Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 278: The Runt

Chapter 278: The Runt

"Was I?" Viviana looked at Leander.

She jumped on top of him and straddled his lap. She observed his face.

"About what?" she asked.

She wanted to boast. But she could see the pain in his eyes. She gently caressed the hair above his ears. Through his puffed eyelids, she saw his reddened lips.

Leander wetted his parched lips. He slipped out his thoughts without knowing. He cannot tell her the reason he said that can he? But his wife is not right about a few things. She is right about many, almost everything.

But he couldn’t come up with something all of a sudden. He felt tongue-tied. Looking into her eyes, he felt the floodgates that he put forward to hold his grief cracking once more.

Viviana kissed his forehead. "It’s better that you know. I am right about everything," she said pointing her nose to the sky.

She leaned on his chest. She could see his suffering. He is stuffing his pain inside his heart. At least he tries to. But he fails. Maybe she would have been fooled if she didn’t know him better. She knows him and that’s why she could understand his pain.

He didn’t want to talk to her about it.

It could be about a million things. Just like she does not feel comfortable talking about everything to him, he probably might be feeling the same. Their lives are entirely different.

But she could think about only one thing off the top of her head.

Their lost daughter.

His sudden burst of tears, his hesitation...

She knew it.

It’s inherent in any living being to multiply. He’s not above that. Of course, he would want a child.

Leaning on his chest, she listened to his heartbeat. It was steady as ever. She didn’t feel pity for herself. Maybe she trusted Father Patrick’s words. Maybe she expected a miracle.

She was not feeling sorry for her sorry self.

She trusted Leander. He will not throw her away. He includes her too much in his life for her to doubt that.

She believed he will reach a good decision soon.

"I love you, Leander..." she mumbled.

Yes. She loves him. She will love him forever.

Leander patted her back. Maybe she learned from his kittens, she fell asleep on his lap.

You’re enough, love. You’re enough for me.

Leander recalled Lionel’s words. After the funeral, Lionel found him alone. He told him something.

"She sees you as Leona reincarnated, Leo," Lionel said. "Leona died and her soul took Leander’s body...Those were Bellissima’s exact words. She thinks Leona died, Leander. But you know better. You already doubt it, don’t you? Leona never died. It’s just... she replaced someone...someone dead."

Leander wanted to ask Viviana if she truly believed that she saw parts of her friend in him. She’s grown too much she keeps secrets from him. What can he do?

He was the one who used to get hurt whenever she talked about Leona. Maybe he should start asking her more about Leona.

He wondered how his grandfather pulled that big switch. If what he guesses is true, if the one who died in the fire was Leander Kastello, how did he manage to switch another whole person in his place without anyone objecting?

But then... It doesn’t take much effort when his grandfather ruled with fear.

It explains a lot.

It explains why his mother hates him. She wasn’t allowed to grieve for her son who died and was asked to embrace the son of the woman she hated as if nothing happened. The cruel thing was his name reminded her of the son she gave birth to who died. She knew that this was not her son, but her son’s replacement.

How could anyone bear that?

He understood Viola a bit more. It is good to know that he does not share blood with her. It cleared away all the resentment he had toward her. He pitied her. She has now lost both her sons.

Leander still couldn’t believe it all. But if his grandfather did such a cruel thing, there surely must be some proof left. Nothing can be kept in the dark forever.

Yeah, his wife told him that. He hoped she was right about that too. He decided to investigate as thoroughly as he can and confront his grandfather with the proof.

Until then, he decided to keep Viviana’s relationship with the Vitale family a secret from everyone. He had a feeling that it won’t be appreciated. Or it would be used as a negotiation deal with the Vitale family.

He did not approve of his wife being used as a negotiation tool. She is sentimental about this issue. He didn’t want to give her ammo to hate his family more. He only has his grandfather left. He wanted to see his wife getting along with his grandfather.

But if his grandfather was the one who killed his mother, then...

Leander clenched his fists. He wanted to end the person who ended his mother’s life.

He took in deep breaths to compose himself.

There still isn’t any proof. Grandpa wouldn’t have been that hard-hearted to kill a woman who gave birth to a son of the Kastello family.

Yeah... there should be more to it. It can’t be my grandfather.

-----

Days passed. Leander brought Martha and Katerina back to Orchid Gardens as he got busy. He didn’t think moving to Lemon Heights would be feasible now.

Leander was busy. Viviana too kept her busy. After sending off Leander, Viviana took a stroll in the garden that day. She’s been keeping an eye on the puppies lately. They’ve grown and left their mother’s side a little. It was a hoot to watch them waddling around.

One of the puppies was smaller and thinner than usual. That day, Viviana realized that even the mother was being harsh on the runt. It was something common in the animal kingdom for the mother to leave the runt to die so she could focus on the other healthy puppies.

The runt does not have a chance... It only has a couple of days to live...

Viviana sighed. She too was a runt. Her mother also decided like an animal to throw her away to die...

She walked out of the house to interact more with the puppies. AS she was nearing the bush where Juno stayed with the pups, she heard a car in the distance.

A Bentley, with a nameplate "9".

Is that Leonardo?

Viviana got excited.