. You can¡¯t choose Daniel! Think about how that would affect me!¡± She remembered at once, ¡°And Marcel! How do you think he would feel about this?!¡±

    Angelica didn¡¯t answer right away and that made Adele think that she was considering her idea. However, her mother answered in the end, ¡°You¡¯re father and I ended whatever was between us years ago, and yes, Marcel would not befortable with this new arrangement, however, none of you are kids anymore.¡±

    ¡°M-mom¡­.¡± Adele choked out, the tears already sliding down her eyes having realized where this was heading.

    ¡°The both of you are grown-ups and should live your lives while Daniel and I sort out what is going on between the both of us. And I would appreciate it if you respect my decision the same way I kept my mouth shut and didn¡¯t tell the baby¡¯s father about your pregnancy. ¡±

    And just like that, her mother dealt a death blow to her hopes of ever changing her mind. It was a rude awakening because Adele realized that she wasn¡¯t in the position to decide for her mother when she wasn¡¯t brave enough to open up to Elijah about her pregnancy. It was like the kettle calling the pot ck.

    Adele couldn¡¯t say anything more and her lips trembled instead from the frustration. She burst into tears and when her mother came over tofort her, Adele stormed out of the house instead. She was throwing a fit instead after things didn¡¯t go her way.

    Once outside, Adele strode down the street not caring that she was drawing attention and people were staring at her weirdly. Why was this happening to her? Who said she wanted Daniel as a stepfather? Just when her rtionship with her mother was getting better, another onees to disrupt it.

    Still burning with fury, Adele took her phone out and called Daniel without thinking about it. She wasn¡¯t usually this impulsive and always in control no matter what, but Daniel went too far this time. He touched something that was precious to her and pissed her off.

    Surprisingly, Daniel answered the call knowing it was her and that she was not here to wish him a congrattory message.

    ¡°Adele,¡± Daniel called her name.

    Unfortunately, hisposure pissed her off more. How could he be so calm after what he did? She even made a deal with him so he could stay away from them and yet, he went behind her back to get into bed with her mother. What was his motive? Adele refused to believe that he liked her mother. That man loved no one else but himself. How could she let her mother go through the same thing Penelope, Marcel¡¯s mother, went through in his hands?

    As if a well of emotions opened inside of her, Adele began to curse into the phone, ¡°Fuck you, Daniel! Fuck the deal! I hope you rot in hell, you bastard¡­!¡± She said every profanity she could think of.

    ¡°Adele, you¡¯re being emotional right now. I think you should take time and calm down. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying -¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know what I¡¯m saying perfectly!¡± Adele screamed into the phone, scaring some passers-by who avoided her. She told Daniel, ¡°I want nothing to do with you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Adele, calm down and -¡±

    Daniel was still speaking when Adele hung up on him, taking satisfaction in the fact that he would be mad at her tant disrespect. Even at that, it still doesn¡¯t erase the fact that the bastard and her mother were together. How was she going to rte the news to Marcel? Adele was embarrassed as it was already.

    Another wave of emotion hit her and she burst into tears again. What was happening to her? Why was nothing in her life going the way she nned it? It was all because of that bastard Elijah! Why did he evere into her life?

    Adele tried to stop the tears, but the more they slid down her face. It was as if the pent-up emotions she had kept hidden inside of her finally burst free and like a river, it overflowed. The next thing Adele knew, her hands had already dialed Elijah¡¯s number.

    Although she deleted his number from his phone, they were seared into her memory. She ced a call to him and when he didn¡¯t pick up on the first ring, Adele cried louder. Everyone has abandoned her! No one wanted her!

    The harder she cried, Adele kept calling Elijah¡¯s phone until a voice said,

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    Adele fell apart.

    ¡°You bastard! Why did you get me pregnant?! Why did you have to evere into my life?! Why did you do this to me?! Why me?! Why?!¡± She screamed into the phone, crying loudly.

    Adele felt better now that the truth was out! Her mother was right, she can¡¯t do this alone. Why should she do it alone anyway? Elijah deserves to suffer as much as she did! And speaking of Elijah, why hadn¡¯t he said anything yet?

    And then she heard, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The color drained from Adele¡¯s face, that wasn¡¯t Elijah.

 Chapter 851 - 851 His Brothers Needed An Explanation

    851 His Brothers Needed An Exnation

    Elijah could almost bepared to a wanderer since he¡¯s been going around the city aimlessly. Not even his siblings could ount for his location, but they were sure of one thing, he was safe. They would have gotten a notice by now if he had been captured by the enemy.

    He finally returned to his apartment and was in the process of inputting his code when the hairs on his arms stood on edge. Something was not right, he spun on his heels only for a bag to be ced over his head, and he couldn¡¯t see a thing. Elijah fought them, but there were two of them and he was overpowered in no time.

    He was in deep shit, Elijah realized at thest minute. He should have known they had beenying in wait for him, if he wasn¡¯t distracted. Elijah knew that he had been a wrecktely, having lost the desire to move on with his life after Adele rejected him. He felt empty, like there was this hollow feeling in his chest that couldn¡¯t be filled up no matter how much he tried.

    Even while his sense of sight was cut off, Elijah could tell they were taking him away and atst, he was tossed into a truck that was soon on the road. Elijah tried to think about who was behind his abduction and he couldn¡¯te up with a name. He has been on his best behaviortely and couldn¡¯t remember who he offended enough toe back for revenge now. But a name came to his mind.

    Marcel.

    But it didn¡¯t make any sense, Marcel has been making efforts for peace between both families. Why would he make a move now, unless the deal fell through? It dawned on him. This was not good, Elijah went pale. Adele hated his ass and with a war between both families, he could kiss his dreams of ever changing her mind goodbye.

    Elijah didn¡¯t panic throughout the ride knowing that Marcel would not kill him, at least not for now. Whatever happened, Marcel must have gotten his hands on him first to hold him hostage and probably get his brother to agree to whatever deal he wanted. He was not new to such dealing except that he was the token this time.

    They arrived at their destination not long after and Elijah was dragged to his feet and forced to walk with them while still blindfolded. Finally, he was forced down to a seat when they got inside but was shocked when they began to work on the binds on his wrist and soon he was free. Huh, what was going on? Perhaps, they wanted a peaceful talk.

    But the bag was taken off his head roughly and Elijah had to squint his eyes against the sudden light until he could adjust his sight. He stared at his kidnappers and there were three of them dressed thoroughly in ck with their faces covered.

    .....

    Strange enough, Elijah couldn¡¯t help but feel there was something oddly familiar about them. They were underground and as if on cue, all three of them took off their mask simultaneously and when Elijah saw their identity, his jaw dropped to the ground.

    It was his brothers.

    All of them, excluding Eric.

    ¡°You bastards!¡± He jerked off from his seat, rushing at the easiest one to tackle who was Ezra and the both of them rolled to the ground.

    Ezraughed at him, having taken satisfaction in pranking him. Unfortunately, his smugughter irked Elijah the more who attempted to beat him up but the bastard kept dodging his moves. As they squabble on the floor, Elvis pulled him off Ezra who keptughing. The look on his brother¡¯s face when he discovered what they had done to him wasical.

    ¡°That was not funny!¡± Elijah shouted at him, red on his face. While he could fight and quibble with Ezra since he was directly his junior, the same couldn¡¯t be said for Elvis. He would only get hurt if they fought and Elvis tended to throw his weight around.

    ¡°You went missing in action and as caring and devoted siblings, we decided to throw our baby brother a wee party, shouldn¡¯t you be thankful?¡± Ephraim said.

    Of course, Elijah wasn¡¯t surprised that Ephraim was involved. His rogue brother was usually the brains behind every crazy prank they¡¯d carried out amongst themselves.

    ¡°Caring and devoted brothers, my ass!¡± Elijah retorted, ¡°Can¡¯t I get a bit of privacy around here? Also, shouldn¡¯t you go back to your wife and children already, what¡¯s your ass still doing here?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Ephraim winked at him, standing to his feet, and approached him with mischievous intent, ¡°I missed you enough already, baby brother.¡±

    Elijah sensed his intention and warned him, ¡°Don¡¯t think of it! Don¡¯te close to me, you bastard! Don¡¯t you -¡± But that was exactly what Ephraim did causing him to jump out of the way at thest minute.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run away, baby brother, I have lots of love to shower on you,¡± He puckered his lips to give him a kiss and Elijah¡¯s eyes widened in terror. His brothers have lost their damn minds.

    And just like that they started a game of chase and thanks to the distraction, he didn¡¯t hear Ezra who had his phone in his hand announce, ¡°Your phone¡¯s ringing.¡±

    Ephraim chased him around the basement while Ezra tried to draw his attention all to no avail until he had no choice but to announce to the family,

    ¡°I think Elijah¡¯s girlfriend is calling.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Ephraim and Elvis shouted in shock, asking in unison, ¡°Elijah has a girlfriend?!¡±

    Ezra nced down at the screen and announced, ¡°I think so. The contact says ¡®My love, A.¡¯ Quite mysterious yet cringe if I might add.¡±

    Unfortunately, while his brothers were busy criticizing the way he saved his supposed girlfriend¡¯s contact, the blood had drained from Elijah¡¯s face after having recognized it was Adele.

    ¡°Should I answer?¡± Ezra intended to tease him by saying that, but Elijah lost it.

    ¡°No!¡± He shouted and rushed at Ezra. Unfortunately, before he could snatch the phone from him, his brother already reacted by tossing the phone to Ephraim who caught it and smirked as he stared at the screen.

    ¡°Judging from our brother¡¯s reaction, it¡¯s safe to conclude whoever this woman is that she is quite important to him,¡±

    ¡°Or man,¡± Elvis said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Elvis gave him a full-toothed grin, ¡°He could swing both ways, you know. Don¡¯t worry brother, we will support you regardless of your sexuality.¡±

    At this point, Elijah was close to exploding. It was Adele. She was finally calling him and he needed to answer the phone.

    ¡°Give me the damn phone!¡± He tackled Ephraim to the ground, the veins on his neck bulging. This game has gone on for a long time already.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Ephraim winked at him and that was when Elijah nced down to discover he was not with the phone. He had tossed the phone to Elvis at thest minute before they fell together.

    Frustrated, Elijah scrambled up to his feet, seething. Right now, he looked like he was about to wolf out and that was evidenced by the fact he wasn¡¯t intimidated by Elvis¡¯ muscr frame.

    He demanded, ¡°Give me the phone, Elvis!¡±

    He was out for blood now and if fighting his brother ¨C even though he was sure to lose in the end ¨C would get him the phone, so be it.

    ¡°Come get it!¡± He challenged him.

    And like two powerful forces, they collided, only for Elvis to throw the phone back to Ezra, and this time, he answered the call.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Ezra said with a grin, putting the phone on to speak out.

    ¡°No!¡± Elijah cried out and tried to go after him, but Elvis held him back with his sinewy arms and strength.

    And that was when they heard it.

    ¡°You bastard! Why did you get me pregnant?! Why did you have to evere into my life?! Why did you do this to me?! Why me?! Why?!¡± His secret woman screamed into the phone, her words echoing across the room.

    All of the brothers froze. What the fuck was going on here? Of course, their eyesnded on Elijah at once knowing he held the answer to all of their questions. However, Elijah in question was frozen with shock.

    What did he just hear? Adele was pregnant for him? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. And at the same time, it made sense. In such a short time, Elijah began to go over the many times he had sex with her without protection. Dear God, it seems it was true. Or it could be a cruel joke. He needed to see her. Hear her say those words face to face.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ezra asked her and that roused him from his reverie. Before anyone could stop him, Elijah had already walked over and snatched the phone from his brother, ending the call instantly.

    He was panting and ring at them, their joke had gone too far. But it didn¡¯t excuse the fact that his brothers needed an exnation. Now.

 Chapter 852 - 852 Plan Their Wedding

    852 n Their Wedding

    ¡°What did I just hear?¡± Ezra was the first to recover from the shock, his hand falling to his side weakly.

    ¡°More like what we heard?¡± Elvis took an aggressive step towards Elijah, ¡°You got a woman pregnant and left her all by herself?!¡± He growled at him.

    While they are cold-hearted mobsters, the brothers hold the female gender in high esteem. Perhaps, it had to do with the fact that their mother tried her best to birth a girl while she was alive, only to end up with five boys instead. Thanks to that, they treasured each female child born into the family and of course, their wives.

    The Draven had a lot of values which was why the brothers stick around and have each other¡¯s back. And right now, a certain brother was about to receive the wrath of their anger.

    While the others interrogated him for keeping his baby mama a secret, Ephraim asked just one question,

    ¡°Who is she?¡±

    He already heard stories of the female he messed with her feelings while going undercover in the Luciano family and he had a nagging feeling that she was the one.

    Meeting Ephraim¡¯s steely gaze, Elijah swallowed and averted his brother¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t until now that he realized just how bad he messed up.

    ¡°It¡¯s that girl, isn¡¯t it? The Luciano?¡± Ephraim already had his suspicion confirmed when he wouldn¡¯t answer him.

    .....

    ¡°Which Luciano?¡± Elvis had no idea and was the least bright among the brothers. He was the perfect description of all brawn and no brains. However, step on him and you have a god of waring after you.

    ¡°Wait, Adele?!¡± Ezra figured it out, shocked. He said, ¡°Eric is going to have your head for dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea,¡± Elijah defended himself, ¡°I just found out about it just like you guys did now, so could you spare me the criticism? Moreover, it¡¯s not like we can confirm she¡¯s pregnant, Adele could be bluffing for all we know.¡± He wanted to believe that it was true. It hoped it was the truth.

    ¡°A woman doesn¡¯t just call to announce that she¡¯s pregnant into the phone while crying and it¡¯s nothing.¡± Ephraim added, his words dripping with thick sarcasm, ¡°Congrattions, Elijah, you finally upgraded yourself from our baby brother to a father. What a great cause for celebration after Eric skins you alive.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to get her pregnant,¡± Elijah said, his head throbbing now.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you intended to get her pregnant or not, however, Eric still has a deal to seal with Marcel and you of all people know he hates getting his hands tied up in a preposition.¡± He hinted at the fact that Eric would have no choice but to agree to the deal now, thanks to his actions.

    ¡°And brother, ¡± Elijah was startled when Elvis was suddenly beside him, cing his hand on his shoulder and squeezing tightly, ¡°You should go check on your baby mama while we n your wedding.¡±

    Simultaneously, all three brothers burst intoughter and while it was funny to them, it wasn¡¯t the same for Elijah knowing that he was in deep shit. Adele loathed his ass and would never agree to marry him and be a member of the Draven family.

    Unfortunately, his brothers would never stand for it and would demand the child if she doesn¡¯t want to end up with him. And Elijah had a feeling that Adele was not going to agree to that. There was no doubt about it, karma was punishing him. This was payback for what he did and he had no idea how to start restitution for his sins.

    ¡°I guess it was no useing to get you for the job,¡± Ezra said and that piqued Elijah¡¯s interest.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He asked.

    ¡°The Basil family was gunned downst night. The only surviving members were his wife and children who were luckily out of town at the time of the incident.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°Eric thinks it was an inside job, a bait. whoever betrayed them, raise a false rm and get them all in one ce and then strike. It was a massacre and all suspicion falls on Fin. Eric ims the boy was ambitious and he¡¯s often warned Baz about his young nephew but the man had a soft spot for the boy and look where that got him. Stabbed in the back by his blood. ¡± Ezra said.

    Elijah shuddered, feeling the hairs on his arms and back standing up. He couldn¡¯t imagine betraying his brothers for anything in this world. They were his family and he loved them with all of his heart even if they were a pain in the ass sometimes.

    Ephraim took over from Ezra saying, ¡°We think the target from the start had been their offshore ounts. Whoever did that has uses for the money and Eric is ufortable with such changes. He¡¯s worried that the incident would cause a rift in the power dynamics of this city and he¡¯s not sure that¡¯s for good. Sadly, Finn, who could have been assisted in this investigation, was also killed; it turns out that whoever he was working with was wise enough to end him ¨C and increase the workload for us. If he could betray his family, then his greed is unlimited. ¡±

    ¡°So Eric wants me to find the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Not really? We already have a lead and that¡¯s the problem. The Bratva took responsibility for the attack and while that could be seen as a threat to our territory, Konstantin, their leader, was also murderedst night at the same time. Someone is ying a very dangerous game here and there are moves already in the streets. Eric wanted you and Ezra to sniff out the person responsible for this ruckus, but it seems you have enough problems on your te already. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad brother for missing out on this chance to have fun, it¡¯s not like you could have done better than me anyway,¡± Ezra was smug.

    Both of them have always beenpared based on their abilities since they were young and Ezra hasn¡¯t outgrown the habit. Not to mention that both of them were good at one thing, stealth.

    Elijah ran his hand through his hair, this mission could have been the real deal to get his mind off Adele, unfortunately, the cat has been let out of the bag and he had to face his problem head-on.

    ¡°I¡¯m going then,¡± Elijah was about to leave when Ephraim said, ¡°Wait.¡±

    He turned.

    Ephraim said to him, ¡°The clouds are gathering and the violence is stirring in the air. These are hard times Elijah and whatever you do, you be careful. Solve your issues with that woman and keep an eye out. Don¡¯t cause more problems, Eric has a lot on his te right now. Cause more trouble and I¡¯ll deal with you, myself. ¡±

    ¡°Thank you, brother. ¡± Elijah thanked him sincerely and took his leave. He had a goal now and it was to track down Adele wherever she was.

    Elijah had to return to his ce and pulled out a phone that he specially hidden. Adele might not know this but he nted a tracker in her phone while he was still with her. Though he felt guilty for invading her privacy, it was going to work for his good now.

    Tracking her down the old-fashioned way mightnd him in trouble. He couldn¡¯t go to see her while she was in Luciano¡¯s territory. While Marcel¡¯s hatred for him had eased, some other members of the family wouldn¡¯t mind kicking his ass for his deceit. He yed them and that was a huge smear on the family¡¯s reputation.

    With the phone in hand, Elijah began to track her down and to his surprise, she was wandering. From the time and distance, she was on foot and finally, she was able to settle down at a ce. A restaurant from the looks of things on his map.

    Elijah drove down there, his heart pounding the entire time. He has already prepared himself to be her rag doll ¨C he anticipated a p or two on the face, and maybe she would kick him on the knees, and not his groin, please.

    Adele saw him first when he entered since she had been staying closest to the windows where she could monitor everyone¡¯s movement. He had been expecting to see fury and hatred on her face when their eyes connected and took a deep breath while praying internally for strength.

    ¡°Adele,¡± He stood in front of her, unsure of what to do.

    She lifted her gaze and said to him, ¡°Why are you behaving like we don¡¯t know each other? Have a seat and let¡¯s move on to nning our wedding.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Elijah nearly lost his bearing before his ass could even touch the seat. What was going on? He hade to see her, expecting to see a fight, not this submission.

    Adeleughed, ¡°I was thinking of ways to make your life miserable, and then this idea came to me. Why don¡¯t we be miserable together?¡±

 Chapter 853 - 853 Make Her Love Him Again

    853 Make Her Love Him Again

    He should be happy that he had it easy and wouldn¡¯t have to fight her for custody of the child since they would be together as husband and wife, but for some reason, Elijah felt dread creep up his spine instead. He knew Adele like the back of his head and whenever she was thispliant, watch your back twice.

    In this state, she was like slow poison, smiling and lulling you with her sweet words while sucking away at your essence until you¡¯re nothing but a husk. Elijah pinched the space between his brows, he didn¡¯t want this ¨C the submissive yet deadly version of her. He wanted her to be mad and take out all of her anger on him.

    Their marriage doesn¡¯t need to be perfect but he didn¡¯t want a battlefield. Even if Adele decides to hate him for the rest of her life, he needed to know she had his back. But then, how could he ask for her trust when he broke her first? Elijah let out a frustrated sigh, the punishment was too much.

    He began by asking her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me from the start that we were having a baby?¡± He was careful with the use of his pronoun and insinuated closeness between the both of them knowing that Adele was sensitive and prepared for battle. She looked taut and would probably use every word he says here against him.

    ¡°Why? Because you¡¯re ashamed that your family now knows that I¡¯m your dirty little secret,¡± There was a sneer in her tone. Adele had her suspicion after the call and it was now proven.

    He was right, the fire burning in her eyes was proof she was searching for a reason to fight with him. Elijah knew then that he had to thread this ground carefully.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case,¡± He breathed, ¡°If I¡¯m to find out that I¡¯m having a child, I would love the privilege of knowing first before the interference of my beloved family members.¡±

    ¡°Oops, sorry, ¡± There was not an ounce of sympathy in her tone. She went on to say, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that your brother happened to pick up your call when I finally called to announce the good news. If you want to me anyone, try yourself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± Elijah said.

    .....

    ¡°Do what?¡±

    ¡°Being like¡­.¡± He couldn¡¯t find the words to describe her attitude without being insultive.

    ¡°A bitch?¡± Adele helped himmit it. She smirked wickedly, ¡°This is just a preview of our future together, why? Are you scared already?¡±

    She said, ¡°In that case, you can leave while I take care of our children¡­.¡± Adele rubbed her belly while saying the words without emotions, ¡°all by myself. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised anyway and I would be sure to tell your children what kind of man you were.¡±

    And that was when it hit Elijah and he asked her, ¡°Why do you keep saying, children? Aren¡¯t we having a child¡­.?¡± Elijah had a guy feeling at that moment that there was something more. His brothers Eric and Ephraim were twins which meant the gene ran in the family. It couldn¡¯t be that she was pregnant with twins too.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Adele said, having been reading his expression all this while and could sense his suspicion, ¡°We are having more than one child.¡±

    Elijah was stunned, ¡°Twins?¡± He couldn¡¯t exactly tell what he was feeling. Everything was happening too fast; one minute he was a single guy and the next he was on his way to bing a father, not just to one child, but two kids. It felt surreal. He wasn¡¯t even ready to be a father yet.

    Instead of answering his question, Adele burst intoughter, leaving him confused. Sheughed andughed so hard that tears escaped her eyes and people were beginning to stare at them, leaving him embarrassed.

    Elijah scratched the back of his head, feeling timid all of a sudden as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my question?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! That was the same thought I had when my doctor said I was having multiple pregnancies. However, did you know what she said?¡±

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Elijah was filled with anticipation and also, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if something was wrong. The way Adele said it, it almost seemed like there was bad news attached to it.

    Instead of Adele answering him right away, she burst into another round ofughter again and this time, Elijah was exhausted with her antics.

    ¡°Just -!¡± He was close to losing his temper, but held himself at thest minute, ¡°Just give me news, Adele. No more games.¡± He was begging her.

    Leaning towards him on the table, Adele announced in her teasing voice, ¡°I¡¯m having Quadruplets, Aziz, or should I call you Elijah,¡±

    The blood drained from Elijah¡¯s face and he looked like he could copse anytime soon. What did she just say? They were having quadruplets?

    Dear God.

    He nched with terror.

    The only reason Elijah was still seated was that he wanted to take responsibility for his actions, but then, no one told him that it was way worse than he thought.

    It was Quadruplets.

    Fucking Quadruplets?!

    He couldn¡¯t even handle himself, talk more about a child, and finally, four of them?! Why couldn¡¯t he have one of them or even two like his brothers? Why four?! Elijah was highly tempted to abandon everything and run off. The responsibility was too much and he felt like fainting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take all the time you want. It took me days to process the shock, and I can imagine how hard it is for you.¡± Although her words were sweet, the glint in her eyes was pure evil.

    That was when it dawned on Elijah that he couldn¡¯t have a vengeful wife and handle four kids at the same time. No, it was impossible! He would die before his time. And there was only one solution, he had to make Adele fall in love with him again.

 Chapter 854 - 854 He Cheated

    854 He Cheated

    ¡°How is she?¡± Marcel came up behind Arianna without warning, nearly startling her.

    She sighed, shaking her head, ¡°She locked her door and is not speaking to anyone.¡± Arianna referred to Winters. It has been hours since the incident and she locked everyone out.

    ¡°That is not surprising. Chloe does that whenever I piss her off and goes on a one-woman protest. Teenagers these days are so entitled.¡±

    Marcel narrated to her, ¡°Back in my days, you had no time to throw a tantrum. Daniel was quite creative with his punishments and I was careful not to act on a whim.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Arianna agreed with him, ¡°I could sulk at the corner, but throwing a fit of temper was asking for a whack on the bottom. The worst part is udia loved watching her parents punish me,¡± She shuddered at the memory.

    ¡°We should give her space. Knowing Winters, she wouldn¡¯t leave this room until she¡¯s ready and strong to face everyone.¡± Marcel suggested, cing his hand on her shoulder and leading her away.

    However, Arianna expressed her fear, ¡°Are you sure she won¡¯t do something stupid? Teenagers these days have the ir for drama.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not like Winters and you worry too much. Nothing is going to happen.¡±

    And so she let him take her to the living room. Seated on the same sofa, Arianna turned to Marcel with her opinion,

    .....

    ¡°It still doesn¡¯t make sense to me. I get that Nius and the others don¡¯t like her, however, Akim already offered a solution. Moreover, it¡¯s not like they were getting married right away. They are still young and have a lot of years between them, so why would Winters reject such a proposal? I can¡¯t help thinking that she was in the wrong here. ¡±

    But Marcel told her, ¡°I thought you of all people should know the answer to that? ¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You were once in a situation like her, Arianna. Although Akim didn¡¯t kidnap her, he¡¯s whisking her into a life that she¡¯s unfamiliar with. Winters doesn¡¯t want a sheltered life. All her life she has worked hard for what she needed and then out of nowhere, this charming prince sweeps her off her feet with a promise to make her life easier. Where is the excitement?¡±

    Marcel continued, ¡°And you heard her, it¡¯s not easy to change the mind of adults and they already decided that she¡¯s bad for their precious son, Akim. Even if Winters goes to Lincolnshire and tries to please them, she would never be good enough for them. In their minds, she would always be the criminal hacker who ensnared their son with her ck magic. She would keep hoping to change their mind about her by giving and giving until she loses herself. And trust me when I say I know what it¡¯s like to change someone who can¡¯t be changed. ¡±

    Judging from the nostalgic expression on his face, Arianna could tell that he was talking about his mother and her heart hurt for him. She reached out and squeezed his arms affectionately. Marcel noticed the gesture and covered her palm with his, smiling.

    He said, ¡°Honestly, I think Winters made the right decision. It¡¯s their loss, not hers. They failed to recognize a rare gem like her and I pray ites to bite them in the asster. Moreover, she¡¯s young and has plenty of time to discover love. By then, she would be stronger and more experienced in the matter of the heart. ¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Arianna thought over it, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to forget one¡¯s first love.¡±

    ¡°Says by who?¡± Marcel snorted, finding the thought ridiculous, and didn¡¯t get to see the way Arianna¡¯s face distorted.

    Arianna said to him with a smile that didn¡¯t touch her eyes, ¡°So you¡¯re trying to say that you forget all about me?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Did you, Stray?¡±

    Oh no, Marcel¡¯s face fell at once. He had forgotten that he confessed to Arianna during one of their chats that they met when they were kids. In one word, Arianna was his first love and he just proudly dered that he forgot her easily.

    ¡°Did you?¡± The glint alone in Arianna¡¯s eyes was enough proof that he was toast.

    He swallowed, ¡°It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking, Arianna.¡±

    ¡°What am I thinking?¡± Arianna got on all fours on the sofa and was beginning to crawl towards him with malicious intent.

    Marcel slowly shifted back, ¡°I mean, we were kids then, right?¡± He chuckled nervously.

    ¡°Even as a kid, I was ready to make you my boyfriend until you vanished and never kept your promise, you pretender!¡± Arianna lunged at him, but Marcel already jumped off the seat before she could catch him.

    ¡°Get back here, Marcel!¡± Shemanded him all to no avail.

    ¡°You know I love you now, right?¡± He even blew her kisses to prove that he meant it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject!¡± Arianna thundered,ing after him but he was already ahead, the sofa standing as a barrier between them.

    ¡°I¡¯m that case, let¡¯s look at it this way. If you didn¡¯t forget about your first love, doesn¡¯t it mean that you were technically cheating on me,¡± Marcel tried to find a loophole

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to wangle your way out of this one, my first love was technically you. So no, I never cheated!¡± Arianna dered proudly and with a battle cry, leaped over the sofa and was in front of him before he could react.

    ¡°You cheater!¡±

    Beg for mercy, that had been the first thought that came to Marcel, but the instant Arianna lifted her head to hit him, he groaned in pain at once, holding his affected side and her expression softened.

    ¡°Oh my God, I forgot about your injury. Are you okay?¡± Arianna was close to panicking. This was all her fault.

    However, before she could check him, Marcel already turned her and kissed her breathlessly. He kissed her so hard and passionately that when they came up for air afterward, Arianna wondered why she was angry and chasing him in the first ce.

    ¡°What matters is that we are here now,¡± Marcel told her with a grin, right before he kissed her once again.

 Chapter 855 - 855 Her Instincts Screamed Danger

    855 Her Instincts Screamed Danger

    It was sad, but all good things muste to an end. Arianna had to return home, but Marcel didn¡¯t want her to go. You don¡¯t know how much someone means to you until you begin to lose her, well, in his case, themunication was only limited. With the distance between them, his heart only grew fonder.

    Marcel wanted to kidnap Arianna again and keep her with him for the rest of his days. Unfortunately, as tempting as the offer was, he couldn¡¯t afford conflict with the Draven family. To be honest, having the Draven crime family on his side was a big support considering other families steered clear of them like a gue, all thanks to Daniel¡¯s rtionship with them in the past.

    However, he was the leader now and after settling down with Arianna, his goal was to ally with the other families. As much as their family was powerful, having allies would help on rainy days would be a huge investment. Anything could happen and he had to be sure there would be powerful forces backing him.

    ¡°You have to let go now, Marcel,¡± Arianna told him when he wouldn¡¯t release her. He was seated on the sofa¡¯s armrest and hugged her waist in that position.

    But Marcel shook his head in protest and hugged her tighter. Have you ever loved someone so much that you feel like you¡¯re floating in the ninth heavens whenever she¡¯s around you? Call him crazy but that was how Marcel felt. Thanks to her presence, he doesn¡¯t even feel the pains of his injury anymore.

    Marcel was grateful that Arianna wasn¡¯t the air everyone breathes, because honest to God, he would hoard all of it and let the entire earth¡¯s poption die off. He doesn¡¯t care ¨C and he wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit it. Everyone else could rot in hell as far as he had Arianna. Well, everyone else except his sister Chloe, Victor¡­ also Winters, and maybe Mimi. Ugh, whatever! He doesn¡¯t care, Arianna was the only one he wanted.

    Marcel lifted his face slowly and asked her with a puppy look, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way you can convince Natalie to let you stay one more night?¡± He was very frustrated considering Arianna was an adult and has the right to make her decisions.

    Arianna thought about it, however, remembering her mother¡¯s tone when she sent that message, she knew nothing can change her mind. Natalie was adamant about them having that conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She said with an internal wince.

    .....

    ¡°But I¡¯m a patient,¡± Marcel whined, ¡°Why can¡¯t my girlfriend who is knowledgeable about my injury take care of me? Natalie would be mad but my reason is justifiable.¡± He was not giving up easily.

    Arianna couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was finding Marcel¡¯s groveling quite cute. It was hard to imagine that months ago she hated his ass when he was such a big softie.

    As if on cue, Samson strolled into the room and Marcel had never been happy to see him. Knowing how much the lion loved Arianna, he would not let her go, andbined with their persuasive powers, they would be able to stop her from leaving. Just to achieve a goal, Marcel wouldn¡¯t mind sharing his woman with Samson. Although he gets seventy percent of her time, the lion gets thirty.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Arianna was startled when she spotted the familiar golden brown mane. And just like that, it was over. There was no way Samson was letting her go. Nor was Marcel being on his best behavior either.

    And that was how Arianna find herself staying behind. She had no choice but to send her mother a message that she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back home and she hadn¡¯t responded. Perhaps her mother understands, Arianna assumed.

    Right now, she was in the garden with Samson, and both of them were having leisure time. Samson was lying on his side on thewn ¨C after hours of ying hide and seek ¨C while Ariannay on his stomach, exhausted. Whoever said raising a pet was easy, must not have children. Samson was as demanding as a baby, just a notch worse than Marcel.

    And speaking of Marcel, he had to return to his office to continue his leftover work. Arianna suspected that he was extremely busy thanks to the shootout ident, however, he was ying it cool. Hence, she didn¡¯t bother him and had a good time with Samson instead.

    After a while, Arianna retreated into the house and that was when she decided to check out her old room. Of course, Samson the faithful follower went with her and both of them went in. The room was organized and left the way it was thest time she slept here ¨C to be precise before Elijah took her away.

    Arianna had nearly forgotten about this ce since she spent time with Marcel in his room whenever she visited. Hence, she explored the room, feeling nostalgic as the memories filled her. This was where it all began, her cheeks warmed at the thoughts. The good and bad times, all happened here.

    She had barely sat down on the bed when there was a knock on the door and her attention shifted. Arianna wondered who it was. She had not requested anything and Marcel hardly knocks. He mostly barges in like a caveman who knows what he wants and gets what he wants.

    Perhaps, Marcel sent something for her, Arianna reasoned and rose to go open the door when the knock sounded a second door. However, just as her hand sped around the knob, Samson released a low growl at the back of his throat and that made Arianna stop short.

    Arianna didn¡¯t believe in superstitious but she trusted Samson and knew for a fact, animals could sniff out the bad guys. Moreover, thanks to her mother¡¯s training, she has be more aware of her surrounding and right now, her instincts were screaming danger.

    She nced back at Samson and call it strange, but an understanding passed between the both of them, right before she opened the door and hid at the side just as two bullets pierced the empty space. It was chilling, but Arianna realized those bullets would have been pumped into her body had she been standing in the way.

    Her attacker must have realized that she had been tricked because as soon as she stepped into the room, Arianna kicked the gun out of her sp and it fell. As if it was practiced, Arianna then bent just as Samson leaped over her with great strength and descended on the attacker.

 Chapter 856 - 856 Protective Instincts

    856 Protective Instincts

    ¡°Thank you for your help,missioner,¡± Marcel ended the call, the smile on his face giving away to an exhausted expression. He tossed the phone to his desk, running his hand through his hair. It was exhausting trying to tie off all loose ends.

    He turned to face the people in his office and it was no one but Luca and Samuel, two of his most trusted soldiers.

    ¡°We have nothing to worry about, now enforcement would be on our ass,¡± He said.

    ¡°We would have toy low for a while, though, boss. Just cause no one ising to burst our assess doesn¡¯t mean eyes aren¡¯t on us and waiting for the time to strike.¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Marcel said, while going through the papers scattered around his desk, ¡°Focus on our other businesses for the moment, and don¡¯t give them shit to dig up on us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±

    ¡°About Victor¡­ ¡± Samuel was the one who raised the issue, ¡°I think we should have him moved. I sent people to watch him in the hospital, however, people from the Draven¡¯s family side are being bothersome. The tension between both sides is high. We are in their territory and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to have him in there.¡±

    ¡°You can call back your people, Victor is safe under the Draven family¡¯s watch, and neither do I want you guys causing trouble for them. Right now, I want allies, not enemies.¡± Marcel told him.

    ¡°But boss -¡±

    .....

    ¡°Victor nearly died!¡± Marcel told him firmly, his eyes shing with the emotions of that night when he nearly lost the only cousin that mattered to him.

    He said, ¡°His survival is a miracle that I would not take for granted all because of a petty quibble between both gangs. Victor is in no condition to be moved and until the doctor says it¡¯s safe, his ass would sit there. Do you get me?!¡± His decision was final.

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Samuel acquiesced lowering his head in a show of submission.

    Marcel¡¯s jaw was set and his eyes were furious as he stared at Samuel, however, he had to ease the expression on his face knowing that he didn¡¯t mean any harm by the suggestion.

    ¡°Now, is there anything else you have for me¡­.¡± Marcel was still saying when he heard it ¨C two unmistakably gunshots went off ¨C and he froze up.

    No one shoots in the base except there was an attack and a need for defense. However, the rm would have gone off if they were under attack. Then what was that? Marcel was still thinking when it hit him that Arianna was around.

    ¡°Oh no¡­.¡± Panic like no other gripped Marcel and before even Luca or Samuel could stop him, he already dashed out of the room like a madman and went in search of the love of his life.

    He didn¡¯t know where they are, hence Marcel kept yelling her name, ¡°Arianna!¡± hoping that she would answer. Thest he had seen her, she had been with Samson and though Marcel trusted the lion would keep her safe, he couldn¡¯t help being worried. Also, Samson wasn¡¯t impervious to bullets, which meant that he could be killed and so was Arianna.

    He had heard two bullets, could it be¡­. No, he refused to believe it. Marcel¡¯s heart was pounding so hard now that he couldn¡¯t hear anything beyond it. The blood rushed to his head and left him reeling.

    ¡°Arianna!¡± He called out for her as if he had lost his mind. Marcel knew that he was supposed topose himself in front of his men, but what was the use? If anything happened to Arianna, he wasn¡¯t going to ever forgive himself! Had he known, he should have just let her leave when she wanted to, instead of losing her like this. His heart ached.

    Where the hell was she?!

    Marcel didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions yet without seeing her body. Who knows, she might be lucky enough to survive like Victor. The shooting had drawn attention, which meant that his men on duty were already heading to the spot and Marcel followed after them. He doubled his footsteps, shoving anyone that got in his way.

    His stomach dropped when he realized that the incident happened on the floor that led to Arianna¡¯s room. The first thing Marcel realized when he got there was the blood smeared in various ces and the blood drained from his face. Oh no, it can¡¯t be.

    And then he heard a roar with the men stepping backward and his eyes shone with hope. Samson. Marcel strode forward, breaking the crowd that blocked his path and then he saw it. Arianna was alive, thank the lord, but she was standing behind Samson who had taken an offensive crouch.

    Marcel recognized what was going on, whenever Sansom¡¯s protective instinct was stirred, he viewed anyone else as an enemy and would defend at all courses. His men right now were offering to be free dinner. And speaking of dinner, there was a corpse in front of them and Marcel had no doubt it was Sansom¡¯s hard work. That should exin the blood smeared all over. Whoever was going through a terrible end in the lion¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Give him space¡± Marcelmanded his men who had taken up defense behind him. However, only a few heeded his words and he had to bellow, ¡°Get the fuck out of here!¡± He added, ¡°Slowly.¡±

    They finally obeyed his words, retreating slowly as Samson was watching them with a predatory look in his eyes. As much as the lion was tamed, his predatory instinct was there, and smelling the fear off his men would only be an invitation to conquer them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take your eyes off him either,¡± Marcelmanded them. If Samson had a clue they were easy targets, he would have a good time ying and hunting them down. Hence, they left the floor together, looking intimidating with their height and numbers until it was just Marcel there.

    His gaze connected with Arianna who still had not made a move and he asked her, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

 Chapter 857 - 857 There Would Be No Mercy

    857 There Would Be No Mercy

    Arianna was not okay, she was frozen in shock, having watched everything y out right in front of her. She had not only narrowly escaped being killed by bullets but watched Samson devour a woman right in front of her. It was a very traumatic sight and she was covered in sweat.

    Her stomach couldn¡¯t help but churn at the bloody scene. As much as the woman hade to take her life, she still didn¡¯t deserve this painful end. She was probably a mother or sister to someone and she was gone just like that.

    However, Arianna¡¯s heart hardened in the end, the woman hade to take her life and it was no fault of hers she met a terrible end. Samson had only been doing his job. Arianna wondered if the woman thought about how her action would cause her loved one¡¯s pain before attempting to take away her life. Never take away a life that you can¡¯t give. So no, she refused to feel any more guilt.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, buddy,¡± Marcel was working on calming Samson down and so far the lion had stopped growling which was a good sign.

    ¡°You can move now,¡± He instructed Arianna who carefully left Samson¡¯s side under his ever-watchful gaze, careful enough not to step on the blood and the woman¡¯s bit. Samson had not eaten her, instead, he mauled and decapitated her in the end.

    As soon as Arianna was in Marcel¡¯s embrace, she burst into tears. While she had been putting on a brave front, the realization of what almost happened finally dawned on her and it was overwhelming. In a sh, she could have been separated from Marcel forever.

    All it took was mere seconds and he would have lost her forever ¨C together with the dreams and future they nned to build together. How fickle was human life? One moment you are there and the next, you aren¡¯t. So many thoughts ran through Arianna¡¯s mind at that moment.

    Would Marcel have mourned for her? For how long would he mourn for her? In the end, would he settle down with another woman? In years toe, when the memories had grown faint, he would probably find another woman and start a family with her to continue the lineage, right?

    While it wasmon for humans to move on, Arianna wished he would never forget her. Even if he¡¯s somehow happy with his new life and wife, she wishes to be the one he would love forever. His one and only soul mate. The one that would always have his heart.

    .....

    What about her mother? Arianna knew deep down that Natalie would mourn and probably me Marcel for her death, because it had happened in his territory. She would carry the guilt forever and would never forget Marcel till the day she died. Her mother would always regret sending her to the base. The more Arianna thought about it, she realized how loved she was and how much pain those she left behind would have been in.

    Speak about Marcel, he embraced Arianna so hard that he didn¡¯t realize he was literally crushing her. His hands were shaking with dread and the reality that he could have lost, not only Arianna but his child. His heart was pounding in his chest and he wouldn¡¯t stop shaking.

    All it took was one moment and he could have lost her forever. He would have never seen her smiling face again; her cute look whenever she was angry; the pure bliss on her face whenever they made love. All of it would have been a memory. Marcel hugged her tighter, a tear slipping down her eyes.

    He couldn¡¯t even imagine breaking the news to Natalie. What was he going to tell her? That her daughter who was in his care was dead? Like she would believe him. It was undoubtedly going to spark a war between both families and the peace he had fought to maintain went in the twinkle of an eye.

    Although to be honest, Marcel wouldn¡¯t mind a war. No, he would prefer it if he died instead because there was no use living if Arianna was dead. He would rather go with her. A world without Arianna was not worth it. How could he lose both the love of his life and his child at the same time? It was the cruelest fate that he could be subjected to. No wonder his father Daniel didn¡¯t want to ¡°feel¡± because love is a bullet to the brain.

    ¡°Marcel¡­. Marcel¡­.¡± Arianna began to protest when she couldn¡¯t breathe anymore and Marcel sensing her difort, loosened his grip at once. He was simply scared to lose her and that had been a close call. He didn¡¯t let go of her and they remained in that position.

    It wasn¡¯t after a while that Marcel felt something nudging him and he looked down to discover that it was no one else but Samson. The lion was rubbing his side as if fishing for apliment and that was what Marcel did exactly. He let go of Arianna and crouched down to hug the big cat. Marcel had never loved Samson more than now.

    While Samson as a baby cub, freshly separated from his mother had been a test given to him by his father to test his bravery and resilience, Marcel never regretted getting to be with him. The lion was more than a pet to him, he was family.

    ¡°You did well, buddy,¡± Marcel rainedpliments on him, rubbing and running his hands through his thick mane and not caring he got blood on it. He would treat himter.

    Samson strolled away, contented, his tail swishing excitedly. Marcel then turned and carried Arianna off her feet, surprising her. He needed to get her out of here while they cleaned this ce up. And then, he would look into this matter and find out who had dared toy a hand on Arianna.

    When he does, he was going to destroy whoever that was. There would be no mercy!

 Chapter 858 - 858 Your Family Wonâ€™t Be Excluded

    858 Your Family Won¡¯t Be Excluded

    Marcel did aplete sweep of the Base after the attempt on Arianna¡¯s life. He tightened security and had the body taken out and the scene cleaned up while Samson returned safely to his Den.

    As for Arianna, he took her to bed after giving her coconut milk to calm her nerves. She had received quite a shock today. Thankfully, she fell asleep, giving Marcel time to sort out the mess.

    ¡°Give me the report,¡± Marcel said, seated down and wouldn¡¯t stop tapping his feet anxiously against the floor.

    He refused to leave Arianna¡¯s side, which means they were gathered in his living room while she slept soundly in his room. He left her hours ago and she nearly died. Marcel was not repeating the same mistake, at least until he knows what he was dealing with here.

    Luca told him, ¡°The woman was one of the staff.¡±

    ¡°Staff? Housekeeping? Who hired her?¡± Marcel asked in anger, anxious to deal with the mastermind of the attack. He has stayed long enough in the business to know that there was a motive for every attack or a sponsor. If that woman was among the staff, he could already guess that she was sponsored.

    Luca and Samuel shared a look and looked hesitant to reply to him.

    ¡°I asked a question!¡± Marcel demanded, the veins in his head bulging.

    With a sigh, Luca said, ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Beatrice.¡±

    .....

    At once, Marcel¡¯s expression nched, never expecting that Beatrice would betray him until something crossed his mind and he asked, ¡°Who did the screening?¡±

    And at that question, Luca and Samuel looked at each other.

    ¡°Stop staring at each other and answer me!¡± Marcel hated the wordless conversation that he wasn¡¯t a part of. Both of them definitely know something he doesn¡¯t know.

    ¡°The thing is boss ¡­.¡± Samuel was the one that stepped out to answer, ¡°Beatrice has be so good with hiring the staff that we didn¡¯t look much into it.¡± He swallowed uneasily by the time he was done knowing that Marcel was about to go berserk.

    ¡°So¡­.¡± Marcel started, rubbing his throbbing headache, ¡°You¡¯re trying to tell me that you didn¡¯t screen the staff that you have been letting into my ce, all because you trusted Beatrice¡¯s judgment and thanks to your lovely mistake, almost cost me, Arianna and my kid -¡± He intentionally let out his secret in a fit of anger.

