A/N: Sorry guys. I wanted to update yesterday but i had to revise this chapter. 100 comments for Friday:)

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MARCO's POV

When Maggie came out of the walk-in closet, she was already dressed and looked like ready to leave me once again. She didn't even throw me a single glance as she walked towards the door. I could see that her eyes were already puffy and red because of crying.

I knew Maggie for being a strong woman and it hurt seeing her like this. I've never thought that everything would turn out this way. Yes, I knew I was wrong but I loved her too much to just let her go without doing anything. No! I let her go once and I would never do that again!

"My queen, please. Not like this." I pleaded but she ignored me and was about to open the door when I swiftly moved and caught up to her.

"No! You're not going to leave me again! I left you alone for two weeks because I wanted to give you space. Even though it was so hard for me to watch you from afar, I held myself back because I didn't want to rush you. Now, you're leaving me again and I won't allow it. Please, don't go. We're married now. We should settle our problems together. Remember, we vowed to love each other during the ups and downs of our married life." I said beggingly, trying to persuade her. She looked at me in disbelief.

"And we have vowed to be honest with each other at all times too, Marco! You know why this hurts me so much? Because I asked you a few times to be honest with me from the start. I told you what I hated the most. I asked you to tell me whatever secrets you were keeping from me but you still chose to hide it from me!

"If you told me about it right away; yes, I would surely get mad in the beginning but the pain would've been lesser! You even waited for me to discover the truth from Keith of all people! It hurts so much because I loved and trusted you with all my heart! It hurts because when I chose you over Keith, I thought that you were his opposite; that you would never hurt and deceive me like he did to me because you're Marco, the love of my life!"

Her tears fell once again and I felt like thousands of needles repeatedly pierced my heart. I couldn't take seeing her in pain like that especially that she was crying because of me.

I closed the gap between us and enveloped her soft form in my arms. I wanted nothing but to ease the pain that she was feeling. If it was only possible, I would turn back the time and make everything right.

I've never thought that because of my desire to get back at my clan for what happened to me and my brother, I would hurt the woman I love.

"Let go of me!" She hissed as she tried to push me away from her but I refused to let go. I was determined to make her stay by my side. Maybe for others, I was being selfish but I didn't care anymore. All I knew was, I would never let us get separated again.

"Shhh. Please, don't push me away, my queen. I know that you're hurting right now but please, remember that I love you so much. You're my life. Let me heal you. Let me prove to you that you're far more important to me than any power and position that I could ever achieve. Please, don't leave me again. I wouldn't be able to take it for sure. You know how much I love you. One last chance, all I'm asking is just a chance to prove my love to you." I entreated desperately with a trembling voice as my emotions began to give away as well. I couldn't hold it back anymore and my tears fell.

I kissed her forehead. I felt like an invisible hand squeezed my heart tightly while hearing her gentle sobs and whimpers. My tears kept on falling as well. All my life, I've never cried like this until now.

I always believed that a man shouldn't cry because he would appear weak and being a weak man in the underworld was unacceptable. I've long forgotten how to feel any emotion towards other people because it would just hinder me from fulfilling the things that I must do.

For a long time, I only cared about my brother and no one else. Women came and go but no feelings involved. I thought I was contented with that kind of life but when Maggie came into my life, everything changed.

She changed me and made me into a person that I've never thought I could be. She taught me how to cherish and love with all my heart by giving me the same love. She made me realize that I'm a human too, with feelings and loving and crying doesn't make anyone weak.

I could feel the tension in her body as I hugged her and I wanted nothing but to ease the pain away from her heart. When she couldn't get away from me, she stopped pushing me away and buried her face against my chest while crying. I kept on whispering how much I love her and my promise to fix everything for us. We remained in that position until her cries softened.

She didn't say anything. I scooped her onto my arms and decided to take her to bed.

I thought she would protest but she remained quietly crying with her eyes closed. Her lashes were wet with her tears and I kept on cursing myself for making her cry. I gently put her on the bed before laying down beside her.

"My queen..." I called but she turned her back on me, facing the other side.

Pain registered in my chest because of her utter rejection but I knew that I didn't have the right to get hurt. I gathered her into my arms and now, we're in a spooning position. Thankfully, she didn't resist.

I burrowed my face on the back of her head and inhaled her heavenly scent. God knows how much I've been missing her with each passing day these past two weeks. Now that I have the chance to be with her again, I would not definitely let it go to waste.

"I know, you're angry right now, but I'm begging you, my queen. Don't leave me again. I promise that I will do everything in my power to fix this. It's complicated right now but I know that we could get through all these together. One last chance, that's all I'm asking for." I begged once again and then held her hand.

I craned my head to see her face but her expression remained stoic but thankfully, she didn't insist on leaving. Even though she didn't say anything, at least, she let me hold her like this.

