Gio greeted me with his piercing eyes, as if the words written on the paper I held reflected in them. My heart raced even faster, and despite my attempts to avoid it, I couldn’t keep from meeting his gaze.
“Gio seems sad, Teacher. Are you mad at him?”
I pursed my lips, unsure of what to say to them. Should I speak up, or would it be better to remain silent?
Gio cleared his throat. “Kids, we shouldn’t bother your teacher. She looks busy. How about we play a game instead?”
The children cheered, and Gio quickly grabbed their attention. He offered a reserved smile to the kids once more.
I swallowed hard as I continued to watch him. He also looked at me and gave a sad smile.
I went outside to catch my breath after the children left. It felt like I couldn’t breathe properly for a while now.
“Sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to give that to you just now, but one of your students snatched it from me,” I felt Gio next to me. I resisted the urge to look at him. “I don’t want you to think I’m using the kids just to get your forgiveness.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I already told you I don’t remember anything, right? Whatever you did to me back then, I don’t recall.” I took a deep breath, trying to control the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. “Are you taking advantage of my situation? Because I have amnesia, you think I’d quickly forgive whatever you did to me?”
“No,” Gio shook his head. I could see the sorrow in his eyes. “In reality, I’d prefer it if you remembered, so I can accept whatever punishment I deserve from you. I’d rather you didn’t forget me, Millie. So if you think I’m taking advantage of your memory loss? You’re wrong.”
A lump seemed to form in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to respond to him. I looked away and gazed at the beach for a moment.
“I’ll go first.” Unable to bear what I was feeling, I said goodbye to Gio. I didn’t wait for him to say anything and quickly went inside the house. I held onto my chest, trying to calm myself.
‘Can you wait, please? Don’t show weakness to him right now. I need to continue this charade. It’s also for you and him… for your safety. Besides, I have to make sure that this time, Marion won’t let go,’ I thought to myself behind closed doors.
I didn’t leave the house, so I had no idea what Gio might be doing.
The next day, Marion’s men picked me up early. They took me far from the town. I was prepared, with everything I could possibly need in case something urgent happened today.
I waited for Marion’s arrival in the dining area after they announced that he had arrived.
I pretended to be delighted to see him. Marion also smiled at me. It was once again apparent how many people surrounded him, all of them seemingly terrified for his life.
“Is Gio Locatelli still around?” he asked me as we dined.
“Yes, he’s not leaving and he’s been bothering me. Just as you said, I don’t believe what he says. He’s a bad person and can’t be trusted,” I told him.
He looked pleased. He smiled at me and nodded. “I still can’t believe you attempted to take his life. Maybe you’re the dangerous one.”
“Even though I’ve forgotten my memories, it seems that one thing remains in my mind-that I can fight. When I saw him, my body moved automatically, as if I saw the threat right in front of me. So, even if unexpected, I attempted to take his life,” I breathed, seemingly disappointed. “However, it’s not that easy. At first, he didn’t fight back, but… he can’t deny that he can stop me.”
“Of course, your husband is not an easy prey. Just be careful. If you get the chance, strike him. Just let me know if I can help,” Marion advised.
My ears seemed to perk up at his words. I forced a smile and shook my head. “I can handle this. I’ll take care of him.”
Marion and I discussed a few more things. I learned that this wasn’t the exact place where he lived. I almost showed my irritation. He didn’t lower his guard, not even with me. I couldn’t act alone, especially since I couldn’t contact Gianna at the moment. I would have to continue the pretense.
“Sir, your advisor is here.”
Marion’s expression changed. It was noticeable, as if a sigh of relief washed over his face, as if he felt safe with whoever had arrived.
“Sorry, Millie…”
“Tasha,” I correct him again, so my act seems more believable.
Marion just smiled at me. “I’ll arrange for you to be taken back. Update me again next time. Hopefully, we can finally get rid of Gio Locatelli and get back to our old lives.”
I smiled back at him and nodded.
He composed himself and left the table, while I waited for those who would take me home.
“I need to go to the restroom.”
I was shown the way to the restroom. Once there, I realized no one was following me, so I chose a different path. Whenever I spotted cameras, I quickly averted my path.
“Good thing, you came,” I heard Marion’s voice. I hurried towards the source of the voice. There were no doors to block the way to the room they were in, so I could hear them. I just hid to avoid being seen.
“Of course, you needed me. You mentioned that Gio is here. Do you want my advice about him? Are you planning to take him down now? I can provide you with a calculated plan,” a voice said. The voice sounded familiar to me. Where had I heard it before?
“Oh, someone’s already taking care of it – Gio’s wife. You know her, right? She has amnesia, so I’ll let her torment Gio for a while. It’s more entertaining this way, seeing Gio targeted by the person he loves most. Furthermore, I only targeted Millie because she’s the reason for Gio’s downfall. Now that the situation is like this, I don’t have any plans to kill her. We have a history together. I’d prefer to see Gio meet his end at the hands of his own wife.”
“Millie, huh? I heard the news that she has amnesia due to an accident with her father. I didn’t expect her to be here. I see, that’s actually entertaining to watch,” the other voice responded.
I peeked at their location. I could see Marion, but I hadn’t yet identified the man he was speaking with, so I adjusted my position.
“There’s something I’d like to discuss,” Marion said.
I grinned to myself as I could now see the person Marion was talking to. However, my smile quickly vanished when I realized who it was. I rarely saw him, and he was hardly ever seen. What was he doing here, seemingly collaborating with Marion?
My whole body trembled as I laid my eyes on the man, still unable to believe it. It was Arcel. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake. Arcel Locatelli was the person I saw! What was he doing here? Was he on Marion’s side? But he was Gio’s cousin and Taddeo’s brother! Was he betraying his own family?
“Ma’am, are you done?” I was startled when I encountered the guards.
“Yes, I’m leaving.” I composed myself, though I was still trembling. The chilling way Arcel looked at me earlier had left an indelible impression, like he’s a monster you never want to encounter again.
I placed my hand on my chest. My heartbeat was racing, not only because of the unsettling impression Arcel had left on me, but also because I couldn’t believe he was Marion’s advisor!
Should I tell Gio about this? It might be better to talk to Gianna first before taking any action and informing them that one of their cousins is betraying them.