Chapter 19 Dangerous Marco

Elena Garcia's POV:

I bolted to the garden.

No one would bother me here, so I could let the tears flow without worrying about anyone seeing me.

I muttered, "What do I have to do to get my family to accept me, to love me like they love Sofia?

Or maybe they don't need to love me like they love Sofia. I just wish they could be a bit kinder to me."

Family bonds could exist between Rosa and me, but why couldn't they exist between James, Isabella, and me?

I started to miss Rosa. I really wanted to see her. I whispered, "Rosa."

"Who's Rosa?" As I was crying, Albert suddenly showed up behind me.

I looked at him cautiously, but he plopped down beside me without a second thought.

"Eavesdropping isn't very gentlemanly, you know."

"Alright, but for the record, Marco and I were here first. You're the one who barged in and started crying like a broken faucet."

I paused, then glanced behind me. Not far away, Marco stood there, frowning at me.

He was probably pissed.

Damn it, was I so wrapped up in my own drama that I didn't notice there were others in the garden?

I felt embarrassed.

To them, a woman who suddenly ran into the garden and started crying must seem extremely strange.

And I even accused them of eavesdropping?

"I'm really sorry. I'll leave right away."

Albert grabbed my hand.

He smiled, "Secondly, I'm not a gentleman, and I don't think Marco is either."

Albert's words made me laugh through my tears. He was saving my dignity.

I knew it was just a joke, but in my sadness, his kindness gave me some comfort.

Marco also sat down beside me, and I was surrounded by them. "What's wrong?" Marco asked, coldly pulling my hand away from Albert. "Stop that. She's your sister, not someone you can toy with."

Albert reluctantly let go of my hand. When he held my hand, he interlocked his fingers with mine, squeezing it.

I think Marco keenly sensed how offensive Albert's behavior was, and I didn't like it either. "It's just some family stuff."

Telling a stranger about my arguments with my parents felt shameful to me, like a secret that teenagers generally didn't want others to know.

"What's this? Your acceptance letter." Albert found a crumpled piece of paper in my hand. "Boston University's medical school. Your grades are really impressive."

"But that's nothing to brag about. For someone from the Garcia family, it shouldn't be surprising, right?"

"Don't say that. This is a college acceptance letter. Even if you only won a dollar in the lottery, it would still be something to be happy about." Albert hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me towards him. "Is this why you're upset? Did James and Isabella have any complaints?"

My eyes turned red again.

Seeing my reaction, Albert knew he was right. "God, what awful parents. It's a cruel irony that anyone can become a parent without having to pass a single test." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "I thought they would change their bad habits over the years, but it's still the same?" Albert seemed equally dissatisfied, even more so than I was.

I didn't know what had happened between him and James and Isabella in the past. Maybe Albert had his own difficulties.

Marco looked at me with his hazel eyes. "Do you need help, Elena?"

"They make you sad. If you need, I want to help you solve any problem that's troubling you."

Albert cut in. "Marco, you're gonna freak Elena out."

I was shaking when Marco started talking.

I didn't get why. I just felt this sense of danger. This guy's eyes were ice-cold. He looked at me like he'd do anything I asked, no matter how crazy.

Albert tensed up too. I could feel his arm around my shoulder getting tighter.

In my fear, I got curious about who Marco really was.

Albert never mentioned his friend's background or family business. All I knew was his name.

"If I wanted help, Mr. Bianchi, what would you do?" I asked, feeling uneasy and curious.

"I'd find a brave person to turn off a light."

"Marco." Albert shouted but couldn't stop him.

Marco looked at me, waiting for my answer.

He was sure I got what he meant.

And I did.

My eyes filled with fear. For the first time, I seriously looked at this guy who seemed like just another guest.

He was actually a mafia member!

When Andrew owed gambling debts, I had run into those guys who came to collect and picked up some of their lingo.

I couldn't control myself. I jumped up, wanting to get out of there.

But Marco was still waiting for my response.

"They are my family." I could only shout this in reply.

He was openly talking about killing my family in the Garcia household!

This was insane!

I looked at Albert. Why did he know a mafia guy, and why would he bring him here?

I said angrily, "You should leave. You're not welcome here. I'll call the cops and have them take you away."

"Then the cops will also take other members of the Garcia family away. Is that okay?"

Was this a threat?

I glared at Marco, but he seemed a bit lost, even glancing at Albert.

Albert looked at Marco, also shocked. "Damn it, it's all your fault for saying those extreme things. How did you come up with such a crazy idea?"

"But Elena is feeling sad. The family members making her cry, I could only think of one person, her foster father." Marco started to show dissatisfaction, but he still remained rational.

He seemed to know me very well, but I had no memory of him.

"I don't know how you know about Andrew, but not everyone is like Andrew, making me wish I could kill him." I warned him. "I care about my family, and you're threatening to kill them."

"I'm very sorry. I misunderstood." Marco admitted his mistake.

The dangerous vibe around him also disappeared. He put on a docile look, looking at me somewhat pitifully. "I've never had a family, nor any experience in being good to someone. I thought that was what you needed. I'm a mafia member, only knowing some rough methods."

Albert, standing beside me, rolled his eyes at Marco. "Alright, thank goodness it was just a misunderstanding. That really gave me a scare! Although I hate my parents, I haven't thought about killing them.

Marco, if you keep this up, our cooperation will end before it even starts."

Albert was reminding me not to be a snitch.

Marco, the mafia member, and their relationship were not just simple friends.

Did James and Isabella know about Marco's identity?

What exactly was Albert doing?

Should I tell James and Isabella?