Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 377: The Reveal

Chapter 377: The Reveal

"Melanie, I..." Leander took a step forward. His face went blank out of confusion; his smile was lost.

"No, stop!" Viviana closed her ears. "You’re taking this all...far too... How did you even know what she said to me that day?" She let out a deep breath.

Leander opened his mouth to say something. She realized that Leona might have talked about it to Leander that day. Leander had forgotten the past but now he must have remembered.

Taking Leona’s name, using the same words Leona used just the day before she died, acting as if... What is wrong with him?

"No! F*ck this, Leander. Leona is..."

Dead!

Viviana couldn’t even finish her sentence as her throat closed. She ran away wiping her face. She didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

"Stop! Melanie!"

Leander shouted behind her and followed her. Viviana didn’t know where she got the strength but she ran like a deer. She was so mad, her tears didn’t stop. Her heart pounded and ger eyes go blinded by the golden sand reflecting the sunlight. She didn’t let anything stop her and ran as far as she could.

When she looked back, she didn’t see Leander. She must have lost him.

Good!

She sat beside a bush. She was sweaty and thirsty. Her makeup was ruined. She was drained.

She looked at the Church on the top of the cliff and her eyes clouded once more.

Why?

She buried her face in her knees and cried. She was mad Leander brought up Leona but more than that, her outburst was mainly due to her guilty conscience. She couldn’t stop seeing Leona in Leander even though she knew it was wrong. She was also mad at Leona for revealing their private conversations to Leander for him to exploit them in the future.

She was mad at Leander but she was mad at herself more as she realized upon pondering silently. When she heard Leander’s voice again, she stood up and walked to him.

It’s not right to lash out and run away. She needed to talk to him about it.

"Oh dear," Leander hugged her.

He wanted her to calm down but it still saddened him to see her this way. He was glad she got her emotions under control. He knew bringing up Leona is going to tear all the Band-Aids she had on the wound that never healed. She had stopped thinking about Leona but he was sure watching the movie brought up her past and she was disturbed. That was the reason he wanted to talk to her about it now.

He thought of various ways to reveal the secret to her. He wanted her to jump in glee and accept the truth without any hesitation and with joy. But he knew that was not going to happen.

He knew how much Leona meant to Viviana; how much Leona’s death meant to her. In her heart, she justified what she did to Evander and her subsequent effort to kill him because his grandfather killed Leona and her parents.

That was the reason she kept on insisting that Leona was dead. She wants Leona to be dead to move on with her life.

But sadly, that was not the case.

Just like he knew her the moment he met her eyes on the rooftop, she knew it too. He knew she called him Leo that day because she remembered Leona.

And now he will have to reveal the secret to her.

"I’m sorry for lashing out at you, Leander," Viviana apologized first.

Whatever the reason was, even if she was right, she didn’t have to lash out at him. She could have talked to him about it. She still needs to find a way to control her senses when it comes to her past.

Leander held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "What?" he squinted his eyes. He didn’t like her calling him Leander. He made her promise that she never call him Leander again.

She must be really mad.

Viviana understood why he was not pleased. "I’m sorry," she said and took a deep breath.

"You do not look sorry," Leander said. She looked like she would cry again but she was holding back. He could see that she was looking for words.

"I am not sorry I called you Leander," Viviana got out of his hold. "You are Leander."

"No, I am~"

"But you are Leander Kastello, Leander! Whatever the world calls you, for me you are Leander Kastello and I love you. I do not appreciate you appropriating my dead friend."

"Appropriating?"

"Yes! Be it the new name you gave yourself or the..." She pointed at the tiara he had in his hand. "How did you even know what Leona and I talked about the day before she died?"

Leander let out a deep breath. "You remember that day?" he asked.

Viviana furrowed her brows seeing the bright smile on his face.

"I thought you forgot considering you never told Nellie about it," he added.

Viviana gulped. "Because it was a private moment that is close to my heart. You didn’t answer my question. How did you know?"

"Finally..." he smiled. "Finally, you are asking the right question."

"The right question...?" Viviana was more confused seeing his bright smile.

"Come with me," Leander held her hand and led her to shade. "I have a lot to tell you."

"You... do?" Viviana raised her brows.

"Ask me anything," Leander said.

"Eh?" Viviana was perplexed.

"About Abenney... Back when we were together..."

"..."

As the sea breeze caressed her face, Viviana was too bewildered to say anything. She sat hugging her knee while staring at his impeccable face blooming with joy.

What made him so happy?

"Silly Melanie... You have the same look you had when I saw you on the tree," Leander chuckled.

"The tree?" Viviana questioned.

His happiness sent a wave of joy in her heart but she was getting more and more confused. She didn’t remember climbing any trees the say Leander was with them. Or did she?

"Yes, silly! The tree you had climbed to escape your bullies... That tree..." Leander said.

Viviana’s eyes widened with shock.

But it was Leona!!!

She wanted to shout but looking at the serene delight on his face, she got calm.

"I have one more secret to tell you. That was not the first day I saw you. I’ve known you a lot longer..." He winked and held her hand.

Her eyes had intrigued him a lot longer!

Viviana blinked.

"I’ve often seen you walking with Father Flannagan. One day, I’ve seen you with the guard dogs. That day when I threw stone at your bullies, I was mad at you. You could easily control those big dogs and yet you let yourself get bullied by puny rats!"

Leander squeezed her hands. His eyes were wide out of excitement as he told those stories but Viviana still couldn’t get the head or tails of what he was saying.

"Leona..."

Finally, she uttered something.

Leander’s face brightened and he nodded. "Yes, I am~"

"That was Leona..." Viviana said bringing his excitement down several notches.