Chapter 41 Safe Escape

Elena Garcia POV:

I got tossed out of the villa's door.

Abner told me he needed to meet with Marco and didn't want anyone else around.

If I couldn't bring Marco, he'd kill Sofia.

I had no clue what was going on.

Abner seemed to have changed his mind, or maybe he never really planned to hurt Marco?

He even said I could tell Marco everything, as long as he came to the villa.

I was confused for a second, then I focused on Sofia.

Sofia was the one who got out of the basement first, but why did Abner let me go?

"Where's my sister?" I asked, worried.

"Bring Marco here, and you'll find out where that bitch is. You better hurry. If you're late, your sister might not be in one piece," a mafia guy warned me.

They gave me my phone back.

For Sofia's safety, I took off in a hurry.

Once I got to the nearest medical place, I called Marco right away.

When I was finally safe, I noticed my hands were shaking.

Marco showed up fast, came over, and hugged me tight.

I hugged him back without thinking, then realized what I was doing and pushed him away.

My panic turned into anger. The rage I held back in front of Sofia now exploded.

"Damn it! Marco, you have to go back with me! Those guys kidnapped Sofia! Because of you, Sofia's in their hands! You said you'd handle everything before they got here, and I trusted you!" I couldn't stop venting.

My tears soaked Marco's shirt, and he let me hit his chest without stopping me.

When I cried myself into silence, Marco held me tight again, grabbed my fists, and kissed them.

"Relax, Elena. Get some rest. I promise I'll bring your sister back. She won't be in any danger, okay?" Marco reassured me.

He kept saying it until I calmed down enough to tell him what happened.

When he heard that Abner's attitude had changed from wanting to kill us to letting one of us go and asking for a meeting, Marco lowered his eyes in muse.

He took out his phone, handed me over to a nurse, and made a call.

After he finished, he looked thoughtful. "My agent said he talked to Abner. I don't know why Abner still wants to see me, but it's definitely safer than before. Elena, trust me, I'll bring Sofia back, okay?"

But since he had already broken my trust once, I looked at him with doubt. "You promise?"

"I promise." Marco's eyes were full of sincerity. I knew I shouldn't trust him so easily, but I couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful.

As I relaxed, exhaustion hit me.

I curled up on the hospital bench, hugging my knees and burying my head.

While I was half-asleep, Marco took off his jacket and put it over me.

"You're still shaking. Are you cold?" Marco asked.

"Where are William and the others?" I hesitated before asking.

"At a hotel near Beverly Center. They don't know about you and Sofia yet. They're probably still asleep," Marco replied.

Marco stayed with me until I fell asleep.

The next day, just like he said, everything was about to end.

When I woke up, I found myself on a hospital bed with Sofia on another one.

Just like Marco said, he seemed to have fixed everything.

When I woke up, I even thought everything that happened last night was a dream.

The lingering pain in my abdomen brought me back to reality.

As I wondered where everyone else was, Albert walked in from outside the ward.

Seeing me, he raised an eyebrow. "Well, look at you, all chipper. I'm relieved. Darling, what the heck happened to you last night?"

Albert paused for a moment, then said, "Whatever went down, you should be more worried about what's coming next. Isabella and James are on their way. They found out you and Sofia got nabbed by the mob. They still don't know Marco's part in all this. When Sofia was rescued last night, she cried and said it was supposed to be her big chance. I don't know what that means, but it sounds like trouble for you."

Albert looked at me like he was watching a drama unfold.

My heart sank, and panic set in. "Why would there be trouble? I was the one who went with Sofia back to the villa. She said she needed to get Isabella's necklace, and I tried to stop her."

Halfway through, I realized something. "If you mean I didn't tell her the whole story at first, yeah, it's my fault. But Sofia should understand once she calms down."

"Understand?" Albert gave a sly smile, glancing at Sofia on the bed. "Sometimes I wonder where your naivety comes from. I've always been curious about your fate in the Garcia family."

"Here's a hint. There was never any necklace, Elena," Albert said.

The room went dead silent.

I stared at Albert, not getting what he meant. 'No necklace? It doesn't exist? Why? Was Sofia lying to me?'

"Impossible!" I denied. "It was a necklace with a blue gemstone, shaped like a swan. Sofia said it was an amulet from Isabella!"

"Isabella would never give the kids an amulet," Albert shot back.

Albert's words almost made my brain short-circuit.

'I tried to make sense of it all. I lied to Sofia to keep her from being scared, so why did Sofia lie to me?' I wondered.

I thought of Marco. 'Was it because she had feelings for Marco and wanted an excuse to go back to the villa? But I was with her at that time.'

Sofia had always been considerate and gentle, except for last night when we were in danger.

She was probably scared out of her mind, which was why she acted that way.

And Albert, he was always strange, always watching everything.

If I had to pick one person who was lying, it might be Albert. No one ever seemed to know what he was really thinking.

I looked at Albert warily, but he ignored my suspicion.

While we were talking, Sofia slept deeply.

From the nurse who came to check on us, I learned that Sofia had no external injuries, just extreme fright.

Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Albert told me he and Marco had things to handle and then left.

I tried to find out what happened after I met Marco last night, but Albert just calmly said, "Marco's agent's promise was delayed, but he sorted everything out."

This made me think of my anger when I saw Marco last night. After waking up today and calming down, I realized my anger last night was misplaced.

The kidnapping was an accident.

But when one was in a situation filled with negative emotions, one's brain would always find someone to vent on, usually subconsciously.

I thought it was a lousy thing to do, and I hated it.

Just like Andrew in the past, who liked to take out his anger on others every time he lost at gambling.

I bit my lip, not wanting to become that kind of person. 'Maybe I should apologize to Marco?'