บท 18: Guilt

Marcella came out of her shock. She cannot be bewildered when there are guns pointing at her.

Either Paul Romano was never a true ally to her father or… It is possible the sniveling snake crept his way into Romano's manor just like he did with her father.

She bet on the latter.

But this means, Mark Paulo will betray Paul Romano too. And what will happen to her nephew? What if Paul Romano was behind the death of her sister and brother-in-law? What if Mark hurt her nephew too?

He won't be the first person who would want the annihilation of the DeAngelo family.

But…

Paul Romano is not a fool, is he? He's shrewd as a fox. How did he let Mark inside his home? She remembered how her sister was not speaking nicely about her in-laws anymore the last few times she talked to her.

What if…

She didn't know who to trust anymore.

"The Romano family does not want to suffer your presence during their mourning period. Please invite yourself out, Miss DeAngelo," Mark walked to her.

"Were you instructed to stop me?" Marcella asked, slowly getting down the stairs.

There were two men in close proximity pointing their pistols at her. There were four other men in the foyer. All of them were locked and loaded.

She regretted not bringing her gun. But it's fine…

"Ella! Ella!" Aiden hissed at her to stop her. "Cut it out!" he gestured. "Do not start a fight!"

Marcella looked away. She didn't want to deal with Aiden now.

"Instructed?" Mark scoffed. "It's common sense. No one would want to put up with~"

"Oh, you're one for sympathizing with others' grief, Mark," Marcella scoffed. "Why couldn't you sympathize with my father? You ate with us, at our dinner table! My father cooked for you; my mother treated you as her own brother. Where was your sympathy?"

Aiden gestured for her to stop while hiding behind the railings.

"You with her, boy?" Mark turned his attention toward Aiden.

Aiden stumbled on the stair as he tried to stand up. He looked at Marcella and then fixed his suit. "No, Sir. As I told you, I am here as the representative of Senator Bobart."

Marcella was not even surprised. Her lips curled in disgust. Aiden is Aiden-ing. He's a f8cking coward who only knew to show his "valiance" to her.

Mark scoffed. "Then scuttle away!" he pretended to pull the trigger. Aiden ran up the stairs.

With a sneer, Mark scratched his chin with his gun's muzzle as his attention turned to Marcella. "Past is past, Bambi. Now, leave before you're taught a lesson. Don DeAngelo raised no fool, I assume."

Marcella fisted her hands as Mark said her father's name. By now, she was standing on the rug in the foyer. The men were all pointing their guns at her while Mark walked to her.

"YOU HAVE HAIR!!! ON YOUR FACE!!! LOTS OF THEM!!!"

Suddenly, Marcella screamed at the guy in front of her at the top of her lungs while pointing at his face.

The guy jerked and instinctively touched his face. The guy near him was startled too as she shouted out of nowhere.

That little distraction was enough for Marcella. She kicked the guy closer to her and got his gun. The guy stumbled and kneeled on the floor as she pointed her gun at Mark's face.

Mark raised his brows in surprise and after the initial awe, he got mad at his useless men. "You handed her your gun, fool!" he slapped the back of the head of the guy who was now kneeling.

"Step back unless you want to see your brain on the floor, Mark. Don DeAngelo raised no coward. You know my dad didn't let me play with guns from a younger age hoping I would make my nation proud in the Olympics! I will kill!" She gritted her teeth.

Mark met her eyes and he cleared his throat. He knew she meant business. He asked his men to retreat.

"Stay, Brutus!" Marcella hissed at Mark and stepped on the stairs while pointing the gun at Mark.

"What's the commotion here?"

Marcella stopped hearing the gentle voice of the woman from the top of the stairs. She knew that gentle lady or the one who can keep up appearances as a gentle lady was Magdalene Romano—wife of Paul Romano.

"Ahhhh!" Magdalene screamed. "Gun!! She's holding a gun!"

Marcella could only roll her eyes. Does she not know what her husband was doing for a living? Just because he hires gun for hire, doesn't mean he's the gentlest being on the planet!

"Mrs. Romano," she smiled. "I came here to~"

"To kill us?" Magdalene interjected her.

"No, actually I…" Marcella didn't want to argue and lowered her gun. She was keeping an eye on Mark and his men to see if they are moving. She didn't want to die.

"Get lost!" Magdalene shouted the moment she lowered her gun. "You could have saved your sister! They killed her because they wanted you and you hid to save yourself. My son died!" Magdalene thumped her chest as tears rolled down her face.

"My only son gave his life to protect your sister, while you hid like a sewer rat at the first sight of danger and you dare to come here thinking you have the right to attend their funeral? Get lost, devil!" Magdalene shooed her.

Marcella stumbled back as guilt hit her like a tidal wave.

They wanted me? I could have saved my sister?