Chapter 86 - Not Your End

Romeo furrowed his brows as he heard how Irene was refusing to call Juliet 'Mrs. Giovanni' but he didn't say anything as the girl in front of him was a big shot. He just didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble by offending her or anyone. 

Even if Romeo didn't say anything but how could one shut the mouth of others? 

"Don't you know how excited Irene was for this night? She had been planning it for the last two nights. If not for her idea...we would have been lying on the bed like corpses," Anne said. She was ready to ass-kiss Irene for favors if she had to. 

Just as Anne completed the sentence, another chimed in, "I must say, Irene, your idea of calling everyone was great. We enjoyed it very much with the elders and the staff."

This person wanted everyone to praise how magnanimous Irene was but poor girls didn't know that she was spoiling the latter's plan. 

As if these two dumbos were not enough, another boy who had a crush on her spoke, "We were going back after checking out the ranch. But since Irene insisted we stay here for a few days before going back to the Capital… we are here. Isn't she amazing?" 

Santiago and Persephone nodded. 

Irene and her friends were on the tour when the lockdown happened. Since she was a rich father's princess as Santiago told Persephone, her father insisted that she come back as soon as the lockdown occurred for he would make arrangements right away. 

However, they thought of trying the ranch once as people of this area think highly of this ranch...but who would have thought that she would end up seeing Santiago here. 

And since he would be staying here...she begged her parents to let her stay here for a few days. She gave the excuse that the roads were not safe and she was fine here. …

Naturally, her father agreed as he knew better than anyone how unsafe roads were these times. 

A doubt took place in Persephone's heart. She wondered if the girl knew Santiago from before…

If she did...she would have at least tried to talk to him…. 

….

"Oh! Your turn again!!!" Jamie or the boy who was slightly drunk before was officially drunk now. They were playing interesting games. His dares were very weird and sensual. 

However, Persephone, as bold as she may look, was actually a scaredy-cat. If she fails to do a dare, she will have to drink a shot made by him. The quality of shots would multiply after every failed dare. 

"Now, stop it," Santiago said to both of them. 

Persephone pouted her lips and squinted her eyes while turning her face to express how upset he had made her with his 'offending' words. 

"You are drunk. I am afraid you will not be able to take more," Santiago sighed and said in a soothing voice. His voice was so calm that it was appearing as if he was talking to a kid. 

"Hubbbyyyyy! I want to play more with Jamie. Only he is gooood. Resssst are noooo good. Look at them…" Hearing Persephone praising him, Jamie felt his eyes tearing up. When was the last time someone complimented him for his alcohol tolerance? 

Those stupid people just call him alcoholic but only his big sister 'Julie' will call him good. 

"Big Sister…"Jamie came running and sobbing and hugged Persephone. " Wah. Wah. You are good too. They all no understand me...Wah Wah." 

"Little brother!!!" Persephone sobbed with him. 

Watching this bizarre scene, Santiago rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Why did he allow her to drink so much? 

"You leave my woman first!" Santiago ordered Jamie in the tone he uses on his subordinates. Jamie shuddered as he heard the voice of Yama. 

"So scary, big sister!" Jamie snitched on Santiago to Persephone in hopes to get into Persephone's arms for a long time. However, he had forgotten that this woman was a nutcase. 

After all, no one else other than her would find his threatening voice sexy and… 

"Come here," Santiago ordered, narrowing his eyes at his 'wife' and watching her coming to his side, keeping her head down as if she was a kid who was caught doing bad things. 

"What did I tell you about not standing close to other men?" He asked her. " Did you forget this?"

"I was a bad girl. And bad girls should be punished," Persephone said, her head hung low. 

Santiago had to take deep breaths multiple times to calm himself down. This girl was walking on thin ice, did she know it? 

"Let's go inside, " Santiago urged Persephone. She was extremely drunk. He was afraid that if he didn't take her inside she would do something reckless again. 

Persephone stomped her feet on the ground and yelled, "Nooo." 

Before Santiago could say anything or react or do something, he found her climbing on the structure made by bamboo sticks. It was 7-8 feet high and was made by submerging bamboo sticks into the ground and then a few more sticks were laid horizontally to give it the shape of a high bed. 

"Come down, Red," Santiago urged her in a soft voice. 

Persephone picked her feet up to stomp on the platform but just as she was about to do it, she saw how everything was going round and round. 

"Red!!" Villain shouted as he saw her tilting back and forth. 

Persephone held up her hand to stop him from approaching her. "I'm fine, you cad and mean Villain. I will not come down! I will stay here. I'm at the top of the world. I'm freeeee!!!!!" 

"Red, you are not free. You are in danger. Let me help you come down, please…" Santiago, who had never dealt with kids, was forced to deal with this child who was apparently in the body of a very alluring woman. 

"Nooooooo…." She shouted in a slurring manner. "You are bad! You don't love me. You always scold me." 

Santiago didn't know what to do at this moment. He looked here and there and found everyone knocked out. He didn't know what kind of shots Jamie had made that no one was able to survive more than three. However, this crazy woman of his had taken more than everyone. 

"Come down, Red. I'm telling you for the last time," Santiago warned her. " If you don't listen to me now, then I will leave you here in the cold to go back to our room to sleep." 

Santiago didn't say anything and turned back to walk away. However, when he didn't hear for a long time, he panicked and immediately veered around to find her head buried in her knees. Her body was shaking badly and her whimpers were not able to escape his ear. 

If one would ask him, what had happened at this moment to him. He wouldn't be able to reply as he felt someone with a sharp edge pricking his heart and the walls built around it crumbled down. 

He walked ahead and said in a very soft voice. The kind of soft voice that even put him in shock. "Red, I'm sorry. I will not leave you here in the cold." 

Her sobs intensified hearing his voice. 

"Please, don't cry." 

"I will do as you will say."

"Just stop crying."

"Okay, you don't wanna listen to me? I will just leave you here."

Persephone looked down at him. Since she was at the height, she could easily see him glancing at her. 

"Go leave me like everyone did to pick my pieces up." Hiccups." First, he left me all alone. He was my only source of warmth but they took him away from me. I hate them so much." More hiccups. " Then, they took my mama away from me. She was my best buddy and best teacher. But they killed her too… I was just left with my big bro. God took him away too… He should kill me too, right? Why did he leave me here all alone?"

Santiago held his hand and asked her to grab it. When she grabbed his hand, he pulled her into his arms and then settled on the ground.

Wiping her tears with the pad of his thumb, he murmured, "You are not allowed to talk nonsense ever again. My Red will never talk about dying. Who are you? You can't be my Red." 

"I'm not your Red. I'm anyone but your Red, "Persephone told him. Her teary green eyes bore into his and in a very sad tone, she added," You don't see me, Villain. You always try to look for someone else in me. Someone who is not me. Someone whose name you murmur in your sleep. I didn't know before why you offered me the deal but I know now… You were not tempted by me...but you were seeking someone in me.. Again Villain, I'm not her."