    ¡°K-Kid? ¡± Luca said, looking at Marcel with confusion before his gaze strolled to the room where Arianna was sleeping and it dawned on him. Arianna was pregnant.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± A feeling of guilt washed over Luca. He failed Arianna and his boss. He was deeply ashamed.

    ¡°If that news gets out without my approval, you¡¯re dead,¡± Marcel warned him. He was still furious, but then he couldn¡¯t wake Arianna sleeping in the other room.

    ¡°Of course, boss.¡± The both of them said in unison, knowing they were dead meat otherwise. Right now, they were losing merits in front of Marcel and needed to gain his trust back.

    Samuel¡¯s phone beeped with a message and he nced down at it before informing Marcel, ¡°The Draven Brothers are here.¡±

    ¡°Let them in,¡± Marcel said, running his hand through his hair and ruffling it. God, he was so tired mentally and all he wanted to do was to climb into bed with Arianna and feel her warm, soft body ¨C proof that she was still alive. But then, he needed to do this. He needed to create a safe space for her ¨C and their unborn child.

    Marcel had no choice but to call Natalie and inform her about the attack. Of course, the woman didn¡¯t take the news nicely considering the attack urred on his territory ¨C he shouldn¡¯t have invited Arianna over if his ce wasn¡¯t safe. Marcel saw the scoldinging anyway and didn¡¯t argue with her. In the end, she demanded Arianna be sent.

    The only problem is that Marcel had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t see much of Arianna after this incident. Natalie would keep a close eye on her ¨C and he couldn¡¯t me her. What parent wouldn¡¯t want to keep her only child safe?

    Not long after, Ephraim and his huge brother, Elvis stepped into the room. And though it was just the both of them, they seem to swallow all the space in the room with their presence. Of course, Natalie had to send the toughest brothers. Honestly, Marcel couldn¡¯t tell whether he liked or loathed that woman. Her motherly love is tough. At least, both brothers were strong and would keep Arianna safe, that was for sure.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Ephraim asked, his gaze already settling on the closed door, figuring out she was in there.

    ¡°She¡¯s asleep at the moment.¡± Marcel said, standing in the way, ¡°It was traumatic, keep her time to calm her nerves.¡±

    Ephraim¡¯s face connected to his brother¡¯s and an understanding passed between the both of them. He then said, ¡°We¡¯ll wait.¡±

    Just like that, the both of them took a seat and faced him, an awkward tension in the air.

    Marcel said after a while, ¡°Natalie shouldn¡¯t have sent the both of you, I was nning on sending her home when she wakes anyway.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but she trusted us to keep her safer. She¡¯s not taking any chances, not with yesterday¡¯s incident.¡± Elvis said.

    ¡°Yesterday¡¯s incident?¡± Marcel was curious.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet but ¡­¡± Ephraim looked hesitant to share the news at first but he went on, ¡°The Basil family was gunned down yesterday, the only survivor was his wife and children who had been away. Sources im it was the handwork of the Bratva, however, Konstantin was killed in the same witching hour. No one seems to know the mastermind but the Basil family¡¯s offshore ounts were hacked and now, we have no idea what the new yer ns to do with all that money. However, Eric thinks whoever that is, is buying resources to probably conquer the rest of the five families. ¡±

    Ephraim added, ¡°You might not be in themission, but you¡¯re one of the ruling families in this city, and if war ising, your family won¡¯t be excluded.¡±

    Marcel tried not to show emotions but the news had taken him by surprise and a shiver ran down his spine. Unlike before, he had a lot of people to protect. And now that he thought about it, it can¡¯t be a coincidence that the Basil family was wiped out yesterday and Arianna was attacked today ¨C the one he loved the most. If anyone wanted to get to him, it was through Arianna. This was a perfectly thought-out n and the woman had only been a tool.

    The realization hit him at the same time Luca nced at him. Both of them have the same thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s all Richardo¡¯s n, why can¡¯t you adults see that.¡± Someone said from nowhere, drawing all of their attention.

 Chapter 859 - 859 Wipes You All Off

    859 Wipes You All Off

    It was no one else but Winters making a dramatic entrance and all eyes turned in her direction. Marcel¡¯s jaw nearly dropped in shock when he saw her, he thought that she would be bawling her eyes out over the breakup. But then, if he could look closely, there was a hint of puffiness around her eyes carefully covered with makeup.

    Pride surged inside of Marcel, although she went through a painful break-up today, the girl didn¡¯t let it beak her. There weren¡¯t many women who could do that. He was extremely proud of her.

    ¡°Who is¡­.?¡± Elvis asked in surprise while Ephraim¡¯s eyes were intent on Winters, regarding her slowly as if he could sense something special about her.

    As usual, Winters ignored them and came in with herptop, setting it on the center table in the room and sat beside it with her legs crossed, saying,

    ¡°There have been a lot of activities on the dark web and news is going around that someone is buying mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± All of the men in the room were dumbfounded by the news. They looked at one another, anxiety on the rise.

    Ephraim said to her, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re a hacker and honestly, I¡¯m impressed by your age and gender.¡±

    And to thatment, Winters rolled her eyes exaggeratedly as a response. What¡¯s with people underestimating her all because she¡¯s a girl? This was beginning to irk her. She wanted to be praised, not underestimated.

    Ephraim must have sensed her annoyance because he added immediately, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend you, I¡¯m just honestly surprised. However, if I¡¯m to ask, how are you so sure of what you¡¯re saying? I¡¯m not trying to underestimate your ability or something, but if I¡¯m going to report this back to themission, I need evidence, not a thesis. ¡±

    .....

    Perhaps because this was their first time meeting, Winters forgave him for doubting her. And so she went ahead to exin, ¡± When I was held hostage by Richardo ¨C ¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Richardo?¡± Ephraim asked, and this time, not only Winters but Marcel¡¯s head whipped in his direction.

    Dumbfounded by the question, Marcel asked him, ¡°Why do you think Victor is in the hospital? Who do you think is responsible for that? How is it possible you don¡¯t know about him after the incident?¡±

    But Ephraim answered, ¡°Your family gets into all kinds of trouble and we, the Draven family, make it our business not to get involved in your business. You only interfere in a matter when you know about it. Ignorance is bliss.¡± He concluded.

    And that matter offended Marcel because he sneered, ¡°And your brother calls himself the head of themission. No wonder Richardo was able to hold ground in the city while you guys sat in your polished position with your head held high. Well, give your brother this message and tell him that while he was being posh, a powerless kitten was able to be a devouring Tiger and what happened to the Basil family is on him!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Eric has a lot of responsibilities you wouldn¡¯t even begin toprehend,¡± Elvis went on the defensive.

    ¡°Yeah, enough responsibility that he wasn¡¯t even able to sense the selling of drugs in the city he was supposed to protect. Both of us know how much trouble drugs bring which was why the trade was abolished in the city in the first ce.¡± Marcel went on to narrate the incident between him and Richardo, without omitting a thing.

    ¡°So you killed his girlfriend and now you think he¡¯s after you?¡± Ephraim tried to make sense of what was going on.

    ¡°I never even knew they were together until she betrayed me and Richardo revealed himself. You are not innocent either and I did what you would have done if you were in my position.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Ephraim agreed with his words, ¡°I would have done the same, however, your mistake was leaving him alive and now he¡¯s back a scorned man. Unfortunately, the most dangerous man is the one who has nothing to lose. If what you said is true, and Richardo killed Konstantin to take over his crew with the resources he gained from ending the Basil family, then I¡¯ll say you¡¯re crewed. ¡±

    He added, ¡°Richardo is not just bringing a war to this city, he¡¯s bringing a war to your doorsteps and you better be prepared for it. ¡±

    ¡°And by prepared, you mean to say that he¡¯s screwed, right?¡± Winters said, and Marcel looked at her.

    ¡°Come on,¡± She shrugged, ¡°Richardo fought you the first time and lost. If he¡¯sing a second time, he would buy an entire army just to make sure he doesn¡¯t lose again. You need themission¡¯s help.¡± Winters stated.

    ¡°Like he would get one,¡± Elvis snorted in amusement.

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Marcel turned to Ephraim, ¡°Just a minute ago, you were telling me that though I might not be part of themission, if a war ising to this city, I would be affected and possibly want my help. But now, everythinges down to me, I¡¯m suddenly alone?¡±

    ¡°I would have to take everything to Eric and he would be the one to make the decision. I¡¯m not going to lie, Marcel, the Luciano family is not part of the family and Eric is going to have to appeal to the other families to help you fight this war.¡±

    ¡°Damn, you guys are hypocrites,¡± Marcel cursed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He was not scared of fighting Richardo, but he had no idea about his capability right now. Help from the other families would go a long way in winning this inevitable war.

    ¡°First of all, I need to leave with Arianna and keep her safe. The fact Richardo dared to put a hand on her should be enough proof to Eric that he needs to be stopped. But then, I¡¯ll pray if I were you as well considering no one in themission likes your family. I¡¯m sure left to them alone, they would prefer Richardo wipes you all off once and for all. ¡°

 Chapter 860 - 860 Send A Message - 1

    860 Send A Message ¨C That same evening, Gabriel and Daniel were in another one of their meetings after their newfound liaison, oblivious to the incident that happened at the base or the brewing war.

    ¡°Adele is out of the deal,¡± Daniel announced to him, sipping from his ss.

    ¡°What?!¡± Gabriel shouted, unable to believe what he just heard. ¡°How is that possible? You said she¡¯s on our side and everything would go well¡­.¡± It dawned on him, ¡°What did you do?¡±

    Something must have happened for Adele to back out all of a sudden and Daniel was a troublemaker ¨C everyone knows that.

    ¡°Well¡­.¡± Daniel tilted his head unsure, obviously believing he had done nothing wrong, ¡°Apparently, fucking her mother was her breaking point.¡±

    Unfortunately, Gabriel who just took a sip of his drink spat out everything, some of it falling on Daniel who stilled at once.

    ¡°You did what?!¡± Gabriel was dumbfounded. What did he just hear? Adele was his half-sister and if Daniel has been sleeping with her mother, then¡­.. Dear God, his family was messed up.

    Gabriel was not ignorant of his father¡¯s affairs with Adele¡¯s mother, considering his mother had made a huge deal out of it. He couldn¡¯t tell if his father was still secretly seeing the woman, but the fact Daniel was also interested in her made him ufortable. As much as he wasn¡¯t that close to Adele, she was still his sister and he wasn¡¯t in support of this rtionship.

    ¡°She made the right decision,¡± Gabriel was surprisingly in support of Adele¡¯s decision. He told Daniel, ¡°You crossed the line this time. If you wanted someone to have fun with, you should have chosen another woman, not¡­.¡± It was embarrassing thinking about it.

    .....

    ¡°Do I look like I care about your opinion?¡± Daniel arched a brow at him haughtily, ¡°I saw someone I like and went after her. What¡¯s my crime? So tell me, like your foolish sister, would you back out of our deal too?¡±

    While it seemed like an ordinary question, Gabriel could sense the threat beneath his tone. Adele might have had it easy backing out of the deal, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for him. Unlike him, Adele had more power and Daniel couldn¡¯t deal with her carelessly. But him¡­. his performance was mediocre, at least whenpared to his rival and cousin, Arthur. Moreover, part of the reason he had agreed to this deal was to have Daniel¡¯s support. If he backed out now, he would lose everything.

    ¡°I-of course not!¡± Gabrielughed nervously, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m backing out over such little matter.¡± But inwardly, he was beginning to regret agreeing to this. He was no less than Daniel¡¯sckey right now.

    ¡°Good,¡± Daniel sat up straight, ready for business as he crossed his leg over the other, ¡°Since we have lost Elijah and kidnapping him is out the option, let¡¯s send the Draven family a message then.¡±

    ¡°A m-message? What message?¡± Gabriel felt the hairs on his back stand on edge, having a feeling he was not going to like this.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Daniel smirked devilishly, ¡°An eye for an eye.¡±

    Oh no.

    _________

    If Arianna thought there was tension at Marcel¡¯s ce, then she obviously hadn¡¯te back home. The tension at Eric¡¯s ce was suffocating, especially the heightened state of security. It was almost as if the president of the country was residing at her ce, which was not the case.

    While she hated to admit it, Marcel was right. Eric¡¯s ce was the safest for her. Not even a fly could get in here without getting noticed. It had taken Arianna a lot of will to separate from Marcel once again, but she understood the severity of the situation and had no choice but to bid him goodbye.

    She would miss him greatly, but this had to be done. Arianna knew she would be nothing but a distraction to Marcel if she stubbornly remained at the base. He needed to concentrate and take care of that nuisance called Richardo who nearly took her life.

    The brothers drove into thewn, and Arianna barely stepped out of the car before she was pulled into a body. It was Natalie.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± She was still saying, but the woman didn¡¯t care and hug her tightly before pulling back and frantically searching her body for any bruise on her.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arianna stopped her because she was beginning to embarrass her, especially in front of the brothers.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s nice having a mother to worry about me. Lucky you, Arianna.¡± There was a teasing look in Ephraim¡¯s eyes.

    Arianna didn¡¯t have the chance to answer him because her mother pulled her into another hug that nearly drained the air out of her lungs. For crying out loud, she was pregnant, you know. Not that Natalie knows yet. And when she does know, Marcel is going to get it from her. And that was more reason why she can¡¯t know yet.

    ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re safe,¡± Natalie finally let go. She sped her face this time, tracing her daughter¡¯s features with a relieved breath. ¡°I almost lost you,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m here. Neither am I going anyway. You forgot that I¡¯m as tough as you.¡± Arianna joked, sping her face too.

    Natalie smiled, and she smiled back.

    For the first time, Arianna was scared of losing her mother, just the same way Natalie was scared of losing her.

    ¡°This is such a touching scene. Why don¡¯t we have a group hug to finish off?¡± Elvis suggested, already spreading his arms and engulfing Arianna and her mother before they could escape.

    When Ephraim tried to sneak away, unnoticed, he reached out and pulled him into the group.

    ¡°You big brute!¡± Arianna beat him on the arm, yet a smile couldn¡¯t help but leave her lips. This was so nice.

    ¡°Let go now or I¡¯ll cut off those hands.¡± Ephraim was not exactly a fan of hugs and kisses ¨C except when his wife and children were around.

    He let go and they went in together, like a family.

 Chapter 861 - 861 Itâ€™s A Win-win Situation

    861 It¡¯s A Win-win Situation

    Contrary to her thoughts, the tension inside was much greater than on the outside. Arianna halted in her steps upon seeing Eric and the rest of the brothers gathered in the living room. It wasn¡¯t just Elijah, but the presence of the woman by her side that left her shocked.

    ¡°A-adele?¡±

    The woman turned to her and it was confirmed, Adele was in her house. But why? Arianna had this nagging feeling inside of her that she was about to receive a shocking discovery. It just didn¡¯t make sense. Does Marcel even know that she¡¯s here? Was she and Elijah together in this critical time? There were just a lot of questions in her head.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally home.¡± Eric weed her with a small smile and Arianna couldn¡¯t help but notice that the man seemed to have aged more than thest time she saw him.

    There were tired lines under his eyes and he was exhausted. Arianna already heard what happened and it was no surprise he looked like he lost ten years of his life considering everything was on his shoulder. He had to clean up this mess.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Was all Adele said to her and took her eyes off her.

    Arianna was not bothered by the casual acknowledgment knowing that Adele was not big on showing emotion nor was she a big talker. She was reserved and different from her other cousins. Moreover, Arianna was more interested in why she was here.

    Honestly, Arianna couldn¡¯t tell if she was supposed to be part of this conversation or not. While she was now part of the Draven family thanks to her mother¡¯s marriage to Eric, it didn¡¯t mean they wanted her in their private conversation. Moreover, she was not hundred percent loyal to them since she was together with Marcel, the Don of the Luciano family. If pushes to shove, God knows she would be torn between both families.

    However, when Ephraim and Elvis settled down and her mother did as well, Arianna had no choice but to force her ass down else she¡¯d be seen as the odd one. After all, if this was a conversation Eric didn¡¯t want her to hear, he would have taken it to his study and she wouldn¡¯t even know.

    .....

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to know that you¡¯re safe.¡± Eric was the first to speak and it was concerning her.

    ¡°Thank you, Eric,¡± Arianna said, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

    While Eric was a nice man, Arianna was still navigating this newfound rtionship with him. She respected him and was d he made her mother happy, but there was no way she would ever confine the title of ¡°father¡± to him. Perhaps, her mind would change in the future, but until then, her biological father would always be the number one in her heart.

    ¡°Why is she here though?¡± Her words pointed at Adele, ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel this is important?¡±

    Instead of Eric, Adele chose to answer her directly, saying, ¡°It¡¯s important because I¡¯m pregnant for your step-uncle, Elijah.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Arianna shouted, blown out of her mind. Why was everyone getting pregnant? First Mimi, then her, and now, Adele. It was simply unbelievable! Did the goddess of fertility dere this an open season?

    By chance, does anyone else in the room aside from her mother suspect she was pregnant too considering it was the trend of the season? How would all the family deal with the three of them giving birth the same year with just months in between? Was this a conspiracy by the men or something? Arianna was so shocked she was beginning to think rubbish.

    As if that was not enough, Adele dropped another bombshell, ¡°I¡¯m having Quadruplets.¡±

    ¡°W-what did you just say?¡± Arianna felt like she was heard wrong. But then, the expression on Adele¡¯s face was neutral showing she was not joking.

    Oh no.

    Arianna began tough hysterically as if she had lost her damn mind. This was the first time she had heard of or seen anyone close to her having multiple births. And of all people, it had to be Adele and Elijah? The both of them weren¡¯t even together anymore. How was everyone going to deal with this? How was Marcel going to take this? That is if he doesn¡¯t know already.

    Arianna looked around the room, taking in everyone¡¯s expression and it dawned on her that she was the only one kept in the dark. No wonder they wanted her around, it was to break the news to her as the only ignorant person in the house. Arianna felt a little hurt. Even her boyfriend kept it from her ¨C Adele would note here to expose the truth without having Marcel know. Was this how it hurt when she lied to Marcel the first time?

    Damn, karma was a bitch.

    ¡°So why are you telling us this now? Why this moment?¡± Arianna was surprised she was able to find her voice, ¡°Are you together with him now? Are the both of you good?¡± She pointed at Elijah.

    ¡°No, we are not,¡± Adele answered, ring at Elijah who swallowed.

    ¡°Then, why¡­.?¡±

    ¡°He has the right to know about the pregnancy.¡±

    Well, that was right.

    ¡°And then both of us can get married.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant with his child, it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! You don¡¯t even love him any longer. Why would you bind yourself to him all because of all the babies?¡± Arianna turned to Eric, wanting him to say something but he wouldn¡¯t even look her in the eyes.

    ¡°Arianna¡­¡± Her mother called, trying to coax her.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t make sense. They don¡¯t have to get married and still co-parent -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that¡¯s not the way things work in our world, Arianna. I either stay with Elijah or I lose my babies. Unless the Luciano family is interested in them, then it bes an out war over custody. But then¡­.¡± Adele smiled sadly, ¡°I¡¯m sure my family would think of this opportunity as good riddance. But marrying Elijah, it¡¯s a good deal and strengthens ties with both families. We can stay miserably in our marriage and take care of our family, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a win-win situation?¡±

 Chapter 862 - 862 Do Anything For You

    862 Do Anything For You

    Even after Arianna had finished bathing under a warm shower, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the coldness that seeped into her bones. Now on her bed and ready to sleep, she couldn¡¯t forget the conversation tonight.

    Was Marcel aware of this? Was he in support of Adele¡¯s decision to marry Elijah? Arianna had been tempted to call him on the phone and interrogate him about everything, but she didn¡¯t. He already had a lot of things to deal with and she was sure Marcel wouldn¡¯t appreciate her calling to nag him. She wasn¡¯t that kind of woman.

    But then, Arianna couldn¡¯t sleep and kept turning and tossing on the bed. A lot of things crossed her mind and she wondered if this would have been her situation if she and Marcel hadn¡¯t got back together again. What if she got pregnant the time they broke up and Marcel found out by chance, would he force her by his side as his father did to his mother? Or would he take the child from her and send her away?

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Arianna groaned in frustration.

    It was too cruel. The traditions in these patriarchal crime families were harsh on the female sex. Although Arianna didn¡¯t want to think the worst, what if in the future, things get bad between her and Marcel and she wants a divorce? Does this mean she would be left with nothing?

    Perhaps she was thinking too much and the intended marriage between

    Adele and Elijah could be the perfect cover to revive the sparks that had once been flying between the both of them. As much as Elijah hurt Adele, Arianna didn¡¯t believe she hated him thoroughly. Hate was also a form of love and the only reason Adele loathed Elijah might be because she loves him too much. Her dumbass step-uncle Elijah would have to work hard to change her mind and get the fire burning in her heart once more.

    A knock on the door roused Arianna from her train of thought.

    ¡°Come in.¡± She said, already having an inkling who that might be.

    .....

    Natalie stepped in and her heart skipped a beat. Just as she thought, her mother was here to pick up from where they stopped. The conversation was inevitable, Arianna braced herself mentally.

    ¡°I guessed you would be awake, turns out I was right,¡± Natalie told her,ing to sit on the foot of her bed.

    ¡°Well, after that huge revtion tonight, my mind is not exactly settled.¡± Arianna was honest with her.

    Natalie took in a deep breath before saying, ¡°Nothing is achieved easily, Arianna, that was the best for Adele. She knew it too. Moreover, both of them were adults and knew what they were getting themselves into.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t know.¡± Arianna objected, ¡°Elijah fooled her. Took advantage of her. I¡¯m not surprised she wanted nothing to do with him until the pregnancy hit her. And now she¡¯s left with four kids. Can¡¯t you even begin to imagine that?¡±

    Natalie reached out to grab her hand and told her, ¡°We would be there for her. Everyone makes mistakes and Elijah is not proud of what he did.¡± She sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that, okay.¡±

    ¡°And talk about what? If I¡¯m pregnant?¡±

    Her mother was taken aback by how bluntly she brought the issue up. However, she was quick to recover and asked her, ¡°Tell me then, are you pregnant?¡±

    Arianna was sure of her answer. The lies were right there at the tip of her tongue, but when she looked into her mother¡¯s eyes, it hit that this was the only woman on her side in this critical moment. Marcel might not trust his father, but Natalie wanted the best for her. It was not worth lying to her when she needed her by her side.

    ¡°I am,¡± Arianna confessed, her heart beginning to race. Now that she bravely let the cat out of the bag, she was beginning to doubt if she had made the right decision. She nced at her mother¡¯s face, it was nk. Arianna had no idea what was going on in her mind.

    ¡°I thought as much.¡± Natalie finally said a word, relief passing through Arianna.

    ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± She was surprised.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m angry! Very, very pissed off! That bastard got you pregnant behind my back and I bet the both of you nned to keep it a secret from me, right!¡± She looked furious.

    ¡°About that¡­.¡± Arianna gulped, having no idea how to exin it to her. How did she know? Thank the lord that she had not lied to her.

    ¡°But then¡­.¡± Natalie breathed, ¡°Nothing surpasses the joy of being a grandmother.¡±

    At once, a smile split Arianna¡¯s face and before Natalie could brace herself, she threw herself on the woman and they fell off the bed thanks to their miscalcted weight. Even while on the floor, Arianna refused to let go of her.

    ¡°Muah! Muah! Muah!¡± She peppered her face with kisses, giggling at her embarrassment.

    ¡°Get off me, you brat! I¡¯m not exactly as young as you are!¡± Natalie yfully chided her.

    Arianna finally let go of her, standing up to her feet, and helped her too. The both of them stood, staring at each other until Natalie nced down at her stomach, asking, ¡°How far are you?¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know, three? Four weeks? I haven¡¯t exactly gone for a full test.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you kids nned this or what, there would be a lot of weddings to n once Richardo is taken care of. First you, now Elijah, what¡¯s so special about being inws with the damned Luciano family?¡± She muttered under her breath, ¡°Hopefully that bastard takes my advice and I don¡¯t see his face.¡±

    Although Arianna didn¡¯t hear the rest of her words, she had a feeling it was about Daniel. Her mother was not exactly subtle about her dislike for Marcel¡¯s father.

    Natalie told her, ¡°After this, I¡¯m having a talk with Marcel.¡±

    Before Arianna had the chance to ask what she would discuss with Marcel if they meet Natalie reached out and sped her cheek with her hand.

    She said, ¡°I told you, you¡¯re my daughter and I¡¯ll do anything for you. Anything in this world.¡±

 Chapter 863 - 863 Live With The Consequences

    863 Live With The Consequences

    While Arianna and her mother were together, the brothers as well were engaged in a meeting. Even Ezra who had been sent away to investigate the incident was back since Ephraim and Elvis already got the details thanks to Marcel.

    However, unlike the others, Elijah was the leastfortable in their midst knowing everything was his fault.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He apologized when he couldn¡¯t stand the guilt gnawing at his heart anymore. He had been unable to stare his brother Eric in the eye for a while now.

    Hearing the apology, the other brothers raised their heads interestedly, watching to see Eric¡¯s reaction. He had been quiet for a while now.

    However, Eric ignored him and went on to say to the others, ¡°Since it has gotten to this point, I have no choice but to agree to the deal with Marcel. If we want the other families to be a part of this war, the Luciano family would have to be part of themission.¡±

    He went on to say, ¡°I hate to say this, but this is the right timing. With the Basil family gone, someone has to fill in that void and the Luciano family is a powerhouse in this business and they should have a seat already. The others would have to get used to it.¡±

    But Ephraim asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be seen as nepotism? It¡¯s enough that you¡¯re building an alliance with the Luciano family, but marrying one of their own. The other families might see that as a power y. You¡¯re risking your position here, Eric.¡± He didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°That¡¯s why Elijah can¡¯t marry Adele yet. They would have to hold a wedding ceremony once the war is over and no one can have an idea of her pregnancy. Once Marcel is in, the other families can protest all they want, the deed is already done.¡± He added confidently,

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about me. They all know no one can do this better than me.¡±

    .....

    And that was the truth, Eric was not just a businessman but a negotiator with vast connections in and out of the country. He was greatly respected thanks to the rtionship he¡¯s built with his clients. His nickname was the ¡°Draven Fixer ¡± since he always seemed to have a solution for everything.

    ¡°Fine, the pregnancy stays between us.¡± The brothers agreed to it.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll have to speak with Marcel then.¡± Eric was up on his feet before the others. ¡°To your tents, O Draven.¡± He yfully bade them goodnight and then he was out of the office.

    However, Elijah followed and called after him, ¡°Brother!¡±

    Seeing that his brother was intent on not talking to him, Elijah had no choice but to get in his way and he finally halted.

    ¡°What?!¡± Eric barked, startling him.

    To be honest, Elijah was scared of facing his brother, but it was time to stop being a coward.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He said to his brother as if this wasn¡¯t the first time he said it already.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Eric shrugged and took a step forward only for him to block him again.

    ¡°What now, Elijah?¡±

    ¡°That is it?¡± He was confused.

    ¡°What more do you expect?¡±

    ¡°You might have said okay, but it¡¯s not okay,¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°Just the same way you might have apologized, it doesn¡¯t erase what you did,¡± Eric said and his throat went dry at once.

    Eric faced him, ¡°I told you, Elijah. I warned you against your recklessness! Your impulsiveness! Yet you never listened. The world isn¡¯t as simple as you see it, every action carries consequences that might not only affect you but your entire family! And here, you have yours.¡±

    He sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Elijah. You¡¯re my little brother, but then It would take me time to look at you the same way I did in the past, so please give me time.¡±

    And with those words said, Eric left him while Elijah stood helplessly in the hallway. He ran his hand through his hair, yanking hard at his scalp. This was not how he expected his life to turn out. It should have been better than this. But there was no denying part of it was his fault and like his brother said, he had to live with the consequences.

    ¡°You¡¯re still up,¡± Eric pointed out when he came into his room to see his wife was not yet asleep.

    Natalie stood from the bed, walking towards him, ¡°How would I sleep when I know you have it tough at the moment,¡±

    Getting to him, Natalie wrapped her arm around his neck and drank him in, ¡°You look stressed,¡± She pointed out.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t stressed men, sexy?¡± He winked, flirting with his wife.

    ¡°Oh, they are,¡± Natalie leaned in to kiss him on the face and then smooches him on the lips once, twice, and thrice. She whispered into his ear, ¡°I know something that might be able to relieve your stress.¡±

    At once, the temperature in the room increased and Eric¡¯s heart rate quickened, already having a clue where this was headed.

    ¡°Really?¡± He leaned in to kiss her but Natalie pulled away at thest minute, teasing him. She then pulled away from him and went to lock the door. If there was anything they learned so far, it was to never leave the door open with Rose around. She had a knack for ruining the moment.

    Once Natalie was back, Eric drew her into his arms and had his lips on hers. The best thing that has ever happened to him was marrying this woman and he has never regretted it one bit.

    However, when his hands crept into her nightgown, Natalie pped his hands away and broke apart to say to him, ¡°Tonight, it¡¯s all about you.¡± Her husband was tired and she was going to do everything to energize him!

    So she pushed him down to the bed and Ericid backfortably and spread his legs having gotten the clue. Tonight was going to be great.

 Chapter 864 - 864 The Luciano Familyâ€™s Handwork

    864 The Luciano Family¡¯s Handwork

    Arianna was fast asleep in her room when she heard a creaking sound and her eyes shed open. With recent training and idents, she has be quite sensitive to her environment. But at that moment, one thing made sense to her, she was not alone in her room.

    It was still night since her room was still dark and she had turned off the light. With her back turned, Arianna could feel the presence getting closer. With the attempt at being subtle, Arianna could tell whoever that person is was not on her side.

    How did he or she get in anyway? The security was tight unless there was a mole. Arianna bet that it was Richardo again, he was really desperate to end her since she was the only thing that would hurt Marcel deeply.

    What was she going to do? Her thought was racing. She could scream, sure, that would draw attention but it doesn¡¯t guarantee her safety. She could fight the intruder, but it could be a man and he might be stronger than her.

    No, she had to fight, Arianna decided. No matter what option she took right now, there was no guarantee she would survive. If she was going to die, she would not go down easily. With that thought in mind, Arianna reacted by kicking out her sheet and blocking the intruder¡¯s view.

    With that distraction in the darkness, Arianna took off and got to the door. But just as she was about to turn the knob, a shot rang out and the next thing she felt was hot piercing pain in her abdomen. The breath was knocked out of her breath and she managed to open the door before falling through it.

    Her breath was now a wheeze and lifting her head, she saw Marcel running in her direction with horror written on his face. However, as if he were on a treadmill, no matter how much strength he exerted, he just couldn¡¯t get to her and only kept screaming her name in desperation.

    Feeling a shadow hover over her, Arianna turned to stare at the intruder now standing over her. To her horror, it was the same woman whom Samson had devoured earlier in the day. Suddenly, as if she conjured the poor creature, to her side was the lion lying in a pool of its blood.

    .....

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna screeched in agony, this can¡¯t be happening. However, the cocking of the gun brought back her attention to the woman whom she just realized had no face but endless darkness.

    ¡°Richardo sends a message,¡± The woman said with an unnatural voice before she pulled the trigger and shot her right in the head.

    ¡°No!¡± Arianna woke up with a scream, scrambling off the bed and nearly injuring herself in the process. However, none of that mattered to her as she hurried over to the dresser and began to check her appearance.

    There was no bullet in her head and lifting her shirt, there was no trace of a bullet either. Everything had been a dream. She only had a nightmare that scared the shit out of her. Arianna looked further into the mirror, her eyes were wild and it was puffy around the sides as if she had been crying during the dream.

    Damn it, that son of a bitch Richardo had to die for her to be ever safe. The dream was an ominous sign already and she wasn¡¯t going to take it for granted.

    Her phone rang out of nowhere, startling her. Arianna calmed her racing heart, there was nothing to be scared of. She was safe here, she told herself. Picking her phone from the nightstand, Arianna was relieved to see that it was Marcel calling. She cleared her throat and wiped the sweat on her forehead.

    ¡°Hello love,¡± Arianna said with a chippy voice, hoping he was not going to suspect a thing. Marcel got enough problems on his te and she did not want to bother him with her nightmares. That was her problem to deal with.

    ¡°Hey, love.¡± Marcel said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for waking you this early. I just wanted to make sure that you were¡­. safe.¡±

    Arianna nced at the clock on the wall it was barely six in the morning. The nightmare woke her quite early.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s no problem. I was up already.¡±

    ¡°Why? You couldn¡¯t sleep? Did you have any nightmares? I know yesterday¡¯s incident -¡±

    ¡°No, I want to have a run.¡± Arianna lied, ¡°I need to get myself in shape, and exercising helps clear my mind.¡±

    ¡°I was worrying over nothing then. In that case, have a nice run okay.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°I love you, Arianna Valerie.¡± He said all of a sudden, making her heart miss a beat.

    ¡°I love you too, Marcelo Xavier Luciano.¡± Arianna blushed hard at the end. Why were they being so lovey-dovey this morning? It was quite embarrassing, she grinned like a fool.

    Arianna ended the call and put on her running tracks. While she had not nned this, exercise was indeed good for her mind. On her way out, Redhead tagged along which was quite surprising ¨C Arianna thought the chihuahua had changed loyalties considering he was always with Rose twenty-four, seven.

    She ran across the far-stretched property. The Draven had enough space with acres ofnd, almost making the ce secluded. Arianna decided to rest after a while when Redhead began to bark in a direction furiously.

    It was the vineyard and Arianna had no business going there, but the dog wouldn¡¯t let it go and so she decided to check it out. However, what Arianna never expected to see when she got to the spot was the headless body and a scream left her mouth.

    What the heck?

    She scrambled away to go call for help, only to hear another scream from somewhere. What was happening? Were they under attack?

    ¡°Ephraim!¡± She screamed his name when she spotted him outside. However, when she got to him, he was reading the message on a white cloth probably written with blood.

    [Three down, two left]

    Oh no, it dawned on Arianna.

    This was the Luciano family¡¯s handwork.

 Chapter 865 - 865 The War Arrived On His Doorstep

    865 The War Arrived On His Doorstep

    Amid the traumatic incident the previous day, Marcel woke up feeling happy. He had gotten newsst night that Eric was going to agree to the deal and that was enough reason to celebrate. He didn¡¯t have to worry about both families going to war, Eric was giving in to his request. With him as a member of the Commission, the other families would support him in this war.

    But then everything was not good news because he received a report this early morning that thewyer handling their resources was found dead. The news left a sour taste on Marcel¡¯s tongue knowing that Richardo was responsible for it ¨C thewyer was killed in a horrid manner with his eyes plucked out.

    It was obvious that Richardo held grudges against him for killing Macy and there was no negotiation in this war. Apart from Consiglieres,wyers were known as mediators and when killed by a rival family, it meant there was no dialogue, no bargaining. It was an all-out war, cold, violent, and death.

    Hence the first thing that came to Marcel¡¯s mind was calling Arianna and making sure that she was okay. Sure, she was safe under Draven¡¯s family care, but this was a sensitive time and it pays to be careful.

    When Arianna told him she was going for a run, he didn¡¯t know how to feel about it. He wanted her inside the house where nothing could happen to her. There could always be a mole in the defense ¨C just like what happened to him. Moreover, she was pregnant, was she in a position to go running? Wouldn¡¯t it affect the baby?

    But then, Marcel didn¡¯t bring any of it knowing Arianna was stubborn and would always do whatever she wanted. Moreover, she needed the space with everything happening so far. So he decided to trust her judgment instead and prayed God protected them ¨C Arianna and his baby. Marcel was not a big believer, but in desperate times, he wouldn¡¯t mind believing in a God.

    He was still on the call when Samuel came in and he signaled him not to say a word knowing Arianna was quick on picking up on conversations. He didn¡¯t want her to begin to worry over him, this was his responsibility to take care of, not hers. And he would emerge sessfully, that was a promise.

    ¡°I love you, Arianna Valeria,¡± He said, her response bringing a smile to his face. God help him, he was going to marry this woman once this was over

    It wasn¡¯t until he dropped the phone on his desk that Samuel was able to speak, ¡°I have sent the warnings out, everyone is on alert and the family is requesting a meeting.¡±

    .....

    ¡°Fuck their meeting,¡± Marcel spat, ¡°This is not the time to gather around. They might as well give Richardo a chance to wipe all of us off and it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he goes the extra mile of dropping a bomb. The bastard has lost his mind and doesn¡¯t care about the consequences or the exposure it would cause not only us but the other crime families. ¡±

    Marcel sighed, standing with his hands on his hips. He said to Samuel, ¡°Tell my uncles and rtives. While the current situation calls for rm, this is no time to panic but to brave through this fight. They either trust me enough to take care of this and take the precautionary measures to save their lives or forget about it. At the same time, if they¡¯re so desperate to have a gathering, we can set up a zoom meeting without needing to meet. If they can¡¯t go through that as well, they can fuck off. I have enough on a te already and I refuse to dance to the tune of their dramas. ¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll send the message right back to them.¡± Samuel agreed.

    ¡°And what about Victor? If Richardo can¡¯t get to me or Arianna, my cousin would be his next target. Everyone in the underworld knows that he¡¯s my right-hand man and we are closer than brothers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right when you said he¡¯s well protected under the Draven¡¯s watch. However, I met up with Draven¡¯s people yesterday and ordered him to be moved to a discreet room. We can never be too careful. Richardo¡¯s people might be able to slip under their defenses. Although I kept him informed of our current situation and he wishes toe home. ¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Marcel refused, ¡°He¡¯s in no state to protect himself, not to talk of to fight. Victor has protected me long enough, it¡¯s time I returned the favor.¡± He concluded.

    ¡°Thought as much, I gave him the same answer and though he doesn¡¯t listen, I had the Draven men keep an eye on him.¡±

    ¡°Another thing,¡± Marcel told him, ¡°keep an eye on Mimi and her family. If Richardo is not able to find Victor in the hospital, he would try to draw him out by using her and we both know what he would do in that situation,¡±

    His cousin would willingly sacrifice himself. Even without being part of the Mafia, what man wouldn¡¯t try to save his loved ones? Not to talk of the woman he loves. This was why love was dangerous for people like him. They would plunge headfirst into danger before thinking about the consequences.

    Marcel went on to say, ¡°Make use of my resources and my men at disposal, extend the protection to her family members as well. Unlike Arianna, Mimi¡¯s parents are normal people with no form of defense. They are easy picks for Richardo. Fortunately, Marcel was not going to let that happen.

    ¡°Alright, boss,¡± Samuel bowed and took his leave.

    With his departure, Marcel called up the others, alongside Winters and they began to work on strategies they could use to counter Richardo. At the moment, Marcel was ignorant of Richardo¡¯s ability except for the fact that he was raising an army of mercenaries with the money he stole from the Basil family. Add that to his controlling the Bratva, that was too much power in his hands.

    Sadly, Richardo knew everything about him, unlike him ¨C he was fighting through the dark. So he yed the defense and until the other families render help, then they could go on the offense.

    They were still in the middle of a conversation when his phone rang. At first, he would have ignored it since he was in the middle of an important meeting. Not to mention that his lines have been ringing nonstop sincetest night. Most of the calls were from his rtives who wanted to know what was going on. They assumed that he had caused trouble again, one that woulde to haunt them. So he ignored them all.

    However, when the phone rang a second time, he decided to give it a chance and stood to pick up his phone from the desk where he dropped it. However, his eyes grew to the size of saucers when he saw the name shing across the screen.

    It was Eric.

    It was fucking Eric!

    Was he calling to discuss the deal?

    Marcel was so overjoyed that he answered at once, ¡°Hello Eric,¡±

    ¡°Your family is disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The smile died off Marcel¡¯s lips and he had to pull the phone from his ears and stare at the screen to make sure that he was speaking to the right person. Of course, it was Eric, and could not have mistaken his voice, right?

    ¡°Hello?¡± Marcel said, confused.

    ¡°I should have never thought of giving you a chance. Your family is too much trouble.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­.¡± His brows were furrowed and he was unable toprehend what was going on.

    However, Eric said to him, ¡°You¡¯re on your own, Marcel. That¡¯s my decision.¡±

    And with that being said, he hung up on him while Marcel stood stuck to the ground. What was happening? He suddenly had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something must have happened, Eric was not a man to go back on his words.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Winters asked, sensing the change in his demeanor.

    Almost on cue, Luca who had been on an errand returned with a solemn expression. He headed straight to Marcel and said, ¡°You have to see this.¡± He showed Marcel the gory contents on his phone

    Marcel¡¯s features hardened when he saw the dead bodies with the written note. [ Three down, two to go] It was a reference to that incident where Elijah caused the death of the members of his organization. The reason he almost had a war with the Draven family in the first ce. But then, the war already arrived on his doorstep.

    ¡°Who¡¯s responsible for this?¡± Marcel asked even though he had an idea already. He just didn¡¯t want to admit it or needed to be sure.

    Luca sighed, lifting his gaze, and their eyes connected. ¡°It¡¯s your father, with the help of Gabriel.¡±

    There was a tick in Marcel¡¯s jaw and his eyes darkened, ¡°Where is Daniel?¡±

 Chapter 866 - 866 Dare Death

    866 Dare Death

    ¡°Hey, babe, It¡¯s gettingte and you need to go,¡± Victor told Mimi even though it was three in the afternoon.

    She narrowed her gaze at him with suspicion, ¡°Are you chasing me away?¡±

    Heughed nervously, ¡°Of course not!¡± Victor wasn¡¯t stupid enough to admit that. He wasn¡¯t ready to die yet in her hands.

    Instead, he came up with another strategy and brushed his lips against her, and just like that, she melted into him. Victor had intended to use the kiss as a distraction, to help bring down her defenses, but the sweet kiss turned deeper and urgent.

    There was nothing as satisfying as kissing the woman you loved and knowing she felt just the same way as you. Mimi took the lead in the kiss,pletely on top of him and dominating the kiss until she made a wrong move and Victor groaned in pain and not pleasure.

    ¡°God, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Mimi got off him in a hurry, guilt crossing her expression.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± He quickly stopped her from apologizing, ¡°I would not mind dying this way.¡±

    Mimi hit him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± He eximed, ¡°What was that for?¡±

    .....

    ¡°Don¡¯t use that word casually!¡± She warned him with fire zing in her eyes. It was not funny at all. Mimi told him, ¡°I almost lost you, Victor and I don¡¯t expect to go through the same or I swear to God, I¡¯ll leave you. I¡¯ll go far away with our baby where you wouldn¡¯t be able to find me.¡±

    And thatment was enough to make Victor nervous. He couldn¡¯t imagine a world without Mimi by his side anymore.

    ¡°I promise you, it wouldn¡¯t happen again,¡± He spoke to reassure her, ¡°Moreover, I would never let you go now, honey. No matter where you run to, I will always find you.¡± He grinned, reaching out to caress her cheek and Mimi leaned into his touch, sighing.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you need to leave now. Richardo wouldn¡¯t be able to do much in broad daylight with people around. Even he is scared of thew.¡± Victor told her.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Mimi asked him, worried. She had to be told about Richardo so she would be conscious of security. What was the use of keeping the secret and endangering her life instead?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, the Draven family will take care of me. Richardo has no influence here.¡± Victor lied through his teeth, but he didn¡¯t want Mimi worrying over unnecessary things.

    ¡°Samuel is here to take you, he¡¯s right outside the hospital and would take you home.¡± He informed her.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡± And though she said it, Mimi still held on to him.

    Then without warning, she smashed her lips down on his, kissing him with fervor, and by the time Mimi was done, Victor found his brain reeling. That was just hot!

    When they broke away from the kiss, Victor was looking at her with great affection in his eyes.

    ¡°I love you, Mimi Davis,¡± He said, still eyeing her lips.

    She tugged his hair from his face, smiling brightly, ¡°I love you too, Victor Luciano.¡±

    As much as she wanted to stay, Mimi knew that this was her cue to leave. She couldn¡¯t leave Samuel waiting outside and Victor was right, it would be much more dangerous to leave by night. However, as soon as Mimi was out the door, she felt something was wrong.

    ¡°Is anything wrong, gentlemen?¡± Mimi asked one of the guards who had nowe to stand in front of her.

    Usually, the guards would try to be friendly to her, but right now, they were not even smiling and looked at her like she was an enemy or something. It unsettled her and made her begin to reconsider leaving Victor with them. But then, Victor said he was in good hands, right? Mimi didn¡¯t know what to do or believe.

    Mimi turned onest time and the door was a fire-dated timber wood with a vision ss panel, which meant she could see Victor through it. As if sensing her gaze, Victor smiled and waved at her to leave. She tilted her head unsure, perhaps she was the one thinking too much?

    Hence Mimi carefully walked past them and went her way. She should not worry too much, after all, Marcel would not stand still and watch anything happen to his cousin. Moreover, if Victor says he¡¯s fine, then he¡¯s fine. Mimi decided to trust him for once.

    Victor was vignt and as soon as he was sure that Mimi has left, he picked up his phone and called Marcel.

    ¡°I know consiglieres are eligible to be held hostage during negotiations however, this should havee with a warning. Not to mention that I have no means of protecting myself.¡± He spat into the phone as soon as his cousin picked up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marcel answered, ¡°No one saw iting. Daniel lives up to his reputation and I was a fool to think he would stand still. I just thought¡­..¡± There was a momentary pause as he let out a deep sigh, ¡°I thought he changed. Finally, perhaps, over the months, he gained a bit of humanity. But I was wrong. If anything, he only learned to be a better striker.¡±

    Victor knew his cousin was barely restricting himself from going on a killing spree ¨C he would take care of those involved in breaking off the treaty. Daniel can bring out the worst in people.

