Flash Marriage: Shrewd Wife, Devious Husband
Chapter 44: Heaven’s Mandate

Chapter 44: Heaven’s Mandate

As she was wondering what to do next, she felt Tony’s warm hands holding her hand. She looked at Tony. Tony nodded at her with a smile and walked away.

She watched him talk to the photographer and other photographers. She couldn’t see Tony’s face, but they looked scared. Within a moment, Henry, Randy, and some other guys joined him. The photographers were not pleased to hand over their cameras and film roles, but they were stripped of everything except their clothes and sent away.

Marcella heard Paul grumbling with displeasure for inconveniencing the guests. She didn’t mind him.

The provocative photographer tried to run away without handing over his camera. Tony maneuvered in the crowd. She saw his eyes that were so focused and his pace was steady. His focus reminded her of a documentary she saw about eagles.

Just like the eagle in the documentary caught the fish in the river, the photographer was caught. Some men came out and dragged that man out of the place.

Butting up his suit, Tony walked back in apologizing to the attendees. The wide smile, the whisk in his gait, the slight flickers of his fingers as he waved... He was suave and stylish. Manly and charismatic!

Marcella was surprised to see this side of Tony. It was as if...

She had a feeling that he was not going to stay as the Chief of staff of a congressman. He had higher ambitions. She didn’t think his ambitions were wrong. It was how he tried to achieve it.

Well, she was still butthurt that he tried to use her. But thinking of how he sacrificed her sister for his ambitions, her heart filled with bitterness.

"Who is this dapper guy?" Mr. Fletcher asked smiling at Tony.

"My husband," Marcella said bringing out a polite smile to her face. "Antony Crawford."

"You’re married?" Mr. Fletcher was surprised. "Crawford, you said?"

"Yes, Antony Crawford," Marcella said.

She waved for Tony to come to them as Mr. Fletcher was interested in him. He’s definitely one of the wealthiest people in the city if not the country. But Tony was blocked by Paul Romano.

"So, you...Not just the don," Mr. Fletcher kissed her hand. "It must have been mandated by the heavens too," he said.

"It is." Marcella smiled although she didn’t understand why Mr. Fletcher said that to her.

Mr. Fletcher looked disappointed for a moment. But then he pulled out a couple of visiting cards from his pocket. Marcella took a quick look. One was his card, the other was his son’s.

Louis J. Fletcher. He was the son of Noah Fletcher. She’s heard of him from the secretaries. He’s the one taking care of his father’s business now.

"I’ve handed over my businesses to my son now. You can contact me or him if you need anything," he patted her hand. He then leaned to her ear. "I meant it. Anything at all. I owe a lot to your father. I would consider it an honor."

Marcella nodded. She looked at Mr. Fletcher. He looked like he meant every word. She saw in his eyes what she usually saw in the eyes of the men who adored her father. Her father really made some loyal friends.

The other men standing in the line waiting to talk to her urged Mr. Fletcher to move. He had to move away reluctantly. She only then noticed he queue for her is getting longer than the queue for Paul Romano. Romano is a big shot in the city too. She didn’t think that her father’s name would still have this kind of pull.

Why didn’t she see it before? Why are they here waiting to meet her?

She did see it before. Her father had to accept condolences from thousands when their mother died. But she was surprised these people want to meet her considering what her father felt toward her.

Could it be about the codex? Are they trying to see what I know?

Marcella had a lot of questions but she kept on continuing. They all gave her condolences and some gave gifts for the baby as Noah Fletcher commenced it. Marcella took note of everyone.

-----

"For someone aspiring to be great, you have no intention of rubbing elbows with the elites," Paul told Tony holding his elbow, crunching it. "Photographs are pretty useful."

Tony scoffed and got out of his hold. "Did you see there?" he smirked. "They are here for her. Not you... Those elites..."

Tony couldn’t keep his eyes off Marcella. Seeing her treated like an equal by those powerful men of the city, he was proud. Word must have spread about the Codex. Now everyone would be careful around her. But he couldn’t see anyone with ill intent.

Did he not attend the funeral? Could a foreigner be responsible for the killings?

"You’re planning on riding her skirt?" Paul asked.

Tony saw the sneer on Paul’s face. "As Peter Russo did?" he asked. He smirked seeing the rage on Paul’s face.

Peter Russo is Paul’s father. He was an ordinary man who married into the Romano family. Somehow after he married the heiress of the Romano fortune, unfortunate accidents happened in the Romano family leaving only Peter alive. Peter adopted the Romano name and became the heir.

"I brought the photographers. You had no business sending them away. And I want copies of the photographs of~"

"I’ll take her and leave. See that line for her? Who will you rub elbows with if all of them left?" Tony smirked.

Paul gritted his teeth.

"It’s your son’s funeral and all you care about is rubbing elbows with elites and taking photographs. Paul, Paul... You’re a vulture..." Tony shook his head and walked away.

He very much loved to stand by her side. But he didn’t want her to think that he wants to make acquaintances with those "elites". He wanted to a hard-to-reach place; to keep his promise. But that doesn’t mean he will compromise everything.

She is the most important thing in his life. He cannot bear it if she hates him. He chose to keep his promise once and that only led them astray. He was not going to take that chance again.

-----

Maybe even the heavens couldn’t bear to see a one-month-old baby throw dirt on his parent’s caskets, the sky poured down during the burial ceremony.

Tony stood by her side with the umbrella as she held Joey to her chest. Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she started to sob.

"It will be okay," Tony told her.

Marcella didn’t know if it was the sudden rain that made his voice hoarse or...

His eyes were red, and he sucked in a deep breath. She couldn’t believe that he could conceal his pain.

Do men not cry?

They stood there in the rain for some time. Unbeknownst to them, a man was watching them from behind the trees in the distance.