"Wait…" Barnabas stopped Leander. "You look pale… How is your wound healing?"
"Fine…" Leander shrugged, but he winced as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.
"That b8tch truly…" Barnabas fisted his hands.
It does not matter if she is alive or dead. It matters not why she did that either. She gave a devastating blow to the Kastello family. The heir's pride and dignity have been cut off. It would be very hard to come on top of this.
And on top of it, it is unfortunate that Leander still thinks that his brother is just sick and will be fine. A war is about to start in the family. Judging by the plead of Viola, it already has. But Leander is unprepared. He doesn't even believe that there will be war and he is already involved in it.
"Your brother is upstairs. Meet him before leaving," Peter said seeing Leander leaving in a hurry. "And talk some sense to your mother. She's…"
Leander stopped and looked at his grandfather. He placed his phone inside his pocket and rubbed his hands with a forced smile. "Okay, grandpa," he nodded and walked to the door. He was feeling chilly.
Peter watched Leander walking in a hurry. It was as if he had to be elsewhere than in this house. He understood him. His mother made sure he feels this way.
"We are having a meeting with the Donatello family head about your marriage to their eldest daughter. So be present." Peter added.
Leander's hand holding the knob of the door stopped. With his brows furrowed, he turned at his grandfather. He was not impressed.
"Their eldest daughter is still in high school! And what's the hurry for my marriage? Evander is the eldest…"
His hands were clenched on the knob turning his palm red, but his voice was gentle, suppressing the confusion storming in his heart. He wanted to be respectful to his grandfather.
He knew this was coming. He knew he will have to marry someone his grandfather pointed at.
But a child? Seriously? She is half my age!
Peter stared at Leander. He might not show it, but he can see that his grandson does not like his idea. "Evander's marriage will be arranged after he gets healed. Right now, we need some good news in our family. Fertility, prosperity~"
"I am not going to marry a child, grandpa!"
Leander's deep voice rolled in the room like thunder. He tried to not raise his voice, but he failed. He shifted his legs showing that he is uncomfortable doing it, but his dark eyes twinkled with determination. Barnabas was shocked to hear Leander raising his voice against his grandfather.
That was a first!
Barnabas looked at Peter and he was staring at Leander with his eyelids drooping and chest heaving. He was mad his grandson refused to obey him.
Peter waited for Leander to apologize for talking back.
But Leander was not backing off. With his back straight, eyes focused, and chest puffed, he stood there like a mighty lion, ready for battle. The little hesitation in his demeanor earlier had disappeared and he looked determined as ever.
Peter was not impressed to see that. Barnabas knew this situation cannot be let escalate.
"You were keeping tabs on her?" Barnabas with a forced chuckle pulled Leander's arm to grab his attention. "You are interested in her, aren't you?"
Leander furrowed his brows and looked at Barnabas like he was an imbecile. Barnabas didn't mind that and opened the door to drag Leander out of the room.
He let out a sigh hearing the ashtray on the floor before he closed the door. Peter should control his anger a little.
"I am not interested in her!" Leander grabbed Barnabas' collar the moment the door closed. "Was it your brilliant idea… uncle?" he cocked his head. The golden streaks in his irises disappeared as his pupils dilated. "I'm going to~"
"What?" Barnabas gripped Leander's wrists. "What can you do to me? I am the consigliere and you are just the street boss. Hierarchy is a b*tch, ain't she, Leander? Can you go against the don?" he smirked.
With a scoff, Leander let go of Barnabas. His upper lip trembled and his hand was still fisted even though he let go of him. The nerves on his forearm protruded as he desired to punch that old guy in the face.
Barnabas chuckled seeing the rage on Leander's face. He patted his suit and fixed the crinkle with a smile on his face.
"You have a nice opportunity to make the changes you want, Leander," Barnabas said in a sing-song voice and raised his eyebrows.
Leander scoffed at the shrill voice of the weasel. This weasel knows that he won't do anything to him as long as his grandfather is alive. But he won't let him do whatever he wants to. "I know what you want, Barney," Leander leaned closer to Barnabas' face.
"I am never going to be the don."
Leander whipped around and walked up the stairs. If his grandfather wanted him to meet his brother, he will do that. But marrying a child?
No way in hell! He is not marrying a child!
That is the hill he would die on!
"Young girls do have a charm to them, Leander," Barnabas said standing at the base of the staircase. "You'll get used to it. Who knows? You might get addicted to their scent like…"
*Clang*
Barnabas jumped aside and the vase Leander threw broke right beside his feet. "What a temper!" Barnabas fixed his suit and left the house with a chuckle.
Leander, clenched and released his fists to destress himself. He needs a lot of strength if he has to interact with his brother. After taking a couple of deep breaths, his heartbeat normalized and he walked to his brother's room and knocked on the door.
But the door opened with the first knock. He peeked in to see the men dragging out a very mangled body of a woman. Her chest was cut off, her privates were destroyed to the point that there was no tissue left and the pelvic bones were visible, there were a lot of slash marks on her face, her eyeballs were pulled out, and her hair was chopped off.
His heart skipped a beat seeing the clump of long, black, wavy hair on the floor, soaked in blood.
Seeing that hair, the beautiful woman he met on the ledge with her dark hair fluttering came to his mind in a flash.
His hair stood on edge.
"Who's she?" he asked the men.
"One of the kitchen maids," they replied.
"Where is Evan?" he asked.
"In Madam's room," they said.
Leander saw that even the men who are accustomed to torture and bloodshed were pretty fazed carrying this dead woman's body.
"Cover her and bury her properly," he said. He couldn't bear to see that woman.
He closed the door. His brother never was someone who had morals. He has done a lot of immoral and illegal deeds. But even for him, this is too much. He might be wounded, but he cannot take it on the maids.
What is he going to do? Torture and kill every woman with dark hair?
This cannot be allowed to continue.
With a large gait, he walked to his mother's room.