Marino's Heir

Chapter 45 [Finale]

We got to the funeral about five minutes late. I sighed, looking at my watch. "Great." I got out of the car and walked to the church. Ryder and Aurelia ran to the doors before me and opened them. Everyone turned around on their seats and looked at me. I felt a bit nervous and embarrassed but I kept walking with my head high. Everyone was there, most of them judging.
I got to the front seat and found an empty place beside my father, so I sat there. He just looked straight ahead with no expression on his face.
Many people cried when they talked about her. They made her seem so innocent, kind, and very caring. I had to hold my laugh each time someone said something nice. I put a tissue on my mouth, to hide my laughter. "Camilla, she was the dearest to me. I almost lost my mind when I found out about.... her death. She was always caring about everyone and... loved her husband.... All of us... will remember her. May her soul rest in peace..." One of her friends, I assume, said while crying. "Tsk...pathetic..." I whispered, taking out my phone. Suddenly, someone stopped my hand inside my bag. I moved my eyes to father. He was still looking ahead, "Enough, Cleo." He said in a low tone. I looked at him confused and jerked my hand away from his. "Hah... enough you say." I replied. He looked down and closed his eyes. He put his hand on his forehead and sighed. "Ah... Don't make this hard on yourself and leave..." He said. The next person who was about to start his speech stopped when he saw father. Everyone understood and all eyes were on both of us now. I looked at my hands and bit my lip, "You're the one who told me to come. To always be on your side. Did you forget?" I said while playing with the glove. "....I do not want to see you..." He said with his voice a bit louder. "Of course you don't. I did not want to be here but..." I sighed, "Now this is getting entertaining. Is it just me or...are you sad?" He stood up, not looking at me. "Everyone is sad in a funeral, I can be sad but it can be an act." He turned to me and smirked at the last word. My smile dropped when I saw that same heartless look in his eyes. He turned around and walked towards the doors. As soon as he did everyone else stood up and followed him. I stood up in surprise and watched them leave, every single one of them. Ryder and Aurelia came from the back bench to my side. Natasha and Jason were the last ones at the doors, they looked at me sadly, then left. A few men stepped in and almost ran to the coffin. They carried it and walked out. "It's time for the burial." Ryder said. Aurelia looked at me, and patted my shoulder hesitantly. "Let's go." I said and walked out of there.

Although the sun was bright and shining everywhere, making everything look beautiful. It wasn't a happy day. I walked slowly between the people at the back. Everyone was miserable. I gulped starting to feel a little bit of guilt consuming me. I saw Natasha and walked to her. "Nat." I called her but when I reached my hand to her, she turned her back at me. I froze, I closed my hand moving away from her. I put my hands in my jacket and walked backwards. I accidentally stepped on someone's feet and turned around. "Ryder, I'm really sorry." He shook his head. He gave me a look that felt weird then looked down, "You..." He sighed and didn't continue talking. I looked at him confused but he ignored me and walked, leaving me behind. It hurt me... what was happening? I slowly turned my head to them.
The clouds took control, blocking the sun, and darkening the atmosphere. I narrowed my eyebrows, about to cry. My father was at the front, he was also carrying her coffin. They got on their knees and lowered it on ropes. My father had this indescribable look on his face, I couldn't tell if he was angry or sad. And so was the rest of the people around him. My friends, or who I thought were my friends, turned their backs at me and followed him. I clenched my fists and looked down, my tears running down my cheeks. They all seem so sad because she's gone. Even Ryder! He shocked me with how he suddenly acted, I saved him when I killed her, now he's grieving her death! She betrayed us and everyone is turning their backs at me for her.

