Chapter 113 - Familiar Blue Eyes

Alessandro Marino has given her an ultimatum. Either marry Nico within this week or lose her father!

Sometimes, Persephone wondered if her father even cared about her or these were just the lies that she was feeding herself. When she was ill, he personally looked after her. From her doctor's appointment to her meals, everything was arranged by her papa. But now that she had asked him something for her. He refused to even hear her side of the story. 

She didn't want to marry Nico. Why the hell was it so difficult for all of them to agree? And what kind of bullshit was this that the marriage was for her own welfare. Like hell it was. 

Even she knew that this marriage was a big mistake but only if her father would listen to her. 

If she was even half as brave as Emma, she would have eloped too. Then again, she was Persephone Marino, even if she eloped, she would be dragged back to this underground. 

Now, she understood why her mom named her Persephone. She was as pitiful as the goddess of Spring. Hell no, the goddess of spring had a great destiny as she met the king of the underworld and became his queen. But she? She was forced to become Nico's bride!! How tragic!!! 

"Miss Marino we might be delayed for several minutes," Her driver-slash bodyguard said with a frown. " The traffic is worse than we initially thought." 

Persephone didn't immediately respond to Kale, her bodyguard, rather her gaze shifted to outside of the car window as she laid her head against the window and heaved out a sigh. She had never been more thankful for New York's traffic than this particular moment. Her eyes abruptly shut down as she once again recalled why her bodyguard was under stress. 

They were visiting the Scuderi mansion today as per Ginevra's invitation. She wanted to decline as she knew her papa would never allow her to go outside the mansion but she found herself surprised when he said yes. Well, she was going to her in-laws' house and he didn't find any reason for saying no. 

Outside the window, her gaze fell on the name 'Allison's Paradise'. It was a cafe but it was adorned in such a cute way that she found herself drawn to it. 

"Kale, we are visiting the cafe," Persephone said, pointing in the direction of the cafe. 

"I don't think it's a good idea, Miss Marino," the bodyguard said without hesitation. 

Understanding the game, her bodyguard was playing. She understood that it must be her father's order not to stop anywhere in the route. 

"Kale, I am feeling dizzy."

"I...I want to puke."

Persephone held her head as if she was dying. 

"Miss Marino! Do you want to take a rest?!" The bodyguard was anxious seeing her condition. He drove a little and then parked the car. When she was inside the restaurant, she shouted at Kale. 

"I want to drink something lemony."

Seeing her excited, Kale understood that he had once been played by her. But what could he do right now? He just sighed and once again fell silent. 

When she noticed that Kale was buying drinks for her, she found that on her left, different kinds of desserts were on show. She didn't know why she was behaving like a kid seeing these desserts. She so badly wanted to eat all of them. 

Ah, she wanted all of them. She didn't like desserts this much before. But today, she found herself salivating for them. 

Forgetting that she had sent Kale to buy drinks for her, she sprinted towards the desserts. 'Ah, I want all of them. '

"Santiago!"

"Santiago!"

"Stop Santiago!"

Persephone's body froze all of a sudden when she heard a woman calling this name. She didn't know what happened to her but her legs felt wobbly, her eyes turned glossy and her stomach...it felt weird but not sick. 

"Listen to mama, Santiago!" 

She turned around to find a child sprinting towards her. Well, not towards her but the desserts just like her. And a tall and pretty woman who was probably in her late twenties trying to catch him. It seemed like she was this kid's mom. It really was a hard job raising children. 

"Mama, I want this. This. This and this." The boy was dressed in an army-printed shirt and denim. "Oh! I want this too. Mama! Uncle Cam said he will buy all the things I want! I'm so excited to meet him"

"Baby, we will choose something else. I will also buy you things if you listen to mama."

"But mama I want to eat desserts!"

"Baby, I will make yummy desserts for you."

"But I want these!"

"Baby, you know that you can't!"

"Why mom?!"

"Hey?!" Persephone said with a smile as she kneeled on the floor to be on an equal level. She thrust the container in his hand and said. "This is for you."

The Kid's mom was about to say something when Persephone said. "It's sugar-free if that's what you are worried about." She pointed towards the particular dessert container where it was clearly written that it's completely sugar-free. 

"Valencia," The kid's mom said. 

Persephone looked at her in confusion as to what she was saying. 

"My mom's name," The kid who was busy munching on the dessert said. Seeing that the pretty lady had bought him his favorite dessert, he kindly offered the information. "My Nana loved Spain. So, she named Mama Valencia because Nana was born in Valencia and me, Santiago because she met Poppy in Santiago, right mama?"

Valencia sighed when she saw how kindly her son was giving information to a stranger. However, seeing her son's earnest gaze, she just nodded. 

Noticing Valencia's attitude, Persephone realized where she was wrong. "I'm sorry." She should have at least asked the kid's mom first. "I should have--"

"It's okay," Valencia smiled in return. "It's just that they didn't sell sugar-free sweets before. So, I was troubled. But thank you." 

"Oh please don't say thank you," Persephone quickly said. "It's just that I found myself immune to his puppy eyes." She once again looked at the boy who was looking as if he had found all the joy in the world in that plate dessert. It wasn't his innocent face that she found herself immune to, but his beautiful pale blue eyes that were about to tear up.

Why were those eyes so familiar? 

And why did she find herself mesmerized by them? 

Persephone glanced at Valencia and then quickly averted her eyes. His mother had brown eyes. He must have inherited them from his father. 

"So, you are from New York?" Valencia asked her. Now they were seated at a table and enjoying each other's company. She was waiting for her brother and Persephone was looking for a company to forget all her problems. And little Santiago was more than enough. 

Persephone nodded. "What about you?"

The twinkle in Valencia's dimmed. "We moved here from Boston when I was offered a job here. Truth be told, I was reluctant to leave the place where I spent all my childhood and youth but then my only family, my little brother, was offered a full scholarship to NYU for his course. I guess it was God's will. And so came here, thinking it was best for the three of us." 

"What about Santiago's dad?" Before Persephone could stop, the words escaped her mouth. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy." 

"I get it," Valencia smiled but her smile was an attempt to stop herself from crying. 

When little Santiago heard that they were talking about his father. He looked up at the pretty lady and said in a voice that showed how proud he was at this moment. "My dad used to protect our country from all the bad guys. He was so brave. He carried a gun and wore an awesome uniform. Mama said he was so courageous and I must be like him in the future. And you know, now he is in another world called heaven. I told Mama that dad is saving all the angels from the baddies there too. Isn't my dad really awesome?"

Persephone found her eyes tearing up but she managed to nod her head in the end. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "And you are awesome too. I have never seen a man so brave and beautiful before." 

Santiago blushed and shied away from her loving gaze. 

"Do you have a boyfriend, Percy?"Santiago asked while blushing. 

Valencia was amused. She had never seen her chatterbox of a son so shy before.

" Umm..No." 

"Great," Santiago said, a little excited. "Then, can I be your boyfriend? Pretty please." 

"I never had a boyfriend before," Persephone said. "So, sure. If I have such a brave and handsome boyfriend, I will be so glad." 

"Great," Santiago beamed.. Looking at his mother, he said, "Mom, she said she will be my girlfriend."