Serena stood in the doorway dressed in my pajamas, arms folded, looking annoyed as she asked me. "What did you come here for?"
Before I could even ask her anything, Marco happened to return. He quickly pulled Serena behind him in a guarding way and explained, "Bianca, don't think too much. After Serena became pregnant, she hasn't been sleeping well, so I let her stay here at the safe house."
"Besides, the rental near the clinic hasn't ended yet. You can stay there a little longer for the time being. After the baby is born and we get our papers signed, you can move back."
I said with shock, "I also paid half of the money for this property. What right do you have to let her live here without asking me? And what right do you have to decide so easily when I can come or leave?"
In truth, the safe house in this part of the territory cost much more than Marco believed.
My father didn't want me to suffer, so he had already paid eighty percent of the total price in advance. Don Valentini's money, moved through three shell companies so it would never trace back to him. On the surface, Marco and I each paid half to purchase it.
Marco looked away with a guilty face, his thumb drifting along the edge of his jaw, and in the next moment, Serena was already yelling with a proud tone.
"That's because the property papers have my name and my brother's name on them!"
"I only didn't have the boys throw you out because of my brother!"
I stared at Marco in shock. Only then did he explain, clearly unwilling.
"Serena grew up with me. She's basically part of my family. She won't be getting married later and still has to raise a child. I'm the child's father, so I need to give her some protection."
"Anyway, you and I will get married sooner or later. No matter what happens, I won't leave you. Does whose name is on the house really matter more than what we have?"
Seeing the twisted logic of the man standing in front of me, I almost couldn't recognize him.
I had once thought Marco just didn't love me that much. I never thought that even the small bit of feeling left had long been replaced by careful planning.
Was this really the man I bent myself to love for ten years? The man I'd funneled my father's resources to, the man whose every promotion I'd quietly arranged from the shadows?
Not worth it, truly not worth it.
When he saw my eyes turn red, Marco looked uneasy and, without thinking, took out a cigarette and lit it. After noticing that Serena was still pregnant, he quickly stepped away and put it out.
Using that moment, Serena walked over and jabbed my shoulder hard with her finger.
"I'm really tired of women like you, always complaining and picking at things! My brother is willing to take care of me. What does that have to do with you?"
"If you have any sense, hurry up and leave!"
Just as I lifted my hand to knock hers away, she suddenly used both hands to shove me with force, pushing me straight into the man-made lake at the edge of the property.
Hearing the sound, Marco hurried back. Serena spread her hands with a careless look.
"I didn't touch her."
Marco slowed his rushed steps, his eyes turning cool as he watched me struggle in the water. The night air off the lake smelled of stone and algae, and the lights from the safe house barely reached the surface.
"That's enough, stop acting. Serena isn't the kind of person who pulls fake sympathy acts."
"Stop using such awkward tricks to get pity. Get out by yourself!"
Water rushed into my mouth, and my legs began to cramp. "It was her! Help… help me!"
Noticing something felt off, Marco panicked a bit, reaching out as if to pull me up.
