Chapter 242 - Just Amore And Amore!

"When you told me you were pregnant, I was put in a spot," Salavtore replied her. "You were very young then. Your health was fragile. The doctors said that the pregnancy would out your life in danger but you refused to terminate the pregnancy. I loved you so much then Ali I agreed with your wishes no matter how scared I was. I asked you to marry me not because I loved you and wanted you to be my wife but because I don't want my child to come to this world without a legitimate status. I didn't want Emy to feel what I did back then. I would not have married you in haste if not for Emy. I wanted to make everything clear before marrying you but Emy changed everything." 

"Salvatore, we could have raised her even without getting married," Alicia whispered. 

"We could have but I didn't want to. I loved my child and why should I hesitate to make her feel wanted and loved?" Salvatore questioned. "Ali, the scars a child receives during childhood stays all life. You and I lead the worst life a child could ever have. I never wanted that for her. I wanted my only child to be loved and respected." 

"Then, you could have married me when Emma left you? I can't believe that you don't have the means and resources to make it true," Alcia asked, looking at him. 

Salvatore smiled and nodded. "You are right. I could have married you then but Ali, the doctors told us clearly that we can't have another child. Alessandro Marino had gotten you killed for not giving his son a male child. Do you think I will take chances with you? No way in hell. Until this day, he didn't know of your existence and that's why you are still safe." 

"And you know what Alicia if that day Emma hadn't run from the church, the wedding would still haven't happened," Salvatore said but didn't explain further. "As for Isabelle, she was made clear from the begining that the marriage was fake. Tell me baby what marriage is not registered? It was a church wedding for vows. And Isabelle used her name wrong." 

"What did you get by doing this? Why were you even doing all this? All this planning and plotting for what? Money, status or power!" Alicia asked him, bewildered. 

"I did this for another woman who gave away her life for me. The first love of my life. The woman who taught me the meaning of word 'love and family'," Salvatore told him. "My mom." 

Alicia had never seen such a tortured look on his face. He was barely controlling himself for not breaking down. 

"The monster treated her terribly, " Salvatore whispered. "He dragged her to hell with him and treated her as his punching bag. My mom only knows how to love people, never to hate them. I did this for her. Power, wealth, status. I never wanted this." 

"Salvatore…" Alicia whispered as he squeezed his shoulder. 

"I did this for Lucian. The boy who protected me behind the shadows. Taught me things I never was capable of knowing. He asked me to fake it till I make it. He always knew that one day his own father would kill him being someone extraordinary and beware me not be like him." 

Salavtore choked on his words as he recalled Lucian's words. He pretended because Lucian told him to and it worked. 

Alejandro Marino was gone. His empire crumbled over night. Someone else was ruling his territory. For the power, he killed his own blood. And someone else was wielding that very power now. 

However, it was not Salvatore. He never wanted anything with that life since the beginning. 

It was Nicolas Scuderi who was ruling New York now. 

Isabelle was gone. She left when Nicolas rose to power. Edward Kingsley backed out from the war in the end moment when he was informed of his daughter's existence. He signed pact with Nicolas for sending his daughter back to him safely. 

Sofia refused to come with her brother. She chose her husband's side in the end. She said that she had taken vows before God and would rather die sooner than leave him. 

There was nothing Salvatore could do to convince her. She chose this life for herself and she knew better than anyone the consequences she would have to face for taking this decision. 

Carina Marino buried her dead husband as per the tradition. She didn't cry at his funeral. Crying meant missing him and wanting him back. She felt nothing for him. Neither love not hate. But she fulfilled all the duties of a virtious wife. Arranged her husband's funeral and buried him with the respect he didn't deserve.

Not once did she blamed her son for making the widow. When everything ended. Marino's rule ceased. Their house was taken away from them, she smiled at her son and asked him what now? 

Salvatore couldn't say a word. He never knew that a mother could love her children to this extent. She tolerated every single pain inflicted on her for the sake of her children. 

When he told her about Sofia's decision, she seemed pleased and proud. She said that it was what a wife was supposed to do. Sofia made the right choice. But he couldn't see how? 

"What about that woman now?" Alicia questioned. By that woman she meant Isabelle. 

"I sent her where she belonged," Salvatore smiled. 

"What now?" Alicia asked. 

"Now…"Salvatore looked at her, loss for words. His mom asked him the very same question. At that time, he didn't have the answer but now it seemed as he had. 

"Now, we live our life the way we always wanted. No lies. No betrayal. Just Amore and Amore." 

.... 

Author Note: Everything is going well now. I will be ending book in Feburary.. I can't explain how I am feeling right now. The ending is nea