Chapter 236

Chapter 236

He felt somewhat at a loss, "Elena is still waiting for me, so I won't disturb you further. Please, carry on."

Marco turned and left, quickening his pace.

Salina waited until Marco's footsteps faded completely beyond hearing before dropping her forced performance and slowly crouching down.

It was over... everything was over...

"Salina, stand up." Ricardo's tone was displeased, and her complete disregard made his anger flare even more.

He grabbed Salina with one hand and pulled her up, forcibly pressing her against the wall and straightening her face.

He was about to mock her, but seeing the woman's eyes brimming with tears and her face soaked with them, he froze.

He had never seen Salina cry like this - not during their first meeting, not when Scarlett was violated, not during her first time, not even when he humiliated her.

This woman always pretended to be invulnerable, keeping her beautiful face cold while spitting harsh words to provoke him. She disdained tears, even though they were a woman's natural weapon.

Sometimes Ricardo felt she was more like a man, preferring to solve problems through direct confrontation. But when she admitted their relationship in front of Marco, she broke down in tears.

Ricardo couldn't describe what he was feeling.

Irritation? Anger?

He only knew he desperately wanted Salina to hold back her tears, not allowing a single drop. He wanted to cover her mouth and make her swallow all her sobs.

And that's exactly what he did - he fiercely covered Salina's soft lips, invading her mouth and prying open her teeth.

But the next moment, he involuntarily stepped back from the pain on his lips.

He licked with his tongue tip - it was burning and tasted of blood. She had indeed broken the skin.

Salina glared at him with towering fury in her eyes, as if she wanted to kill him, holding back tears while controlling her overwhelming emotions, "You pervert..."

"Yes." Ricardo smiled, "I am a pervert. Didn't you know that clearly when you first investigated me?"

Salina kept clenching her fists, anger and pain invading her mind, nearly causing dizziness. But she told herself to stay calm, to stay calm. She couldn't fight Ricardo; her resistance would be futile.

What he wanted was a Salina who was good at fighting with him but didn't overstep boundaries, not a little woman who threw tantrums and caused scenes.

Her only advantage lay in Ricardo's interest in her, but the extent of that interest, when it would end, and whether he would retaliate against others afterward remained unknown.

More importantly, if she angered him, he wouldn't hurt her, but Marco would be in danger - something she absolutely wouldn't allow.

"Move aside." She said hoarsely, pushing Ricardo away and going downstairs while suppressing her emotions.

Ricardo's expression grew darker bit by bit as he followed closely behind.

On the other side, Elena waited at the door for Marco's return, but Marco's expression was clearly different from when he left.

He looked haggard with a hint of hurt, only snapping back to reality when he saw her, forcing a smile to hide his emotions, "Why did you come out? It's cold outside. What if you catch cold?"

His voice was gentle, his expression flawless. If he had noticed her at the door from the beginning, he would have hidden everything perfectly from the start, preventing her from noticing anything amiss.

Elena found it strange but didn't want to expose it, only saying with a light smile: "It was too stuffy inside with no one around, so I wanted to get some fresh air."

"Are you cold?" Marco took off his coat and draped it over Elena's shoulders. When she tried to remove it, he said: "Wear it for now, give it back to me when we get to the car. I'm a man, it doesn't matter, but if you get sick from the cold, I'd be to blame."

Since he put it that way, Elena didn't insist. The two went downstairs, and at the entrance, Elena noticed a Maybach parked nearby.

From the model to the color, it matched that person's car. She could even feel his burning gaze through the windshield, intensely focused on her.

She turned her head away, pretending not to notice, and walked to Marco's car with his accompaniment.

When Marco got in the car, Elena spoke: "Could we stop by a flower shop first? I want to buy some flowers and then visit the cemetery."

Marco started the car, casually asking: "To see Uncle Rossi?"

"Yes." Elena nodded without hesitation, her mind filled with her father's kind smile.

For a long time, Elena herself hadn't dared to visit the cemetery.

She was afraid - afraid her father would blame her, and she had no face to meet him. But today, everything was over.

He had been cleared of all stains. Though he might never be revered as before, at least he was clean, upright and honest.

She didn't know if he could hear her, but she still wanted to tell him this good news in person.

Marco understood and drove to a flower shop where they bought two bouquets and some fruit as offerings.

The two walked up through the cemetery until they reached the innermost section and stopped. But when Elena looked at Roswal's grave, she was stunned.

It was spotlessly clean, with fresh, vibrant flower bouquets piled up and fresh offerings that looked no more than two days old.

But when she first came here, it was overgrown with weeds and neglected. Even the cemetery workers couldn't be bothered to look twice, and they didn't dare carve the name on the tombstone for fear of public scorn.

But now, the tombstone bore five large characters: "Tomb of Roswal."

She looked at Marco in amazement, and Marco's expression was equally surprised.

"I remember when I came here half a month ago, this place was still a mess. I cleared the weeds before leaving. How is the name carved on it today?"

Elena shook her head. She crouched down, her hand touching the still-moist carved characters on the tombstone. The words were new but not particularly new - at least not something that could be completed in a few days, but rather something that took at least ten days or more.

Who had done this, and who had sent these flowers? Elena vaguely understood but pretended not to know.

"Father, I came to see you." She placed a bouquet beside the grave, her smile gentle and soft, "I know you miss me, but I've been busy with important matters, so I haven't come to see you these past few months. But I didn't disappoint you - New York has changed, and you've been cleared of all wrongdoing.

The murderer who killed you has received his due punishment. Rest in peace underground, don't worry about me. Also..."

Elena lowered her gaze, her hand touching her abdomen where there was a slight bulge - a living life.

"I'm pregnant." Elena smiled, her feelings about the child pure and undivided.

"You don't need to care whose child it is. He's mine alone, your good grandson. I'll bring him to see you, and don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of myself."

She spoke scattered words for quite a while. When she finished, she instinctively looked toward Marco, wanting to ask if he had anything to say, but found Marco's gaze fixed somewhere unknown, lost in thought.