Chapter 223 - Never Be Ashamed Of You

The phone fell from his grip as he saw a man dressed in black clothes standing before him with a gun in his hand. 

It wasn't the gun that frightened him but the chilly look in his dark eyes. 

The man's menacing dark eyes were set on him. 

"We meet again," The man said with a creepy smile and Lorenzo felt a shiver down his spine. 

Lorenzo turned to run back but as he swivelled, he saw another man pointing the gun at him. "Lorenzo, look at you? We promised you that we will give you the worst possible death. And we are here." 

He took a deep breath and turned to his left to run far away from these psychopaths but again, he saw a very laid back and indifferent man standing there with hands folded over his chest, blocking his way. 

"Come on, you think freedom is easy to earn?" Killian said with a scoff and punched his nose. 

"Aww, Kill. You got to punch him first," Nash pouted, visibly complaining. 

"You will get your chance, Nash," Callum snickered and kicked Lorenzo, making him fall on the ground. 

"Now call Santiago!" 

"Gladly, "Nash smirked, shoving Lorenzo's head against the wall. 

… 

Persephone was resting inside her bedroom when she felt a sudden jolt of pain in her lower belly. She had been feeling these irregular contractions since the morning. 

"Lara!" She shouted. 

Suddenly, an anxious servant came inside her room on hearing her shriek. 

"Mrs Vitello, are you alright?" The servant asked with a concerned look. They were treating Persephone as if even wind could hurt her. And why wouldn't they? They were under serious orders to look after her. 

Persephone nodded her head. These contractions had been paining her for several days now. But since they were not regular, she knew it wasn't true labour yet. Her due date was around one week away. 

Yes, she was excited to see her baby but not enough to meet a week ago. 

"Where is Lara?" She asked with furrowed brows. She called for Lara but why was she not here? 

"She went to the fair with everyone, "The servant said with a smile. " Little master wanted to enjoy the fair so Mr Vitello asked her to accompany everyone to the fair." 

Valencia, Cameron, Junior Santiago, Emma, Emy and Alicia all went to a fair in the nearby city. When she was confined to bed, they all were enjoying the fair. Persephone pouted her lips in dissatisfaction. She wanted to take those rides too! 

"Mrs Vitello, Mr Vitello called to pack his luggage. He said he suddenly had to leave for New York," The servant informed Persephone. 

Persephone, whose mood was not stable, to begin with, felt gloomy. Her face fell and she clutched the blanket tightly. He had told her several weeks before that he might have to leave for New York. He was needed there more than ever. He had already delayed his trip for her sake and he couldn't do so. 

She asked the servant to pack everything Santiago might need there. As the packing ended, the door opened and an excited Santiago appeared. His blue eyes were twinkling with a kind of different happiness. 

He took large strides just to bury her in his embrace. She blinked her eyes as he tightened his arms around her body and kissed her head. He might have come running as he still was panting. 

"Persephone," He called her out by her full name. Something, he never did. Her name sounded like prayer from his lips. "They found Lorenzo. They captured him. Oh, baby, I will finally be free." 

Persephone realized what he meant. For someone who was obsessed with the notion of finding freedom knew first-hand what it meant to devote life to one goal. If her only aim in life was to survive and live with freedom, then Santiago's only goal was avenging himself. For years, it was this flicker of revenge that kept him going. 

Revenge was that fuel that ran the wheels of Santiago's life. 

And today, he finally found it. 

He could do anything with Lorenzo now that he found him. 

He would be free of this ridiculous notion that kept him alive until now. 

She was happy. She was very happy for him. Her eyes teared up but she tightened her arms around his shoulders and only gazed up when she heard the sound of the closing of the door. 

"Persephone, do you know how many nights I have dreamed of catching him and inflicting the same torture he caused on me?" Santiago said with moist eyes and Persephone felt as if someone squeezed her heart tightly 

"He took everything from me," He whispered as he placed his head in her lap. He was going to express all the hard feelings stuck inside his heart. 

"I will take the things that meant the most to him," Santiago whispered and she felt something wet against her stomach. Her fingers ran through his thick hair and tears trickled down her face too. 

"How many nights have I imagined meeting my parents? But none of the dreams come true. I couldn't even see them when they died," He said in a broken and hoarse voice. He just wanted to meet them for one last time but it was unfortunate that he couldn't even see them. 

"I was a weak and unfortunate boy," He added in the same devastating voice. "But I am not him anymore." 

Yes, he wasn't the helpless boy anymore. 

"Don't hate me," Persephone heard him next. "I will not do anything after ending him that will make you ashamed of me. I will leave that world behind. Just this once." 

"I will never be ashamed of you, Santiago," Persephone whispered. "Go, I will wait for you at home. Go to New York. I will wait for you at home." 

How many times had she told him that she wasn't capable of hating him at all?! 

If she could hate him she would have done that a long time ago. 

And he believed that she could be ashamed of him? 

It wasn't even possible!