    ¡°What do I do?¡± Victor asked, eyeing the men outside. It was funny how the ones assigned to keep him safe, were now the ones keeping him from moving out of the room. The irony of life.

    ¡°Stay still. Don¡¯t make any careless moves. I know Eric and he¡¯s not going to touch a hair on your body, yet.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°I would see him..¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Victor shouted, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Why would you meet him and not me or an emissary? You¡¯re in a war, he¡¯s going to kill you!¡± Victor told him.

    But he said, ¡°In that case, I have to dare death then.¡± Marcel made up his mind already.

 Chapter 867 - 867 Dead Or Alive

    867 Dead Or Alive

    Mimi found Samuel waiting for her when she made it outside. She had been careful on her way, making sure she wasn¡¯t being followed, nor were there any suspicious-looking people in the elevator with her. Perhaps Victor was worrying too much?

    ¡°Hi Samuel,¡± Mimi waved at him casually.

    ¡°Please, miss Mimi,¡± Samuel in question was being formal as he opened the car door for her to go in.

    ¡°It¡¯s just Mimi.¡± She told him while climbing into the car.

    Samuel didn¡¯t say a word and Mimi knew instinctively that he was going to continue being formal with her. What¡¯s with all the decorum and all, anyway? She was just Mimi. You know just a simple girl who happened to fall for a bad girl. Ugh, whatever.

    With Samuel keeping silent, Mimi was nearly bored to death. However, her eyes caught her baby bump and it brought a smile to her lips. She was beginning to show and it was very annoying that this Richardo problem had to pop up in the month she and Victor nned to get married.

    Mimi had dreamed of being a hot, sexy bride at her wedding, but life doesn¡¯t always go the way you nned. Now, she was going to weigh tons of weight with a protruding stomach at her wedding. This was so unfair! And as much as she wanted to me Victor for it, she knew it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault.

    In the future, her children were all going to know their mother had a shotgun wedding. Ugh, so annoying! But then, on the bright side, she was not going to be alone. Arianna was pregnant too! They were best friends for life and then their child would be born in the same year, isn¡¯t it wonderful?!

    Only if they weren¡¯t rted, Mimi was sure that she would have betrothed their kids if they were of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, the kids were going to be cousins, hence that idea was out the window. They just had to live together as one big family! It wasn¡¯t that bad anyway.

    .....

    Perhaps, she could suggest to Marcel to build a huge vi where all of them could stay together. It would strengthen family bonds and oh, what a delight it would be! Mimi had a lot of crazy ideas on her mind.

    ¡°Your parents are together,¡± Samuel informed her out of nowhere.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Boss thinks that Richardo mighte after you if he can¡¯t get to Victor. However, he might also use your parents to get to you if you¡¯re inessible. Sadly, when he has your parents, he has you and when Richardo has you, he has Victor. So staying together, for now, would do you guys much good. ¡±

    ¡°Dear God,¡± Mimi groaned, ¡°My mother is going to flip.¡±

    As her father suggested to Victor at that time, her mother Hannah has no idea what¡¯s going on or the kind of person her son-inw is, but now the truth has to be let out of the cat. If it wasn¡¯t out already.

    Without a second thought, Mimi checked her phone only to see over thirty missed calls and an unverified number of messages from her mother. She had kept her phone on silent so as not to be distracted while with Victor. Well, it was obvious, her mother knows the truth. Today was going to be eventful, Mimi could feel it. No, she knew it. Who was she kidding? Hannah was going to rip her.

    ¡°How long is this expected tost?¡± Mimi referred to the correct crisis.

    ¡°How long is what -? Oh you mean, this situation? Until we can find Richardo and deal with him.¡±

    ¡°So my family and I are supposed to stay in hiding for as long as it takes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s technically not hiding, but being under protection. However, we should be able to figure something out.¡± Samuel¡¯s words did not assure her at all.

    ¡°But what about¡­.¡± Mimi did not get to finish the rest of her words because Samuel without warning floored the car and Mimi was violently knocked to the side.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± She cried out, having hit her face forward in the process thanks to the sudden speed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but we are currently being followed right now.¡±

    Hearing those words, Mimi¡¯s eyes widened and she at once moved to the side and lowered the window, looking out. Just as Samuel said, there was a wicked-looking SUV chasing them openly and at that speed, would soon catch up to them.

    She turned to Samuel with terror, ¡°Didn¡¯t Victor say Richardo wouldn¡¯te after me in broad daylight?!¡±

    ¡°That was the thought! Apparently, Richardo is much more suicidal than we thought.¡± Samuel was tense now, however, his concentration was on the road.

    Mimi looked out through the window once more only to see the driver pull out his gun and aim at her.

    ¡°Apparently, he has other ns for me too! It¡¯s dead or alive!¡± Mimi screamed, pulling back with a jerk as the bullet whizzed past her and shattered the side-view mirror.

    ¡°Are you fucking crazy! Get back in and get down!¡± Samuel yelled at her as he saw her narrowly escape death.

    Mimi didn¡¯t need to be told twice, she squeezed in between the space between the seat and kept her head down. She would let the professional handle this! Yep, leave it all to Samuel.

    Samuel was driving above the speed limit now and though it seemed kind of exciting in movies, it wasn¡¯t the same in reality! If the assassin Richardo sent to end her fails his mission, she would probably die in a crush. Boohoo, she was not ready to die yet.

    To make it worse, the assassin must have gotten close to them because she heard another shot and the windows on her side shattered to pieces. Mimi screamed, shielding her face from the bits. Mimi could feel ss pieces on her body but she didn¡¯t move, afraid to scratch herself or even worse, get shot.

    ¡°We are here now,¡± Samuel said which made her frown deepen.

    Where is here? They weren¡¯t even close to her ce.

    And then she heard it¡­

 Chapter 868 - 868 Please Trust Me

    868 Please Trust Me

    It was the sound of a resounding boom, like a car that exploded or something. Well, it was exactly that because when Mimi finally looked out the window, she was stunned to see that the car was flipped over and on fire.

    ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± She turned to Samuel, eyes wide with shock and relief.

    ¡°We just got rid of our enemy.¡± He said.

    ¡°We?¡± Mimi was confused. It was just the both of them here and Samuel didn¡¯t lift a finger except evading them during the chase.

    ¡°Victor suspected that Richardo might dare toe after you in broad daylight, so we let them underestimate us and fish them out instead.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Mimi was confused. Her head was reeling. Everything was going too fast. Heck, she thought she was about to die and now, this is it.

    ¡°The assassins thought it would be an easy kill with just the both of us together, so they got cocky and revealed themselves. Now I lured them this way where the others wereying in wait and got rid of them.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Mimi didn¡¯t know whether to be impressed or dumbfounded. She then looked out and true to his words, they were being followed by another car and this time, it was not the enemy.

    She faced him, ¡°A little warning could havee in handy. God, I almost suffered a heart attack!¡±

    .....

    ¡°There was no need to get you worried, unnecessarily. Moreover, we needed you to be natural, these mercenaries are able to sense a trap and you didn¡¯t give us out so we were able to use the element of surprise. Now, let me get you home so we can move you guys to a safe location. ¡±

    ¡°W-what?! Safe location?! ¡± Mimi sputtered, ¡°W-wait a minute, what¡¯s going on here?¡± She needed to wrap her head around what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°The attack just now proved that Richardo would go to any length to have you, we would have to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen. Now, do you have any rtives in the city that can be used to draw your family out.¡±

    ¡°N-no, no family.. But wait, all of this is going too fast,¡± Mimi gestures animatedly, ¡°Victor can¡¯t just decide what happens in my life even if the situation is dire. He could have just told me all of this without springing up surprises.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Mimi, but this isn¡¯t all Victor¡¯s decision, most of ites directly from boss Marcel. You are carrying Victor¡¯s child and whether you like it or not, that automatically makes you a Luciano. We, Luciano, take care of our own and that is just what I¡¯m doing. Sorry for the abruptness. ¡±

    ¡°Oh God,¡± Mimi groaned, rubbing her head because it was beginning to pound. No wonder Victor wanted her away, he knew she would find out about his or Marcel¡¯s ns sooner orter.

    ¡°Listen, is there -¡±

    But Samuel lifted his hand and silenced her, that was when Mimi found out that he was on call because he inserted a wireless earpiece into his ear and began his call.

    Samuel must be conscious of her presence because she couldn¡¯t pick up much from the conversation except, ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°Okay¡± ¡°No¡±, ¡°safe¡± It was all just bits that didn¡¯t make any sense and she knew they were talking about her.

    ¡°Alright, we will be there soon.¡± He said in the end.

    Samuel took the earpiece and said to her without even looking over his shoulder, ¡°I need to move you directly to the safe location, however, Luca is with your parents and your mother refuses to make a move until she confirms that you are safe and alive. I suggest you call her.¡±

    That was typical of her mother, the woman must be livid now. Victor would surely not have it easy with her once they meet again.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Mimi finally remembered. She has not been able to call before due to the attack. But now, she was about to face Hannah who would no doubt give her a piece of her mind now.

    ¡°Hello, mother.¡± She called.

    ¡°Mimi!¡± The woman screamed into the phone and almost destroyed her hearing. Mimi pulled the phone a few spaces back before bringing it to her ears again.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m safe, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±

    ¡°My little angel, what¡¯s going on here? I don¡¯t understand at all. There¡¯s still men iming to be members of the Luciano family and that they need to move us to a safe ce. What sort of gibberish is that? We are in a safe neighborhood -¡±

    ¡°Mom -?¡±

    ¡°There has been no record of crime for a while now -¡±

    ¡°Mom -?¡± The woman was not listening.

    ¡°And why is your dad beingpliant with them? I don¡¯t understand -¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Mimi raised her voice this time and she stopped talking.

    Phew, finally.

    Mimi took a deep breath and told her, ¡°Mom, there is something going on. Victor¡¯s family offended a really bad person and now the man¡¯sing after him and everyone he loves, that is including me. They can¡¯t get to Victor because he¡¯s protected in the hospital, and now he¡¯sing to hurt me. Victor wants to protect me, which means I cannot let him get to you guys as well. So please, just follow Luca, he¡¯s trustworthy and he knows what he¡¯s doing. ¡±

    There was a little silence from her mother and just when Mimi thought the woman was beginning to consider her offer, she said, ¡°The police. Yes, we can¡¯t go to the police!¡±

    ¡°Absolutely no!¡±

    ¡°Why not? They would protect us from whoever that person -¡±

    ¡°Mom! Just listen to me and father for once and go with Luca!¡±

    ¡°Mimi?¡± There was now suspicion in her tone. As a mother, Hannah could sense there was something her daughter was not telling her ¨C and her husband.

    ¡°Please trust me for once and go, okay?¡± Mimi begged her.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The woman finally gave in and Mimi let out the breath that she had been holding in. Wow, Mimi breathed. She had a lot of exining to do.

 Chapter 869 - 869 My Personal Slave

    869 My Personal ve

    Fate surely has ways of fucking with him, that was the thought in Lucas¡¯s head as he drove into Leon¡¯spound. Well, it¡¯s not like he wanted to be here, but it was Marcel¡¯s orders and he couldn¡¯t disobey them. Although he did protest, unfortunately, it turns out that he was the only man suitable for the job, considering his rtionship with the host. If only they knew there was no rtionship. Not now. Not ever.

    He packed in thewn and as expected, Leon was out the front door, looking as delicious as ever. Alright, this was not the time to think of frivolous things. He had to concentrate on this job. It was too dangerous.

    ¡°You guys stay here, I need to sort out a few things with our host,¡± Luca told the girl¡¯s parents who had not talked to each other since the journey began. He could sense the tension between the both of them and was d to escape the drama. Sadly, he escaped a drama, just to fall into another one.

    He walked over to Luca and tried not to notice how good he looked. This is all for the mission, he told himself. But Lucas¡¯s heart began to race quickly, guilt gnawing at his chest.

    ¡°Hi Leon,¡± He waved at him.

    ¡°And to what do I owe this pleasant visit considering thest time we met, not that we even met, but the message you sent was clear, ¡®let¡¯s forget what happened between the both of us¡¯,¡± Leon said to him with a smile that did not touch his eyes. It was at that moment that Luca realized that he might have hurt him unintentionally.

    He shifted ufortably on his feet and said, ¡°Please Leon, let¡¯s put our personal issues aside. Perhaps, another time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Leon chuckled, ¡°Fine. This is an official meeting, after all.¡±

    He started, ¡°You must have heard from Marcel then.¡±

    .....

    Leon gave him a nk look, ¡°About what?¡±

    Luca frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, didn¡¯t Marcel tell you that I would be sending Mimi and her parents to you for protection?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing at all. But then, why would he? I have already paid off my favor to him by hosting Arianna and keeping her safe at that time. We are not exactly friends, Luca, and for Marcel to send the girl and her parents here means that he¡¯s willing to owe me a favor. ¡±

    He went on to say, looking him in the eyes, ¡°But then, I¡¯m a businessman and you might need to convince me that this is worth it and I won¡¯t regret my decision. I have heard the Luciano family is under attack. You giving me the girl means that Richardo woulde at me next, nor is Marcel in a position to grant favors right now.¡± He smirked shrewdly.

    ¡°News sure travels fast,¡± Luca expelled a shaky breath. He was nervous right now, not that he was showing it. It finally dawned on him why Marcel sent him here. He was the bargaining chip. Sigh, he has no choice.

    ¡°What do you want, Leon King?¡±

    ¡°What do you think I want, Luca?¡± He stepped closer till they were standing face to face. He looked him over with intent and said, ¡°Give me a good deal and I would take on all the trouble.¡±

    ¡°Fine, a night,¡± Luca said.

    But Leon burst into aughter that gurgled to a halt in the end and he was all serious now, ¡°You¡¯re making it about the sex again, huh? What do you take me as? A customer soliciting a prostitute, is that it? You would give away your body like that, huh?¡±

    Luca swallowed, looking away. He was not yet for the drama. This is why he shouldn¡¯t have let emotions get in the way of his job. What was Marcel even thinking anyway? This was not going to work, anyway.

    Leon reached out and sped his jaw, turning his attention on him while their bodies were touching now, brushing and rubbing against each other.

    ¡°You know¡­.¡± His grip was strong so Luca couldn¡¯t look away, ¡°For someone biased towards me because of my dating history, you ended up ying the games instead. You strung me along -¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t string you along.¡± Luca objected firmly.

    ¡°But you used me when you needed to, and dumped me when it didn¡¯t seem convenient for you anymore.¡±

    ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t want to be distracted while¡­.¡± Luca trailed off when he realized how harsh that sounded.

    But Leon smiled bitterly, ¡°Of course, I was the distraction.¡±

    ¡°No, Leon, listen -¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a fine deal then since you don¡¯t want to make me one. Then, it¡¯s up to you to take it or you can leave with yourpany. It¡¯s not worth the trouble.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Luca was confident it wouldn¡¯t be that bad. Leon was in love with him and would not hurt him.

    ¡°We¡¯d date for a month.¡± Leon decided.

    Lucas¡¯s only reaction was a blink of an eye. He already saw thating. However, Luca was not done.

    ¡°During that time, I¡¯ll owe your body¡­¡± His finger began to trail down his chest, ¡°Mind and soul. My own personal ve and you would not resist me. During that time, I would make you fall in love with me, it¡¯s a promise, and then at the end of the month, break your heart by dumping you.¡±

    Leon took his hand off him and said, ¡°That¡¯s how I y my games and now you know it. There would be no stringing along since both of usply with the deal. Thus, I¡¯m living up to my reputation and you know what you¡¯re getting yourself into. So now you tell me, do we have a deal or not? ¡±

    Luca swallowed, he didn¡¯t like the sound of this. However, he looked back at the car and saw Mimi¡¯s parents waiting for his orders. This was also part of his mission, he couldn¡¯t let Marcel. The only way he could save himself now was not to fall deeply in love with Leon else he¡¯s doomed at the end of the month.

    ¡°Deal,¡± He said and Leon King smiled devilishly.

 Chapter 870 - 870 Murdering Each Other

    870 Murdering Each Other

    When Samuel talked about a safe location, Mimi had been expecting they would hide out at an abandoned warehouse or something. Which was the reason she had been wary of it at first knowing that she would be worried and at the same time, bored out of her mind. However, what she never expected was to be driven into a Mansion. It was just way beyond her expectations.

    Mimi and Samuel stepped out of the car and she was quick to ask him, ¡°What is this ce?¡±

    ¡°The King¡¯s mansion.¡± He exined, letting out a relieved sigh. It had been quite a day.

    ¡°The King¡¯s Manson? As in the King¡¯s family. I¡¯ve pretty much heard about them or him. So please do not tell me that I¡¯m actually standing in front of Leon King¡¯s home.¡±

    ¡°Yep, the one and only, Leon King. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised you know him,¡± He added at thest minute, ¡°And for the record, he¡¯s gay.¡±

    Mimi whipped around to face him, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking that way.¡± She could sense the usation in his tone.

    But Samuel merely shrugged. He was not close to being convinced.

    She rolled her eyes toward heaven,

    ¡°I¡¯m in love with Victor and I¡¯m having his child. Moreover, I¡¯m a fan, remember? I already know he¡¯s gay. Surely, it¡¯s not a crime to be a fan, right?¡±

    .....

    ¡°If you say so then,¡± Samuel said, heading to the entrance and she followed along.

    ¡°So how do you guys know each other? Is he friends with Victor or Marcel?¡± Mimi wanted to know everything. Perhaps, she was no different from her mother after all.

    ¡°Marcel and Leon are not exactly friends, they are just associates. If there¡¯s anyone that you should ask that question, it should be Luca.¡±

    Mimi paused, ¡°Wait a minute¡­.¡± She thought over it, ¡°The Luca that I know? You know, extremely tall, dark, and deliciously handsome Luca that I previously crushed on until he broke my heart by revealing he was gay? That Luca?¡±

    ¡°Yep, Capo Luca. The both of them are together or something. I don¡¯t really know nor care and¡­.¡± He turned to face her, ¡°You ask too many questions. So pleasee meet your parents, no other questions.¡±

    Mimi was startled because she had other questions. Like many, many questions, like how did Luca and Leon meet? Were they together? And damn, she was happy for Luca ¨C and a bit jealous too. Why did it have to be Leon King? She had a lot of gossip to feed Arianna when they will meet after this is over. But there was nothing as exciting as having to meet Leon King face to face. It was a dreame true.

    They were weed through the entrance and Mimi walked through the short passage that opened into the foyer, admiring the ravish decoration like a child staring at the wonders of the world for the first time.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Mimi breathed. The family was indeed rich, even more than she thought.

    ¡°I have a question though,¡± She said suddenly and Samuel groaned, rubbing his hands down his face.

    ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°Is this ce safe though?¡± She exined, ¡°I mean if Marcel can¡¯t even hide me in the Base, what would stop Richardo from attacking this ce.¡±

    ¡°Richardo wouldn¡¯t. No, he wouldn¡¯t dare. While Mr. King might be a famous figure, his family has strong political roots. Even the president of the country is rted to him, not to talk of his siblings in various political positions. Did I forget to mention his father was once a member of the military as well? And then his mother¡­ ¡°Samuel sighed,¡± It¡¯s even a wonder he¡¯s not turned on Marcel yet. ¡±

    ¡°So in one word, he¡¯s the ck sheep of the family for associating with the likes of you? No offense though.¡± Mimi said.

    ¡°You can say that. Much to his family¡¯s disappointment, he didn¡¯t go down the politicalne with them, deciding to be a businessman instead. His sexual orientation did not help matters either. Every other member of the family is outstanding and imbued with decorum. Just for warning sake, don¡¯t bring up his family though, he¡¯s quite sensitive about talks like that. So Richardo can¡¯ty a finger on him else he¡¯s exposing the underworld and not even the Bratva or the mercenaries would risk that. We operate under the radar and leave the government alone so the government can leave us too. Simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Everything made sense to Mimi now.

    ¡°Now, who do we have here?¡± Someone said out of nowhere.

    Speak of the devil, it was Mr. King in blood and fresh, walking in their direction and they halted at once.

    ¡°Mr. King.¡± Samuel greeted.

    Leon barely acknowledged him because his gaze was upon Mimi.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Mimi said nervously, suddenly feeling self-conscious in front of this big shot. She had once crushed on him, you know.

    Leon said, ¡°I only got to meet Arianna, not you. But Victor sure knows how to make his pick¡­¡± His gaze trailed down to her stomach, ¡°And it seems the position for a godfather is open as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Mimi swallowed, ¡°About that, the position is taken already.¡±

    Leon arched a brow, ¡°By who?¡±

    She thought over it ¡°A crazy lunatic? He¡¯s quite not right in the head.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, a ¡®he¡¯ ?¡± Leon¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest, ¡°Is that crazy lunatic quite handsome?¡± He inquired optimistically.

    Just as Mimi was about to answer, Luca came in at that moment, and by the tick in his jaw, she could sense that he heard everything ¨C and he looked mad. Call it her sixth sense but Mimi could tell there was trouble in paradise.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s single, but not into men.¡±

    Leon tsked, feigning disappointment, ¡°What a loss.¡±

    She stretched her hand, ¡°I¡¯m Mimi, and a huge fan.¡±

    Instead of taking her hand in a handshake, Leon took it and raised it to his lips instead, nting a kiss on it.

    ¡°I¡¯m Leon King and I have a feeling that we are going to get along fine.¡±

    Mimi smiled and he smiled back at her.

    Leon then took her arm and looped it around his. He walked with her, saying, ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you to your parents. While I¡¯m famous for my charming ability, I don¡¯t think I can stop your parents from murdering each other.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter 871 - 871 Give Her Time

    871 Give Her Time

    ¡°You could have told me?! How could you hide that kind of secret from me, Roger?!¡±

    ¡°I was trying to protect you!¡±

    ¡°How is thid protection?! You practically put our little girl in danger! Look what¡¯s happening now!¡±

    Those were the arguments that greeted Mimi and Leon when they arrived in front of the door. The both of them looked at each other unsure, however, Leon stepped back knowing that this wasn¡¯t his business. It was a family issue.

    ¡°When you guys are done, there¡¯s dinner waiting to be served.¡± He informed her just in case.

    ¡°Sure, thank you.¡±

    Leon was about to turn and leave when he suddenly stopped and said, ¡°You and your family are weed here, so feelfortable and don¡¯t hold back on my ount.¡±

    Mimi nodded her head in understanding right before she turned the knob and went into the room, the arguments dying down instantly.

    Her mother was the first to set her eyes on her and she had to admit, the woman looked stressed. Mimi began to feel guilty for putting her through all of this.

    .....

    ¡°Mom?¡± She called, taking a hesitant step towards her.

    ¡°God, Mimi,¡± Hannah didn¡¯t care about her hesitation and pulled her into her embrace, hugging her tight as if she didn¡¯t want to let go.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Mimi apologized, tears springing up in her eyes as she buried her face in her shoulder, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep you in the dark. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hush, it¡¯s okay.¡± Hannah told her, running her hands through her hair, ¡°All that matters is that you¡¯re safe now.¡±

    Minutester, the whole family was seated for a conversation.

    ¡°So Victor is not really a businessman but is a consigliere to Marcel, who is the leader of the family and the family business is dealing with arms.¡± Mimi¡¯s mother, Hannah, was still trying to wrap her head around everything.

    ¡°Well, one of them. They practically dabble in everything illegal, gambling,bor racketeering, loan sharking, tax fraud schemes, and stock maniption schemes, I mean, that¡¯s what makes them the Mafia. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Mimi was still talking when she saw the way her mother¡¯s eyes widened in terror and she realized that it was the thing she said.

    ¡°Well, everything except drugs, and trafficking. Doing drugs is lucrative but there are many dangers, including addiction. The government would crack down on them faster. I¡¯m not trying to say they are innocent butpared to the others, they do operate with a moral code.¡± Mimi said, swallowing nervously.

    While she would still be together with Victor, even if her mother doesn¡¯t approve of him anymore, she still didn¡¯t want it toe to that point. Her mother doesn¡¯t have to understand why she chose him out of the billions of men out there in the world, she needed her to ept it.

    ¡°Why h-him?¡± Hannah asked, her voice cracking at the end. She went on to say,

    ¡°We gave you everything that you could ever want, Mimi. We gave you the best life, sent you to the best school, and even supported you when you didn¡¯t want to take over thepany and didn¡¯t know what to do with your life, I understood that as your mother. So why him? You could have many far better men and not him. Do you realize what this means for you? For him? You can¡¯t outrun thew forever. One day, they woulde for him and you¡¯d be left all alone. Even without that, look around you, and see what¡¯s happening. Is this the kind of life you want?¡±

    Mimi was not able to speak for over a minute knowing that her mother was right. Her future with Victor was not certain. He could die or get arrested. Worse, she could also die. She would never be safe with him. None of them would be safe. But then, that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

    ¡°I failed you.¡± was all Mimi said. She shook her head, ¡°But I can¡¯t stop now. There¡¯s no turning back now, mother. I love Victor and I¡¯m having his baby. Everyone knows about us now and I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nowhere that I can go that I would be safe, if not beside him.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Hannah. Our daughter is most safe with the Luciano family now.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but what do you really know about them or all of this?! You are just a businessman!¡± The womanshed out at her husband.

    Roger didn¡¯t answer, rather he looked at his daughter, and an understanding passed between the both of them. Unfortunately, Hannah saw the interaction and something hit her.

    She narrowed her gaze at her husband, ¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me as well?¡±

    Roger swallowed his gaze meeting with Mimi and held.

    ¡°For sure, you have. How then, would you have held onto her secret?¡± Hannah looked at her husband, ¡°Let it out now while I¡¯m still being nice.¡±

    Roger let out a deep breath, using his tongue to wet his lower lips. He confessed, ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, Hannah. That means I have done one or two things that would mark me guilty in the face of thew. I¡¯m not innocent, Hannah.¡±

    ¡°Dear God,¡± The woman gasped, running her hand through her hair. There were just so many confessions that it sent her head reeling.

    ¡°I think I need some air.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­.¡± Mimi called, tears glistening in her ears. She tried to reach for her mother, but Roger grabbed her and shook his head when she looked up. She had to let her go.

    Without even looking back, Hannah left the room and that scene broke Mimi¡¯s heart so she burst into tears.

    ¡°I think she hates me now.¡± Mimi cried out hard, ¡°I have failed her.¡±

    But her father pulled her into him,forting her.

    ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t and would never hate you. This is all new to her and she needs the space. We all lied to her and couldn¡¯t change her view in one day. Give your mother time, Mimi.¡±

 Chapter 872 - 872 If I Die....

    872 If I Die....

    Daniel was supposed to have a peaceful sleep that night but it was disrupted by his son¡¯s arrival. And yes, he had been expecting Marcel¡¯s visit, but what he never imagined was for Marcel toe into his ce with an entourage of soldiers.

    No, his men should have never allowed him entry in the first ce, but he finally understood why when his second inmand was tossed to his feet like a ragged doll. Haz was beaten ck and blue and it was no doubt Marcel¡¯s handwork.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Marcel!¡± He growled at him, fist clenched to his sides. Daniel did not feel sorry for Haz¡¯s condition, after all, violence was part of their lifestyle. However, it was the fact that Marcel had the guts to beat up his second inmand and dumped him on his feet. It was the highest form of disrespect, especially in front of all these people. Marcel just insulted his pride.

    However, Marcel did not answer, rather he stepped forward till he was standing face to face with his father, Haz doing well to stay out of the way. His face was hard and expressionless, except for the tick in his jaw that was a symbol of his fury.

    ¡°You know¡­.¡± Marcel began, his voice a drawl, but tensed, ¡°While on my way here, I thought of many ways that I could deal with you. At first, I thought of going after my second cousin Gabriel and teaching him a lesson for abetting you in the attack. But then, I changed my mind¡­. I mean, why go after the small fish when the big fish is the master maniptor? I should first deal with you. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m scared.¡± Daniel as usual didn¡¯t take him seriously and goaded him, ¡°So what are you going to do? Beat me up? You are quite good at that for someone who thought of me as a monster for disciplining his mother. Isn¡¯t it a crime hitting your father too or doesn¡¯t your moralpass include that?¡±

    Marcel¡¯s fist shook by his side with great anger. He knew that his father was trying to mess with him by getting into his head. He couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    He acknowledged it,¡± I¡¯m not going to lie, I did think of that. I thought of ending your pathetic life and saving everyone else the trouble, but then, what¡¯s the gain? Death is a huge mercy for someone like you. And what is beating you? No, you¡¯re too resilient to pain that I would be teasing you instead.¡±

    His voice became graver as he said,¡± I needed to think of something that would hurt you enough to beg on your knees, and of which, mercy wouldn¡¯te anyway. I needed to take away something that you valued so much, that made you the man you are! ¡± His voice was raised at the end.

    .....

    Then Marcel smiled wickedly, ¡°And then it came into my mind suddenly. I need to strip you of your great honor.¡±

    And with those words being said, Marcel gestured his head and two of his men from behind went over and held Daniel from both sides.

    ¡°You! What are you doing?!¡± Although Daniel had no clue what his son was up to, his tone somehow made him ufortable. For Marcel to be thisfortable meant that he had found a suitable way to torture him and for some reason, he had a feeling it would hurt.

    He struggled with both men, but they were stronger and he couldn¡¯t set himself free. While this was happening, a third man stepped in and began to search him thoroughly, taking away every weapon that he could find on him.

    ¡°Check his knees as well, he doesn¡¯tck hiding spots,¡± Marcel instructed the man on where to search while Daniel gritted his teeth and braved through the harassment. If Marcel nned to break his spirit, then he was in for a loss. He was Daniel Luciano, nothing could faze him anymore.

    ¡°He¡¯s clean,¡± The third man announced, stepping away while the other two still held onto him.

    ¡°Good,¡± Marcel said and gestured to another man who stepped out and brought up his phone to record the scene. This stupid son of his!

    Daniel suddenly lunged forward, but the man kept a strong hold of him so he was only able to groan and jerk. Who knew Marcel was going to send the video? He was really set on humiliating him! Daniel swore to deal with him after this was over. He was going to ruin his reputation over a small incident?!

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Marcel asked the man with the phone.

    ¡°Ready, boss.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Marcel then announced, ¡°With the power vested on me as the Don of this family, I, Marcelo Xavier Luciano IV strip Daniel Cosmo Luciano of his operating powers in this family¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­.!¡± Daniel screamed at him when he realized what he was doing.

    However Marcel continued nheless, ¡°He shall no longer have any authority or power tomand any subject, rather he shall be under the subjection of others. He would be nothing but a mere member of this family until the order is refuted otherwise. Any attempt to go against this order shall be met with death!¡± He dered with authority.

    What other way to deal with Daniel than to hurt him where it hurts the most? By taking away the one thing he values the most, power. Without it, he couldn¡¯t do anything. He is nothing. Without that power, his reputation would crumble.

    ¡°No, you bastard! What have you done?! How could you do this to me? I¡¯m your father!¡± He roared ¡°I gave you everything! Make you who you are and you dare to stab me in the back!¡± Daniel¡¯s eyes were red and full of embarrassing fury. He didn¡¯t deserve to be treated this way. Not after everything he has done for this family! For his disgrace of a son.

    But Marcel told him, ¡°You should be grateful, that is exactly why I didn¡¯t banish you from the family.¡±

    Hearing that response left Daniel dumbfounded. He thought that he knew Marcel well, but it seems he didn¡¯t know him after all. When he ordered that attack, he knew Marcel would be mad and probably throw one or two fusses. Stripping him of his authority in the family? Banishing him? It just didn¡¯t cross his mind. After all, it was a first.

    ¡°This video is going directly to the members of the family and don¡¯t think of trying to manipte anyone toe to your aid, because you already made yourself unlikeable and I¡¯m sure none of them thinks you¡¯re worthy to die for.¡±

    Daniel lunged at his son again, his effort was futile while being held down by both men.

    ¡°You¡¯re currently under house arrest, so don¡¯t think of stepping a foot outside. The order is to shoot on sight. Note the word, ¡®shoot¡¯ not ¡®kill¡¯. If you¡¯re injured, I¡¯ll make sure they prolong your agony just enough to keep you alive until helpes. This should be enough punishment, right?¡± Marcel smirked at him, relishing his misery.

    And then he turned,manding the soldier next to him, ¡°Rece all of his men and fill them with ours. While they are still my men, their loyalty to no father is stronger and I would not doubt they would try to help him escape.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± The soldier said and began to round Daniel¡¯s men up.

    ¡°No, Marcel! You can¡¯t do this to me! Marcel!¡± Daniel called after him with all of his might but Marcel did not spare him a look and turned his back to him.

    This was a mild punishmentpared to what he had done. Now, the Draven family was set to war with him all because of his stupid choice. While they said People¡¯s names influence them, Daniel¡¯s case was the opposite. His middle name ¡®Cosmo¡¯ means order, decency, and beauty. Yet his father didn¡¯t live up to it and recognizes beauty in chaos instead.

    By the time Marcel got outside, Samuel had pulled up already and was by his side in a sh.

    ¡°How did it go, boss?¡± He hinted at Daniel.

    ¡°It went how it was supposed to go,¡± Marcel answered with a hard expression.

    Samuel looked at him and asked, ¡°Are you okay, boss?¡± While Daniel might be a monster to the others ¨C and perhaps to him too ¨C he was still his father.

    ¡°How are Mimi and her parents?¡± Marcel changed the topic instead and Samuel understood the cue not to bring up that question again.

    ¡°They are safe in there and Luca would keep an eye on them.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, Luca,¡± Marcel sighed. He owes him one.

    ¡°What¡¯s the next n, boss?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see the Draven family.¡±

    ¡°W-what?!¡± Samuel got in his way and said, ¡°That is not possible, they would shoot you on sight. This is a war, boss!¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t let that happen!¡± Marcel countered, ¡± I know the risk but I have to take the leap of faith. If I die¡­.¡± He swallowed uneasily, ¡°So be it.¡±

 Chapter 873 - 873 Not Good Enough

    873 Not Good Enough

    The war was going to happen, Arianna could tell from the activities going on around her. Never has she seen Draven¡¯s family house this busy until today. For the past hours, many cars drove into thepound, apanied by unfamiliar men Arianna had never seen until now.

    Thest she had seen, a cart of weapons was being carried into the house and her heart had never stopped pounding ever since. It dawned on her that this was the weapon that would be used on Marcel and every member of the Luciano family she valued. If she doesn¡¯t do something now, the father of her child is going to vanish from the face of the earth forever.

    Thanks to that, Arianna has been looking for Eric in this sea of people. She had to talk to him, convince him that this was a mistake. Violence was not the answer and they would only end up destroying each other. Arianna couldn¡¯t tell who would win in a war between two families, but she couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    As much as she wasn¡¯t attached to Eric, he was still her mother¡¯s husband and her mother would be heartbroken over the loss. In one word, Arianna was torn between both sides. She couldn¡¯t lose Eric, Elijah, Ezra, Ephraim, and Elvis that epted her as part of Draven but she couldn¡¯t Marcel, Victor, Adele, and Luca with the rest of them. All of them were important to them.

    If there was anyone that had to be punished, it was Daniel. Everyone knew that this was his fault and he had to pay for what he did. But cing judgment on the entire Luciano family was not the way to do it. They are innocent. Eric should punish only Daniel and leave the rest of them.

    Sadly, no matter how hard she searched, Arianna could not find him. Who knows where he was, probably bent over ayout and plotted their attack. However, she did find her mother and she hurried over to her side. Rose, her stepsister, has been sent to stay with her mother Karen and the young girl was kind enough to go with Redhead.

    ¡°Mother, I need to speak to Eric,¡± Arianna demanded, blocking her way.

    ¡°Arianna, trust me, this is not the time.¡± Natalie tried to sidestep her but Arianna was determined and stood her ground.

    ¡°Do you even hear yourself? He¡¯s about to go attack Marcel, how could you let that happen?!¡±

    .....

    Hearing the usation in her voice made Natalie snap at her, ¡°You think I haven¡¯t tried?! Do you think that I just folded my hands and watched everything escte to this point?!¡±

    Arianna¡¯s mouth opened and closed with no answer and her mother continued to fire at her,

    ¡°I warned Marcel! Told him that his father would be the death of him yet his sense of duty towards that madman did not let him do the right thing until it got to this point. Moreover¡­.¡± She lifted her chin defiantly, ¡°What do you expect Eric to do, sit and fold his arms as the Luciano family throws this shit on his face.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the Luciano family, it¡¯s all Daniel¡¯s handwork,¡± Arianna groaned, desperate to be heard. This had to be stopped before it was toote.

    ¡°Daniel is still part of the Luciano family! For crying out loud Arianna, a truce was in ce! Eric and Marcel had a deal underway, a means to bring peace to both families and still yet Daniel struck while being aware of that. The Luciano family broke the treaty first, it¡¯s right the Draven family retaliated. Trust me, this is the only way to bring back the respect to the Draven family, or else every other crime family would follow in the same step. If Eric doesn¡¯t do this, his men would take up the case to restore the glory of the family. ¡±

    ¡°No, there has to be another way to solve this without the bloodshed. Mother¡­..¡± A tear slipped down her face and her voice cracked as she reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m carrying his child. I-I can¡¯t lose Marcel¡­. I just need to see Eric and maybe¡­ maybe he would understand.¡±

    Arianna wiped her face with the back of her hand while more tears flowed down her face, ¡°Just tell me where he is¡­¡± She pleaded with her mother.

    It was obvious that Natalie was torn between decisions. She had to keep her husband¡¯s back, but this was her daughter¡­. and her grandchild. It was a difficult decision to make.

    ¡°He¡¯s in the basement along with his brothers,¡± Natalie told her and Arianna released the breath that she had been holding in.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be optimistic though, it¡¯s guarded by enough soldiers to keep people like you from getting into the meeting room,¡± Natalie informed her.

    Just as she thought, Eric was intentionally avoiding her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Arianna said with determination in her eyes and her fist clenched by her sides, ¡°Thanks for doing your part already.¡±

    With that being said, she turned and intentionally approached the men gathered around the table with many weapons spread out.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± She bumped into one of them, ¡°I think I missed my step.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± The man sighed, running his hand through his hair, ¡°You just watch where you¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arianna smiled at him, ¡°You just saved a life.¡±

    ¡°Okie¡­.?¡± The man was confused by herment yet didn¡¯t think much about it, focusing his attention back on the group.

    Arianna was a woman with purpose as she left to find Eric. She hasn¡¯t stepped into the basement of the house since she arrived here, however, it wasn¡¯t hard to find, and just like her mother said, two men were guiding the door.

    She didn¡¯t recognize both men but they obviously knew considering they addressed her by her name.

    ¡°Arianna, you¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡±

    ¡°Just let me in, I need to speak with Eric,¡± Arianna hoped dialogue would work and she wouldn¡¯t have to resort to violence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that is the order from the boss, so please turn around and leave. You¡¯re not permitted to be in here and we might have to use violence if you refuse otherwise.¡±

    Arianna sighed, she got her hope high for nothing. And then she moved. She guessed it was a bonus to have the element of surprise on her side because they never saw hering. The first thing Arianna did was to tase the man closest to her with the taser gun she had stolen from that man.

    The moment the first man fell, the other man woke from his slumber and knocked the stun gun from her hand before she could use it on him. He was just about to hit her when Arianna decided to y dirty.

    She cried out at once, ¡°Remember, I¡¯m a girl!¡±

    He halted at once and that hesitation was his mistake. Arianna lifted her leg and kicked him in the ce where the sun never shines and while he was still groaning in pain, finished him with a roundabout kick.

    Arianna was breathing heavily and stared at the defeated men on the ground, unable to get up on their feet for a second round. Their woes are loud in her ear. That was close, but she was not close to giving up.

    With the road clear, she opened the door and went in, everyone present staring at her as soon as she stepped in. Silence descended in the room and just as her mother told her, Eric was here with his brothers.

    ¡°Who let you in?¡± Eric¡¯s voice boomed across the room until he lifted his gaze and saw his men from afar, defeated.

    ¡°While I should be impressed by your work, unfortunately, Arianna, you are not supposed to be in this room, and would appreciate it if you left right now.¡±

    But Arianna stepped forward, saying, ¡°You can¡¯t go to war with Marcel, Eric, please.¡±

    ¡°While I would take into ount your rtionship with Marcel, the Luciano family was the first to break the ord. I owe a responsibility to this family and right now, I¡¯m taking up my role as the head and bringing justice to the souls we lost.¡±

    She told him, ¡°Violence can¡¯t be the answer, Eric. There has to be another way.¡±

    Eric breathed out and then stared straight into her eyes saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t me your mother but it¡¯s quite unfortunate that you were not raised with the underworld¡¯s tradition. There is no permanent friend or enemy in this line of work, Arianna. I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t let emotion cloud my judgment. Marcel is a good leader, but not good enough to prevent a war. ¡±

    He turned to his brother, Elijah, ¡°See to it that my stepdaughter is escorted out of here safely, and keep an eye on her.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­!¡± Arianna wanted to fight off Elijah but he was stronger than her and already held her close to him so she wouldn¡¯t break out of his grip.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you have toe with me, Arianna.¡±

    But before Elijah could drag her away, She announced, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant! I¡¯m having Marcel¡¯s baby. You can¡¯t just end the father of my child like that!¡± She cried out loud.

    It was obvious that the announcement was a game changer because she could see the reaction on the faces of the brothers. But in the next minute, they shook their heads one after the other and her heart dropped.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arianna. But this has to be done.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

 Chapter 874 - 874 She Was Not Supposed To See This

    874 She Was Not Supposed To See This

    Marcel knew what he was expecting when he set out on that journey to Draven¡¯s residence. He was taking a huge risk here, but it would be worth the effort if he seeded. While Richardo had not nned to turn him against the Draven family and it happened thanks to his father¡¯s foolishness, he knew the bastard was on the sidelines waiting for when to strike after the Draven family was doneunching the first blow.

    Thus, Marcel could not let that happen. It was hard to see the bigger picture when blinded by the thrill of war, and he had to prove to Eric that it was not worth it to spill unnecessary blood during this period. Sure, Richardo had it out for his family, but they can¡¯t forget where he got that kind of power. He zeroed the Basil family to get into that position of power and what was the assurance that he wouldn¡¯te after them next after getting rid of the Luciano family?

    While the other family might consider stepping back and letting Richardo eliminate the Luciano family as a necessary evil, who knew the extent of Richardo¡¯s greed? He was currently high on the power that didn¡¯t belong to him and might want to im more territories in the future. This was their opportunity toe together and stop him once and for all.

    Hence, Marcel arrived in a taxi with no weapon or backup. If he had a shot at convincing Eric to change his mind about going to war, he had to prove to him that he was harmless and his intent was clean. As soon as the taxi took off, Marcel was spotted and orders were barked at him at once.

    ¡°Get down! Hands behind your back!¡±

    With no hesitation, Marcel got down on his knees and put his hands behind his head as the Draven¡¯s soldiers stepped out one after the other. Just as he thought, Eric had assembled his men back here and there were about five of them surrounding him. They were all with guns and one of them went behind to ce his hand on him, searching him thoroughly.

    ¡°He¡¯s clean,¡± He reported back to the others.

    And with that being said, Marcel was pulled back to his feet and dragged into thepound. He made no efforts to fight back knowing that he was outnumbered and would only make his predicament worse. He was in enemies¡¯ territory and all eyes were on him.

    Perhaps, he underestimated the reception he expected in the hands of members of the Draven family. There was nothing but contempt and dislike in the faces of the ones who recognized him as Marcel, the leader of the Luciano family. Well, his father did kill their people and he was his father¡¯s son. Blood for Blood. Daniel would be the death of him.

    .....

    He was pulled into the center of the living room and was made the center of attention as all eyes were on him ¨C hostile eyes. Well, what now? He didn¡¯t think this would be this easy.

    ¡°What have we here?¡± Someone walked up to him and though Marcel did not recognize him as one of the brothers, he guessed he was probably high the ranking considering how a path was cleared for him.

    ¡°Marcelo Luciano, what a pleasant surprise.¡± He smirked, ¡°To think that we were bringing the war to your doorstep and you decided to deliver yourself on a tter of gold to us. It¡¯s a rare urrence.¡± He was enjoying this.

    While Marcel was practically not a prisoner, it didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t put this fool in his ce.

    ¡°The fact that I don¡¯t recognize you practically means that you are not of any importance to me. I need to speak with your boss, Eric.¡±

    ¡°The nerve of you toe here and speak to me like that!¡± The man raged and punched him hard in the stomach.

    Okay, perhaps, he should have yed nice. Marcel let out an ¡°oof¡± sound as the breath was knocked out of his lungs. Although it hurt like hell, Marcel had been through worse, and just Iike his instincts warned, it was not supposed to be this easy.

    ¡°I need to speak with Eric,¡± Marcel stood his ground. If a little beating was going to get him an audience with Eric, so be it.

    ¡°You are not speaking with Eric!¡± The man said, before turning to the others and announcing, ¡°We were nning to go to war with the enemy, however, the leader of that damned family has surrendered himself to us and this is the time to get the justice our fallenrades deserve!¡±

    Urm, maybe it was getting a little out of hand, Marcel swallowed when he saw the cheering all around him. Why did it seem like he was a sacrificialmb amid wolves?

    It was not just a simple beating, it came from everywhere. All hands ¨C and feet ¨C were on him and he could only shield his head from the brutality. Marcel could remember thest time he was gang-beaten like this, it was during one of his training. Even at that, it had been five of them and not this mass of people that wanted a pound of his flesh.

    The beating seemed to go on forever until he heard a familiar voice begging them to stop and his heart raced at once.

