The Return of The Forsaken Son-in law

Chapter 6

The Morrison family stood frozen in shock, staring at the gleaming black Bentley that had just shattered their perception of Marco. Margaret's mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air, while Tony's expensive sunglasses hung loosely on his nose.

"This... this can't be real," Margaret stammered, walking around the luxury vehicle. "You pathetic cockroach, how did you get your filthy hands on a car like this?"

Marco opened the passenger door calmly. "I borrowed it from a friend."

"A friend?" Patrick's voice cracked with disbelief. "What kind of friend loans out a half-million-dollar car to a worthless maggot like you?"

Tony stepped closer, his earlier swagger completely deflated. "There's no way this is legitimate. You probably stole it, didn't you? Or maybe you're working for some criminal organization now."

"The only criminal here is your stupidity, Tony," Marco replied coolly, gesturing toward the open door. "Shall we go? Elena's flight lands soon."

Margaret hesitantly approached the car, her hands trembling as she touched the pristine leather seats. "This... this interior is worth more than our entire apartment."

"Get in," Marco said simply.

As they settled into the Bentley's luxurious cabin, Margaret couldn't stop running her fingers along the handcrafted details while Patrick stared at the advanced dashboard in amazement.

"Even if you borrowed this," Margaret said suspiciously, "there's something fishy about this whole situation. Normal people don't just loan out cars worth more than most people's houses."

"Maybe he's finally done something useful with his pathetic life," Tony muttered from the back seat. "Though I still think there's something shady going on."

At the airport, Marco spotted Elena immediately. Her elegant figure moved gracefully through the crowd, her designer dress and perfect makeup making her stand out like a jewel. But Marco's heart sank when he saw who was walking beside her—Frankie Ricci, the wealthy heir whose voice he recognized from the previous night's phone call.

Frankie was everything Marco wasn't—tall, handsome, expensively dressed, and oozing confidence. His perfectly styled hair and designer suit screamed wealth and status.

"Elena, darling!" Margaret rushed forward, ignoring Marco completely. "You look absolutely stunning!"

Elena's eyes found Marco's, and her expression immediately turned cold. "Marco. You're here."

"Welcome home," Marco said quietly, his heart breaking at the ice in her voice.

Elena tossed her expensive luggage at Marco's feet without ceremony. "I'm exhausted. Take care of these."

"Of course," Marco bent to collect the bags, feeling like a servant rather than a husband.

"Elena, my dear!" Patrick beamed as he approached Frankie. "And Frankie! What a pleasant surprise! How was the business trip?"

Frankie flashed his million-dollar smile. "Very productive, Mr. Morrison. Elena was invaluable during the negotiations."

Margaret practically glowed with excitement. "Frankie, you're such a gentleman for escorting our Elena safely home!"

"It was my pleasure," Frankie said, his hand brushing Elena's arm possessively. "Actually, I was hoping Elena might join me for dinner tonight. I have a new Ferrari outside—a limited edition worth twenty-five million. We could discuss some follow-up business matters."

Marco's grip tightened on the luggage handles, but he remained silent.

"Twenty-five million?" Tony's eyes widened with awe and envy. "That's... that's incredible!"

Margaret grabbed Elena's arm eagerly. "What a wonderful opportunity, darling! You should absolutely go with Frankie!"

Elena glanced between Frankie and Marco, her expression unreadable. "I don't know... I am quite tired..."

"Come on, Elena," Frankie pressed, his charm turned up to maximum. "Just a quick dinner. I promise you'll find the conversation... stimulating."

Marco's jaw clenched at the innuendo in Frankie's tone.

"Please, Elena," Margaret practically begged. "Frankie is being so generous with his time and attention!"

Elena hesitated for a long moment that felt like an eternity to Marco. Finally, she shook her head. "Thank you, Frankie, but I think I should go home with my family tonight."

Relief flooded through Marco, though Elena's cold demeanor toward him remained unchanged.

Frankie's smile faltered slightly, but he recovered quickly. "Of course. Family first. Perhaps another time."

As they prepared to leave, one of Frankie's companions, a muscular man named Vince, stepped forward aggressively.

"Hey, you!" Vince pointed at Marco. "Who the hell do you think you are, getting in Mr. Ricci's way?"

Marco looked up calmly. "I'm her husband."

"Husband?" Vince laughed cruelly. "You look more like a fucking cockroach that crawled out of a garbage can! Elena deserves a real man, not some pathetic worm like you!"

"Vince, that's enough—" Frankie started, but Vince continued his tirade.

"Look at this pathetic maggot! Probably makes minimum wage and lives in his mother-in-law's basement! Elena should dump this worthless piece of trash and—"

"VINCE!" Frankie's voice cracked like a whip, his face suddenly pale. "Shut up! Now!"

Vince looked confused. "But boss, this loser—"

"I said shut up!" Frankie's eyes were fixed on something behind Marco, his confident demeanor completely shattered.

Marco turned to see what had caused such a dramatic change in Frankie's behavior. The wealthy heir was staring at the Bentley's windshield, specifically at the golden permit displayed there.

"Is that... is that a Westshore Gardens permit?" Frankie's voice was barely a whisper.

"What's a Westshore Gardens permit?" Tony asked, confused by the sudden tension.

Frankie's hands were visibly shaking now. "There are only eight of those permits in the entire city. Each one is worth over five billion dollars. They grant access to the most exclusive areas and carry the backing of the country's most powerful families."

Margaret looked between Frankie and Marco, finally beginning to understand. "Five... five billion?"

"The people who possess those permits," Frankie continued, his voice filled with fear, "they're untouchable. They have connections that go all the way to the highest levels of government and business."

Vince's aggressive posture melted away as the implications sank in. "Boss, I didn't know—"

"Nobody touches him," Frankie said quietly, his eyes never leaving the permit. "Nobody even looks at him wrong. Do you understand me?"

The airport suddenly felt very quiet as everyone processed this revelation. Marco calmly loaded Elena's luggage into the Bentley's trunk, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Elena," Frankie said carefully, his earlier confidence completely gone, "I think... I think I should let you go home with your family tonight."

Elena looked confused by the sudden change in atmosphere. "Frankie, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Nothing, nothing at all," Frankie said, backing away slowly. "I just remembered I have some urgent business to attend to."

As Marco opened the car door for Elena, she finally spoke to him directly. "Where did you get this car, Marco?"

"I told you," Marco replied evenly, "I borrowed it from a friend."

Elena studied his face, perhaps for the first time truly seeing the man she had married. "What kind of friend loans out a car like this?"

Marco met her gaze steadily. "The kind of friend who values loyalty above all else."