Chapter 34: Chapter Thirty Four

Nana’s heart pounded as she walked to the door, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped the handle. She opened it, and the sight before her made her breath catch. Her eyes widened in fear, and instinctively, she took a step back. 

Standing there was Marco, his towering figure and dark aura filling the doorway. His presence alone was suffocating, radiating danger and malice. His sharp eyes locked onto hers, and an unsettling smirk played on his lips as he stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. 

"Marco." Nana whispered, her voice barely audible. But it was enough for him to hear. His piercing gaze snapped back to her, making her flinch. 

Marco’s smirk grew darker, his eyes glinting with an unsettling mix of amusement and menace. He moved further into the room, each step deliberate, as if he owned the space. 

"What are you doing here?" Nana asked, her voice firmer now, though it still carried a tremor. It wasn’t a question born of curiosity—it was a demand laced with dread. 

Marco ignored her question at first, his gaze roaming around the modest living room. His lips curled into a sneer as he took in his surroundings. 

"This..." he began, his deep, gravelly voice filling the silence. "This is where my love has been hiding all these years?" He let out a low, humorless chuckle, his tone dripping with disdain. 

Nana stiffened at his words, her body tense with unease. Marco’s eyes finally settled on Leonardo, who was sitting on the couch, his face pale.

Leonardo’s initial curiosity about the stranger quickly shifted to fear as Marco’s sharp gaze bored into him, cold and unyielding. 

"Who’s this?" Marco asked, his voice calm but with an undertone that sent chills down Nana’s spine. 

Leonardo gulped, unable to speak, his eyes darting nervously between Marco and Nana. Marco’s expression darkened, his demeanor growing more menacing as he took a step closer to Leonardo. 

Nana quickly moved, positioning herself between them. She stood beside Leonardo protectively, her hands trembling but her resolve firm. 

"Marco, leave him out of this." Nana said, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to appear strong. 

Marco’s eyes flicked back to her, narrowing slightly. "Out of what, exactly?" he asked, his tone mockingly innocent. 

"What are you doing here, Marco?" Nana repeated, her voice firmer now, though the fear in her eyes was evident. "What do you want?" 

Marco tilted his head slightly, his dark smirk returning. "You know what I want, *Sofia*." he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I want what’s mine." 

Nana’s heart sank, her stomach churning at the implications of his words. She shook her head, her voice shaky but defiant.

"She’s not yours, Marco. She never was." 

At that, Marco’s smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, menacing glare. The air in the room seemed to grow heavier, tension crackling like static electricity. 

"She’s always been mine from beginning. " Marco said, his voice low and deadly. "And I’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back where she belongs." 

Nana’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her body trembling with fear and anger.

"You stay away from her." she said, her voice breaking slightly. "She’s not a part of your world anymore. Leave her alone." 

Marco chuckled darkly, taking another step closer.

"That’s where you’re wrong, *Sophia*" he said, his eyes gleaming with dangerous intent. "She’s *always* been a part of my world. You can’t keep her from me." 

Leonardo, who had been silent until now, finally found his voice. "Who... who the hell are you?" he asked, his voice shaky but defiant. 

Marco’s gaze snapped back to him, and the corner of his mouth twitched in irritation.

"The man you should fear." he said simply, his tone cold and final. 

Before Leonardo could respond, Marco turned back to Nana, his expression hardening.

"I didn’t come here to argue, Sophia" he said, his voice a warning. "I’m here to collect what’s mine." 

Nana’s heart raced as she met his unyielding gaze. "You can’t have her." she said, her voice trembling but determined. 

Marco’s smirk returned, but it was colder this time, devoid of any humor.

"We’ll see about that." he said, turning on his heel and walking toward the door. He stopped just before exiting, glancing over his shoulder. 

"You can’t hide her from me forever." he said, his voice a promise. "I’ll find her... and when I do, she’ll come back to me." 

With that, he left, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving Nana and Leonardo in stunned silence. 

Nana collapsed onto the couch, her hands trembling as she covered her face. "This is bad." she whispered, her voice barely audible. 

Leonardo turned to her, his expression filled with a mix of fear and determination. "Who is he, Nana?" he asked. "What’s going on?" 

Nana looked up at him, her eyes filled with dread. "He’s the man Xena’s parent hids Xena away from her entire life." she said. "And now... he’s found her. Its about that deal"

Leonardo’s throat tightened as he struggled to process everything.

“Xena’s parents?” he stammered. “Why... why would they be hiding her from him? What kind of deal are you talking about?” His voice was laced with both confusion and desperation for answers. 

Nana’s expression softened, but the weight of her worry was evident in her trembling hands. She shook her head, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.

“It’s not something you’d understand, Leonardo.” she said, her voice low and heavy with regret. “It was a deal... a decision made out of desperation and fear. They thought they were protecting her, but now everything is unraveling.” 

Leonardo frustration bubbling just beneath the surface.

“What kind of deal, Nana? What does Marco want with Xena?” he pressed, his voice growing more urgent. 

Nana exhaled shakily, her hands clutching the edge of the table for support.

“It’s a long and painful story.” she admitted, avoiding his gaze. “But what matters now is that Xena is in danger—serious danger—and we can’t let Marco get to her.” 

Leonardo’s mind raced as he pieced together the fragments of information.

His stomach churned at the thought of Xena being in the clutches of someone so dangerous.

“How do we save Xena, Viktor might have taken her already to a place we don’t even know.” asked, his voice strained. 

Nana nodded, her brow furrowed in worry. “Yes I know, and that’s what terrifies me.” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “Marco and Viktor are both dangerous men, but for entirely different reasons. If Viktor has her, then Marco will stop at nothing to get to her.” 

Leonardo’s jaw tightened, his protective instincts flaring. “Then we need to do something. We can’t just sit here and let her suffer—” 

Nana interrupted him, her voice firm.

“Leonardo, listen to me. I know you care about Xena, but you’re in no condition to help right now. Look at yourself—you’re injured, and you’ve already risked your life once. You need to go home and take care of yourself.” 

Leonardo hesitated, his other fist clenching at his side.

“I can’t just walk away, Nana. I can’t leave her like this ” he said, his voice breaking with frustration. 

Nana stepped closer, placing a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder.

“You’ve done everything you could, Leonardo ” she said softly.

“But right now, the best thing you can do is recover. We don’t know what we’re up against yet, and you can’t fight if you’re not at full strength.” 

Leonardo searched her face for any sign of reassurance, but all he saw was the same worry and fear that mirrored his own.

Reluctantly, he nodded, though his heart ached at the thought of leaving Xena behind. 

“Fine.” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But promise me you’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do.” 

“I promise.” Nana said, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her heart. 

Leonardo gave her one last, lingering look before heading toward the door. His movements were slow and heavy, his injuries and emotions weighing him down.

As he stepped outside, the cold air bit at his skin, but it couldn’t numb the burning determination in his chest. 

Back inside, Nana collapsed into the nearest chair, her hands trembling as she pressed them to her temples.

Her thoughts were a chaotic mess, each one more troubling than the last. 

She whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the silence of the room.

“What am I going to do, Xena? I promise ld your parent. How am I going to keep you safe?” 

The weight of the past and the uncertainty of the present pressed heavily on her shoulders.

She knew the storm was coming, and she feared it would be far worse than anything they had ever faced before.