Chapter 39

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside our window. It was a beautiful morning, and I felt refreshed after a good night's sleep. I got out of bed and put on my robe, deciding to head to the kitchen to start the coffee.

As I walked into the kitchen, I noticed a figure standing by the counter. My heart skipped a beat as I realized it was Marco. He was back. How?

At first, I thought he was just standing there, but as I got closer, I saw that he was staring at me with an intense gaze. His eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"Marco, what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He didn't respond. Instead, he kept staring at me, his eyes never leaving mine. I felt like I was trapped in his gaze, unable to move or look away.

Suddenly, he took a step closer to me, his movements eerily silent. I felt my heart racing as he approached me, his eyes still fixed on mine.

"Marco, stop," I said, trying to sound firm, but my voice came out barely above a whisper.

He didn't stop. He kept coming closer, his eyes burning with an intensity that made me feel like I was going to combust.

I took a step back, trying to create some distance between us, but my feet felt heavy, as if they were rooted to the spot.

Marco's smile grew wider as he turned back to me. "You know, Lilith, I think you owe me a thank you," he said, his voice dripping with smugness.

I felt a surge of confusion and fear. What was he talking about?

"For what?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Marco chuckled. "For keeping your little secret, of course," he said, his eyes glinting with malice. "I know everything about you Lilith. And I've kept quiet about it, haven't I? I now know you want Xavier's wealth all to yourself."

My heart skipped a beat as I realized what he was referring to. How many times do I have to tell everyone I wasn't Lilith or is this why my father-in-law made me marry Xavier?

"How did you...?" I started to ask, but Marco just laughed.

"That's not important," he said. "What's important is that I've kept your secret safe. And I think I deserve a thank you for that."

I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. Marco was blackmailing me.

"You'll never say anything, will you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

Marco's smile grew even wider. "Oh, I don't know, Lilith. I might just have to tell Xavier all about your little secret. Unless, of course, you do something for me."

I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized what Marco was capable of. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

Marco's eyes gleamed with malice as he took a step closer to me. "I think I deserve a reward for being such a good boy, don't you, Lilith?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I felt a wave of revulsion wash over me as he reached out to touch my face. I tried to pull away, but he was too quick.

Just as his fingers were about to make contact with my skin, the maid, Maria, burst into the kitchen. "Excuse me, sir but there's a phone call for you," she said, her voice firm.

Marco's face twisted in annoyance, but he dropped his hand and turned to Maria. "Who is it?" he growled.

Maria stood her ground, her eyes fixed on Marco. "It's a business call, sir. They said it was urgent."

Marco's expression darkened, but he nodded curtly and followed Maria out of the kitchen.

As they left, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I had been saved from Marco's clutches once again.

But as I turned to leave, I saw Maria and the other maid, Chloe, standing in the doorway, their faces bowed in disappointment.

I don't know hat they might be thinking about me now.

"Do you need anything ma'am?" Maria asked.

"No." I smiled.

Maria and Chloe bowed again and backed out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I couldn't shake the feeling that Marco would be back, and next time, I might not be so lucky.

I tried to leave the kitchen, but before I could take a step, Marco's hand closed around my wrist like a vice. He spun me back around to face him, his eyes blazing with anger.

"You think you can just walk away from me?" he snarled, his voice low and menacing. "I don't think so, Lilith because we aren't done with the conversation yet."

I tried to pull away, but he held me fast. "Let me go, Marco," I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.

Marco's smile was cruel. "I'm done being a good boy, Lilith," he said. "I'm done playing by the rules. You're going to do what I want, or I'll ruin everything. Your precious Xavier, your family's reputation, everything."

I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized the extent of Marco's malice. He was capable of destroying everything I held dear.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

Marco's eyes gleamed with triumph. "Oh, I think you know," he said. "I want you to do exactly what I say, when I say it. And if you don't...well, let's just say I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

I knew I had to get away from him, but Marco's grip was like a vice. I was trapped.

I summoned all my strength and pushed Marco away, breaking free from his grasp. My hand flew up and slapped him across the face, the sound echoing through the kitchen.

"You disgusting, vile, manipulative excuse for a human being!" I spat at him, my anger boiling over. "Stay away from me and my husband, you sick freak!"

