Chapter 100 - Santiago Vitello

Have you ever wondered what happiness, shock and disbelief all felt like in a single moment? No, right?

Persephone didn't know it either. 

'Santiago Vitello.'

'Santiago Vitello.'

'Santiago Vitello.'

These two words were ringing in her head like an alarm bell. For the next few minutes, Persephone was just looking at him, stunned and perhaps so many other emotions that even she herself couldn't discern.

It wasn't everyday one could render Persephone Marino speechless... 

She didn't even know what to say or what to do or what…

She was just left bewildered…

Perhaps,'bewildered' wasn't even the right words to cover what she was feeling right now. 

"Santiago?" After what seemed like eternity, she murmured. Tears were now unconsciously trickling down her cheeks. She had no control over her emotions. 

"What's your favorite color?" She then asked him.

Now it was Santiago's turn to be bewildered. First she asked him his name, then she was asking what his favourite color was. Could this woman get any weirder? 

If she would stop making him question that she was indeed a human, she wouldn't be Persephone Marino either. 

Persephone Marino was many things but she was not a crier. She would rather curse or hit the man or worse even tolerate the humiliation inflicted on her but she would never cry. 

Crying was something she frown upon. 

Even the moment he found her naked and almost lifeless when Edward almost succeeded in assaulting her, she didn't cry. Rather, she shoved the broken beer bottle down his throat or any organ she could find to protect her virtue and her life. 

Later, when he thought she would succumb to him easily. He was badly proved wrong. Not only, she made him beg her, she also proved to him that she wasn't the one to trifle with. 

One must not forget the episode in the forest. The gunshot, large number of deaths and struggle to survive when they were on the run. Never had he ever seen her crying for the pain or traumatic incidents that she was going through. 

After experiencing so many life threatening and altering times, she was crying now when they were safe and back to his home, where he would protect her even if it meant losing his life.

"Red?" Santiago whispered when he didn't know what else to do. How could he make her stop crying? And why the hell her tears were making him want to end this goddamn world?

"Dammit! Tell me what your favorite color is?" Persephone said in between the sobs. Even when crying, she looked beautiful too. She hit his sturdy chest with her fists. 

"I don't know," Santiago looked at her helplessly. He didn't want to upset her by saying that he didn't have a favorite color." I don't know what my favorite color is. But if I ever said something related to color that ever mesmerized me it would be the color of fire." 

Persephone didn't say anything as her hand curled on the left side of her chest as if clutching to something vital to borrow the strength. She was now staring into his icy blues which were the same shade as the one which were tattooed on her mind, soul and heart… 

She was more than sure that he was her Santiago. No one would ever say the similar words other than him. 

*Flashback….* 

A little girl wearing a green frock with tiny black polka dots was sitting on the dusty floor. Her curly red hair was as untamed as ever. She seemed to have been deep in thought given how subtle her posture was. Her finger was ticking on her little forehead as she was staring at the skinny boy sitting in her front. 

"You are saying that you don't have any favorite color?"Little Persephone who no less resembled an untamed angel right now asked. How could someone not have a favorite color? 

Even she, who does not know many colors, has lots of favourite colors. But blue was her favourite-est. It was simply because her best friend had the most beautiful blue color eyes. One day she was going to draw those eyes permanently somewhere. So, even when he wasn't near her, she would still be close to him. 

Young Santiago shook his head. No, he wasn't given the privilege of choosing favourites. He has been stuck in this dungeon-like place for months. Since he stopped fighting those bad men, they had stopped binding him to the shackles. 

Since the place where he was held was situated on the compound of the people who had caught him, they didn't bother checking on him except for the time when they had to give him food or water. 

This was the reason why Persephone was able to visit him often. Although she couldn't come everyday, she tried to visit him more often. 

"You seriously have no favorite color," Persephone sighed like an adult making Santiago crack up a smile. "Oh shoot!!" Her eyes wide as saucers stared at him as if she had committed a grave sin."I brought you something." 

She hurriedly stood up and ran to the different direction where she had placed a small basket like object and when she found what she was looking for she returned back to him with the biggest possible grin possible. 

"I brought you cookies and lots of stuff," Persephone beamed. "My mama cooked all these things for me. They are my favorite." Her face now was appearing as if she was proud of something. "I even helped my mom in making these cookies." 

Instead of getting happy, Santiago's brows furrowed as if he wasn't glad with what she just said. "Did you help your mom in baking these cookies?"

Persephone proudly nodded her head.

Santiago sighed. "You shouldn't have baked the cookies. Don't you know how dangerous kitchens are? You are so small and yet you insist on doing something you should not." 

"Isn't cooking something all girls should know?" Persephone asked, genuinely confused. 

"No," Santiago clearly said. "Just because someone is doing something doesn't mean you have to do that too. Don't go inside the kitchen and put your life in danger if you don't want to."

Persephone nodded head. Truth be told, she hatted the kitchen the most. But it was because her mom was baking Santiago's favourite Hazelnut cookies, she offered to help. 

"But I can feed you right?" Persephone asked him. 

Looking at his dirty hands, he had no choice but to nod. 

Once again, the little angel beamed at him, relishing the joy in feeding the person she loved the most in the world. She loved him as much as she loved Big Bro Lucien and her mama. 

"I think I know what my favorite color is,"Santiago whispered when she was diligently feeding him the cookies. 

"Really?"Little Persephone asked him excitedly. 

Santiago nodded. " The color of you is my favorite, Percy."

Persephone blinked her eyes as she didn't understand what he said. But since it was him who was saying such a thing, he must be right and she was dumb enough not to understand it. 

"You came to my life like a fire igniting my dark color with your flames," Santiago said. "Your are fire, Percy. My personal fire and your color, you scent and everything related to you is my favorite and nothing else." 

….End of flashback…. 

'He is my Santiago,'Persephone shouted in her head. She wanted everyone to look at him and say that she was not crazy enough to hallucinate a man in her head. He was real, very much real. And he was alive. She didn't know how but all she knew was that he was her Santiago… 

Even if the world says otherwise, she wouldn't agree. She knew that this man was him. She just knew it. Don't ask her how or why or what...just don't ask her anything.

Before Persephone could say anything, a foreign and masculine voice was heard.

"Vittelo?" Persephone veered around to find a man dressed in white doctor's coat. He seemed to be in his forties and it seemed like he came out of this haunted mansion. 

"Ryan," Santiago called out his name in greeting.

"Is she ready?" Ryan asked him directly. 

Santiago just nodded and Persephone looked at him in confusion. 

She knew they were talking about her. But what were they actually talking about? 

"Go inside, Persephone," Santiago said. His voice back to hard and impenetrable. 

She had so much to say to her but here he was giving her his tsundere attitude?!

Was this how he had imagined meeting her after rising from ashes? 

Whatever! She would wait for him to say everything she had to say to her. 

Perhaps, she didn't realize that it would be the last time that she would be seeing him. 

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END OF VOLUME ONE... 

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VOLUME TWO START WITH A SMALL LEAP AMD LOTS OF MYSTERIES!!

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This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading 'The Villain ' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).