Gio took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m here because I want to prove myself to you. In the past months we were apart, I’ve had a lot of realizations. I’ve accepted all my mistakes, and I’m ready to change everything. I’ve been battling with myself for the past months, but I’m done with that now. I know what I want, Millie. I’d rather die with you than live a life without you.”
My eyes widened in astonishment at what Gio had just said. He gazed at me as if studying my reaction to his words. Gio smiled at me, a smile that seemed to dispel my fears.
“So, take your time to heal, Millie. We have plenty of time, and I’ll be waiting here. While you’re sorting everything out, I know there are things I need to work on as well. Let’s fix ourselves first, and then we can talk again. We can take it slow, Millie.”
I felt a sense of relief at Gio’s words. I took a deep breath and nodded at him. The pressure to make a quick decision about our relationship with Gio had lifted.
“You were saying you’re hurt or something, but I never see you cry,” I said, with a hint of playfulness.
“I may not seem like it, but our situation is tearing me apart, Millie. I’m not crying, but my heart is bleeding to death.”
I bit my lower lip and refrained from glancing in his direction.
“But I know I deserved that, so I am not complaining. I’ll just wait for you, Millie.”
Gio and I remained seated on the sand, gazing out at the sea. The sunrise began to make its presence known. We sat silently, content just to be beside each other.
Suddenly, I remembered the situation with Arcel. Now that he knew I didn’t really have amnesia, it might be better to tell him. I didn’t know if Gio would believe me, but… I hoped.
I called Gio’s name, and he turned to look at me. He raised an eyebrow upon noticing my intent gaze.
“Hmm?” He waited for me to continue, but I felt hesitant. I feared for what might happen to his family when Gio found out about Arcel.
I bit my lip, still unsure about whether to reveal the truth to him. Ultimately, I decided to do so. It was better for Gio to know before it was too late.
“Would you believe me if I told you one of your cousins might be a traitor?” Gio furrowed his brow, indicating his initial doubt in my statement. I knew he had a close relationship with his cousins, and he trusted them. Many of those close to him had already betrayed him, and he would be hurt if he learned the truth about Arcel.
“Why?” Gio asked me.
I swallowed before continuing with my plan to tell him. “I saw one of your cousins collaborating with Marion.”
Gio’s gaze darkened as he looked at me. I shuddered, even though I knew it wasn’t directed at me.
Gio’s hand clenched. “Who?”
I took a deep breath before proceeding. “Arcel.”
I could clearly see how Gio’s breathing grew heavy with my revelation. If his expression had been dark before, it was even more so now.
~***~
“Is he here today?” Gio asked, clearly perplexed.
“I saw him talking to Marion. Believe it or not, Marion and I are in contact. I’m trying to locate his hideout so that we can ultimately remove him from our lives. I’m pretending to have amnesia and attempting your life.”
Gio raised an eyebrow, but his expression remained unchanged. I took a deep breath and looked into the void. I guess he didn’t believe me.
“I’ll have someone investigate Arcel,” Gio said.
I didn’t know if I could breathe easier after he said that, but I knew he would find a way to make it happen.
“What will you do if it’s proven that he’s a traitor?” I asked, somewhat nervous.
Gio clenched his jaw before looking at me.
“He knows our rules. If Arcel is indeed a traitor, he knows what will happen to him the moment he betrays the family.”
I chose to remain silent when Nicolas crossed my mind.
“Is it Nicolas? What happened to him? Are they trying to find him?”
A small smile appeared on Gio’s face. His eyes assured me not to dwell on that.
“If they manage to uncover Nicolas alive, be my guest.”
“What… do you mean?” Mariana is dead, and I killed her. I wondered about Nicolas.
“I buried him alive, six feet under the ground. If they find Nicolas alive and not feasted upon by worms, then good for them.”
My jaw dropped at his words. He buried Nicolas alive?
“Why would you do that?”
“I am a busy man. I don’t have time to torture him, so I just buried him alive.”
That’s not what I meant, though. Nicolas is a minor issue now compared to Marion. I need to think about Marion.
“I want you to stop meeting Marion; it’s dangerous.”
“No!” I shouted at him. “Gianna and I have a plan.”
“And where’s Gia right now? I’ve imprisoned her. You won’t be able to speak to her, and your plan won’t work. So, listen to me, Millie.” He took a deep breath. He was calm now, and all the darkness in his expression I saw earlier was gone. “I will protect you, alright? As long as I’m alive, I’ll keep you safe. I know you can defend yourself, sweetheart, but it’s also my duty as your husband to ensure your safety. Besides, I need to prove to myself that I’m worthy of your acceptance once more.”
I wanted to keep my mouth shut because I could see in Gio’s eyes that he wouldn’t back down on this, but…”Why did you imprison your sister? Where did you lock her up?” I asked.
“Just a little punishment for defying me. She saw you, but she didn’t tell me, and she concealed you from me. She sent you to this place with that mission involving Huff. She knew very well that you could be in danger, but she still went ahead with her plan.”
“Gianna did the right thing. I’m grateful to her. I was able to pull myself together after you shattered me.” I gave him a meaningful look, though it was meant partly in jest. Gio’s shoulders slumped.
“I’ll take care of Marion. My men are working on it, Millie. Let me handle it.”
I remained silent after that and gazed out at the ocean. The surroundings were brightening as the sun began to rise. I hadn’t realized Gio and I had been here for so long.
“Do you love living here, Millie? Are you happy here?” Gio asked me.