Taken By The Mafia Lord

282 Given Space To The Devil

“Marcel!” Clara’s expression brightened as soon as she saw him out of the corner of her eyes.

“You are here!” She abruptly ended her conversation with her Father in law to go and receive her fiancée.

Unlike her, Marcel had gone as still as a statue as soon as he laid his eyes on that man. At first, the shock had his lips parted but now, he was so livid that his hands were fisted on both sides.

Marcel liked to be given a fair warning before he lays eyes on his father, that way he could have a better hold on his emotion. At least in large social gatherings, he usually puts on the act of them being on good terms until they’re out of scrutiny.

They had a lot of enemies who wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of the friction between him and his father. That was why appearance was everything even in their world. Meaning conflicts were solved internally – or in his case, left to be.

But now because Marcel was taken by surprise, his emotion was out and everyone could read him like an open book. That was further evidenced by Clara suddenly taking cautious steps toward him upon seeing the look on his face.

His eyes were bloodshot and his body was a plenitude of suppressed tension. Clara began to doubt if she was even doing the right thing by going near him because he looked like he would murder her.

“What is he doing here?!” Marcel growled at her before she was even within five meters of him.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Marcel. The both of you are so aggressive towards each other that I thought this dinner would be best to go over things together.” Clara had good intentions for doing so.

.....

“Well, sorry if I don’t appreciate the gesture, but that is something you do by informing me beforehand!” Marcel did not accept her pathetic excuse.

“Look here, Marcel, You told me to prepare everything and give you the location which is exactly what I did. You weren’t exactly open for conversation and there’s a good reason he’s here today.” Clare was not ready to acknowledge she was at fault either.

Marcel’s anger simmered down but not completely, it was there beneath the surface, waiting to flare up again if the need called for it.

“It’s okay, Clara,” Daniel finally spoke up, standing up to his feet, “My son has always been too short-sighted amid all of my efforts at training him, I believe we’d discuss that matter another day.” He was prepared to leave and give the young people the privacy he was infringing upon by being there.

Marcel wanted to laugh; he wanted to tip his head back and laugh so hard that tears would slip from his eyes and people would think that he had finally lost his mind.

What the hell was his father doing? Playing the role of a faithful father? It was quite ridiculous. But even at that, he couldn’t help but pick up, “that matter” from his father’s loving speech – note the sarcasm. Was there something going on that he didn’t know? What was the duo planning again?

“Of course not, father!” Clara refused, stomping over to him and forcing him back to his seat before casting Marcel a long glare, “You would sit down at this moment.”

Of course, Marcel was ready to disappoint her. Who was she to command him around? However, before he could react otherwise, Marcel saw the threat in her eyes and knew whatever sentiment she had for him had vanished at that moment – if he did otherwise, Arianna was in danger. She would rat out Arianna to his father since that was his current weakness.

That was the only clue Marcel needed to behave. As much as he couldn’t stand his father, he preferred Arianna alive where they could fight all she wanted rather than being dead.

There were three seats at the circular table, but because Clara and his father had been discussing earlier, their seats were closely beside each other while his seat was across. Hence, Marcel didn’t mind the distance and sat apart from the both of them, legs placed on the other.

Irritated, Marcel grabbed the tie he had been suffering for the past hour and loosened it before tossing it away without a care. He saw the frown on Clara’s face, she didn’t approve of his action but Marcel currently didn’t care. If anything, he was happy at her discomfort – that makes two of them.

Marcel didn’t even know which one was worse, especially when he saw his father touch Clara on the shoulder and the contort in her features straightened out. He gave her an understanding nod and she smiled charmingly at him.

Their harmonious relationship pissed Marcel off so much that his hands fisted at the side had already turned white. Thankfully, he wasn’t holding one of the glasses on the table else he’d have crushed it with that amount of pressure.

If that man had been a tad bit warm towards her mother, then it would have been much better. Instead, he treated his mother as an enemy and denied her the pleasures of life. What right does he have to look good in front of his fiancée?

Moreover, how could Clara be on good terms with him? It was like a huge betrayal to Marcel. If he were going to be married in the future, Marcel wanted nothing to do with that man. No, he didn’t even want Daniel near his family, not to talk of his children.

That was his punishment for his mother. Marcel would train his children by himself without any chance of them being corrupted by their grandfather. He would give them all the love and care that was denied him. They would not meet a fate as he did.

In one word, Marcel wanted to give his children a chance at normalcy before they were dragged into the responsibilities of being a Luciano. Because left for his father, Daniel, he would want to “catch” them young. Marcel was not going to let that happen.

His father was banned from manipulating his family. That is the further reason he cannot marry Clara, because she has given space to the devil to use her.