Bab 2: "Do you blame me?.."
[A couple of hours later]
[Marino household, Garden]
Marco scoffed and sat beside his elder brother before taking the cigarette off his hand.
"She doesn't know what she is talking about." Marco looked at the sky. "She is just traumatised with what happened earlier."
Ricardo did not say anything. He grabbed the whiskey bottle he had brought with him and started gulping it down.
After a long pause, he said, "You know Elsa, she never does anything without thinking at least twice."
"This time is different." Marco frowned. "She is just scared."
"She knows better than anyone what will happen if this marriage doesn't take place." Ricardo looked at his brother. "Even you know what will happen."
"There is always a second option." Marco gritted his teeth.
"Then tell me the second option." Ricardo's voice was louder than before. "Give me an alternative to get everyone out of this fucked up situation safely and I swear I'll make it happen."
Marco did not say anything.
"Give me a fucking second option so that I can stop my sister from being pawned like this," he snapped again. "Tell me Marco, because I can't seem to think of any other fucking thing."
He was frustrated, angry and disappointed. Just like his younger brother, even he wasn't liking what was going to happen but he didn't have any choice. He felt helpless and hopeless which added to his frustration.
Taking the bottle off his hand, Marco gulped it down. He scrunched his eyebrows when the neat liquid burned his throat.
He knew Ricardo was right. There was no second option.
At the moment, they couldn't think of anything other than a marriage alliance between the Marino's and Fedorov's.
Running his fingers through his hair, Marco groaned. "This is so fucked up."
"I know, brother." Ricardo placed his hand on Marino's shoulder. "But we have to pull this through. We can't show Fedorov's vulnerability."
…..
The Marino's were the Italian mafia who had ruled over Elisberg city for years. Their business didn't just surround the city but the entire country.
They were an active part of the dark underworld where they dealt with illegal ammunition, drugs, assassination and much more.
They owned one of the three elite clubs in the city, The Casinova.
Their real estate and hotel businesses were upfront to hide all the dirt they worked with.
While everyone feared them, there was only one family who dared to challenge them and always kept the Marino men on their toes, the Fedorov's.
The thing between the Fedorov's and the Marinos went way back in history. The two families hated each other to their guts and never missed a single opportunity to drag each other down.
They were always ready to slit each other's throats. But this time it was different.
They were forced to make a compromise and keep the hatred they harboured for decades aside. Because if they didn't, both the families were bound to doom.
…..
[Elsa's Room]
Curling herself in a ball, Elsa hugged her knees and trembled. She squeezed her eyes shut. The flashes of what had happened a few hours ago made her heart clench.
'Always stay safe, Princess.'
Karlo's last words echoed in her ears. Tears streamed down her cheeks as grief enveloped her heart again.
The pain. The Agony. The loss. It was too much for her to handle.
Karlo Dominic was like her second father. He treated her like his own and had always loved and cherished her. He had worked for the Marino family for more than three decades. He was very close to Enzo Marino and was considered family.
Karlo was Enzo Marino's right hand man who had always stood by his side through thick and thin.
As Elsa was lost in the whirlwind of horrific thoughts and images, someone knocked at the door.
"I am coming in." The person from the other side announced before stepping in.
When she saw who it was, her heart clenched as guilt engulfed her.
"Gabriel—" Elsa lowered her. She couldn't look at him.
Without saying anything, Gabriel sat next to her as she continued to sob in silence.
"It wasn't your fault." He looked at her and placed his hand on her back. "I would have done the same thing if it was me."
Gabriel was Karlo Dominic's son. He was also Ricardo's best friend. He had grown up with the Marino siblings.
Just like the two brother's, even Gabriel loved and cherished Elsa. She was the sister he never had.
Elsa looked at him with teary eyes as she pounced in his embrace. "I couldn't save him. I am sorry."
"Hey—" He frowned and wrapped his arms around her. "It wasn't your fault. No one knew this would happen."
She pulled away and vigorously shook her head. "If I would have just stayed at home—"
"Elsa—" Gabriel interrupted her. "You need to stop being so hard on yourself. It's not your fault, it wasn't anybody's fault. They tricked us into this."
Elsa buried her face in his chest and sobbed. He was right. The Greco's played one of their dirty tricks again and tried to kill her.
Yes, their target was her, not Karlo Dominic. But he died protecting her. He took the bullet which was meant for her.
She looked at Gabriel again. "D-Do you blame me?" Her voice was shaking. She was afraid to hear the answer.
"What? Of course not." Gabriel pulled her in his embrace again. "Don't say such things."
He kissed the top of her head. "The only people we are to blame are the Greco's for trying to harm you and that Fedorov guy."
The Greco's didn't only try to kill Elsa Marino. Their other target was the youngest son of the Fedorov family, Justin Fedorov.
….
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