A/N: I think, there's one more chapter before the Epilogue. I think...Anyway, 100 comments again for an update on Friday. Thank you:)

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MARCO's POV

I couldn't help but to feel sorry for my own parents while watching them in tears because of what happened to Keith. Even after all the things that he'd done, my parents were still sad of his passing. They just arrived from his interment.

I wanted to prevent them from going but my mother pleaded me. After all that we've been through because of Keith, she still believed that everything happened because of Dimitri; that he was the one who was responsible of how Keith has become.

I didn't want to take away their right to see Keith for the last time so I didn't say anything aside from a nod, agreeing for them to go.

Dui, Maggie and I didn't go. It has been three days since that incident but my wife hasn't been feeling well since then. She had been spending her time in our room, lying down. I wanted to take her to the hospital but she was so stubborn and kept on saying no.

Even her mood swings were becoming worst with each passing day. Yes, we were back into each other's arms and she accepted me again, but she'd been acting like a tigress lately that I couldn't even hug nor kiss her for more than three seconds. I noticed those changes right away after the incident.

We've been sleeping on the same bed but I couldn't even score. Not just that. It looked like her trauma was coming back.

After our honeymoon months ago, we lived in Australia. Back then, I convinced her to seek for a professional help to cure her trauma and she agreed. Bit by bit, she overcame her condition until everything became fine. I supported her in every step of the way and we got the result that we wanted.

She said that my presence beside her helped her a lot that's why she managed to overcome her trauma.

I thought, everything was fine until three days ago. The night after that incident where Keith attempted to kidnap her, she woke up with her whole body shaking but I managed to calm her down by enveloping her into a tight embrace while whispering how much I love her. I tried my best to divert her attention into different topics and slowly, she calmed down...

"What happened, my queen? You're shaking." I asked worriedly upon waking up because of the sudden movement beside me. When I opened my eyes, I saw Maggie sitting upwards while hugging herself. She was trembling. I got up right away.

"I-I dreamed that Keith succeeded on kidnapping me. I t-thought it was t-true." Even her voice was shaking as she snuggled closer to me.

I didn't think that she could get affected like this because she managed to fight Apollyon with all her might during that time. I thought, everything was fine...

"Shhh." I gathered her into my arms and then kissed her forehead. "That's not true. Keith is already gone and he can't do anything to us now. And even if he wasn't dead and would try to harm you again, I would be here to protect you, my queen, because I will never let anyone hurt you in anyway. I promised you that before and I intend to do that for the rest of my life." I comforted her with a gentle voice.

"I love you so much. You don't have to be afraid. I'm always be here for you." I whispered.

She burrowed her face against my chest. "I love you too." The trembling of her body stopped. I tightened my arms around her as my jaw flexed. Because of that b*stard, my wife was afraid. If he wasn't dead by now, I would've killed him myself.

If Maggie didn't beg me to stop back then, I would've killed him right at that moment because of rage. Maggie managed to calm my anger. Thankfully, she did because I didn't want to commit any act of violence in front of my wife.

"Thank you for saving me, Marco. Thank you for being brave enough to rescue me." She uttered softly after a couple of seconds. That made me smile and kissed the top of her head.

"You don't have to thank me, my queen. I told you, right? I will do anything for you because I love you so much to the point that I am willing to give my life just to save you. I'll die for you any moment. You're my life and if something bad happened to you, it would surely kill me too." She cupped my face and looked at my face full of emotion.

"I'm the same. If something bad happened to you, it would kill me too so please, don't ever think about dying. Just thinking of not being with you anymore is already killing me. I can't take it." Different emotions flooded her face as her eyes filled with tears. I took her hand and kissed it.

"Really? But you've been avoiding me for two weeks. It was so hard just watching you from afar, you know." I playfully answered, trying to humor her so that she wouldn't cry. She wiped her tears and then rolled her eyes.

"That was your fault. Besides, I knew that you were just lurking around me anyway so I wasn't worried about you that much." I cocked up an eyebrow.

"You knew that I was stalking you after I got discharged of the hospital?"

