Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 300: The Attack

Chapter 300: The Attack

Carlos sat comfortably leaning on the chair. Leander was crossing his legs and shaking his foot.

Leander tapped his finger on the table. His smile vanished and his aura turned dangerous turning the air suffocating. Carlos gulped and without knowing his shoulder slouched.

"I’ve seen you stalking my wife. Man to man, I got to be honest. I do not appreciate that. My wife’s a little scaredy cat. She comes crying to me that a big scary man is stalking her, I get mad and forget you’re a cop, I do something..." Leander cocked his head, his fingers still tapping on the table.

Although Leander’s threat wouldn’t be admissible in a court of law, Carlos knew it was a threat. But he had nothing to fear. It’s not like he has anything to hide. Leander is not the first mafia he meets. He’s brought down an entire yakuza ring. Leander is nothing compared to them.

"I do not have a particular inclination toward married women, Leander, unlike..." Carlos cleared his throat. "I wanted to meet Viviana Mattias. I have something to ask of her."

’You can ask me," Leander said. "I know everything she knows and something more."

Carlos laughed. Leander raised his brows in utter carelessness and his lips curved to a smirk.

"I know she is being held as a hostage by you, Leander. She~"

"Hostage?" Leander scoffed and looked at Stevee. "Did you hear him, Steve?" he asked. Steve laughed out loud.

Carlos banged the table. "Do not think that you can fool me, Leander. You are no different from the thugs that I’ve made to lick my shoes. Hand Viviana Mattias over to me. And I~"

Leander stood up. His chair toppled back. Steve pulled out his gun. Carlos was stunned. Before Carlos could react, Leander toppled the table. The porcelain utensils fell on the floor and shattered.

Carlos tried to stand up but Leander pushed the table and pinned his legs.

"Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, Carlos?" Leander gritted his teeth as he pushed the table with his shoe. "Asking me to hand over my wife to you. Either you have balls of brass or..." he shook his head.

"You have a death wish, don’t you?" Leander smirked pulling out his gun.

Carlos’ face paled a bit. But he was not going to let Leander have the upper hand. He twisted his body to free his legs and reached for his gun. Everyone in the shop scattered away screaming.

Carlos smirked as Leander has not yet pulled the trigger. "Are you going to shoot me, Leander? Out here, in the open? Me, a decorated cop? Do you have any idea what that would~"

"Oh, I can’t?" Leander interjected him and lowered his gun. "Then you, a great cop can shoot me down, can’t you? Don’t you have the law in your hand? Aren’t you just?" he fixed his suit jacket and threw his gun on the floor.

He then stretched out his hands. "Shoot me!" He roared.

Carlos looked at Leander with awe. He was stunned. Not because he lacked the courage to shoot down a lowly thug, but because he knew he cannot. The law forbids him to shoot down people who are not an immediate threat to his life.

"Cat got your tongue?" Leander walked closer. There wasn’t even an ounce of fear in his face. Gritting his teeth, Leander hissed. "If you are looking for Viviana Mattias for the folder of proof she had against the Kastello family related to the Abenney fire..."

Carlos gulped and stared at Leander. That is exactly what he wanted. "I want to talk to the woman you are holding in your house, Leander," he said.

Leander smirked. "The woman I married was about to kill herself. I saved her life and she’s indebted to me. Even if she is the one you are looking for, shouldn’t she have left another way for the truth to be revealed considering that she was planning on killing herself?" he asked.

Carlos looked away as he was embarrassed. How come Leander knows the truth?

There was another proof. A digital document they received some months back. But an intern accidentally deleted the file. There was no physical copy of the proof and that’s why he needed Viviana Mattias. He’s learned that Viviana Mattias was the only living witness to what happened in Abenney.

"You lost it, didn’t you?" Leander scoffed. "A woman risked everything and sent you proof and you guys lost it. How competent!" he clapped his hands. "Now, f*ck off! Do not risk my wife’s life for your incompetence," Leander said and turned to leave.

Steve followed picking up Leander’s gun. He couldn’t understand why Leander revealed it all to the cop. It’s not going to end well.

-----

Viviana sat by the window staring outside. Just now Gabriella called. She was currently staying in Abenney in a place Lionel arranged for her. Lionel was not willing to let her go and Gabriella had to accept his help even if it was hard for her.

Gabriella said something that made Viviana think. The news of Leander turning her back on her had spread far and wide. Gabriella told her that Lionel was particularly angry with Leander about that issue and had tried to talk to him only to be cut off by Leander altogether.

Viviana felt bad for Lionel. He knows Leander for longer than she does and yet Leander treated him the same way as he treated her.

But she couldn’t grasp one thing.

She didn’t think Leander hated her or turned his back on her.

If Leander did turn her back on her, he would have done it in secret. He would have cooked some story and she probably would be six feet under somewhere right now. Or, if he pitied her, she would be halfway across the globe.

But she is still here and... everyone knows about their marital problems.

Leander is not the kind of guy who would announce to the world what happens inside his house. He’s possessive and secretive in that way.

So, why is he letting this news spread?

One thing was for sure. He sure has something bothering his heart. She couldn’t find out what that was.

"Signora..."

Viviana turned to hear Katerina. She nodded at Katerina.

"Signora, Helena Palatini got contractions early this morning and was taken to hospital. Apparently, she was bleeding even before she reached the hospital. Placental abruption, they say. In the evening, she delivered the baby. But sadly..." Katerina gulped and bowed her head.

"What? Is the baby okay? Is Helena okay?" Viviana asked. She wouldn’t wish harm on anyone.

Katerina took in a deep breath. "Helena lost a lot of blood but she is fine, Signora. Their son, however...was not fated to live in this world."

Viviana’s heart clenched with pain. "What a terrible thing to happen to someone..." she said. "I hope she and her husband find peace through these tough times..." she sighed.

She went through a miscarriage. She knew how much pain she was in. A stillbirth is a thousand times worse than a miscarriage. Imagine a woman carrying a baby to term only to hold him dead in her hands...

Nothing is more terrible than that.

Viviana hugged the baby closer to her chest. She couldn’t fall asleep. Leander was not home yet and it was already midnight.

She did not like Helena much but hearing what happened to her affected her greatly. If she had Leander by her side, she would have opened up to him and he would have found ways to console her.

She felt so alone.

"It’s okay, baby... At least I have you by my side..." Viviana kissed the baby. The baby was sleeping peacefully.

Suddenly, she heard gunshots from the backyard. Hugging the baby, Viviana ducked down. She thought the gunshot sounds would die down as the security handled the attacker, but it didn’t stop.

She crawled under the bed.

The gunfire only intensified. The baby’s sleep got disturbed and she started to cry.

Oh, no!

Viviana tried to pacify the baby. But the baby was scared beyond measure. Viviana too was scared.

What is going on? Ah, how is everyone doing? I hope they are all safe. My puppies! The cats...

She tried to reach for her phone that she kept on the side table to call Leander. She hoped he knows. Just at that time, she heard gunfire close to her room. In just a few seconds, she heard the window glass breaking.

Only Leander’s room was bulletproof. The guest room wasn’t.

Viviana held the baby closer to her chest hoping that would assure the baby. But the baby only cried. The sound of gunfire resonated around almost swallowing the sound of the cry of the baby.

As she tried to soothe the baby, she saw someone jumping in through the window.

Am I going to die?

Viviana held her chest.