Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 268: The Shocking Truth

Chapter 268: The Shocking Truth

Lionel gulped. The content of the letter was so unbelievable. But at the same time, it answered a lot of questions he had in mind.

He read the rest of the letter. It said that "Leona" would leave the letter in the cave and made it as water-proof as he can. And the last part was heartbreaking to read.

{I don’t know who I am or who my father is. I don’t know why my mother lied. I love her, but she treated you wrong. And now I learn that she lied. Why did she do that? Why on such an important thing? Why did she make me believe that I am a girl when I am a boy? I hate her.

I have no grip on anything. But I know one thing, Melanie. I know I have you, my Angel, my love. As I told you earlier, I’m going to reach out to you, Melanie. I’m going to crown you with flowers that won’t wither and you’ll be mine forever.

Will you come to me? Will you be mine forever?

Please don’t forget me. Please don’t refuse my hand.

Then I will have to force you. I would hate to do that. But you are all I have, Melanie. I will burn down the world for you. I love you so much. I love you more than I can express.

So, please come to me, my darling Angel...

With passionate love,

Your Michael. }

Lionel folded the letter back. Those are strong words from a twelve-year-old. But that boy was truly hurt as the world around him burned and he was confused.

"Shocking, isn’t it?" Leander asked.

"Do you think Leona or... Michael survived the fire?" Lionel asked

Leander shrugged. "I think Leona’s father saved him from the fire. And he came back for her."

Lionel furrowed his brows. "Why do you think that? Was there something Bellissima said? You sound so sure."

"I watched him, Nellie... It’s so..." Leander opened another bottle of beer.

He couldn’t digest the fact that another man loves his wife enough to burn the world for her. And he came back for her. He thought Leonardo could be her brother. But he is the one his wife loved for a long time. He did not like that fact when he thought Leona was a girl.

But Leona was a man all along. And his wife was in love—is in love—with Leona still. Yes, she loves him, but she told him that Leona was the one person who never hurt her.

What will she do when she learns that Leona was still alive?

Whenever Leander closed his eyes, Leonardo’s extended hand comes to his memory. The words that were written in the letter...

She hates Leonardo and calls him names. What will she do after reading this letter?

Lionel walked to Leander and got the bottle. He’s had enough. "That’s the shocking issue in the letter? Not the fact that a boy was raised as a girl for twelve years of his life?"

"What’s shocking about that?" Leander shrugged. "Weren’t you raised as a girl too? Come to think of it, didn’t your mother die around the Abenney fire too?" Leander asked.

"What?" Lionel was stunned. "Me?"

"Don’t f*ck with me," Leander stood up.

He was already pissed off. He didn’t have the patience to deal with Lionel’s games.

"No, stop," Lionel stopped Leander. "Who told you I was raised as a girl?"

’Your mother didn’t want you to get corrupted by the Waldorf family and kept your gender from your father. You told me so!" Leander scoffed and walked out.

"I think you are Leona and Victoria was your mother. My family killed Victoria, your father’s first wife, right around the time of the Abenney fire. That was the secret my family kept from me," Lionel fisted his hands to balls.

Leander’s grandfather was the one who commissioned the kill. He had to dig through the family archives and secret missives. But there was no proof. He had to bribe one of his grandfather’s loyal men with alcohol to get that detail.

Victoria Viceroy, born Victoria Massa, was from a humble family unsuited to be the wife of the heir to the Kastello family according to Peter Kastello. Lucious Kastello married her against his father’s wishes because he loved her.

Having no other way as Lucious threatened to leave the family, Peter agreed to bless their marriage, not with his heart, but just with his mouth.

Peter waited for their marriage to fail, but they lived happily. Their lack of producing an heir was not a hindrance to their love. They were happy. So, Peter created trouble using Viola who was promised to Lucious when they were children.

Viola revealed the secret life Lucious led behind Victoria’s back; she revealed his cruelty. Victoria did not want Lucious to be the mafia. It caused friction in their marriage. Peter reveled in the struggles of their marriage. He offered his son a way to get rid of his trouble.

Lucious did not like his father’s plan. He took the first step. He hid his dear wife in an unsuspecting place and made everyone believe that his wife died of an illness. He loved his Victoria so much, he wanted to keep her alive. He was willing to do anything for that.

Not to create any doubts in his father’s heart, he stopped all contact with Victoria. He even agreed to marry Viola. He had two sons with Viola. He knew how cruel his father was.

In everything, his heart was with his Victoria.

When Viola was pregnant with his second son, he sensed that his father trusts him entirely. He missed his love so much and started to visit her. Victoria too got pregnant.

But she disappeared writing him a letter. She didn’t want to involve her child with the Kastello business. She hated the mafia business with a passion.

Lucious searched for her every nook and corner. His fiery search alerted Peter. He found that Lucious had betrayed him. Peter commenced his search for Victoria too. She needed to be dead, just like Lucious told him.

Peter sought the help of the Waldorf family.

Maybe it was fated, both of them found Victoria at the same time. Lucious got to Victoria first. No one knew about the lie Victoria told the whole world. And the rest...

Peter got his wish granted. He got Victoria killed.

And Lionel guessed that Leona was brought home to replace Leander Kastello who died in the fire.

Unbelievable, but not impossible.

Lionel didn’t want to tell all the details to Leander yet. Leander still thinks his grandfather never hurt him. If he says the truth, it would be just his word. Lionel didn’t have the confidence to think Leander values his word more than his loyalty to his grandfather Peter.

Leander stopped by the door. Suddenly, he remembered the rumors surrounding the death of Victoria.

What more does Lionel know? He listened.

Lionel took in a deep breath. He decided to tell Leander everything when he listened.

"I never told you that my mother raised me as a girl to keep me away from my father. What gave you that idea, Leander? I remember you telling me that you used to wear skirts. You talked about the fire and your mother. And then you passed out. We were thirteen then. You didn’t come to school for a month after that episode. When you returned you never brought that up. You became a different person," Lionel said.

Leander furrowed his brows. "I said what?"