Marco's face reddened from the slap, but he just laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Oh, Lilith, you're so cute when you're angry," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

I took a step back, my heart racing with fear and adrenaline. "Don't ever touch me again," I warned him, my voice shaking with rage.

Marco chuckled and took a step closer to me. "Oh, I'll touch you whenever I want," he said, his voice dripping with menace. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

I stood my ground, despite the fear that was threatening to consume me. "Xavier will stop you," I said, trying to sound confident.

Marco's smile grew wider. "Xavier doesn't know what's going on," he said. "Or do you want me to tell him?"

I turned and walked away from Marco, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. I couldn't bear the sight of him anymore. I went upstairs to our bedroom, trying to calm down and process what has just happened.

As I entered the room, my eyes fell on Xavier's phone, which was lying on the bed. I walked over to it, intending to hand over his phone to him in the bathroom as a series of messages were popping in.

But as I picked up the phone, I saw that there were several messages from Marco on the screen. My heart sank as I read through them.

He sent my ID card as Avery Mills and exposed that I've been lying to be Lilith.

I felt a surge of anger and fear. How could Marco do this? I knew I had to delete the messages before Xavier saw them. I didn't want him to worry or get upset.

I quickly deleted the messages and put the phone back on the bed. But as I turned to leave the room, I felt a sense of urgency. I had to get back downstairs and make sure Marco was gone.

I rushed downstairs, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to protect Xavier and our family from Marco's evil clutches. I couldn't let him win.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw that Marco was still in the kitchen, smirking at me. I knew I had to get him out of there, and fast.

I rushed into the kitchen, my heart racing with anxiety. Marco was still there, leaning against the counter with a smug expression on his face.

"Ah, baby girl, don't be so uptight," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Those messages were just a teaser. A little preview of what's to come."

I felt a chill run down my spine as he pushed off the counter and took a step closer to me.

"When you're ready to do whatever I want, you know where to find me," he said, his eyes glinting with malice. "And don't think for a second that you can hide from me. I'll always find you, Lilith."

I tried to keep my voice steady, but it was shaking with fear. "Get out, Marco. Now."

Marco chuckled and took another step closer to me. "Oh, I'm going. But don't think this is the last you've seen of me, Lilith. I'll be back, and next time, you won't be so lucky."

With that, he turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me feeling shaken and terrified. There was no way I was going to tell Xavier everything, but I was scared of what might happen if Marco carried out his threats.

I felt like I was going to explode. The fear, the anger, the frustration - it all boiled over and I let out a scream. I yelled at the top of my lungs, tears streaming down my face.

"Why can't he just leave me alone?!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the kitchen walls. "Why can't he just go away and never come back?!"

I slammed my fists on the counter, feeling the pain and helplessness wash over me. I was trapped, stuck in this never-ending nightmare with no escape.

I thought of Xavier, of how much I loved him and how much I wanted to protect him from Marco's evil grasp. But I felt so powerless, so unable to stop Marco's manipulation and control.

I slid to the floor, my body wracked with sobs. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to keep my head above water.

"Why can't anyone help me?" I wailed, my voice cracking with emotion. "Why can't anyone stop him?"

I rocked back and forth, my tears falling onto the cold, hard floor. I felt like I was all alone, like no one understood what I was going through.

I cried and cried, my body shaking with uncontrollable sobs. I felt like my world was crashing down around me, and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Why did they this to me?" I wailed, blaming my parents for their betrayal. "Why did they marry me into this family like I'm some kind of commodity?"

I thought of my parents, of their smiling faces and their empty promises. They had always told me they loved me, that they wanted the best for me. But it was all a lie.

"You only cared about the money," I sobbed, my voice bitter with anger. "You only cared about what you could gain from me. You never cared about me, about my happiness or my well-being."

I felt like I was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to escape the pain and the hurt. I thought of Xavier, of how much I loved him and how much I wanted to be with him. But even that was being taken away from me by Marco's manipulation.

"Why did you do this to me?" I screamed again, my voice hoarse from crying. "Why did you put me in this situation?"

I rocked back and forth, my tears falling onto the floor like rain. I felt like I was all alone, like no one understood my pain.

But then I remembered Xavier's words, his promise to always be there for me. And I knew I wasn't alone. I had him, and together, we could face anything. Even my parents' betrayal. Even Marco's manipulation.