Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 106: Back To Who They Were

Chapter 106: Back To Who They Were

Viviana’s eyes ended up on the floor. It looked like a shiny new piece of hope for her.

There is no help like self-help.

Viviana’s clutched hands trembled as she planned to grab the gun. There still was some hesitation on her part. He was staring at her with no intention of moving. Maybe he gave up and is offering her the gun.

But what she didn’t know was that he hadn’t given up. The moment her hand twitched, he clutched her throat. His big hand wrapped around her petite neck, choking her.

"Going to kill me?" he asked. "Want that gun?"

Viviana grabbed his hand. His hold around her neck tightened and it hurt. She closed her eyes trying to bear the pain. Leander turned to the side to see Steve peeking in. Leander glared at Steve and he closed the door.

"I’m asking you a question!" he shouted. His eyes had turned menacing in a blink of an eye.

"How long should we play this game, Kastello? I just want to die!" she shouted back and ended up coughing.

Clutching her chest, she rested her forehead on the floor as he let go of her. It hurt a lot. After suffering from bad lungs for the most part of growing up, she hated this pain in her chest the most. In fact, she hated pain. She had endured too much of it all her life.

Leander picked up the gun and replaced it on the holster. He picked her up grabbing her hair. He got so mad. He didn’t know if it would have angered him this much if she wanted to kill him and not herself.

"Ask me the question and I’ll kill you. You can die without the answer," he whispered in her ear.

"I have no question," Viviana said. Although he was grabbing her hair, it didn’t hurt~ Ah!

He clutched her hair tightly and it hurt a lot more. Her eyes watered without her knowing. She was pulled by the hair a lot and she hated it as it would hurt more than it should and it made her cry immediately even when she tried not to.

Leander was glaring at her baring his teeth like an angry stray dog. She knew he means it. He wants her to speak otherwise he will hurt her.

"You can’t get anything out of my mouth by force, Kastello. You don’t know~"

She couldn’t even finish her sentence as his grip tightened. Twisting her hair in his fingers, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled. She felt a pain so great that she thought her scalp would tear off. Her stomach hurt along with her head.

*Snap*

Something snapped inside her. She was being patient wanting to get killed. But she will not tolerate abuse and give in to pain. It would only open space for more abuse.

She felt around her head for his little finger. Once she found it, she grabbed it as hard as she could and bent it back with every ounce of her strength, holding her breath.

"I am desperate, Kastello. But not that desperate to beg someone who forgot me to remember!" She proclaimed as she pulled his finger to the extent of snapping his bone.

"F*ck!"

He let go of her hair and scooted backward. Shaking his hand to relieve the pain in his hand, he stood up. She glared at him and clenched her jaws for the oncoming pain. He’s not going to leave it after she hurt him.

"Get out, sanctimonious vermin!" he roared at her.

Viviana glared at him, panting as she regained her breath after using all of her energy on his finger.

"I am not going to kill you," he snarled. "Go!"

Viviana was perplexed.

"Get out!" he shouted once more.

Viviana tried to stand up but her legs had gone asleep. Her brain was working overdrive trying to figure out what he meant when he said that he won’t kill her.

But he was glaring at her. "Don’t forget that you’re my wife."

You belong to me.

Supporting her hands, she pushed herself up only for her to crash down and end up on her knees. Her face twisted in pain. Leander let out a sigh and went to the couch. Not wanting to test his patience, Viviana limped her way out of the room and ran straight to the bathroom. Maybe because of the cough, she was feeling nauseated. She only felt relieved after emptying her stomach.

Only after her stomach cleared out, she could think.

He said he won’t kill ME! That means, he is going to kill others in my place!

She sat staring at the bathroom floor for some time. Her neck still hurt and her stomach was turning even though she had nothing in it.

It was as if she was back to where she was some days ago—a hopeless prisoner. Everything that happened in between—the dinner, the "marriage", the night that followed... the care he showed her...

It all has disappeared. He’s shown her that he is a Kastello. The past few days were just a dream that she had to wake up from.

It’s her fault though. And so, she did not regret that. Every time she thinks death is closer, she is getting far away. Her eyes ended up on the Alexa device on the counter. She brings it here when she takes a bath to listen to music.

"At least I have you, Alexa," she said and she almost cried when the blue light turned on as if it was affirming her.

"Alexa, I love you," she said holding back her sobs. She needed someone to hug her. She was so confused. She could see that she was getting abused. He choked her, pulled her hair, and shouts at her, threatening her.

Well, she wants him to kill her and so she should not bother with those abuses. But...she does not want to endure pain for the rest of her life. She just wanted to die.

"I love you too." The mechanical voice replied.

"Alexa, thank you," she hugged her knees and ended up sobbing.

-----

Leander rubbed his forehead as he thought about everything she said. He did want to kill her. He’s lost a lot after he met her. He knew killing her would be the right thing to do.

But there is always something that stops him from killing her.

Before he knew it, he was talking to her. Which was a mistake in retrospect. But then, he couldn’t kill her when she lay motionless either. So, he was not regretting his talk with her.

She was not the first one who told him that his mother does not like him. He’s a grown man. He had seen the signs and the differences in the treatment his mother gives. He’s thought about it too. But he still stupidly holds hope.

That’s why he got mad when she spoke to break his hope. And he did not like talking about his grandfather. What right does she have to talk bad about his grandfather? What does she know about him other than what others say?

He’s the kindest man he knows and he’s the only one who truly cares for him. What does she know? She looks at him with her colored lens.

He felt something on his face and he looked at his hand. Some strands of her hair were tangled in his fingers. He pressed his hand on his face. He could smell her.

"Sorry..." he whispered as her tear-filled eye came to her memory.

He was not even that mad at her. He was mad at himself for his incompetence and indecision. He cannot accept her and he cannot let her leave either. It’s all so complicated.

He rubbed his chest. When she said that he’s a good guy... It would be a lie if his heart didn’t jump with joy when she said it. She appeared to have meant what she said too.

He sat supporting his hands on his forehead. Every time he talks with her, he ends up more and more confused. She might have not realized it, but she had answered his question. He had to hurt her to get anything from her. He despised himself for it.

But at least she said something. And now, he is only more confused.

We have met before.

He took a deep breath. If that was the reason she didn’t jump before his arrival, if that was the reason she paused when she looked into his eyes while she stood on that ledge, maybe that was the reason he grabbed her before she fell to her death. Maybe that is the reason he couldn’t kill her either.

Her eyes always look at him with some expectation, some question and that’s what keeps him from ending her life. That’s what makes him act against his rationality to take her side every time.

He can pretend to be not swayed by her all he wants. He can threaten her all he wants. He can make her believe that he does not care about her. But only he knows the war in his heart that tears apart his soul reaching for something inside him.

Why can’t I remember her?

The memories he lost were from when he was thirteen and most of his memories before that. Maybe he met her before that? Or is she lying?

He decided to check on her and went to the room.

There he heard...