Several minutes had passed since Gio left, but I remained at the door where they exited. I was concerned, but I knew they could handle it. Nicolas had been captured, so why couldn’t I shake off this unease?
Would everything be resolved if Nicolas disappeared? Would we finally find peace and happiness? However, Gio still had many adversaries, right? Nicolas and the Belleza were just one of their enemies. There were others waiting on the sidelines, ready to act when they deemed it the perfect time.
I stayed there with Sienna, lost in thought with a heavy mind.
Eventually, we also said our goodbyes to my sister when it was time to head home. We had been here for hours, and it was getting dark.
“Dario…”
Apart from our driver, Patrick, Dario was the only one with me in the car. The other guards were in a separate vehicle following us.
“Yes, Ma’am?” he inquired.
“Do you think our lives will finally become peaceful if Nicolas Belleza is captured now?” I knew it was a foolish question, but I just wanted to hear Dario’s opinion on the matter.
I noticed his glance in the rear-view mirror, checking on me. Patrick coughed, perhaps feeling uncomfortable with my question.
“To be honest, Ma’am,” he replied casually, “no. As long as you’re part of the Locatelli family and Sir Gio is the boss, your lives will never be peaceful.”
I bit my lip. I had expected this, but it was different to hear it from someone. I had hoped for a different response, even if it was just a glimmer of hope.
How long would we be like this? Compared to before, I had become braver, but if I continued to face these life-threatening situations repeatedly, I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on. I might lose myself.
The thought of having a child suddenly crossed my mind. Now, I understand Gio so much better, why he used to avoid having children, because of situations like this. The stress, the threats. Maybe if I were pregnant and all of this happened, I might also risk losing my baby. So, in a way, I’m thankful that I don’t have children yet. It made me rethink what I wanted in life with this man. I started questioning whether I still wanted to have children now. Sure, I still want them, but is now the right time? Even if Nicolas is caught and dealt with, how can we be certain this will be our only problem?
Upon returning home, I went straight to the bedroom. I rested for a moment and took a quick shower. I collapsed onto the bed because it felt like now was the first time I could truly rest. The exhaustion from the past had finally caught up with me.
When Gio returned, I asked him about Nicolas. He told me that he had Nicolas in his custody, but he didn’t want to discuss it much.
As he removed his coat, I noticed a few bloodstains on Gio’s clothing. I stood up and approached him, staring at the blood on his clothes. My eyes widened as I looked up at him.
“Not my blood, Millie,” he said in response. “It’s Belleza’s.”
“What did you do to him? Did you kill him?”
“Not yet, Millie. There are things I need to know from him before I kill him,” he explained. He approached me to kiss me, but it suddenly stopped in the middle of his intention. “I need to shower. Don’t want to kiss you with blood all over me.”
He walked past me and entered the bathroom, leaving me standing there in a daze. I wanted to know what was happening, but Gio didn’t want to tell me. Perhaps he knew I would only worry more.
~*~
In the morning, I had breakfast alone. Gio had gone back to work early today and couldn’t join me. There must have been a lot to attend to.
I knew that Mariana and Nicolas were still alive, but Gio was inflicting suffering on both of them. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of torment Gio was subjecting them to. I didn’t want to imagine it. I recalled what I said to Gio last night, urging him not to harm Mariana if possible. I still had sympathy for her because we had a history, and I couldn’t forget what Gio had told me.
“She has the guts to betray me. I believe she has the valor to receive the punishment for betraying me.”
I sighed. No matter who you are to him, whether you have a history or not, if you break Gio’s trust, he won’t show any mercy.
“Ma’am!”
Alicia approached me, and I looked at her as I sipped my coffee.
“What’s wrong, Alicia?” She looked flustered while holding the newspaper. I raised an eyebrow, not understanding her expression.
She showed me the newspaper, and I was initially puzzled why she had taken it. I read what she was trying to show me and saw that it was an obituary. I recognized the name of Marion’s mother.
My eyes widened in shock as I read Aunt Matilda’s name in the obituary. I stood up in surprise. Aunt Matilda had passed away? When did this happen? I thought her condition had improved.
Marion and I hadn’t spoken since Gio and I had sorted out our relationship. Besides not wanting Gio to become jealous, I also didn’t want Marion to think I had any romantic interest in him. I had no idea that his mother had passed away.
I tried to call Marion. I was genuinely concerned about him. His mother was the last family he had after losing everything and his father. Now, she was gone too.
I called Marion several times, but there was no answer. I checked the obituary for more details and learned that Aunt had a heart attack and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
I tried calling Marion again, but he still didn’t pick up his phone. I worried about him, as he didn’t have many relatives in New York. Most of them had already migrated to other countries. Furthermore, I wasn’t sure if he had enough money to cover all the expenses now.
The news weighed heavily on my mind, and I lost my appetite.