Chapter 26: The Letter

Ursula finished her story, and they all were in awe.

"Are you in love with him now?" Zia asked. Maria and Ursula looked at themselves and burst into laughter.

"Oh common Zia, am I twelve?" She jested.

"Well, love, at first sight, does exist," Zia said, and Ursula caught on to that same dreamy voice she had used the other day at the cathedral.

"Ziaaaaa, is there something you want to share?" Maria went along with the teasing. They both stared deeply at Zia with mischievous smiles playing on their faces.

"Stop it, you girls. We're talking about Ursula now," she blushed.

"Zia Benedetta, one day, we will force you to tell us about your secret lover," Ursula said and laughed.

"What about you, Maria? Have you ever been in love?" Zia asked.

"Love," she repeated like it was the strangest word she had ever heard. Just then, Maria's phone rang, successfully taking her out of a tricky spot.

"Who could be calling me at this time" she complained. She hissed when she saw the Id pop on the screen.

"Who is that?" Ursula asked.

"Roy," she replied, disgusted. "He has been calling me since the night of the confrontation. I don't think I want anything to do with a man too drunk to protect a woman," she said.

"I agree," Ursula said.

"Maybe you should see what he has to say. He probably wants to apologize," Zia advised, level-headed as always.

"Of course, he wants to. He has sprinkled with some lies about how he would have fought tooth and nail if he wasn't just so strong. Add a few sober sorries and hope to God I'm foolish enough to fall for such stupidity," Maria remarked angrily.

"Just hear him out," Zia encouraged. Sighing, Maria picked up the call.

"What do you want, Roy," she said immediately.

"To apologize, Mar. I fucked up big time, and your silence has been killing me."

"What exactly are you apologizing for? Not seeing it fit to minimize your gulps to stay sane amid danger. Or making me confront Vincenzo and his deranged family alone while worrying about you. Which is it?" She asked impatiently.

"For every single one of these things. I'll be the first to admit that I should have paid closer attention to the danger you were posed to. I'm sorry I didn't and would be honored to make it up to you."

"How do you plan on doing that, Roy?" She asked.

"Have dinner with me. I may have just dug out some juicy secret about the Santoro's" suddenly, Maria's interest was piqued.

"You're not trying to waste my time, are you? If you are Mr. Hudson, you will regret it," she warned.

"I would never in a thousand years waste the time of such a gorgeous Angel."

"Fine. Let's have dinner."

"I'll send you the details," he rambled excitedly.

"Cool," she said and hung upon him.

"You're going on a dinner date with Roy?" Ursula asked, disgusted. She indeed did not like the man.

"Yep. He claims to have some dirt on the Santoro's."

"And you're sure he's not just trying to get on your good graces by fabricating a lie?" Zia asked.

"Whatever secret he has, I'll ask for evidence first, and then I'll let him carry out the rest."

"What do you mean?" It was Ursula's turn to ask a question.

"Vincenzo has it out for me, and every move I make against him has the possibility of putting my brother's life further in danger. That's where Roy comes in. He also has his beef with the Santoro's and especially Vincenzo. I'll let him carry out whatever he has over them on his own. While I cheer in secret," she explained.

"What if Vincenzo just thinks you're both working together?" Ursula asked, and Zia nodded in agreement.

"Well, I think I have a plan for that. It's still in its developing stage, though, so I can't tell."

"Oh, okay then. Just let me know if you need anything," Ursula said, and Maria nodded.

"Alright. Girls, It's time to rest. Tomorrow is another day," Zia said, ready to bed.

"Yeah, it is. Good night" they all said their goodnights and retreated to their rooms.

Maria laid in bed, sleep eluding her. She wondered if Vincenzo kept to his threats by hurting her brother. She felt so sorry for him. If she had known where he observed him, she would have attempted to rescue him.

This was why she was reconsidering her approach. Maybe it was Vincenzo she needed to get closer to and not his enemies. Perhaps she could secure his attention and trust. Something told her she didn't have to try hard for the physical aspect.

She was gorgeous enough without trying. She was not vain, but she doubted they were many men out there that would look upon her without some desire. Such was the effect of the beauty God had given her.

However, she was aiming more for his heart. Was ít possible to get the heart of a heartless man? The oxymoron of that thought process wasn't left on her. Maybe she could have been successful before all the commotion she had caused. She had seen his eyes the first time they met.

It was of a man who would do anything to get her to recognize him. Had all that blown up in a haze? Was it still possible for Vincenzo to hand over his essence to her? Was it possible for her to undo the man he was beneath that cold exterior?

The most important question was, could she do it without losing her head? She had vowed never to let the weakness of love slow her down. She had successfully been with men without losing herself. But something told her Vincenzo was not like other men. He was tough and wickedly sexy, with eyes like the sun shining on a honeycomb.

'No,' she shuddered. She wouldn't think of Vincenzo as anything other than the evil man he was. She reminded herself that he kidnapped her brother and was probably torturing him right now. He was simply a wicked man.

She got up from bed, knowing she would not sleep tonight. Locating her diary, she placed it on her lap and wrote.

"Hi mum, dad, duchess,

It's been a while since I've written to you all. Your daughter is, we let's say, going through the motions. It's tough. I can't even lie that it has been challenging. On my road to getting justice, I've stumbled upon so much pain that would break an ordinary person. But it hasn't failed me just yet. Maybe it is a testament to you always saying that I am an extraordinary child.

It does hurt doing it alone, though. I can't and won't ever give up, though. I also have good news. I found Marco. He doesn't remember me or anything of his past, but I swear it's him. I did lose him, too but only temporarily. I will do anything to get him back to where he rightfully belongs. I hope you are all resting well. I often wonder if you've met each other and even had discussions.

Are you all looking down on me together and praying for my success? It is ridiculous, I know. But you see, these kinds of thoughts keep me from giving up. To know that someday I may be able to live with the fulfillment of bringing you justice scares me. What if, outside of the path to judge, I don't know how to live? What if this is what I was meant to do? I'm honestly scared. I can't show it because everyone expects me to be strong.

All I ask is that you all bear with me for a while. I'll do everything to get the justice you deserve. Till then, I hope you watch over both Marco and I. Hopefully, and you're not suffering too much. It will hurt me if you are. I love every one of you so much. You taught me not just to be a confident child but also a worthy adult. For this reason, I can't show enough gratitude. Rest well with the knowledge that I won't fail you.

Love, Maria"

A tear fell to her eye, and then another. For the sake of justice, she was willing to defend an enemy. She would go on dates with someone she would otherwise spit on and call a fool. She would do unladylike things.

She would wield guns and plan deviously. She would put her life on the line and not look back. She would use her body to seduce the enemy in hopes of clinching his heart. She'll ally with the devil and his demons. For justice, she would even die.