I kissed her shoulder. "My love for you will cure your pain, my queen. Just give me the chance." I whispered.

MAGGIE's POV

Maybe because of crying too much, I fell asleep in Marco's arms. When I woke up, I was already pillowing on his chest while still being enveloped in his arms. He was hugging me possessively as if I would disappear from him.

Just like always. Marco loves to cuddle with me whenever we're in bed. I bit my lower lip as I felt his warmth against my body. I always sleep well whenever we're in this position and it haven't changed until now. It has been so long and I couldn't deny the longingness that I was feeling for him.

During those two weeks away from him, I had the difficulty sleeping without him cuddling me to sleep. Even though I was angry at him, I still missed every small detail about him everyday even though I didn't want to.

I slowly untangled his arms around my waist and then carefully sat up while looking at his sleeping face. For some reason, my chest felt a lot lighter now compared these past few weeks.

I gently touched his cheek with my hand. His forehead was a little bit crinkled as if he was worried over something. I suddenly remembered how he kept on whispering words of love in my ears while hugging me tightly.

He repeatedly begged for me to stay and for some reason, I couldn't resist him even though I was angry at him.

My heart swelled as I remember every words of love that he whispered to me but there was still uncertainty and worry deep within me. What if he's just doing all these just to have a child with me and complete his original goal? I raked my fingers through my hair. Confused.

I still need a better proof. One that I could really believe into.

I was about to get off the bed when he suddenly moved his arm as if he was reaching out for something beside him. He groaned softy when he couldn't get a hold of what he was looking for. When he managed to touch my waist, he quickly snaked his arm around me and then hugged me once again. His breathing became steady.

I gently brushed his hair with my fingers while gazing at his sleeping face, thinking what to do next. I was determined to leave him again earlier but he managed to stop me by repeatedly begging me to stay.

I wanted to give in and just forgive and forget but everything that he did gave me an explainable fear and doubt about his real purpose.

"Do you really mean everything you've said, Marco? Are you really doing this because you love me or because you need me to achieve your goals?" I voiced out with an almost inaudible voice.

"Hmmm...my queen." I was surprised when I suddenly heard him mumble. I thought he already woke up but when I looked at his handsome face, he was still asleep. "—love you...my queen." My heart thumped erratically when I finally comprehended what he was mumbling. Even in his sleep, he was still saying that.

I released a breath and decided to get out of bed. I carefully removed his arm from hugging me and thankfully, he didn't wake up. I looked at the clock and I saw that it was already 3:35 pm. My tummy was growling because of hunger but I knew that I didn't have time to eat. I must go back to my parents' house before Marco wakes up.

I looked for my sandals and then furtively exited the room.

While I was descending the stairs, my eyebrows creased when I heard some people talking at the living room. I walked towards there to check who those voiced belonged to.

Then, I saw an elderly woman, probably in her mid-fifties. She looked so elegant and graceful with her obviously designer's clothes. I noticed that she has three bodyguards standing nearby as she sipped on her drink that one of our household helpers just gave to her.

Judging from her looks, I knew that she wasn't just an ordinary woman.

"If you don't mind, would you call my son for me? I would like to talk to him." She requested with a friendly smile.

"Of course, Ma'am." Jane, our maid, was about to walk towards the stairs when she saw me.

"Good morning, Ms. Maggie." She looked past me, probably looking for Marco behind me. When she didn't see him, she was about to spoke once but I cut her off.

"Marco is still asleep." She nodded her head. I told her to go back to her duties. I then looked at the visitor. She stood up while staring at me in wonder.

"Hello there. Are you perhaps my son's wife?" She asked. My eyebrows furrowed.

"Son?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. Marco is my son. You're his wife, right?" I could hint the excitement in her voice. I slowly nodded my head, unsure of how to act in front of my mother in law. This was our first time meeting each other.

Before I could react, she suddenly rushed towards me and hugged me. "I'm glad that I've finally meet you." She pulled away from me and then held my hands while staring at me cheerfully. "I am Carmela Alessi, Marco and Marcus' mother." She introduced herself.

I suddenly felt awkward, knowing that she's from a renowned family in Europe. "I-I'm okay, your highness. I'm Margaret Lenard Pearce."

She chuckled. "You don't have to address me so formally like that. My husband renounced his title long time ago." My jaw dropped, didn't expect what I've heard.

"Anyway, you should use the Alessi name. Pearce was only given to Marco and Marcus because they grew up at the orphanage. Their real surname is Alessi so you should use that from now on. And by the way, you should call me mamma too." She continued and I caught an unknown emotion that passed through his eyes upon uttering the word 'orphanage'. It was just for a second but it was definitely there.

I smiled. "It's nice meeting you, m-mamma." She laughed.

"You're so pretty and nice. My son really did a great job choosing you to be his wife." We sat together on the couch. The way she speaks about Marco told me that she must have met with him already.