Someone came from behind me and stopped at my side.
"Funny, isn't it?" He spoke. "They all act like you don't exist now..." I closed my eyes and tried to hold my breath, to stop the urge to cry and beat him up for saying this. "This world is cruel, do you want to escape it, princess?" I opened my eyes when he said the last word. I raised my head slowly turning to the side. He had his arms crossed and wore a mask that hid half of his face only his eyes were visible. He was looking at the people in front of us. "What did you say?" I asked. He moved his eyes down then turned completely to face me. "I've been missing out on many things, so I'm not sure what happened. But, you still aren't on good terms with your father, are you?" He asked looking down, playing with the grass. "Who are you?" I dried my tears and crossed my arms too. "That depends on your answer, princess." I gulped when he said that nickname again. It reminded me of Enzo. I focused on his height and features, he looked so similar to him but the only difference is the haircut. His hair was brown with a few blonde strands. I tried to see his eyes but he took a step back and looked to the side. "Why are you asking me this? And who are you?" He chuckled behind the mask. He said something that I couldn't hear so I walked closer but before I could ask he turned his head to me. I stopped and gasped when his blue eyes met mine. He held my arms, moving me closer to him, my jaw dropped when I focused more. I knew those eyes. He removed his mask down his chin, shocking me more. "Shhhh..." He put his finger on his mouth then at mine closing it. "Lorenzo?!" He looked up at the sky. "You...How?!" He closed his eyes. "I'm very sorry, princess..." He opened his eyes and looked down at mine. "I had to do it." He whispered. "You faked your death?! Why?!" I whispered back. "I knew what was coming and I couldn't tolerate to see it." He said, I narrowed my eyebrows at him and slowly walked backwards as he continued... "I saw the way you looked at Marco and I saw the way you changed every time you came out of training with your father. I couldn't tolerate seeing you get heartbroken while I am just there, a useless bodyguard who cannot interfere in anything personal."
I raised my hand at him and walked backwards. He put on his mask and tried to calm me down with his hand gestures. "But I'm here now. Let's get out of here, princess." He gave me his hand. "You're here but after what? After...hah.... Almost a year now, Enzo. It's too late...I...I thought I was the cause of your death, and....and you're telling me that....you have been alive this whole time?!!" I almost shouted, he got nervous and looked behind him at the people for a second. No one saw him and no one is even focused on me or even why am I not there. He looked at me, "Princess——Don't call me this! How dare you?!!?" I stopped him and got mad. "How dare you put me through this?!! You don't know how I felt that day!! I kept searching for the one who did this to you only to find out that it was me! I blamed myself!! I never slept——Cleo——I never slept those days because of you and——Cleo, calm down.." He stopped my hands and moved closer holding them but it didn't work. I lost it.
"I tried to move on but the guilt always got the best of me but you were fine, Lorenzo?!!!! You were just fine!!"
"No I wasn't fine I—— YOU WERE!!! You were alive! That is when a person is fine when they're alive, breathing, eating, sleeping, doing anything!! You were alive when I suffered the blame of your stupid lie!!!" I pushed my arms out of his grip and walked away from him. "Cleo...." He slowly reached out his hand. "Let me explain..." I shook my head and looked down. "I killed him." His eyes widened in confusion and shock. "I killed Marco, he said it wasn't him and I still killed him. Even when I was with him I thought about who killed you, you." I chuckled. "Only for you to show up and...." I looked down, out of words. "Let me explain, please. Somewhere else..." I looked at him angrily and also hurt. "It is funny, but I don't want to escape it anymore. This cruel world you forced me in. And you.... You're the first to break my heart in it, Enzo. You're a coward, you say you died to avoid seeing me change because of them." I turned my back at him and sighed.
"You're the one who changed me. Goodbye, Enzo."
"Cleo!" He held my hand and stood in front of me. "Can you please hear me out?!" I moved my hand out of his. "Come on, princess." He looked at my hand then at my eyes. I looked down, "Don't say this name, please. It reminds me of the honest man who used to call me that...." I took a deep breath and looked at him with pain and tears in my eyes, "He died ten months ago." I said that then left from beside him. I cried softly and put my hand on my mouth. "I came back for you! Okay?!" I stopped walking, listening to him. He walked closer in every word till he was right behind me, "I couldn't protect you and it was killing me inside. I can't protect you when you're on Vincent's side...." And whispered the last part. I crossed my arms and looked at the sky, it started to rain. "Come with me, princess. Give me a chance to take you out of this world that I stupidly dragged you in." I closed my eyes feeling a bit uneasy, and worried. "No one can protect me but him. He knew that Marco was going to kill me so he stopped him. He knew that I was going to die because of a poison and he gave me the cure. Can you believe it? He thought that Ryder was going to give me an expired medication which could've killed me in a second, haha and he knew he had to kill him for that....Enzo I killed his wife right in front of his eyes. He didn't do anything to me——but Cleo—— yes he's dangerous, he can kill me at any moment..... but something tells me that he wouldn't..." His eyes were wide in surprise. He looked away and narrowed his eyebrows. I couldn't really tell what was he thinking because of the mask. I removed it below his chin and his eyes moved to me. "He's horrible, but deep down he is still my father....and I'm his daughter. So I'm sorry, Enzo. I'm on his side for a very long time." He formed a small smile on the side of his lips then nodded. He moved his hands to my cheeks and admired me for a few seconds. "Alright... Whatever that makes you happy. I'm sorry again." He kissed my forehead, then looked at me for a minute. He smiled again and moved his hands away from me. I noticed the people behind him started moving separate ways. I saw father standing there alone and his head up. Enzo looked behind him and saw him too.
After a minute I looked beside me and Enzo wasn't there. I sighed, feeling a lot of emotions at once. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. I still can't believe he's alive.
I shook my head about to leave too but stopped. Why is the boss standing alone now? Where did all his big followers and crowd go? Without realising I found myself walking towards him. He doesn't want to see me so I'll just stand a few miles away. We stood there in silence. I kept moving my eyes at him then the ground. It was disturbing me how he didn't feel my presence this whole time. That he's so mad at me for a reason that I can't know or even understand. Sometimes I wish we were closer and had a strong bond like other fathers and daughter. A bond that cannot be broken by a small issue nor a big one. I hate him for causing me so much pain and constantly making me cry, but it was a challenge for me to try and change him. Everyday that I don't see him makes this challenge impossible to win. He keeps pushing me away even when I do exactly what he wants. It's pointless.
Someone cleared their throat. I looked behind me and saw him. "Huh?" I looked in front of me and at him again. When did he get there?! "Are you going to stay here all day?" He asked, his hands inside his pockets. The rain was getting stronger and we were already soaked. "You will catch a cold." I looked down. I didn't have anything to say and my legs didn't move. He sighed and walked to me. "Move." He held my arm and made me walk with him. I gulped and slowly moved my arm away from him and he stopped with me. "Why do you hate me?!" I asked still my head down. "If I hate you, you think I would care if you catch a cold?" I looked up at him confused. He smiled and looked away. "I'm sorry for disappointing you and killing her..."
He suddenly wrapped his arms around me. I gasped but didn't move. I started breathing heavily in fear. "Don't apologise. You did a good job protecting yourself twice, my daughter. I would've killed her sooner if I knew she was trying to harm you." My breath stopped, I looked up at him in disbelief. His eyes softened and I smiled happy tears ran down my cheeks. I hugged him. He was actually hugging me and I didn't know. I thought he was going to suffocate me or something. He laughed and patted my head on his shoulder. "Oh, father." I laughed too. Feeling genuinely happy for the first time in a while. My father finally hugged me and opened up. I can no longer see him as scary anymore but my real biological father...

The end :)
But (To be continued...)