“David,” I whispered to myself. “Sienna’s driver.”
What was he doing here? Wasn’t he one of Nicolas’ men? He was the reason they successfully captured me earlier.
“You…! Aren’t you a new recruit for Nicolas?” Mariana shouted at the man.
“Yup! Nicolas’ first mission to test my loyalty to him was the successful capture of Ma’am Millie, so I infiltrated Miss Sienna’s house as a driver. What you didn’t know is that it was all Sir Gio’s plan. He was the one directing me on what to do, from entering the Belleza residence to the capture of Ma’am Millie,” the driver explained, taking a deep breath. “Sir Gio was looking for the traitor. Even though he had a hunch about who it was, he wanted to catch her in the act. The problem was, you weren’t showing yourself to Nicolas’ men, were you? Whenever you were at the hideout, the two of you were alone in a private area. I couldn’t report to Sir Gio whether you were the traitor or not.”
Though I couldn’t see Mariana, I knew she was furious because of Gio’s elaborate plan. Even I was in awe; I never saw this coming.
“Before I left for Italy, I set everything up. Taddeo was supposed to go to Italy to talk to the Di Girolamo, but I thought I would have more leverage if you believed I was out of the country, right? Plus, our family’s high-ranking officials had a meeting. For you, it was the perfect opportunity to execute your plan. Little did you know, you were all playing into my hands,” Gio declared.
Gio signaled his other men, and they immediately approached the wounded Mariana.
“I never expected that, after the kindness we showed you, Mariana, you would turn against us all. We had our reasons for what we did to your real parents, that’s a given, but your parents were also at fault. We were just seeking retribution. Now, if you’re not grateful for everything we’ve done for you, I can’t save you anymore,” Gio said as he dragged Mariana away. It seemed they were taking her to some place where she would be detained. Mariana was shouting, but Gio no longer paid any attention to her.
“Don’t kill her; there are things I still need to know from her. Detain her for now, and make sure she can’t escape. Don’t feed her; let her starve,” Gio ordered.
“Gio…”
Was I hearing this correctly? Gio was letting Mariana starve? I mean, they still had a history together.
“I don’t have remorse or compassion for those who betray my trust and choose to turn their backs on me. You’ll regret that you chose to abandon me rather than serve me wholeheartedly. You seek justice, you say?” Gio stared at Mariana. I could see Mariana’s outbursts coming to a sudden halt, as if she had seen something terrifying. “I will show you my own version of justice, then, Mariana. I will remind you why everyone thought I was heartless. If you think I will spare you or be considerate because we shared a past, you abandoned all of that the moment you betrayed me.”
Gio wasn’t addressing me, but I felt like I might wet myself from anxiety. I had never seen Gio like this. The last time I was afraid of him was when he killed his own men for allowing me to enter the meeting room.
“So, while you have time, you should plead to anyone you think will help you because no one can save you from me. You will die in agony, and I will make sure it’s the most excruciating death possible.”
After Gio spoke those words, they pulled Mariana away. They didn’t even bother to tend to her wounds. They let her shoulder continue to bleed, and there was still a bullet lodged in it.
I was left speechless, once again, as Mariana disappeared. I still couldn’t believe she was alive! I had truly believed… I had believed…
I couldn’t control myself; I ran over to Dario and immediately hugged him. I knew he was surprised by my action because his body stiffened.
“Oh my god! You’re alive! I thought you were gone!” Tears welled up in my eyes, enough to convey my relief that she was alive.
I could hear someone coughing beside us, but I paid no attention.
“Yes, Ma’am. I’m still alive, but Sir Gio might decide to kill me later if you don’t release me,” Dario said.
As soon as she said that, I quickly let go of our embrace, feeling a little embarrassed, as Gio was right there. I absentmindedly scratched my neck, momentarily forgetting about my jealous husband.
“Prepare the car,” Gio instructed his men.
I tilted my head, wondering where he was going now. Gio glanced at me and extended his hand. “Let’s go, Millie.”
I looked at Gio innocently. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
Even when we were in the car, I had no idea where we were heading. We arrived at a large building, and I read the sign: Locatelli Biopharma? This was their pharmaceutical company, right?
We got out of the car. In the next car were Gio’s three men: Dario, Elliott, and David, the Belleza spy and former driver for Sienna. The three of them followed us into the parking lift.
Gio picked up his phone when it rang. “We’re here.”
I tilted my head again, trying to figure out who he was talking to. The conversation was brief, just enough for Gio to hang up and for the elevator door to open.
Gio’s three men greeted someone, and I was surprised when I saw one of Gio’s cousins. He was wearing a laboratory gown, and I could barely recognize him.
“Raffaele,” Gio greeted his cousin. Raffaele smiled and looked at me. I smiled back and greeted him with a nod.
We walked, and Raffaele led the way. Gio and Raffaele had a conversation I couldn’t quite understand.
“So, you decided to visit?” Raffaele asked, glancing at me and then returning his gaze to Gio.
Gio just nodded in response. What were we here to visit?
Raffaele chuckled softly. “The job you gave me is exhausting, you know? I haven’t slept in days. My wife misses me because I’m rarely home. I need a reward for that. You need to give me a month-long vacation, Gio. I need to spend time with my family. My eyebags are about to burst.”
I smiled at Raffaele’s words. He was indeed the funny one among the cousins, but I had also seen his serious side. You wouldn’t want to be on his bad side either.
“Granted,” Gio said with a hint of reluctance.
Raffaele stopped in his tracks and looked at Gio, clearly surprised. I couldn’t help but study his appearance now. He looked like a scientist! Then again, Raffaele was a Chemical Engineer.
“Really?” Raffaele asked in amazement.
“Yes, just let me know when, so we can appoint an acting CEO and director for Locatelli Biopharma and the hospital,” Gio replied.
Raffaele licked his lips, clearly delighted by what he had just heard.
“Okay! Noted.”
“You did a great job, Raffaele. You deserve the break,” Gio complimented.