"Well, I didn't see you around but deep inside of me, I already expected that you would probably stalk me. Knowing how obsessed you are." She even leered at me and that made me laugh. I placed a finger under her chin and looked into her eyes lovingly.

"You know me too well, my queen." I leaned in slowly and captured her lips for a sweet kiss. Gentle yet passionate. "You were so brave for fighting Apollyon while you were both inside the car. You're really my woman. Feisty and strong-willed even in times of danger." I whispered against her soft lips before I rested my forehead against hers.

"I was able to do it because I knew that you would save me. When I saw your car tailing us, it gave me courage and strength. I knew that I had to do something for you to catch up to us. Thankfully, it worked." I caressed her cheek and I clenched my teeth when I touched the bruise on her face.

Just remembering Apollyon slapping the love of my life, whom I wanted to protect for the rest of my life, made me want to fly into a fit of rage.

"He hit you here and I want to kill him over and over again for what he did. Now, it looks like your trauma came back because of that b*stard!" My breathing became heavy as intense anger began wrapping within me.

"Shhh. Let's not think about him. He's gone so we should close this chapter of our lives. Let's start all over again. I don't want him to affect us like this even after his death. I don't want to be trapped in the past."

"Start all over again? Y-You mean, already forgave me?" I asked reluctantly and swallowed hard, hoping.

"I wouldn't be here if I haven't forgiven you yet, Marco. But I only have one more thing to discuss with you and I want us to talk about it right now." My eyebrows furrowed.

I gulped inaudibly. "What is it, my queen?"

"Y-You're a mafia boss, right?" She asked with an almost inaudible voice. For some reason, my heart pounded rapidly in rising fear, afraid that she might not accept that part of me.

"Yes, my queen." I answered honestly. She looked straight into my eyes.

"I want a quiet and peaceful life, Marco, and I want to be honest with you about my thoughts about this. I—" Before she could even say anything, I put a finger on her lips to stop her from saying anything more.

"Shhh. I understand and I already made up my mind." Worry flushed through her eyes. I smiled at her reassuringly and then planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"I want a quiet life together with you and our future children, my queen. After everything that happened, I've decided to quit the ET VINDEX. For you, I will. I want to give our family the best life that I could ever give and that wouldn't be possible if I stay in our organization. Before you even think about asking me about this, I've already chose a path that will surely be good for me and for us." I confessed and she looked surprised.

When Maggie left me for two weeks, I've already made up my mind. I've already talked to Dui about ET VINDEX. I tried to talk to him about quitting as well and live a normal life but he declined. Because of that, I gave him my position and entrusted the group to him.

"Are you sure about this? You will not regret it?" She asked in wonder. I chuckled.

"Yes, I am. I told you before, right? I am willing to give up any position or wealth just to be with you. That's how much I love you." Tears fell from her eyes but she was smiling.

"What did I ever do for God to bless me with such a wonderful man in my life?" I wiped her tears with my thumbs.

"You deserve to be loved because you're such a wonderful woman. I should be the one asking that question because after all the terrible things that I've done, He still gave me this opportunity; to be happy and be loved by the woman that I love." My eyes watered upon uttering those words.

"I love you, Marco...my king and loving and marrying you was the best thing that ever happened to me." She whispered. My heart jumped for joy.

"I love you too, my queen, and I will never get tired of loving you until my last breath." Then our lips met for another passionate kiss...

I was brought out of my thought when I heard the voice of my father.

"That's enough, bedda mia. I know this is hard but we can't do anything other than to accept what happened to Keith and move on." He said while trying to calm my mother down. They sat on the couch together.

"I know but I just can't help myself." She sobbed and then cried on my father's chest. I heaved a sigh. I was about to speak out when Dui, who just came down from upstairs, spoke.

"That's enough, mamma. Your tears are too precious to be wasted by the likes of that Apollyon. He's not worth a tear." He uttered without any emotions on his face while staring at our parents.

Our mother wiped her tears using her handkerchief and then looked at Marcus. "Please, don't say that, figghiu. I know that he's done terrible things but he still became our son. We were the ones who raised him that' s why I am so sad right now.

