CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

"Now, where were we?" He begins.

"You leaving me alone," I replied nonchalantly.

"Better watch out how you talk to me," he aggressively moved closer to me.

I rolled my eyes and smirked, "are you going to choke me and make me unconscious? Been there, done that."

A growl leaves his lips. "Be careful, Tesoro."

"Whatever. Well, I am glad that you're here now. I have something to tell you."

"What?"

Immediately I stand up from the bed. "I am moving out."

"You can't." His voice becomes louder.

I fold my arms in front of my chest, "why? I still have free will and can go anywhere."

"We are still married, and that means that wherever we go, we go together." It was his turn to fold his arms in front of his chest.

"You should be happy that I am at least staying in this room because, after that fiasco of yours, I would've divorced you immediately." I look at him straight in the eyes.

Acardio comes dangerously close. His eyes had flames of anger in them. With gritted teeth, he says, "you think you can leave me whether if it's inconvenient for you?" His grip over my forearms became tighter, turning painful slowly.

I tried to push him away, but it only made it tighter.

"Leave me, Arcadio," I slightly winced from the pain.

His expression turned cold, and his grip loosened. Tears started falling from my eyes while I brushed where he had held me. The imprints of his fingers were forming, and it was becoming red.

"This is why I want to go away from you, because of this anger and self-righteous attitude of yours. Which enables you to do anything you want." I hissed at him.

He stays quiet, but his eyes are still on the spot where he had held me. To this day, I can never figure out what he is thinking, and neither I want to know. He had shown me all his sides clearly, and it was stupid of me to let him get away with it all.

Gulping down, gathering all my courage, I see him straight in his eyes, "I want to go."

He stays silent. With a rational mind, I keep going, "I don't want a divorce because even though it isn't a real marriage for you, it is for me. And I don't want to disappoint my parents anymore. I have concluded. It would be better for both of us if we stayed apart from each other for some time."

I look at my suitcase as I remember our last conversation. Arcadio's words ring louder.

"Go but only on one condition. You take my men with you and no argument on that." After saying that he leaves me alone standing in the room thinking to myself that he gave up so quickly.

What did I expect from him anyway? Maybe I got disappointed because it was so easy for him to let me go. A part of me yearned for him to at least stop me, but I guess I should've never kept my hopes up.

So here I was with my suitcase packed at the doorstep waiting for the car, or maybe I was here hoping that I would get stopped by him. But as I saw the car coming closer to where I stood, all hopes turned into hatred.

I settle inside the car with Leo beside me. She hasn't questioned me. From the time I have informed her about my decision to go back to India. She just nodded and said she wanted to drop me at the airport.

Looking behind, I see a black car similar to what we were riding in. Arcadio made sure that I don't go back on my words of keeping his condition. He had four men traveling to India with me. When I tried to say something about their stay, he straightaway answered that he had taken care of everything. Even though Arcadio has given instructions to give me my personal space, I don't know how much space they would be able to give me.

At this moment, it wasn't such a concern for me because the most important was how was I going to tell my family that I was married? And not just to any guy but a Mafia leader?

They were going to freak. Maybe, my parents could even disown me. Dad always wanted to walk me down the aisle. What was I going to tell him now? Panic triggers in me just thinking about the type of questions they were going to ask.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Leo takes me out of it.

"Nothing," a sigh leaves my lips.

Leo casually shakes her head, "you think that after years of staying together, I would not know when something has gotten your panties in a twist?"

With another sigh, I tell her, "I don't know how to tell my parents about..."

"Your marriage?" Leo interrupts. I nod.

"You know you should go with Arcadio to meet them. Maybe then they would not overreact much," she suggests.

I frown as the image of dad, standing with a gun to Arcadio's head flashes before my eyes. "If I went there with him, then they would kill us."

She rubs my arm slowly, "it will be okay, Ellie."

"I hope you are right, Leo."

We reach the airport. Leo and Arcadio's men guide us to a different place. There is a private jet waiting for us. Why doesn't this surprise me? Maybe because I know Arcadio would never let me go in some place where there are so many people. According to him, it is better to stay safe than sorry.

This contradicting behavior of his is the one making a mess in my head. On one side, he shows that he cares but at the same time goes on and gets wasted with other women. Because of these reasons, I had to walk away, and maybe I could get over this crazy crush as well.

Leo and I stand beside the jet. I know she wants to say something but is pulling herself back. "What it is, Leo?"

Before she could answer, I cut her talk, "you don't say anything as well. I know you enough as well."

She takes a deep breath, then answers, "I'm sorry. It is all my fault. I was the one that got you into this mess."

I was taken aback by her words. I cannot believe that all this while Leo was feeling guilty about the things she didn't even do. She didn't even had a say. Going close to her, I hug her. Slowly whispering in her ears, "It wasn't your fault, please don't blame yourself."

"But..."

"Please don't, Leo. You are the only best friend I have in New York. If you weren't there with me, I would've gotten lost in this big city. Don't ever blame yourself for what happens between Arcadio and me. It is just temporary. We want a little space. Everything that happened these past few days have happened in a blink of an eye that we never got to rest."

"I hope what your saying is true, Ellie, and not lying because of me."

"I would never lie to you, babe." I give her one last hug. I'm sorry, Leo, but I hope that I never return to him ever again.