Chapter 653
He just stood frozen, his hands still gripping Victor’s chest when he said, “Hit me.”
Marcel was startled by that comment and his mouth opened yet he couldn’t say anything. He just looked into Victor’s eyes and his cousin stared back at him. Those eyes were filled with determination and courage.
Victor was not scared of him, in fact, there was not even an ounce of protest coming from his body. If hitting him was going to make him feel better, then so be it. It was his fault as well that Arianna got taken. He could not do anything. He was so useless.
Marcel’s eyes were red and his fist clenched Victor’s shirt even tighter as he was tempted to take him up on that offer. They couldn’t do anything to secure his woman! Arianna was gone just like that!
Marcel released an anguished roar instead, pushing Victor away from him, and went in search of Arianna by himself as if he had the extraordinary power of bringing her back. He went to her room first to look for her and when he didn’t find a trace, Marcel returned to his own room, turning everything over in his search and not caring that some of his most treasured stuff was damaged in the process.
Arianna had once likened him to a dragon, claiming they were the only creatures who hoarded treasures like him and it must be really true since he hardly let people touch his treasures. However, at that moment even as those rare artifacts crashed to the floor, he didn’t care because his biggest treasure was missing and it was Arianna. He wanted her back!
“Victor!” Chloe called after his cousin who turned the moment he laid his eyes on his niece, leaving him no choice but to put a smile on his face.
“Chloe!” He spread his arms wide as the little girl ran into it and he held her tight. “I’m so sorry,” Victor apologized to her. He had been unable to do anything when Daniel took her away. If it wasn’t for Marcel, Victor was sure that he didn’t dare to go after Daniel for her sake.
.....
“It’s alright. I’m home now, that’s all that matters,” She said to him, hugging him tighter and relaxing against him until she heard a crashing sound.
Chloe pulled apart from Victor, startled. “What is going on?” She asked, but got no response except that Victor’s gaze traveled upstairs. That was when she looked around and found out that her brother was missing.
“Where is Marcel?” Chloe queried and from the look on Victor’s face, she was able to connect the dots. The noise upstairs was Marcel trashing the room.
She wanted to after him and only a step when Victor grabbed her shoulder and shook his head, it was a no.
“What is going on with my brother, Victor?”
Victor sighed, “I’m sorry, Chloe, but this is beyond you.”
“No, I want to know! I’m not a child anymore!”
“You would only complicate issues by being stubborn, Chloe, ” Victor told her before he gestured to one of the men to come over. As soon as the soldier arrived, he instructed him, “Take her to her room and keep her company.”
Victor would have left the young girl all alone knowing she would be mad at him, but Chloe was reckless and someone had to keep an eye on him. For now, Marcel wouldn’t be able to deal with his sister missing right after he got her, that would break him – and he would murder all of them.
“What?! No!” Chloe shouted when she heard that and tried to run away, but she was a little kid and the soldier simply threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing and left with her squirming and cursing at the top of her lungs.
She was merely a teenager and was already difficult to control, Marcel was going to have a handful when she grows up. Victor pitied him. Although the crashing sounds ended eventually, none of them dared to go upstairs and see him
In his moment of mad rage, it was best to leave Marcel alone because he was like a wild animal in that state and casualties were inevitable. Hence, he better blow off steam in his own space without putting anyone at risk.
They simply waited and waited and waited until Marcel came downstairs and everyone composed themselves. Although Marcel looked disheveled, there was a detached ruthlessness about him that made every one of them gulp and stand straighter. None of them dared to point it out.
Right now, their light-hearted leader was gone and in his place was a broken-hearted lover. Marcel was serious as hell and no one wanted to be an outlet for his anger. Luca was example enough and he currently had an ice pack to his face as the doctor watched his injury.
Marcel didn’t say a word until he got down and stood in the middle of the room before opening his mouth and asking sternly, “What happened here?”
The question was directed at no one in particular but Victor chose to answer, “We were taken unaware and lost consciousness thanks to the gas. It was not like any other gas we have seen, it was odorless and none of us saw it coming. We had it captured on camera though.”
“Is that something to be proud of?” Marcel asked him gravely, his eyes on him and Victor didn’t even dare to retort. Marcel was deadly serious.
Arianna was taken and he was proud to announce that he got it all on camera. There was a potent rage inside of him and Marcel wanted to destroy everyone and everything in his path. But he pushed it down, he was a human being, not an animal without rationality.
He turned to Victor and asked, “Where is it?”
The next minute, Marcel was seated in front of the laptop showing the recordings of what happened. At first, it had been Arianna and the rest of them playing games and having fun before he switched to the pool area. Luca was the first to fall but Arianna must not have sensed it because she was underwater. The gas must be pervious to water else Arianna would have drowned in her sleep and the thought made Marcel’s stomach churn.
Arianna would have died and he wouldn’t even know.