Page 139 of Monster in Disguise

Surely, no...

"Marcello, tell me it's not true," I plead, but all he does is continue shaking his head. No words come out of his mouth, leaving me feeling helpless and scared.

Why isn't he saying anything? Why is he not denying it?

"Marcello..." My voice trails off as realization dawns on me. No...it can't be true... He keeps retreating until his back hits the mirror behind him. But still, he remains silent.

My breathing becomes erratic as panic swells in my chest. Why is he not saying anything? Why is he not denying it? The silence is deafening, and all I can do is stand there, frozen in shock and disbelief.

My desperate plea hangs in the air, my voice cracking with emotion. But he remains unresponsive, a stone statue in front of me. I can't take it anymore. My hand trembles as I reach for the drawer, pulling out the envelope that holds the truth.

"Lina..."

I can feel myself trembling, but I continue on, tearing through the paper until the results are staring back at me.

99.9% match.

I slowly raise my eyes to meet his. There's a glimmer of recognition in his gaze, but it quickly disappears as he falls to his knees and crawls towards me. He grabs my hands, forcing me to look down at him.

"Lina, please, listen to me. I'm so sorry..." His words fade into a buzzing in my ears as the reality sinks in.

Marcello is Claudia's father.

That means... A sob catches in my throat as the implications become clear as daylight.

Marcello was the man who raped me.

I look down at him and no longer see the man I thought I knew. Instead, all I see is the man with amber eyes who stole everything from me.

A wave of revulsion and anger washes over me, and I flinch at his touch, pushing him away.

"You..." My voice is barely a whisper as I struggle to find the right words. "You raped me." The tears are falling freely now, hot and stinging against my cheeks. "You tortured and raped me." The pain is suffocating, overwhelming every inch of my being.

It hurts.

With a sharp slap, I knock his hands aside and take a step back.

"You raped me," The words come out like a wounded animal's growl, filled with heartbreak and disappointment that threaten to consume me.

"Lina, please," he croaks, his face ravaged with agony. "I can explain, please. I love you more than anything."

A hysterical laugh escapes my lips, the mere idea of his love for me seeming ludicrous.

"You say you love me, but you've caused me the worst pain I've ever experienced. How can that be love?" I yell, watching as he shrinks back from my outburst. My entire body is trembling with anger and betrayal.

"I can't... I can't do this." My voice cracks as tears begin to well up in my eyes. "You knew how much I suffered, and you never once thought to tell me the truth?"

"No." His whisper is barely audible, but it cuts through me like a knife. "I did everything for you, I swear." With each word, it feels like he's twisting the blade deeper into my heart.

"For me?" I choke out, unable to comprehend his reasoning. "You raped me for me? I'm sorry if I find that hard to believe."

"Please, just listen to me, Lina. It's not like you think."

"Stop! Just... stop." I struggle to control my emotions, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. "This paternity test proves that you're Claudia's biological father. How can it not be like that?"

I turn away from him, ready to leave and never look back. But suddenly, he grabs onto my waist and pulls me towards him.

"Please. I love you, Lina," he pleads, but every time he says those words more pain reverberates inside of me.

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