Chapter 183 - Alicia Palmero

"I couldn't meet the couple who took care of Emy," Ellison suddenly was reminded of the couple who took care of her daughter. "I would like to thank them too."

"I will give you their address and you can say all you want," Persephone told her. She felt Killian and Emma would be happy to see Emy once again. 

Ellison asked Persephone to have a seat as a maid came with coffee and snacks. 

"Ellison, I'm not here for Emy now," Persephone said as she took the seat. 

"What do you mean?" Ellison looked at Persephone in confusion. 

Without wasting any time, Persephone took out the necklace Killian had handed her that day out of her purse and showed it to Ellison "I'm for this "

"This is my necklace." Ellison immediately reacted as she tried taking it from Persephone but the latter pulled her hand back, apparently not wanting to give it back. "Yes, this is my chain. I never part from it." She scratched her head and wondered out loud. "Just a few days ago, I gave this chain to Emy to wear as she was insistent on wearing it. You don't know how important it is. Thank God you found it. Lord knows I can't bear to separate myself from this."

Ellison didn't find Persephone's behaviour suspicious at all. Instead, she held her hand to ask to take back the chain but only if she knew that she would not get it back ever. 

"This is not yours, Ellison, "Persephone whispered. 

This time Ellison looked at her as if Persephone was pulling a prank or something like that. 

"This is not yours," Persephone spoke again. "This originally belonged to my mom." 

Ellison looked at her in shock, confusion and bewilderment. 

"How did you find this?" Persephone raised the question before she could say anything. 

"Persephone, this chain is mine," Ellison opened her mouth to say. "You must have some misunderstanding."

She couldn't understand what Persephone was talking about. Maybe, she had but she didn't want to dwell on it. Or maybe, she didn't want to think about that part of her past once again. 

"Ellison, I know what is right and why is wrong," Persephone replied. " This necklace is designed by my mom. I have exactly one like this back at home." Showing her the chain, she added," This one was given to my brother by my mom."

At this time, Ellison was refusing to acknowledge what Persephone was talking about. She didn't want to accept that Persephone was related to her past. No, she couldn't be that Marino, could she?

"Lucian Marino. Does it ring a bell?" 

As the name escaped Persephone's mouth, Ellison trembled uncontrollably. Tears pooled at the corner of her as she related the name once again, "Lucian?"

Persephone nodded. 

"He was your brother?" Ellison asked once again. 

"Big brother," Persephone replied. "Tell me, Ellison, why do you have this necklace? I have the right to know about it. He was my elder brother." She whispered, suppressing the urge to cry. "I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to him. Do you know he was accused of betraying the family? Do you know what everyone says about him? They say Lucian Marino lost his life for a girl. They also say he was a traitor and a stain on the family's name. I want to hear from you the truth."

Suddenly, Ellison started crying. Persephone may not know but she pressed her sore nerve. The man Lucian Marino came to her life like a boon as well as a curse. A boon because he saved her life and a curse because until this day she wasn't able to leave the shadow of his name behind. 

"That girl is me," She cried and pointed at herself. "He saved me that day. He was so injured." She remembered that day still so vividly like it was just yesterday when everything happened. Pointing at the necklace in Persephone's hand, she added," He gave me this chain. He made me wear it. He was breathing shallowly as if he might not be able to live more. And how could he? Persephone, he was so hurt. Bleeding all over. They shoot my mom, dad and then him. He didn't kill anyone. He couldn't kill anyone." 

"He found me hiding between the clothes in the closet. My brother made me swear not to come out at any cost," Ellison continued. She sobbed as she imagined her brother's shrieks that day. "I thought my brother came back to take me out of the closet and so I opened the door but it wasn't my brother but someone else. It was Lucian, your brother. He removed his chain from his neck and made me wear it and asked me not to separate it at all."

"I was so young and naive. When he promised me that he would save me from the goons who apparently hurt my family and him, I believed him," Ellison laughed and cried at the same time. Wiping her tears, she added, "I didn't get it then but as I grew up, I realized that he wasn't saving me that day but the chain dangling in my neck. It was a special or date I say precious to him." 

"Funny, how he made it clear that I don't owe him anything. He was desperate to save this piece of jewellery," She told Persephone as she once again recalled the events of that night. "Your brother knew correctly that he wouldn't be able to survive. And if he was dead, this chain would be lost. And for whatever reasons, he wanted to protect it would be meaningless too. So, he made a choice. Either to save him or me. And in the end, he saved me to save the chain. 

"You are Alicia Palmero?"Persephone whispered to her. 

Ellison nodded her head. "I'm that unfortunate girl who lost every kin of her in a single night."

... 

Author Note: Do Remind me in the comment section if I forget to unsolve another mystery! After Valencia and Alicia, who?