    ¡°A-Arianna.¡±

    He dared to lift his head and was able to see Arianna trying toe to his rescue but she was being held back. Marcel felt a stabbing pain in his heart, she was not supposed to see him like this. He never thought she would be here in the first ce. Marcel assumed Natalie would send her away so as not to get caught in the crossfire. But it seems he was mistaken.

    Marcel tried to speak, to tell her to look away and probably get the heck out of there, but his voice was drowned out. Neither was this a movie where he would suddenly get supernatural strength and tossed everyone everywhere.

    Instead, he sumbed to their beating.

 Chapter 875 - 875 Spare The Luciano Family

    875 Spare The Luciano Family

    It was over, Arianna knew the instant Eric made up his mind. There was that apologetic look in his eyes when he turned and tipped his head as a gesture for Elijah to take her away.

    ¡°No, Eric! Don¡¯t do this to me! There¡¯s is still a chance to change everything! This can¡¯t be the end! Think about my child!¡± Arianna begged him. Pleaded with him. Begged him! But all to no avail.

    Elijah was there dragging her out just as his brothermanded him. She thought he would be on her side after what they¡¯d been through together. If there was anyone who was meant to be on her side, it should be him! He knew what Marcel meant to her and how much he loved her. Marcel was not the enemy here, he knew that as well. Then why¡­.? Why?!

    Arianna had never felt this helpless in her entire life! Help was so close yet so far. She refused to believe she could not help Marcel. How did everythinge to this point?

    ¡°Please, Elijah¡­Only you can talk to Eric¡­ convince him¡­ ¡± The tears were sliding down her face as she spoke to him yet he had an indifferent mask.

    There was no changing his mind yet Arianna was too stubborn to give up. She had to try because the moment she stopped, hope would be over and she would be left to despair.

    It was quite unfortunate that her hope ran out much quicker when Elijah said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s toote for Marcel.¡±

    Her world came crashing down.

    Arianna¡¯s body felt heavy as lead and it was Elijah pulling her along until they came into the living room and stumbled upon amotion. To be honest, Arianna had no desire to be involved in whatever madness they conjured this time. But call it a feeling, or a sixth sense, she felt the urge to look and saw the cause of themotion, only that it was thest person she expected.

    .....

    Marcel¡­? Jesus Christ, it was Marcel?! Although there were a lot of people blocking her view, Arianna could recognize even his shadow at night. Her eyes went as wide as the moon, what the hell was he doing here? However, it quickly dawned on her that they were beating up Marcel. How dare theyy a hand on her man?! He did nothing to them.

    ¡°You¡­ what are you doing?!¡± Elijah grabbed her just as she was about to throw herself in the middle of the fight and save him herself.

    ¡°Let me go! They are hurting him! I need to help him! Marcel! Marcel!¡± Arianna called his name at the top of her lungs.

    Their eyes met for a fleeting moment even though it seemed like forever, however, Arianna felt her stomach lurch and threatened to throw up the little food she had managed to eat during the day. It was the most heartbreaking scene that she had seen.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to help him like this!¡± Elijah scolded her, ¡°Those men are blinded with bloodlust right now and you would only get injured if you get involved right now.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡± Arianna hissed, ring at Elijah and thankfully, eyes weren¡¯t bullets else he would be dead already.

    ¡°I¡¯ll calm them. Stay here and don¡¯t do anything.¡± Elijah instructed her and moved to resolve the chaos. However, the crowd was too much and there was little to nothing Elijah could do with no one listening to him.

    How could they reduce Marcel to this? Like he was a nobody. Hot white rage filled her and without thinking, Arianna walked over to the table where they long abandoned their weapons. She snatched a gun from the table and shot two rounds in the air.

    There was instant chaos as everyone scampered for safety and the few brave ones reached for their weapon thinking they were under enemy attack or something. For all they knew, Marceling here and getting beaten might be a distraction only for his people tounch a surprise attack.

    However, there was instant relief mixed with disbelief when they found out it was no one else but Arianna. She dropped the gun and went over to Marcel¡¯s side, helping him up. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but break when she saw the bruises all over, they didn¡¯t even spare his face. What had he been thinkinging here?

    ¡°You idiot,¡± Arianna called him, tears sliding down her face. He was hurt all over, where was she even going to begin to treat him? He must be in great pain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± Marcel told her, ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.¡± It pained him that she had to see him in this condition.

    Her firing the gun drew enough attention because Eric and the others finally left the basement and Marcel turned in their direction. Both men stared at each other for quite a while until Marcel broke apart from her and before she could tell what he was up to, he fell to his knees before Eric.

    ¡°Spare us,¡± Marcel begged him with his head lowered and a strong gasp reverberated across the room. Apparently, Arianna was not the only one stunned by the move.

    Apart from the bruises visible on his body, Marcel had busted lips and he was bleeding from the head. Dear God, his precious face. This was not the Marcel she knew. Arianna knew how much courage it took him to stoop to this level and she lifted her eyes to stare at Eric whose expression was nk.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Marcel kowtowed before him and cried out, ¡°Please spare the Luciano family, Eric!¡±

    Tears poured out from Arianna¡¯s eyes now in a torrent as she realized Marcel didn¡¯te here to get beaten, but rather to put his pride on the line. He was willing to ept the recuperation of his father¡¯s action.

    So without a second thought, Arianna got down on her knees beside him too and Marcel turned to her, stunned. He had not expected her to do that. However, Arianna was filled with determination and faced Eric, saying,

    ¡°Please spare the Luciano family, I beg you.¡±

 Chapter 876 - 876 One Good Deed Deserves Another

    876 One Good Deed Deserves Another

    This could be a bad idea and mighte to bite her in the asster, another part of her reasoned, but then, Natalie made up her mind. There was no going back now after putting that call to Ruth Nickerson.

    It had taken her a while to lose the trail but she did it. While Eric had not said it out loud, Natalie knew deep down that he had people watching her. With the tension rising between them and the Luciano family, the defenses were up, but Natalie didn¡¯t needpany this time. What she was about to do, no one can find out or trace back to her.

    She was doing this for the future and life of her daughter, Arianna. While Marcel was an honorable man, it was Daniel that she didn¡¯t trust, and look what he caused already. She was about to do what none of them couldn¡¯t do. For how long would they condone Daniel¡¯s crimes? The man would only bring nothing but bad luck to the people around him. She couldn¡¯t let him live.

    Natalie arrived at the destination and packed her car. While others would choose a discreet andfortable location to meet up, the woman selected a public pack as their meeting point. She was just about to call and track her location when a young man approached her and Natalie understood the woman sent him to her.

    With a nod of acknowledgment, Natalie followed after the man while looking around her environment. While she trusted this was not a trap and Ruth would not cross her ¨C unless she wanted a war with the Draven family ¨C it still pays to be careful. It wasn¡¯t umon news for an innocent person to be a casualty loss.

    Even before Natalie arrived at the scene, she found Ruth seated alone on one of the benches while people went about their business. Even while it was night, some families were hanging out while the young ones jogged along. All in all, everyone minded their business.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Ruth said, letting out a puff of smoke. Of course, the woman was smoking again.

    With a mere nod, Natalie sat beside her and the man who brought her there vanished, leaving just the both of them alone. However, she knew Ruth¡¯s people were around and keeping an eye on her.

    She watched as Ruth pulled out a cigar from the pack and Natalie sighed.

    .....

    ¡°Want one?¡± Ruth offered her even when she knew she wasn¡¯t a smoker and she also rejected it thest time they met.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­.¡± Natalie was about to reject her again when it dawned on her that this wasn¡¯t just about smoking, Ruth needed to know that she was on her side.

    So she plucked it from between the woman¡¯s fingers and put it in her mouth just as she -Ruth- lit it for her. Natalie took a drag and exhaled the smoke, coughing a bit at the end. She wasn¡¯t exactly a neer to smoking.

    After Daniel separated her from her daughter and practically ruined her life, she made pretty bad choices in that period. Drinking, smoking, drugs, partying, she did it all. She had no will to live and did whatever the hell she wanted. What was the point of living when she lost everything? But then, Eric and his family were there for her. They gave her a will to live, which was pretty much raising Elijah. She gave up ever since then, until now.

    Both women smoked in silence until Ruth asked, ¡°So what changed your mind?¡±

    Natalie squinted against the smoke trailing from the cigarette butt, announcing, ¡°There¡¯s an ongoing war between the Luciano family and the Draven family.¡±

    ¡°So, I heard,¡± Ruth said.

    Natalie turned to her with her brows raised and she shrugged, ¡°News flies around here quickly. However¡­.¡± She readjusted in her seat, facing Natalie, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s toote ending him now? I mean your husband would do you the honor, whye to me?¡±

    Natalie threw her cigarette down and stamped it out and answered, ¡°Because I¡¯m confident my daughter would be able to convince him not to go to war with her beloved¡¯ s family.¡±

    ¡°What a strong girl you have. Love conquers all, I guess.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant for him.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Congrattions.¡±

    While it should sound sincere, Natalie could not help but sense Ruth was taunting. After all, it was confirmed now, she and Daniel were going to be inws. What a happy family they would be.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said nheless.

    Natalie went on, ¡°Daniel would be spared. I don¡¯t know what kind of luck he has, but I dare to say he has the nine lives of a cat. While he deserves to die, he lives instead and I cannot let that happen. Daniel can¡¯t be around Arianna and my grandchild, he would only bring them disaster and death. It follows him around like a wraith. ¡±

    ¡°What mother wouldn¡¯t want to protect her child?¡± Ruth understood her reasons for going ahead with the n even after she rejected itst time, ¡°You made the right decision, Natalie.¡±

    Natalie asked her, ¡°How did you intend to eliminate him though? If both families managed to resolve their dispute, I don¡¯t want to be the one to cause irrevocable damage.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, neither you nor the Draven family would be suspected of the attack, or have you forgotten that Daniel has a lot of enemies?¡± Ruth gave her a devious smile, the n quite obvious.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± It finally made sense to her.

    ¡°What¡¯s the catch though?¡± Natalie asked her, ¡°Why would you want to carry out such a risky mission without wanting anything from me? I¡¯m not trying to be ungrateful but it sounds too good to be true.¡±

    And to that question, Ruth smiled at her, ¡°I don¡¯t need anything from you, Natalie, you can think of it as my parting gift to Arianna. Your daughter served me well. One good deed deserves another, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    _____-

    Hi guys, I want to render an official apology. This book was suposed to end yesterday, however, I couldn¡¯t make it due to severe pain in my hands when writing. However, to make it up to you guys, I would release ten chapters that would wrap up their perfect happily ever ending, also there¡¯s ten percent discount on the 4th tier privilege and thirty percent discount on thest privilege. So sorry once again!

 Chapter 877 - 877 Father

    877 Father

    There was nothing but tense silence in the room. After that epic show in the living room, Eric had ordered that they followed after him and here they are. The brothers were the only ones allowed into the room with the others outside, probably in an aide to prevent from being spied on.

    However, it¡¯s been over five minutes with Eric having said nothing and it was beginning to get awkward and boring. Amid all of that, Arianna¡¯s hands were intertwined with Marcel¡¯s own and she wouldn¡¯t let go. The both of them were seated on the sofa with the brother taking positions elsewhere. Arianna and Marcel felt like a center of attraction in a circus disy. It was an ufortable feeling.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marcel decided to speak up when none of them would, ¡°I know it¡¯s not going to make up for the men lost, but I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    Arianna stared at Eric with anticipation, waiting for his response. Her heart kept pounding and she hoped this would be the end of this violence. Marcel had suffered enough already.

    ¡°Arianna ims to be pregnant for you, how true is that?¡± Eric asked instead and none of them had seen thating.

    Marcel stared at her open-mouthed, having not imagined that she would reveal that to Eric, to everybody. Yep, he did talk about keeping it a secret but there was no way Arianna would have not taken advantage of every opportunity to keep him alive.

    There were no words spoken between the both of them, rather theymunicated with their eyes, and of which, Arianna won of course.

    Defeated, Marcel turned to Eric, gulping, and then stared back at her before admitting, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. She¡¯s having my baby.¡±

    The brothers passed looks between each other when Marcel admitted the im. Eric in question only nodded his head, his lips pulsed in thought. Atst, he stood to his feet, leaving Marcel no other choice but to stand as well, although Arianna heard his sharp intake of breath with the effort. He was in pain, even though he was not showing it. She had no choice but to copy his move too.

    .....

    Eric stretched out his hand before their very eyes in what was obviously a handshake and her heart leaped in joy, even though a part of her mind told her not to rejoice yet.

    ¡°I would stop the war.¡±

    Marcel and Arianna let out deep breaths at the same time. They did it! There was not going to be a war. It worked! They managed to change Eric¡¯s mind!

    Marcel quickly took his hand and enveloped it with his to seal the deal before he changed his mind. The brothers began to p for the ord achieved and Arianna joined as well. She was so happy. No one was going to die anymore.

    By the time the apuse died off and the handshake was over, Eric said to him, ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for you or Arianna, but for the innocent child in that womb. I don¡¯t want to be known as the man who denied his grandson the opportunity of knowing his father.¡±

    Marcel had always known Eric was an honorable man but at that moment his respect for him grew bigger and he swore to make it up to him one day. He was never going to forget this favor; Marcel was forever indebted to him.

    He went on, ¡°We can say, this is equal. My brother Elijah took the lives of your people and your father returned the favor. However, our deal is off. If you want a seat in themission, you¡¯d have to apply and fight for it.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s no time for that. With every single minute wasted, Richardo amasses his resources and extends his influence. He had been hoping that you would destroy me and make the n easier for him like the bastard he has always been. Once he knows that you forgive me, what¡¯s the possibility that he won¡¯te for you next?¡±

    And to that question, Ericughed as if it was the joke of the century. While there was mirth in his eyes, there was suddenly a sh of ruthlessness as he said, ¡°Let hime. He¡¯s just a child who just began to y the game and I¡¯ll tear him from limb to limb till there¡¯s not an ounce of flesh left in him.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Arianna breathed, the hairs on her arms standing on edge. Her mother does make great choices in men. First, the psychopath Daniel and next the innocent-looking yet deadly, Eric. Arianna couldn¡¯t tell if she should be impressed or concerned.

    Eric continued, ¡°Unlike Konstantin, I would not underestimate his ability since he¡¯s a sly one. That¡¯s why the rest of the families would have toe in and this is your opportunity to debut in themission. Richardo eliminated the Basil family, you¡¯re merely extending a gesture of goodwill. ¡± He smirked.

    Damn, he¡¯s good at this, Arianna had no choice but to get impressed by her brilliant stepfather. Not only was he good at ying politics, but he was also a good strategist.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Marcel said, recognizing the huge opportunity Eric was giving him.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± Eric said, ¡°We are about to be family and I have to make sure you¡¯re capable of protecting my grandchild. Think of it like an investment that I hope would pay out in the future.¡±

    Without another word, Arianna went over to Eric and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. Eric in question stiffened around her considering this was the first time Arianna was being intimate with him. He was always the one making the first approach and of which she kept him at arm¡¯s length. This was new.

    ¡°Thank you so much¡­ ¡± Arianna added, ¡°Father.¡±

    Bang!

    It felt like someone just dropped a bomb on him. What did he just hear? She didn¡¯t call him as usual by his name ¡®Eric¡¯ but ¡®father¡¯? He must have heard wrong. However, a warm feeling bloomed in Eric¡¯s chest and he reciprocated the hug.

    He had not spared Marcel to receive anything in return, but this sure felt nice.

 Chapter 878 - 878 Sacrifice For Peace

    878 Sacrifice For Peace

    Eric was out of the room as soon as he was done with the judgment, he had to brief his people on the current happening ¨C there would be no war. There might be a little cating as well considering everyone had been pumped up for action.

    Marcel and Arianna were left alone with the brothers and of which a staring contest began. There was an awkward silence.

    Elvis was the first to say, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the point where you take your leave.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, sure -¡± Marcel was about to agree to it when Arianna cut him off.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± She pointed out, ¡°He can¡¯t go out there with neither of his people to protect him. What if Richardo is out there waiting for him?¡±

    Moreover, she didn¡¯t trust them until the sun was up and his people were here to take him. What if this was all a ruse and Eric secretly kills him when he goes out? Arianna didn¡¯t want to believe the worst, but her imagination was super active.

    Elijah supported her, ¡°She does make a fair point.¡±

    But Arianna red at him. She couldn¡¯t forget what he did to her. He could have helped her change Eric¡¯s mind but he didn¡¯t ¨C although his hands were tied as well. But then, it felt better hating him.

    ¡°You guys do whatever you want, I don¡¯t care.¡± Ephraim waved them off, sinking further into his seat with a yawn. He was tired from moving and nning a war that didn¡¯te to fruition all through the day.

    .....

    ¡°Where is he going to sleep though?¡± Ezra asked, ¡°All the rooms are upied by our men. Not even the living room is spared, it¡¯s a camp out there.¡± Even thewn had been turned into a backyard camp for the rest of the men that couldn¡¯t fit into the house.

    And to that question, Arianna and Marcel shared a knowing look. There was no need to search for a room to stay when her bed was enough for the both of them.

    A blush crept up Arianna¡¯s cheeks and she looked away while scratching the back of her head. Marcel had a hint of a smile when he turned to say, ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay with¡­.¡±

    And then, he met the dark murderous looks the brothers gave him. Marcel got the hint. Arianna¡¯s bedroom was off-limits. Flunk that order and he would have himself to me.

    ¡°You¡¯d stay with me,¡± Elvis announced, stepping out.

    Marcel swallowed, of all the brothers, why him? Had it been Elijah or Ezra, he would be able to bribe his way back to Arianna¡¯s room, but Elvis? It was mission impossible.

    ¡°Good.¡± Ephraim hopped up to his feet, ¡°Now that everything is settled. Goodnight everyone and may I never see your face till morning.¡± He was out of the room before anyone else.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s grumpy whenever he¡¯s sleepy,¡± Ezra exined to Marcel.

    ¡°And it¡¯s time we left, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Elvis was by Marcel¡¯s side in a sh.

    They couldn¡¯t even give him a chance to say goodnight to Arianna, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but grumble inwardly. Nheless, he grabbed Arianna¡¯s hands and tugged her to him, cing a quick kiss on her lips.

    ¡± God, no,¡±

    Marcel could hear groans behind him, but he didn¡¯t care. He was with the one he loves, not to mention that he was given a rare second chance, and he would take advantage of it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± He pressed a kiss once more to her lips and the groans continued.

    Arianna looked down at his body in concern, ¡°You should wash up while you¡¯re at it. Also¡­.¡± She looked Elvis warningly in the eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t let that brute bully you. He might look tough and all but he¡¯s a big softie. All of them are.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Marcel said, already seeking her mouth once more and this time their kiss was hotter and deeper. The passion was unbridled and there wasn¡¯t just groans but actual protest from the brothers this time.

    He was ripped away from Arianna and Elvis began to drag him away just as he managed to shout out, ¡°I love you, Arianna!¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Marcel.¡± Arianna echoed back, her heart racing and still reeling from the kiss.

    ¡°God, these two are so dramatic,¡± Ezra shook his head only to stare at his brother Elijah and by a dark twist, realized that the joke was on him.

    Out of all of his brothers, he was the only single one. While he and Elijah could have stood firm as proud bachelors, he had to get a girl pregnant and was on his way to getting married. He was alone now. Damn it, why was everyone being inw with the Luciano family though? If only Marcel had a grown-up sister. Nheless, he was proud to be a godfather.

    While Elvis did not talk to him throughout the journey, he showed him his room.

    ¡°And here is the bathroom. You should go clean up, you look a mess.¡± He hinted at the bruises and blood on his body.

    Elvis left him only to returnter with clean clothes and a first aid box that he ced on the sink, ¡°I¡¯m bigger than you obviously, but you¡¯re notnky, so it should fit a bit,¡± He tossed the cloth to him and Marcel caught it.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± He said.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Elvis grumbled and left him alone in the bathroom.

    With him gone, Marcel was able to concentrate and survey the damage to his body. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Marcel was not surprised Arianna was rattled earlier. His treasured face suffered injuries and he was not pleased by it. But then, this was the sacrifice he had to make for peace.

    Thankfully, his nose was not broken, hence he doesn¡¯t need to go for surgery nor does he need stitches. Just a little cleaning, pain relievers, band aides here and there and he would be good as new, hopefully.

 Chapter 879 - 879 Escape A Murder

    879 Escape A Murder

    ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Marcel asked when the silence in the room became thick. He and Elvis were sprawled out on the bed and he had not given up on his dream of sneaking into Arianna¡¯s room. Marcel was not used to falling asleep in unfamiliar ces, but Arianna¡¯s bed would be heaven.

    When he didn¡¯t get a response, he reached out and waved his hand in front of Elvis¡¯ face only to hear, ¡°Don¡¯t let me chain you to this bed.¡±

    Marcel groaned and turned on his bed, Elvis was not asleep yet. He did not see himself getting out of this room anytime soon. What did he do to deserve this kind of treatment?

    Before he got into bed, he made sure to call his subordinates and informed them of the change in n. There was no need to go to war with the Draven family anymore, but they had to keep an eye out for Richardo and his ns.

    ¡°One night away from her would not kill you,¡± Elvis grumbled with his eyes out.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just one night, I might not get another opportunity like this. I would be busy with finding Richardo and there would be no time to see her. Surely, you know how that feels considering you¡¯re away from your family too.¡± Marcel hoped to elicit pity from him.

    ¡°In that case, have more patience,¡± Elvis said, dashing all of his hope. There was no changing his mind.

    So Marcel remained in bed, waiting patiently for a miracle that he didn¡¯t realize when he dozed off and awoke sometime in the night with a jerk. Looking around, he realized that Elvis was fast asleep, but he waved his hand in his face for good measure and when he didn¡¯t react, realized that this was the time to move.

    Getting out of the room was as easy as pie, but sneaking around the house was where his concerny. What if someone caught him and thought he was snooping around or something? The peace treaty was fresh, he didn¡¯t want any misunderstanding to threaten it. Also, what if Arianna locked her door, then it would all be for nothing.

    .....

    However, luck was on his side because he did not encounter the brothers on his way out ¨C they must be stressed out after the long night ¨C nor the team on patrol. Most of all, Arianna left her door open and he sessfully sneaked in, silently jubting in joy. Tonight was his lucky day!

    Marcel carefully climbed into the bed, Arianna had her back turned to him and he was just about to lie down beside him when she elbowed him out of nowhere.

    ¡°Ouch !¡± Marcel cried out, feeling the tingling pain in his jaw.

    ¡°Marcel?¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes widened when she saw what she had done. What the hell? How could he sneak up on her like this?

    ¡°I could have hurt you!¡± She fired at him.

    ¡°You did hurt me,¡± Marcel told her, flexing his jaw and thankful he didn¡¯t lose a tooth.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­. Come, let me have a look¡­¡± Arianna carefully sped his jaw and examined his face. Aside from the injuries from the beating, he looked alright.

    However, knowing Marcel¡¯s childish nature, she drew closer and kissed the spot, asking, ¡°Feel better now?¡±

    There was a twinkle in Marcel¡¯s eyes when he nodded, saying, ¡°More. I need more doses.¡±

    Arianna shook her head, amusement at the corners of her lips, yet she leaned forward and kissed his jaw.

    ¡°Again.¡± He demanded, pointing to another spot.

    ¡°God, you¡¯re such a baby,¡± yet she leaned to kiss him on the spot only for Marcel to turn at thest minute so their lips met.

    However, Arianna was already used to his tricks, so the instant he turned, she drew back and he kissed the air.

    Arianna burst intoughter, ¡°The look on your face,¡± She pointed at the disappointment on her face.

    Marcel gave her an indifferent look until herughter came to a halt. She asked him, ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you should be in Elvis¡¯ room.¡±

    He answered, ¡°I snuck out, obviously. I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Marcel lied through his teeth.

    ¡°He would not be pleased with you here, Marcel,¡± Arianna told him.

    ¡°Just five minutes,¡± Marcel said, pushing her back to the bed and hovering over her, saying, ¡°I want to be with the woman I love.¡±

    Arianna¡¯s heart was pounding like a galloping horse and her eyes shut instinctively when she felt Marcel about to kiss her. However, a shiver went through her when he kissed her belly instead and her eyes fluttered open.

    Marcel was kneeling between her legs and rubbing her belly with an affectionate look in his eyes and all her emotions rose to the surface. Marcel loved her child, their child.

    ¡°What do you think our baby would be? I wouldn¡¯t mind a girl that looks like you, although that would be two stubborn women to handle.¡±

    Arianna smiled at thement and said, ¡°I would love a boy, one that looks like you. Although I would have to chase off the girls chasing after him.¡±

    ¡°Ah, two different opinions¡­¡± He mused, ¡°sounds fun.¡±

    ¡°If you want, a scan could reveal the gender of the baby.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t. I think it would be fun this way, the both of us cing bets on our baby¡¯s gender.¡± He was amused.

    Marcel got off her only to pull her into his arms and cuddle her, making sure to rub her belly once in a while.

    ¡°You said five minutes.¡± Arianna reminded him, feeling sleepy.

    ¡°Mmhmm. A few more minutes.¡± He extended it.

    ¡°Elvis would murder you.¡±

    ¡°I escaped a war, I think I can escape a murder.¡± Marcel was confident

    ¡°Is that so¡­.¡± Arianna¡¯s lips pulled in a smile with her eyes closed.

    Thest thing she felt was Marcel cing a kiss on her temple before she slept off and eventually woke up to the morning sun hourster.

    The side of the bed was empty and her lips tugged to the side, he did escape a murder.

 Chapter 880 - 880 Hunt For Richardo

    880 Hunt For Richardo

    What Marcel failed to tell Arianna was that he had fallen asleep in her arms even after the promise of staying for just five minutes. However, by a stroke of luck or something ¨C his luck was indeed plentiful that night ¨C he had woken up an hourter and decided to return to the room.

    He had sessfully snuck back in only to turn and saw Elvis wide awake and watching him. He nearly screamed in fright and ced his hand on his chest to calm his beating heart.

    ¡°Where are youing from?¡± was the first question he asked him as expected.

    ¡°I went out to answer the call of nature,¡± Marcel was close to saying when he recalled the toilet was right over there and this isn¡¯t the stone age where he would find thetrine outside the house. Yep, Elvis would have caught him straight away.

    The man might not be as smart as his brothers, but everyone knew his desire to stay in Arianna¡¯s room from the very start. It was not difficult to guess. So he said instead, ¡°I woke up thirsty so I decided to go get water.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Elvis said, a gleaming look in his eyes that told him his lie might not be as solid as he thought.

    That was when it dawned on Marcel that he could not tell how long Elvis had been up. After all, you can¡¯t get water for an hour, right?

    So he added immediately, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the fridge at first, I mean some people have theirs positioned in the refrigerator and others in the dining and a few in the hallway opening into the kitchen, and your house is sorge. So I looked around for a while and did not feel so sleepy anymore after I drank to my full. Then I wandered outside to get some air into my head, there are just a lot of things to n now that our family is to join forces together to battle Richardo. Right after that, I came straight back to this room.¡± Marcel pointed to the door to make his emphasis.

    By the time Marcel was done, the fight had gone right out of Elvis and he was trying to discern the truth. He had asked one question and Marcel had many answers that very much seemed like a lie. But then, he answered with a straight face and looked so serious it was hard to use him of lying. If only he knew how much Marcel¡¯s heart was pounding in his chest.

    .....

    When Elvis didn¡¯t answer immediately, he yawned loudly, ¡°Now I feel like sleeping,¡± He took off his shirt and climbed into bed while his sleeping partner watched him, dumbfounded. Elvis wasn¡¯t even done questioning him and he already went to bed. The audacity! More like shamelessness.

    And that was how he was able to escape Elvis that night. Currently, Marcel was back at the base where he was addressing his people and updating them on the next step. He had left as early as possible with Eric sending a few of his men as escorts to make sure he arrived safely without the enemy striking.

    Luca was there as soon as he arrived and Marcel had to admit that he felt guilty. He had sent him away like a sacrificialmb and he did not doubt that Leon had demanded something from him. But then, he had no choice; Luca was a safe bet.

    However, instead of Lucashing out at how he had used or betrayed him, the man instead pulled Marcel into hisrger arms and hugged him tight, saying with a warning tone,

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again!¡±

    Marcel knew he was referring to his careless movest night. The Draven family could have killed him and they wouldn¡¯t even be faulted, instead, it would be a kickstart to the war between both families.

    He pulled back to scold him seriously, ¡°You¡¯re the boss and your life matters more than everyone else in the family. You don¡¯t make a decision like that again in the future, you get it?!¡±

    Marcel smirked, reminding him, ¡°You¡¯re scolding the boss.¡±

    Lucas¡¯s mouth suddenly opened and closed helplessly, it was obvious from the fire burning in his eyes that he wasn¡¯t done giving him a piece of his mind, but atst, he had to recognize his ce.

    However, Marcel smiled before cing both hands on his shoulder and squeezing gently, saying,

    ¡°Thank you, Luca.¡±

    For the first time, tears gleamed in Lucas¡¯ eyes and he pulled Marcel into his arms and all, damning decorum and all. He had never felt so frustrated asst night when he heard what Marcel did and the fact he would onlyplicate matters had he gone after him. It was the boss¡¯ decision to go in alone and he couldn¡¯t go against it.

    The next hour Marcel was agile on his feet after two cups of his favorite ck coffee prepared by himself in the absence of Victor and Mimi. Now that he thought about It, it was funny how he got his cousin a wife all thanks to coffee. That brat better be grateful to him for the rest of his life.

    While the Draven family had spared him, this was just the beginning of the workload. He would have to meet up with Ericter and together, talk to the other families. Once they agree, their hunt for Richardo begins.

    Not that Marcel was waiting around for some pompous Dons from various families ¨C who hated his ass ¨C toe to a decision. With every minute wasted, Richardo was either gaining ground or slipping away. Marcel thought both. Based on his previous attacks, Richardo would definitely try one more time to touch a hair on him while making sure an escape route was ready to flee when it didn¡¯t work out.

    Marcel could retaliate but there were chances he would slip away, but the n is to end him once and for all. His family didn¡¯t have control over all the ports in the city and there were many ways Richardo could sneak out, they had to shut that. With theirbined resources, it was possible. Hence, Marcel had alreadyunched a search for him with his resources.

    He was in the meeting room with the others when there was a suddenmotion and the next his uncle was there, pushing his way into the room. Marcel gestured the soldier in his path to step away and the man hurried over to him only to drop to his knees in the next minute.

    ¡°Marcel, have mercy! Have mercy on my son! He was merely following your father, no, Daniel¡¯s orders.¡± Benjamin rephrased his words when he remembered Marcel hated to be linked to that man.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Marcel remembered that he had ordered that Gabriel be taken as well. Was he still being tortured? What luck. He nearly forgot about that.

    ¡°Uncle, what are you doing?¡± Marcel suddenly seemed magnanimous as he helped the man up to his knees, ¡°Why are you kneeling at your age? I¡¯m not even your God.¡±

    However, Benjamin shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault to have raised such a useless son. I should have taught him better.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Teach him better about what?¡± Marcel seemed nonchnt, but Benjamin swallowed, knowing that this was a test that would determine whether his son lives or not.

    He had to swallow down his shame and said, ¡°I should have taught him better to respect the authority in the family. I should have taught him to have the well-being of the family at heart. I should have taught¡­.¡± Benjamin went on and on until he was practically groveling.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Marcel ordered Luca, ¡°Give him what¡¯s left of his son.¡±

    And Benjamin fainted, thinking that his son ¨C and the hope of the family ¨C was dead.

    Marcel merely shrugged and walked away. Old people apparently don¡¯t know how to take a joke.

 Chapter 881 - 881 Loving The Wrong People

    881 Loving The Wrong People

    Angelica was concerned, not only by the fact that her daughter has been rejecting her calls for the past few days ¨C her feeble attempt to exin herself ¨C plus the cryptic message Daniel.

    They were supposed to meet up, to talk about what happened between them nights ago. Angelica wanted to exin to Daniel that the both of them weren¡¯t going to work out. As much as she was an adult that had the right to do whatever she wanted and live with the consequences, she loved Adele more. And if her daughter said the rtionship was not okay, so be it.

    She has made so many bad choices in men that it affected her rtionship with her daughter. Adele practically grew up hating her and she wasn¡¯t going to let that happen again, not when she was on her way to bing a grandmother. Angelica wanted to be worthy of the triplets and that meant rebuilding her rtionship with Adele. Because whether she likes it or not, if Adele says no, there was no way on earth she was gaining ess to her grandchild.

    That was why she had been standing outside her appointment for hours, waiting for her return ¨C which she wasn¡¯t even sure of. Adele was not picking up her calls and she had called so much that her fingers were aching. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if the girl had already blocked her number ¨C she did warn her that this was thest time. Thest time she was ever trusting her as a mother. But then, what was her sin anyway? Loving the wrong people.

    But she was not going to give up, even if her daughter had a cold and unforgiving heart. A trait she undoubtedly inherited from her father¡¯s side of the family. If only Angelica knew that life forged her daughter that way. Adele had nobody growing up so she decided to trust no one else but herself. Her only Motto was hard work and worked herself to the bones, feeling satisfied that way. But then, being raised in a callous and cutthroat family like Luciano¡¯s, what had she expected?

    Angelica must have slept off in that hunched position because when she woke, her body was aching all over. This was not good, she recognized. But then, God must be on her side because Adele was heading in her way, and judging by the way her lips pressed into a thin line, she was not pleased to see her.

    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± She barked as soon as she caught up to her.

    ¡°That¡¯s no way to speak to your mother¡± Angelica retorted, feeling belittled by the tone she used on her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a mother,¡± Adele growled.

    .....

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, Adele¡­.¡± Angelica attempted to reach for her, to make her see things from her own perspective. But she flinched from her, avoided her like she was a gue¡­

    ¡°No,¡± Adele said, ¡°I should be the one asking if you know that you did? It is Daniel for crying out loud, Marcel¡¯s father! He¡¯s my second cousin for crying out loud! What are you even doing with him? Especially him? You could have found someone better!¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± Angelica shouted, losing control. She took a deep breath and calmed down, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give up Daniel. No, I already decided to have nothing to do with him anymore. You can think of our rtionship as a short fling, apse in my judgment. It won¡¯t happen again .¡±

    But Angelica shook her head, ¡°No, that¡¯s how it¡¯s with you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re never going to change, it¡¯s your nature, mother. Going from bad to worse, that¡¯s just the way you are. Unfortunately, I¡¯m sick and tired of being made promises only to break them and I get hurt in the end. I think it¡¯s better if we returned the way we were.¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­ Adele¡­.¡± Angelica was desperate now, reaching out to her and she managed to grab her hand and didn¡¯t let go.

    ¡°We only just began¡­.¡± She looked down at her belly, ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re pregnant. You¡¯re having quadruplets and you need all the help that you can get. You need me, Adele. Sure, I can give you space to think and get over what you saw, but please don¡¯t lock me out of your life again.¡±

    Adele tried to twist her hand out of her mother¡¯s grip all to no avail. Angelica did not want to let go. This was herst call as a mother to be there for her daughter and she ruined it. She needed another chance. No, she would give up dating, just not to make the wrong choice again.

    Seeing that her mother was not going to let go anytime soon, Adele had no choice but to give in.

    ¡°Fine, give me space and I¡¯ll get back to you.¡±

    However, Angelica narrowed her eyes at her, knowing that she could merely be saying that all just to be free of her. She said, ¡°Do you promise me, Adele?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± She breathed

    ¡°Swear it, Adele. Swear it that you would not kick me out of your life like you did the previous years and that I would be by your side when my grandchildren are born. That¡¯s the least time I can give you, until they are born.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I swear. Happy now?¡± Adele breathed, rubbing her hand when the woman finally let go. She was quite strong, to be honest.

    However, Angelica pulled her into a hug instead, stealing away from breath in her lungs yet was careful not to hurt the babies.

    ¡°What is wrong with you woman, let go.¡± Adele could not understand her sudden clinginess.

    ¡°I won¡¯t see you for a while, this hug should take me through,¡± Sheughed, finally pulling back and ruffling her hair to Adele¡¯s annoyance.

    Angelica heaved, ¡°This is it then. Goodbye Adele, till we meet again.¡±

    With those words said, Angelica turned and walked on while Adele stared at her, feeling the strange urge to pull her back and hug her once more. Weird, was this maternal instinct kicking in?

    ¡°Mom?¡± She called.

    Angelica turned, surprised to hear her refer to her by that name.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Be careful out there.¡±

    ¡°I would,¡± Angelica promised her.

    A promise she sadly failed to keep¡­..

 Chapter 882 - 882 He Needs You

    882 He Needs You

    It was better than nothing, Angelica decided as she got home that night. While her daughter Adele still bore resentment towards her over her actions, she wasn¡¯t cutting off their rtionship entirely.

    Once home, Angelica made herself dinner and settled down on the sofa to watch somete-night show ¨C the same sofa that led to things between her and Daniel. No, no, she was not thinking such. She and Daniel were over and she would rather let the sleeping dog lie.

    Deep into theedy show, the bell suddenly rang but she ignored it, too involved in the screen. Moreover, she was not expecting any visitors and it was likely those naughty kids ying a prank on her again. However, there was an impatient ring the second and third time and for such terrible kids, they had quite the guts.

    With no choice, Angelica left to go answer the door, determined to put an end to such a nuisance. However, her expression split into surprise when she looked into the peephole and saw the familiar face. What was he doing here?

    With her hand on her waist, Angelica opened the door with a bored expression, ¡°What now?¡± The young man had been with Daniel that day. He was one of his people.

    Haz was startled, taking a step back before he steadied himself and cleared his voice saying, ¡°It¡¯s the boss, he wants you.¡±

    And to thatment, Angelica responded by rolling her eyes towards heaven. She retorted, ¡°Does he think that I¡¯m his call girl or what? My answer is no.¡±

    She said firmly and was about to shut the door, but Haz put his hand in the way, risking it getting injured. Her brows raised in concern when she noticed the way his gaze darted around nervously, he looked desperate ¨C and in a hurry.

    ¡°Is there something that I don¡¯t know? Thest time Daniel and I spoke, he sent me this weird message about staying away and now you¡¯re on my doorstep, looking like it¡¯s flight or fight,¡±

    .....

    Haz opened his mouth as if he wanted to confess to her, but he shut them the next minute.

    Angelica sighed, ¡°You can forget about meing with you if you won¡¯t tell me what¡¯s happening,¡± She turned her back to him just to hear,

    ¡°Wait! ¡±

    She turned.

    ¡°It¡¯s Marcel. No, Boss went out of line, and Marcel punished him. Marcel stripped him of the one thing he cared about and I have never seen him like this. He wants you. Just to talk to you. He¡¯s lonely and you¡¯re the only one he wants to meet.¡± Haz told her.

    The blood drained from Angelica¡¯s face when she heard it. Sure, Daniel was the viin, but he must be hurt this time. He has nobody by his side.

    ¡°I ¨C ¡± Angelica was about to give in when she remembered the promise she had made to Adele just hours ago.

    Oh no, her heart sank.

    She had promised to give up on Daniel. But then, this was not the same, Right? Daniel was in pain and needed someone by his side. She wouldfort him and be done with him. Moreover, this was a better opportunity to say goodbye than over a text. She would say it out loud, nice and clear. They were not good together. She had her daughter to think about.

    ¡°He just wants to talk to me, right?¡±

    Talking only. There shouldn¡¯t be any expectations, no demands, nothing. She can¡¯t get intimate with him, not when she was trying to end things between them. God, were they even in a rtionship in the first ce? The both of them didn¡¯t exactly get the chance to talk about that thanks to Adele¡¯s interference.

    ¡°Yes, he only wants to talk,¡± Haz affirmed.

    ¡°Fine, give me a minute.¡±

    When Angelica went back into her room, she was tempted to apply makeup and dress up a little, but then it hit her, why do that? After all, she was trying to cut off their ties. Perhaps, when Daniel sees her looking in, he might even end it first.

    So she only checked her teeth, washed her face, put on a coat, took her purse with her phone and things inside and she left. Angelica would have left with her car, but Haz offered to drive her and she gave in since he knew the way anyway. This would be the first time she was going to see his residence and was filled with anticipation.

    However, that anticipation was soon filled with dread when she realized that Daniel practically lived in istion. There was not a house in sight as they drove on and at a point, Angelica had this ridiculous thought that Haz was about to go murder her somewhere.

    But why?

    What did she do wrong? What if Haz was a mole and as it happens in movies, he wanted to use her to get to Daniel?

    Oh no.

    Thankfully, before Angelica could fulfill her stupid thought like jumping out of a moving car, they arrived at their destination and her jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

    What did she just see?

    Was Daniel trying to recreate the Great Wall of China or what? Angelica thought as she stared at the high fence. It was utterly ridiculous and hrious.

    However, Angelica¡¯s delight did notst for long because she noticed the gloomy tension surrounding the ce, and both of them were halted at the entrance.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± A stern-looking man with a weapon interrogated them.

    ¡°She¡¯s the boss¡¯ woman,¡± Haz said a bit nervously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know any other boss except Marcel and he gave specific orders not to let anyone help Daniel. She can¡¯te in.¡± The man stood his ground.

    ¡°Please,¡± Haz begged him, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have someone you love too. Right now, the boss ¨C Daniel, needs someone by his side. You should know how he feels right now with his pride stripped off him.¡±

    Hearing Haz¡¯s words, the man looked at Angelica intensely as if trying to ascertain if she was dangerous or not.

    He said, ¡°Fine. Get in.¡±

    Angelica released the breath that she never knew that she had been holding in.

 Chapter 883 - 883 Get Me Daniel Luciano

    883 Get Me Daniel Luciano

    ¡°Boss¡­..¡± A man entered the secret hideout where Richardo and the others resided. He lowered his head in greeting while Richardo turned away from the table where his ns wereid out.

    Richardo didn¡¯t need to hear the result, he could tell from the man¡¯s face that this was bad news.

    ¡°There¡¯s no war happening. Marcel managed to make peace with the Draven family.¡± The man informed him.

    Richardo let out a long breath when he heard the news and he had a sour look on his face. This was a big hitch in his n, having hoped the Draven family would strike the first blow. He wanted Marcel to feel what it was like to feel alone, which was why he had been targeting the people helping him one by one.

    But of course, Marcel was smart, having sent a warning to his associates who went into hiding and protected his loved ones. However, he had enough of them to torment and deal with it. If only he had gotten his hands on Arianna, then this would have been a lot more entertaining.

    While other deaths wouldn¡¯t pain Marcel much, Arianna¡¯s death would destroy him ¨C just the same way he destroyed him. It wasn¡¯t until her death that Richardo realized how much he loved Macy. If only he had shown it, treated her better! No, he should have never involved her in his business in the first ce. But thanks to his foolishness, she was dead and there was no bringing her back.

    Hence, he would love to hurt Marcel the same way. Unlike Macy¡¯s quick yet painful death, he would have given Arianna a slow excruciating death and gotten it on camera so he watched it, helpless to help her.

    But that was not happening anymore, not while Arianna was under Draven¡¯s protection. While he could go to war with the Draven family for Arianna, he would deplete his resources and there wouldn¡¯t be enough to fight Marcel. In one word, the bitch was quite lucky. Now, he would have to find a way to kill Marcel so she watched instead.

    ¡°Boss¡­.¡± The man continued, disrupting him from his train of thought, ¡°We have to leave now. If Marcel is now in cahoots with the Dravens, that means it¡¯s only a matter of time before they find us. You took out the Basil family, themission would want vengeance for that.¡±

    .....

    But Richardo shook his head, ¡°No, that would be what Marcel wants. I was a coward in the past for running away the first time, it isn¡¯t happening again. Moreover¡­¡± He fingered the ne around his neck which was a gift from Macy, ¡°I swore that I would die trying.¡±

    The man swallowed upon hearing his words, it was either they win or die. There was no escape, no looking back. Perhaps, they should have discussed this before turning their back on theirte boss, Konstantin. Richardo only wanted to use them to wage war on Marcel without caring about their welfare.

    But it was toote to begin to pull out of this. It would only bring about a division in the gang, not to mention that Richardo sessfully brainwashed the others. Moreover, Richardo also bought his own help ¨C mercenaries ¨C he might end up digging his own grave instead.

    ¡°How is it going?¡± Richardo asked and he turned to see that he was referring to the druggie hacker.

    ¡°Nothing. I think Winters is at it again. I can¡¯t get in no matter how many times I try to hack -¡±

    Unfortunately, that response was a big mistake because the next Alex was yanked off his seat, theptop slipping from his hand just as Richardo rammed his knee into his guts.

    ¡°Even till now, you still can¡¯t win over a child! What use do I have for you?!¡± Richardo hollered, tossing him aside as if he was nothing but a ragdoll.

    He couldn¡¯t even break into Marcel¡¯s security! If he was going to attack the Base, Marcel can¡¯t see theming else it would be walking into a ughter. Marcel knew for sure that he wasing, he just doesn¡¯t know when or how. They couldn¡¯t go for a head-on attack, it was not their territory, nor does he know if Marcel would even be in. His main target was Marcel. Others were sacrifices. Unfortunately, the sorry of a hacker he has couldn¡¯t even get them a distraction! Something Winters would have done with a single clink.

    ¡°Please, no, don¡¯t kill me!¡± Alec begged him, crawling away from him. He had seen Richardo reach for his weapon and knew his time was numbered. Killing him wouldn¡¯t bring him any satisfaction but he was currently on edge. idents could happen.

    However, Richardo ignored him and caught up to him, pressing the gun¡¯s muzzle against his temple while his heart pounded severally.

    ¡°I have no use for useless people in here!¡± He told him, his hand curling around the trigger and he was ready to shoot.

