Chapter 235: Everyone we lose Part 1

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty- Six

Markus rushed into Asli’s room so quickly that the door struck the wall.

Asli’s head snapped toward him.

From somewhere below came the unmistakable sound of commotion; people shouting, hurried footsteps, doors opening and slamming.

Markus looked nothing like himself.

His chest rose and fell heavily. His eyes darted toward the corridor before settling briefly on Asli.

The older woman immediately noticed. "What is happening?" she asked, rising from her seat.

Markus hesitated just for a second. His gaze returned to Asli.

She caught it. A faint, humorless chuckle escaped her. "Whatever it is," she murmured, turning her face toward the window, "I doubt I need to know."

Markus said something under his breath to the older woman.

Asli couldn’t make out all of it.

Only a few words.

"...downstairs... they’re here... Uncle is shocked..."

The woman’s face changed.

Whatever Markus had whispered had been enough.

She hurried toward the door with him, glancing back at Asli once before disappearing into the corridor.

Their footsteps faded. Asli remained still.

Then her eyes moved to the door.

It was open.

She stared at it for several seconds before it clicked that they had forgotten to lock it.

A slow smile touched her lips. "Finally."

She rose.

Her boots barely made a sound as she slipped into the corridor.

She moved quietly, following the voices downstairs. By the time she reached the hall, the commotion had grown louder.

Then she stopped.

Her eyes immediately found them.

Her nanny stood in the middle of the hall, arms wrapped tightly around the woman she had come to know was her mother.

The older woman was crying against her shoulder.

Asli’s brows drew together.

She hadn’t expected to see the picture in front of her.

And judging from the way everyone was moving around them...

Something was very wrong.

Her gaze narrowed.

What the hell had happened?

The woman in the wheelchair looked happier than Asli had ever seen her.

Georgia couldn’t speak. She couldn’t rise to embrace anyone or wipe the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes. But her face said enough.

For the first time since Asli had known her, there was something almost peaceful in her expression.

Asli took another step toward them.

She barely had time to wonder what had happened before Ruth threw her arms around her.

Asli stiffened.

Ruth sobbed against her shoulder, holding her as though she had been wanting to do that all her life.

"What the hell is going on?" Asli demanded.

"You have no idea." Ruth pulled back, her face wet with tears. "I’m so happy."

"Talk!"

Her voice cracked through the hall. Every conversation stopped.

Settimo’s head snapped toward her. "You won’t raise your voice at anyone here, young woman."

Asli turned sharply the their eyes locked.

His expression hardened.

Hers became colder.

Before either could say another word, Rosalia lifted her trembling hand and touched Settimo’s arm.

He looked down at her.

Whatever he saw on her face made the anger drain from his own.

"You’re not ruining today for us," she said softly.

Asli’s eyes narrowed. The woman couldn’t even properly move her body away from Georgia, yet somehow those few words had silenced one of the most feared men in the room. Why was she surprised, that was her husband.

Rosalia reached for Asli. "Come, my daughter."

Asli hesitated.

The words still sounded strange.

My daughter.

She swallowed whatever rose in her throat and allowed the older woman to pull her into a careful embrace.

Ruth stared between them, bewildered. "Your daughter?" she asked.

Then her eyes widened. "Don’t tell me it was one of your sons she got pregnant for. Is it Markus?"

Asli immediately pulled away.

"I have an identity," she snapped. "Don’t reduce me to someone who got pregnant for somebody’s son."

Ruth blinked.

"Please pardon her," she quickly told the couple. "I swear she’s a sweet girl."

Asli scoffed. "Sweet girl, my ass."

Ruth gave her a look but before she could respond, Rosalia shook her head.

"No."

Everyone went quiet.

"Catalina is still alive."

Ruth’s face emptied of colour. "What? Who’s Catalina? Your daughter? Where is she?"

"She didn’t die in that fire."

Ruth stared at her. For several seconds, she couldn’t seem to understand.

"When we escaped..." Ruth’s voice trembled. "Hell, I’m surprised you all are alive. When we got here, your Villa was burning. I knew Marco had gotten to you too. I thought all of you were dead."

She wiped at her cheeks.

"I heard his men telling him that. I had nowhere to go. My sister had suddenly become paralyzed and.... God..." Her voice broke. "I needed help."

Asli’s eyes moved between the two women.

’They know each other.’ She felt something shift inside her chest.

Ruth wasn’t simply some woman who had happened to raise her.

She knew them.

She knew her biological family.

Her stomach tightened.

The other woman reached for Ruth’s hand. "I’m sorry, my friend."

Ruth’s lips trembled.

"I wish we’d looked for you. We thought you died in your Villa."

The two women embraced again.

Asli stood frozen.

Her pulse began to climb.

"My biological parents..."

She looked at Ruth.

Then Georgia and Rosalia.

Then Settimo.

Her nanny knew them.

Her nanny had known her family before she had even known herself.

The realization hit so suddenly that Asli felt almost dizzy.

"How is it possible," Rosalia whispered through tears, "that the same man who caused all of this had you all those years and we never thought to look there?"

Ruth shook her head. "Trust me. I didn’t know at first." She took a shaky breath. "I had only just arrived in the country to visit my sister and her family. I knew she had married into a Mafia family. I didn’t know what was coming."

Her eyes lowered.

"I didn’t leave because I was terrified. I knew I had to hide Georgia. We barely survived. At the time, I thought I’d found a powerful man who could protect us."

Her voice hardened with shame.

"Little did I know he was the man behind the massacre. I thought he was kind enough to hide us. Not knowing... Oh my goodness! He recognized Georgia and took us in pretending to give us a home. He asked me to take care of Asli."

Asli’s throat tightened. She stepped forward.

"So, if I understand this correctly..." Her voice was suddenly quieter. "You knew my biological parents?"