648 How Could Feelings Change That Easily?

Marcel and Arianna stared at each other so hard that electricity literally crackled in their gazes. Marcel liked Reina in the beginning until she became interested in Chloe and automatically made herself his enemy. She had many children already, why does she want his sister too? He was not going to share his sister with the woman.

While Marcel was trying to assume his rightful place in Chloe’s life and perform his brotherly role, Reina was all motherly instinct and felt Marcel was undeserving of Chloe; the girl would be better off without him. She was a mother and would give the girl a better life and future.

The tension in the room was so thick it was like they were on a battlefield with the lines drawn, except that in this case Marcel was outnumbered, and neither was reinforcement coming. He was all alone and had not made accommodations for this scenario because he never thought Chloe would refuse to come with him.

Winters had warned him, but he was too headstrong to listen. Marcel had assumed that things had not changed much and that both of them – he and Chloe – would come back to the way that things were between them – before Daniel decided to be an ass.

“Both of you are right in your ways,” Sakuzi finally stepped in and the room went silent. He looked at Marcel, “Because you are without ill intent, we would spare your life, however, we would not condone you stepping into our territory again without an invitation.”

Marcel let out the breath that he had been holding in, so he was not going to die? He gave Isabella a smug grin and she snorted, looking away. While Isabella’s gaze was cold and calculated, Marcel no longer felt that murderous aura from her, he was safe – for now. Niklaus was the only one whose open distaste over their decision was obvious.

But then, Marcel couldn’t rejoice much because the battle was not over and Chloe’s matter was still unresolved.

Sakuzi continued, this time, his focus on his daughter, Reina, saying, “Your husband, Niklaus is right, the girl is a Luciano and doesn’t belong with us,”

“But father -” Reina protested, however, Sakuzi put up his hand and the rest of her words died away. She growled low in her throat, her gaze flickering to Marcel with a threat in there and he sighed. Why was everyone planning on killing him today?

.....

“However,” Sakuzi said and went on,

“Our family is bound together by love and we can never give up on a child in need of help.”

Marcel could see the low smile making its way to Reina’s face. She thought that she had won the fight and that made him clench his fist in anger. He didn’t care about their humanitarian services or their good samaritan values and all, for all Marcel knows, they were just a nosy bunch of people poking into other people’s affairs.

They had no right to decide for him. As far as he was concerned, Chloe was his family and business. None of them was made lord over his affairs. He was leaving here with Chloe whether they liked it or not, and if they wanted war, he would give them one.

Emerald was the one that spoke up this time, “We have no right to butt into your business, however, every life matters and that is why we would let the girl make the decision. Whether she wants to go with you or not?” The giant stared into his eyes with a finality that made anger bubble inside of him.

He doesn’t accept this, however, Marcel decided to wait and see how everything turns out. Patience was a virtue.

With a signal to the soldiers standing guard, one of them left, only to return minutes later with Chloe behind him. Marcel tried to move only to be held back by the binds and when Chloe saw that, she lowered her head in shame.

Even without being told, the guilt gnawed at her. She betrayed her brother and now couldn’t look him in the eyes. Chloe didn’t mean it though and had she known that the consequences would be this severe, she wouldn’t have outed it. But her emotions got the best of her and in a spur of the moment, the words left her mouth.

It’s just that she had made real friends in this place – something rare at the base – her brother was too overprotective of her and wouldn’t let her hang around much. So when Marcel came on too strong, all that crossed her mind was the thought of losing her friends – and her boyfriend. Even Reina was a nice woman and reminded her what it meant to have a mother.

Chloe was very young when Penelope died and aside from the photos, she couldn’t conjure what the woman looked like. It was just her and Marcel all those years – and she betrayed him.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Chloe,” Reina spoke up, trying to assure the young girl as she saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “You have the chance to choose wherever and whoever you want to be with.”

historical

“Really?”

Marcel saw the way his sister’s eyes lit up and his face fell at once. Had she really forgotten about him that easily? About what they had shared all this while? They might not be related by blood, but Marcel had loved her to the bones, just like any brother would, perhaps, even more. How could feelings change that easily? Marcel was truly hurt.

“So tell us little Chloe, who do you want to be with?” Isabella asked her with a little bit of cockiness, “My very maternal mother or your brother over there that looks like he might shed a tear any time soon.”

This time, Marcel didn’t even have the strength to glare at Isabella in response, all of his attention was on his sister as he waited for her decision, his heart pounding in his heart. He knew Isabella was only trying to rile him up and he would not give her that satisfaction. If she wanted entertainment, she better get it somewhere else.

Chloe looked between the both of them, biting her lips nervously. They had put a lot of tension on the young girl, but it had to be done. And to Marcel’s disappointment, Chloe walked over to Reina who welcomed her with open eyes.