33 Tony Was No Different

Marcella looked at Henry. He was silent; he was disgruntled and tried to stop Randy from speaking but he was not refuting Randy's words. The other men too tried to silence Randy. None of them told him that he was lying.

Randy was telling the truth.

Marcella pressed her lips.

She looked around. Mark Paulo and his men were nowhere to be seen. She didn't know where they went. But this was better. She cleared her throat and stood straight. Now is not the time she can be discouraged. She needed to be strong.

"What else?" Marcella asked Randy. She wanted to know everything. She needed to process all the information.

"It's about The Codex… Is there a Codex, Bambi?" Randy asked.

Marcella let out a deep breath. "You guys are watching me?" she asked.

Randy was disappointed that she didn't answer his question about the codex. "Yes, Bambi. For years it's… Tony took charge after the don's death. He's~"

"The attempt on my life recently… Was that related to the codex?" she interjected Randy. Her hands unconsciously ended up on her abdomen. Tony helped her a great deal that night; at least he pretended to.

"We don't know. We almost had the guy. But Tony… He killed him before he named names. Bambi, I think Tony got a hand in the attempt on your life," Randy said. His eyes had lit up by now as she was listening to him.

"He was never a trustworthy person, Bambi. He tried to butter up the don because he wanted the seat. I saw the desire in his eyes. He has ambitions. That's the reason he lingered around you, Bambi. He thought he could get the seat by becoming the son-in-law first. If he truly cared about you, why did you know nothing about him?"

Marcella gestured for Randy to stop.

It hurt. It hurt her so badly, she wanted to pull herself into a fetal position and sob her heart out. Randy might have given the accurate reason Tony never talked about himself and why he appeared whenever she needed him when he had no interest in her physically.

Like every man who wanted her, Tony too wanted her for her father's connections.

"He didn't care for the don either, Bambi. Have you ever seen Tony near the Don after you left? If the don thought of him as~"

"Enough," Marcella seethed. She was so distraught hearing the truth. She didn't want to hear more. No one wants her for who she is.

She observed Randy keenly. "I don't remember seeing you near my father around the time he was indicted. Where were you, Randy?" she asked. She was mad; mad at everyone around her. She felt useless and unloved. She felt alone.

She took it on Randy who broke the bubble she was living in.

She followed the news pretty keenly. She knew who were her father's support during that time. Randy is right that she didn't see Tony near her father. She didn't even know that Tony is leading her father's men these days and that they were active.

But she could see that Randy did not like Tony much. But Henry and the others did.

Randy bowed his head in shame. "I was afraid and left… Not a day goes by without me regretting that decision. I would have given up my life to protect the Don, Bambi… I…" Randy's voice cracked. "But Bambi, why did you choose him? You left home because you didn't want to…"

Marcella didn't want to stand there any longer. She didn't want to break down in front of those men who look up to her and think of her as the smart and capable daughter of Don DeAngelo.

"It's Randy's opinion, Bambi… Don't take it to heart!"

Henry shouted behind her. She heard the mumbles among the men as they chided Randy for speaking nonsense. She walked to the garden. In the garden, overlooking the greenhouse that was attached to the house was a maple tree.

Her mother was not very good at cooking but she had a green thumb. Plants would just flourish under her care. She grew many fruit trees and vegetable plants in the house.

The maple tree was the first tree they planted in the house. Her parents weren't always rich. They got married when they had nothing and her father had talked about days when they couldn't afford food. Both her parents were working then and her mother became so sick because of malnutrition.

It was one of the reasons her father made sure her mother had the best of everything once he got the riches. He also took over cooking because her mother wouldn't refuse food cooked by her father. They loved each other very much. It was weird for them to watch when they were kids, but now she envied her parents.

When they were living in poverty, her mother miscarried two babies. Her father rarely talked about those times but when he did, Marcella had seen him cry. It was rare for her to see her father in tears.

This piece of land was the first property they bought as their situation got better. They bought the garden area first and the other land afterward. To memorialize the children they lost, her parents planted this maple tree.

Her father loved this tree as much as he loved his family. As the tree changed its color to the seasons, he watched his kids grow around it.

Marcella sat by the tree. When she was little, her father would bring her here and would tell her stories. Her would talk to her about his business dealings, he would talk about the men he met and their weaknesses. He had talked about everything he never even told her mother.

The Codex…

The codex was not a ledger or a piece of paper. It was no map that would lead to the treasure. The Codex is the collection of the stories her father told her.

She is the Codex. Or at least, her memory is.

Mellissa wouldn't have known of the existence of the Codex. No one should know of its existence technically.

But who did?

Tony… did he know?

If she knew they were looking for the codex, she would have thrown herself at those men. She wouldn't have left her sister to suffer.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to save her... I'm sorry you lost another child..."

She mumbled under her breath and tears streamed down her face.

Even in her distress, she could think clearly. Randy was wrong about one thing.

Tony wouldn't have tried to kill her if he wanted the codex. He also had no reason to kill Mellissa.

But if he knew about the will, he could have made an elaborate plan to make her vulnerable enough to get her in his arms.

Would he have killed his brother though? Is he such a cruel person?