    ¡°Boss¡­.¡± The man called his name cautiously.

    Perhaps it must be the tension in the air, Richardo retracted the gun and got off the bastard. It was no use killing the asshole, it would cast low morale on the team and they would perceive that move as a weakness. What¡¯s the possibility he wouldn¡¯t kill them next? They might think. He can¡¯t let that happen. He needed them. He needed them to win.

    Once Alex ran out of the room, Richardo turned to him, running his hand through his hair in annoyance. He said, ¡°I have the money, I have the numbers, but I need a sure hit. I need something to give him an edge. Themission would not strike immediately, their formalities would buy enough time for me to be through Marcel.¡± He was sure of it.

    Richardo muttered, ¡°I need a head start.¡±

    The man then said, ¡°There¡¯s something else.¡±

    Richardo¡¯s brows raised interest, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Daniel, Marcel¡¯s father. The both of them had a falling out and he stripped him of his authority in the family. Now, we both know that Daniel and Marcel have never seen eye to eye until this happened. Daniel is an unconventional man.¡± He said suggestively.

    ¡°In one word, we could strike a deal, Marcel for the power that was taken from him. If Daniel doesn¡¯t agree, I have a very important member of Marcel¡¯s family. Only then, we would be able to know if Marcel loves his father or not.¡±

    A crinkle formed in Richardo¡¯s eyes. He said, ¡°Get me, Daniel Luciano.¡±

 Chapter 884 - 884 The Flesh Is Weak

    884 The Flesh Is Weak

    To be honest, Angelica had no idea what to expect when she met Daniel face to face. No, she began to have second thoughts as they approached the door that was guarded by two stern-looking men.

    What was happening? Just what kind of punishment did Marcel give out to his father and why were they treating him like he was a terrorist?

    Well, maybe they had a reason to. She has heard stories about Daniel and it was enough to induce goosebumps on her arm. Perhaps, this was another reason she had to stay away from him. Daniel was not a good person ¨C even though she promised him from the onset to try to see the good in him.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± The guards at the door interrogated her just as they were asked at the entrance. It seems everyone was walking on eggshells around here.

    ¡°She¡¯s Daniel¡¯s woman,¡± Haz said and while Angelica would love to set things straight, she had a feeling that being Daniel¡¯s woman was the only way she could get her to see Daniel.

    ¡°Howe we are just getting to know that? Moreover, Marcel does not have an idea of this. Our orders were to make sure Daniel doesn¡¯t leave this house. What if this is your ploy to get him out?¡±

    ¡°Really? What¡¯s this frail innocent woman going to do? What do you think she is capable of?¡± Haz gestured at her and suddenly, there were two curious eyes on her.

    It was instinctive, Angelica put on a sweet smile on her face hoping to charm them into letting her in.

    ¡°Looks are deceiving.¡± One of them said and the expression on her face died off. That jerk, she was old enough to be his mother! Okay, maybe that was a bit exaggerated. But she was old enough to be his sister.

    .....

    ¡°If you think I have a secret weapon or something, you should know I have nothing on me. I just want to see Daniel and then I¡¯m out of your hair.¡± Angelica prayed that it was convincing enough.

    Suddenly, the man was in her space and before Angelica could mutter a word, his hands were on her body. At first, she thought it was molestation until she realized that he was merely searching her body for hidden weapons.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He said respectively, ¡°But there are no women to do the favors which I¡¯m sure you noticed.¡±

    The man thenmanded his partner to step aside and Angelica moved to the door. Haz was not going in with her, having fulfilled his mission of bringing her here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret this.¡± The man warned her just as Angelica opened the door and froze.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to find Daniel because he was standing right outside the door. He must have heard their argument and figured out that she was here. The both of them stood still, staring at each other with a little bit of awkwardness hanging in the air.

    ¡°When you said we were going to talk, I didn¡¯t realize that it would be in thepany of others.¡± She gestured at the audience around them.

    Both men were on high alert evidenced by the tension in their bodies as if expecting that Daniel would pull up a trick or two, but all he did was drag her into the room and shut the door in their faces.

    Daniel was pulling her into the room, away from the door where the two guards were probably leaning against and trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. Her imagination was not far stretched because his room was spacious enough with a monotonous decoration. It was not like she was expecting the color green on him. Daniel was not exactly a man of color.

    ¡°What are you doing? You said you wanted to¡­.¡± The rest of her words were forever lost as Daniel pulled her into his embrace.

    Angelica tried to resist him, but he only hugged her tighter and buried his nose into her neck saying in a broken voice, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Angelica. I know that it¡¯spletely selfish of me but I don¡¯t have anyone right now. You are the only one that I can trust and I don¡¯t think I can go through this alone.¡±

    She stiffened, having not expected those words from him. For the first time, Anglica felt Daniel was beingpletely honest with her like he was baring his soul to her. And it was left to her to do what she wanted with it. Just what has Marcel done to him to leave him this humbled?

    There was nothing but silence between them, however, Angelica patted his back, rubbing it like a motherforting her child. She could not remember how long the both of them stood that way, however, her feet were hurting by the time both of them broke from the hug.

    Daniel looked better, like the turmoil inside of him had calmed, but there was also something hungry about his gaze and when he caressed her cheek, her pulse quickened.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Angelica said weakly. She remembered her promise to Adele and couldn¡¯t break it. She came here to hear him out and then it was over between them.

    ¡°Just this once¡­.¡± Daniel muttered, his hand now trailing down her neck and caressing her corbone, the hollow of her throat. So beautiful.

    She shook her head but her protest was not firm enough and when his thumb brushed across her lower lips, Angelica was a goner. She felt weak in the knees and knew she couldn¡¯t resist this man, not with the ravaging hunger in his eyes. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak.

    Fine, just this once and it was over. Since this was goodbye, she might as well savor and relish every moment to build resistance the next time he might attempt to seduce her. Angelica was sorry for breaking her promise and being such a weak mother to her daughter, Adele. But then, she was human after all.

    Daniel¡¯s lips closed over hers.

 Chapter 885 - 885 His Life Flash Before His Life

    885 His Life sh Before His Life

    Daniel woke up to the stirring by his side, it has been a while since he slept this peacefully even though it was mere hours and it was thanks to Angelica. However, the woman in question was hurriedly getting dressed, as if to leave his side.

    He grabbed her by the wrist and she turned to him startled, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I just broke a promise to my daughter. I need to go, Daniel.¡± She said, trying to pull out of his grip having dressed up. The only thing missing was her shoes.

    Daniel¡¯s gaze traveled to the clock, ¡°It¡¯s two. You should stay till the morning, it¡¯s not safe out there.¡±

    But she stubbornly said, ¡°Haz brought me here, he should send me back in one piece.¡±

    Angelica was already reaching for her shoes when Daniel tugged her with enough force that shended ungracefully on the bed and he gathered her into his arms, giving her no room to escape.

    ¡°Daniel¡­¡± She squirmed in his arms all to no avail.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He said out of nowhere and she stiffened, having not seen that oneing.

    .....

    However, she quickly recovered from the shock and asked him harshly, ¡°What are you sorry for?¡±

    Angelica had to pretend that she didn¡¯t care knowing she had a kind heart that people wouldn¡¯t mind taking advantage of. All her life, she has been easy prey for men, and can¡¯t let that continue. Not after her promise to Adele. She can¡¯t go easy on him.

    ¡°For not being the man of your dream,¡± Daniel said, leaning closer so he buried his nose in the crook of her neck and Angelica had to pretend she was not affected. Good thing, he had his boxers on else that would be another story.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid Angelica and I know you¡¯re pulling away from me. But it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m selfish and I should not expect you to ept someone as damaged as I am -¡±

    Angelica turned to him saying, ¡°You¡¯re not damaged, Daniel. You just did a lot of bad stuff,¡± She breathed, ¡°But I made a promise to Adele to stay away from men like you and I intend to keep it. I need to be a good mother to my daughter this time.¡±

    Daniel saw the determination in her eyes and his hope died. It wasn¡¯t just hope, it felt like something shattered in his heart. He really felt something for this woman. He liked her ¨C and it wasn¡¯t easy for him to like someone.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± He said.

    Angelica expelled a sharp breath and while she should be happy he was letting her go, she felt a great loss instead. To her shock, Angelica realized that she liked this man. Sadly, she had made that promise to Adele and sometimes, love was not enough.

    So she leaned closer and kissed him instead. Daniel was surprised by the gesture, but when he recognized it for what it was, he pulled her closer and kissed her with a fiery passion. This was goodbye and he would love for this memory to stay with him forever.

    It was quite hrious. He beat Natalie. He finally proved that he was capable of loving someone. But then, he just got his heart broken as well and it was a nasty feeling. In one word, he didn¡¯t win at all. Natalie did. It was a trick. And he fell right into the snares of love.

    When they pulled away, a tear slipped down Angelica¡¯s cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb, saying, ¡°You can leave now love. Forget that you ever knew a bastard like me. Haz would take you home.¡±

    Angelica wanted to stay but she couldn¡¯t. Daniel was giving her a chance, she can¡¯t make it anymore harder on him. If there was a question on whether Daniel felt anything for her at all, she already knew the answer from that kiss.

    ¡°Thank you, Daniel.¡±

    And with that being said, Angelica was on her feet and took her things with her. She felt Daniel¡¯s gaze on her as she walked to the door and did not dare to look back, tempted that she might actually change her mind and go back to him. No, it was now or never.

    Angelica barely touched the door handle when it opened on its own and her brows raised in slight surprise as it opened to reveal the man standing in the doorway. At first, she thought it was that asshole from earliering to remind her that she had stayed long enough until she looked at the unfamiliar face and her heart skipped a beat as she saw the weapon in his hand.

    Oh no.

    ¡°Daniel¡­.!¡± She barely warned him when the man smacked her hard in the face and out of his way. Angelica found herself on the floor with stars running behind her vision. Even at that, she pushed herself up on her elbows to check on Daniel, hoping he had gotten her warning on time.

    Daniel¡¯s gaze never left Angelica so the instant he saw the scene y out, he knew instinctively that his life was in danger and was off the bed just as the bullets rained down on it. Fuck it! Someone was after his life and it just so happened that his insolent son raided his room and took away all his weapons.

    It so happened that he raised his son well enough to know all of his hiding ces. Well, not all of it, while he had taught Marcel everything he knew, he still kept some tricks to himself. If this asshole just invaded his room, it meant others with him were probably engaging Marcel¡¯s men. This one sneaked off to finish him. Which was not going to happen. He did not fight all this year only to die in this manner!

    There was a gun, but it was hidden carefully in a book on his bookshelf which was mere meters away. He calcted the distance between him and the attacker and the time it would take him to teach the book, and he would be dead by now. He would need an opening, an opportunity.

    The man had not stopped shooting as he ran around the room, managing to hide behind the pir. The shooting continued until he heard a click and he realized that the man had run out of ammo. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

    With lightning speed, Daniel ran out of his hiding ce, making a beeline for the shelf. However, Daniel never calcted in his n that the man would have a second gun and saw his life sh before his eyes as the weapon was pointed at him.

    Or so he thought because someone else took the shot.

 Chapter 886 - 886 Daniel Wept

    886 Daniel Wept

    Everything happened too quickly. One moment, Daniel swore the bastard got him and instinctively waited for the pain toe. But it never did because another person got in the way and was shot instead.

    Daniel stiffened, his feet stuck to the ground with a scream in his mouth when he saw Angelica drop to the ground. It wasn¡¯t until now that Daniel knew real fear because it ran through his veins like wildfire. It was obvious that the shooter had not intended to harm her, because there was hesitation on his part when he saw what happened.

    Anger like no other distorted Daniel¡¯s features and he rushed at the shooter like a beast unhinged. Daniel had never lost control. No, that is his strong suit, he never lets his emotions get the best of him, not when in the face of danger. But then, seeing Angelica on the floor made something snap inside of him and he felt the primal need to destroy. To avenge.

    He couldn¡¯t tell if Angelica was dead or alive, she was unmoving on the floor, and that was what feared him the most. If she died, then it was on him. He shouldn¡¯t have brought her here, not when he knew how dangerous it was. But then, he was too selfish. He wanted her for himself and didn¡¯t think about the danger he put her in. No, that was what he was good at, putting his needs above the others ¨C even at their detriment.

    Even with his weapon, there was real fear on the shooter¡¯s face when Daniel lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. And then he was on top of him, decorating his face with punches. It would have been aical scene considering Daniel was in nothing but his boxers, he had not gotten the time to dress up before he was attacked. But then, the rage on his face made his features and he didn¡¯t fail to show it.

    If Angelica died¡­. The thought tormented him. The guilt gnawed at him so intensely it was suffocating and he plundered the man¡¯s face with his fist. He didn¡¯t stop, not even when the man begged; not even when his face was bloody and his knuckles were aching; not even when the man beneath remained unmoving, dead or alive. He didn¡¯t exactly care.

    Daniel repeatedly punched the man until he couldn¡¯t move a muscle and then he remembered Angelica. Wait¡­ Angelica¡­ Daniel crawled over to her, his heart pounding hard in his chest. A huge relief washed over him when he saw her eyes were opened, she was alive. But not for long.

    She was looking pale and losing a lot of blood, having been shot in the back. Daniel did not try to move her. He has been in this business long enough to know, doing such a move might end up worsening or even killing her instead. He needed to call the ambnce. At the moment, Daniel did not care if calling for the ambnce would lead to a police investigation, he only cared about saving this woman. Call it a hunch, but Angelica was going to die if he doesn¡¯t do something.

    However, before he could reach for his phone, she grabbed his hand, attempting to say something but he couldn¡¯t hear a word.

    .....

    ¡°Save your breath, help ising.¡±

    But she shook her head, hot tears sliding down her cheeks and he heard her say, ¡°G-go,¡±

    She wanted him to leave. Angelica knew there was moreing for him and wanted him to be safe. But his heart broke instead.

    ¡°You foolish woman!¡± Daniel cried out, sping her face tentatively, ¡°Who asked you to get in the way, huh? Why must you always take the bullet for me?!¡±

    He was an unfeeling monster as called by many, but at that moment, Daniel wept.

    And he never cries.

    Not even when Natalie left him.

    Not even when Marcel was brought into this world and he was so full of joy.

    Not even when his wife died.

    Emotion was a weakness he never let out. But for Angelica, he let it all out. It was tears mixed with anger. With guilt. He should be the one lying on the ground, not her. He should be the one dying. Who made her his messiah?! He doesn¡¯t deserve to be saved. He doesn¡¯t deserve her mercy.

    He couldn¡¯t help but recall the first time they met. How she had attempted to save him in the same way, except that she failed in the past. But this time, she won. Yeah, she must be a sucker for death. But how dare she die on him?!

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you! I¡¯m not going anywhere!¡± He said with resolve, going ahead to find his phone from the mess the idiot had made and pulled a call to the one person that could help him. Someone he never thought he would ever call for help. The ambnce would not find here on time, but she would.

    ¡°Natalie¡­.¡± Daniel passed the message in one long breath before she had the chance to hang up on him.

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°My residence¡­.¡± Daniel was still saying when he felt a ripple in the atmosphere and turned to see they had found him.

    Shit.

    ¡°Hurry up.¡± He hissed into the phone and ended it. Daniel didn¡¯t care if they killed him, all he wanted was Angelica¡¯s safety. Although there was that niggling thought in his head that told him she was not going to make it. But Angelica was a fighter. She would ovee this. He hoped.

    ¡°Daniel,¡± One of the men stepped forward to say, ¡°Richardo wants a word with you.¡±

    Something shed in Daniel¡¯s eyes, the bastard did this? He hurt Angelica. However, he reigned his anger in, this was not the time to lose control, but to act. He was outnumbered and he had no weapon. Not if he could get to the gun on the ground the other bastard had left behind.

    But the men came prepared and the instant he made a move, both men were upon him and they tased him till he lost consciousness.

    ¡°Good thing Richardo warned us you¡¯re a sneaky bastard.¡± chuckled one of them who was obviously the leader of the intrusion.

    He instructed the others with him and they carried Daniel away. It seems others wanted Daniel as well because it had been a mess earlier with three factions fighting against one another. Richardo¡¯s men only won by numbers and would be out of there before reinforcement came.

 Chapter 887 - 887 Welcome To The Commission

    887 Wee To The Commission

    Late at night while men slept, a few others were awake and going about their business. Eric had scheduled the meeting with the core members of themission at such unholy hours when there wouldn¡¯t be many eyes on them. It was held in one of their secret locations and Eric made his entrance when he was sure everyone had arrived.

    ¡°Thank you for epting my invitation on such short notice,¡± Eric said, epting his seat with all eyes on him.

    Each leader of the five, no, four families ¨C except for thete Basil family ¨C were here. However while there should be a total of four people present, there were five instead. While Nius Spencer was part of the Sakuzi family, he was merely the son-inw to Valentine Sakuzi, having married his daughter, Reina.

    Hence both families united as one, however in critical meetings like this one, Nius tended to make an appearance himself alongside the current leader and foster son of Sakuzi, Emerald.

    ¡°I am not going to beat around the bush since we all know why we are gathered here tonight,¡± Eric said, ¡°We need toe up with a way to deal with ourmon enemy, Richardo Santi before it gets out of hand.¡±

    Nius lifted his hand, ¡°Is that our problem though? All of this started because of a feud between Marcel Luciano and Richardo.¡±

    ¡°In one word, are you saying that we should turn a blind eye to the crimemitted against a member of themission?¡± Eric reminded him pointedly, ¡°He wiped off the Basil family.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying we should let him be, however, Marcel Luciano is the cause of this problem from the very beginning. It seems to me that you¡¯re trying to lend a helping hand when we could stay back and watch the both of them battle it out. If he manages to kill Richardo, then it¡¯s our luck. We wouldn¡¯t even have to lift a finger in the end. ¡±

    Eric scratched his brows. While he knew this wouldn¡¯t be easy, he never thought that Nius would be so against it. Nius and Marcel had never seen eye to eye on an issue. It seems he was still bearing a grudge over his nephew Akim being dumped coldly. Unfortunately, Marcel was Winter¡¯s guardian, which meant his ¨C Nius ¨C wrath would be directed at him too.

    .....

    Eric said to him, ¡°It seems to me that you are blinded by your personal vendetta against the Luciano family that you are unable to see the bigger picture.¡±

    ¡°And what about you?¡± Nius retorted, ¡°I heard that you wouldn¡¯t be avenging your fallen soldiers because of your numerous personal ties with the Luciano family?¡±

    Eric¡¯s features distorted as soon as he heard that. However, he covered it up with a smile saying, ¡°You seem to know a lot about me?¡±

    ¡°And you seem to be a lot involved with the Luciano family,¡± Nius stated, their gaze connected and held. Electricity cackled in their gazes and the tension in the room increased so the hairs on the arms of everyone present stood on edge.

    ¡°That is enough, brother-inw,¡± Emerald calmly told Nius.

    The Don of the Di Angelo¡¯s family reprimanded Eric at the same time, ¡°You are the head of themission and your role is to mediate conflicts among families, not start a fight.¡±

    A sense of shame washed over Eric but he was quick topose himself. He announced, ¡°While it would be easy to leave the hard work to Luciano and of which we aren¡¯t sure of which side would emerge victoriously in the attack, we also don¡¯t know the level of destruction it would bring to the city. Not to mention the attention, it would draw as well. However, with ourbined resources and efforts, we would be able to manipte and control the level of damage. ¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the n then?¡± asked the leader of the Geneva family.

    ¡°First of all, we have to cut off every escape route Richardo might attempt to use when he realizes he¡¯s losing. We don¡¯t when we might get another opportunity like this one, not to mention he mighte back stronger and take us unaware. We have to take care of this threat once and for all.¡±

    He took a deep breath,¡± And that is why I invited Marcel Luciano to this meeting to brief us on our opponent, Richardo Santi. If there¡¯s anyone that knows him well enough, it¡¯s him. ¡±

    All eyes turned to the door as Marcel made his way into the meeting room. He stood at the entrance and faced the whole of them before bowing his head in acknowledgment.

    ¡°Thank you for giving me this rare opportunity to stand before the esteemed members of themission.¡±

    While other people have a positive reaction, Nius snorted instead. He could see how this was going to work out already and he didn¡¯t hide his displeasure. The Luciano family was a time bomb and having them in themission woulde to bite Eric in the ass one day, he was sure of it.

    Eric continued, eyeing Nius, ¡°Just as you suggested, Marcel would be on the front line of this war. However, what does he get in the end? I suggest making him a member of themission. That position is long overdue already and we know that already.¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± Nius muttered under his breath. He doesn¡¯t care anyway.

    There was slight murmuring in the room and Eric said, ¡°Are we going to take a vote? Raise your hand if you want to make the Luciano family part of themission.¡±

    ¡°I vote yes,¡± Eric was the first to raise his hand and the others looked amongst each other undecidedly having perceived that Nius was not in support.

    However, Emerald raised his hand and their eyes widened in shock, having not seen thating. If anyone was going to be on Nius¡¯ side, it had to be Emerald or so they thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for a fresh face, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Emerald smirked at Nius who was not pleased with his action.

    And just like that, the leader of the Geneva and Di Angelo¡¯s family raised their hands as well and it was concluded.

    Eric stood up with a smile and stretched his hand out to Marcel who had been holding his breath all this while.

    ¡°Wee to themission, Marcel Luciano.¡±

 Chapter 888 - 888 He Was Truly Scared

    888 He Was Truly Scared

    ¡°While we close off his escape routes, we still need all hands on deck. We don¡¯t know what Richardo is capable of or how much power he has.¡± Eric told them as they stood around the table, nning strategies they could use to contain him.

    It was barely an hour since Marcel was made a member of themission and while tradition entails a more formal wee be arranged for him, there was no time for parties. The fate of the world, no crime famines in this city were on their shoulders.

    ¡°Or people we can offer him¡­.¡± He said with a snide expression, ¡°As bait to our enemy. Let¡¯s be honest here, we all know who Richardo wants.¡± He believed it was a wonderful idea from his perspective.

    ¡°And then what?¡± asked the Don of Di Angelo¡¯s family.

    Nius shrugged, ¡°Wee for him then. That way, we are sure Richardo is in position and we can finish him off.¡±

    ¡°And you think Richardo is stupid enough not to notice that it is a setup.¡± Eric was not in support of giving Marcel away like some offering to an altar. Except in this case, it was the altar of a maniac.

    ¡°Or we can consider which one of the ns is more stupid. Really? An alliance with the Luciano family? When has that ever been a good thing? And have you forgotten how Daniel still stabbed you in the back amid your treaty with him?¡± He pointed at Marcel.

    Unfortunately, Marcel was done with keeping quiet as Nius continuously harassed him and called him out on it.

    ¡°You know, I do respect you Nius, but this has got to stop. If you have a problem with me or my family, say it out rather than beating around the bush. And as for my father Daniel, he has been punished for his crimes with his authority stripped, hence there would be no more worrying or backstabbing in the future. Now, if you want to be a part of this, yes or no would be sufficient enough.¡± He stared him down, the both of them face to face with each other.

    .....

    Although both were almost the same height, Nius was older and had cunning experience in his eyes while Marcel¡¯s blood boiled with the eagerness of his youth.

    ¡°My people would keep an eye out for Richardo but count me out of this battle. We are fighting his battle, but Basil¡¯s.¡± He hinted at Marcel who shut his eyes, letting out a breath.

    ¡°He is now a member of themission and that means his fight is ours.¡± The leader of the Geneva family reminded him.

    ¡°That is Eric¡¯s n, not mine. When we are ready to avenge Basil the right way, call me.¡± Nius concluded, spun on his heels, and left.

    ¡°Nius¡­¡± Emerald called after him but he had already left.

    He turned to Eric, ¡°He¡¯s family, I can¡¯t make such an important decision without him. Sakuzi hates unrest in the organization.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Eric said.

    The leader of the Geneva family suggested, ¡°Perhaps we should postpone the meeting. Nius is hot-tempered, but he¡¯s a practical man and I believe we can convince him.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Marcel barked, ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to spare. This is exactly what Richardo wants and it¡¯s not surprising he hasn¡¯t made a move yet having predicted the oue of this meeting.¡±

    However, Eric stopped him with a hand to his chest, saying, ¡°Themission has a set of rules to follow and it¡¯s the only thing holding us together.¡±

    ¡°And yet I¡¯m not surprised Basil lost his life.¡± Marcel spat out and one could see the way his words affected them because everyone at the table flinched.

    The air in the room felt heavy and hung with guilt and the men avoided each other¡¯s gaze and confirmed Marcel¡¯s words. If they had acted and not neglected the warnings they had received concerning Finn¡¯s ambition, perhaps the Basil family would still be alive.

    The leader of the Geneva family was the first to clear his throat saying, ¡°While there are rules to observe, call me when you need my help.¡±

    ¡°My resources are at your disposal as well.¡± Offered Di Angelo¡¯s family¡¯s leader.

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Nius. One of these days, our families have to resolve their differences.¡± was all Emerald said before he left. Well, all of them left, except for Eric.

    Now the both of them were standing beside the table, Marcel leaving over it as he closed his eyes in thought.

    ¡°Should I beforted by the crumbs they offer?¡±

    Eric knew the question was directed at him even without Marcel looking at him.

    ¡°Surely, you didn¡¯t expect it to be easy?¡± He chortled, ¡°Nius has the temper of a bull and is overprotective of his family.¡±

    ¡°I have a temper too and protect my loved ones with the rage of a lion.¡± It was not an excuse for Nius¡¯s behavior.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the two things both of you have inmon then. It¡¯s left up to you two to resolve your differences especially if you want to be part of themission. I would not have two bickering men in this court.¡± It was a warning as much as it was a bit of advice.

    Marcel took up straight with a groan, running his hand through his hair. He had been sure of his n, it was foolproof, and now he has to make adjustments. Adjustments that weren¡¯t so infallible.

    His phone rang at the same time Eric¡¯s did and both men looked at each other in surprise before answering, filled with curiosity.

    However, Marcel¡¯s stomach soon dropped when he heard the news, and the blood drained from his face. He lowered his phone, ncing up at Eric who didn¡¯t seem quite excited about his call as well.

    ¡°Richardo has Daniel,¡± Marcel revealed to him.

    Eric breathed, ¡°So I just did.

    Marcel let out a shaky breath. He couldn¡¯t tell if he was terrified of what Richardo could do to his father as revenge or the terror his father could wreck with Richardo together.

    And for the first time, Marcel was truly scared.

 Chapter 889 - 889 Sheâ€™s alive but....

    889 She¡¯s alive but....

    [¡°You¡¯re never going to change, it¡¯s your nature, mother. Going from bad to worse, that¡¯s just the way you are. Unfortunately, I¡¯m sick and tired of being made promises only to break them and I get hurt in the end. I think it¡¯s better if we returned the way we were.¡±]

    Those words were fresh in Adele¡¯s mind and haunted her as she pushed through the door opening into the lobby and ran into the hospital like a mad woman. While she had been confident saying those words to her mother, she didn¡¯t feel the same now. If anything, terror wed right into her, leaving her cold and trembling.

    At first, it had seemed like a joke, like some prank when she had gotten that call that her mother was in her hospital. How could it be when she had seen her hours ago at her ce and even promised her to stay safe? But that wasn¡¯t what she heard, right now, her mother was hanging on the precipice of life and death. Right now, death seems more likely.

    Adele had worked with so many people and hence seen many deaths as well. But none had been close to her. No, she never made friends. Never let anyone get close enough to weave his or her way into her heart. Except for Elijah of course, and her mother, whose presence always lingered even though she tried to block her away.

    She should hate the woman. After all, Angelica had sent her away to live with Benjamin and her crazy family. The woman was not there for her when she needed her the most, instead, the fear seized her so great that she found it hard to breathe. Because Adele just realized that this was herst living rtive, her mother. She was the only one she had left. The only one on her side.

    Adele came into the hallway where she spotted Elijah waiting outside the operating room. How is he here? However, that was the least of her problem because she read the notice that read, [Surgery In progress].

    It became real to Adele.

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­.¡± Adele tried to walk to the door but Elijah was there to hold her back. She fought against him, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I have to go in¡­. I have to¡­.¡±

    Adele didn¡¯t realize when she broke down in tears. She didn¡¯t recognize herself begging and pleading with him to let her see her just once. The next, the both of them were on the floor with him holding her tight as she cried hard on his chest.

    .....

    This was all her fault. Adele knew deep down that she cursed her mother. Hours ago, she wanted her gone from her life! Didn¡¯t want to see her anymore. Now that it actually happened, she didn¡¯t want her to go anymore. Adele remembered every one of her words. It was raw and pierced through her heart. The guilt was suffocating.

    [I don¡¯t have a mother,¡±]

    She recalled it. Religious people said there was power in spoken words and she just jinxed her luck.

    Although a part of Adeleforted her, reminding her that she swore not to kick her out of her life in the end. But then, it was an excuse knowing deep down that she wouldn¡¯t have made it easy for Angelica. That was how she was, dark and twisted inside. She would have yed on her guilt and perhaps, make her suffer a bit more before epting her back into her life.

    Perhaps, it would be a good thing if Angelica died. That way, she would be free of a daughter like her. She would be rid of her and find peace in the afterlife, not groveling at the feet of a daughter that doesn¡¯t deserve her. Adele cried till she wasn¡¯t capable of tears anymore and her voice was husky.

    Minutester, she was seated on the bench with Elijah, her head resting on his shoulder with his arm around her. While she would have resented hisfort the other times, Adele was just too tired to fight. Crying had drained the strength in her and to be honest, she craved hisfort.

    Elijah already messed her up. In one word, if there was anyone that should see her in this state, it had to be him. He betrayed her. What¡¯s there to see again? There was no more pride to lift, just head lowered in shame. While she was curious why he was there, it dawned on her that this was Natalie¡¯s hospital and she must have called him to be here for her.

    Adele did not know whether to be angry or thankful for Natalie¡¯s attempt at matchmaking. She just did not have the strength to think of anything else aside from her mother. Adele heard the details already from Elijah and it seems that her mother visited Daniel only to be caught in the crossfire when Richardo¡¯s people attacked.

    Angelica had been hardly breathing when she was brought in and her eyes brimmed with bitter tears again. She warned her against Daniel but that stupid woman never listened, now look where that brought her. Adele was filled with fury when she thought about Daniel and hoped Richardo gave him the painful death he deserves. But then, Adele had a nagging feeling Richardo didn¡¯t take Daniel to kill him.

    It took hours and the waiting was torturous for Adele. She just had to know whether her mother made it or not. So when the door to the surgery room finally opened, Adele was in Natalie¡¯s face before Elijah could even stop her.

    ¡°How is she?¡±

    ¡°Get a grip of yourself, Adele, she¡¯s alive.¡±

    Oh dear, Adele let out a relieved groan. There was still a chance to make it up to her. It was not yet over.

    ¡°But,¡± Natalie said, and Adele¡¯s expression changed. The word, ¡°but¡± has never been attributed to positivity.

    ¡°Angelica was shot in the back and left for dead. It is a miracle that she got to the hospital and got the surgery she needed to survive. But, she is now paralyzed and would be confined to a wheelchair. I¡¯m saying that Angelica may never walk again.¡±

 Chapter 890 What Do You Want?

    While other people would be anxious and vtile after being kidnapped, the reverse could be said for Daniel who was as calm as a cat. He had regained consciousness moments ago only to realize that he was lying on a cold surface, probably the floor. Daniel could not see a thing because a bag had been ced over his head while his hands were bound behind him so he couldn''t move not to talk of freeing himself.

    But that peaceful moment did notst for long because he felt hands on him and the next, he was hurled to his feet and they began to lead him to God knows where. Daniel did not fight them. If they wanted him dead, they would have done it long ago. Struggling with them would only make things hard on him. Moreover, he already knew who kidnapped him. Clearly, the young stupid boy wanted something from him.

    "Move faster!"

    Someone shouted at him and the next he knew, he was stumbling from the push and managed not to trip and fall. Such disrespect, Daniel gritted his teeth, not that any of them could see his face since it was hidden. If only they knew who he was, they wouldn''t treat him this way. Bastards! Wait till he got his hands on them, they would wish they were rather not born at all.

    However, despite the anger, Daniel was worried as well. He was curious about Angelica. Had Natalie gotten to her on time? He needed details about her, and it was driving him crazy being kept in the dark. But then, he could not show his emotions, it was not the time for it and the enemy would only use that against him if they knew.

    After a while of walking, they finally stopped and even without seeing, Daniel could feel the number of eyes on him. There were so many people here that he wouldn''t be able to fight his way out. In one word, he was toast. But then, he would hear the young boy. If it were a deal that benefited him, who said he wasn''t in for business?

    The bag was ripped harshly from his face and Daniel groaned irritably at the treatment, however, he squinted against the sudden bright light, his eyes adjusting appropriately. And then, he was able to look around and he was in some room and was able to spot Richardo.

    Though both of them hadn''t met before and he hadn''t cared to know about him - he had not seen him as a threat, but a young boy ying with forces he does not understand - Daniel was able to recognize him from the hunger in his eyes. He had that desperation to fulfill his purpose as every other leader had. Aside from that, he cleverly had two men beside him to protect him even though everyone in the room was his people. The move gave out his position - and also showed off he didn''t trust these men.

    Daniel turned to him, "If you had sent out an invitation, I would have considered it rather than being dragged along. I''m not exactly a huge fan of being forced." He said.

    "Sorry," Richardo stepped out just a bit as if to make known his leadership status, "But then, there was no time to allow you to consider. I needed a profile person like you here as soon as possible. No bad blood." He imed.

    "Is that an apology?" Daniel told him and the expression on Richardo''s face shifted.

    However, he was quick to ster a smile on his face as he approached Daniel saying, "I don''t think you understand the situation here. You''re outnumbered, you have nowhere else to go. The only reason you''re still standing and not being tortured is that I''m giving you a chance and I know deep down that you''re a smart man, having no loyalty to your son or anyone whatsoever. "

    Even after what the bastard had done to Angelica, Daniel only looked impressed. He told him, "I didn''t know that I was widely known."

    Richardo''s eyes crinkled, "You would be surprised how many people you have inspired, I for one am a huge follower."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Huh?" Daniel snorted, "So this is what it feels like to be a celebrity." He then asked him, "What do you want?"

    "You should know already," Richardo gestured to him toe to sit with him and Daniel didn''t hesitate to obey. Although if one could see beyond his mask, they would notice the furrow of his brows; Daniel was not used to following orders. He gave them.

    "Ahh, Marcel." Daniel didn''t bother to beat around the bush. He said, "I have to admit if my son was half as smart as you, I would die without a worry."

    "And yet, you are okay with me ending him?" Richardo looked intensely at Daniel as if trying to figure out if he was ying him or being sincere.

    "Can I get a ss of water please," Daniel said instead, breaking Richardo''s concentration and he had no choice but to gesture to one of his men to fulfill his need.

    There was no more questioning because Richardo wanted an answer to the one he asked and didn''t want to be sidetracked - Daniel was a cunning man.

    The man returned with the water but Daniel wrinkled his nose at the stic cup which they used to serve him. Richardo was taking no choices. But then, trust was essential to working together.

    Nheless, Daniel epted the water from him with a word of gratitude and drank the cold content that went down his throat like a relieving balm.

    "More," He thrust the stic card out.

    The man looked at Richardo, their eyesmunicating silently. However, Richardo gestured him to go on, and this time when he returned, he came back with the pitcher and after three more cups, Daniel was satisfied.

    He shut his eyes and threw his head back with a deep breath before opening them and grinned at Richardo with that excited glint in his eyes,

    "You were saying?"

 Chapter 891 Birds Of A Feather Flock Together

    Richardo scrutinized Daniel with zing intensity wondering if he had made a mistake in inviting a predator into his den. He went on to say, "I''m going to kill your son, Marcel. What''s your opinion on that?"

    "Is this an opinion or a test?" Daniel gave him a knowing look that left Richardo baffled. He knew. In that case, this makes everything easy then.

    "Fine, what''s your stand on it? Would you join me make my dreame true or would you try to stop me which is kind of an impossible feat right now? And please choose wisely Daniel. I told you from the beginning, I like you." Richardo actually talked like he meant it.

    Daniel leaned closer without warning, and whatever intent he had hoped to achieve with that move didn''t work out because Richardo didn''t move nor bat an eye. He was not afraid of him. Not when he was inside a room full of his men that would shoot him down if he dared to make a move?

    "In case you haven''t noticed, Marcel and I have not exactly been the best at navigating this father, son rtionship. We are always at each other''s neck. And then..." Daniel''s expression darkened, "He denied me of my power in the family. While I endured his foolishness all this while, thatst move was the straw that broke the camel''s back. I have reached my limit. "

    However, Richardo smirked wickedly, "But that is not enough to have him killed, is it? There is still a thin line between love and hate. Perhaps, all that hate made you love him more?"

    Daniel rolled his eyes, "Have you even been listening to a word I said?"

    "I told you, Daniel, I''m your huge fan. I have studied you long enough to know that you won''t let go of Marcel, not unless you have another son to take up your legacy, which sadly you don''t. So forgive me if I don''t believe you and I just realized that it was a mistake bringing you along. " He realized how stupid his n had been to join hands together. Two captains could not lead a boat. One had to concede and Daniel was too enamored with power.

    "And who said I don''t have an heir?" Daniel suddenly announced.

    A furrow appeared on Richardo''s face as he thought about it and then it hit him hard, "Arianna...."

    Daniel''s grin widened, "I don''t need Marcel because I have one I can groom already to my taste."

    One might ask, how had Daniel known about Arianna''s pregnancy? Natalie had told him. That had been her only condition toe to rescue Angelica. She wanted him as far away from her daughter as possible because she was now with a child. He would bring nothing but bad luck to them. So he agreed to go away, but then Richardo''s people got to him first before he could think of fulfilling the agreement. It was definitely not his fault, people.

    Richardo informed him, "Sadly, I need Arianna. She''s the only way I can reach Marcel. The only one that I can use hurt him the same way he had done to me!"

    "And yet the only one that you can''ty your hand on. Eric would tear you from limb to limb before you even get the chance toy a hand on his stepdaughter. And I as well, am not interested in that deal if it involves hurting my daughter-inw. She''s carrying my legacy in her womb. "

    "If that''s the case, I have no use for you then." Richardo pulled him forward by the cor, pressing the gun''s muzzle beneath his jaw, his eyes zing with anger.

    "Sure, sure, go ahead." Daniel said in a sing song, "You would only be doing Marcel a big favor. Do you know how close he''se to killing me in the past but couldn''t because of his weakness? Good riddance, he would think when you release my body to him."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Shut up!" Richardo shouted at him, pressing the gun deeper into his skin, and yet the man didn''t even flinch. Perhaps, the rumors were true; he was a monster. Daniel was not capable of feeling. How was he so calm even in the face of death?

    And yes, the man really has a disregard for his life because he went ahead to provoke Richardo more by saying,

    "You have the number and the weapon and yet you haven''t made a move because youck direction. That''s why you need me, isn''t it? You are like a child with too much power with no idea how to use and control it."

    "I am not a child!" Richardo hissed through gritted teeth. But he knew deep down that was close to the truth.

    He spat at Daniel, "Do you know I thought of bombing the entire base and though that would be difficult considering Marcel''s tightened security, it''s not impossible. But then, what''s the satisfaction? Marcel could very well survive the attack and all my efforts would be a waste. I want him delivered in my hands so I can exact my revenge directly. I want to scrap the skin off his body and make him suffer so much that he would have no choice but to beg me for mercy to the hour of his death,"

    There was nothing but darkness and the feral taste for revenge in his eyes and Daniel saw that and took advantage of it.

    "I''ll bring Marcel to you then and there will be no bombing. You get Marcel while I''m set free to rule the family that would be left behind. It would be a win-win for both of us."

    Richardo sneered, "You think Marcel doesn''t know that I have you? He would be a fool toe to you."

    "Who said he has toe to me?" Daniel smirked, his eyes glinting with a delicious idea, "I told you I would have him delivered to you. Unlike you who wasted your contact by trying to kill Arianna, my own contact would y wisely."

    Before Richardo could recover from the suggestion, Daniel had already snatched the gun from him with lightning speed and pointed it at him. His men in the room reacted just as timely and pointed the gun at him. However, Danielughed before lowering the gun and thrusting out his hand.

    "Do we have a deal?"

    Richardo eyed his hand before ncing back at him. Having been betrayed once, his instincts warned him not to trust easily. Not to mention Daniel was wild and uncontroble. But then, birds of a feather flock together.

    He took his hand in a handshake.

    "Deal."

 Chapter 892 Daniels Mole

    Two days went back in a blur and it was the most difficult time of Marcel''s life. There was still no sign of Daniel and if Richardo had killed him, his body didn''t show up. But then, who was he deceiving?If Richardo killed Daniel, there is no way that he would be quiet about it. He would put his head on a spike and dismay it all around the city. Not that Richardo was going to do that openly, of course, this was the twenty-fourth century, not ancient Rome.

    He would probably send him his severed head in a box just to agitate him and rub his victory all over his face. Ironically, Daniel''s death would be a huge relief because Marcel felt a whole lot of unease - the fear that his power-hungry father might have joined forces with his enemy.He has watched Daniel over the years and that man was hard to kill. No matter what dangerous situation he was in, he always found a way to emerge alive, especially at the expense of another. Another like Angelica.

    As expected of him as a leader, Marcel has gone to visit the woman but Adele was not speaking to him. He understood her anger, of course, Daniel was the reason her mother was in that pitiful condition - unable to walk for the rest of her life. His bastard father knew how dangerous it was at the moment, everyone had gone into hiding thanks to the threat hanging over them, and yet he had the nerve to invite an innocent woman to his ce?!

    If Marcel thought Daniel was redeemable, the hope was doused now. Daniel could not be saved. He was selfish and would always put himself before others. Natalie was right, his father should not be around them. He was like a weed that looked innocent at first only to choke the life out of the others.

    Hence he couldn''t call Adele for duty even though he needed all hands on deck especially those close to him - people he could trust. She had enough on her te already and he was sure his face was thest thing she wanted to see. Daniel has his father''s eyes and he could guess how that constant reminder would haunt her.

    Marcel was alone in the meeting. These days, he hardly spends time on his bed, always here thinking and plotting his move. They got Intel on Richardo''s location. But while Marcel might have charged into battle blindly, he had to consider the possibility that Richardo and Daniel were working together now and this may as well be a trap. He would not send his people into a ughter.

    He sat astride the sofa, his leg dangling from the armrest while his head was thrown back, his arm draped carelessly over his face.A sigh escaped his lips when he realized the weight of the situation. He had sent the news of Daniel''s disappearance and possible to cahoot with Richardo to Eric and begged him to tighten the security around Arianna.

    Had Marcel known this would happen,he would have sent Arianna out of the country on time. It would have been much safer and he wouldn''t have her return until she gave birth sessfully and he has erased every form of threat to her life.

    He missed her. It was so lonely here and with the weight of everything. It was just too much. However, it was for her safety. Surely, his father wasn''t so cruel that he would agree to murder the woman he loves, right?

    Marcel let out a deeper sigh this time, putting down his hand. He has sent out men to scout the location and if Richardo was indeed there, they would attack thetest tomorrow. Marcel hated the waiting. The more time they wasted, the opportunity given to his father to carry out whatever crazy plot he had in his head no doubt.

    What if he''s been held, hostage? The thought crossed Marcel''s mind, but he shook it away. He knew Daniel thoroughly and the man would surely cut a deal with Richardo. That was how much he loved his life. He would never change.

    So his lovely father would end his life then? His death is the only way Richardo''s anger would be appeased. Marcelughed mirthfully at the turnout.He always pointed out the fact Daniel would be the death of him, now it was happening.

    His attention turned to the door when he felt the knob turn and his senses went on high alert, already reaching for his gun by his side. These days, Marcel wasn''t so trusting anymore. Dealing with Richardo might have been a piece of cake, but his father in question might have moles amongst his people. He was very much aware of that possibility.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But then he had no reason to worry because it was Luka and he calmed down. If there was anyone that he trusted with his life, it was him.

    "What is it?" He asked, already sitting straight.

    "It''s Victor."

    The instant Marcel heard that, his heart nearly flew out of his chest thinking that Richardo might have gotten to him. He was the second person he treasured after Arianna - and Daniel knew that.

    His voice was tensed now when he asked, "What about him?"

    "He wants to leave the hospital," Luka revealed and Marcel released a deep breath. There was no reason to worry aside from his cousin throwing a tantrum.

    "He wants to help out, but doesn''t understand that he''s in no state to fight. It would help if you called him because he''s giving Eric''s people keeping him safe a reason to tie him up and they keep calling me instead."

    "Damn it, Victor." Marcel cursed just as he dragged his body off the seat with a groan as he walked to the desk where he dropped his phone.

    And the greatest mistake hemitted was to turn his back to Luka, because the next thing Marcel knew, a needle was jabbed in his throat and he yelped in pain before reaching out to pull it from his neck.

    Marcel turned to Luka with wide eyes, "H-how...?" His closest soldier was Daniel''s mole. It didn''t make any sense.

    But it was toote.

    His vision swam and his world went dark.

 Chapter 893 Kill Daniel

    Angelica stirred from her sleep and Adele rose to her feet, leaning over her mother as her face distorted, slowly waking up.

    "M-mom¡­?" She asked, waiting patiently for her eyes to open, and only then would she be relieved. It has been two days since the surgery and Adele had feared she slipped into aa, well, until now.

    Angelica finally opened her eyes, wincing slightly as the light attacked her senses. Everything was too much. Not to mention her throat was too dry and her mouth felt sour. Just what in the name of the lord was happening here?

