Chapter 150 - Set Her Free

"Why is it so noisy today?" Persephone asked Emmanuel with a look of annoyance visible in her eyes. She had been trying to read the book in her hands but every time she would read a line, the noise of moving would disturb her once again. 

For someone like Persephone who was already annoyed at life and people, was finding it even more annoying. 

"Someone is moving into the house next to ours," Emmanuel replied to her with a sigh. 

Hearing him, Persephone had a thoughtful expression on her face before she nodded. "Why do I have a feeling that you are not very happy about it?" 

She didn't know why she asked but Emmanuel had been sitting just a few feet away from her as if it was his duty to keep an eye on her all the time. I

He was clearly as troubled with the noise as her but still, he was insistent on following her. 

Though she didn't say anything about his behaviour as she believed he must be ordered by his boss and her dear lost husband. 

"It's not me who is not happy about it," Emmanuel muttered under his breath. "It's Mr V." 

"Your Mr V?" Persephone snickered as she heard his barely audible voice. "Does he even have any idea what happens behind him at his house?" Ridiculing herself, "Of course, he knows. It's his house after all." 

Emmanuel pursed his lips, refraining from making any statement. He didn't tell Persephone that Santiago came home every night. However, it's a pity that Persephone had no idea about it as she was always asleep during that time. And Santiago had advised them not to tell her anything about him as long as she didn't ask about him firsthand. 

Poor Emmanuel couldn't understand why these two people had more misunderstandings and problems than necessary.

Shouldn't newlyweds be inseparable like they were pretending to be in that Ranch where they took shelter for a few days? 

"Miss Persephone, Mr V is really very busy these days," Emmanuel told her. "He comes late every night." 

Hearing his answer, Persephone snorted and brought her attention back to the book in her hand. She didn't care about that man at all. No, she didn't feel awful when he dropped her here that day after Richard's funeral and never appeared at all. 

She was too unfazed by his presence or absence. 

It was true that Santiago was very occupied with the number of problems lurking over his head. But it was not wrong to say that no problem was that substantial enough to compel him to stay away from her.

In other words, his guilt was jabbing him like a double-edged sword whenever he would come near to her. It would remind him of what he had done to her. All those torments that he had inflicted on her. All the hell he put her through. And everything that she didn't deserve. 

Aren't humans quite hypocrites? One is allowed to inflict pain on anyone as long as they don't belong to them. 

In Santiago's story, everything was fine as long as she was just Alessandro Marino's daughter. But the revelation that she was that girl from his childhood changed every single thing that he had planned. It was like he was back to square one. 

Remembering that Persephone Marino was his beloved, the same girl he had been hiding from for years as he didn't feel confident enough to show her the man he had become. 

Instead of a hero that she used to worship, he was the Villain who she loathed the most. 

He still was not able to get it out of his mind that he pushed the girl in the world of blood and chaos who once pulled him out of the darkness.

It was not how kindness was repaid but he chose to do it this way. And Lord knew how much he regretted it every night he closed his eyes. 

It was not an excuse now to say that he didn't know she was her when his gut was screaming at him not to hurt her. However, in the end, he hurt her in the worst way possible. 

By pulling her into the hell that he had created for himself to burn. 

He never meant to erase himself out of her mind and neither did he had any desire to. However, he chose the way because it was the only way to protect her. He had done many worse things in his life and never regretted any of them in the least but stealing this woman was the most sinful act he had ever committed.

He hadn't acknowledged this fact just now that he got to learn who she was in actuality, but long before when he decided to send her back. 

And that's why he wanted her to return to her real-life happily and so he erased himself from her memories...just because if she dared to remember him, her father would make her life a living hell. 

She would have to face many things for the choices she made here in her captivity. And it was the easiest way to help her….if she wouldn't remember anything...no one would blame her. Besides, they would blame themselves for letting her hurt.

He knew because he knew how the world of privileged bastards worked. If the women wouldn't take the blame for their incompetence on themselves, they had to take it. And this was what was happening now. Since Persephone had no memories of her captivity, everyone else except for herself was blaming themselves for the hell she went through...also the hell that she never experienced. 

…. 

"Why are you here?" Santiago groaned as he saw the person coming his way. 

Killian occupied the seat next to Santiago and ordered a drink for himself. He was looking at the people across the bar as if waiting for someone else. While looking for that person, he completely ignored his ex-friend's existence. 

"Thank you," Killian murmured at the waitress who winked in return. 

From his peripheral vision, he saw an empty bottle of scotch placed next to a half-empty one. 

As if the waitress could comprehend Killian's thought, she nodded with a sigh. 

It was to tell him that the bottles were indeed emptied by Santiago. 

"Didn't know you were too eager to ask for death," Killian murmured as he sipped on his drink. 

"None of your business," Santiago growled as he poured another glass for himself. 

"Of course," Killian smirked. "Would I need to call your wife to pick your drunken ass?" 

He was taunting him that his wife would have to come to this dirty place to pick him up if he continued drinking alcohol. 

"My wife?" Santiago smiled to himself. "She won't come. She shouldn't come. She must not come." 

"You are drunk," Killian said with a sigh. "Look I don't know you...if you forget to pay your bill...I ain't paying it for you. And don't lose your fucking senses." 

Seeing Santiago sprawled on the counter, he muttered a curse. He looked at the waitress who was glancing at him with the look that says-you-gonna-pay-for-him. 

"I don't know this guy," Killian muttered while slapping some dollar bills on the counter and grabbing the drunk bastard. "Things you do for your enemies!" 

"Don't call my wife. My Percy. Don't call her," Santiago was murmuring while Killian was dragging him out of the bar. "I don't wanna hurt her more. My Percy." 

"Dammit, what should I do now?" Killian said to himself as he saw Santiago in a condition he had never seen before. It was clear to him that the bastard was hurting badly but he couldn't bring himself to console him. 

"He deserved it," He then muttered. 

"No," Santiago grabbed his hand. "I don't deserve her. She is an angel. I'm a monster. Villain. No hero. I'm gonna stay away from her." 

"Then, why the hell you married her if you were gonna stay away from your wife?" Killian growled at him. He didn't know how to console a crying drunk man who also happened to be a big bad ass villain. 

As for the nonsense, this Villain was sputtering...he had an urge to punch his face to sober him up. 

Having no clue what to do with him, Killian brought him to the hotel where he and his wife were staying and booked the room next to him for Santiago. 

"I am gonna set my Red free. I don't deserve her."

"She is too good for me. For this world." 

From all the way to the hotel, Santiago was muttering the same sentence again and again. 

... 

Author Note: 

Do you guys think Persephone was forced by Santiago? Whatever choices Persephone made back then were influenced by him? Or Persephone was sane enough to take responsibility for the choices she made? 

And what do you think of Santiago as a man? 

Please share your precious views in the comment section.