Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 229: Hurting Each Other

Chapter 229: Hurting Each Other

Viviana observed Leander. Again, he is provoking someone by using her. She guessed it might be the perverted old bottom feeding vulture of the Kastello mafia family.

That old man is the second to Peter Kastello. She has seen firsthand how terrible that man is. He probably is the one who advised Peter to grab that land from the school legally by discrediting the school. He is the one who advised the demise of Leona.

And this man above her... maybe he will follow that vulture’s advice in the future as he is the heir. Will he be any different than Peter Kastello? Will she be allowed to see how he turns out?

But the tone he used with Barnabas was so distant. Leander seemed to be holding Barnabas with contempt. There is very less chance that Leander will respect and listen to Barnabas in the future.

Leander let go of her hands. Viviana hugged him. She’d prefer to be not there if Leander turns out like Peter. She will not see Leander turning vicious like his grandfather for the sake of earning money.

She hoped it never comes to this.

"What?" she asked. He was staring at her in deep thought. He looked pitiful. She hugged him.

He slumped on top of her. She wrapped her hands around his back tightly.

"You still don’t trust me, wife," he whispered in her ear.

"What do you mean?" she asked. She tried to look at his face but he buried his face in the nook of her neck. "I trust you," she said.

He went silent.

Viviana rubbed his back gently. She didn’t know why he said that out of nowhere.

"Leonardo has kidnapped Nadia. Her father wants me to rescue her," he said breaking the long silence.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

She was unsure why he is talking about his business to her. He made it clear that he will not listen to her. Although she felt bad for Nadia, thinking of her age and what Leonardo would possibly do to her, she was not in a state to plead for her.

She hasn’t forgotten what Nadia tried to do to her with Evander’s help.

"I should rescue her," he said.

"It’s business," she said.

She was not very happy with his answer. But she should be grateful he allowed her to hurt his dear brother. He will not let her intrude on his business decisions further. The Kastello family needs an ally in politics. Donatello is just that. They won’t lose his friendship over what happened to her.

"That’s all you have to say?" Leander supported himself on his elbows and looked into her eyes. She sounded so indifferent when he expected her to plead for that brat knowing what Leonardo could do.

Viviana pressed her lips and raised her brows. "What else should I say?" she asked. "Maybe you should get her before that guy does something to her. She is not even eighteen yet...?"

She was not sure if that was what he expected her to say.

He plopped on her once again. "You’re my wife," he whispered in her ear. "You keep forgetting that."

Viviana kissed his cheek. "Don’t do this to yourself, Leander," she ran her fingers through his hair.

She wanted the destruction of the Kastello family. And she is seeing it. It is happening by Leander’s hands. She didn’t know how he turned from their shield to their weapon of destruction.

If she was the reason he is turning against his family, he might come to regret it sooner or later. If he does something for her, he will expect something from her. What can she give him in return? She is someone who can’t even give him a family. He will resent her for choosing her over his family.

"Do what?" he asked. He looked angry.

"Nothing," she tried to get up. She was still naked. She didn’t want to argue with him like this.

"Stay," he said. He slid to his side and hugged her to his chest. "I don’t know what I am doing with you."

"You’ve turned crazy," she said. "I too have turned crazy."

Otherwise, why did she jump to protect the man she hated just months back?

"Of all the women..." he whispered. He gently kneaded her breasts with his hand. "Of all the women..."

He has to fall in love with her! This woman who doesn’t even know how to stay happy is the one he fell for! What does that say about him? He must be a masochist.

Viviana pressed her forehead to his chest. Yeah, of all the men, she has fallen for this man.

She held his hand and pressed it to her abdomen.

"That day, I...I could feel the kicks of Helena’s baby boy... It was so magical and..." she closed her eyes as she felt his hand shake. "You can feel it too if you..."

She tried not to talk to him about that. She didn’t want to remind him how much of a waste she is as his wife. But she couldn’t.

He should know. He should know what he is missing out on by being with her. He can have what she can never have—a child of his own. And he should.

Leander pried his hand out of her cold hands. She was laying on her side with her back to him. He got down from the bed. "I want to hurt you so bad," he growled at her clenching his hands. "Do you understand what you are saying? You’re pushing me away... to her?"

"That’s not..." she turned to face him. "Not to her. Any woman out there would..." she couldn’t even finish her words as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Do not do this!" he pointed at her. His jaws were clenched and his brows furrowed out of anger. "Don’t think of moving me with your tears!"

She buried her face in the pillow. He grabbed her by the shoulders to make her face him. He was heaving out of fury.

"There is another woman. I think of her even when I am with you. I fear that I might slip out her name instead of yours. I thought of her even a moment ago. She steals my dreams even. Her name is ringing in my ears even in my dreams," he said gritting his teeth.

"And you know what? I don’t even regret thinking about her!"

Her tears stopped. Her eyes lost their focus and she bit her lips hard enough to hurt herself. Her hands plopped to the side as if she had lost all her strength.

He flinched and let go of her. His hands went cold. He didn’t want to tell her this. He didn’t know why he said it to her.

"That’s good," she said rolling to the other side of the bed. "I am not giving up my ring. But you can bring her to your bed."

Leander watched her walking to the closet. He ran his fingers through his hair as she shut the closet door with a thud. He could still feel the scar on her arm from when he held her.

Gritting his teeth, he got dressed. He wanted to spend his free time with her and all she knows is to anger him. One day he might bring another woman to his bed just like she said.

Won’t give up the ring, but she would let another woman sleep with me... is it because she just wants the status? Nasty woman!

He locked himself inside his study room. He decided not to eat with her until she apologizes.

She might have angered him, but he regretted saying those hurtful words to her. He decided to look further into the girl who is haunting him in his dreams.

But for that, he needs to get his memories back. He had a feeling that those dreams with that girl cannot be just dreams. He needs to remember where he met his wife when she was young and when he met that other girl, Melanie.

In his deep thoughts, he ended up napping on the couch. When he woke up his room was dark and the window was lit with outdoor lights. His stomach rumbled.

It must be late...

He sat on the couch glaring at the door. His wife will knock on the door any moment to call him for dinner. He told her that she does not need to knock, but she will knock just to not listen to him.

He waited and waited. But she never knocked.

He checked the time on his phone. It was nine at night. There were a couple of calls from Barnabas and he almost threw his phone down.

If he didn’t answer Barnabas’ phone call earlier, he might have had a good time with his wife and they would be cuddling on the bed by now with his tummy full.

I’m hungry! Where is she?

Leander couldn’t handle his hunger anymore and stepped out of his study. Steve was by the stairs. He walked to the bedroom and she was not on the bed. He checked the closet and the bathroom. She was not there either.

He came out of the bedroom.

"Where is she?" he roared. Steve blinked.

"Capo, she must be with you," he said.

"Liar," Leander mumbled and walked down the stairs.

Steve started lying too!

"Minerva! Where are you?" he shouted for the whole house to tremble.