    "Adele¡­?" Her sight finally adjusted and she managed to see her daughter hovering over her. What was going on? Thest thing she remembered was¡­

    Without warning, the memories came in a rush making her wince and she lifted her hand to press down on her temple. Her head was throbbing badly and thest thing she remembered was taking a bullet for Daniel¡­ oh no.

    "Adele¡­." She looked at her daughter now, the guilt appearing on her face. She had intended to see Daniel and then slip away, Adele would not know at all. But then there was an attack and she instinctively took the bullet for him. Now, she was in the hospital and her daughter knew all about it.

    Adele was not going to forgive her and the fear made her want to sit up and ask for her forgiveness. But strange enough, Angelica couldn''t move a muscle. No, her hands but it had to do with her lower body. It was as heavy as lead. Almost unresponsive.

    Real fear crept into Angelica this time and she lifted her gaze to her daughter, asking cautiously, "A-Adele, why can''t I feel my legs?"

    She watched Adele open her mouth but no words made their way out, instead a tear slipped down her cheek and she hurriedly wiped it away, turning her face away.

    Angelica stiffened, her heart freezing over. She knew her daughter and Adele''s heart was as hard as stone. The girl never cried, but right now, there was that pitiful look in her eyes when she looked breath.

    She sucked in a sharp breath, "God no¡­." Angelica was able to make connections without Adele revealing the truth. She knew her body and right now,it felt¡­ useless. Her legs were not alive. Something must have happened to her. That bullet.

    "Please, tell me this isn''t real¡­." Panic rose in her chest, tears rolling down her cheeks now. There was no way she was paralyzed, right? It was not possible. She had a lot of things to do. She had her daycare to run, and then her grandchildren. How was she going to take care of them? She would be nothing but a burden to Adele as well. Dear God, she must hate her now.

    "You should calm down, " Adele told Angelica, especially when she saw her close to hyperventting.

    But she was not listening and kept panicking, screaming, and shouting in a wild outburst. Adele had no choice but to ring the inte and in the next minutes, the nurses and a doctor filled the room, and gave them space to do their work.

    It took a few minutes to get the situation under control by sedating her mother. The doctor turned to her, exining that an outburst like that was pretty normal for most patients and that it would take her time to adjust to her new reality. She just had to be patient with her.

    Adele thanked them on their way out and when she was all alone, sank into her seat, defeated. She ran her hand through her scalp and yanked on her hair hard. Truth be told, she was tempted to leave this woman alone, after all, she brought this on herself. If only she had listened to her and stayed away from Daniel, then this wouldn''t have happened.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    But she couldn''t. No matter what she did, she was still her mother. She only made poor choices and nobody was above mistakes. But then, what was she going to do? She was pregnant with Quadruplets as it is, she couldn''t juggle along a paralyzed mother. God, why was life so unfair to her? What did she do so wrong? Adele wanted to break down in tears. It was just overwhelming.

    However, before she had the choice to curl up and bawl her eyes out, her phone beeped with a message. Adele checked her phone, quickly wiping at her face. It was from Victor. He needed her. Wonderful. They couldn''t even cut her some ck. Although she hoped deep down it was news about Daniel because she needed to let off some steam and he was the perfect candidate. She would kill him.

    With one final look at her mother, Adele left the room only to find Victor waiting outside the door for her.

    He looked at the door with a sympathetic expression, "How is she?"

    "She finally woke up only to have a meltdown." Adele sighed, "Doctor says she would need time to adjust to her new reality."

    Then her gaze flickered to him, ufortable with the pitiful look in his eyes. She asked him, "And what about you? Shouldn''t you be in bed recovering? Marcel would be mad when he sees you moving about?"

    Victor winced mentally at the thought of being in bed all day, however, he remembered the reason foring here and told her, "Well, that''s the problem because Marcel won''t be here to scold me."

    Adele narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you talking about?" She could already sense something was wrong.

    "I just got information an hour again that Marcel was taken by his most trusted soldier, Luka."

    "Impossible." Adele breathed.

    "We think he''s been working for Daniel all this while."

    "Well, well," Adele mused, "I shouldn''t be surprised anyway, after all, Daniel does have a way of poisoning the mind. What''s the n?"

    "Imunicated with Samuel and he thinks they have been able to find Richardo''s location."

    "What are we waiting for then?" Adele cracked her knuckles, eager to get this over with, "Let''s go bring back Marcel."

    And kill Daniel.

 Chapter 894 Betrayed By His Father

    Marcel felt the wrongness in the air even before his eyes were opened. A cold chill fell over him when he remembered what happened.

    It was Luka!

    He trusted him! Who knew he would betray him in the end? Even if a prophet had told him that would happen, Marcel would never believe it. They were not just superordinate and subordinate, they were brothers! They made sacrifices for each other, fought on the same side, and in the end, he was in league with his father.

    Cold water was suddenly sshed on Marcel, erasing all traces of sleep from his eyes and he lifted his head with a gasp. Shivers danced down his spine, the cold seeping into his skin but he didn''t take notice of it because his eyes connected not with the bastard that treated him that way, but rather the man behind him pping enthusiastically.

    Richardo.

    With a low growl, Marcel lunged forward but the chains tugged him back and he couldn''t go past a certain limit.

    "Bastard!" He cursed, straining against the cuff all to no avail. However, the anger in his veins was ignited to a whole new level when he saw Daniele into view.

    Marcel felt his heart break into a million pieces. Even if his father loathed him, he thought he would be on his side. Daniel owned him at least. But then, Daniel had no conscience. He sold that to the devil.

    And thenes Luka trailing after Daniel. There was nothing but fiery hatred in Marcel''s eyes when he set his eyes on him. Luka justmitted the worst sin against him and that was betraying him. From now on, Luka was dead to him.That is, if he - Maecdk- doesn''t die before him.

    Marcel snarled at Richardo, "I always knew you were a coward. You couldn''te after him and had to seek help from that monster," He chuckled mirthfully, "He betrayed his own son, what are the chances he wouldn''t stab you in the back?"

    However, before Richardo could answer, Daniel lifted his hand and silenced him. Though he kept quiet, the tick in his jaw suggested that he was not pleased with Daniel interrupting him. He was the leader, yet Daniel was behaving like he was in charge here.

    Daniel stepped forth and stood in front of his son who was ring daggers at him. He said, "Richardo is no coward, unlike you. Do you even know his ns? Bombing the base and making sure not a soul survives. However, what he wants to deliver to you is not a quick death, but a tortured death to avenge the love of his life, Macy. May her soul rest in peace. I''m sure you understand that son, right? You know, with the evesting love between you and Arianna?"

    At the mention of Arianna, Marcel''s nose frailed. Even if that''s thest thing he does, he would end their miserable life if they dare toy a hand on Arianna.

    "Ah, just like I thought, you know how that feels!" Daniel said with a knowing smile having noticed the subtle changes in his demeanor.

    He said, "Oh, don''t worry. No one is going toy a hand on your sweet loving Arianna. Why would I harm her when she''s carrying my grandchild?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The blood drained from Marcel''s face when he heard that. How did he know? He had done everything to keep that news from him. At least until he was ready and Daniel wouldn''t be a problem.

    "Oh, I have to thank Natalie for that piece of information. She wanted me to leave the family, something like the younger generation is better off without me. " He said.

    "I couldn''t agree more." Marcel snarled, hatred gleaming in his eyes. What he would do if he were out of these chains? He would destroy them - even though the idea didn''t seem feasible with him being outnumbered. But he would not go down without a fight.

    Marcel''s only regret was not seeing Arianna before he was taken. He would have kissed her, told her how much he loved her, and how she was the most beautiful thing that ever happened to him. Even if he were to be reborn in another life, he would be with her. He would ask her to tell always their child how much he loved him or she even though he would not be there. He knew deep down that their child would be strong. He would miss them.

    It was a pity he wouldn''t oversee them in heaven, because Marcel knew deep down that he was going to hell. The same ce he would send Richardo and his father if an opportunity arises.

    Daniel went on, "However, Richardo intervened and here I am. So I exchanged Arianna''s life for yours. When you''re gone, I''ll groom my grandson to be the perfect legacy, the future leader of the Luciano family, unlike you, a failure."

    But to his surprise, Marcelughed at him, "Really?" He scoffed, "You think Eric would let you around his grandchild? Keep on dreaming, just as you lost me, you would lose my child as well. Arianna and Natalie would make sure of it. Because while others might have been inured to your tyranny, they know your evil nature well enough and they would not let you taint my child! "

    Daniel''s confidence faltered and his face twisted ugly, annoyed by Marcel''s word and how true it was.

    "And as for you," Marcel focused on Luka now," I wish I had never known you.

    Luka''s face fell when he heard that because Marcel just cursed him. Even if he managed to return to the Luciano family, he would be treated as an outcast.

    "That''s enough!" Richardo shouted as he discovered Marcel was beginning to get to them. He didn''te here to talk, but to achieve his revenge.

    "I don''t have enough time, but I''ll make sure you regret every moment leading to your death."

    And with that being said, he gestured to his men who took hold of Marcel on both sides so he couldn''t move and Richardo attacked him.

 Chapter 895 If Marcel Is Dead Or Alive

    It was risky to move withoutpany at this critical time however Natalie still slipped out, cautious as ever. She had to meet Ruth and as much as the guards wouldn''t spill her conversation, she still couldn''t trust them considering they answer to her husband, Eric. He can''t know what she did. What if hees to hate her because of her actions? She can''t let that happen.

    Hence she lost them on purpose but unlike before, she knew Eric was going to begin to suspect her. Yes, she was entitled to her privacy but the period was dangerous and those men were for her safety. He knew her well enough to know that she was hiding a secret. Natalie was hoping that he would turn a blind eye like he did in the past.

    She packed her car and stepped out, already spotting Ruth waiting outside her car. The parking lot was silent with no one around but Natalie had no doubt Ruth''s men were around the corner to keep her protected. She never moves alone.

    Natalie strode over and when she was standing in front of the woman, said to her, "The target was Daniel! Why did you get that poor woman involved¡­.!" She lowered her voice to a hiss, "She almost died!"

    "There are casualties even in wars. The men I sent after Daniel never intended to harm her, she was the one who threw herself in harm''s way," Ruth answered defensively.

    Natalie let out a shaky breath, running her hand through her hair as she paced up and down the space before turning to her, saying," I can''t even face her. She''s paralyzed for the rest of our life and the guilt is eating me from the inside out anytime I look at her. The worst part is that they even thanked me for saving her life when I''m the one that put her in that position. God, how can I¡­?! "

    Ruth gripped her shoulder and shook her hard, "Get a grip of yourself, Natalie! You did nothing wrong. Daniel put her in that position by inviting her to his ce when he knew how dangerous it was. I heard Richardo sent his people after him. They would have still harmed her. It was inevitable." She scolded her.

    "No, it was still -"

    "And then what? What are you going to do? Go and confess to her and ask for forgiveness? You think that is possible? How would your daughter react to that?"

    Ruth''s reaction changed as she said, "I told you from the start, Natalie. I can''t be implicated in this. I did it for you, to give you the revenge that you deserve after so many years."

    "But Daniel is alive and she''s in that miserable condition!" Natalieshed out.

    "And is Daniel''s fault, at least everyone believes that and that is his punishment. He put the woman he likes in harm''s way, you think Angelica would thank him for that? Now, he gets a taste of what he put you through, liking the woman who loathes me. I''ll say that''s karma, don''t you think so?"

    Natalie did not answer. While Ruth was right somehow, the guilt still gnawed at her heart. She had seen the sadness in Angelica''s eyes when they told her she might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. But not if she helps her¡­.

    At once, Natalie''s eyes shone with hope. She could achieve penance by looking for a way to get her back on her feet. She needed a cure for Angelica''s condition, only then would she be free from this suffocating guilt. The woman was innocent.

    Ruth broke her train of thought when she said, "You should keep this secret to the grave. Now, this is thest time the both of us would meet, I have paid off my debt to Arianna. Perhaps, unless the situation demands otherwise, until then, goodbye Natalie. I hope you get the happiness you deserve now. "

    Natalie thought she was joking, having dismissed their meeting abruptly, however, Ruth''s headlight shed and that was when she recognized that someone had been there all this while. The windows were simply tinted with the light turned off and she was not able to see a thing. Within her watchful gaze, Ruth got into the car, but not without giving her onest look, and left.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She was left alone in the parking lot and Natalie had no choice but to get into her car and drive off as well. It waste at night and standing there would only make her prey to anyone who might have bad intentions towards her - Richardo''s people or not.

    Natalie intended to have a rest when she got home. She was tired mentally and needed to catch a little sleep, only toe home to Arianna''s hysterics. The first thing she noticed was the sheer number of guards posted in the living room and Arianna marching to her with tears in her eyes.

    "Richardo has Marcel! They were hiding the secret from me" Arianna cried out, more like shouted in her face.

    "Oh," That exined why she was like this then. "I''m so sorry, Arianna."

    But she retorted, "Sorry won''t solve this. I need to get to him."

    "How? You would only put yourself in trouble, not to mention you would be a distraction to the others who are probably working hard on rescuing him."

    However, Arianna was beyond reasoning as she screamed, "I just need to see him! Richardo wants me anyway, not him! Who knows whether he''s even dead or alive¡­ God, this is driving me crazy!"

    Arianna was an emotional mess and the fact she was pregnant seems not to have helped the situation.

    "You have to think of yourself, baby girl. Come here." Natalie beckoned her toe into her arms and she wrapped her arms around her when Arianna did so.

    Arianna broke down in tears, muttering how Marcel needed her and she needed to do something. Unknown to her, this was a trap and Natalie had already seen Ezra at the corner with an injection. So while she covered her view, Natalie swiftly received the injection from him and jabbed it into her throat before she could suspect a thing.

    Arianna had the look of one betrayed when she realized what happened. She quickly pushed away from her mother with a murderous look, "You-!"

    But it was toote, the medicine was a fast reacting one, and her vision swarmed. The next, she was falling to the ground but Ezra quickly caught her.

    "Good call," Natalie praised the smug Ezra for his decision.

    She said, "Keep an eye on her, she''s not in her right mind at the moment. Also, handle her with care, she''s a pregnant woman. She can''t leave here, at least until we know if Marcel is dead, or alive."

 Chapter 896 He Shot At Him

    Note: This scene is violent and might be ufortable for a few readers.

    ____________

    Pain.

    That was the only thing Marcel could feel as he sagged against the chains that held him back from retaliating. He couldn''t feel his arms anymore and his legs hurt from supporting his limp form. The only thing that kept him going was the burning desire to get his hands on his oppressors. But then, it was bing obvious to Marcel that he was going to die an unfair, pitiful death.

    "Let him go," Richardo said to his men, cracking his knuckles.

    The men obeyed him, two of them holding up Marcel while they unlocked the cuffs. As soon as Marcel was free, heunched a blow at the one closest to his right; however, he was weak and didn''t deliver as much impact as he wanted. If anything, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, crawling on all fours.

    Marcel''s worst fear came true, Richardo had not spared his face and from the burning pain he felt whenever he tried to open his eye wider, he had an inkling he was sporting a ck eye. As if that was not enough, blood dripped to the ground, and knelt, lifting a hand to his nose only for his finger toe up bloody.

    Okay, there was no piercing pain in his nose which meant it wasn''t broken. But then, his entire face hurt like a bitch and why does he keep seeing dots behind his vision. Marcel shook the dizziness from his eyes knowing he could not show weakness when an opportunity to destroy Richardo just dropped on hisp.

    "Get on your feet, Marcel!" Richardomanded and from the dark excitement in his tone, the fe ns to make a mockery of him.

    Nheless, Marcel stood up. He would not go down without a fight. He would not surrender, until hisst breath. So the instant Marcel stood, he lunged at Richardo and grabbed him around the waist, however, the bastard easily flung him to the side and hended on the ground gracefully to the amusement of the audience.

    The crowd cheered him and just as Marcel thought, Richardo wanted to make a mockery of him before he ended him.

    "Is that all you got, Marcel?" Richardo goaded him on purpose, "Here is your opportunity to try and end me, so why aren''t you taking it? What happened to the brave Marcel or are you a chicken?"

    Marcel got up to his feet with a lot of effort, grunting in the process. His eyes crossed with Daniel''s and held, a sneer at the corner of his lips. Was his father enjoying this? Marcel bet it pleased him to know that Richardo was proving what he thought of him. Weak.

    But he was not weak. Marcel was tired as hell but he was not giving up. He would die a brave man and hopes the scene would y before his father for the rest of his life. He should not forget!

    Marcelunched himself at Richardo once again and unlike before, he managed to head him hard, drawing blood from his lips. The pain in his temple was sharp and hot, not that Marcel cared. This was a death fight. Richardo staggered back before his eyes shed with anger at the fact that Marcel managed to make a move even in his condition and he pounced on him.

    He grabbed Marcel by the arm, exposing his side, and then began to hit him continuously on the ribs. Marcel howled at the pain, having not healed entirely from the rib injury and now, Richardo was creating new ones. With a battle cry, Richardonded an uppercut that sent Marcel flying back to the ground, the breath knocked out of his lungs.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Marcel couldn''t move. He couldn''t lift a muscle, his body refusing to cooperate having pushed it to the limit. The mors were loud, the crowd frenzy with a taste for blood, his blood. He was lying on the floor with his knee raised only for Richardo to hover over him with a menacing smile. He was satisfied to see him in this condition, helpless and weak. While he hated to admit it, Richardo won this round.

    "Oh, how the mighty falleth," Richardo had a dark grin, right before he lifted his feet and stomped down on his knee.

    A scream tore from Marcel''s throat as Richardo stomped hard on his knee the second time till the cracking sound was heard. The asshole just broke his knee! Hot tears coated his forehead while it took everything in him - his nails crawling into the bare floor- not to cry and moan out instead.

    Marcel didn''t know how much pain he could take and it seemed toe from all over. Drool dropped from his mouth as he panted hard, dragging himself away from Richardo. If the bastard wanted to bring him to his lowest, he seeded.

    Richardo''sughter reverberated across the walls, taking delight in Marcel''s pain. They were in the hotel''s conference room, not that anyone woulde to his rescue since normal people have been forced to evacuate. Not even the staff remained.

    However, one of his men rushed into the room and came over to Richardo, hurriedly whispering something into his ear.

    "They found us already?!" He did not seem pleased by the news and turned to Marcel with a deadly look.

    "I guess it''s time to end this once and for all even though I would have loved to extend our forey a little longer," He gestured to his second inmand to hand him a gun.

    Marcel did not react. At this point, he had epted his fate that he was going to die here. Moreover, death was a big mercy than to continue to suffer like this.

    Richardo tilted his head, the gun pointed at him, "Anyst word, Marcel?"

    Marcel managed to lift his face and spat, "I will be waiting in hell for you."

    Richardo snorted, "Sad thing you are going without me."

    He then shot at him.

    _________

    Hi guys, yes, I know the tension is too much but I got good news. The announcement is not yet out but my book, "The Hidden CEO Is My Roommate" won a prize in the Romance carnival contest and it''s all thanks to you guys. Thank you so much! I love you all so much. Thanks for your continous support.

 Chapter 897 Poetic Justice

    Richardo shot at him. Or so he thought because aside from the jerk from the gun when he pulled the trigger, nothing happened. As for Marcel, he already shut his eyes tight having epted his fate and that this was the end for him.

    But then, when nothing happened for a while, he peered up at Richardo to see what was happening in case this was a cold prank and he ended up shooting him instead with his eyes open. But then, all he saw was the befuddlement on Richardo''s face as he checked his gun and he opened his other eyes as well. A deep furrow crossed his expression, what was going on?

    Dumbfounded and embarrassed was how Richardo felt when he discovered that there wasn''t a round in the chamber in the first ce. He then recalled who had given him the gun, it was his second inmand - Konstantine''s second inmand.

    Richardo whirled around with rage, about to ask him why he had given him a gun that wasn''t loaded to fire only for Daniel to appear before him with a dark grin and in a blur of movements, hit him with the butt of the gun.

    Dots flew behind his vision as he staggered from the impact but above all the cold taste of betrayal stung him hard. He straightened up andmanded his men at once while pressing a hand to his aching jaw where Daniel hit him,

    "Take him! Get a hold of him right now! He was never with me in the first ce."

    But then, something surprising happened. Instead of his men to capture Daniel as he had instructed, the Bratva turned on him instead. It happened in a twinkle of an eye because they shut his hired guns knowing they were currently the ones loyal to him, having lost their own loyalty. That is if they were even loyal in the first ce.

    Richardo watched with shocked eyes as the mercenaries he had bought over their services with the money gathered from ending the Basil family were being gunned down one after the other. A few managed to escape, but Richardo was under no illusion that they wereing back for him. That was the thing with mercenaries, after the money, it was their own life. To help with their contractor, especially in a life-threatening situation like this one.

    It took a few minutes for the chaos to calm down and when it did, Richardo was a ruined man. There was no one on his side. But then he should have known. Instincts warned him. Marcel even warned him. Daniel was not to be trusted, but then he was so absorbed in his vengeance against Marcel that he even made a deal with the devil.

    Marcel was stunned. While the pain in his leg - his entire body - hurt like a bitch, he was quite numb to feel anything after the scene that yed out in front of him. He couldn''t believe what was happening. Did his father just save him? No, he didn''t want to raise his hopes too high. But then, he was not going to say a word either. If his father wanted to destroy Richardo first before him, then he was all in.

    "You-!" Richardo hissed, looking around cautiously as if finding a way to escape after discovering that this is a setup.

    "Yes, me, is anything new?" Daniel drawled, as if bored out of his men.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    With the whole of his strength, Richardo took off and tried to dive into the gathering, intending to use Konstantine''s men as cover and escape Daniel. At least, he tried to because the next he heard was a gunshot and pain raced up his leg.

    He crumbled to the floor and Konstantine''s men cleared the way for him, so he fell all by himself. Richardo

    raised his affected leg, cradling it to his chest and moaning in pain. It hurt too much. While he was still suffering from the pain, Daniel walked over to him till he was standing over him.

    "Why?!" He hissed at him with nothing but contempt in his eyes, "You said you hated Marcel! He even took away your authority in the family and yet you are standing for him. I guess you are as weak as him anyway, like father, like son!"

    But Daniel answered calmly, "If you''re trying to goad me into making a mistake, then you''re wasting your breath. I have been biding my time quietly for the past two days, why should I lose control now when victory has been granted to me."

    A chill washed over Richardo when he realized that Daniel had never been with him in the first ce and this had only been a trap. The enemy has been with him all this while.

    "And yes," He continued," I do hate my stupid son, Marcel. However, no one has the right to punish my son, except me. But then, you dare to torture him right in front of me." He licked his lips, "Young people have no respect nowadays."

    He shot his thigh and Richardo released an inhumane scream, thrashing around on the ground like a worm set on fire. His voice became hoarse from screaming and sweat beaded his forehead, but his torturer squatted down in front of him, looking as rxed as ever.

    A chill washed over Marcel, he knew his father was cruel, but Daniel handing himself with greatposure while torturing a soul as if he was in his element scared him most. Of course, this was what Daniel loved most anyway, torturing and inducing fear into people. And Marcel feared that he was the next in line.

    "Please¡­." Richardo was begging him now, crawling away and dragging his unresponsive lower body with him. He was so scared now. Having been sure of eliminating Marcel, it was poetic justice to see him begging for his life instead.

    "Please? Really?" Danielughed until it gurgled to a halt and he said in a low and menacing voice, "Did you think the same when you shot her?"

 Chapter 898 It Was Over

    "What?" Richardo was confused. What was he talking about? He heaved, "I don''t know -?"

    "Angelica!" Daniel shouted in his face, his body shaking with the amount of anger surging through his veins. No one knew how much it took him to mask his expression. To pretend that he was okay and enjoying this nonsense when all he wanted to do the most was to check up on her.

    He was greatly relieved to hear that she was okay until the news came that Angelica was paralyzed from the incident. That piece of information had hit him so hard that he stumbled in his position, the shock stealing the breath from his lungs. Daniel has never cared about his actions, believing that whatever happened was meant to be. But this time, it dawned on him that he stole Angelica''s future.

    She was never going to walk again and it was because of him - because of Richardo! Oh, how much he couldn''t wait to spill his blood and carve his revenge deep in his heart. So Daniel bided his time carefully. The greatest form of revenge was to deceive an enemy into thinking that he was winning only to remove the scale from his eyes at thest minute and unleash his terror on him.

    That was what he was doing.

    Daniel had so many ns for Richardo but it was too bad that he had no more time. He didn''t want to be here when his son''s minions would be here. At the moment, they wouldn''t recognize him as an ally. Nor does he want to find out what happens anyway. It was better safe than to be sorry.

    Also unlike his foolish son, he would make sure that Richardo dies and remains dead. His son, Marcel was a fool to have let him go the first time he had him in his palm and gave the bastard the opportunity to grow into a serpent that has now bitten him. Look at his weak self, if it wasn''t for him, he would be dead anyway. Whether Marcel liked to admit it or not, he needed someone by his side to clean up his mess and that was him!

    "I still don''t -" Richardo wanted to cry out, but it dawned on him that Daniel didn''t want such an ignorant answer. Richardo was smart- yet foolish - and he was able to guess that the men he sent to bring him here must have harmed the woman he cherished or something. No wonder Daniel was doing this.

    So he said instead, "I never gave such orders. All I told them was to bring you here. Please, you have to believe me. No, please, spare my life." Richardo begged and would have been on his knees right now if he could.

    But all Daniel did was sneer, "Really? It didn''t cross your mind that your men might experience some obstacle in the process?"

    Richardo could not answer, he swallowed a lump in his throat instead. Daniel would tell if he was lying and let''s face it, he knew deep down that a few would be killed while fetching him. The mission was never meant to be easy in the first ce. Even if Marcel withdrew his father''s authority, he was never going to leave him defenseless.

    "Ah, the silence answers it all." Daniel stood up, "Goodbye Richardo. "

    "H-how?!" Richardo cried out.

    Daniel lifted a brow, "How what?"

    "How did you get them to be on your side?" He referred to Konstantine''s men watching from the sideline, "Were you and Konstantine friends before this?" Richardo wanted to know, at least before he died. Perhaps, he might be able to offer them something better if he knew the deal Daniel striked with them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Friends?" Daniel scoffed at the thought, "Sure, I have met the man once or twice but we can not even be close enough to be referred to as friends, not to mention allies. But then, you''re just a kid, what do you know about running the Bratva?"

    He went on, "The Russian mafia might be known for their brutality, but like every other crime organization out there, they desire one thing. Profit. But you, Richardo, was never going to give them that. Instead, you killed a reigning member of themission and was about to start a war you can''t even finish. There''s no permanent friend nor enemy in this business, so they reached out to me instead in the name of apprehending me ording to your orders. They needed me to get rid. They already killed Konstantine, and if they did the same, they would get a reputation and it might not be incentive enough for their future leaders. So they needed me to give them a good cover story instead, and here I am. "

    It was over, that was Richardo''s conclusion when Daniel finished. All this while he thought he had a team that had his back. Who knew that he was the sheep amid wolves? Just like predators, they had been preserving their prey for dinner.

    Richardo broke into a historicalugh. There was nothing to do any more than to think about how pathetic his life had been and how he must be right now. But then, he doesn''t regret a thing. If given the chance to find vengeance for Macy, he would do it over again.

    He turned to Marcel, "I guess I would wait for you in hell then," The corners of his mouth quirked.

    Bang!

    The sound of the gunshot echoed across the hall and Marcel squeezed his eyes shut, somehow wishing he could erase the image from his head. Even in his death, Richardo''s eyes was set on him and the blood from the bullet wound in his head trailed down his face and looked like something out of a horror movie. Marcel sighed knowing deep down that this scene was probably going to haunt him for the rest of his life.

    But then, it was over.

    At least for Richardo.

    Because when he looked back up, Daniel was hovering over him.

    ______

    Hi guys, so I opened a fangroup on Facebook where you can easily chat me up and ask me questions concerning any of my books and uing works! Not to mention, connect with other readers as well. Here is the link!

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 Chapter 899 Daniel Was Gone

    "What? Are you about to end me too? If that''s what you''re going to do, just get it over with already. Unlike Richardo, I already saw thising." Marcel red at him with zing intensity. He was not going to show an ounce of fear, Daniel derived joy from it. He refuses to give him the satisfaction.

    But to his surprise, Daniel burst intoughter instead. Heughed so hard that tears slipped from his eyes and was unable to exin his mirth, stopping only when his stomach began to hurt.

    "Really?" He gave Marcel a long look, his gaze branding him as stupid, "You think that I would kill my own son? Even my brother died in the hands of my uncle, not fallen by my own weapon. Do give me a little credit, Marcel."

    "As if," Marcel growled, unable to believe it. His father was evil, a monster. There was no way he was sparing him, not after what he did to him.

    "Then what is all of this? You were in cahoots with Richardo!" There was no way this was all a ruse, he couldn''t believe it.

    "I believe you meant to say, thank your ungrateful ass for helping me get rid of Richardo. And did I forget to mention, saving you from the ws of death as well? You''re wee." Daniel said with deep sarcasm, his eyes shing with annoyance. To think he had hoped Marcel would kiss his feet when this was over. Okay, maybe that was exaggerated a little.

    "Oh please, spare me that!" Marcel dragged himself up, not minding the pain that shot up his calf or his sides and supporting all of his weight on his uninjured feet.

    He said to his father, "Richardo wouldn''t have found me if my most trusted soldier¡­" He pointed at Luca, "was not working for you. He abducted me,"

    "Stop being such a sore loser and just admit that I''m the reason you''re standing here. While you allied and dallied with yourmission friends, Richardo grew stronger and do you even know what he had in ns for you? For our family all thanks to your carelessness!"

    Daniel hissed, "If it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t have an organization to rule! Richardo nned to destroy everything in his path just to get to you, I gave him a wiser and more creative idea and thanks to that, everyone in the family is safe." He snorted, "Also, why do you think I never wanted anything to do with themission? Their rules and decorum would bring you nothing but regrets. We are not puppies under their control, Marcel, but wolves that scavenge and there are no rules to survival!"

    He looked at Luca, "At least, your second inmand had the foresight to do something that you couldn''t do."

    Marcel and Lucas''s gaze connected and he quickly exined to him, "I know what you''re thinking, but that''s not it. The truth is that I caught Daniel''s mole and hemunicated the ns to me. I knew it was risky but it was better than going to a war that would spill more blood and probably expose us to the authorities. So I took the risk and brought you to Daniel myself. I knew there was a chance of this being a trap, but I already had other ns and would never let youe to harm."

    While Marcel felt the sincerity in his words, he still couldn''t trust him entirely, not after what he did. He said,

    "You stood there while Richardo pointed a gun to my head, what was your n then?"

    "I emptied the chamber myself. It was never going to happen. I had to make sure that we were in the same league." He tipped his head in the direction of Konstantine''s second-inmand, who merely shrugged in response.

    "No!" Marcel shouted, "You could have told me! Didn''t you trust me or what?!"

    "Richardo can''t suspect a thing. We needed everything to be real. It was a perilous situation." Luca said and Daniel chortled as if taking pleasure from his son''s misery.

    Marcel whirled upon him, eyes zing, "You!" He called, "You could have killed Richardo before this went any further, but you let Richardo torture me on purpose. He fucking broke my leg," Marcel hissed with the pain even as he spoke.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Of course," Daniel admitted it without shame to his shock, "I could have killed Richardo before heid a hand on you, but then, you took my authority in the family, I needed you to feel my pain. Broken pains heal, but not my reputation."

    Marcel''s jaw fell open in disbelief. How could he admit that?

    He muttered," You''re a psychopath, "

    "I can''t believe you just realized that today," Daniel didn''t even take his word to heart.

    Almost immediately, Konstantine''s second inmand came to him and said, "We have to move now. They are already here."

    "Where are you going?" Marcel frowned when he heard that.

    "Away from your men who think they are about to y the hero when I saved your ass or perhaps¡­." Daniel stopped momentarily only for a dark grin to appear, "They are here to take your body." He hinted his men must assume he was dead.

    Marcel shut his eyes and drew a deep breath. Daniel was simply a lost cause and to think that he had wanted to ask him to stay.

    "You still have a chance." He told him though, "It''s not going to be easy but you can change for the better. Restitute for the things that you have done."

    "What a great idea, Marcel. But no, a leopard can''t change its spot." Daniel told him finally, "Goodbye Marcel. From now on, it''s you alone. I would love to see how that turns out to be. Good luck."

    Marcel didn''t stop him. It was for the best anyway. Daniel was right, a leopard can never change its skin. But strange enough, Marcel felt a hollow feeling in his chest as he watched Daniel''s shadows till he disappeared entirely.

    "We should go too." Luca threw his arm around his shoulder and let Marcel rest his entire weight on him.

    But Marcel peered over his shoulder, Daniel was gone.

    --------

    Hi guys, so I opened a fangroup on Facebook where you can easily chat me up and ask me questions concerning any of my books and uing works! Not to mention, connect with other readers as well. Here is the link!

    [https://.facebook/groups/140231398990602/?ref=share]

    Or simply search up [ Author Glimmy''s Fan page] It''s quite easy to identify with the Taken By The Mafia cover. Thank you once again and have a nice day!

 Chapter 900 The Promise

    "Hey, baby,"

    Marcel heard that familiar voice as he stirred to life, breaking through the haze of blurriness. The sight finally cleared and he was finally treated to the sight of Arianna hovering over him with concern drawn all over her face.

    "Arianna..." He meant to call her but his voice came out weak, and husky and did he forget to add that he was thirsty? Extremely thirsty.

    As if Arianna knew that he wanted, she turned to the side table and poured out clean water from the bottle into the ss." Here," She reached beneath his pillow and pulled him up a bit so his head was raised as she helped feed him water.

    "More." He demanded when he was done with that one and she gave him just what he wanted.

    By the time Marcel was done chugging the rest of the water, he felt revitalized, the strength finally returning to him. He looked around his environment and came to discover that he was in a hospital, a private room to be exact. It had to be Natalie''s hospital, she was the only one that could treat him without the police asking questions.

    However, that was the least of his problems because when he tried moving, a sharp pain cut into his side and he winced, unable to hide the reaction from Arianna.

    "Three broken ribs just so you know," Arianna told him and for some reason, he sensed a bit of resentment mixed with sarcasm in her tone.

    Of course, why wouldn''t she be mad when he left without telling her? Although, technically, he didn''t exactly leave, but was abducted by Luca which was a n all along.

    Marcel cried out again when he tried to move his leg and that was when he looked down to discover the thick cast around his right leg. Its movement was restricted and his leg had never felt so heavy as now.

    Following his line of gaze, Arianna announced to him, "You suffered a broken leg as well. Quite severe if I were to add, but then, you have a lot of money to buy the best treatment. My mother had a good time billing your people." She added, "Perhaps, I should have just asked her to drain you dry that way, who knows you would learn your lesson."

    "Arianna love...." He reached for her but she pulled her hand out of his grasp as if he was poison and she fought to push down the emotion that clogged her throat.

    She had pretended to be strong, for the sake of her, no, their child as her mother had encouraged her over the past two days he had been unconscious. But now that she saw Marcel in this state, his leg almost wrapped up like a mummified child, she couldn''t hold it in anymore.

    The emotions burst out like the dam was finally pulled down and though she had a lot of words to say to him like how she almost thought that he had died, she found herself sputtering through them. Her words were iprehensible and the more she attempted to speak, the more fresh tears flowed out and it left her frustrated.

    "Please, don''t cry... " Marcel said, wanting tofort her. To draw her into his arms and remind her that he was still alive, unfortunately, he couldn''t sit up without the breath being knocked out of his lungs. It hurt like hell.

    "I didn''t die you know," He said and that was all it took for her to let it all out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Crying at the top of her lungs, Arianna buried her face into Marcel''s side and he let out a sharp gasp at the pain that ricochetted through him. But the pain was brief before it eased and he found out that controlling his breathing made it easier to manage.

    "It''s okay," Marcel breathed through the whole ordeal, running his hand through her scalp, providing a form offort - which was quite limited considering his situation.

    "You don''t know anything -!" Arianna spoke into his side, "E-everyone left me in the dark... Ezra... Ezra, he made him sleep."

    "Shhh, it''s okay now. I''m fine, Arianna." He promised her, "This will be thest time I would make you this worried. I''m not going anywhere, love, not without marrying you, the love of my life, and starting a life with our baby,"

    Marcel lifted himself, albeit with quite a difficulty as his teeth gritted with the effort. Veins bulging in his head, he was panting hard as he attempted to kiss Arianna on the cheek and failed woefully. He gave up. He was going to die before attempting that kiss. And that was not exactly how he visioned his death. He didn''t just survive Richardo, only to die because of a kiss. He had a feeling Arianna would pursue him down to hell if just to torment him for dying on her.

    "Y-you promised?" Arianna finally lifted her head. Her beautiful green eyes searched his gaze, as if testing his promise this time.

    "I promise," Marcel said with conviction. He has tormented her enough already.

    And then she was leaning over him, as if about to kiss him when the door burst open and they hadpany.

    "Well, wee back to thend of the living." Victor went to him, smirking.

    "I bet you couldn''t wait to send me away so you could take my ce?" Marcel grinned at him and though Arianna knew it was a joke, she still red at him. Enough of death talks.

    Victor told him, "God, never! Your position is cursed and I could never take it. Although my mother might enjoy that a bit before you''re up on your feet considering Adele is in no position to lead either.".

    "Oh," was all Marcel could say, the news taking him by surprise.

    "But on the bright side, you would be bedridden for a while, and trust me, I know how that feels firsthand." Victor gleefully announced.

    "Oh no," Marcel groaned. He hated hospitals and there was no way on earth he was about to be confined to a bed. Not to mention, it seems Victor was finally having his revenge at the same time.

 Chapter 901 Angelica Was Gone

    "Oh yes, your babies are healthy. Look at those strong heartbeats," The Gynecologist cooed as she moved the transducer around Adele''s stomach, the pulses of sound waves turned into images on the monitor.

    And yes, Adele was here for an ultrasound scan, but unlike the other time, she was here with Elijah. And please don''t even ask how they got to this point.

    Story short, she had been taking care of her mother Angelica now that she was disabled and unable to get off the bed.Adele couldn''t tell what exactly happened except that she felt dizzy and the next, she found herself on the hospital bed with Elijah by her side. It turns out that shecks iron in her diet and while the doctor wrote her a prescription, along with diet changes, he still wasn''t convinced that everything was alright and forced her to go for a scan.

    Now, here they are. Elijah must as well have told her that he was simply anxious to see his children because there was a great deal of emotion on his face as he stared at the monitor.Adele felt her stomach flutter and though she tried to deny it, it was nice to know that he actually cared about the children.

    She didn''t know what kind of rtionship they had right now but knowing he was sincere about being there for the kids - starting a family with her - melted an inch of her cold heart. At least both of them had something to look forward to in this marriage, and it was the children. Romance was simply out of the picture... or was it?

    No, Adele pushed the foolish thought out of her head. Elijah was simply marrying her out of obligation and not because he wanted her. He never wanted her, anyway. He nned to use her and get Arianna out, then dump her crudely.Adele wasn''t sure she couldn''t get past that reality enough to even think that he might have had real feelings for her at that time. She could not trust him, ever.

    They were to get married at the end of this month since there was no more time - her stomach was showing - and the stress of nning a wedding was not advisable in theter months. Although it was going to be a small asion with just the gathering of both families. Not that Adele was excited about it anyway, she just it to be over already so she can sit back and watch what life has in store for them.

    The babies were the only legit connection they had right now and Adele wondered how long the connection wouldst. In theter years, that is if the both of themst till then, would Elijah fall in love with another woman and push her aside?

    Would she be miserable just like Benjamin''s wife whose husband preferred a mistress - her mother,Angelica - over her? Adele had always pitied Benjamin''s wife who felt chained in the marriage and only stayed because of her children, who knew that she - Adele - would be in the same situation yearster?

    Perhaps this was karma paying her Angelica back for interfering in another person''s marriage? Except in this case, her sins are being passed over to her, Adele - the second generation. Hopefully, the third generation would be spared from such a fate. She would rather suffer it all.

    "T-these are them... my kids?" Elijah choked out a response.

    "Yes, they are." The Gynecologist smiled at him before exining to him about the type of Quadruplets they are and pointed out their body parts as well. By the time the woman was done, Elijah was awed and close to tears while Adele couldn''t wait to get out of there.

    She felt vulnerable and annoyed. Adele had expected Elijah wouldn''t be dedicated to this pregnancy but he was showing more enthusiasm than she liked. If he had treated her pregnancy insignificantly, then it would have given her more reasons to hate him. But no, he was too vested in her well-being, and it made lifting her walls around him tenuous. Difficult. Knowing deep down that she craved love and attention.

    Hence, the second the doctor was done, Adele had already stomped out of the office with Elijah right on her heel.

    "Adele! Adele! Wait -!" He cornered her when she wouldn''t stop to answer him.

    She had no choice but to stop and shot him a re that took him aback.

    "I don''t understand," Elijah frowned, "Did I do something or say something wrong in there?" He wanted to know so he could apologize.

    "That''s the problem," Her voice was higher than usual, "You shouldn''t have done anything at all!"

    "Adele...?" Elijah didn''t understand.

    She spat viciously, "Why act like you care when you don''t? You''re just a liar and a selfish prick!"

    Elijah said, "Why do I feel like there is more to this conversation than meets the eye? Not to mention a lot of pent-up anger?" He looked around the hallway and attempted to touch her arm, "We can''t have this conversation here -"

    "Don''t touch me!" Adele hissed at him as if his hand was poison. As if she was scared of falling under his touch again.

    Left speechless, Elijah was about to say something when Adele''s phone rang and she pulled it from her purse with a huff of annoyance. However, he noticed the way the blood drained from her face aftewards and wondered who was it only to hear her say,

    "Hello, Daniel."

    Oh no, his blood ran cold. What does that bastard want from his wife? Whoa, slow down, they weren''t married yet, even though they were about to be. Fine, whatever.

    "You''re alive," Adele said with such poison in her voice that she would have murdered the bastard had he been close by. If only he had been there when they found Marcel, she would have finished him with her own hands.

    "Sorry to disappoint but I am."

    "Well then, let''s meet and I promise to change that."

    "I''m sorry, Adele."

    Adele blinked, taken aback by that confession. But her heart hardened immediately, no amount of apology would reverse what happened to her mother. Daniel must pay the price.

    "Sorry does not solve anything."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yes, I know and that''s why I''ll be taking the responsibility off your shoulder."

    "What?" She was left confused once again. But there, there was an ufortable feeling settling low in her belly. Some sort of dread as it dawned on her that Daniel would never call to chitchat.

    "I have to pay for what I did Adele and that is why your mother is my burden to bear now. I promise to get her back on her feet again."

    Cold fear prated her bones.

    Oh no, her heart plummeted.

    Without a word, Adele took off in the direction of her mother''s ward. There was no that Daniel took her, that was impossible! It can''t be!

    And yet when Adele stumbled into her room, her mother was not there. Her bedding was arranged in such a way it seemed like nobody ever resided there in the first ce.

    It dawned on Adele, Angelica was gone.

    Daniel took her, again.

    ________

    Goodnews! I have finally finished plotting the new book and it''s staring on the first of April. As I said previously, there has been lots of changes. And finally, here is the title :Mated To The Cruel Prince.

    Sypnosis :

    All Islinda ever wanted was to escape her small vige and her evil stepmother with her daughters. They made her life a misery, so when she stumbled upon the handsome injured man in the forest, she helped him knowing that he could change her life.

    But to her disappointment, he was Fae. Not just an ordinary fae, but Prince Valeria of the summer court, heir and crown prince to the throne of Astaria!

    Humans barely tolerated the Fae while the Fae looked down on the humans, thinking of them as lesser creatures.

    They should not be together because they were worlds apart, yet that did not stop the both of them from falling in love. Unfortunately, Prince Valerie couldn''t stay in the human realm forever and had to return to his kingdom with a promise toe back for her. And she believed him.

    But then, the other onees instead.

    Dark, broody, ruthless yet dangerously handsome, eveyone feared Prince Aldric. Even as a fierce warrior and son to the king of Astaria, Prince Aldric is denied his right to the throne and cursed never to take his ce because of his dark heritage.

    Twisted from the inside and starved of affection, Prince Aldric does what he is best at, causing misery. He captured her - the woman who has drawn his brother''s attention. He stole her from her home for his cruel purpose. If he couldn''t have the throne, he could atleast y around with his brother''s love interest. His new prize.

    Islinda hated him. Loathed him for taking away eveything that she could have had with the summer prince. He''s the viin. Now she has been dragged into the middle of the dirty politics yed in the courts of Astaria, not to mention survive the cold games yed by the other princes.

    But all hope wasn''t lost because the cruel prince could tempt her all he wants but he was never going to get the one thing he wants the most. To be loved. He would never have her heart!

    Or could he?

    ________

    "What can you offer me little human," He grinned, slow and cruel. She would make such a wonderful y thing.

    Want a magical adventure? Come in for the ride

    Note: This is a dark fantasy book, so don''t expect fluffy romance. What to expect? Death, gore, thick sexual tension and explicit scenes.

    Come have a wild ride!

    ____

    The cover is also out in thement section. You can tell me what you think of it. Is it your cup of tea or not e?¡è¡¤?

 Chapter 902 My Love Is Twisted

    "What are you doing here?" Angelica''s eyes were burning embers when she caught sight of Daniel.

    While he would have made her pulse quicken the other times, she was full of rage now. Angelica knew the story, more like, could recall it as it was told to her by her daughter, Adele. Daniel should have never summoned her in the first ce, it was dangerous.