"May I ask you something, m-mamma?" I swore under my breath. I've been stuttering since a while ago and it was irritating.

"Sure, nuora."

I cleared my throat. "Have you met Marco already?" I knew for a fact that Marco and Marcus never met their mother in person before.

"Si! I arrived here in the USA the other day. To tell you the truth, my husband and my sons were against my decision to fly all the way here from Sicily. They told me to just wait for them to come and see me but I couldn't wait anymore. I was so eager and excited to see my sons as soon as possible so I flew here without informing them. My doctor gave me the go signal to fly because my health is getting better and better.

"Imagine their surprise when they saw me for the first time. You can't even imagine how emotional I was when I first saw my twins for the first time ever since they got separated from us. The boys even became emotional too. It was a perfect reunion." Her voice was filled with so much happiness.

"I'm glad to hear that, mamma. Marco and Marcus have gone through a lot. They deserve to be with their parents." I answered with a smile, genuinely happy for them.

A sweet smile appeared on her lips. "During my first night here, I have talked to my sons and Marco proudly told me that he's already married. When I asked him where you were, his face became undeniably sad. He told me everything that happened and I can't blame you if you're mad at him." She took my hand and gently held it.

"Maggie, even though I only met my son a few days ago, I could tell that he loves you so much. Yes, what he did was wrong and I won't tell you not to get mad because it's your right. You're only a human with feelings. You get hurt too. If you can't forgive him of what he's done, you can leave him and I will not stop you.

"But I advise you to not let your anger cloud your rational thinking. What you're feeling right now is just normal but don't let it rule over you because you might do something that you would regret later. Let me ask you this; do you still love Marco?" Her green eyes gazed at me intently as if trying to read my deepest feelings.

I nodded my head right away without a second thought which didn't surprise me one bit because I knew for a fact that my love for my husband never wavered nor decreased even during this difficult trial in our married life.

"See? You love him. I can see right through you. Your eyes are telling me so."

"Yes, I love him but I'm scared." I admitted and then looked down at my hands. On my lap

"About what?"

"I'm scared that he's just trying to win me over because he wants to have a child with me. That's the only thing left for him to fulfill so that he could finally achieve his goals." I heard her sigh.

"Listen to your heart, Maggie. Do you feel like Marco would do that to you? He already committed a mistake which is the reason why you're mad at him right now. Seeing how much he loves you, I don't think he would commit another mistake because he's afraid that you will leave him for good."

I couldn't answer right away. I heaved a sigh. "Honestly, my mind is telling me that he could do that to me because he already did it. But my heart is telling otherwise. I don't know what to do anymore. After our talk this morning, it became even more difficult for me to trust him yet I can't deny the fact that I still love him." I admitted honestly with a bitter smile on my face.

"It's normal for a married couple to encounter problems like this and believe me when I say that this is only the beginning. You haven't even celebrated your first wedding anniversary yet but I already see you giving up. Marriage is not a bed of roses, Maggie. Before you make any rush decisions, think it over and over again." She advised full of concern and then sighed. "I won't stop you of you still want to leave. You can go now." That surprised me.

"You knew that I was planning to leave?"

"Of course, I knew. Just one look on your face and I already knew that your talk with my son didn't go that well. I wish I could do something for you to change your mind about leaving." A tight smile broke across her face. "So, what's your decision now? Are you going to leave Marco while he's still asleep or stay?"

I couldn't respond right away. After hearing what she said, I suddenly got torn between leaving or staying. I heard her chuckle.

"You're having second thoughts?" I slowly nodded my head while biting my lower lip.

"Then, don't go. If your talk didn't go that well, then have another talk again. You two should compromise." She said with a gentle voice. I stood up, confused of what I really wanted.

"I-I think I need to breath some air." I said like I wasn't myself.

"I understand." She answered, disappointment was evident on her face. I exited the house in a hurry and when I reached the garden, I inhaled and exhaled a couple of times.

"God, Maggie! What do you really want? If you want to leave him, then go!" I talked to myself like an idiot. I raked my fingers through my hair in frustration. I looked at the house and the handsome face of my husband suddenly popped up on my mind.

"I love you so much, my queen." His voice kept on replaying like a broke record. My eyes watered when I realized something. I took a step forward, intending to go back inside the house when someone suddenly spoke behind me.

"You seem confused. If you can't decide, then I'm willing to help you." My eyes widened when I heard that familiar voice. I slowly turned around and when I confirmed my suspicion, my heart began beating fast in fear.

"W-What are you doing here? How come you're here?"

He smirked. "I'm here to take away what's keeping Thamuz sane all this time. That's you. He already took everything away from me but I refuse to go down without taking something away from him in return!" Before I could react, he suddenly covered my nose with a slightly wet hanky.

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Who do you think was the one talked to Maggie at the end of the chapter?

Do you think he will succeed on kidnapping her?

What do you think will happen next?

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