Chapter 324
Elena
“Tiago?” I lowered my voice as I was headed for the gates.
“Ti-”
I could barely finish my sentence as a hand had already covered my mouth. “Not so loud!” Tiago whispered in my ear as he pulled me to the back.
Seconds later, he finally removed his hand from my lips. I created a distance between us and looked at his face. “T-Tiago.” I smiled awkwardly, still unsure about why he would force me out of my house in the middle of the night.
If anything, he seemed even worse than he did before. I shamelessly observed the bags and dark circles around his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. What did he even want from me?
“S-so, I’m leaving tomorrow,” Tiago spoke after a silence. I blinked my eyes a few times, unsure of what to do. “Yes, I know.”
“So why did you want to see me?” I asked, “Do you want me to get Ma-”
“No!”
I flinched at Tiago’s cold tone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you…not again.” He took a breath. That’s right. This wasn’t the first time.
I carefully moved my hand to Tiago’s check and looked into his eyes, showing him he could trust me. “It’s okay. I’m here to help.” I nodded desperately.
“I know, and I trust you-that’s why I came to you,” Tiago said.
“Do you want to tell me something?”
Tiago’s eyes turned big as he shook his head. “Is Marvin inside?” He asked in a hurry.
“Yes.”
“Is he alone?”
“No. He’s with Lucas and Panther-”
Tiago stepped back, lowering his head. “He can’t be here. He can’t be here!” He paced back and forth. He slammed his fist against his forehead and released a frustrated sigh. “This was a bad idea. What am I doing?” He muttered. “He’s going to hurt me.”
“Tiago, who can’t be here?” I pushed for answers. “Is it about Marvin?”
“No.”
“Lucas?”
“No.”
“
Tiago stopped in his steps and shot me an angry look. “It’s Victor, isn’t it?” I asked. “Why can’t you just give me a name and tell me what this is about?”
I waited for an answer. “I-I remember you telling me something about you doing something Marvin can never know?”
“Is someone in the house threatening you?”
was follow instructions. I never meant to kill
“Tiago, kill who?”
My mind went blank as my thoughts went to Maddens, and it all started to make sense. Marvin claimed he went to prison for something he didn’t do.
are you talking about?” I asked, stunned.
embarrassed. “That thing Marvin went to prison for. I didn’t mean to do it. It’s all my fault- but I swear, I had
Maddens. How was I
I concluded. Even though he pulled the trigger, I wanted to believe Tiago wasn’t entirely at fault, and I knew that man couldn’t be trusted
spoke
about
Panther?
numb as I could not process his words. This wasn’t true. Tiago wasn’t in his right state
could Panther be the bad guy? He was the one who accepted me with open
take the fall for me, and I could take over the family business.” He said.
“Tiago…”
case you didn’t know, and I just wanted to matter for once,” Tiago stated. It was no secret Marvin was not only favored by Linda but Mario as well. Even then,
scoffed. “That fucking agent was a corrupt, manipulating ass anyway-but I never meant to kill him!” He spoke. “I just
who once had a mental breakdown
reason why
did it even matter? It wasn’t even important at the moment.
to get rid of Marvin, and by the looks of it-for
my dad to pull every string to get Marvin out of prison or for him to frame the Hernandez for
didn’t have anything to do with this either, so I was still confused as to
“Who knows this?”
Tiago shook his head. “Marvin can’t know…not yet.”
asked, confused. “Then why did you tell me?”
“Because your dad is
in complete shock and felt an uncomfortable lump in my throat.
d-do you know?” I stuttered.
Panther was aware of everything. Thinking about it, he was very quick to bring me
your dad, he planned on keeping you close to Marvin just in
“Just in case?”
distraction to Marvin,” Tiago explained. “He’s only hiding your identity because he doesn’t feel the need
couldn’t wrap my head around. Tiago was not only out of the picture
“Exactly.”
he would
are you telling me all of
wrist. “Because Anya would’ve wanted me
“She knew?”
“She found some things. Things which could put Panther away for a long time.” He shared. “I want to come clean to Marvin, but he
had to be Marvin’s bond with Panther. The two were close enough for
could let it go and hope for the best-or I could risk everything and protect Marvin by going against Panther. My identity would most
my eyes and took a deep breath. It was
he seemed surprised that I was
only one villain, and that person
tell Marvin?” I suggested, already knowing the answer. He
“He wouldn’t believe you over
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