51. Provocation

"I can't believe you've been living with a man like Leo all this time. Your father, who had clearly served him for years, could be killed so easily. He really is a devil!” Marco comes with a bottle of yogurt for Caterina.

“He shot your father in the head because he failed to find you. He is a complete psychopath.”

Caterina, who was sitting pensively thinking about Dante, suddenly gasped and wiped her tears. The anger and revenge burning in her heart made Caterina shed tears. His hatred for Leonardo was now at its peak. There was no more apology he would give to that man. The man she once loved so much has now turned into the person she hates the most. Time changes it very quickly. Caterina felt annoyed because she once loved someone like Leonardo.

“Don't worry, Kate. I'm on your side now. We must unite to avenge each other against Leo. If we unite, wouldn't we be able to kill him easily?”

“You thought it would be that easy? Even his men alone are almost fifty percent of the people in this country!” Caterina argued. The woman became pessimistic, considering that the La Vendetta group was the ruling mafia group in Mexico. No one can beat them. Even the laws of that country could be easily conquered by Leonardo Bianchi.

“There are still many people in this country who we can invite to join. Besides, it seems I have a plan to be able to incapacitate him without his subordinates knowing.”

Caterina immediately turned around. He was curious about the plan Marco had in mind and asked.

“What plan is that?”

“How about I save that plan first? But now what you have to do is practice and hone your skills in holding a weapon so that one day you can kill Leo easily."

Caterina still didn't move. Her hands clenched tightly when she remembered Leo carrying her father's body away. Caterina still remembers how the blood dripped from Dante's head. Who knows what Leo did to her father? Caterina regrets that she didn't get to see him. If it is true that Leo shot Dante in the head, this means that Caterina will do the same when taking revenge on that man.

"He didn't even let you see your father's body one last time," said Marco with a sinister smile.

The anger in Caterina's eyes burned even more. Her teeth chattered imagining what happened to her father's body at La Vendetta headquarters.

"Maybe the body has been cremated," continued Marco.

“Marco, can you help me?” he asked.

"Of course. What do you want me to help with?”

“Teach me to use weapons. I promise to hone my fighting skills and practice using weapons seriously.”

Marco tugged at the corners of his lips. Finally, his plan to provoke Caterina succeeded. In the shadow of revenge and hatred, Marco continues to encourage Caterina to avenge her father's death. Caterina, still hurt by the loss of her father, burns even more with anger and sadness. She believed that her father had died, and his body had been taken away by Leo.

"Good! I will help you practice!” Marco exclaimed.

**

With a heart full of revenge, Caterina continues to hone her fighting skills. She trained day and night, not caring about fatigue and pain. The image of Dante's face made Caterina's spirit burn. The grudge in his chest made her work hard and train. The trainer's punches didn't necessarily make Caterina give up. She fought through all the pain in her body to be able to fight directly with Leonardo on behalf of her father.

Every time Caterina felt tired, the image of Leonardo shooting her beloved Dante in the head just flashed through Caterina's mind. That's when her anger overflowed and her passion flared again. Even the fragments of stories from the past that were in Caterina's mind made the woman really hate him. Leonardo's arbitrary treatment, always being belittled, even abused and abandoned, made the resentment in Caterina's heart build even more.

While imagining Leonardo's face, Caterina gripped the gun tightly. After loading the magazine, she closed one eye and shot at the target precisely.

Seeing Caterina's seriousness in practicing made Marco unable to control his feelings. Unconsciously, a smile appeared on his lips. Caterina's face was wet with sweat, making Marco's instincts rise. Marco, who is getting closer to Caterina, joins her in training. The more time they spent together, the more Marco fell in love with the woman.

Thanks to Marco, Caterina's ability to use firearms has also increased drastically. Now her aim never misses and is always right on target. Sometimes that also made Marco worry. If Caterina had known that it wasn't Leo who shot Dante in the head, Caterina would have killed Marco right then and there.

“You really trained hard. I shouldn't have underestimated you. You have good physical strength," said Marco.

Caterina smiled while wiping the sweat from her face. They decided to take a short break before starting again. Caterina received the bottle of mineral water given by Marco and immediately drank it.

"I want Dad to smile when he sees me from up there," answered Caterina.

"You are such a good daughter."

“I hope so too. Because all this time I never felt like I could be a good daughter. I couldn't even see my father's face when he breathed his last breath.”

"What you're doing now will definitely make him proud."

Caterina smiled broadly, making her look even more beautiful. Marco was mesmerized by Caterina's beautiful smile and hurriedly looked away.

“People like Leo will never know what it feels like to lose the most valuable person in their life. I swear on my father's name that I will do whatever it takes to kill him!”

Caterina took a deep breath for a moment. “Heads must be paid with heads!”

Caterina drank the mineral water until it was finished, then threw the empty bottle in the trash. A short chat after training made them closer every day. Marco knew that he truly loved Caterina. However, he still had to keep those feelings to himself. He didn't want to make things more complicated by admitting his feelings.

Initially, he held Caterina captive because he wanted to kill her and make Leonardo worse. However, he was trapped in his own strategy. Marco felt he couldn't carry out his original plan anymore. The more time they spend together, the more Marco realizes that he cannot kill Caterina. He couldn't bear to see Kate die in his hands. So, he decided to let Caterina fight with Leo.

He was sure that Leo would not attack Caterina, and with the grudge that Caterina carried, he could use it to finish off Leo. Even if Leo dies at Caterina's hands, at least one of his dreams of killing Leo will come true.

Marco smiled sarcastically when he heard Caterina's vows. With that, he wouldn't dirty his own hands because they would die fighting anyway. If Leo died, Leo's men would definitely not remain silent. They would definitely kill Caterina too in the end. He felt that it was a better way for Caterina to die. At least, Caterina wouldn't die at Marco's own hands.