Marino's Heir

Chapter 43

"So only because I'm your heiress they would try to use me?" I asked. He smirked and shook his head. "Only because you are, they wouldn't. But Marco, he knew he had an affection on you. There's no way he would lose that chance." He spoke as he grabbed his box of cigarettes. "What chance?! He was going to kill me if I didn't..." I felt the guilt build up again. The words got stuck in my throat as I remembered the disappointment in his eyes before he fell to his death.

I closed my eyes. "I didn't see anything bad from him..." I stopped talking. Father just stared at me blankly. I looked at him, feeling breathless. What was I even saying....

"Why are you defending him?" He asked, but I didn't answer. "What are you so afraid of?" He asked again. I nodded my head even when I was about to speak. I closed my mouth right away, unable to form any words. "Hmm?- You seem to have no idea how it feels." He raised an eyebrow and chuckled sarcastically.

He tilted his head to the right and lit his cigarette. For some reason, he got mad.

"You know that I'm right. You know that I'm trying to protect you, and what you did is going to stop Sandrino from chasing you." I looked at the ground. He left his cigarette and came to me.
He made me look at him.

"Losing your loved one is painful, but there's so much more than that. Remember, you lost him for a reason. Don't blame yourself, it will just darken your entire life.."
He said that as he stared straight through my soul. His eyes were so serious yet... hurt.

After a few seconds, he turned around. My head dropped to the ground as a tear fell from my eye. I clenched my fists as my voice cracked. "Why..
did you let me do it?! You had so many assassins, yet you chose ME!! Why?!?"

"You know why."
"I DON'T!!"
He slammed his hand to the table and crushed the cigarette in his fist. "IT FUCKIN HURTS!! IT'S WORSE THAN THE GUILT I FEEL FOR ENZO! YOU HAVE NO IDEA!"
He started laughing like a maniac. It made me feel like a fool. Does he not care even the slightest about me? I sat on the chair and couldn't hold it anymore. "What are you!? Sobs Why are you like this to me?!"

He stopped laughing and sighed. He lit another cigarette. "I don't understand... why... did you... bring me here?!!"
"You may leave." He said with a cold, harsh tone. I moved my hands off my face and looked at him in shock. He's not even replying. "You... I killed the man I love for you. Yet you're still pushing me away...?"
He looked back at my eyes. He leaned forward on the table. Closing the distance between us and narrowing his eyebrows. "You also killed the woman I loved, Cleo." I shook my head. "At least I saved you from experiencing this type of pain!" He slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "You don't know me." He said and closed his eyes for a second. Controlling his anger. "You don't know what I experienced, felt nor lost. You don't know anything, Cleo. So, I suggest you shut up, hold it inside of you till you die or become stronger and control it." He stopped and just stared at me for a minute. I gulped and didn't know what to say. I looked away from his eyes, feeling something in my chest. He let out a sigh then said... "Leave."

"I don't want to see your face again." He whispered under his teeth. I didn't understand why he was doing this. There's no way it's all because I'm her daughter. I remind him of her. A second there, he was proud of me and trying to stop me from feeling any guilt for killing the man I love. Now he can't even answer a simple question.
"Fine, but one last thing you should keep in mind... I hate you as much as you hate me, Vincent Marino, or should I say. Father.."