"When I saw him inside the coffin before his interment, I couldn't help but to blame myself. Maybe, he became like that because our love for him wasn't enough. Maybe, we had a lot of shortcomings while raising him that's why he lost his way. I couldn't love him enough because I was mourning for the both of you. Maybe, if only I was whole, I could've taken care of him more than I did."

I could hint the regret in her voice. I huffed and voiced out my thoughts.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, mamma. You took him in and considered him as your own son. You loved him and gave him everything. When I first learned that you and papà were still alive, Dui and I went to Sicily right away to see you both.

"But Mantus prevented us from approaching you because it was dangerous for us to reveal ourselves to you yet. We couldn't take the risk so we just got contented from surveying the house from a distance. We saw Keith and papà back then and when I heard that he called him 'papà', I was full of resentment and anger. But at the same time, deep inside of me, I was envious because he had the chance to be raised by my parents while me and Dui on the other hand grew up at an orphanage without no one but ourselves.

"He had everything that he could want but he didn't get contented of what you gave him. He wanted more. He chose the wrong path because of his ambitions and greediness. Yes, his father poisoned his mind and turned him into a monster but he was free to decline his influence on him if he only wanted to.

"If he really valued you both, he would've never committed everything that he's done with his father, Dimitri. Dui is right. You shouldn't waste your tears for someone like him. You loved and cherished him but he threw all that away and even tried to kill papà.

"That kind of person doesn't have a place in our family. Yes, I made a lot of mistakes and committed a lot of bad things in the past but at least, I've never tried harming the people who raised me. I admit, I'm a monster too but not as monster as like him." I stood up and then sat beside my mother.

"You should forget all these and move on. It's enough that you mourned and shed tears for him because your real sons are here now and will always be here by your side no matter what happens. Now that our family is finally complete, I will do everything to protect it." I embraced her and then kissed her forehead.

"Unu is right, mamma, papà. Keith had his chance to be loved by the both of you. You gave everything to him but he just pushed that aside and chose the wrong path for himself. Now that Unu and I are here, I just hope that you will focus on us this time and make up for the lost times." Dui said and that surprised me.

I've never heard my brother ask for any attention from anyone before.

Mamma pulled away from me for a little bit and then looked at Dui, emotional yet surprised. Then, a sweet smile appeared on her lips before extending an arm for him, motioning for Dui to come closer to her.

He slowly obliged and then sat between our parents. Our mom cupped his face and stared at him full of motherly love.

"I'm sorry if I'm this emotional right now. As a mother, I just can't control my emotions. Even though I couldn't give my whole self into loving and taking care of Keith as he grew up because my heart was longing for the two of you, I still loved him as my son in my own way.

"Now that he's gone, I am just a mother who mourns for her son." Her eyes watered once again but she managed to contain it from falling. He took a deep breath. "But you're right. Our family is finally complete and we shouldn't let what happened in the past hinder our happiness as a family." She held both our hands. "We should start all over again as a family and be happy. Even though what happened was very sad, we shouldn't let this destroy our happiness.

"From now on, your papà and I will dedicate the remaining time of our lives into loving you both. You've been taken away from us for a very long time and we shouldn't waste any moment to be together. We love you both so much. Please, always remember that." She uttered emotionally and then kissed our foreheads.

"Your mamma is right, Unu, Dui. We love you two so much and we will spend our remaining days loving you both and your soon to be families." Our father spoke for the first time and Dui and I smiled. Hearing our parents say those words made me whole.

It was as if all the pain, resentment and misery that we've been through got erased just like that. Our parents hugged us both and it made my heart swell of so much joy.

I've never felt this kind of happiness before. It was a different kind of feeling. I felt like I've became a child for the meantime. It was incomparable.

Now, we could finally be happy without worrying about anything. Well, not really. We still have things that we needed to settle in Sicily but that could wait. For now, I chose to forget everything and just be happy with my family.

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What do you think of this chapter, guys?

What do you think of the decision of Marco to quit ET VINDEX?

Is this the start of their happy ever after?

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