    The war brewing between Richardo and Marcel made everyone go into hiding. But then, Daniel knew that, and yet he invited her over to his ce. Had she known that, she would never have gone with Haz in the first ce.

    Daniel was not scared of the danger or rather had no regard for her life. While a part of her that once appreciated Daniel defended him, iming that he would have not seen an attack from Richardoing, Angelica knew the truth. Daniel was simply selfish. He cared for no one. She had been a fool to think that she could save him. Make him better.

    Now she saw him for who he was, dark and unredeemable. Daniel was destined to be alone and it hurts that she didn''t realize it until it cost her legs. Instead of him, her future is over. What could she do in this state? She would be nothing but a burden to Adele. It was enough that she was too embarrassed to face her daughter.

    She broke her promise to Adele to stay away from Daniel on the same day. How pathetic could she get? Angelica wanted to take care of her daughter, but how would she do that now? She can''t even take care of her unborn grandchildren in this state. Her life was practically over.

    So yes, she had many reasons to hate Daniel right now. To loathe him. To despise him. All her life she has known her legs and moved with them, now, she would have to depend on others to move.

    He called her name, "Angelica¡­."

    "Please don''t¡­" She begged him. He has already taken everything from her. What else does he want?

    "I''m sorry," Daniel said for the first time, the two words keeping her in stunned silence.

    He went on to say with a pained look in his eyes, "I don''t have regrets but for the first time I can''t live knowing this is what I cost you."

    Tears stung her eyes and as much as she tried to keep them at bay, they still managed to flow down her cheeks.

    She breathed, wiping away at her reads furiously, "What''s done is done, Daniel. It''s over. You can leave now."

    "No,e with me."

    "What?!" Her head snapped up, her eyes widening while her jaw nearly dropped to the ground from the shock.

    He hurriedly exined, "I can''t stay here any longer, Angelica. It''s the price I have to pay to Natalie for saving her life."

    Angelica opened her mouth to say something but she couldn''t utter a word. It was just too sudden and her head was reeling with the revtion.

    As if confident he could win her over, Daniel went on, "The both of us would go somehow far away where no one would find us. I don''t believe that you would be unable to walk for the rest of your life, so we''ll find a solution. It would not be easy but it''s worth giving it a try."

    "Why?" The question slipped from her mouth, "You don''t even love me, so why would you want me toe with you?" Her gaze searched his eyes, waiting for that answer that would determine her decision.

    Daniel swallowed a lump in his throat. He couldn''t even form the answer, not to mention speak it out.

    And his dy was all the answer that she needed.

    "Of course," She threw her head andughed through the tears, her mirth mocking. What had she been expecting when the answer was obvious? He could admit that she was more than his object for self-gratification.Adele was right, he was not capable of love.

    "You should -"

    "I like you." He kind of spat out the words forcefully as if his tongue had been stitched and he barely tore his mouth open.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Angelica blinked at him, what did he just say? No, she must have heard wrongly.

    With the cat finally out of the bag, it was easier for him to confess the rest of them.

    He said, "I like you, Angelica. However, I don''t know how to love. Most people say my love is twisted and should be barely referred to as one. But I do know how scared I felt at the thought of you dying. I would have given my life in exchange if demanded. No, I would have burned the world down for your sake. I don''t think I ever want to lose you again, Angelica. "

    It wasn''t until Daniel was in front of her and wiping the tears from her eyes that Angelica realized she had been crying. That was barely a love confession, buting from Daniel, it was enough.

    " I can''t go with you¡­. A-Adele... " She choked," She would be left all alone."

    "I know. The both of us are horrible parents," He snorted, "Perhaps, that is why we deserve each other."

    She smiled through the tears, his attempt at making herugh working just a little.

    "But then, Angelica, leaving Adele is more of a blessing than a curse right now. Both of us know she''s in no position to take care of you right now. Let me take care of you for the rest of our pathetic lives together."

    And yes, she agreed to it.

    Angelica knew deep down that Adele was never going to forgive her for this. Perhaps, that was why she didn''t leave her a letter or a text. Like the coward she always was, Angelica made it seem like Daniel took her away. Like she had no choice. That way, she would not hate her more.

    "Boss," Daniel turned to Konstantine''s second inmand after carefully settling Angelica in the backseat.

    "I''m not your boss." He told him.

    "But you would make a perfect leader."

    "Yes, I would, but I won''t." He said firmly.

    "What are you going to do then?"

    "Travel for a while? I havee to find out that in my greed to umte power, I have not even begun to appreciate life. I''ll do that. It''s not such a bad age to retire. "

    He dropped his hand on the man''s shoulder and squeezed tightly, "You would make a fine leader if your followers don''t stab you in the back as well. But then, it''s nice knowing you owe me a favor. Who knows? I mighte to collect it in the future. Now have a nice day."

    Daniel decided it was time to leave before Angelica''s vengeful daughter hunts him down.

    __________

    Hi guys, so I opened a fangroup on Facebook where you can easily chat me up and ask me questions concerning any of my books and uing works! Not to mention, connect with other readers as well. Here is the link!

    [https://.facebook/groups/140231398990602/?ref=share]

    Or simply search up [ Author Glimmy''s Fan page] It''s quite easy to identify with the Taken By The Mafia cover. Thank you once again and have a nice day!

 Chapter 903 Love You Any Lesser

    "Eric!" Natalie hollered in excitement as soon as she caught a glimpse of her husband. She ran straight to him and leaped into his arms and he caught her, twirling her around as she squealed.

    It has been days since the both of themid eyes on each other. Eric has been busy covering and cleaning up the mess the feud between Richardo and Marcel created. Though the war didn''t escte as many had thought, it didn''t mean the street was peaceful.

    Allegiances were switched, misced, innocent bystanders caught in the tug of war between both sides, eyewitnesses to shut up, associates murdered as messages to respective gangs, and authorities to bribe and divert attention. He could barely catch his breath the past few days.

    As for Natalie, she has been quite busy with lots of patients to treat, especially her son-inw-to-be, Marcel. This was a special case and she took charge of it. Although she did make his pocket bleed - how dare he make her daughter worry?

    Thankfully Rose was not there toment on their public disy of affection as she kissed her husband fully on the lips. The young girl was sent outside the country to go stay with her mother Karen until it was safe enough to return.

    "I missed you," Natalie breathed against his lips when they finally came up for air.

    "I missed you too," Eric said, lowering his head to steal another kiss when someone cried out

    "Dear lord, the both of you should go get a room and stop tormenting single men like me!"

    It was Ezra and he looked like he was going to throw up if they made another move in his presence.

    Natalie pulled away from her husband with a sighand faced him," Or perhaps, it''s time for you to settle down as well and let the married ones enjoy their marriage. Even Elijah, your younger brother, would be a father to four kids in months toe. You are the only single person in our family and to think you''re proud of it." She clicked her tongue in disapproval.

    "So what? There has to be at least one person in the family proudly upholding the single g higher."

    Eric snortedughter while Natalie shook her head at Ezra like he was a lost cause.

    "Moreover," Ezra dered, "I''ll be a godfather in months toe as well."

    "Godfather to someone else''s child when you''re old enough to have dozens of yours. Perhaps, I should just set you up on a blind date¡­." Natalie brought out her phone, scrolling through her contacts, "I know a lot of pretty girls from wonderful families that would manage you -"

    "No, thank you!" Ezra said and vanished away like the Tasmanian devil before she was through.

    Natalie sighed, staring at the space, and turned to Eric, "What are we going to do with him?"

    Eric shrugged, "Just let him be. It''s not like he can run away from love forever."

    She frowned, "You think so?" Ezra definitely looks like he needs lots of pushing. He was capricious and who knows thedy that would be able to handle him? God might as well throw down a wife for him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "At least¡­." Eric wrapped his arm around her waist, "He''s given me time alone with my wife."

    Natalie screamed as Eric carried her off the ground, positioning her properly in his arms, and took off in the direction of their room.

    Minutester, moans and lustful groans could be hearding from the confines of their bedroom as the couples made sweet love to each other. Although the both of them bathed together afterward, Natalie was the first to step out of the bathroom, leaving Eric to luxuriate and enjoy the soothing effect of the massage bathtub. After days away from home, the least he deserves was such treatment.

    Seeing their clothes sprawled carelessly across the room made a blush creep up Natalie at the memory. She had to bend low and began to pick up their clothes, arranging them properly. However, when she came across Eric''s coat, pictures slipped out from his pocket and fell to the ground.

    She bent to pick it up only to stiffen because staring back at her was pictures of her and Ruth. Dread washed over her and Natalie felt the coldness seep into her bones as she came to a startling realization. Eric knew. He knew what she did.

    Natalie swallowed nervously. To think that she hid it from him. Instead, he knew and hid her crimes intentionally. Knowing Eric''s personality, he never intended to bring this up with her and probably wanted to keep this buried, but then, she found out.

    Without a word, Natalie picked the photos and arranged them before settling down on the bed, awaiting his return. Not long after, Eric came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He intentionally let it drop, showing off his perfect masculine body and tight ass.

    Natalie had to dig her nails into her thighs to tamper down the lust. She knew Eric did that on purpose, but this was not the time for this. They had to discuss. Eric noticed something was off when he didn''t get the flirting response he had been expecting from his wife and then it hit him. His coat was not where he left it. He forgot what was in the pocket. Shit.

    He quietly dressed up in his pajamas and when he was done, said to her carefully, "I guess you saw it?"

    "How did you know?" Natalie asked, her voice low and calm.

    "It was a dangerous period and yet you intentionally lost the men I assigned to keep an eye on you. I know you well enough, Natalie. You were up to something. I can''t keep an eye on you and perform my duties, so Isent more of my men to keep watch and that''s how I came to know."

    Natalie stood up.

    The next minutes her voice broke off as she said," I didn''t mean to hurt her¡­ "

    "Shhh¡­. I know¡­" Eric told her as he hugged her, his arms nearly swallowing up her whole form.

    "I wanted only Daniel to die¡­. I"

    "Don''t me yourself, Natalie. If there''s anyone to me, it''s me who knew all along and turned a blind eye. Nor did I fulfill my promise of making Daniel pay for what he did to you. In one word, I''m the guilty person here. You did nothing wrong. That would not make me love you any lesser, either. It''s the two of us together and I''m taking this secret to the grave."

 Chapter 904 The Impatient Thing Wanted Out

    Four monthster...

    _______

    "God, that feels good," Mimi moaned, closing her eyes in bliss. And no, it wasn''t what you''re thinking (you dirty minds) rather Victor was massaging her feet and it felt so good. Perhaps, not better than sex, but still nice.

    She was in herst month and pregnancy has not been easy on her at all. Her leg was swollen up and did she forget to mention that she couldn''t hold her pee at all - a situation that was rather embarrassing at times. And the most annoying of all was the food craves, Mimi has eaten so many things she had once sworn off in her life. God knows she couldn''t wait for this to be over.

    Her stomach was quite big even though it was just one child. Yes, they were sure of it after the scan, although they asked the doctor to keep the sex of the baby a secret. It was a guessing game between the both of them. Victor wanted a son because he had been the only boy among three females and nned to have three more kids with her. Hopefully, their sex would be bnced and none of the siblings would feel left out.

    Mimi was not against having arge family, after all, she had felt lonely as an only child. But then, she wanted a female child first that would take after her and she could doll her up and the both of them have fun together as mother and daughter. Not a boy that would probably take after his father in causing trouble. The thought of it sent her pulse racing, she was not prepared for such a headache yet.

    The both of them got married mere weeks after Elijah and Adele''s marriage. Although Marcel was not in attendance because he was recuperating, it went sessfully with Arianna by her side to support her. Anyway, she returned the favor two monthster when Marcel and Arianna got married too.

    Unlike her own wedding where almost all crime families were in attendance - Victor''s ran a wide social circle - Arianna kept hers on a low key. It was attended by all members of the Luciano family and her mother''s side as well aka the Draven family.

    In one word, both sides have been grudgingly forced by marriage and fate to get along. Also, Daniel was no longer there to cause trouble and things have been rtively calm in the family. Well, who was she kidding? Things were not calm at all.

    No one knew where Daniel went. It was as if he vanished from the surface of the earth. As if. Everyone knew Daniel simply didn''t want to be found and no one bothered to look for him. Good riddance. But then, with Daniel gone from the family, the once frightened rats in the name of Marcel''s uncles began to lift their heads and throw their weight around, trying to reap where they did not sow.

    With Marcel in the hospital recovering, his second inmand should have taken over his position, however, Adele was in no state to lead those fools either. Moreover, they argued that she was no longer a member of the Luciano family having married into the Draven family, and should be removed from the position of underboss.

    As a final preposition, Arthur, Robert''s son should be Marcel''s temporary recement while Gabriel, Benjamin''s son would be his underboss. It was a sure n until Marcel stepped in and dered Camine, Victor''s mother his recement and she needed no underboss. She could do it all.

    Of course, such a decision was not epted by all members of the family. But then, Camille was a force to be reckoned with and while Daniel might be gone, the same blood still flowed through her. She was capable of the same viciousness, or even more. No one bothered her after that.

    And though Marcel was fine now, he wanted time away from the business to take care of his pregnant wife, Arianna. Although he still made major decisions in the family, Camille bore the brunt of the work. Thest time they visited her, the woman had chased Victor away with her slippers for daring to stress his pregnant wife and precious daughter-inw.

    Just like Marcel, Victor was off duty as well and Carmine instructed him to take proper care of her. Of which it''s no surprise Mimi''s gained so much weight she''s afraid she might be unable to lose them after pregnancy. And it was all his fault!

    Victor was a wonderful cook, hence he made her anything she wanted to eat and bought whatever she thirsted after. He imed to like her now that she was thicker, but Mimi would not believe that. Once the baby is delivered, she wanted her figure-eight shape back! Boohoo!

    Mimi''s phone rang breaking off her train of thought, however, a smile lit her face when she discovered that it was no one but Arianna. Yes! They had to continue their gossip from where they had stopped the other day!

    "Hello, Arianna -!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Mimi was cut off because she heard a piece of news that made her shout, "What?!"

    Victor who rxed against the couch while massaging her feet sat up now, curious to know what was happening.

    "Sure, I''ll be there at once." She ended the call and pulled her feet free from her husband''s hands.

    "What is it?"

    "Adele is inbor."

    "What?"

    Mimi was on her feet now and he stood too having a clue what she was about to do.

    "But she''s just in her seventh -"

    "She''s carrying Quadruplets, babe, it''s a high-risk pregnancy. All of us knew there was always a chance of premature birth. I need to go to the hospital."

    "You''re in no position to stress yourself either. Remember the doctor said you''re due next week" He expressed his concern.

    "Victor, I know my body and -" A sharp pain cut her off and Mimi gasped. Her waist suddenly felt a great pressure hooked to it and¡­.

    "Mimi¡­."

    Mimi felt the dread in her husband''s voice and followed his line of sight only to look down and found out that her pants was wet.

    It seems her water just broke.

    Shit, the baby was noting next week.

    The impatient little thing wanted out now!

    The pain hit her and Mimi screamed.

 Chapter 905 A Hungry Baby

    Arianna has never been more confused in her entire life than at this moment. She had just called to inform Mimi that Adele was inbor only to receive another call from Victor barely five minutester that her best friend''s water had broken.

    Her heart began to pound heavily while her pulse raced, how could both of them - Adele and Mimi - go intobor at the same time? She had two people to worry about now. To make it worse, the baby''s head was already out which meant that Victor couldn''t drive her to the hospital anymore. The delivery would happen at home.

    " Victor, I know that you''re scared right now but nothing is going to happen to Mimi. Actually, childbirth is very easy and¡­."

    "Easy for you to say you bitch! Ahh!"

    Arianna heard Mimi''s scream and guessed the phone call was on speaker.

    "Mimi, please don''t talk, you have to preserve your strength to push," She advised her.

    "I don''t think I have to push!....this¡­ this damn baby is in a rush... Ahh! God! My vagina is going to split! Victor!"

    "Oh boy," Arianna breathed shakily.

    She could hear the intensity of her scream even from the phone.

    From the corner of her eyes, she watched Marcele into view. He had gone inside earlier to make himself presentable so they could go see Adele, but now their priorities have shifted.

    Arianna couldn''t call her mother Natalie to help out with Mimi because she was in the hospital overseeing Adele''s operation, making sure it went sessful even though she wasn''t the doctor in charge. Moreover, Mimi could not get to the hospital anymore.

    She had to go to her. But Arianna doubted she could get there on time. In one word, someone else had to deliver the baby.

    "Arianna!" Victor jerked her back to the present, "When are you getting here?!"

    "That''s the problem, Victor¡­." She winced internally wondering how she was going to tell the man that he had to deliver the baby himself.

    She took a deep breath and with determination said, "I''m not going to make it on time."

    "What?!"

    "You can do this, Victor."

    "Huh?" He sounded confused until it dawned on him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Oh, no, no! Don''t do this to me, Arianna." He begged her.

    Damn, the poor guy''s going to get traumatized after this. Arianna felt bad but there was nothing that she could do in this situation. Her hands were tied.

    "I''ll call the ambnce, they will be there as soon as possible while I guide you through the delivery. Marcel and I are on our way now." She nearly flew out her front door with Marcel behind her, steadying and keeping her from tripping in her haste to get to them.

    " Please, Arianna¡­ '''' Victor croaked, he was on the verge of tears," I-I have done a lot of bad things¡­ " He sniffed,

    "Damn, I have killed people! But this? I don''t think I can do this, Arianna! This would be my undoing¡­ please tell me you have another n, Arianna. I can''t¡­."

    Hearing Victor''s plea made Arianna''s brow furrowed in worry, what was she going to do? The baby was not waiting and needed to be delivered before Mimi loses her strength and in the worst scenario, dies. If only they had taken her advice and stayed close to her during Mimi''sst month, then this wouldn''t have happened.

    Marcel figured out what was going on since she put the call on speaker from her side as well because he snatched the phone from her ear before she knew it and was cursing into it

    "Now, you listen to me, you dimwit! If Mimi by chance dies because of your stupidity, I''ll destroy you! Think of this as your special mission and Arianna is your supervisor and she guides you through it, you got it!"

    Arianna didn''t know how Marcel did it but Victor''s voice was a lot sturdier and he eagerly received her instructions just as Marcel opened the door to the car and she got in. She told him to get clean water, towels, and other equipment he might or might not need till she or the ambnce arrives.

    And just like that, Marcel started the car and stepped on the gas, her heart nearly jumping from her chest when he raced through the road like a mad man, forgetting that she too was a pregnant woman. But then, Arianna trusted him and she has seen far worse things.

    A journey that would have taken forty-five minutes, Marcel cut it down to twenty. They even saw the ambnce on their way but Marcel drove past it, he had to get to his cousin first. Arianna''s audible voice was the only sound in the car as she gave clear instructions to Victor and Marcel didn''t distract her for once.

    They got there and Arianna would have run into the house except that she was pregnant and wasn''t as fit and nimble on her feet as before. Damn! But that didn''t stop her from quickening her feet and when she dide in, she expelled a break.

    Mimi was lying on the sofa with her eyes shut and Arianna would have mistaken her for dead if it wasn''t for the soft rising of her chest. Victor sat on the bare floor beside her, staring at his bloodied hands, and seemed to be in shock.

    The poor man. God knows how hard Mimi would have to convince him to go for another kid after this traumatic experience. And then she saw it, the baby at Mimi''s feet, wrapped in a clean white towel and bundled like a little mummy, and a smile split Arianna''s features wide.

    "You adorable thing," Arianna mewled as she picked up the baby whose umbilical cord was still attached to the mother. But it was okay, she was here now and would take care of it.

    It was a baby boy and a hungry one as well as he yawned and in the same minute, his fierce shriek echoed around the house.

 Chapter 906 Develop Into Something More

    The Draven family started a celebration that night after the news came through that the children were delivered safely. It was a huge celebration considering the kids were the first quadruplets birth in the family, hence it was momentous. If only their parents were alive to see this.

    Of course, invitations were sent to their inws aka the Luciano family. As expected, not everyone turned up, especially Benjamin and his wife who gave a measly excuse. At first, they had mocked Adele for getting pregnant, knowing that she would lose her underboss position and then, their precious son, Gabriel can take over her ce.

    However, none of that happened with Camille being insistent that the underboss position was already covered and she needed no assistance. If anything, Adele had only grown powerful, especially now she was married to a Draven. All of their ns didn''t work and they couldn''t face the girl without hiding their face in embarrassment.

    The only member of the family who shamelessly attended the party was Cindy. The young girl lived the life of the party and as a celebrity, couldn''t turn down the chance of unting and posting the photos on her social media pages.

    Moreover, she did not really have anything against her half-sister - that one was on their parents and she merely came here to show her support. Perhaps, it was not a bad idea to get on her sister''s grace - and to confirm it was a good thing giving up Elijah so she could have him. Adele better made sure her sacrifice was worth it. Elijah was her first love, you know. Cindy was pretty conceited.

    Arianna and Marcel did not fail to attend the party even though they were pretty tired from dealing with Mimi''s birth. Natalie eventually sent a doctor to check up on Mimi and it was confirmed that both mother and son were fine; there were noplications with the home birth. Victor eventually snapped out of the shock after a few talks with Marcel and they eventually left them when Hannah arrived to take care of her daughter and grandchild, while Mimi had her rest.

    "What is wrong?" Marcel eased into the seat next to his wife.

    He had been engaged in conversations with Eric and members of themission who came to congratte him. And finally turned, only to see his wife all by herself and it worried him. He could sense Arianna was not happy, or perhaps it was the stress finally taking a toll on her. Sigh, he knew they shouldn''t havee to this party; she needed her rest.

    Arianna covered it up with a weary smile, "Trust me, I''m fine. It''s just that¡­."

    He took her hand and ced it on hisrger palm before squeezing it affectionately, "You know you can tell me anything."

    "I know," Arianna let out a deep breath, "It just sounds stupid."

    "I don''t care. I''m always here to listen."

    She groaned out but Marcel squeezed her hand tighter, encouraging her to speak up.

    "Fine, I feel left out," Arianna confessed.

    "What?"

    She sighed and exined to him, "We were together before the both of them and yet Adele and Mimi got married before I did. And now, they have given birth and I still have three months to go. Why am I thest?"

    Marcel burst intoughter.

    "See, I told you it''s stupid." Arianna groaned, covering her face with her palm, and wished the ground would open up and swallow her at this time. Why would she think such nonsense?

    "Hey," Marcel faced her, began to pry her fingers off her face and when he was done, cupped her cheeks instead and kept her gaze on him.

    "I didn''t realize that this was apetition,"

    Arianna shut her eyes in embarrassment, her cheeks growing hot as well.

    "Listen, love, I don''t care if the baby takes one or two years toe or if the others are first in line in starting a family, what matters is that you are here. We are together. And when our baby finallyes into this world, I''m going to love and protect her in the same manner I have done to you. "

    He then leaned closer to whisper in her ears, "And if you''re so desperate to be the first next time, perhaps we can start fucking the instant our baby girl is born." He nippled her earlobe to make his point.

    "You¡­." Arianna was so red in the face that her mouth opened without a word. She then cleared her throat and corrected him, "We are not even sure it''s a girl yet. I told you, we would have a boy."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Until then¡­." Marcel didn''t exactly care as he tilted his head and took her lips in a kiss. It was just the both of them at that moment as everyone else faded into the background and her pulse quickened.

    As the passion heightened, her heart hummed in appreciation and Arianna knew inwardly that she would never give what she had with Marcel for anything in the world. Their love was special even though they started on the wrong feet. But then, some blessings aren''t served on a tter of gold, but wrapped in a rough package and hiding the goodness inside.

    The both of them eventually left for home at the peak of the celebration. If there was anyone who partied hard, it had to be Ezra. Unlike the others, he had two reasons to celebrate ¨C one, Elijah had his kids safely, and secondly, he was officially a godfather.

    Hence he drank and drank to the point he couldn''t even recognize his own brothers, not to mention strangers. He knew he would eventually suffer the consequences the next morning and didn''t exactly care. Live in the moment!

    Sure enough, when the morning came, his head felt like it was going to explode.

    He stirred from his sleep with a groan, finally regretting why he drank so much. But that was the least of his problem because he opened his eyes and discovered that he was not alone. Someone was in bed with him. He was not alone.

    Ezra screamed and jumped from the bed, what has he done now? It has been a while since he had one-night stands.

    His shout woke the woman on his bed because she lifted her head groggily and when Ezra saw her face, the blood drained from his face.

    Oh no.

    He was doomed.

    "Hello handsome," Cindy grinned at him and his life was over.

    Why her?!

    Meanwhile¡­..

    "How do you feel?" Elijah must have been by her side all this while because he was the first thing Adele saw when her eyes opened.

    Adele did not answer, rather she looked around the hospital room and panic nearly gripped her when she didn''t see her children beside her, "Where is -"

    "In the incubator, they are being taken care of by the nurses. The children are safe, we have three boys and a girl, Adele. You did it."

    That was a huge relief.

    For a moment there, Adele thought he had taken away the children and abandoned her now that he''s gotten what he wanted. Although she couldn''t help but notice the pronoun he used in his statement, "We". It almost sounded like they were a team and for some reason it made her feel good.

    Well, they had been a team anyway for the past months before her delivery. After their marriage, they lived together as husband and wife even though they shared different beds. Elijah took good care of her and respected her boundary, there was mutual respect and eptance between the both of them.

    But then, how long would thatst? Now that the babies were born, he owed her nothing except to take care of the kids. Was there a chance¡­ no, she would not think of it?

    To Adele''s surprise, Elijah drew closer and before she could ask what he was doing, he kissed her on the forehead, his lips lingering there and it felt like he branded her, her heart skipping a beat.

    When he pulled back, Elijah looked into her eyes and said, "Thank you, Adele."

    Adele blinked at him. She was left confused and conflicted by the gesture. She couldn''t help but wonder, was there a chance their rtionship could develop into something more?

 Chapter 907 He Won

    "Trust me, you''re only going to tire yourself out that way," Victor calmly told Marcel when he wouldn''t stop pacing up and down outside the room.

    It was finally time and Arianna was inbor. They had waited in both dreadful and joyful anticipation for this moment. And now that it has finallye, Marcel wished that it was over.

    How could he rx especially when another heart-wrenching scream came from Arianna? it took everything in him not to kick down the door ande to her aid. But then, Marcel knew Natalie would not appreciate it if he destroyed her door.

    No, she was the very reason why he wasn''t in that room with his wife Arianna right now. Natalie had insisted she didn''t want him there, iming that he would only be a distraction to her. However, he was beginning to regret that choice.

    "You''re making me dizzy, Marcel," Victor whined.

    Marcel turned and shouted," What is taking them so long?! Mimi''s delivery didn''t even take that wrong! It''s been an hour already!"

    Victor told him, "You mean the part where I had to deliver the child myself? Trust me, you don''t want to go through that. That is the most terrifying experience I have ever had." He shuddered at the memory.

    "You were weak!" Marcel snapped at him, intentionally transferring the aggression onto his poor cousin. His eyes were wild and his hair was like a bird''s nest with him having ran his hand through it uncountable times.

    But Victor was not offended knowing that Marcel was merely under tension, having been in his shoes months ago. He told him, "You think I was scared of the blood or what? I had my wife right in front of me with the baby''s head already peeking out from between her legs. I had no clue what to do. How to do it? What if I hurt my child or worse, her? I had no experience. At least, you have professionals taking care of Arianna. I''m sure nothing would happen. "

    It must be the assurance in Victor''s tone, Marcel eventually stopped pacing and leaned against the wall instead, the worry obviously written on his face. The poor man was under a lot of tension and wouldn''t rx until Arianna safely gave birth and his child was safe. Good thing, Mimi was there. Just like Arianna had been there for her, she asked to be there for her friend as well.

    They left baby Caleb to both of their mothers - Hannah and Camille - to take care of and the womenpeted over who gets to spend the most time with the boy. Both women loved their grandson and Victor couldn''t be happier for their help because his son was a terror.

    Caleb Luciano had a terrible habit of sleeping throughout the day when everyone else was awake and working, then staying awake for the rest of the night, depriving him and his wife of their sleep. Mimi should not have bothered with losing weight because she has slimmed down thanks to his troubles - the boy was determined to suck Mimi''s breast dry.

    His poor boy ate and ate and ate to the point that they had to support his breastfeeding habit with baby form at just three months old else Mimi fainted from the stress. Even at that, Caleb was of normal weight, unlike Mimi''s worry that he might gain weight if he kept eating at that rate. Hannah even joked, likening the kid to a glutton, iming his stomach was a bottomless pit.

    Of course, his mother Camille had another opinion, iming that his son, Calebpletely took after him. In one word, his birth was the toughest one his mother had to go through. Victor couldn''t help but shake his head knowing that it was only a matter of hours before Marcel has his tales to give. Perhaps it was toxic of him to think this, but Victor was d that Marcel would join him in the sleepless lights.

    Another scream came from outside the door and Marcel stiffened, only for a baby''s sharp cry to pierce the air secondster. At once, the tension left Marcel''s body and he began tough hysterically. Arianna did it! The baby was born!

    A smile split Victor''s face when he heard the baby''s loud cry and he stood up to pull his cousin into a congrattory hug. Marcel leaned his chin on his shoulder, tears of joy slipping down his face. He was a father now.

    The door snapped open minutester and Mimi stepped out with the baby in her arms and properly covered. She smiled at him, "Congrattions Marcel, you have a baby girl."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Marcel let out a sharp breath and for a moment there, his feet were stuck to the ground until Mimi was in his front, urging him to carry his child. He tentatively reached out and took his daughter from her very carefully as if he was afraid of breaking her fragile bone.

    He swallowed when he saw her, her skin was very red and her eyes were shut except for fussing lips. The little wisps of red hair was an obvious sign that she had taken after her mother in that aspect. Marcel would have to wait a while to know if she had taken his eyes or Arianna''s green eyes or a mix of both, or perhaps histe mother''s. Above all, she was beautiful and warmth filled his chest; he wanted to cry.

    Then he remembered.

    "Arianna...?"

    "They are cleaning her up and would move her to a room as soon as they are done."

    Marcel was greatly relieved. Arianna was safe and together, they would raise their baby.

    After delivering her baby, Arianna was sure of hearing her baby''s cry before she gave in to sleep, exhausted to the bones. It must have been a while when she finally woke and the sight that greeted her was Marcel rocking his child. Their child. Her heart was close to bursting with happiness.

    "It''s a girl. A beautiful girl. I won." Marcel said, having sensed she was awake.

    Arianna smiled weakly yet in contentment.

    He was not going to win the next time.

    She reached and he took his hand in hers, carrying their baby in his other arm. He caressed the top of her palm, he has never been this happy. It was the happiest day of his life.

    "What would you name her?" Arianna gave him the chance of naming her since he correctly predicted her sex.

    "Are you kidding me?" Marcel grinned at her before ncing down at his sleeping daughter. He said with dotting affection, "Aricel."

    "What?"

    Oh no, it dawned on Arianna that it was thebination of both of their names. Perhaps, she shouldn''t have left the naming duty to Marcel knowing that he was horrible at it.

    Damn, her poor daughter might grow up hating it.

 Chapter 908 Daddys Girl

    Two yearster...

    _________

    "Are you sure the both of you are going to be alright without me?" Arianna asked for the umpteenth time, casting looks between father and daughter.

    Tonight, Arianna was hanging out with with the others - Mimi and Adele - tonight. It has been a while since they had fun together ever since they be mothers and dutiful wives. Well, not for tonight. They nned to hand a good time, hence living the kids to their husbands.

    But at thest minute, Arianna was beginning to have second thoughts about leaving her baby girl with Marcel. Not that Marcel couldn''t take care of her, no, he dotted on and spoiled his little princess, however, she was beginning to miss them already even though she was going to be away for mere hours.

    "We would be fine¡­ " Marcel turned to ask his lovely daughter, Aricel, "or wouldn''t we be, my lovely princess?"

    The little girl stared at her father and pped her hands excitedly, "We fine!"

    Arianna dramatically ced her hand on her chest, "Are you sending your mama away, Aricel? Where is your loyalty? So you do want mummy to go?" She acted shocked.

    Aricel giggled, her red hair getting in her eyes which Marcel carefully tugged away as she babbled, "Mamy go! Go away¡­ mommy.. goo."

    Arianna scoffed in disbelief as Marcelughed at her.

    Annoyed, she told him, "Aricel doesn''t know what she''s saying. Trust me, the moment I walk through that door, she''s going to want me back."

    "Sure," Marcel do not believe her.

    To prove it to him, Arianna made sure to pick up her purse in the girl''s presence and strutted towards the door while Marcel followed after her.

    Once she reached the door, Arianna grabbed the knob and said in a showy way," Goodbye Aricel. Mummy''s leaving."

    As if to drive home the message, Marcel said to his daughter, "Aricel, say goodbye to your mother."

    He began to wave at Arianna.

    "Bye mammy¡­. Bye bye mommy," Aricel copied after her father, excitedly waving at her mother without even a trace of longing that she was leaving her.

    Arianna nearly threw up blood at the scene. She had expected the girl would throw a tantrum at this point, but Aricel wasn''t bothered at all. She looked sofortable in her father''s arms and it became obvious to Arianna whom the girl loved so much.

    "I guess someone''s daughter wouldn''t miss her at all." Marcel rubbed his victory at her face.

    Arianna was left dumbfounded. No, she refused to believe this, Marcel must have cheated. She sighed. To think she would have to work hard to win her daughter to her side.

    "Miss mammy. I miss mummy. " The girl suddenly said and Arianna''s heart melted at once while her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Of course! She knew her baby girl was never going to abandon her.

    Her baby reached for her and Marcel had no choice but to hand Aricel over to her mother, his expression full of affection, not only for his daughter, butthe both of them.

    "Yes, Aricel, mummy is going to miss you soon. Muah. Muah. Muah. " Arianna peppered the young girl with kisses on her face and she shyed away in between bursts of giggles.

    "Now, you go back to daddy so mummy can leave." Arianna handed her back to Marcel and she eagerly reached for him till she was in her father''s arms.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I''m leaving with a stomach full of my daughter''s love," Arianna said happily. Aricel has been nothing but a bundle of joy ever since she arrived in the family. She and Marcel nned to have more kids in the future.

    "I''ll be leaving now," Arianna said,ing closer to peck him on the pecks, at the same time Aricel leaned over and pecked her top on the cheek, surprising them both. The girl was quite quick in catching on to whatever happens around her.

    The both of them burst intoughter.

    Marcel said, "We have to be careful what we do around her."

    "Definitely." Arianna concurred.

    "Stay safe. Drink responsibly and have me in your heart always."

    In one word, don''t look at other men, Arianna could read Marcelpletely now.

    "Sure," She pecked him once again on the lips. Aricel repeated the gesture, giggling naughtily.

    And without turning back this time, Arianna took her purse and left, leaving the both of them alone.

    Marcel nced down at his daughter, "I guess it''s me and you now. What do you say to a night alone with daddy?"

    "Yeah!" Aricel shouted, throwing her hands up in the air.

    "That sounds like a n," Marcel grinned as he brought out his phone and called Victor.

    As soon as the line went through, he announced, "Arianna just left. I am heading to the location with my baby. Where are you?"

    Victor answered, "Mimi left now as well, heading to the location too."

    "See you there."

    "See you there."

    Once the call ended, Marcel said to his daughter, "What do you say we have a little fun, my princess?"

    She grinned widely and Marcel pumped his fist in the air, taking that as a yes!

    And that was how the both of them were in his car minutester and he put on both of their seat belts and stepped on the gas, driving out of the base.

    While on the way, Marcel decided to disclose the ns to the little girl since she was the only person he could talk to anyway.

    "So we are going to have fun at your uncle, Elijah''s ce. We would have brought the fun to our ce but then, your uncle has too many babies to handle with Adele leaving him behind to have fun with your mommy. Also, I''m sure you would have a good time with your cousins, wouldn''t you, Aricel?"

    Aricel babbled God knows he has no idea what she just said, yet that still brought a smile to Marcel''s face.

    See, the both of them understood each other so well. Aricel would definitely be daddy''s girl.

 Chapter 909 Girls Hang Out

    ?

    "Arianna!"

    Mimi was the first person to sight her. Just as she thought, she was thest person to arrive as Mimi and Adele beckoned her to their table.

    "I''m so sorry I''mte, I had to coax Ard Marcel before leaving."

    Adele snorted augh at the side, "You two are determined to call her that, kid is going to grow up hating that name." Sheughed once more.

    "The name is a demonstration of the love between Marcel and me, even outsiders think it''s romantic. Trust me, she''s going to cherish it when she grows up and learns the history between her parents," Arianna was sure of it.

    "Let''s pray so." Adele snickered, bringing the drink to her lips, tipped her head back, and chugged it.

    "No, no, this is no time for argument. We came here to have a good time and don''t mind Adele, she''s just sour that she had to sneak out through the back door to escape her own children." Mimi was the peacemaker, and this time, it was Arianna''s turn tough.

    "You left through the back door? Tell me, did you go over the fence as well?" Sheughed hysterically.

    "Funny," Adele arched a brow at Mimi, "Real move, Mimi. Smooth moves."

    Mimi in question merely shrugged and took her drink. If Adele was going to jibe at Arianna, she might as well give her bestie leveled ground. Before Adele became a member of their circle, it was merely her and Arianna anyway. That loyalty was forever imbued in her.

    One might ask how did all three of them be so close to each other? Well, motherhood gave them a reason to bond, moreover, they were family, hence all three women couldn''t ignore each other and became friends. Hence, even the cold Adele had no choice but to let them in. So for the first time, she had women that she could call girlfriends.

    "Alright, no more drinking!" Mimi announced, "We don''t want to be drunk on our feet already before having fun." She grabbed both Arianna''s and Adele''s hands, tugging them up to their feet, "It''s time to dance!" She shouted in exhration.

    "God, no," Adele groaned, trying to pull her hand free but Mimi held on tight. "I suck at dancing." That was her excuse.

    "No one''s expert at dancing, you just go with the flow," Mimi said in the middle of executing a shoulder move.

    "Yes," Arianna supported her, "You go with the flow," The both of them began to execute the moves in unison.

    Adele stared at the both of them, trying to put on a smile even though she was envious of their friendship. She knew deep down no matter how much she tried, she could never be part of the special bond between Arianna and Mimi.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Of course, it was understandable considering the both of them have been friends since the first time they met. Adele thought she should give it time and perhaps, one day, would feel like she truly belonged and not being carried along. If only she knew Arianna and Adele had already epted her wholly as a member of their circle.

    "Fine," Adele agreed, shutting her eyes and hoping she doesn''t regret this.

    "Good." Mimi was ecstatic as she hooked her arms around Adele''s and Arianna''s, tugging them down to the dance floor. It was awkward at first for Adele who stood, watching them with rapt attention as if hoping to copy their move. But Mimi would have none of that and moved to her, taking one of her hands while Arianna took the other, both moving their hips to the rhythm of the song.

    As if rehearsed, she and Arianna turned in her arms at the same time. Then Arianna went behind to grab her waist and rock against her while Mimi wrapped her arms around her neck and danced with her as if she were the female partner and her - Adele - the male.

    "Shut down your calctive mind for once, Adele. Do not think, just feel." Mimi whispered into her ears, encouraging her, and slowly, the tension began to ease from her body. In no time, she lost herself to the music and it was the three of them dancing on the floor widely.

    They had no care, only to have a good time, hence they were not exactly inconspicuous to the others on the dance floor while they danced. But then they did not worry even though it wasn''t any of the Luciano family''s club or the Draven. What fun was it to go to a club you own?

    But all three women felt safe knowing there was no way their husbands would send them off without ounting for their safety. Each of them knew somewhere in the group, there were soldiers sent to keep an eye on them and keep them safe. Other than that, their identities were hidden and as expected, there was always one entitled prick that would try to ruin their night.

    The women ground against each other, obviously having fun when Mimi feltrge masculine hands grab her waist from behind without invitation, startling her.

    "What the -!" She turned to re at the grinning fool who didn''t even feel the least remorseful and mored,

    "Don''t ruin the fun on my ount!" He attempted to grab her waist the second time when she reached out and pped him hard on the face.

    What the hell was wrong with men thinking it was right to grab a woman without permission on the dance floor? It was not right. She came here to dance with her friends not vie for his attention, did he not see that?

    However, the man must not be used to receiving a p or two on the cheeks on the face from women because there wasplete outrage on his face or he was simply high on something.

    "How dare you, bitch?!" He attempted to reach for Mimi when Arianna as wellnded a p on his other cheek.

    _____

    Hi guys, I want to render an official apology. This book was suposed to end yesterday, however, I couldn''t make it due to severe pain in my hands when writing. However, to make it up to you guys, I would release ten chapters that would wrap up their perfect happily ever ending, also there''s ten percent discount on the 4th tier privilege and thirty percent discount on thest privilege. So sorry once again!

 Chapter 910 Girls Hang Out -2

    ?

    The p sent the man reeling as he saw stars in his vision. Unlike Mimi who had been taken aback by his action that reacted instinctively, Arianna''s p was well nned hence the reason she put a lot of her strength into it; she intended to hurt him

    "Who are you calling a bitch, your mother?!" She scolded him, stepping in line beside Mimiwith her head lifted high. How dare that piece of shity a hand on her girlfriend?

    "Y-you!" The man raged, now holding the cheek where Arianna pped him, "The both of you are dead!" He threatened her.

    "You have quite the confidence." Arianna scoffed, folding her arms across her chest.

    And oh, she finally saw why the man was confident because he did note alone and about three of his minions stepped out confidently from the crowd. Just one night Arianna decided to be away from the stress of motherhood, and violence calls instead.

    At this point, those dancing on the floor abruptly halted their having sensed something violent was about to go down and no one wanted to be caught in the middle of it. However, their pitiful gazes were directed to the women, wondering why they had to go cause with the miscreant and his gang.

    Adele sensed movements from the corner of her eyes and knew that it was the soldiers their husbands sent to protect theming to intervene. But Adele didn''t want any of that so she tactically made them signs to stand down. They were not princesses in distress and could protect themselves. Instead, It would be that fool''s death for underestimating them because they are women.

    The fool was smug now that he had his backup and dered haughtily, "You must be scared now." He grinned, "Perhaps, I might decide to reconsider if you -"

    A passing wait walked across Adele with a tray of drink in hand and without a second thought, she snatched the bottle from him. Hence, the man was still talking when Adele stepped forward without warning and brought the bottle down on his head.

    There was a startled gasp and screams from the crowd who saw the unbelievable scene y out in front of him. Even his so-calledpany watched in shock as their leader fell in the middle of his sentence and that dy was enough time for Adele.

    The back ups broke out of shock and charged at Adele however she was well prepared and moved with the lithe speed of a well-aplished killer. She used the jagged edges of the broken bottle to sh widely at the first opponent''s leg and he stumbled to the ground, howling in pain while a roundabout kick met the second person square on the feet.

    The third managed to get close to her, throwing a punch at her face which she had seening and easily dodged, choosing to sh the arm instead at two ces and he cried out, retreating at once. At least that one had self-preservation unlike his second bethren that she hard merely spared with a kick.

    He had the advantage of weight and wrapped his arm around her, restricting her movement. But all Adele did was to turn her hand and stab him in the stomach with the bottle and he had no choice but to let her go, already in pain.

    Adele turned and said to him with a sinister smile, "I barely avoided an organ, but you might have to hurry to a hospital if you don''t want to die from bleeding."

    She added a warning, not just to him but to the others, "If you want to y gangster, get basic training. Intimidation only takes you far enough, now scram!" Adele dropped the bottle and it shattered, startling them and driving home her point.

    Without a word, he scampered away while holding his side, his face tight with pain while the other one with minimal injuries dragged away their unconscious leader.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Adele wiped her hands and turned to her girlfriend, "Done."

    "Such a show-off," Arianna rolled her eyes, "You left nothing for me."

    "There was nothing to be left for in the first ce."

    "There were four of them."

    "All amateurs and didn''t even scratch the surface," Adele hinted that her ythings were not enough to pass around to her.

    "Damn, girl, you are blood thirsty." Mimi threw her hand around Adele''s shoulder,plimenting her friend. She had no business fighting for human targets like Arianna.

    Mimi hated to fight. She would rather take her battles to bed, that is if you get what she means. Victor has taught her a few defensive moves which she could execute; kicking the target in the balls; stabbing her target in the eyes; biting her target wherever she can get her teeth on; using the gun when left with no choice. Anything moreplex than that was not her cup of tea.

    While Adele did not show it, her heart still warmed with Mimi''s gesture and Arianna yfully quibbling with her. It felt good to beplimented for doing something nice. However, her face still wore her indifferent mask as she said, "I think this is the point where we leave here."

    Arianna turned around and discovered that everyone was throwing them wary looks even though the Dj continued banging his number after he abruptly stopped during the chaos. Even if the decided to stay around, they would be ufortable with the number of eyes on them having drawn enough attention with that fight.

    "I second that." Arianna agreed, already leading the way and the others followed after her. They didn''t care about damages since their babysitters stalking them would take care of it.

    "Where do we go now? Our time is not yet up." Mimi asked as they stood outside the club staring out at the main road and busy night lives.

    "How about some food? My stomach is beginning to growl after all that alcohol." Arianna decided.

    "Sure! We eat and then we gossip! Good call!" Mimi could never pass up good gist.

 Chapter 911 Youre Not Alone

    ?

    Arianna, Mimi, and Adele finally decided on a simple restaurant that was just around the corner and didn''t have to trek too far. Although thete-night air cleared their head just a little bit and in no time they were basking in the warmth the restaurant provided.

    Picking up the menu, they made their orders before rxing for a conversation that wasn''t going to end anytime soon.

