CHAPTER 155

CHAPTER 155
Celine

“Maybe you're right,” Antonio spat, his face hardened. “But if your bone of contention all along has been your parents death, why don't you FUCKING die and go to the afterlife and take it up with Don Hidalgo? What the fuck has it got to do with me?”

“You're out of your mind to even ask that,” Marco shot back. “But since you wanna know so bad, I’ll repeat the same words Stefano said to you.”

He held up a finger, baring his teeth so tightly that thick veins jolted out of the sides of his neck.

“You're paying because you're the son of the man who ruined my life and took my family away from me,”he continued. “You were his greatest achievement. Not your fucking weakling of a brother, but YOU, and that bloody company called Gray Corporation, so excuse me for wanting to inflict triple the amount of pain I felt on you, by destroy the two things Don Hidalgo held dear.”

“That's it?” Antonio spat, a hint of mockery lacing his voice. “Really? That's all your grand revenge is circled around?”

Marco took a step closer to Antonio, maintaining a fair distance. “Are you by any chance hinting that my vengeance holds no water?” he said, disdain burning in his eyes. 

“I’m glad you got the memo.”

“Let’s face it, Antonio. I wouldn't have had to grow up without my father and mother's love—infact, all of these would have never even happened if your despicable father hadn't murdered my papa and stolen Luna Nera from him all because he wanted to be the Don so badly.”

“What?” Antonio muttered under his breath, his brows and that of Matteo, furrowing deeply in surprise, while my eyes widened slightly, unblinking.

“I know everything, Antonio,” Marco went on. “I was a young boy when it all happened, but I know all about Don Hidalgo’s schemes. He killed Maria—the same Maria he forced into a marriage with him knowing fully well that she didn't feel the same way, just because she loved a best friend he was so jealous of. So he did the only thing he could think of in order to separate them: Kill her. Your father's nothing but a FUCKING betrayer!”

Antonio let out a flabbergasted chuckle, a sharp scoff following immediately. “Who fed you with such lies? Your father was never the Don of Luna Nera to even begin with. He was my father's right hand man who betrayed hi—”

“Don't you FUCKING try to deceive me!” Marco interrupted, his voice laced with animalistic rage. 

Then he sprang forward like he was about to pounce on Antonio, sending my heart rate skyrocketing, but Pedro's firm hand shot out immediately, bringing Marco to an abrupt halt as he placed his palm on his chest.

“They're not lies,” Marco went on, violently shaking Pedro's hand off his chest. “Romero told me everything.”

“Romero?” Antonio blurted in a stunned tone, his brows involuntarily arching up. “You mean Romero Santo—the same one who has had a personal vendetta with my father for more than a decade, and equally leaked the photo evidence of Maria and Lucas's affair to Don Hidalgo.”

Then a dry, astonished chuckle escaped Antonio's lips, clearly angering Marco from the visible creases on his forehead.

“I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you've been lied to your whole life,” Antonio added coldly. “Your father, Luca, was the villain of the story. Romero merely groomed and used you as a killing machine to achieve his goals, because he has always had eyes for the Gray Corporation, and constantly advocated for the downfall of Luna Nera.”

“No!” Marco yelled through clenched teeth, the lines on his forehead deepening further. “He'd never do that. Romero took me in and treated me like a son. He saved my life when my late father's enemies came for me right after the news of his death spread like wildfire, seeking revenge. He supported me. He passed down his empire to me on his deathbed. He's the reason I came this far. Look at me!” 

He hurriedly pushed the rolled up sleeves of his shirt further up his tattooed arms, flexing his biceps.

“I used to be nothing but a frightened skinny boy with low self-esteem, but I worked out every fucking night and day since I turned 15. I built connections through Romero's empire. Then I built Marno Group of companies and grew my own empire and network, quickly rising to the top. And you, Antonio Gray, were my greatest motivation in all of that. I changed from that weak boy. I endured it all just so I could be strong enough to go against you.”

“You're honestly pathetic,” Antonio interjected. “It's so sad, you can't even see that you wasted your time and all those years carrying out blind revenge. The truth is that you just want someone to blame. And you wanted that someone to be me so badly, because you craved the life I have, just like your greedy father desired everything that belonged to my father.”

“Don't you fucking talk about him like that!” Marco growled. “You have no right.”

“Why don't you stop making a fool out of yourself, Marco?” Matteo said. “Your head is full of nothing but delusions and lies. Antonio's telling the truth. Your version of the story is a beautifully cooked-up one. If anything, our father was the one who wronged him.”

“Shut the fuck up, Matteo!” he barked with a dead glare, gesticulating angrily as he pointed a finger at him. “You should be ashamed of yourself for siding with the murderers of our parents when you should have been by my side, joining me in exerting my revenge on the Gray family.”

“I will never be in support of anything other than the truth,” Matteo retorted. “And neither will I be a party to your sick schemes.”

“That's enough!” Armando chimed in a commanding tone, pulling everyone's attention to him. “Enough yapping around. Boss, these people are obviously trying to make a fool out of you with their lies. They're outnumbered. You’re this close to the final stages of your masterful vengeance. Just blow up their fucking brains and shut them up forever.”

“Shut your fucking hole, Armando,” I blurted harshly, my jaw hardened.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” he said, taking slow steps in my direction. “Do you want more beatings?”

“Hey!!” Antonio growled from where he stood as he pointed a finger to his back, bringing him to an abrupt halt. “Don't you dare lay those filthy hands on her again.”

“And what the FUCK are you gonna do if I do?” Armando challenged, spinning around to face Antonio with a daring glare. Then he hastily pulled out a pistol from behind his pants, unleashing chaos as he aimed it at him, cocking the gun.

But in the twinkle of an eye, Antonio, Pedro and Matteo had retrieved their guns from behind their pants, simultaneously firing three shots in Armando's right hand and both knees before he had the chance to pull the trigger.

A sharp scream of agony tore out of his throat and he collapsed to the ground, the pistol in his hand falling along with him.