love and Revenge

Truth revealed

The silence between Jasmine and Marcus was almost tangible. They were both in the house, but neither of them spoke a word. Jasmine kept thinking about all that had happened that morning. She wondered what kind of illegal activities Marcus was involved in. The fact he didn't even beat around the bush about giving her a reply seemed like a good sign to Jasmine. But she worried that his illegal activity involved killing other people. She remembered the men sent to lay ambush for him at his residence and wondered how he took care of the threat.

Jasmine decided to break the silence in the house by calling her father.

"Where are you, Jasmine?" The worried voice of her father was heard immediately after he picked up the call

"Dad, I'm okay," Jasmine reassured him, trying to calm his worries.

. "Jasmine, what's going on? Jacinta told me you turned down Liam's proposal and ran away with some man named Marcus." He asked again, his voice increasing with concern at each point.

Jasmine took a deep breath. "Dad, I promise I'll come home and explain everything. Trust me, I had a good reason for refusing Liam's proposal."

Her father's sigh was audible. "Jasmine, you need to come home as soon as possible. We'll talk about this in person."

Jasmine agreed, feeling guilty for worrying about her father. He was the only family member he had right now that she could still trust.

When she was seven, her mother suddenly left the house and never returned. To date, she has never received an explanation for her sudden disappearance. Her father kept insisting that she was not ready to bear what happened.

As she hung up the phone, Marcus appeared in the doorway. "Jasmine, I think it's time we talked," he said, his eyes locked on hers.

Marcus led Jasmine to a secluded garden within his estate that Jasmine had never known existed in the residence. She was impressed by his love for nature.

"This is the place where I come to think and where I make some of the most challenging decisions in my life," he informed her as they made their way

They sat on a bench, and Marcus took a deep breath before beginning his story.

"I was born into this life, Jasmine," Marcus said, gazing into the distance. "My family has been part of the mafia for generations. I never had a choice."

Jasmine listened intently, her heart aching for the man beside her. She could tell from his voice and labored breath that he was having difficulty saying these things. He was no longer the cold person she was used to seeing.

"As I grew older, I realized I didn't have to follow in my family's footsteps," Marcus continued. "But I was already in too deep. I had to either take over the family business or risk everything to leave."

Jasmine's eyes locked onto Marcus's, and she saw the pain and conflict reflected there.

" I don't understand. Your elder brother Lawrence runs the family business. How is this mafia business and your family business?" Jasmine asked, confusion written all over her face.

"Lawrence runs the legitimate business while I run the illegal part of it. The world doesn't know that my father has the illegal side of the business; only a select few, including your father, are aware."

Jasmine looked with disbelief at what she just heard. So her father knew so much about the Lancaster family and never told her about it?

" But why did it have to be you?" She questioned again.

"Somebody in his generation must take over. I chose to take over after so many threats and persuasions." Marcus said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"But I vowed to do things differently. I wanted to use my position to make a positive impact."

Jasmine's heart swelled with admiration for Marcus's conviction.

"What about Priscilla?" Jasmine asked gently, her voice barely breaking the silence.

Marcus's eyes clouded over, and he looked away. She could tell the name brought back unwanted memories. She wanted to stop the questions, but she needed to clear the air on every issue if she would ever trust her life to him.

"Priscilla was my sister," Marcus said, his voice cracking. "She was innocent, caught in the crossfire of our family's wars. I failed to protect her."

" She is the main reason I took over the mafia group. My initial refusal put my family in a position of danger, which is why Liam kept blaming me for her death. I don't blame him. She may not have died if I had accepted this position earlier." He pointed out as he fought hard to hold the tears in his eyes.

Jasmine instantly felt moved by the man's appearance before her. She was no longer looking at a cold, mysterious man but a soft, innocent man who was forced to look hard.

" I have never killed anyone since I took over this business. Yes, there may be clashes occasionally, but I have tried never to harm anyone personally."

" I only have to defend myself and my family. With time, I hope to find a way to end this circle for good. Another generation after me will not have to carry this burden," he added with determination on his face.

Jasmine's hand instinctively reached out, and she touched Marcus's arm. There was an ignition of something in her heart that she could not explain. She could not tell if it was out of pity for him or if this was something else.

As they sat there, the tension between them became almost unbearable. Jasmine felt drawn to Marcus, sensing his pain's depth and desire to make amends.

Marcus turned to her, his eyes burning with intensity.

"I know I'm not a good man, Jasmine," Marcus said, his voice low and husky. "But I want to be better."

Jasmine's heart skipped a beat as Marcus's face leaned in, his lips inches from hers but she stopped herself immediately as she remembered what Liam did to her. She reasoned it would be too early to give her heart to anyone.

"I will need to go see my father" she said, rising upon her feet while clearing her throat.

" I will drive you to his place, "Marcus offered.

"No, thank you I need to see him alone"

" You don't understand all I just said right? The mafia world now knows you are mine and they will come for you. I must protect you"