    "So¡­" Mimi started, which honestly wasn''t surprising. She was a natural at initiating conversations even with the most awkwardpany, "How is married life going for you?"

    The question was directed at Arianna and she blinked in surprise, pointing a hand to her chest, "You mean, me?"

    "Yes, you. Who else was I going to start with?" Mimi shrugged, looking between the both of them - she and Adele.

    Arianna said, "You practically know everything about me. I thought you were going to start with her, she''s the most reclusive person in this group."

    Adele in question lifted the ss of water to her lips and took a long sip, pretending not to have heard her. She did not sign up for this, no one should drag her into it.

    "Just like in games, you have to start up from the easy to the difficult level even in conversations," Mimi argued.

    Arianna flinched, her mouth ck in disbelief, "I''m the easy level?"

    Mimi shrugged, saying defensively, "You said it yourself, I practically know everything about you. Isn''t that what you call an easy level?"

    Arianna huffed and thankfully, before she could continue quibbling with Mimi like housewives, Adele interrupted her by asking, "Has there been any news of Daniel?"

    There was instant silence at once and Arianna stiffened involuntarily having not seen that questioning. Her mouth opened and closed without a word, swallowing down her saliva nervously. That name "Daniel" was a sensitive topic to bring up even whilewith Marcel.Marcel chose to believe that his father was dead and dealt with the loss by pretending it never existed in the first ce.

    Arianna knew that was an unhealthy way of dealing with his emotions because no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, Daniel was still alive somewhere. And one day - she knew it - he would surely return, If not for anything, but to get to know his grandchild - and she dreaded that day.

    "No, nothing. There''s no sign of him, not that Marcel has bothered to search. He thinks of his father''s voluntary departure as good riddance and doesn''t want to talk about him."

    Arianna swallowed down saliva and continued, " As much as Daniel was a horrible man, he is still his father. Had he died, it would have given Marcel closure but Daniel is pretty much alive somewhere and I know Marcel misses him. Perhaps, that''s why he loathes himself so much. He''s not supposed to long for his father, but he does. Marcel doesn''t understand that''s what makes us human and is not like we have a choice to choose our parents. I''m sure you understand that as well." She hinted at the fact that even her - Adele''s- mother chose to leave her and go with Daniel.

    There was a shift in Adele''s expression and the mask she put on cracked, revealing the pain that ate her up from the inside.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Arianna told her, "Perhaps, that''s why Marcel works so hard to be the perfect father to his daughter. Also, I think the both of you should talk to each other since you''re going through the same pain and seem to understand each other so well. I think he might open up to you. "

    "I''ll consider that," She said, her voice low and husky from the raw emotion stirring in her chest.

    "Your mother¡­ " Mimi probed carefully, "Has she initiated any form of contact with you since she left?"

    "She wrote me an untraceable letter."

    "A letter." Arianna''s brow lifted in interest, this was the first time that she was hearing such a thing.

    "Yes," Adele smiled mirthlessly, "She exined that it was for my own good. She could not be a burden to me and Daniel promised he was going to get her to walk once again. To be honest, I was angry at first. Angelica was weak, pathetic, and a coward when it came to raising her daughter. She always made the wrong choice when ites to choosing men. I swore I would have nothing to do with her ever again. She already made her decision and I should ept that. But¡­" Her voice caught at that end, Arianna and Mimi''s eyes met at that point knowing how hard it was for Adele to open up to them like this.

    Arianna reached out from across the table and covered her palm with hers while Mimi ced her hand on her shoulder and squeezed soothingly.

    A tear slipped down her cheek as she confessed, "I should leave her, it''s not worth it, but I feel so god damn alone. You don''t know how jealous I feel when I see the both of you with your mothers, " She pointed at both Arianna and Mimi "I want something like that, is that too much to ask? She''s the only family I have left. Why do bad things keep happening to me? I feel like I''m cursed or something." Adele broke down in more tears.

    "Shhh, it''s okay." Mimi was the oneforting her now since she was seated so close to her and Adele buried her face into her.She knew how weak this made her seem right now, but she was so sick and tired of always being in control! Of always getting her acts together.

    "And you are not cursed," Mimi said.

    "Also, your mother is not the only family you have, Adele." Arianna was up on her feet and went over to the opposite side of the table where she wrapped her arms around her.

    "You have us now. Me. Marcel. Mimi. Victor. Elijah, your triplets, and even the Draven family, " She kissed her on the forehead and embraced her tighter.

    "You are not alone, Adele Draven."

    And Adele wept hard.

 Chapter 912 Hating And Shagging

    ?

    Adele was so embarrassed by her breakdown that she didn''t dare to look any of them in the eyes and she was extra grateful when the food arrived. Now, she had a reason to not look up, burying her face in her food instead. As if they understood her, Arianna and Mimi did not bother her and let her be.

    Perhaps, this was the reason she preferred theirpany rather than beingpletely alone - aside from the fact that both of them were the only people rtively close to the word "friends" in her life.

    They respected each other''s boundaries - most times, she thinks - and didn''t push their buttons. Also, Adele felt better, lighter, like this huge load in her chest had been taken off. Who knew talking was therapeutic?

    "So¡­." Mimi started up another conversation, which wasn''t surprising. She must hate the silence or something. "What''s Marcel''s ns towards Aricel?"

    The question was obviously directed at Arianna.

    "What do you mean by that?" Arianna looked down, absent-mindedly rolling the spaghetti in her fork with her gaze trained on her friend.

    "I mean, you and Marcel are going for a second child. What if it turns out to be a boy? What would happen to Aricel? Would she take her father''s position in the future or would Marcel be forced to make her brother the heir because she''s a woman?"

    Arianna lowered her fork this time, saying, " Isn''t this conversation a little bit too early considering Aricel is just two and I would love for her to enjoy her childhood before being faced with the responsibility? Also, my daughter would do whatever she wants to. If she wants to take up her father''s business, why not? If she hates the violence and wants a normal life, no problem. I''m all in support of her choice."

    "What''s the problem with her being a girl anyway?" Adele joined in the conversation and Arianna was not surprised. She was a badass and a feminist at heart - and Mimi is about to get chewed out.

    "I mean¡­" Mimi shrugged, "It''s just that from what I have heard, most Mafia families don''t acknowledge female leaders and I''m curious as to know if Marcel would follow the old tradition or shake things up a little?" She said.

    Adele stated firmly as if she could already see the future ahead," Aricel is going to be her father''s sessor as the queen she is, I would make sure of that at all costs."

    Arianna breathed, "That doesn''t sound foreboding at all. "

    "If she''s fit to lead the family to the next level, I''ll make sure that change happens. It''s long enough our gender has been suppressed and our voice unheard all because of this perception of being weak. I advise you as a mother, Arianna, you let Aricel roar because I see a lot of fire in her. You got a handful, that one."

    "Oh, you do not tell me." Arianna concurred with her on that one. Her daughter had her father''s temper and was a fast learner. She just wished Aricel have the chance of living a normal life before seeing this brutal and cutthroat world as it was.

    "I''m curious about something then," Mimi said, her attention now on Adele, "How is it going between you and Elijah? Do you not n to have more children with him or do both of you still share different beds?"

    Adele choked on her saliva and Arianna red at Mimi. That question was too personal.

    "I was just curious if they maintain the facade in front of the kids or if things are going well between them? I mean they have been together for two years now as a husband and wife. Even if she hates his ass for his betrayal years back, they had once loved each other. There should be even the slightest spark. "<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That''s enough, Mimi," Arianna warned her.

    "Fine," She muttered to Adele, "I''m sorry I cared enough to ask. I guess I forgot that Arianna and I are the only ones being straightforward here. I thought this was a meeting to discuss just anything, but I was wrong, obviously." She said in a huff, her words having a sting to them.

    Adele said, "No, it''s okay -"

    "No, it''s not okay -" Arianna cut her off, frowning at Mimi, "You have known me for half your life, but not Adele. She''s notfortable enough to reveal certain aspects of her life and we can''t push her just because we are liberal enough."

    There was remorse in Mimi''s eyes and she bit the inside of her lips in shame before her gaze darted to Adele and apologized to her, "I shouldn''t have delved too deep into your private life and made you ufortable. I''m sorry."

    "No, it''s okay -" Adele was about to say when nausea assaulted her and she lifted a hand to her mouth, her eyes going wide.

    "What''s wrong?" The both of them were quick to notice her difort but Arianna was the one who asked.

    Adele opened her mouth to speak only to retch once again, Arianna and Mimi''s eyes connected and held. They made read the situation and their mouth dropped open. It was impossible! Adele and Elijah doesn''t even share the same bed or had been all this while¡­..

    "No way," Arianna breathed, "Tell me it''s bad food or the alcohol and not what I''m thinking?" But she knew deep down that it was not the food. She ate the food and it was not bad at all.

    "Unbelievable! You and Elijah have been having sex?!" Mimi squeaked, the shock apparent on her face.

    "You can''t be pregnant already! Marcel and I nned to be the first this time!" Arianna cried out.

    However, Adele ignored the two women and palming her mouth, jumped out of the seat to go find the restroom. Mimi and Arianna followed after her, now discussing their discovery.

    It was shocking.

    Adele might have another baby. And to think that she hated Elijah.

    Guess the word "hating" and "shagging" were not too far from each other.

 Chapter 913 How Did Our Life Get To This Point

    ?

    "Daddy! Daddy! carry me!"

    "Daddy! Me too!"

    "Daddy! Liam pinched me!"

    "Daddy! Look, I''m a dinosaur! Roar!!!"

    Such was the condition Marcel and Victor found Elijah in when they arrived at his ce. The cousin had note together, but somehow they met in the driveway and thus, came in at the same time only to see this disaster.

    "And I thought I had problems." Victor hinted at his son trying to wriggle out of his arms.

    "I second that," Marcel said, ncing down at his daughter Aricel who was trying to reach for her cousin Caleb, both of their hands touching but not exactly reaching.

    "No, Leo! Don''t touch the vase!" Elijah was already reaching for the boy but the deed had already been done because the vase fell to the ground and shattered.

    At this point, Elijah stood helplessly staring at the twin who lifted his hand to his mouth and giggled shyly,

    "Daddy, sorry."

    "God, no," Elijah lifted his hand and rubbed his temple where he could feel a throbbing headache. He thought that he could handle this but the reverse was the case. The quadruplets seem to obey their mother''s instructions more than his. Who was he kidding? They feared her and whenever Adele was around, they were well-behaved soldiers.

    Don''t get him wrong, Adele was not harsh on the children and loved them fiercely, however, she was stern and disciplined unlike him who spoiled them and it hase to bite him in the ass.

    The children should be asleep by now, no, he thought they were. That was the only condition Adele had to fulfill before she left. But as soon as Leo was up, he woke up his identical twin Liam, who in turn woke the fraternal twins Liam and Leah. And together, they decided to make his life a living hell.

    "Uncle Malsy," His only daughter and girl among the quadruplets recognized him - even though she badly pronounced his name - hurried over to her uncle with her tiny legs.

    Unfortunately, Aricel, whom Marcel had already lowered to her feet, stood in her way and spread out her arms in a bid to turn her away. No one wasing near her daddy, he was all hers. To get to Marcel, she would have to go through her first.

    At first, it had beenical because Leah was determined and tried to sidestep her, but Aricel stood her ground. Leah turned the other way, Aricel blocked her.

    "Since when did you be a hotmodity? And damn, those moves, what have you been teaching your daughter, Marcel?" Victor asked with amusement glinting in his eyes until he feigned a hurt expression, "What about me though? Why is no one fighting over me, you smug bastard?" He was jealous.

    "What moves, the both of them are about to tear each other apart?" Marcel huffed before crouching down and getting in between the girls now ring at each other.

    "Shh, that''s enough Aricel, Leah is your cousin, you know." Marcel said and reached for the girl, "Come here, you adorable little version of Adele." He cooed.

    Leah happily strutted over to Marcel and he carried her off her feet as she giggled delightfully. On the other hand, there was a look of utter betrayal on Aricel''s face. How dare she? That pretender just stole a fraction of her father''s love for her! She didn''t want that! She wanted her daddy all to herself.

    Hence, little Aricel used her tested and confirmed weapon in the name of a tantrum. She shrieked so loudly that even her male cousins had no choice but to stop their activities and watch her.

    "Jesus Christ, women are all the same," Marcelmented, stooping down to pick up Aricel at once. In one word, he carried both girls on his waist, his strong arms securing them to his sides.

    "Shh, now don''t cry anymore, my love. Leah is also family, alright?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Although Aricel stopped crying, the long look she gave Leah was enough proof that this battle was far from over. And thus, it was told that both women were strong contenders from when they were young to when they grew up.

    "You guys are finally here." Elijah practically threw himself on Victor, relief washing over him. He was so close to crying while handling his impish kids.

    While Victor and Marcel had not exactly liked Elijah in the past, things changed in two years. With Adele married to him, it was inevitable that they became close in the end.

    "It''s okay, I totally understand. You are a brave man, Elijah," Victor began to pat him on the shoulder, feeling pity for his inw. Raising Caleb alone was hell for him, imagine adding three other Calebs to the picture, he might as well dig his own grave and rest in peace.

    The staff came in to clean up the mess the children made, especially the boys - although Leah has no problem copying her brothers - and it took a while to get the children under control. Minutester, they took up respective positions on the sofa with the kids tucked in between them or resting on their bodies.

    It would have been a nice moment for them all if it wasn''t for the fact that the kids were watching a children''s cartoon and the adults in the room were close to throwing up if they watched that a minute longer.

    "How did my life get to this point?" Marcel muttered, tired. The cartoon was predictably childish unlike his daughter who enjoyed every second with her eyes glued to the screen.

    "You mean, ''we'' right?" Victor pointed out that they were all involved in this.

    "Because we got married." Elijah groaned, pinching the space between the brows. The carton''s chant alone made him want to throw up. How could you ask the audience the number of objects avable when the answer was clear on the screen?

    He said, "I suddenly wish to be my brother Ezra who''s determined not to get caught married."

    Victor turned to him, "He and Cindy broke up again?"

    "For the tenth time? Yes. Both of them are so toxic yet right for each other."

    "This is not how I imagined this night would go. I was thinking about beer and having lots of fun." Marcel grumbled.

    "I feel you, Bro. I just don''t feel these kids who are oddly up at this time. Do you think they know our n and are doing this on purpose?" Elijah asked.

    "It wouldn''t surprise me," Marcel muttered, staring at her wide-eyed daughter. She did not seem ready to go to bed anytime soon.

    "Not unless we have fun with them." Victor straightened up with an idea, his eyes gleaming.

    "I don''t like that look," Marcel shook his head, "Arianna would kill me if she knows I''m out with her kid."

    "And so would Mimi, but they wouldn''t be back anytime soon and we can have as much fun with the kids."

    Elijah was uncertain about this, but he would say yes to anything that would keep him from watching this crappy carton.

    "What''s the n?"

    Victor smirked, "Nothing harmless, I think."

    He''s going to regret this, Marcel swore under his breath.

 Chapter 914 Her Daughter Died

    ?

    "I feel sick," Adele moaned over the toilet seat.

    "Shhh, it''s okay," Arianna muttered, rubbing her back, "You''re going to be fine and we are going to take you home right now."

    "No, I''ll be -" She was about to protest when another wave of nausea hit her and she was retching into the toilet once more.

    Good thing no other person wasing in to use the restroom since this wasn''t exactly a pretty sight. Adele was kneeling over the toilet while Arianna was behind her keeping her hair from getting in the way. The toilet cubicle was opened since it wasn''t spacious enough for the both of them.

    "Mimi, could you stop staring at that strip and get the car ready? '''' Arianna chided her with a glower. This was not a joke.

    Mimi in question was leaning against the sink and staring at the pregnancy strip as if it was a national treasure. While Adele had not denied the allegation of sleeping with her "husband" she was positive that she wasn''t pregnant.

    It was too early nor did she have ns of having more kids, with four pain in the ass already waiting for her at home. Moreover, they - she and Elijah - have been careful and there was no way she could be pregnant. So the women decided on a test and the result was as clear as daylight. Adele was pregnant. Her shagging with Elijah had not gone unrewarded.

    Instead of making a move, Mimi asked instead, "Why is she throwing up at night though? I thought morning sickness should happen in the morning, hence the name?"

    "Pregnancy-rted nausea isn''t just a morning thing. It can strike at night, too." Arianna answered not only Mimi, but Adele, who was also curious about her condition, "Night-time queasiness is especially unpleasant. Moreover, it differs from pregnancy to pregnancy, so just because you didn''t experience it during your first birth doesn''t mean it wouldn''t appear the second."

    She added, "If I were you Adele, I would be more concerned if this isn''t another multiple pregnancy."

    Arianna had not intended to scare her but pointed out a fact, however, the blood drained from Adele''s face while Mimi burst into hystericalughter to everyone''s surprise. Sheughed andughed till she found out that all eyes were on her and they didn''t look amused at all.

    "A-hem," She cleared her throat,posed herself, and said, "I''ll get the car ready then."

    And with that, she was out of the restroom in five strides. However, she was barely out of there before anotherughter palmed her mouth and she had to cup her mouth so as not to let a sound escape.

    Mimi was not exactly mocking Adele, but she made the mistake of graphically imagining the scene of her new friend giving birth to another set of Quadruplets and the chaos that was to follow after. It was an explicit visual of Adele and her husband Elijah trying to handle eight kids with just an age gap of two years and beingical was an understatement. It was hrious hence the uncontroble outbursts ofughter.

    But she had a job to do and hence went outside to where the car was packed and picked hers. The three of them had alle with their cars and Arianna didn''t exactly give her specific instructions nor keys for hers, so she assumed her own car was good to go.

    "Good to go." Mimi sent her a text as soon as she was done starting the car and tested her headlight by shing them once.

    "How are you feeling now? Do you think you''re ready to move around on your own?" Arianna asked Adele who was now up on her feet and rinsed her mouth in the sink.

    "I''m good." Adele told her, "And I''m sorry that our outing had to end abruptly like this."

    Arianna could see the guilt on her face and told her right away, "You don''t need to feel guilty over anything. Both of you would have done the same for me had I been the one in your condition."

    Before Adele had the chance to counter her words and let the guilt eat at her, Arianna already looped her arms around hers and pulled her out. This was not the time to wallow in guilt and things that she had no control over.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They got outside and located Mimi who waved at them to get in. Arianna and Adele did not worry about their cars knowing they would be sent back to their ces in one piece. Hence they climbed into Mimi''s car and she drove off.

    Once in the car, Adele was lying with her legs stretched out on the backseat, her head on Arianna''sp while she worked her hand through her hair. It was a soothing motion andfortable position until Mimi began with her questioning.

    "So when did you and Elijah begin to get close to each other?"

    "Mimi, Adele is not in the position to tall right now. Save the questions for -"

    "No, it''s okay," Adele said and squeezed Arianna''s hand to tell her that it was okay. After what happened tonight, it was obvious that there was a shift in their rtionship and it was for good. Arianna and Mimi finally managed to pull down her walls.

    "It was after the quadruplet''s birth¡­" There was a slight furrow on her face as she thought about it, "Or perhaps while I was still pregnant. It was hard not to fall in love again with a man that took good care of you. Perhaps, I intentionally closed up my heart perceiving he was only fulfilling the role of being there for the children. There was no need to get invested in a rtionship that was doomed to fail. So I ignored him until the children were born and I couldn''t resist it anymore. His actions became genuine and the attraction was ignited once again, I guess." Adele confessed, her cheeks already hot from shame. She was not used to sharing intimate information about her marriage.

    "Jesus Christ!" Mimi pped her thigh in disbelief, "How did I not notice that?! And the both of you hid it for how long? Two years? Geez, both of you deserve an Oscar award for best acting."

    "They were not acting, you were just carried away in your own happiness to notice the changes in their rtionship," And please eyes on the road, my daughter is too young to be without a mother. "Arianna told her.

    Of course, they continued the conversation until they got to Elijah''s residence and drove through the driveway, packing in the garage. All three women had just stepped out when Arianna was the first to notice,

    "Isn''t that Marcel''s car or are my eyes ying tricks on me?" She pointed at the familiar SUV packed alongside others and the te number was even the same.

    Mimi said, "I don''t think so? What would he be doing here¡­." She trailed off as she located another familiar car too, "Victor? What¡­?"

    And then she and Arianna''s eyes connected as they made the connection, their husbands were here! The same husbands who had promised to stay home and take care of the kids while they hung out. So what is this?

    Without a word, the woman stomped out of the driveway and walked into the house.On their waying, they noticed the exuberant noise made by the kids and adults alike. At almost one in the morning, the children were ying around instead of sleeping.

    Oh, they had so many questions to answer.

    But when they came into the living room, nothing prepared Arianna for the scene of watching her daughter among others run away from something. Or someone. The scene yed out in slow motion before her like some cinematic masterpiece. Arianna watched as her daughter Aricel ran with all of her strength from someone who turned out to be her father.

    Marcel carried apressed gas-powered gun with paint-filled pellets that he fired at her as she ran. But one of the paintballs hit her in the back and her daughter dramatically fell to the ground.

    And died.

    What the fuck, Arianna''s jaw dropped to the ground.

 Chapter 915 A Bit Of Happiness

    ?

    He should have known.

    Marcel felt his phone ring earlier, but then, he had been so engulfed in the fun he was having with the children that he ignored it. Moreover, he had not expected Arianna home until the early hours of the morning, nor had it ever crossed his mind that she would evere here.

    Evente at night, the children had a great burst of energy and didn''t tire easily and who knew that the game would turn out to be more fun than he thought? Victor decided that they should y paintball and it was even stunning that he had the equipment in his booth as if he had seen thising.

    Enlightening the kid on how to y the game was a bit taxing at first, but after about four trial games, they were good to go. The kids were smart and Marcel couldn''t have been more proud of his daughter over the way she expertly dodged the Marker, paint-filled pellet.

    However, they were holding back on purpose because he, Elijah, and Victor were all expert shooters and this was supposed to be fun. But then, he had to be impartial and could not spare his daughter nor that he had her in sight.

    Aside from that, Marcel was a leader and thus needed to test his daughter and see if she had the same ingredients to take over his position one day, even if she was merely two years old. It was never too old to start grooming his heir.

    So he fired pellet after pellet at her, but she couldn''t dodge him forever, and to his surprise, his daughter didn''t try to ignore the shot and run off like the other kids who had been hit, she fell like a worthy warrior. Pride filled Marcel''s chest, and he ripped off the mask, showing off the lips on his lips.

    He was about to walk over to his daughter and lift her to her feet since she was still pretending to be dead only to sense movements from the corner of his eyes and turn only for his heart to leap out of his chest.

    Oh no.

    He was dead meat.

    It was his wife, Arianna.

    And no, he was not hallucinating.

    Arianna was standing right in front of him.

    He looked at her and the shock on his face as she stared at her kid was not surprising.He would be shocked too if he were in her shoes, nor did he tell her his intention ofing here. Marcel knew that he had to do something. Someone had to save his ass.

    And so, Marcel reached for the weapon that has been tested and proven to melt her raging heart. He carried Aricel off her the ground and into his arms as he carefully approached her, saying, "Guess who is the best mummy in the world?"

    Marcel gave Arianna a lopsided grin just as their little girl recognized her presence, "Mummy!" Aricel made grabbing motions with her little hands and Marcel knew what that meant because he handed the child to her.

    "Aricel, my baby." Arianna cooed, epting her child from Marcel, but not without directing a re that told him he had an exnation to do.

    Behind them, Victor was going through a simr phase with Mimi, but unlike them, they were already in the kissing stage. His dear cousin Victor was wise enough to expel the fight out of his wife with his expert lips.

    "Start."

    It was just onemand from Arianna with that furious look in her eyes and he started, "Aricel was missing her cousins." That was his pathetic excuse.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Try harder," Arianna said firmly. Marcel was not so great at lying when he was under tension.

    Marcel opened his mouth to cook up another lie but he sighed, knowing that he had an observant wife that would see through all of it in the end.

    "I was bored. We decided that it was appropriate that the men meet up as well." He confessed.

    "It''ste and you left with Aricel?"

    "I was very careful."

    "She shouldn''t even be up past sleeping time," Arianna said this time with a deep frown, staring down at her kid whose gaze was as clear as day with no sign of sleep.

    "I''m sorry." Marcel had no choice but to apologize knowing that he was in the wrong. Yes, he was bored, but a deal was a deal. Also, Aricel shouldn''t be up by this time.

    He told her, "It wouldn''t happen again, at least not without your knowledge."

    "Good." She said, "Now,e on." Arianna tugged him by the shirt and when he was close enough, stered her lips against him.

    The move took Marcel by surprise, but who was he to refuse such a sweet treat? He wrapped one arm around her waist, aware of their kid between them, and moved his lips against hers.

    He could have kissed her deeper if it wasn''t for the resistance on his chest and he nced down to see that it was Aricel shoving against him. Noticing that she finally had her father''s attention, the little girl puckered her lips, wanting her fair share of the kiss as well.

    Genuineughter ripped from Marcel''s chest, so much for trying to be careful around her. sping her face with both of his hands, Marcel first pecked her on the forehead, cheeks, no, everywhere. There was not a skin on her face left untouched by the time he was done.

    "Yes, I love you too, my baby girl." He finally pecked her on the lips, his eyes twinkling with joy and amusement. Marcel was happy. He was very happy.

    Arianna watched their interaction and while it was cute, she couldn''t help but feel a quick stab of jealousy. If she hadn''te around, all of that attention would have been on her. Yet, Arianna did not regret it one bit; she just had to get used to her daughter stealing her husband''s attention.

    And then she remembered why they were here in the first ce, but when she did look ahead, Adele was already wrapped securely in Elijah''s arms.

    Arianna shook her head in disbelief, how didn''t they notice it all along when there was more than a spark between the couples?

    Nheless, she was happy that things worked out for them. Adele has suffered long enough and needed a bit of happiness in her life.

    Now, she -Arianna- just had to work hard on getting baby number two in the making before Mimi beats her to it.

 Chapter 916 What The Future Had For Them

    ?

    For someone mad at Marcel for taking Aricel out for a visit in the middle of the night, she ended up spending more time there instead. By the time they decided to go home, it was already three o''clock in the morning and even their resilient daughter couldn''t fight nature anymore and had fallen asleep.

    It happened that Adele ended up revealing the news of her pregnancy publicly instead and that sparked off a celebration. There was a lot of drinking and eating in between light conversations that by the time they were done, Arianna was a hundred percent sure that she was drunk.

    Marcel was the daddy of the year because he refused the alcohol knowing that he would have to drive a drunk wife and sleepy daughter instead, even though Luka was avable to take up the role of a designated driver.

    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom And yes, it had taken Marcel quite some time to get used to the fact that his best soldier and friend - he would not admit it - did not betray him, rather he stepped out of line in a bid to save his ass. It was not easy though considering Marcel had trust issues and had him locked up for quite a while until Leon King interfered.

    It wasn''t until Leon decided that he wanted to buy Luca''s contract that Marcel realized how much he missed and needed him by his side - even though everything turned out to be a n between Luca, Victor, and Arianna. Everyone knows for a fact that Marcel could be as stubborn as a mule and hence, he needed a push.

    In the end, everything worked out for everyone. Leon didn''t have toe up with pathetic excuses to want to see his lover in his holding cell - even if he wouldn''t admit it. While Victor and Arianna didn''t have to watch Marcel mull over his presence when he could easily release him; he needed Luca.

    "Easy," Marcel muttered softly as he carefully helped Arianna climb into the seat. She was carrying their daughter and when she had sat down on the front seat with Aricel resting on her chest, Marcel put the seat belt on them. He was not taking any chances.

    After carrying out the safety procedures, Marcel didn''t leave immediately, rather he hovered over them. Arianna was asleep immediately and judging from the soft snoresing from her lips, he guessed that she was tired. But that didn''t stop him from admiring the scene in front of him and his chest tightened with emotion.

    He tugged a lock of her red hair that had fallen over her eye behind her ear. While Aricel might have gotten her mother''s hair, every other resemnce was to him. And now he watched them both with the serene peace on their faces, everything else fading into the background.

    Had Aricel opened her eyes at that moment, she would have been stunned by the profound emotions in his eyes. This was everything that Marcel could ever wish for, and the people he lived for. Marcel wondered if Arianna knew that he had a fear of getting married; starting a family and bing a parent.

    Daniel and his environment had not only shaped his perception of marriage, it scarred him greatly as well. To be honest, Marcel wasn''t sure how he turned out to be a decent person or the fact he wouldn''t make a mistake one day with his type of background, after all, people change. But one thing was for sure, he would never raise a hand on Arianna. No matter what she did. That was a promise he made on his mother''s grave and the day he got married to her.

    He refused to let Daniel live through him and repeat the pattern over again. His wife was his flesh and just as he wouldn''t knowingly hurt himself, Marcel would not hurt his wife, Arianna. She was a blessing to him anyway. Everything just seems to fall into ce with her and even parenting which he thought would be the hardest job was easy with her.

    Although time would have to tell for that one because if his daughter Ariceles close to being anything he was in his teenagehood, that means he has his job cut out for him. Add that to his ns of having arge family and he has his hands full. Nheless, he was filled with anticipation and couldn''t wait to see what the future had for them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Marcel lowered his head and kissed Arianna on the head, his lips lingering and she muttered words that made no sense to him, yet made his lips pull back in a smile. Then he smoothed his hand down his daughter''s red curls as well, careful not to wake her up as he kissed her too on the forehead. Then he closed the door after them, walked over to the driver''s side of the seat, and drove off.

    It wasn''t until they hit the road that Marcel realized why Arianna was angry with him. He came this distance with their daughter at night and he too could feel the tiredness creeping into his bones, it had been a long night. Marcel did not bother about the car trailing behind them knowing that it was his men making sure that he was safe.

    Contrary to his father''s belief, having a family did not make him weak, rather it made him stronger now that he had a lot to lose. He would rip anyone apart who dares toe close to his family. Gone was the lenient Marcel, just like a mother Hen protecting her chicks, he would devour his enemies. To his family, he was a loving father, but to the outside world, he was as ruthless as he could be.

    Once they arrived home, the maid was there to receive Aricel from him and tuck her in for bed while Marcel carried Arianna from the car princess style and walked into the house. With the arrival of Aricel, there has been some renovation to the base, making it "children friendly", aside from that, it was practically the same.

    Marcel carried her to his room which saw some adjustments as well and now it was their matrimonial bed. He carefully carried Arianna to the bed andid her down. He was just about to stand when arms wrapped around his neck, bringing him down and he was staring into vibrant green eyes.

    "You''re awake," He pointed out, his breath even and his body reacting on a visceral level to her closeness.

    "You promised me we would be the first this time," Arianna muttered, her finger now caressing the nape of his head, trailing further into his hair.

    Marcel swallowed, the simple caress stirring up a lot of sensation inside of him. He knew what she was talking about and his pulse quickened. Since when did making a child be apetition? But he did not dare question her. A promise was a promise. But it was toote.

    He licked his lips, "Arianna, you''re drunk and it''s¡­."

    However, Arianna obviously did not want to hear any more excuses because she pressed her lips to his, her tongue darting into his mouth immediately, and whatever self-control Marcel held onto snapped at once.

    To hell with holding back.

    He devoured her.

 Chapter 917 Debut Into The Family

    ?

    Ten yearster¡­..

    ___________

    "Mummy? Daddy?" Penelope walked into her parent''s room only to realize that it was as dead as a graveyard. Her parents were nowhere to be seen and she went into a panic.

    Penelope was four years old and the third child to be born to Marcel and Arianna. It was obvious that the girl was conceived with love and named after Marcel''s mother whom she bore a bit of resemnce as well.

    The young girl had Marcel''s blonde hair and herte grandmother''s blue eyes marking her different from her siblings who had the signature gray eyes of the Luciano family. With Penelope taking up the role of theirst child - although that position was likely to change in the future - she was spoiled and treated like a princess and it was not surprising that she burst into tears when she was unable to find her parents.

    "Mummy," She climbed into the bed and began to cry at the top of her lungs knowing that somebody was going to find her anytime soon. Penelope was used to the attention and wanted that right now. She wanted her mummy and daddy.

    Just as she expected, a maid heard her cries and came to her rescue.

    "Penelope, what are you doing here all by yourself?"

    "I want mummy and daddy," She cried out, the snot in her nose forming a bubble each time she expelled a heavy breath.

    The maid first found a tissue and wiped her nose before answering, "I''m so sorry but your mommy and daddy left early this morning while you were fast asleep. They knew you would give them a hard time and prevent them from leaving if you knew what they are up to. But don''t worry, they promised to call a lot and would be back before you know it."

    The maid attempted to coax her but the girl cried out, "No, leave me, I don''t want you!" And then, without warning, she pushed the woman hard.

    Because the maid had not anticipated that aggressive move from the young child, she staggered from the force and nearly slipped in the process, her eyes widening from the shock.

    "Penelope!"

    Someone else shouted before the maid had the chance to scold her for her ill manner. The both of them turned in the direction of the entrance only to discover that it was Honor, her younger brother.

    Honor was the second child to Marcel and Arianna and the first male child in the family. He bore an uncanny resemnce to Marcel with his blonde hair and gray eyes unlike his sister Aricel who had taken her mother''s red hair. Honor was hailed as his "father''s true son" due to their close resemnce, not that he thought much about it.

    While he might look like his father and equally talented as well, he was so sweet and humble that eveyone around always took an instantaneous liking to him. It was obvious that he took after Arianna''s kind heart and right now, he couldn''t stand his sister''s attitude.

    "Honor¡­." Penelope pouted her lips, tears filling her eyes as she attempted to manipte him to her side.

    However, the young boy had already seen through the act and came over to her side. He said firmly, "Apologize."

    "Nuuh¡­." Penelope wailed. She was not going to do that. Never!

    "Apologize now!" He demanded with his eyes shing and Penelope flinched from the anger in his tone.

    The maid saw that and was ufortable with the tension in the room and attempted to convince him that it was not a big deal, "It''s nothing, Honor. Penelope is just a kid and would -"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Apologize to Mary now or I would not y with you anymore." He threatened her.

    Penelope''s eyes widened and her lips trembled at the thought that her brother would stop ying with her. It terrified her greatly. Her brother was the only one that made out time for her, Aricel was always busy training and too grown up for her. In one word, Honor was the closest to her.

    So she reluctantly said to Mary, the maid, "I''m sorry."

    "Say it like you mean it, Penelope." He was not having that shit.

    Mary opened up her mouth again to tell him that it was okay but Penelope had already lowered her head in shame and apologized to her, "I''m so sorry, Mary."

    "Shh, it''s okay, Penelope. It''s okay. Everyone makes mistakes." Mary said, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She would have carried her off the bed andforted her but it was obvious that her brother wanted to do that.

    So Mary gave them the space that they needed but not without giving the boy onest sweet smile. While Marcel and Arianna had beenx with Penelope''s upbringing, they definitely made a man out of Honor. But with the boy around, she had no doubt Penelope would be well-behaved soon.

    The maid left and it was just the siblings in the room. Penelope was nervously fidgeting with her hands and wouldn''t look her brother in the eyes, still feeling guilty over what she had done.

    But a smile crossed his lips at thest minute and he stretched his arms towards her, "Come here."

    Without hesitation, the girl went close enough for Honor to carry her off the bed and into his arms.

    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® "You wouldn''t stop ying with me, right?" She asked, looking into his beautiful gray eyes unsure.

    "Of course! Who else would I y with if not you?" He beamed at her, crinkles forming around his eyes.

    But she was downcast the next minute, asking, "What about mommy and daddy?"

    "Oh." He said, "Don''t worry about them, they have gone to fool around again."

    "Fool around?" She asked out of curiosity.

    "Its nothing, just know that they are fine wherever they are." He grinned, keeping the knowledge all to himself.

    Honor had been five years old when their parents vanished like today and then, Aricel told him the same thing. When they eventually returned, they came with the news that they were expecting a baby. He had no idea where they went in their mysterious travels but one thing was for sure, a sibling was about to make a debut in the family once they returned.

    Honor said to Penelope, "Don''t worry, they would have a surprise for us when they''re back. Now,e, let''s go find our sister,"

    He was sure their serious and grumpy sister, Aricel, with their father''s temper was not going to appreciate theirpany. But who cares, he just liked pushing her button, Honor grinned mischievously.

 Chapter 918 Only The Future Would Tell

    ?

    "Good morning love,"

    Arianna woke up to Marcel peppering butterfly kisses on her jaw and nuzzled her neck, deeply inhaling her scent as if she was a drug that he was addicted to. Well, that was not entirely wrong. He was fucking addicted to her.

    "Morning," Arianna croaked, sleepy-eyed, and turned her back to him. They had done a lot of bonkingst night and she was sore and tired as hell. Not that the move deterred him because she could feel his hands caressing her naked body beneath the sheet, stirring up a fire that should be extinguished already.

    Unfortunately, her body was a greedy bitch and a sucker for pain. One would have thought that after giving birth to three children, their sex life would have dwindled, but the reverse was the case. This was the reason they had to get away from the children and the base.

    Sex with Marcel was always loud, dirty, and rompy and they didn''t want the children walking into something inappropriate. Moreover, just because they had children, didn''t mean they had to give up loving each other, which was why they took breaks from time to time.

    As much as the children were an integral part of the family, this was her marriage. Sooner orter, when the kids grew up, they would leave to form their respective families. Arianna wanted to have the best of her marriage while raising the children at the same time.

    Hence you could call their vacation a semi-honeymoon since they always returned home with good news in the form of pregnancy. If only Arianna knew she shouldn''t have made much effort to be discreet about their intention since the kids knew what they were up to anyway.

    Although the vacation was not only about making babies else they would have had about a dozen babies with the number of semi-vacations they''ve taken over the years. It was also an avenue for both of them to take a break from parenting duties and work.

    Marcel had left the duties to Victor and switched off his cell phone so his bitter cousin wouldn''t reach him - Victor did not want the responsibility. Heck, he hated it. That didn''t mean they were untraceable though. Just because they were having fun didn''t mean they were oblivious to the danger always lurking at the corner.

    They could never be alone, there were always their people camouging in the background and ensuring their safety. Victor could track them down if he wanted, but he had to respect their privacy and had no choice but to wait till they were back. The longest they had been away was a month and they had not decided how long they would be this time.

    Although Arianna doubted it would be longer than two weeks for Penelope''s sake. Their youngest daughter was an epitome of a spoiled princess and it was all Marcel''s fault. Bearing a significant resemnce to histe mother had made their daughter quite dear to him, which was no wonder he named her after his mother as well.

    Even at that, Marcel didn''t show preferential treatment to his children. He loved them equally and Penelope was merely enjoying the extra benefits of being the youngest in the family - until the next kides along.

    Arianna and Marcel finally came to a decision and they were going to have six of them. They had the money and time to train the children, so why not fulfill God''smandments of Increasing and multiplying and filling the earth with sons and daughters?

    Hence the next minute, Marcel was already balls deep buried inside of her, their moans and groans echoing across the room. There was nothing but pleasure and affection on her face as he made love to her.

    While Marcel had been gentle as if taking ount of their unbridled enthusiasm in bedst night and the effect on her body, he suddenly slowed down and pressed his forehead on her with his eyes closed.

    He said, "I love you, Arianna Luciano."

    Her chest swelled with warmth and Arianna reached out to sp his cheek, smiling as she said, "I love you too, Marcel Luciano."

    She then pushed her hips forward and said with lust filled voice, "Now fuck me like you mean it."

    While this gentle side of him was sweet and swoon-worthy, she was used to that primal and beastly side of Marcel in bed.

    At once, a lopsided grin split his features and he said with a dark promise in his tone,

    "As you wish, my woman."

    Her vision swarmed as she was turned abruptly and forcibly pushed up on all fours. Her hips were pulled up and all she got as a warning was a p to the ass cheek before he drove into her in one powerful stroke. He pounded in and out of her until Arianna was shaking like a leaf in winter and he had her seeing stars.

    At that moment, nothing else mattered. It was just her and Marcel. Not even the children.

    And speaking of the children...

    Aricel''s breath was out of control as she threw jabs at the punching bag in front of her and under the watchful eyes of her mentor, Luca. Uncle Victor was there as well, she could feel his intent eyes on her, studying and taking note of her footwork, and her overall performance and she did not want to fail to impress.

    At twelve-year-old, Aricel was smarter and stronger than kids her age. She had matured quickly, havinge to understand her responsibility in the family and as the future female Don of the family, she took that role seriously.

    But as a child who had grown up too quickly amid Arianna''s effort to have her enjoy her innocence till she was old enough to be bothered with adult problems, she had her insecurities. Aricel recognized the fact that she was a "female" and the first child born to a crime family.

    Strictly speaking, she should have been born a boy and her position would be solidified. But now she had a brother who was as good as her - if not better. While their father Marcel had revealed his ns into grooming her as his heir - else she wouldn''t be having this training - she couldn''t help but be threatened by her brother, Honor.

    Unlike her, Honor didn''t even have to try hard; everything came to him naturally. Humans change and who knows, her father might change his mind in the future and make him his heir instead. Fueled by her thoughts, Aricel didn''t realize that she was just riotously pounding into the bag and had lost her form long ago.

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "That''s enough!" Luca''s voice echoed across the room and she stopped at once.

    Hisrge intimidating body was hovering over her the next minute and she had to actually raise her head to meet his eyes.

    "That''s enough for today, Aricel." Luca said to her.

    "But I want more." She heaved, sweat dripping down her face and nearly getting into her eyes had she not wiped it away with the back of her hand.

    "That''s enough." He said with authority and she had to press her lips together, the protest dying off.

    And with one long look, he was out of the room.

    Uncle Victor was in her view next, and hey a hand on her shoulder, saying with concern, "Perhaps, cut down on the rage, kiddo. This is training, not a battlefield." He added, "You''re a kid, Aricel, have fun, not fight."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He left her too.

    Aricel let out a deep sigh, she hated this. She wanted to be stronger. Better. That was what Grandfather Daniel told her. Not that her parents, nor any of her rtives knew that she was inmunication with him.

    She didn''t know why they hated Daniel. Aricel wouldn''t have known that he existed if he hadn''t reached out to her first. Now, she has to keep their interaction a secret else her father Marcel ends theirmunication because of the childish feud between them - so her grandfather, Daniel said.

    Immediately, as if she summoned him, her phone beeped with a message and she pulled her phone from her pocket only to see that it was from her grandfather.

    [How was training today, Ariel?]

    That was the name he called her. Her grandfather Daniel thought "Aricel" was tacky and weird.

    [Good.]

    She typed, adding in the end, [It could have been better though. Luca cut it short. They think that I''m not ready]

    [Don''t mind anyone else, trust me alone. I know deep down that you''re ready to take over the world even, Ariel¡­.]

    "Who are you texting?"

    Aricel didn''t get to read the rest of the message because her brother caught her. She had not noticed hime in because she was distracted.

    "It''s nothing." She slide the phone back into her pocket, aware of her brother''s stare all the while. She would have to be careful around him else he burst her secret to their parents.

    "What are you doing here?" Aricel said to distract him

    "Mom and Dad went on one of their trips again. Penelope did not take the news well."

    That was when she noticed that he was piggybacking Penelope who had her tiny arms wrapped around his neck andpeered up at her from behind him, looking at her with those blue unsure eyes.

    Aricel felt guilty, she had been engrossed in her training and schooling she had neglected her baby sistertely.

    "Give her to me."

    Though she was sweaty, Aricel carried her and Penelope put up no protest. Her sister was oddly being nice, she would take her up on the offer.

    But that was not the end because her brother Honour informed her, "Also our cousins are here! Every one of them! We are going to have so much fun today!" He practically jumped up on his feet in jubtion.

    Hearing that made Aricel groan and while having her cousins over was fun, a particr one in the name of Leah liked to push her button the most and she was in no mood to back down today. Perhaps, they might spar and battle it out today, settling on who is the strongest once and for all.

    "Come on, let''s go!" Her brother was practically dragging her out of the room.

    Honor''s enthusiasm was infectious and Aricel couldn''t help but smile back at him. She loved her brother and would protect him with all of her might. She would keep her family safe.

    However, she deserved her birthright as well and only the future would determine if the both of them would stand on the same line or fight against each other.

    The End.

    ________

    And that''s the end of the story, people!

    Yeah, I know what a cliffhanger! Would Aricele to hate Honor? Would she grow up to be like Daniel with him manipting her in the background?

    If you read enough of my books, you would know I tend to end it on a cliff hanger, that way I have a plot to work with if I intend to go for a future sequel. Aside from that I like my readers to imagine their own version of the end!

    Anyway! This have been a long journey and I would like to thank some special people especially Tahassee Slim, Powy, Angel412, Maggie, Jerrilyn, Ritika, _Gz (who always want more ??), GingerAllie, Maltida etc.

    The list is so long! Some of you guys started with me from "Taming A Billionaire" while the others read this book after a rmendation. Some started and gave up halfway (I thank you too), but I appreciate the whole of you who stayed to the end! Thank you so much.

    While this is the end and not the end at the same time (God, I''m going to miss writing this book) you can join me on my new fantasy journey :- [Mated To The Cruel Prince]. Since Taken By The Mafia Lord ising to an end today, that means I have enough time to focus on it and you won''t have toin forck of chapters.

    As for those who inquire about Akim and Winter''s story, that is still a work in progress and would startter in the year. Although I would keep you informed on the progress in my new book. For more questions, you can reach me on Discord, Glimmy#2187 or my Facebook group, [Author Glimmy''s Fan page] you can also drop your questions in thement section.

    If you love this book, you can drop a review too. Thank you and have a nice day!

    Thank you for your immense support!

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!