Chapter 230 - Hiding Something

"Lie on the bed," Persephone ordered and he laid on the bed as per the order because she threatened him with Eleanora. She covered him with a duvet and lowered the temperature of the Air conditioner. "Santiago, sleep. I am right here." 

He opened his mouth to say but she shoved something in his hand. It was a baby monitor and he could hear the sound of Eleanora's breath through it. 

"Nothing is going to happen to her," Persephone told him once again. "You have been watching over us. Now, give me a chance to do the same. I know I am not strong like you but I can assure you that I will not let any harm come her way. I can't see you losing your mind over her." 

It wasn't wrong to say that Santiago was losing his head over Eleanora. His behaviour was not normal. 

"I am scared," Santiago whispered, burying his head in her lap. He tightened his hold on her and she felt him shiver. "I'm so scared, Red." 

"Santiago, you're running a fever," Persephone gasped as she felt his temperature heightening. How did she not realize it when she touched him in the nursery? 

Taking the Ac remote, she switched it off. She didn't know what to do at times like this and so she dialled Valencia's number. 

"Val, Santiago has a fever. Tell me, what to do?" Persephone asked her. She was shit at taking care of anyone. 

"Calm down, Percy," Valencia consoled another freaking Vitello. What was wrong with her family these days? "I will be there in five. Just don't freak out. It's just a fever." 

Valencia was working in a maternity clinic nearby. Junior was at school and Cameron went back to New York a few days ago as his semester started. 

"Don't worry, it's a simple fever," She heard Santiago's muffled voice. 

"You crazy man! Why did you not tell me if you were not feeling well?!" Persephone had an urge to scold him but she didn't have the heart to.

"Are you trying to kill me, Santiago?!" Persephone cried. "I don't know what to do with you anymore. You don't eat on time. You don't rest on time. You are always freaking out. Always scared of something. If I sneeze, you make Valencia go crazy! If Norie coughs, you raise hell! What's wrong? At least, share your problems with me."

"I'm scared," Santiago whispered, closing his eyes. "Someone is going to take her away from me. I am afraid that I will not be strong enough to protect both of you. How will I even survive if my child is taken away from me?" 

Persephone gasped as she heard his words. What the hell was he even talking about? She didn't know much about his work but she knew that he was a powerful man in this country. Who could take his daughter away from him? 

"You are hiding something from me, Santiago," Persephone accused. There was only one explanation that he was hiding something from her. She wanted to probe into this matter but she heard a knock on the door and moments later Valencia appeared with her medicine box. 

"Don't worry, " Valencia told Persephone as she fed his brother medicine. "It's the flu. Everyone is catching four these days. I will give him medicine. Make sure he takes them on time." 

Since Santiago was asleep, Persephone left the room with Valencia to talk in the living room. She hugged her only friend tight when she reached the living room. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Valencia softly asked, rubbing Persephone's back. "Percy? Why are you crying? It's just a fever." 

"It's not just fever," Persephone sniffled. "He is losing himself, Val. He hasn't been himself for several days now." 

"Percy, parents struggle especially when it's their first time," Valencia told her. "He will be fine. He is just a bit overprotective of his daughter." 

Persephone shook her head. "Something is wrong, Val. I don't know what is exactly wrong but something is not right with Santiago. He is scared. I can't believe that someone like him could be easily scared." 

Of course, Santiago wasn't invincible. But it was Santiago they were talking about. The man who didn't easily show his fears to anyone. She couldn't help but wonder what might have triggered his fears. 

Valencia sighed out as she collapsed on the couch. "You are right. Nash hasn't bothered me for a week now. No calls. No texts. Nothing. When I informed Santiago last week that I need to go back because my son is missing school and I am losing work. He declined. He said it's not safe there anymore. " 

But she still booked the tickets because my home is not here and how many days would she even live here? She was packing my stuff when Nash appeared, he begged her to not leave right now. She understood way better than anyone that Nash never begs. They all were taking extra care right now. 

Her tickets, well they were never found again. Nash arranged an English medium School for Santiago and surprisingly they accepted him even at this time of the academic year. As for her, she miraculously got a job in the clinic which was hella suspicious to her. 

So moral of the story-- her brother and her ex pursuer is doing something behind their back and wouldn't tell them anything which left them to take the matter into their hands.

"And what's more suspicious is that Nash hasn't tried to annoy me again and I haven't seen him around either," Valencia couldn't help but share her worries. No, she wasn't missing Nash at all. 

"Santiago is on the phone with the guys frequently even more than when they were in New York," Persephone told her. 

... 

Author Note: Callum's book is out *The Kiss of Deception* on Webnovel.. You guys can claim Coin code by DM me on the discord. My username is Tanysam#7676 or you can find me on Facebook: Tanu Sam