Arranged Marriage To The Princess Of The Red Scorpions

Richard shook his head, quickly rejecting Lena's unspoken suggestion.

"Marcus and Jovani are too different. I don't know what you dealt with, Lena, but I don't think you could've mistaken one for the other." Richard couldn't readily recall Jovani's face before the past week. Marcus's, though... that was one he wouldn't be able to forget. No matter how much time passed, he could easily recall the other Vedova Nera cousin's face. For once, Richard lamented being at the hospital. Hard conversations were better had over drinks. Hard Liquor that would void any emotions.

"How certain of that can you be? The person I saw looked as near a copy of Jovani." Except for his eyes. Unhinged and crazy were not words Lena would've associated when she looked at Jovani. Even if he obviously had more than a few screws missing, the Vedova Nera boss kept tight control of what he expressed to others.

"Marcus used to do a lot in the name of wanting to win, altering his appearance or taking after Jovani doesn't fit within that mold. Any time he worked with me, he only used to repeat one thing as his goal: to get Jovani to join him again." Richard gazed down at his left hand as his fingers rubbed against the palm of his hand. The scar could be felt even if it were no longer visible.

"Jovani and he were going to take over the family together; they pledged that much until Marcus's father fell out of grace, and the whole family structure got tipped upside down." He tried not to let the deafening silence get to him as everyone focused on him.

"I don't know the exact history, only that one side of the family turned out crazy. I don't recall the man's name, but it started before Marcus's father. They just did a better job of keeping everything quiet back then." More like they didn't care about crazy so long as it served the right purpose. Senseless murder wasn't so frowned upon back then especially if the end goal meant that the party responsible aided their family in rising to a higher power.

"Are you trying to tell me whomever I saw was someone else? Who then? I count for certain that it wasn't Jovani. I contacted him before everything happened, and Alonso confirmed he was offsite from the hospital." Lena's piercing gaze remained on Richard. She didn't take her father's friend for a liar, but she couldn't take anything for granted, could she? Richard's gaze snapped up from his hand to meet Lena's.

"Your guess is as good as mine. If Jovani didn't give up any information, he either doesn't know or is attempting to keep it secret. I presume that you didn't manage to tag him. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation?" Lena's gaze dropped slightly, providing more than enough of an answer for the other mafioso.

"You may not have gotten hurt, but why is this the first time anything is being mentioned? Lena, you know that is part of why I'm here to ensure nothing happens to you while my brother cannot." Julian's thick tone was laced with displeasure bordering anger. Lena paid him no heed. After what took place earlier, he didn't hold any right to be getting upset with them. She hadn't been the only one to do something without prior discussion.

"At least I didn't almost result in a rift within our family." Julian let out a muted noise of hurt at this comment, seeming to understand the princess expected him to back off.

"Stop the bickering, would the two of you? You two might as well both be at the level of children when left alone. Wouldn't right now be the time to put such matters aside to focus on what's important? Lena, shouldn't you know better than to lower yourself to the standards of those you dislike so much?" Richard didn't miss a beat and quickly caught a punch thrown at him. How predictable for her to be so easily set off. Richard found it hard to pull his gaze away from the princess. Such intense anger. The intensity burning in her eyes was enough to melt anyone who didn't know her well.

"I suggest you watch what you say, Richard. Even my lowest standards remain high above those you're referencing." Lena looked ready to lash out at Richard again, but Julian learned from last time and refrained from getting involved. Lena would surely know better than to start a fight when in her father's hospital room. Too much damage could occur.

"Prove it to me then. If you're serious about me being involved in all of this and want to get places, we need to forget about what happened before and focus on what we are doing right now." Richard didn't the other's hand go until he felt certain Lena wouldn't take after him again. He masked his relief before a slight huff as he turned his gaze away. If he'd not predicted that punch, he would've been in a great deal of pain at the current moment.

"Continue telling me what you now then before I lose my patience to keep listening. I want solid facts and information that will be useful right now. Not just speculation." Lena shoved her hand into her jacket pocket, gripping the soft fabric to give herself something else to focus to avoid lashing out again.

"if you want solid facts that will help you, why don't you get your focus back on that list handed over to you? The best information you're wanting to find would be located there." Richard shifted back towards the hospital room door put some space between him and the princess as well as the oversized body guard who had become more on edge after what happened moments ago.

"Either give it to me and I can get through it quickly or tell your person to hurry up and finish getting it sorted out. If there is something else going on, I would imagine you don't have that much time to figure it out."

In fact. Richard predicted that time was already running out quicker than they expected. Especially if the mystery person was a nice piece being put into play on the chess board.

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