Chapter 116 - The Truth

"Sophia, please tell me the truth!"

Sophia had just helped her sister change into different clothes when she heard her requesting her to tell the truth. From the looks on Persephone's face, it was clear that she wanted to hear the truth or she wouldn't sit still. However, she wasn't sure if she should tell her sister the truth or not. After all, her emotions had been quite unstable these days. 

As if Persephone could hear the doubts running in Sophia's head, she said, "Or even think I am not mentally stable enough to bear the truth." 

Sophia's eyes widened but she clearly refused. "You are not mentally unstable. Emotionally, yes. But you are strong, Percy. I know this.

Hearing her, Persephone sarcastically laughed," If you do, then why don't you tell me the truth? Come on Sopha, don't let me live in darkness. I don't even know who my ally or enemy is. Please, Sophia."

Sophia looked at her once again and sighed. She knew that there was no way to stop this. It was inevitable. Even if she didn't tell her sister, she wouldn't calm down until she hears what she wanted to. 

Thus, Sophia narrated the story of what happened around two months ago. She informed her how her and Nico's wedding was fixed. But when it was time to bring her to the altar, the church where Salvatore married Isabelle was attacked by a mysterious group of kidnappers. And this was how she was kidnapped. 

And almost a month later, their father and his men brought her back. But when she woke up, she didn't remember the major events of her life. Her memories were muddled up. She didn't even remember many things about herself. 

"So, the woman I was pitying all along was no one else but me?" Persephone asked, her voice dripping with self-mockery. She closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling down. Why was she even crying? 

Sophia nodded. "I'm sorry, Percy. Papa forbade everyone to talk about this incident at all. We never want to keep you in the dark. But we thought that it was for the better." 

Persephone smiled painfully. "I understand." She paused for a moment, before asking helplessly, "Soph, did he at least love me? Does my papa care for me?"

Sophia hesitated before shaking her head as she said, "Percy, our father values his organization more than anything else in the world. We have long gotten used to the fact that we are just bargaining chips for him. Nothing else."

Persephone didn't know what to do or say to her, she just kept staring blankly at Sophia's face, truly helpless and broken. Why did she want her father's love and acceptance? 

"How did Lucien die?"asked Persephone. 

Sophia looked at her in shock before asking, " You remember big bro?" There was a look of hope on her face when she heard Lucien's name. However, it disappeared instantly when Persephone shook her head. 

"Lucien died in an accident. Or this was what everyone talks about. Oops, sorry! No one talks about him at all. It's like big bro's topic is forbidden in our family," Sophia informed her. "I never understand until now why no one mentions big bro at all. When we were young, I remember I asked mom why we can't go to pay respect to bro's grave! That was the day when mom scolded me for the first time. She asked me never to mention his name at all. And I was so scared by that incident that I never asked about him." 

What surprised Sophia was how the trace of Lucien was removed from the house. Not even a picture of his was found anywhere. Now nobody remembers what he even looked like. Except for the fact that he had green eyes, but so do all Marino kids. 

"Don't you find it weird?" Persephone asked her. 

Sophia smiled. "Even if we do, then what? It's not like we can change anything at all." 

Persephone and Sophia sat in silence for a while. Nobody said anything but inside their hearts, a loudness was tormenting them. The kind of loudness was asking several kinds of questions that had no answers.

"Soph?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you hiding something from me?" Persephone asked, meeting her eyes. 

Sophia swallowed before shaking her head. She didn't tell her sister about those bloody sheets. She didn't even know how to say that. She didn't want to dump the painful content of information on her. 

Even if she did tell her, it would only bring her pain and nothing else. So, she would wait for her to become more emotionally stable. 

… 

It had been three days since Persephone had returned from Nico's house. Nobody found any difference in her except for the fact that she had been unusually quiet. But they didn't think much about it as before her amnesia, she used to be quiet too. 

It was only Sophia, who felt like Persephone's silence was like a ticking bomb. 

And she wasn't wrong either. Persephone was withering inside. If she wasn't saved, she would soon succumb to depression and uncertainty. 

Self-blaming is worse than a disease. And Persephone was doing this to her. She was thinking that there must be something wrong in her to experience such fate. 

"Tomorrow, you will go with Nico. He had asked me if he could take you with him to a friend's party. I want you to be on your best behavior," Dan Marino said. 

Persephone was biting bread crumbs while staring at the plate blankly. So, she didn't hear anything her father said. 

"Percy?!"

"Yeah?" She looked up. 

"I said you will have to accompany him tomorrow," Alessandro said to his daughter with narrowed eyes. 

"Accompany? Who and where?" Persephone questioned him. 

"Where is your concentration, Percy?" Don Marino put his cutlery on the table and turned to look at her. "I have been talking to you for a while but you didn't hear me at all." 

"I'm sorry, Papa," Persephone murmured. "You will be accompanying Nico tomorrow to a party. Sophia will help you in getting ready and Nico will pick you up." 

What could Persephone do other than nodding her head obediently? 

"And you are attending with Isabelle?" Alessandro asked his son. 

"Yes, Papa," Salvatore replied, throwing a look at his wife. 

… 

At midnight, Persephone woke up with a jerk as nightmares dominated her. Panting, she switched on the light and leaned against the bed surface. 

Since she was feeling suffocating inside the room, she thought of going out for fresh air. 

However, when she was descending the stairs, she heard voices from her papa's study. She didn't know what took over her, but she found herself walking in that direction. 

"How can you not find him?!!" Her papa was shouting at someone on the phone. 

"I don't care what you do to find him? But I want Lorenzo as soon as possible! Do you get it?!"

"Lorenzo?" Persephone murmured the name. Suddenly, a memory clicked in her head."Wasn't Lorenzo 'Uncle Enzo' who killed my Mama? But what is papa talking about? Did he not kill him for avenging my Mama?"

"Don Marino, we can ask for the Police's help. If they assist us, it will be easier to locate him," the man said on the phone said. Persephone stood there rooted when she heard it. 

"Are you kidding me? He has been dead in the government's records for years. What would happen if they got wind that we faked his death and he is alive? Don't you forget he was one of the most wanted criminals? No matter, how many of our men work in the department, there will always be some officers loyal to the government. I can't take that risk with him. I need him safe and sound." 

"Then, how will we look for him? And what would happen if he gets caught now? He is a liability now," the other man sighed. 

"That fucker is not a liability but a ticking bomb. If he opened his mouth as to how he killed Penelope and Lucien on my orders, my throne, my organization, and my everything will be snatched from me. Don't forget there are rules of the 'Famiglia' that even I have to abide by."

To say Persephone was shocked after hearing the sudden revelation would be a lie. It was a doubt coming true. Still, her legs were trembling badly but she made sure to leave no traces while returning to her room. 

It was only when she was in the safety of her room, she let herself shriek! 

Suddenly, the realization hit her. 

She was going to die. 

Her papa will kill her. 

And not even Nico could save her. 

Not just Nico, but no hero or knight in shining armor would come to take her away from this haunted place. 

…

[Of course,t hey wouldn't come to save her. But it didn't mean Villain won't?]

[Are you guys excited to see our Villain, aka hero of the story?]